Adrienne Gunn - Best Selling Author

1) How We Know Each Other

Ted: We’ve actually worked together twice—first with Northwestern Law School (maybe our first university site!) and more recently on Loyola Today. That site keeps getting showcased—thank you for the partnership and the compliment.

Ted: Most of my guests are part of Chicago’s business community—founders and operators doing great work. Many also pursue meaningful projects outside their day jobs. Your name jumped out: content strategist by day, bestselling author by night.

2) “I’ve Got a Book in Me”—Where It Started

Ted: Let’s start from that moment: “I have a book in me.” What was step one?

Adrienne: It’s been a long process. I always had a day job—Chicago-Kent alumni relations, then Northwestern communications—while pursuing creative writing. I knew I wasn’t a journalist; I wanted to write fiction.

I did an MFA at the University of Oregon, taught undergrads, then came back to Chicago and returned to higher ed—alumni relations, advising, marketing, communications—and always tried to write alongside it.

Adrienne: I took Second City classes, stand-up, and storytelling. I was a single mom with a 3-year-old and still kept finding ways to stay in the creative game.

Adrienne: My debut, Fan Favorite, started as a screenplay: Bridget Jones-type heroine goes on a Bachelor-type show. But it’s tough to get a screenplay read if you’re an unknown in Chicago—so I turned it into a novel. I started around 2018; it published in 2025. I sold it two years before publication.

“You just have to sit down and start—and be willing to fail, pick yourself up, and start again.”

3) Making Time (When You Don’t Have Time)

Ted: Biggest hang-up for most people? Time.

Adrienne: There’s no magic answer. I manage a team of six, I’m a parent, and I was promoting book one while under contract for book two. I wrote at 4:00 AM for two hours before getting my son up, walking the dog, commuting, and putting in a full day. If you’re going to do it, you’ll give things up—fewer brunches, fewer distractions.

Adrienne: People told me to quit. My mom wanted me to drop the second book contract the day I signed it. But my creative work is the one space that’s mine. If I give it up, there’s nothing left that’s just mine.

4) Process: Plotter, Pantser… or Both?

Ted: Do you plan like a strategist—audience, structure—or write more organically?

Adrienne: I don’t over-optimize for “audience,” but I treat the book like a project. I keep a story bible: outlines, character sheets, research, a cast list. I start with a high-concept idea (e.g., Bridget Jones on The Bachelor; next book: a washed-up pop star on a Y2K reunion tour). I reverse-engineer to make it feel real—motivation, stakes, scenes.

Around page 100 I often realize something’s wrong. I go back, fix the foundation, and continue. So I’m a hybrid: discovery first, then structured plotting.

5) From Manuscript to Deal (and Why It’s So Slow)

Adrienne: I had friends from my MFA life critiquing chapters. When I thought it was ready, I queried ~40–45 agents. Rejections rolled in—sometimes multiple in one hour. It’s demoralizing.

A friend introduced me to the agent who signed me. She gave notes; we revised; the book went to market.

It looked like it wouldn’t sell. I briefly self-published on Amazon to reclaim the experience. After five days, Grand Central Publishing (Hachette) called my agent. I signed a two-book deal (July 2023). Publishing is slow—the book still took two years to come out: edits, copyedits, layout, cover, audiobook casting, marketing.

“Publishing isn’t just merit—it’s ‘can we sell this?’ Whole teams weigh in: editor, marketing, head of fiction.”

6) Titles, Covers, Audiobook

Adrienne: The title was a drama—lots of back-and-forth—eventually Fan Favorite. Book two will be Pop Star; it’s starting to feel like a brand.

Adrienne: For the audiobook, I listened to auditions. Wild twist: Patti Murin (who originated Elsa in Frozen on Broadway) DM’d me after seeing it on NetGalley and asked to audition. She ended up narrating.

7) Trends vs. Timelines

Adrienne: People said, “Reality TV books don’t sell.” Maybe that’s an industry belief—but blanket rules always have exceptions. Also: trends are risky because publishing moves so slowly. You sell a book years before it comes out. If you’re chasing what’s hot now, it’ll likely be cold by launch.

“Quality rises. If I make something good, it will find its audience.”

8) Day Job, Personal Brand, and Boundaries

Ted: Some leaders say “don’t talk about your side project at work.” Thoughts?

Adrienne: I focus on output. My team’s high-performing; we win awards. I need workplaces that understand real life—especially as a single parent. I’m not interested in policing time if the work is great. With remote/hybrid, that mindset’s outdated.

At Loyola (a Catholic university), there was some concern about my personal brand (podcast, rom-com, Substack). But they’re supportive, and I’m on senior leadership. The bridge between both worlds is storytelling.

9) Chicago Made It Bigger

Adrienne: When Fan Favorite launched, I realized how much Chicago community I’d built—comedy classes, storytelling, readings, writing for Chicago Magazine, appearing at Printers Row Lit Fest. None of it was tactical networking. It was authentic participation in things I love. When the book arrived, people were ready to help.

“Show up for other people’s shows, readings, launches. Participate. Community compounds.”

10) What I Got Wrong—and What I Learned

Adrienne: I still have to remind myself the “finished book” is 30 coats of paint. Drafts are supposed to be messy. Respect the craft. Keep going even when moving a character “up the stairs” feels impossible.

I peek at Goodreads sometimes. A one-star review often says more about fit than quality. Anyone who’s written a book knows how hard it is.

11) One Piece of Advice for Busy Professionals

Adrienne: Sit in the seat. Expect discomfort. Create a routine you can defend—4:00 AM, Saturday mornings, whatever it is. Say no to things that compete with your writing window. There’s no easy way out—only consistent time in.

12) What’s Next

Adrienne: Book two, Pop Star, isn’t easier. Launching book one while drafting book two made it harder to switch worlds. There’s also the fear: what if it’s not as good? The respect I have for writing means it will always be hard—and that’s okay.

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