We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Monica Walters a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Monica, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I became a full-time author in October of 2018. However, it wasn’t because I was making so much money. My husband and I took HUGE leaps of faith to make it happen. I quit my job without giving a notice, all because I received a one-book contract from an independent e-book publisher. The process of trying to get my name out to the masses was gruesome and extremely tedious. I vowed that I would do whatever I had to do to make it work, because I didn’t want to go back to working a traditional 9 to 5. At the time, I’d already self-published fourteen novels, and my career had gone nowhere. So, I knew I lacked the know-how in this industry. I also knew that the publisher I signed with would provide just the guidance I needed. I began writing heavily, releasing a book, sometimes two, every month. That feat was hard to accomplish, especially because not only did I have responsibilities as a wife, but I was also a mother of three. I pushed myself hard. most nights not getting an ample amount of sleep.
There was some initial progress in the beginning, but when I published what I’ve now categorized as my Country Hood Love Stories, things took off a bit. 8 Seconds to Love was the book that set me apart. It highlighted rodeo life and country living for the black man, and I was able to make it sexy. The readers loved that. Once again, when the newness of that novel wore off, things slowed and became stagnant. It wasn’t until I discovered the art of appealing to my audience that I reached unprecedented heights. Training My Heart to Love You was the book that did that for me. Everything had to be perfect, not only the storyline, but the book cover, the price, and the timing of the book release. Since then, my career path has been on a steady climb with every book release.
I could have sped the process up a bit had I gained the knowledge of the industry in the beginning and learning to network with other authors, but I’m grateful for the journey. Being able to see the progress I’ve made as a writer and author is rewarding to say the least.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Monica Walters, and I write African American Romance novels. I’m from Beaumont, Texas and I’m a wife and mother of three. I began writing while in high school, starting with poetry. I gravitated to song lyrics not long after, because music is another love of mine. As an avid reader, I became fascinated with storytelling and started writing short stories. One short story accidentally became a full-length novel. I couldn’t seem to cut the story off. The characters had so much to tell me, so I kept going. The thing that sets me apart from others is my ability to craft an amazing story while touching on loads of reality through fiction. Most of my stories talk about the everyday lives of the working black man and woman and how they love their families. They are relatable to the targeted reader, and they also teach lessons in forgiveness through an entertaining, fictional story of love.
I’m most proud of my ability to grow as a writer. With every publication, I give it my all. Even with as frequently as I publish books, I write with my heart. The reader won’t be left unsatisfied.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As I was trying to establish my platform and what I wanted readers to be able to receive from me, I was hospitalized due to an infection in my body. At the time, I was releasing a book, sometimes two every month, plus I was dealing with multiple health issues, diabetic neuropathy being the worst of those. I felt horrible, but I knew that I couldn’t slack off if I wanted to reach the goals I had outlined for myself. From my hospital bed, I published and promoted a book and continued writing the next book. I was in the hospital for ten days and didn’t miss a beat. The antibiotics made me feel sick and the pain medication had me feeling lethargic, but I had plans. Two months later, I released the book that changed my career forever.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I’m very engaging. I don’t shy away from readers of my work. So, I believe my personality has helped me gain more readers. I’m friendly, talkative, and mostly transparent. I make people feel as if they know me. My friendliness and respect for others reaches the masses, then my stories hook them.

Contact Info:

• Website: authormonicawalters.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/authormonicawalters
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/authormonicawalters
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/monlwalters
• Other: Clubhouse: @monicawalters TikTok: @authormonicawalters

Image Credits
Charis Solutions