Today we’d like to introduce you to Tam Francis.
Hi Tam, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I had been a published and slam poet for many years, featured in the Lalapalooza poetry tent as well as published in the anthology from that year in addition to representing my city twice at nationals. But, I started writing novels (essentially becoming my own CEO) when my husband was deployed by the US Navy and I was home with two babies on my own. I missed him, I missed swing dancing, I missed romance, but through my writing, I could have it all again. So in between changing diapers and single parenting, I wrote The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress. It was a messy tome that I thought was ready to query. So I did. When an agent asked, “Are you planning on making these two books?” I realized it was too long and there was something about my writing that wasn’t hitting. I started taking classes, reading writing-craft books, and going to seminars (online and in person). I joined the Austin Romance Writers of America, learning from them and feeling supported by a positive group or writers. I treated novel-writing as a full-time job while still working as a substitute for our school district and at the same time revamping our local theatre’s summer programs.
I queried again. Received a couple of offers to publish digitally first. But why would I give them a huge percentage for something I could do myself? I could indie publish!!! I shared my fears with my husband about how niche my books were and he inspired me with tales of indie musicians who did it their way. I saved up my sub pay, hired an editor, hired a cover designer, even hired someone to convert the book into the ebook platforms so as not to lose my formatting. I found beta readers and with a friend, created The Lockhart Writer’s Critique Group that have now met weekly for the last nine years.
I have not been able to quit my day job (subbing), but I am getting closer. Marketing is the last piece of the puzzle and hard to do without a lot of money behind it. Social media yields some results, but that time is better spent writing more books, so it’s a bit of a conundrum.
About three or four books into my author journey, I had an epiphany, I could take my writing skills and apply it to our summer camps at the Gaslight Baker Theatre. I could teach the kids how to write their own monologues to perform. I created an outline, trained my teen mentors, and tried it out. It worked. We’ve been teaching kids to write their own monologues for four years now with ages ranging from seven to eighteen and have grown the offerings from two camps to a record six different camps this past year.
It’s been exciting to find my way into libraries and indie bookstores and do my book signings my way. I recently signed with an indie publisher who believes in underrepresented voices and genres. My hope is to free up enough of my time to create a youth writer’s critique group where I can share my skills and experience with young writers. Being creative seeps into everything I do and I cannot help sharing the creative bug with others.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The learning curve was steep. I came from a household where artistic pursuits were “hobbies” but you needed a real job or “something real to fall back on.” So, even getting over the hurdle that I could do something creative as a job was huge and came to me later in life. And even though I had some early success with poetry, novel writing is a whole other skill set, it took years to get to a place where I feel secure saying, “I’m a writer and novelist.”
Rejection is tough in any art, but there is so much of it in writing and it’s continual. One of the hardest things is to be able to recognize improvement opportunities but also stay true to your vision, balancing the critiques with growth.
Having to work a day job and be a kick-ass wife and mom while trying to create is challenging. I learned how to create in pockets of time: sitting in the carpool lane, half-time at a soccer game, chaperoning a choir competition. I didn’t have the luxury of routine time and regular space to write a novel.
Currently, the biggest hurdle is marketing. Right now, I take everything I make on book sales and reinvest in online ads. Doing all your own marketing can be creative and fun, but it also eats up my writing time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I like to say I created a book genre called “vintage chick lit.” A genre of writing that is more than historical fiction but very specific to a vintage lifestyle with a focus on vintage fashion, steamy passion, and swing dance, but my creativity extends to other works in the community through acting, directing, costuming, set design, committee work, and theatre camp instruction.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
It’s especially tough when you’re not in the college or university circle. My best advice is to join a local critique group and if there isn’t one, create one. I have also made some very good online friends, and we have become mutually supportive, as in trading beta reads, marketing strategies, and just general book love.
Pricing:
- 1.99-$15 Book People, Wendy Rs Bookery, Amazon
- Free at selected libraries. Check you local one.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tam_francis_jitterbug_typer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TamFrancisAuthor/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tamfrancis
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEszLyovY8mlt2aK6ADkeIQ
- Other: Linktree https://linktr.ee/tamfranciswriter
