Jess Michaels on Keys to Longevity

Episode 052 / Do you want to have a long writing career? Prolific historical romance author Jess Michaels is here with tips to help you set yourself up for a long and productive career.

We also talk with Jess about her transition from traditional publishing to indie publishing, how she learned that an 8-month sabbatical was not a good thing for an Achiever, and how she writes now that she understands her process. And the illustration of forest and trees comes up again! Perhaps that’s a theme for 2021?

Intro links:

Historical Mystery Day

Becca Syme’s QuitCast

Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com.

In this podcast episode, you’ll discover:

How Jess got into writing and how she’s been able to retire her husband from his job
The infinite numbers of ways to find success and discovering your own process
Finding constants in marketing books in a continually changing industry and how “best practices” can be different in each genre
Feeling the pain of not hitting goals, but learning from those experiences
Why taking an 8 month break was not restful for Jess
How Jess structures her work and and rest as an Achiever
Why having a platform is a key to longevity
Being true to your audience and how that helps you have a long career
Bridgerton! And the show’s possible impact on the romance market
Continuing to produce books and how that creates a career: using the swing of a front list release to push backlist and then using backlist to push front list