Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Cobb
Hi Jill, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a child, my love of creating and sharing stories with friends and family ignited a dream of one day becoming an author. However, after finishing school, I no longer had the structure of assignments to keep me writing regularly. Story ideas remained in my head rather than being written and soon I even lost the discipline of regular journaling. My writing fell to the wayside as I focused on my career until, on an evening commute, a news report about advances in genetic engineering sparked the idea of a near-future sci-fi novel. I outlined the story and began writing during lunch breaks and before bed, gradually completing the first draft.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road hasn’t been entirely smooth, nor would I even say it was a road. Instead, it has been more of a winding path filled with plenty of zigs and zags and interesting scenery along the way. After the initial excitement of writing my first book, I dove into attending conferences and seeking representation for traditional publishing. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to land an agent, but during that time, I came up with a new idea for a romantic comedy series, which was a turning point.
I took the plunge into self-publishing, especially as the romance genre was exploding in that space. However, life threw some challenges of family and health concerns my way, which slowed down my progress. By the time I was ready to publish, the self-publishing market had cooled, though I’ve seen that persistence can still lead to growth.
Now, I’m balancing writing with marketing efforts, which has been a learning curve. While I’m not yet at a point where I can fully support myself through writing, my audience is growing, and I’m hopeful about what lies ahead. It’s been a journey of learning, adapting, and perseverance, and I’m excited to keep going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The excitement of not knowing how a story will end or where it is going is what I love about fiction, and I aim to bring this sense of unpredictability to my work. The romance genre has a strict requirement of the love story having a “happily ever after” ending, but I seek to subvert this by having the relationship not always end fully on the couple’s terms—because life is messy, and I want to capture that raw, unpredictable beauty.
Humor and romance are central to my voice, making romantic comedies a natural fit. However, as I’ve begun exploring other genres, such as dystopian fiction, my signature humor remains a constant thread. My current project is a dystopian novel with darker themes, but it still includes both a love interest and moments of wry humor.
Another passion of mine is weaving societal observations into my stories. I aim to provoke moments of reflection in readers, encouraging them to ask, “Why do we do the things we do?” This interplay between entertaining and challenging my audience is something I am proud of and believe sets my work apart.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
When I began my writing journey, I sought organizations that could support and guide me, which led me to Georgia Romance Writers. Through GRW, I connected with my first critique partners—Tiffany Griffith, Roger Johns, and Diana Hicks—who played a crucial role in helping me refine my first draft.
Around the same time, I joined the Atlanta Writers Club, where I was fortunate to meet my accountability partner, Brenda Lowder. I’m deeply grateful for her unwavering support and for keeping me on track. I also met Terra Weiss and Deena Short, who provided inspiration and invaluable advice.
Last, I owe a special thanks to the Atlanta Writes Meetup group for pushing me to grow and improve. Members like Curt Shannon, Mary Beecroft, Aaron Bentzel, and Tenesha Curtis who offered their encouragement and insight, have been transformative.
Through these organizations, I’ve discovered lifelong friends who have enriched me as both a writer and a person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jillcobbauthor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillcobbauthor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14Xxuu4KmU/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JillCobbAuthor
Image Credits
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