We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca Forster. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.
Alright, Rebecca thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.
Mine is a story of two beginnings, each with self-inflicted wounds that kept me from moving forward faster. The first is my career in traditional publishing. I stumbled into the roll of author, and that good fortune was a double-edged sword. While I sold my first book, I had taken the path of least resistance to achieve the goal. After a colleague dared me to write a book, I pitched a publisher that didn’t demand an agent, had clear guidelines as to what kind of book they wanted, and one that needed a ton of inventory. In short, I had a good shot at getting a contract because the bar was low. When I decided I wanted to pursue writing as a career, The first thing that held me back was my attitude. I had not spent time learning about the industry or the craft, leaving me ill-prepared to take the next step.When I did land a contract in a more challenging genre, I suffered from imposter syndrome. This is prevalent with creatives, we are never sure if our art is truly worthy, or like my early books, success had been a fluke. This puts me in a powerless position when it came to contract negotiations and standing up for my creative vision. The second mistake I made was believing that I was only good enough to write genre fiction. I wanted to write legal thrillers and police procedurals, but my agent scoffed at the idea. I was not a lawyer, I had no background in justice, and men wrote those types of thrillers. I wasn’t happy for the lecture and I can’t believe I accepted that. I now realize that it was simply easier for her to represent me to women’s fiction publishers. That meant predictable sales and a steady commission for her. If she bought into my ambition, I would be a tough sell. In short, I didn’t realize her advice was in her best interest and not in mine. Even when I figured it out, I didn’t have the courage to leave her. Agents were as hard to come by as confidence. It took me ten years to submit a thriller to a publisher. I spent a long time dedicating myself to perfecting my craft and doing my research before I submitted. I sold that book on a synopsis, without an agent, and received the biggest advance I ever got. I never looked back. If I could do it all over again I would study the industry, learn how to work better and more efficiently, and take more chances. I made the USA Today bestseller list with my second thriller. I built a career comfortable enough for me to quit my day job. Then Kindle happened. This revolutionized the publishing industry and I had to start all over again. Luckily, I went into to the challenge with a great deal of inventory and a solid grasp of craft. Writing would not be the problem. This time the learning curve was extremely steep and even Amazon was muddling through as they tried to define their product. We didn’t have the software to allow us to format, make covers, etc. What authors did have was a new platform that offered the possibility of limitless readers. I was an early adopter of the technology because I saw the writing on the wall. Traditional distribution channels were drying up as bookstores closed, editorial staff was being culled, the authors were being asked to do even more to promote their work. I took the leap and moved to indie publishing. I learned how to adapt, talk to my readers through social media, and use new ways of promoting. What I didn’t realize was that Amazon made discoverability easy for us to establish the validity of digital reading. The rewards exceeded expectation. I thought discoverability would last forever and sales would be organic. Amazon, Twitter, and Meta had other ideas. They choked off free discoverability and herded the authors into funnels that necessitated paid advertising. The two mistakes I made were resisting paid advertising and not strategizing my social media. Constant communication with my base was not enough to sustain my income. I needed new readers constantly. In this second iteration of my career, business became my focus. I needed to invest money in it; in my first publishing career it was craft, creativity and confidence that were the focal points. I’ve been a working author for 40 years and it has been an incredible ride. I am blessed to have made a good living as an author. I wish I had been more confident in my abilities in the first part of my career, faster to understand new technology and smart enough to loosen the purse strings to promote my work in the second half.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Born a Midwestern girl, bred in Southern California, I earned her MBA and worked in major advertising agencies before writing my first book on a crazy dare.
Now a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author, I have over 40 books to my name and is known for her legal and crime thrillers. I am a hands-on researcher, an avid court watcher, a graduate of the DEA and ATF Citizen’s academy and local police firearms programs, As a Leaders to Sea participant I added landing by tail hook on the USS Nimitz to my resume in search of authentic details for my books. I am known for intricate and twisted plotting and deep characterization. My best selling Witness Series, Josie Bates Thrillers, has enjoyed over 3 million downloads. My latest series is the FInn O’Brien/Cori Anderson Crime Thrillers.
I have taught the business of writing at the acclaimed UCLA Writers Program and various colleges and universities, and honored to speak at women’s groups, bar and judges’ associations. One of my greatest honors was as a repeat speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books. In my spare time, I plays competitive tennis, am an avid traveler, and quilter.
I am the proud mother to two grown sons, and am married to a Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I’m very aware of NFTs because my son has worked in the crypto/blockchain industry. He urged me to write a book for the NFT market. I didn’t so much resist as I am not convinced it was worth the effort. I am aware of only one author who sold a book for a hefty sum as an NFT. When I weigh the energy and attention it takes to write, a publish and promote a novel , I am going to stick with the devil I know. I do not see the market for NFTs yet. It may flourish in years to come, but my career has thrived through two iterations. I think I’ll pass on the third.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
This is a fabulous question, and easily answered. Non-creatives believe that a creative career is easy, that we should be willing to give our work to anyone who asks, and that even if we weren’t paid, we would still do it.
A creative career is one of the most difficult endeavors one can undertake. The artist or writer or musician labors alone, for hours, with no guarantee of appreciation or income. Every idea is a crap shoot. Every work is scrutinized and commented on. Reviewers can be cruel and dismissive, editors can reject us for no other reason than they weren’t excited by the first sentence. We compete with thousands of other people on a daily basis and our day does not end at five o’clock.
I remember being so disheartened by so many people asking for a book that when my dentist did, I said sure as long as I got the filling free. Authors have to buy their own books to give to reviewers and booksellers. We can’t give them to everyone.
Finally, if we pursued our art without expecting payment, it would be a hobby. When you do it to pay your bills, it is a career.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.rebeccaforster.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rebeccaforster1211
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/RebeccaForster
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/rebeccaforster
- Twitter: https://x.com/Rebecca_Forster
- Other: bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/rebecca-forster
Amazon: amazon.com/Rebecca-Forster/e/B001HCZP3W/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/2518.Rebecca_Forster
Image Credits
All of these are personal photos. No photographer credit