Meet Joann Durgin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joann Durgin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JoAnn below.

Hi JoAnn, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Confidence and self-esteem are areas where many people, especially younger individuals, struggle to find their sense of worth and purpose in life. The good news is that it CAN be achieved. The perhaps not as good (but not BAD) news is that it sometimes takes a lot of trial and error, a bit of faltering, and even a few inevitable failures. Yet it’s those experiences that help us learn and grow as a person. Be willing to take risks and step outside your comfort zone. Life is challenging, but keep working on your craft, and you WILL get there.

My resilience comes from my mother who never allowed anyone to tell her something couldn’t be done. She divorced my father when I was three and never remarried, but my strong work ethic came from my dad. Let me give you two examples of how those qualities came into play in my writing career. With more than forty books published (some traditionally published and many now independently published), I’ve learned a few things throughout the journey.

First example: After my debut novel released with a small publisher in 2010, I targeted a book advertiser who mailed out thousands of catalogs every month to subscribers interested in my genre of fiction (contemporary Christian romance). I first researched the company (a key component of being successful) and then did something pretty assertive and even daring. We lived about 20 miles from the advertiser’s book warehouse outside Boston. For a few years, we’d shopped their warehouse sales when they opened their doors and invited the public to come in and purchase directly from them. Most importantly, I discovered the names of the two brothers who co-founded the company. A quick internet search revealed the home address of the brother who was president, and I sent him a copy of my debut novel via UPS overnight delivery with a letter (short, respectful, and to the point). I asked him to give the book to any woman in his life who might enjoy reading it. If they liked it, I asked him to please consider featuring it in his catalog once. Just once. And then I thanked him for his time.

I received a personal letter from that man within two weeks. He complimented my ingenuity and creativeness and told me he’d be pleased to feature my book in one of their upcoming catalogs. He honored that promise, and I attribute that “leap of faith” to jump-starting my career since it brought many sales. After four books in the same series, the publisher decided to close their doors and reverted the publishing rights to me. I then did something the publisher had never agreed to do–give away the first book in the series FREE. I placed an ad (at a cost) with the largest book advertiser in the marketplace. That was a wise investment and one of the best decisions I ever made, bringing even more awareness of my books and new readers. I later advertised with the same website several times, and that increased my sales even more.

Lessons learned and my advice: Use common sense. Be willing to do your research. Develop a plan for achieving your goals. Pursue your plan diligently, stick with it, and—whatever you do–don’t accept “No” as a forever answer and walk away.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

WRITING. My first love is writing (which is an offshoot of my lifetime love of reading). One of my readers summed it up perfectly when she said, “Thank you for taking me places in your books where I’ll probably never go.” I write Christian romance, but I’ve written about many locations and professions, including a NASA shuttle commander in “Pursuit” (a personal favorite book and character). In other words, it’s not JUST romance. Life experience is invaluable, but I adore nothing more than fleshing out “real” characters and showing how one person CAN make a difference in the world no matter what they do, where they live, or who they know.

RESEARCH. While writing “Pursuit” (which I’d actually drafted years before), I toured Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was a drizzly, cool weekday morning before the school groups arrived. I ran around (to my husband’s great amusement) and asked questions of every tour guide, gift shop attendant, lunchroom worker, and even Mission Control technicians. They were happy to help after I told them I was writing a book about a shuttle commander. I was incredibly energized when I left that day, armed with a wealth of information and even a few personal email addresses to use if I had more questions. Because of that visit (and a subsequent visit to Kennedy Space Center in Florida where we met with an astronaut), my book was more authentic. Ditto a visit to the memorial for Gus Grissom, a local Indiana astronaut featured prominently in my novel. Many readers wrote and shared how much they learned while being highly entertained by reading “Pursuit.” I often tell people, “That one’s the movie!”

MAKE IT FUN. If you have fun doing what you love, then follow your personal interests and–if it’s your goal–you’ll discover a way to share it with the world. Guaranteed, someone else “out there” is going to share those same interests. You might even motivate and encourage them to try it themselves! After all, imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. However, keep in mind that NO ONE ELSE can do something the unique way YOU do.

EXPAND ON YOUR CRAFT. During Covid, and with many books published, I began to develop another creative outlet–book cover design. I’ve always enjoyed working with designers, and my emphasis in college (journalism degree) was advertising. I began dabbling in design and now run a successful cover design business with both premades (eBook covers with existing images and sample titles) as well as custom covers, including paperback covers. I’m currently working on finding a balance between writing and designing. I’m still learning as I go, but I find great satisfaction in helping clients see their characters and cover vision come to life. Being an author myself is also an advantage. While it’s true that having an “eye” for design (including photography) helps in recognizing what works aesthetically and visually, the programs and tools available now make it much easier to produce quality work at a very affordable price.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. In terms of becoming a published author, I believe every successful author is also a reader. I developed a great love of words and stories early on. After I was promoted to the Red Bird (top level) reading group in first grade, I read every minute I could and always had my nose in a book. One of my favorite things in elementary school was getting the new Scholastic flyer and circling the books I hoped to buy with my allowance. Call me weird, but I even loved the SMELL of those flyers! I read everything–biographies, autobiographies, fiction, nonfiction, and history books. I adored Nancy Drew books and still have Books 1-50 plus the Nancy Drew Cookbook. As I grew older, I read the classics and gained an appreciation of what the world had to offer a girl from southern Indiana. I read literary magazines, short stories, art reviews, Broadway reviews. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until I was a young mother in Philly that I began to write novels. By then, I’d traveled abroad a few times, lived in several states (my husband was a pastor). Plus, I was well-versed in literature and had gained enough life experience to believe I could write a decent story. Those things aren’t necessary to become an author, but they helped shape who I am and my perspective on life.

2. Learn to manage your time well and do your research (I can’t stress this enough). If you want to do something, then you must be willing to put in the time. By “research,” I’m referring to the places, people, and things that impacts your characters, their story, and the all-important setting.

3. Don’t compare your work to others and, as best you can, develop a “shell” of invincibility. Comparisons are self-defeating, a waste of your valuable time, and they accomplish NOTHING when it comes to achieving your ultimate goals.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My parents divorced when I was three, and my mother was my primary parent. My dad was part of my life, but he didn’t play an active role even though he lived in a nearby town. He was intelligent and creative, and his mother, my dear “Granny,” significantly impacted my life with her wisdom, sense of humor, and in sharing her many talents with my brother and me. I learned so much from each of them, and they each helped shape who I am today. I can only pray I’m passing on their best qualities to our three children and two grandchildren.

My mom instilled in me a love of reading and traveling, and she demonstrated by example how to be a caring, loving, giving individual. She was tireless in her efforts for the less fortunate and spoke to many local church groups, teaching them ways to get involved to make the world a better place.

The most impactful thing she did was enroll me in a study abroad program during the spring semester of my sophomore year in college. Our group of around 20 students lived and studied in London for 10 weeks followed by a three-week tour of Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France. It was glorious! We learned about some of the world’s most famous artists and viewed their works at the Tate Gallery. We attended the London Symphony, the Globe (Shakespeare) Theatre, live stage plays, and the Royal Opera. My girlfriends and I visited Scotland and Wales on free weekends. The group took many weekday trips to cathedrals, ruins, and other areas of interest and historical significance in London and throughout England. To top it off, I earned straight As that term and affectionately refer to it as “my favorite time in college (when I wasn’t actually on the college campus).”

During my time away from the United States, I gained an increasing sense of independence. When someone else didn’t want to go somewhere, I took off by myself. I was fearless but smart about visiting unfamiliar places on my own. I was prepared and had a plan. When I moved to Dallas, Texas, after college (without knowing a soul), those qualities served me well. While in London, I gained an appreciation of the United States, its history, and the freedoms we enjoy as a nation. I expanded my horizons and met a lot of people from different nations and cultures while exploring some of the most beautiful cities in the world. I loved it so much that my mother and I traveled back to Europe several times.

All of those experiences helped to give me a unique and valuable perspective in my life as well as in my writing. I am blessed, and I am thankful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://joanndurgin.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/498063795303264
• Twitter: JoAnn Durgin@Gr8tReads
• Other: AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: