SUBSCRIBE

I'm Dakota Willink, USA Today Bestselling Romance Author. Before beginning my author journey, I wore many hats. I was a daughter, a wife, a mom, and a woman constantly searching for something more. 

My first attempt at college was for Graphic Design, but family obligations forced me to put that degree on hold. When I eventually went back, I did so with the intent of becoming my own boss, earning a B.A. in Business Administration and Marketing. 

Despite plans to venture into entrepreneurship, self-employment is a financial risk, and I had a family to consider. So, I worked in retail banking for ten years, choosing the security of a steady paycheck over my happiness. It was a high-pressure sales job, and even though I didn't love what I was doing, I still excelled, achieving some of the highest sales numbers in the company. But then I hit a wall. The pressure to sustain those high sales started taking a toll on my health, and I began experiencing debilitating migraines.

I was also writing fiction romance sporadically during these years. I began work on my first novel in 2012 and it was near completion. So, after long talks with my family, I decided to take a risk. In the summer of 2015, I quit my job at the bank and set my sights on becoming a published author. I vowed never to work in sales again and thought this new path would take me far from it. 

How wrong I was. 

If I had known in advance that being an indie author also meant being a marketing expert, graphic designer, social media content creator, advertising specialist, editor, book formatting guru, accountant, business manager, and everything else in between, I probably would not have chosen this career. 

But now that I'm here, I don't want to be anywhere else. I'm in control, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm exactly where I belong.

I published my first book in December 2015. Since then, my books have been translated into five languages, and I have sold over 1.5 million books worldwide, all indie published. I've been recognized for various awards and bestseller lists, including USA Today. 

I love audiobooks and have an active presence in the audio community. My Fade Into You series was a finalist in the HEAR Now Festival Independent Audiobook Awards. I was also a contributor to the Blunder Woman Productions project, Nevertheless, We Persisted: Me Too, a 2019 Audie Award Finalist and Earphones Award Winner.

As with most indie authors, the struggle to succeed was an uphill battle. I'm not a fast writer, so the income dips between releases were long and financially difficult. In 2019, after I'd published my fifth book, my income hit an all-time low. Yet, I was working harder than ever before, averaging 10-12 hour work days, seven days a week. Something had to give. 

In 2020, I began to focus on ways to make my backlist work harder for me, giving me space to breathe between book releases. I took countless courses and found ways to cater these teachings to work for my brand. I found good advice and bad, too often getting sucked in by flashy SEO rather than quality instruction. I valued the importance of community, and learned from the strengths of my peers. It was a long game, but I was invested and determined to make it work. For me, quitting was not an option.

In 2023, I surpassed 1 million dollars in sales in a single calendar year. Learning from the best is how I got to where I am today, and I will forever be grateful to the authors who have shared their trade secrets. 

I've always taken joy from sharing what I've learned with author friends. I've presented twice at Romance Author Mastermind, and worked one on one with peers at exclusive author retreats. Now I feel like it's time to expand beyond my circle by opening myself up to the community that helped bring me to 7 figures.