Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Reese Ryan. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Reese, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

There are so many things I’ve had to learn (and continue to learn) along the way as a creative artist. The first of those lessons was that even as an author published with a traditional publisher, you aren’t just the talent—you’re a business and the product is you. As such, you’ll either need to learn a variety of tasks like marketing, social media engagement, website design, graphic design, etc, or you’ll need to hire people to take on time-consuming tasks that aren’t the best use of your time.

If you aren’t a big fish in the industry—or at the very least, one of the top names with your publisher or imprint—you’re not going to receive a lot of marketing effort and investment. That means the bulk of marketing lies with you.

The lesson I am in the midst of learning is that the publishing industry—like many others—is constantly evolving. The world is changing. Subgenres come in and out of fashion. Publishing houses and imprints close. It’s business, not personal—even when it feels like it. Publishers will always make their decisions based on business. As creatives, we need to do the same. Don’t stay with a publishing house or take on a project simply out of loyalty or because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. This is a business, baby. Make the decision that’s best for you mentally, emotionally, and financially.

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 background and context?

I’m Reese Ryan, author of sexy, emotional, grown-folks romantic fiction featuring characters finding love while navigating career crises and family drama. I’m also the host of Story Behind the Story—a YouTube show where readers and authors connect for fun, interactive chats about a variety of literary topics.

My books feature flawed characters doing their best to find their way in life. Maybe they’re at the top of their game in their careers, but their love life is in shambles. Or maybe they are also dealing with a crisis at work. I love creating complicated family dynamics like challenging parent-child relationships and low-key or overt sibling rivalries. My stories are usually always infused with some humor, too.

As a Black woman, I didn’t always see myself in the books I read so voraciously growing up. As a writer, it’s important to me to write stories that are good, engaging, and relatable while also offering representation to readers who also didn’t see themselves in the books they read growing up. I write about Black characters who deal with real-world problems like learning disabilities, workplace discrimination, grief, economic insecurity, and being the caregiver for a child or sibling on the autistic spectrum. But their lives are by no means tragic. They experience love, joy, romance, and pleasure. And they always get their much-deserved happily ever after.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the many hats we must wear as creatives is sales and marketing. My aversion to selling first reared its head when I had to sell candy for an eighth-grade field trip. (Spoiler alert: I ate most of the candy and paid for it myself.) Couple that aversion to sales with a healthy dose of imposter syndrome and—like many GenX women—being raised to be seen and not heard made actively talking about my books uncomfortable. It took me several years to have a meaningful shift in this regard.

Eventually, I came across a social media post that admonished women to advocate for themselves as loudly as they would for one of their friends. That statement made a real impact on me. When it comes to my author friends, I am their biggest cheerleader. That social media post made me realize that I deserved the same energy and effort I so willingly gave to others. Now, I can say without hesitation that a series, book, or character I created is amazing, and invite you to read it. Shoe brands, car manufacturers, and clothing designers don’t hesitate to sing their own praises. As creatives and entrepreneurs, why should we?

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Life is all about knowing when to pivot. In business, we can get comfortable occupying a particular space in the marketplace. But change is inevitable in any industry. It’s important to recognize the winds of change early enough to respond accordingly. That’s a lesson I’m in the midst of learning. Societal changes, changes in reader expectations, innovations in technology, and fluctuations in the marketplace can create seismic shifts. Just because we’ve always done something a certain way doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way to do it. Also, as artists, we have to find the right balance between sticking to what works for us and recognizing that a change is coming—whether we like it or not.

Does that mean that as creatives we should take on projects we find repugnant, just because it feels like a good way to make a quick buck? No. But by paying attention to the market, we can find a way to respond to changes and ride the wave while writing about topics and characters that are authentic to us and that we’re excited to bring to life.

Sometimes that means changing things up in a way that might feel scary, whether that’s trying a different genre, moving on to another publishing house, or trying your hand at indie publishing. Currently, I’m doing a little of all three. It’s a terrifying proposition. Yet, I also find the pivot I’m making now to be exciting and filled with possibilities.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.reeseryan.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reeseryanwrites/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reeseryanwrites
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReeseRyanWrites
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReeseRyanWrites
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reeseryanwrites