International Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout on Romantasy’s Rise, Garlic-Ink Books, and Bringing Her Worlds to TV
“As I was querying agents with my first book, I took a risk with a small press, and I got very lucky. Back then, instead of BookTok, Book Twitter was the big thing. I got lucky with reviewers somehow stumbling across my small press book and getting behind it. At that point, I also got an agent and started doing traditional publishing deals. I’m glad for the way I got started because I think it kept me grounded. No matter what success I ever had, I know how fleeting it can be.”
I had the pleasure of talking with Jennifer L. Armentrout, a New York Times bestselling author whose name resonates across the sprawling landscape of contemporary romance, young adult, and fantasy fiction. Armentrout is a prolific powerhouse, a writer who has not only mastered the art of genre-blending but has also navigated the ever-shifting currents of the publishing world with a pragmatic spirit. From her humble beginnings to her current status as a “hybrid” author with a devoted global fanbase, her journey is a testament to perseverance and an unwavering commitment to storytelling.
Growing up in West Virginia, Armentrout’s early life was marked by financial hardship, a reality that inadvertently ignited her lifelong passion. “I grew up very, very poor,” she shared, recalling how her mother found creative ways to keep her and her siblings engaged during the long summer months. “My love of reading started because when you don’t have a lot of money, your mom looks for ways to get the kids out of the house during the summer. She would take us to the public library, and that’s where I was able to read and experience things that we couldn’t go do.” This early exposure to vast, imaginary worlds eventually blossomed into an urge to create her own. “From there, my love of reading turned into a love of writing.”
However, the path from reader to published author was far from conventional. It wasn’t until after college that she seriously pursued writing. “One day, I just decided I wanted to see if I could do this,” she recounted. Her initial foray into publishing took a unique turn, at a time when indie or small-press books were often dismissed. “As I was querying agents with my first book, I took a risk with a small press, and I got very lucky.” She found an unexpected boost on “Book Twitter,” where early reviewers championed her work, leading to an agent and traditional publishing deals. This unusual start, she believes, was a blessing in disguise. “I’m glad for the way I got started because I think it kept me grounded. No matter what success I ever had, I know how fleeting it can be.” It also equipped her with an adaptability that served her well as the industry evolved.
Among her many projects, a recent collaboration with Hellmann’s mayonnaise stands out as particularly surreal and perfectly aligned with her “tongue-in-cheek” persona. “Honestly, I’ve done a lot of cool, random projects, but I will say partnering with Hellmann’s has been the most standout for me because never in a million years would I have expected to get a phone call from the mayonnaise company,” she laughed. The partnership, centered around her latest release, The Primal of Blood and Bone, even involved garlic-infused ink in the book’s pages to ward off the series’ vampire-like “cravens.” “We received the books yesterday and we were curious if it was really going to smell like garlic ink. That question has been answered. Yes, it does.” The campaign, blending “BookTok” with “FoodieTok” and featuring a coffin-shaped marketing box with Hellmann’s Garlic Aioli, highlights a playful and unexpected side of the author.
Armentrout has earned a reputation for her prolific output, though she admits the pace has slowed with the intricate demands of fantasy writing. “When writing fantasy, you have to slow down. The worlds get bigger, and you have to remember everything.” Her previous secret? A relentless dedication that bordered on self-sacrifice. “The only secret is that you almost don’t have a life because you’re constantly writing. It’s a lot. There’s really no secret; it was writing every single day.” She cautions against this unsustainable pace, however, advising new authors to “resist that urge to perform constantly because you do run the risk of burning yourself out completely.”
Her work is frequently classified as “romantasy,” a genre she acknowledges has “always been around” but lacked a proper name. “Usually, what would happen is these books would either be shelved under young adult, even if not necessarily appropriate, or paranormal, or urban fantasy,” she explained. It was the explosive popularity of series like A Court of Thorns and Roses and the collective voice of BookTok readers that finally cemented its place as a distinct genre.
Beyond the page, Armentrout’s books are making the leap to the screen. While details remain under wraps, she expressed confidence in the team behind the TV adaptation. “I have spoken to the showrunner. I’m very confident that the series is in good hands. They and their team have worked on very successful adaptations that people will recognize if they ever announce it.” She never initially conceived of her stories reaching such a broad audience, but now, when she visualizes her male characters, a familiar face from the past often appears: “I always pictured Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles… he’s forever Jake Ryan in my head.”
Reflecting on her journey, Armentrout shared valuable lessons, acknowledging a “world of mistakes.” One humorous “foot-in-mouth” moment occurred on an early overseas tour when she mistakenly assumed a reader’s accent was German, only to be firmly corrected: “No, we’re from Austria!” The lesson: “You don’t make assumptions about anything.” More broadly, she shared five insights for aspiring writers: avoid reading reviews, learn to take a break, accept that a dream job is still a job, always write the book you want to read, and celebrate every win along the way. “At a certain point, every time you reach a new milestone, you keep focusing on the next one without celebrating the current one.”
Looking to the future, Armentrout champions a movement rooted in empathy. More than just kindness or sympathy, empathy, for her, is “the profound, and sometimes difficult, act of feeling with someone. It’s about trying to understand the world from a perspective that isn’t your own, even if you don’t agree with the choices someone has made.” As a writer, this ability to inhabit diverse minds is her most vital tool. “If I could inspire a movement, it would be that: to encourage people to engage with stories and perspectives that are wildly different from their own. To listen not just to respond, but to understand. It’s about closing that distance, building a bridge of shared feeling, and recognizing the humanity in everyone.” It’s a powerful ethos from an author who has spent her career building bridges to fantastical worlds, inviting millions to feel alongside her characters.
Yitzi: It’s an honor to meet you, Jennifer. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. I know you’ve read a lot about others. Can you share with our readers a bit about your childhood, how you grew up, and the seeds for the amazing things that have come since then?
Jennifer: Yes, as cliché as it sounds, I can’t say I always wanted to be a writer, but I have ever since I was probably 12 or 13. Before that, like every kid, I wanted to be 500 different things that would never happen. But I grew up very, very poor. My love of reading started because when you don’t have a lot of money, your mom looks for ways to get the kids out of the house during the summer. She would take us to the public library, and that’s where I was able to read and experience things that we couldn’t go do. From there, my love of reading turned into a love of writing.
However, writing seriously didn’t start until after college. One day, I just decided I wanted to see if I could do this. Of course, it took several years for me to write my first book and get the courage to go out on submission. My journey to publication wasn’t the normal path. Publishing has changed so much in the last two decades. When I started, working with a small publisher or indie publishing was very frowned upon, and you couldn’t be in bookstores with books like that.
As I was querying agents with my first book, I took a risk with a small press, and I got very lucky. Back then, instead of BookTok, Book Twitter was the big thing. I got lucky with reviewers somehow stumbling across my small press book and getting behind it. At that point, I also got an agent and started doing traditional publishing deals. It was a very long journey because so much has changed in publishing. Back then, those books weren’t often taken seriously or held to the same value as traditionally published books.
But I’m glad for the way I got started because I think it kept me grounded. No matter what success I ever had, I know how fleeting it can be. It was definitely a long journey to get to what I’m doing now. I felt like I got to experience different ways of publishing, so as the industry started to change, I was able to adapt a lot better than people who may have always had traditional contracts and couldn’t really navigate this new landscape, especially with a new breed of readers who are reading five to six big books a week and want books released faster.
Yitzi: Unbelievable. You probably have some amazing stories from the projects you’ve worked on. Can you share a story with our readers that stands out in your mind from your career so far?
Jennifer: Honestly, I’ve done a lot of cool, random projects, but I will say partnering with Hellmann’s has been the most standout for me because never in a million years would I have expected to get a phone call from the mayonnaise company. When my publisher called me, she said, “Hear me out,” because she had just gotten off the phone about a partnership with Hellmann’s. I kept interrupting her, saying, “The mayonnaise company? Where is this leading?” This has to be the one that stands out because it’s so tongue-in-cheek, and if anybody knows me, I’m a very tongue-in-cheek type of person. I wasn’t sure how this would work, but as soon as I heard the pitch and everything they’ve involved me in, they found these amazing ways to tie it to the series, like with the craven-proof recipes and bookshelf. This project will be the one that will stand out for me.
Yitzi: Unbelievable. Are there any other promotional initiatives you’re doing with Hellmann’s? Any other unique ideas?
Jennifer: Yes, I filmed a bunch of reels for them. They came to my bookstore, and we filmed a bunch of promo there. They’re doing this amazing influencer reach where they’re merging BookTok with “FoodieTok,” or whatever that part of TikTok is called, with a marketing box that’s actually a coffin, which is hilarious. I feel like people get this in the mail and think, “What is this?” They’ve done a bunch of recipes that are actually nods to the readers because fantasy readers and BookTok readers are a whole different branch. They have their own lingo for series, and Hellmann’s was paying attention because they nailed it with the casserole recipe they’re doing. And the book itself is printed with garlic-infused ink. Definitely a lot of garlic-infused ink.
Yitzi: And you can smell it?
Jennifer: Oh yes, you can.
Yitzi: And is the idea to ward off vampires?
Jennifer: Yes, the cravens are like the traditional vampires in the series, and so they tied it in that way. We received the books yesterday and we were curious if it was really going to smell like garlic ink. That question has been answered. Yes, it does.
Yitzi: That’s unbelievable. You’re incredibly prolific and able to publish multiple books in a year. What’s the secret? How do you do that?
Jennifer: Well, I haven’t been able to do that lately because when writing fantasy, you have to slow down. The worlds get bigger, and you have to remember everything. Previously, I feel like the only secret is that you almost don’t have a life because you’re constantly writing. It’s a lot. There’s really no secret; it was writing every single day. And it’s not something I recommend for authors to do, honestly, because you can burn yourself out. You think, “Okay, sitting on your butt all day can’t be that bad,” but it is. There are things that you don’t realize can physically come from that.
Because, as I was saying earlier, readers are reading so much faster now, which is great, but at the same time, I think authors feel almost obligated to release faster and faster. That’s something I always mention when I do talks with authors who are just starting out: you have to resist that urge to perform constantly because you do run the risk of burning yourself out completely.
Yitzi: So, would you consider your books “romantasy”?
Jennifer: Yes.
Yitzi: Did you invent that genre, or did it exist before?
Jennifer: No, romantasy has always been around; they just didn’t call it that. Usually, what would happen is these books would either be shelved under young adult, even if not necessarily appropriate, or paranormal, or urban fantasy. That was a term they used to use. But I think with the rise of A Court of Thorns and Roses, that series really kicked it off, making people realize it has to have its own genre because it kept getting placed where it did not belong. But I think that series finally cemented that we need a whole entire section. But honestly, besides that series, it was BookTok. It was readers demanding more of these types of books that really opened the door for publishers and, more importantly, booksellers to have a space for it.
Yitzi: Unbelievable. I read that you’re making your books into a TV series.
Jennifer: Yes. With anything to do with Hollywood, they don’t want you ever saying anything, and then you end up forgetting what’s happening. I think the only thing I can say is I have spoken to the showrunner. I’m very confident that the series is in good hands. They and their team have worked on very successful adaptations that people will recognize if they ever announce it. I’m excited about that because I don’t understand how they can take a 700-page book with important internal dialogue — which you can’t put on a screen — and adapt that into 60 minutes a week. It’s insane to me.
But something I haven’t really shared, though I know this part is fine, is that I have spoken to the showrunner, and I’m very comfortable with who has it. I’m hoping there’ll be news that will be shared at some point, but lots of times, you really don’t get a warning when they do announce it. It’s like, “Oh, heads up, this is going to be on Deadline today,” and you’re like, “Oh, okay, I guess we can talk about it now.”
Yitzi: That’s great. When you first wrote the books, did you have in mind that maybe one day they would be a movie or TV show? And if you did, did you have a particular actor in mind for the lead roles? What did you envision?
Jennifer: When I first started writing, I never even considered any of my stuff making it to film or TV. Because of the way I got started, I had a very grounded perspective, like that was a one-in-a-million chance of happening. But I feel like a lot of us, whenever we’re writing, someone you’ve seen on TV pops in your head. I’m going to completely age myself with this because I don’t really know who is super popular now. And honestly, I think I was really young when this movie came out, and I just saw it years later. But I always pictured Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles, which is a movie from the ’80s, as almost every male character. I don’t even know how old he is now; he’s got to be probably pushing 60 or 70. But he’s forever Jake Ryan in my head, and I feel like I always see that actor whenever I visualize a character.
Yitzi: Okay, that’s great information. It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a funny mistake you made when you were first starting your writing career and the lesson you learned from it?
Jennifer: Oh, gosh. I know I’ve made a world of mistakes. I don’t know if this is funny, but it’s kind of a foot-in-mouth moment, like a typical American overseas saying something stupid. On one of my first tours overseas, I was meeting a young reader and I heard their accent. I assumed it was German because I was in Germany. But Germans have a noticeable accent. I said, “Oh, you’re from here.” Their father was standing right there and he said, “No, we’re from Austria!” and I could tell I had made a very bad mistake. I learned then — which is something you should know — that you don’t make assumptions about anything. But it kind of made me laugh at the same time because he was very forceful in clarifying, “No, Austria.”
Yitzi: It’s a funny story. Okay, great. This is our central question that we ask in all of our interviews. You’ve been blessed with a lot of success and must have learned a lot from your experiences. Looking back to when you first started writing, can you share five things that you’ve learned over your career that would have been nice to know when you first started?
Jennifer:
- I would say one of the things you eventually learn the hard way is: do not read reviews. Even the good ones can get in your head. When you first start writing, you don’t have any other voice in your head except for the characters. But once you’re publishing for a while, you have your agent’s, your editor’s, and the readers’ voices. So, don’t look at your reviews. They’re not meant for you; they’re meant for other readers. That’s something you learn the hard way.
- The second thing is to know when to give yourself a break. Taking a break is okay. Not working on something every single day doesn’t mean that you are failing or that you don’t like what you’re doing.
- I think that ties into the third one: a lot of times when we’re doing our dream job, you forget that it’s also a job. Once you start looking at it as a job, it kind of taints the “dream” part of it. I wish I had understood earlier on that your dream job is still a job, and acknowledging that doesn’t take away from the fact that you’re getting to do something you always wanted to.
- The fourth thing is, and this is going to sound very obvious, but always write the book you want to read. People are probably like, “Well, yeah.” But there’s going to come a point where you’ll feel pressure from yourself, your agent, or your editors to write what’s trendy. At the end of the day, publishing is a business. People are there to make money. If it’s something you’ve always wanted to write, go for it. But sometimes it’s going to be something that you don’t read or have any interest in, but you may feel pressure to do it. I’ve been in that situation before, and when I forced myself to write in a genre that I normally do not write or read, it almost gave me legitimate writer’s block, to the point that I was done. It is an exhausting process.
- Finally, celebrate each of your wins. At a certain point, every time you reach a new milestone, you keep focusing on the next one without celebrating the current one.
Yitzi: You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I believe the movement we need most is one centered on radical empathy. We often hear about the importance of kindness, and of course, kindness is essential. But kindness can be a surface-level action. You can be kind to someone without making any effort to understand them.
Sympathy is a step closer, but it often borders on pity. It’s feeling for someone, which can create a distance, a sense of ‘you, poor thing, over there.’ Empathy is different. It’s the profound, and sometimes difficult, act of feeling with someone. It’s about trying to understand the world from a perspective that isn’t your own, even if you don’t agree with the choices someone has made.
As a writer, empathy is my most essential tool. My job is to live inside the heads of dozens of different characters. I have to understand what drives a hero and what breaks a villain. I have to feel their joy, their rage, and their sorrow to make them real. You can’t do that from a distance.
So, if I could inspire a movement, it would be that: to encourage people to engage with stories and perspectives that are wildly different from their own. To listen not just to respond, but to understand. It’s about closing that distance, building a bridge of shared feeling, and recognizing the humanity in everyone. I truly believe that is the only way we can begin to heal the divisions in the world.
Yitzi: Thank you for these brilliant insights!
International Bestselling Author Jennifer L Armentrout on Romantasy’s Rise, Garlic-Ink Books, and B was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.