Milly Johnson, Author, Simon and Schuster
Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 19 published novels (to date), four short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella ('The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe') and is an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry.
She is also a poem and joke-writer, a newspaper and magazine columnist and a seasoned after-dinner speaker. She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture in 2015 and the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020.
Also, in 2022, the Richard Whiteley Award for being an inspiration to the county of Yorkshire. She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Instagram - it seems kinder than some others, and I enjoy contributing. Then again, I'm new to TikTok, and I love making short videos!
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I'm editing book 20 and also getting ideas together for both book 21, a crime novel and another book of poetry.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I am my own boss, and I like the whole creative process. I'm always astounded at how much there is inside me waiting to come out. I am very self-driven, and I really enjoy the marketing side of things and learning new skills (so it is possible for an old dog to learn new tricks. ;)
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Never let the b*stards grind you down.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
Deadlines help. And I know that if I hit a block, it's never insurmountable; I just need to take a few runs at knocking it down. Also, if I don't finish my manuscript as well as sleepless nights - I won't get paid!
What are you proud of in your life so far?
I'm proud of bringing up my two sons single-handedly after my marriage broke down when they were both under two years old. I'm proud of never giving up trying to be published when I felt the odds were all against me. I'm proud of coming from the place I do, where the support for me has been phenomenal. I'm proud of being the best daughter and mum I can be - and friend. I'm proud of staying true to my roots.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I think Twitter is great for networking, but nothing beats face-to-face contact when you can get a true handle on what people are like and whether or not you want to deal with them.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Resilience, loyalty, and kindness.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That building a career like mine slowly and surely was the best way. I was so frustrated that I wasn't an overnight sensation, but I've seen too many stars shoot and fall into oblivion.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
The head of my university faculty was a Yorkshireman called Ted Wragg, who rose to amazing heights and was a fabulous intellectual, wonderful speaker and great man. He was eminent and yet never forgot where he came from or let his success go to his head. Sadly he is no longer with us, but he was what everyone should aspire to be.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I like to go to the cinema and watch films, and I do a lot of craftwork. I love looking around picturesque villages and walking on the beach with my dog. My other half is an antique dealer, and we always hunt for treasures in antique shops.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
I found it had a very negative impact on my concentration, so I downed tools and watched a lot of box sets. But then I had to give myself a talking to and get on with it. In this job, you have to be your own line manager.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I haven't the time to mentor anyone though I have given people who have asked advice and put as much information as I can on my website. I had a mentor in the shape of a wonderful author called Sue Welfare, who taught me so much about the business. She gave up writing to do arts and crafts herself.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
You need a backbone of iron and talent - if you have both of these, then you must keep trying to break into the business and don't stop until you do. Writing is not an easy profession. No one is going to hold your hand, you never stop learning, and you never know it all. Never diss your hometown because they will get behind you; local support is wonderful PR.
Learn as much as you can about the business. Someone who wanted advice from me once didn't even know what an agent was! There is an unspoken etiquette such as never sending out unsolicited manuscripts and only sending agents what they ask for and no more. Knowledge really is power. And so is social media!
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
In my profession, it is because things aren't happening as they dreamed they would be - i.e. catapulted right to the top of the best-seller charts after one book. We all enter this profession not knowing how damned hard it is to succeed in it and how much work it takes outside of writing the actual book.
So, many people want to write books but daren't in case they fail - which is mad. You have to think, 'but what if I succeed'. There is only one way to get the book inside you out, and that is by writing it, one word after another, 90,000 times. You can't put a memory stick in your head and download it.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"A comfort zone is a prison, a very cosy one, but it's a prison all the same."
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
No idea because the big global enterprises who are making a fortune could do much more by giving their workers better pay and conditions. Major success seems to come with so much disparity, which is a shame.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
To me, it's the accomplishment of aims, the capture of dreams but doing it in a way that means I can sleep at night. You can be successful and respectful AND kind. Especially because this is a fickle business, and those at the top of the ladder can easily slide down it. You can use the success of others to spur you on, and you can want success as well as someone else rather than 'instead of them.
I'm very cautious not to steal anyone else's thunder or plunder ideas that aren't mine to plunder (though it has been done to me). I want success on my own merits so I can be proud of my achievements; it would feel very hollow for me to just remake someone else's accomplishments and claim them as my own. The unpaid interns of today are the commissioning editors of tomorrow so being rude to them 'because you can' isn't on for all sorts of reasons.
Stay true to your roots, be nice, and say thank you. Business is so much more satisfying when you are pleasant to deal with, and a good reputation is a treasure. Why anyone takes pride in being difficult is beyond me!
Be grateful - I've never played the big 'I am' as an author because I'd be out of a job if it wasn't for people buying my books. And a 'thank you' goes a very long way.