Write Naked: A Love Letter to the Writer’s Journey

By Jennifer Probst

I’ve been writing for thirty-five years. I started when I was twelve years old.

For the past decade, I’ve written full-time. I’ve hit bestseller lists, made seven figures, and lived the dream I had as a kid.

I’ve also been fired. I’ve been broke. I’ve had books tank and been rejected by publishers.

This career constantly inspires and challenges me. It’s always evolving, shifting with the seasons like Mother Nature herself.

My Muse? She’s unpredictable. She can be bitchy, sulky, or sweet. Sometimes she builds stunning stories that take my breath away. And sometimes, she vanishes, leaving me stranded, wordless, and afraid she won’t come back!

The publishing industry has offered me brilliant editors, publicists, and marketing teams who’ve helped level up my career. But those same publishers have also let me go when my sales didn’t measure up.

Readers have lifted me with love and loyalty. One of my books spent 26 weeks on the New York Times list. Others have been ghosted, criticized, or struggled to find their audience.

All of it—the praise and the pain—goes into the cauldron of being a writer. We show up day after day, not just to write, but to run a business. We learn the tools we need to support the work.

I’ve pivoted more times than I can count. I’ve written over sixty contemporary romance novels. I’ve opened a Shopify store, launched subscriptions on Ream and Substack, and used crowdfunding to support creative projects.

I’ve written three nonfiction books for writers: Write Naked, Write True, and Writers Inspiring Writers (co-authored with Erin Branscom). I’ve worked with Big 5 publishers, boutique indies, and I’ve self-published.

I’m still here.

Why? Because I’m passionate about this work. About helping other writers on the same wild path. I believe stories matter. They help us see the world, claim our space, and serve others.

It’s a messy, beautiful, raw, painful career that we choose every day. But sometimes, we need help.

That’s why I created my first online course, Write Naked. It’s based on my books and designed in short, focused modules that writers can dip into as they need. I’ve taught workshops around the world, but this course allows me to connect more personally and reach more people.

It’s not just videos and PowerPoints. It’s me, speaking directly to you. It’s intimate. Honest. It covers craft, mindset, productivity, publishing, marketing, and more. It’s the real stuff—the things I use every day to keep writing.

I’m also releasing my fourth nonfiction book: Write Free. It’s a curated collection of my favorite essays, blog posts, and new reflections on the writer’s life. Think bite-sized lessons to inspire, guide, and remind you that you’re not alone.

And like many of you, I hit that all-too-familiar wall:

How do I reach more writers?
How do I reach more readers?

I took my own advice and looked outside the traditional model. I launched the course and book through Kickstarter.

What’s Kickstarter?

A crowd funding, community-driven platform that helps bring passion projects to life. It’s perfect for creatives, and uses networking to help spread the word. More and more writers are using it to fund special edition books and projects that would be difficult to simply publish on Amazon or sell to trade publishers.

I can also offer the course and book at a lower price, and include meaningful bonuses like personal Zoom calls, signed book boxes, and exclusive extras. It’s available for a limited time, which also helps drive sales because once it’s gone, I won’t be offering the bonuses or special pricing again.

If you’re holding a story inside you—or looking for new ways to not just finish, but share your work—I’d love for you to check out my Kickstarter.

Because even though we often write alone, we don’t have to walk this path alone. We need each other.

Let’s write naked.

Check out the Kickstarter here: Write Naked: The Official Course Plus Write Free Book by Jennifer Probst — Kickstarter

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Jennifer Probst lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley, NY, and holds a master’s in English Literature. She’s the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifty books in contemporary romance fiction. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a “romance phenom” by Kirkus Reviews.
She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website at www.jenniferprobst.com.
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Tags: featured, women wrters

Category: On Writing