We were lucky to catch up with Wendy Dalrymple recently and have shared our conversation below.

Wendy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Writing fiction for a living was a goal ever since I was a kid, but I didn’t think it was realistic. I went to college, worked in corporate for over a decade and even though I was doing “the right thing” I never felt fulfilled in my career. In 2016 I nearly died after having my third son, and realized it was time to reprioritize the way I lived my life. I began to freelance and write short stories again, paid off every last debt I had and saved money for a rainy day. I slowly gained clients, eventually landing a gig writing original romances for Scribd.com (now Everand).

That big writing client helped me to take the plunge, quit corporate for good and go into business for myself. It took about six months of networking, finding clients, saving money and paying down debt for me to feel comfortable leaving the security of a steady corporate job. Having a 3 month savings safety net has really helped me during slow work periods and is something I recommend to anyone wanting to take the plunge and strike out on their own.

While I enjoyed writing romance, horror has always been my true passion, and in 2021, I started to write and publish my own horror novellas as well. I now have five pending horror stories coming out with four different indie publishers, a steady stream of income from my self-published work, and earnings from in-person events. I also ghostwrite children’s books to help supplement my income, and continually search for ways to scale up my business and find new readers.

Wendy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a life-long reader and lover of all things horror. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a storyteller and was always consuming spooky books and movies. I’ve always gravitated toward the hyper-feminine (sparkles, pink, unicorns, rainbows, kittens) and I love the juxtaposition of sweet “girly” things and horror, especially in terms of the real-life horrors than women face. The type of horror that I write has been dubbed “pink horror,” a term I have embraced whole-heartedly. Pink horror isn’t horror that’s less scary, but horror that mirrors the feminine experience through a feminine lens. As part of my platform, I’m committed to uplifting other women in horror, including books and films which explore the icky parts of femininity. Think Jennifer’s Body or Mona Awad’s Bunny and those are classic pink horror examples.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My social media audience is almost entirely organic. For my particular niche, I’ve found that seeking out like-minded horror readers and authors and genuinely engaging with their content is the most effective (and for me, feels the most genuine). I also promote the work of others on my channels and share memes and tidbits about my personality in between marketing posts about my books to help gain readers interest. Self-promotion and navigating the social media world is only good for me if it’s fun!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love interacting with readers and meeting other authors at in-person events. Hearing that my story resonated with someone is always rewarding, especially because putting your creative work out there can make you feel very vulnerable. As a self-published author, I love being in control of everything that goes into my books from the concept to choosing an editor, formatting, cover creation all the way to publishing and distribution. It feels good to know that I can be in control of my own career and don’t have to wait for a publisher to pick up my story.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendydalrymplewrites/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyDalrympleWrites/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wendy_dalrymple?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendydalrymplewritesAmazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Wendy-Dalrymple/author/B089SPZJCW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1715349429&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Image Credits

Wendy Dalrymple