 Have you ever wished that you could sit down with a successful author and ask the secrets to their success . . . and more? We did! In this post, Heather Day Gilbert pulls back the curtain and tells you some things that have transformed her writing, and how to overcome setbacks. She also gives invaluable advice about making business decisions in publishing. HEATHER DAY GILBERT, an RWA Daphne du Maurier Award-winning author and 2-time ECPA Christy Award finalist, enjoys writing contemporary mysteries with unpredictable twists, much like the Agatha Christie books she read growing up. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren't afraid to protect those they love. Keep reading to get Heather's insider keys!  What's one book (or author) that transformed your writing? This might sound shallow, but honestly, it was Write to Market by Chris Fox. I went the first ten years of my writing career thinking I'd write whatever I wanted and the market could adjust to me. That's why I genre-hopped all over the place, and, as it turns out, it's also why I wasn't able to gain serious traction as an author. I finally took Chris' advice and started methodically researching what readers expected in a given genre (for me, it was cozy mystery), and then I wrote to that. I watched how top-selling indie cozy mystery authors structured their series, their pricing, and their blurbs, and I imitated that setup when I launched my new series. I studied popular cozy tropes and worked some of them into my books, and I used high-concept hooks tailored to a cozy readership. All without sacrificing my own originality, which is what I'd feared most when integrating Chris' ideas. And it worked—my Barks & Beans Cafe mystery series has performed better for me than any of my other books. Ten books into it, and I truly know my cozy mystery readership and what they want from me. What’s the hardest storytelling lesson you’ve learned—perhaps a technique or perspective you initially resisted—and how did embracing it elevate your fiction? Plotting books out with a lengthy synopsis. I had to do this for my 3-book cozy series with Kensington Books. For each book, I'd turn in a 20-plus page synopsis detailing every significant character/plot point. Prior to that, I'd plotted loosely, scrawling down one climactic action that would happen in each chapter and "pantsing" (seat of your pants writing) the rest. But I found that in the mystery genre, plotting via a synopsis made my plots far more propulsive, probably because I didn't have to stop the flow and figure out what was happening next. Not to say I don't veer from the synopsis—I often add characters or even shift villains partway through—but I can now write faster since I have a structure I'm working within. Plus, publishers still want synopses for mysteries, and I've recently stepped back into the traditional publishing world. How do you balance writing with the business side—marketing, social media, or day jobs—and still protect your creative energy? Since I've been an indie author for twelve years (with some traditional books published in between), I'm used to shouldering almost all the marketing burden myself. From website design to making graphics to working on audiobooks, I've done just about everything you can imagine. The key to my sanity is that as soon as I can afford to outsource responsibilities that don't come naturally to me, I outsource. For instance, I hate book formatting and it takes me way too long to do it, so that was one of the first things I hired someone else to do. Outsourcing is a way of setting boundaries on my time and energy. And over the past 2-3 years, after writing in a variety of genres (Christian mystery, Christian Viking historical, romantic suspense, cozy mystery, and psychological thriller), I've decided to stick with the genre I know I excel at (cozy mystery). It's not that I haven't enjoyed writing in the other genres or that I don't have loyal readers in those genres. It's just that I've found that sweet spot where readers clamor for more books and where I enjoy spending hours of my time. So that focus is now driving every decision I make. If something doesn't further my purpose (reaching a wider and wider cozy mystery audience), I'm not taking it on anymore. Was there ever a time when you had a project fail—a book that flopped, or a rejected manuscript? Did that setback teach you something unexpected about yourself, your craft, or your career? I wouldn't call it a flop, but I was so determined to be out of the box as an author that I had my amateur sleuth pet-sitting a ball python in book one in my Exotic Pet-Sitter cozy mystery series. This sleuth was also a professional video gamer (I like gaming myself). But I hadn't read cozies (outside of Miss Marple) or studied the modern cozy readership enough to know that the majority of them are not going to pick up a book with a snake or appreciate a video gaming angle. So I shot myself in the foot with book one, and the publisher didn't contract me for more books, even though I had gained many new readers through that series. I could've walked away from that feeling like a failure, but instead, I joined cozy mystery groups on Facebook, learned what cozy readers liked (focusing on the majority of readers, not the minority), and I tweaked their expectations into my bestselling series. So my Exotic Pet-Sitter cozy series was a good learning experience, and honestly, I still have readers asking when I'll publish book four. Those readers enjoyed the quirky concepts I'd integrated into that series. But I don't go as far out of the box these days. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, you just have to design a "wheel" readers can't resist. If you could leave one word of advice for future writers, what would it be? I always say that you have to be the biggest believer in your writing. More than any agent or editor or even reader. More than your family. You have to fight for your book because you believe it's bringing something necessary and wonderful into the world. That often means working long and hard to get it out there to the readers who need it, and it means pressing on when you feel crushed to the ground. Every writer faces self-doubt. What’s a moment in your career when you questioned your work the most, and how did you overcome? Honestly, it was with my first published novel, God's Daughter. It was picked up by an agent, and although it was way outside the Christian historical fiction box at the time (it was set in the Viking era, outside the USA, written in first person, and had a married female protagonist, to name a few aberrations from the norm), I had such high hopes for it. I'd written it for a specific audience (Christian women) with a message I knew they would appreciate. I prayed and prayed for the year and a half it was out on submission, only to receive rejection after rejection. My agent (a highly respected editor) was also very disappointed, as he'd believed in the book as well. Finally, I realized God was not-so-subtly nudging me to independently publish the book, even though indie publishing was still quite rare. So I finally gave into His leading and, like all indies, had to learn all aspects of the business really quickly. It was a disappointing and daunting time, but God brought lifelong friends into my life and gave me the skills to publish books myself, just like the Little Red Hen. Even though it was a hard decision to make and I still wonder why I didn't land that first traditional contract, I don't regret the rejections that pushed me to go indie. It grew me a loyal readership from way back in 2013. And years later, I was honored to be interviewed alongside other Viking historical authors in a multi award-winning TV documentary titled, "Templars: Episode 4, Gudrid the Fair." All because the producer had found my first novel God's Daughter, which was featured in the show. You can find it streaming on Amazon now. Looking back, what’s one choice you made early in your career—about your writing, publishing, or mindset—that you credit for your longevity as an author? One thing that has served me well is a determination that I wanted to write books that would stand the test of time—quality work that can sit on a bookshelf anywhere. This decision informed the standard of publishing I placed on my indie books. Thankfully, my indie books have finaled for and won awards (RWA Daphne Award for Mystery/Suspense). But even if they hadn't received those accolades, I'm confident within myself that none of my books are subpar. Another choice I made was to walk away from things that didn't feel right. This included publisher interest that didn't mesh with my vision for my stories. This included leaving agents when I knew I needed to pursue indie publishing instead of traditional publishing. This includes skipping social media/marketing trends I feel won't work with my publication schedule (I'm looking at you, TikTok!). Finally, I don't really know how to back off. I might've thought about giving up multiple times, when I didn't get the publisher I wanted or when I got a particularly hateful review on Amazon. But in the end, I'm writing books because I know that's what I'm supposed to be doing, and I'll do it until God shows me I need to stop. I went into my writing career with the commitment that my family would always come first, so when/if family needs usurp my career, I'll drop my career in a heartbeat. But I'm thankful I've been allowed all these years to write, and I hope I have many more to come. Buy Heather's recent release in Don't Blink, and get 11 other books for 99 cents. Queen Bee by Daphne du MaurierAward-Winning Author Heather Day Gilbert When a violent windstorm traps Twila and her teen daughter at a remote mountain retreat, they'll have to outwit an unhinged killer in order to survive.   This post was complied by Brandy Vallance, a literary agent with Barbara Bova Literary Agency, an award-winning author, and a Story Consultant for Writing Day Workshops. Brandy is the winner of two national writing awards, one of which included a $20,000 prize. Her novel, THE COVERED DEEP, has been featured in USA Today & Writer’s Digest. WITHIN THE VEIL has been called “passionate and riveting” and Publisher’s Weekly encourages those who like sweeping Scottish sagas to dive in because “the journey is wonderful.” Brandy loves helping writers break the chains of fear and self-doubt. You can find out more at brandyvallance.com.  Attend a writers conference in 2025 - 2026:
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