Julie Navickas On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Successful Author or Writer

Thick Skin. The first thing you need… is thick skin. It’s important that any author learns early on that the book(s) you write is not going to be for everyone. And that’s okay! As authors, we’re told to write, “the book you want to read”. Not everyone will want to read your work — and those who do may not like it. There will be bad reviews. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Some writers and authors have a knack for using language that can really move people. Some writers and authors have been able to influence millions with their words alone. What does it take to become an effective and successful author or writer?

In this interview series, called “5 Things You Need To Be A Successful Author or Writer” we are talking to successful authors and writers who can share lessons from their experiences.

As part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Julie Navickas. Julie Navickas is an award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor and serves as the executive director of The Writing Champions Project. Julie earned a master’s degree in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?

I’ve never been much of a risk-taker. I’m the “play-it-safe” kind of girl, falling in line with the rules and pre-determined expectations… never having the courage to step beyond my comfort zone or do something unexpected. But then the pandemic hit, and my orderly life took a nose-dive.