One of my favorite parts of running a podcast is the opportunity to have conversations with incredible people. In this episode, I speak with author Seyna Rytes. She and I discuss representation in romance, networking in author run spaces, and the business of romance writing.
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Show Notes
- Seyna began her journey into romance when she was young, reading her mom’s Harlequin Romances
- Romance has always been a comfort to her.
- Moving to the US encouraged her to try out self-publishing.
- France was wonderful but at times made her feel discouraged when it came to trying out her own writing and sharing her creativity.
- Her 1st self-published book didn’t do so well.
- Cole in Her Stockings was a holiday release that did really well.
- Initially she worked with a small publishing company but that collaboration didn’t go well and Seyna decided to self-publish instead
- We discuss who she writes for and why Black women are typically the female main characters in her works.
- We joke about the Arab Sheik experience in romance novels when we were younger.
- I ask Seyna what her biggest fear was when writing her first book.
- She shares what surprised her after publishing.
- Seyna talks about networking with romance communities and how it helped her with her book writing process.
- Advice for would be authors.
- I ask about her favorite romance genres.
- The business of romance writing, let’s talk.
- Why marketing is an exercise in being deliberate.
- We discuss dark themes, reverse harem, and the fact that women of color are underrepresented in that space.
- I ask what she’s doing to grow her writing business
- Paying attention to the vibe in Romancelandia
- Networking with her Seyna Sirens
- Currently, Seyna is working on creating more of a “signature” to her writing
- I tell her to raise her book prices LOL!
- Kindle Unlimited vs. other platforms
Seyna Rytes
- Seyna Rytes Author page
- Seyna’s Sirens Fan group