In this episode of On the Write Track, Emily sits down with Penn Cole, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Kindred's Curse Saga, to talk about the wild, unlikely road from self-publishing to a traditional deal with a Big 5 publisher. Penn opens up about leaving a career as an attorney to chase writing full time, and the leap of faith it took to bet on herself before anyone else would.
In this episode of On the Write Track, Emily sits down with Penn Cole, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Kindred's Curse Saga, to talk about the wild, unlikely road from self-publishing to a traditional deal with a Big 5 publisher. Penn opens up about leaving a career as an attorney to chase writing full time, and the leap of faith it took to bet on herself before anyone else would.
We dig into the highs and lows of going indie first: what it actually took to self-publish Spark of the Everflame and Glow of the Everflame, build an audience from nothing, and turn a passion project into a series that would eventually sell in sixteen languages. Penn is candid about the grind behind the "overnight success" story, and what nobody tells you about the pressure that comes once readers start paying attention.
We also get into her transition to traditional publishing, why she chose to bring her books to a Big 5 creating a hybrid career, after already building a loyal readership on her own, and how she's navigated keeping creative control while working within a traditional structure. Penn shares what surprised her most about the differences between indie and traditional, from marketing to timelines to expectations, and offers grounded advice for writers trying to decide which path, or which hybrid of both, is right for them.
From a career change to global fantasy romance sensation, this episode is a candid, look at building a career on your own terms, and what it really takes to get there.
Penn Cole
Books Mentioned - We strongly encourage that listeners purchase these titles from their favorite indie bookstore