Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandy Woods Snow.
Hi Brandy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Brandy has been an avid reader since she picked up her first book (The Pokey Little Puppy) at age four and a writer since age six when she got her first typewriter. She always read well beyond her years, and while some may frown on the fact that she read The Bermuda Triangle, Helter Skelter, and VC Andrews’ My Sweet Audrina before even reaching her preteen years, Brandy believes her long days of reading an eclectic variety of genres on her own Southern porch are what solidified her dream to become an author.
The road wasn’t straightforward. Everyone told her that creative writing majors would starve, so she picked a more prudent route upon entering Clemson University and went for a degree in English and Journalism. A handful of years out of college, though, while spending her days in a blue jail cell… er, cubicle… she knew she’d made a dreadful error.
That’s when she “retired” from the corporate world, began freelancing for magazines and small publishing houses, and eventually followed the dream that still lingered in her heart.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not!
First and foremost, I learned quickly out of college that the corporate life was not for me. I enjoyed the writing work and communications planning but despised spending long hours at a desk in a blue cubicle. It took a good bit of gumption to change lanes and quit the corporate world in favor of freelancing, but in the end, it was so worth it.
When I finally began pursuing my ultimate goal of writing a book, I had high hopes that the road would be smooth and easy, but once again, I learned most of what I know about the industry through hard work and determination in the face of some trying times. The first thing I learned was that you must have a thick skin to make it in the literary world. Rejection is a real and common thing, and you must also be willing to open yourself up to constructive criticism, setting ego aside in favor of growth. There’s no roller coaster of emotions quite like the querying process, where it’s often one step forward and two steps back on any given day.
I also faced challenges along the way with a publisher I was with, and to be honest, some of the horror stories I could tell you would deter the faint of heart from even attempting to break into the market. But after the darkest days, the light broke through and I made a hard, but rewarding, decision to take my career into my own hands and self-publish.
And let me tell you–that in itself is a TON of work when you do it correctly–writing, editing, revisions, design, layout, marketing, uploading, publishing, etc. Still, when the hard work and diligence pays off, that’s where you can finally feel the pride.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an author, writing Southern stories about complicated people who love deeply but screw things up royally before finding redemption. My work spans contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and young adult contemporary romance but the common thread throughout is always emotional depth. My stories often include complicated families, second chances, generational wounds, small-town secrets, grief, redemption, and broken people who finally find their place. And because I’m a born-and-raised Southerner, you best bet there are going to be porches, family drama, scenery from the SC Lowcountry swamps to the Appalachian mountains, and at least one town busybody who’s minding everyone’s business except their own.
I’m especially proud of my resilience in the face of adversity and continuing to pursue and perfect my craft through the years. Lord knows it would’ve been much easier to quit sometimes, having had three kids underfoot and a military husband who was often away. But writing has been a life-long love (starting with my first typewriter at age six!), and I kept that love in my heart despite having life take me in different directions at times. Writing fiction always brings me back.
I think what sets me apart is how I marry Southern settings with emotional depth in a character-driven style of writing. I have had so many reviews tell me that my characters feel like real people with real problems and real love interests and that is the best complement I can ever receive. To know that a reader took the time to invest in my book and was moved to tears or laughter, or that they finished the book and felt the sting of a sad farewell–that lets me know that they understand and appreciate the heart I put into every chapter.
I’ve come to think of my author brand as a porch. (Check out my website or join my “On the Porch newsletter”) A Southern porch has been iconic throughout my life as a place to read, talk, dream, live, and I want to create that same welcoming environment for all who follow me along the way. The porch is a call back to the kind of atmosphere I want readers to get from my books in that it’s a welcoming place where they can feel a sense of belonging.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory was sitting at my kitchen table tapping out stories on my first typewriter. I still have a few of those in an old trunk in my home, and they have fabulous titles like “The Perils of Princess Brandy” (yes, I made myself into a princess) and “Country Mice Go To Town.” I’m pretty sure somewhere in my old boxes (I’m a packrat-don’t judge!) there’s even a handwritten booklet full of poetry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brandywsnow.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_brandy_woods_snow
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BWSnowWrites
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/brandywsnowbooks
