Bestselling Romance Author Sariah Wilson on Love & Publishing | Sariah Wilson

A reporter standing at her door asked one question that changed everything. Sariah Wilson—multiple-time bestselling romance author—joins Dara Levan to share her extraordinary publishing journey that began when her son was diagnosed with autism. Desperate to raise $10,000 for his therapy, she prayed for guidance and received an unexpected answer: write a book. After ignoring the message, a reporter showed up at her door asking if she was a writer because her press release was so well-crafted—and Sariah finally listened. She shares how she entered Amazon's Kindle Scout program, became one of the first 10 winners, and landed a two-book contract with Montlake (Amazon's romance publishing house)—without ever having an agent. Sariah also opens up about her 27-year marriage, her unconventional 30-day writing method, why she doesn't use beta readers, and how she handles one-star reviews. Her advice to aspiring authors? Look for opportunities others dismiss, be prepared when luck shows up, and remember that writing is subjective—you want readers to either love you or hate you.

Keywords: Sariah Wilson, romance author, Kindle Scout, Montlake, publishing journey, autism, indie publishing, Amazon publishing, romance novels, writing advice.

0:00 - Intro
1:46 - 27-year marriage & soulmates
3:36 - Childhood reading & first romance
5:51 - Son's autism diagnosis
6:50 - Garage sale & divine writing sign
10:58 - Kindle Scout & first 10 winners
12:26 - Montlake contract without agent
14:27 - Advice for aspiring authors
17:52 - Indie publishing explained
20:43 - Two books per year schedule
24:53 - Editing process & reviews
29:53 - No beta readers, trusting voice
35:47 - Where to find Sariah Wilson
36:16 – Outro

• https://www.instagram.com/dara.levan/
• Website: daralevan.com3
https://www.sariahwilson.com/


QUOTES:

"You don't want lukewarm readers. You want to be that person where people either love you or hate you. That means you've found your voice."
– Sariah Wilson

"Love is why we're here. Connection is why we're here. That's why I started this podcast."
– Dara Levan