Today we’d like to introduce you to Reese Ryan
Hi Reese, 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 fell in love with stories as a very young reader. I wanted to become a storyteller after reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. But I got serious about the idea of becoming a writer after a friend recommended a one-month story-writing challenge to me. That inspired my passion for writing fiction again. Later, I joined a local fiction writers group. That taught me about the business of writing, helped me make connections in the writing world, and motivated me when I heard other writers share their news about acquiring new deals, winning awards, and making lists.
I acquired a publishing contract in 2012, and my first book was published in 2013. Now, eleven years later, my thirty-sixth book hit retail shelves. Twenty-nine of my books have been traditionally published thus far. The rest were indie-published, and that is my current focus. Right now, I’m working on the third book in my first completely indie-published series.
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?
It has not! Publishing has never been an easy industry to break into. Especially for authors of color. Over the past decade things have changed a lot. There are fewer major publishing houses out there as several have been acquired by larger houses. There was a period when publishers were clamoring for more diverse books. Now we’re in a period where many of those books focused on telling stories about BIPOC experiences are often targeted by book bans. Then there is TikTok, which has changed the landscape of publishing and drives what’s on retail shelves.
Over the course of my career I’ve written for four imprints—two of which have been discontinued. That’s one of the reasons I’m focused on being a hybrid author—both indie and traditionally published. I also love the freedom of telling the story I want to tell the way I want to tell it rather than trying to chase a trend or replicate the magic in-a-bottle of the current bestselling author as publishers often do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I write sexy, emotional romantic fiction featuring characters finding love while navigating career crises and family drama. I typically write about characters who are in their mid-thirties and up, which sadly is considered “older” in the romance genre. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott had a huge impact on the types of stories I read and write. So I enjoy writing stories with unconventional heroines and complicated family dynamics.
Something I’ve also truly embraced is writing about neurodiverse characters, characters dealing with mental health issues, and those who are caregivers for children and adults on the autism spectrum. I love portraying these characters—with all of their struggles, challenges, and flaws—as complicated, but also complex, brilliant, joyful, and worthy of love.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
There have been so many changes in the industry over the past decade. As TikTok and the growing threat of book bans continues to impact what books are published and which get marketing dollars and bookshelf space, I expect we will see other big shifts in the industry. But who knows what they’ll be?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reeseryan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reeseryanwrites/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReeseRyanWrites
- Twitter: https://x.com/ReeseRyanWrites
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReeseRyanWrites
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@reeseryanwrites
