Meet Jessica K. Foster

We were lucky to catch up with Jessica K. Foster recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica K., so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

My optimism stems from a theory of nothing risked, nothing gained. Sometimes publishing can feel like a lot of rejection, marketing can seem like a slog that doesn’t garner the returns I might have hoped for, author events can be sparsely populated, or inspiration can feel out of reach. That doesn’t mean that I have failed that aspect of my career or even that I have failed that day. I think it’s important to pan out of situations that seem futile or tough and ask the important question of “What if I never tried?” I think that being an author is ever-changing and about adapting to the obstacles as they occur. The journey I take doesn’t have to be identical to anyone else’s. I can choose how much of myself to invest and how much time to spend. The cliche might be that comparison is the thief of joy, but it does have merit. You have to risk to get rewards. I like to say I’m a “try-hard” in a good way. Let that be something I’m known for. Authorship is ultimately an art, and that is beautiful on its own–without getting bogged down in the details. How can I be anything but optimistic if my priorities are in order?

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a Young Adult Romance author based in Michigan. My favorite part of creating novels is telling realistic, escapist journeys that tackle big problems but always end happily. The nice guy always wins, and the girl gets the boy she needs every time. My brand is teenage Rom-coms with a touch of drama. You can find me attending multiple author events in the Midwest every year. My website is https://jessicakfoster.com where everything you might want to know about me is linked.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, the three qualities/skills/areas of knowledge that were most impactful to my journey were:
1. Blind courage: Sometimes you just have to try something new. I read a quote once that asked what I would do if I knew I couldn’t fail? Be an author. That’s what I would do. And it’s what I’m doing now.
2. Story structure: You can’t write stories if you don’t know how they work. Understanding narrative structure is so important if you want to write a book.
3. Networking: When marketing, you can’t be afraid to reach out to people to help you promote your book. A lot of booksellers and librarians love authors. The worst thing they can do is ghost you or say no, and then you are no worse off than you were before you asked. Just make a note not to ask again unless they are open to it and move on. Sometimes people surprise you and they help you more than you ever imagined–but you have to reach out. No one knows you exist unless you proclaim it loudly.

The advice I have for folks who are early in their writing journey would be to understand and know what drives them to write. They can best figure this out by re-reading their favorite books or re-watching their favorite movies and pinpointing the scenes that make them excited to write. Then they can see what the trends are and try to recapture that feeling when they write their own books. What do you want the reader to feel?

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was encourage me in my education and my love of reading. They read out loud to me as a child, they helped me learn how to read in elementary school at night, and they took me to the library every week when I was a kid. My mom would drive us to storytime and buy me books for my birthdays and Christmas. My parents read in front of me and modeled its importance. They encouraged me to pursue reading and writing my entire life. Now that I am an author, they come to my events and cheer me on. Education has always been important in my family, and I have incredibly supportive parents. For that I am extremely grateful.

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