Riley Adams's Blog, page 18

Writing Myths: The First-Book Success Story

 

By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’m not saying the first-book success story doesn’t happen. There are definitely the To Kill a Mockingbirds out there to prove me wrong.

But I do think this particular myth is harmful for writers. It can make you place too many high expectations on a single book. And there are plenty of reasons not to do that.

One big reason is that you can get far too invested in the single book. There are plenty of ways to be overinvested. One is to put too much money into book design or promotion. Another is to follow reviews and sales too closely instead of starting to write the next book.

Writing the next book is critical, even if book one is a success. Maybe especially if it’s a success. You move forward, get better at your craft, explore different ideas. And you don’t focus everything on worrying about the first book.

Another problem can crop up if you’re too invested in your first book. Self-doubt. It’s easy, and maybe a helpful thing, to get very excited about your work, especially if you’re new to writing. If you publish something and it’s not an immediate critical or commercial success, it could feel like a major set-back. You could end up doubting your story or your talent.

If you go into publishing a first book with realistic expectations, it’s easier to avoid insecurity. Easier to move on to the next project. And you might find that your first book becomes a financial success years after it’s published, when you’ve found more of a readership.

What were your expectations before publishing your first book? What advice would you add to mine for new writers?

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LitLinks

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Lit Links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Business / MiscellaneousHow AI-Generated Books Could Hurt Self-Publishing Authors: @JaneFriedmanCowriter Troubles, Buying Your Own ISBNs, Poetry Chapbooks, and More: @MichaelLaRonn and @sacha_black @indieauthoralliLeveling Up Your Publishing and Taking a New Turn: Publishing for Profit with Orna Ross and Shanaya Wagh: @indieauthoralliHow Smaller Organisms Adapt to Amazon in the Self-Publishing Ecosystem: by Wayne Jones @JaneFriedman How to Avoid Blowing a Critical Writing Career Opportunity: @ZenaDellLowe @EdieMelsonConferences and Events / MiscellaneousSharjah’s Prize for Library Literature Names Its 2023 Winners: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesFrance’s Publishers Set a Youth Literature Conference for Oct. 9: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives4 Things I learned at a Writers Retreat: @PattySmithHall @ediemelsonHave a Better Conference Experience Marketing Your Books By Using Networking Apps: @KarenHWhiting @EdieMelsonNairobi International Book Fair Introduces Rights Trading: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives5 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Writing Workshop: @colleen_m_story2023 Liber Madrid: 373 Companies From 13 Markets: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesAt Frankfurter Buchmesse: IPA Events Open to Trade Visitors: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @book_fair @IntPublishersNaomi Wood Wins BBC’s National Short Story Award: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @naomiwoodbooks
@cambridgeuniSalman Rushdie Appears at Frankfurt’s Saturday Gala: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @book_fairFT Schroders Business Book Awards’ 2023 Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesFrankfurt’s 75th Edition: Two Agents’ ‘LitAg Moments’: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @book_fairCreativity and Inspiration / InspirationWriters, Inspiration Will Fail You: @mindofkyleamCreativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as WritersCrime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Gerald Elias’ The Devil’s Trill: @MargotKinbergThe One Book Every Writer Needs: @chadrallenCreativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in WritingMake the Most of Having 15 Minutes to Write: @theiwsgHow to Write a Book When You Don’t Have Time to Write a Book: by Bradeigh Godfrey @careerauthorsCreativity and Inspiration / Writing LifeThis author traveled 9,000 miles to 21 bookstores in 3 weeks: @danblank @wegrowmediaWho Do You Write For? @KarenCV3 Quick Writing Tips for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: @authorSATOwning Your ‘Work Story’: @Porter_Anderson @writerunboxedHow to Rediscover the Joy of Writing: @KMWeilandMaturing as a Writer: @FinishedPagesWhat To Do When You Hate Your Novel: by Gillian Bronte Adams @goteenwritersFiction Is a Hallucination, Packaged for Public Consumption: @geplunkett @electriclitWe are all united by our need to find meaning – Carolyn R Russell: @Roz_Morris10 Gifts to Give Your Favorite Writer: @SueBEdwardsHow Do You Protect Your Writing? @foxprintedFeatured Writer on Wellness: P.J. Peterson: @colleen_m_storyGenres / FantasyHow Do I Plan For Eclectic Magic? by Oren AshkenaziGenres / MemoirMining Your Memories: 3 Forms of Memory Every Memoirist Must Know: @LisaEllisonsPen @JaneFriedmanGenres / MiscellaneousGrowing Pains: Why Coming of Age Stories Are for Everyone: @Emilie_Noelle @writerunboxedGenres / MysteryThe Plight of Workers as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinbergMemory as an Element in Crime Fiction: @margotkinbergVeterans in Mysteries: @MandSMagazinePromo / MiscellaneousHow to clean up your links: @SueColetta1 @killzoneauthors10 Updated Word of Mouth Tactics To Power The Holy Grail of Traditional Book Marketing: by Laurence O’BryanBusiness Musings: Niche Marketing: by Kristine RuschPromo / NewslettersHow to Write Sharable Newsletters: by Lisa NormanPromo / PlatformsHow to Build an Author Platform That Attracts Readers: @bookgalPublishing / MiscellaneousWhen Publishing Drives You Batty: by AK NevermorePublishing / News / International PublishingGermany’s Ebook Report: Fewer Buyers, More ‘Intensity’: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesWriters Stand in International Solidarity on Strikes and AI: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesIPA Alert: Dominican Republic Is Nationalizing Textbooks: @Porter_Anderson Children’s Books Edition: L’École des Loisirs’ New ‘House of Stories’: @OliviaSnaije @PubPerspectivesItaly’s Publishers Elect Innocenzo Cipolletta President: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesPublishing / Options / Traditional PublishingWhat is a Literary Agent? @hellegillyWhat Happens When an Agent Submits Your Book? @bookendslitPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / QueryingLiterary Agent Interview: Jen Newens Interview and Query Critique Giveaway: @NatalieIAguirreHow Can I Convince Editors That My Information Can Be Believed? @JaneFriedmanPublishing / Process / Services to AvoidLatest Writing Scams Authors Should Look Out For: @annerallenWriting Craft / BeginningsYour first pages – 4 more book openings critiqued at @Litopia by literary agent @agentpete author @anniesummerlee and @Roz_Morris: Writing Craft / Characters / DevelopmentGive Your Characters Memories: @jamesscottbellCharacter Type and Trope Thesaurus: Pessimist: @beccapuglisi @onestop4writersExplore the Fictional Character That You Present to Readers: @AnneJanzer @JaneFriedmanDon’t Let Your Characters Give Up — and Don’t Let Yourself, Either: by Natalie Hart @writerunboxedWriting Craft / Characters / EmotionBe Afraid! Creating Fear in Your Characters: @diannmills
@careerauthorsWriting Craft / Common MistakesDo your heads hop? Some tips on choosing point of view and keeping it consistent: @HelenaFairfaxWriting Craft / Lessons from Books and FilmFive Stories That Would Be Better Without Cops: by Oren Ashkenazi4 Tips For Memorable Characters From Jack Sparrow: @LisaHallWilsonWriting Craft / MiscellaneousKey details are the difference between generic and unique (query critique): @nathanbransfordUsing Peace, Quiet, and Introspection to Intensify Your Writing: @richardgthomas3Essential storytelling details I now include on autopilot – and learned by being edited: @Roz_MorrisWriter’s Toolbox: @Virgilante @storyempireWriting About Pain: Three Stages of Awareness: @angelaackerman @onestop4writersAim to make your book perfect – why it’s worth it and how it’s possible: @Roz_MorrisWriting About Pain: Different Types to Explore: @beccapuglisiSplicing Time: Handling Multiple Storylines: by N.L. Holmes @floridawriters1Writing Craft / Pre-Writing / PlottingHow to hide plot twists from both your readers and your characters in a way that is not frustrating or annoying: by Bone and ButterflyWriting Tools / MiscellaneousTech Tip for Writers : My Program Froze: @worddreams

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Make the Most of 15 Minutes to Write

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

The holidays are coming up quickly and you might be feeling a little pressed for time. I guest post at the wonderful IWSG site today, talking about how to squeeze your writing time into 15 minutes.  Hope you’ll hop over.

 

 

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LitLinks

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Lit Links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Business / MiscellaneousPublishing Books For Children And Profitable School Visits: @TonyaDEllis @thecreativepennConferences and Events / MiscellaneousRights Roundup: Warming Up for Frankfurt: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @book_fairSharjah Book Authority Announces its 2023 Publishers Conference: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesSlovenia at Frankfurt: Laibach’s Sharp-Edged ‘Alamut’: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesThe Challenge of Conference Chit-Chat: @magpie0218 @RMFWThe German Book Prize Announces Its 2023 Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesFrankfurt’s News Conference: ‘The Democracy Fair’: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesUS National Book Awards 2023 Longlist: Poetry: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesIn England: The Booker Prize Names Its 2023 Shortlist: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @TheBookerPrizesPanama and Spain: Wales’ Hay Festival Adds Two New ‘Forums’: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesPresenting to Writing Groups: @EldredBirdCreativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as Writers7 Books With A Dark Playfulness: by Arianna Reiche @electriclitCrime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Kerry Wilkinson’s The One Who Fell: @MargotKinberg5 Reasons Why I Leave a Book Half-Read: by Michael Cristiano10 Books Portraying a Search for Truth: by Babak Lakghomi @electriclitBehind the Scenes: Five Memorable Mysteries for Performing Arts Lovers: @lslaughter2 @crimereads10 Novels About Mad Scientists: by Akemi C. Brodsky @electriclitCozy to Cold-Blooded: Puzzle Mysteries: @avonlea79Creativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in WritingDesigning Your Writing Life: Creating a Routine That Works for You: @TheLeighShulmanCreativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Writer’s BlockHow to avoid writer’s block: @pubcoachCreativity and Inspiration / Writing LifeFocus on What You Can Control: by Sara BirenWriting Myths: Real Writers Write Every Day: Types of negative thinking that hold back your writing: @PubCoachVision Your Epic Wins: @WriteNowCoachReading—and Writing—Like an Asian American: by David Shih @lithubSeries VS Standalone: Cage Match: @chuckwendigHow to Escape Imposter Syndrome in Your Writing Life: by Lynette M BurrowsHow to Turn Your Writing Setbacks Into Setups for Success: @ninaamir7 Tips to Maintaining Your Sense of Self: @cyallowitzWriters Who Make You Furiously Jealous Are Your Best Mentors: @annkroekerWriting Tough Stuff: Five Tips to Make it Easier: @AineGreaneyGenres / Fantasy9 Great Fantasy Novel Opening Examples: @BrynDonovanGenres / Middle-GradeWhy You should Tackle Tough Topics in Middle Grade Writing: by Lori Z. ScottGenres / MysteryOn Cozy Mysteries: @KdibiancaEndorsements as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinbergFamily Dynamics in Thrillers: @MandSMagazineCrime Fiction: The Importance of Knowing the Victim’s History: @margotkinbergGenres / RomanceHow to Write a Strong Love Interest: @AuthorMarilenePromo / Connecting with ReadersFinding Readers for Your Indie Books: ALLi Ultimate Guide: @indieauthoralliPromo / Miscellaneous5 Things Influencers Look for in a Book: @TheRealBookSpy @careerauthorsWhat to Know about Radio and Podcasts: @AnnMarieNieves @writerunboxedPublishing / MiscellaneousFrankfurt-Bound Richard Charkin: ‘Think Deeply About the Rights’: @RCharkin @PubPerspectivesDevelopments in Audiobooks: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesNihar Malaviya Made Permanent PRH CEO by Bertelsmann: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesHow to Write a Book in ChatGPT: My Complete Process: @storyhobbitHachette Names Lauren Monaco as EVP, Director of Sales: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesUS Schoolyear Book Bans Jump 33 Percent Over Last Year: @Porter_Anderson @PENamerica @PubPerspectivesPublishing / News / International PublishingChina Bestsellers in August: Relationships and André Gide: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / QueryingHow to Query When You’re Writing in Multiple Genres: @bookendslitHow to Land an Agent for a Graphic Novel: @woodmanmaynard @janefriedmanPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / RejectionsHow to Deal With Rejection: Celebrate! @ltinthecity @JaneFriedmanHow to Recognize a Good Writing Rejection and Use It to Make Your Publishing Dreams Come True: @EdieMelsonPublishing / Process / Book DesignHow to Design a Cover for the Emotional Center of a Novel: @MathMonahanPublishing / Process / Self-PublishingAnswers to Your Indie Publishing Questions: @LisaTenerWriting Craft / BeginningsFirst Page Critique – Or, the Devil You Don’t: @burke_writer @killzoneauthorsWriting Craft / Characters / AntagonistsLessons from the Evil Spawn: by Dave King @writerunboxedWriting Craft / Characters / DevelopmentCharacter Type and Trope Thesaurus: Mad Scientist: @beccapuglisiCrafting Characters Who Make Your Readers Care: @thiswritersays @womenwritersWriting a New Story: Creating Characters with the Story Equation: @JillWilliamsonWriting Craft / DialogueThe Expanded Ultimate Story Checklist: Is the dialogue more concise than real talk? @cockeyedcaravanDoes the dialogue have more personality than real talk? @cockeyedcaravanWriting Craft / Flashback and Back StoryHow to Write a Flashback: @JerryBJenkinsWriting Craft / MiscellaneousHow to Determine the Age of Your Target Reader: @livewritethriveHow Do I Establish a Friendship Across Time Jumps? by Chris WinkleFemale Author Writing a Male Character: by Harry Bingham @annerallenThe Basic Formula of Fiction: @JamesScottBellHow to use poetry in fiction: @nownovelMaking Clichés Work for You: @Janice_HardyTightening our Prose: Filter Words: @DwallacepeachHow Serialized Fiction Can Improve Your Writing: @JunetaKey @theIWSGWhat Are Plot Devices? (Why You Should Be Cautious): @KMWeiland4 Thoughts about Cultural Appropriation (and how to avoid it): @MarthaEngber @womenwritersThe more a character puts in a bucket, the more there is to spill: @nathanbransfordHow to Create Interlocking Questions: by Marilynn ByerlyWriting Clean Sentences: @lindasclareMetaphysical elements in fiction writing – sound vibrations: @JanSikes3 @storyempireBook Family Tree: A New Way to Think About Your Book: by Ilana DeBare @JaneFriedmanQuelling Those Writerly Quirks: by Barbara Linn Probst @writerunboxedWhat “Show, Don’t Tell” Actually Means: by Chris WinkleThe Power of Images Great and Small: by Rich KaplanWriting Craft / TensionWriting with Tension: @dlfinnauthorWriting Craft / VoiceHow Do You Find Your Narrator’s Voice? @MBarker_190 @onestop4writers

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Writing Myths: Real Writers Write Every Day

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

This is a myth I’ll quickly debunk. It annoys me when writers say there’s only one way to do things correctly.

And I am a writer who writes daily.

However, there are many very effective ways to get your writing goals met. What are goals? They can be measured in time spent at a task, project-specific progress (half a chapter completed, a section of an outline finished), or in words. There is no right way to set a goal. If one type of goal doesn’t work for you, you can try setting another type of goal.

Whatever works best for you is the best option . . . always. If a daily goal is impossible or causing a lot of stress, a weekly or bi-weekly goal works just as well. As I’ve mentioned here before, it’s often more important to have consistency than it is to have a large, impressive goal. Better to have a checkmark on your calendar that you’ve completed your weekly goal than to have a bunch of missed days for a daily goal.

Plus, you don’t have to be picky about what constitutes writing. If you’re working on necessary research, it’s writing. If you’re outlining or revising, it’s writing. It’s all part of the process.

How often do you write? What do your goals look like?

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LitLinks

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Lit Links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Business / MiscellaneousHow to get good at growing your audience: @danblankHow to Work with an Audiobook Producer: @indieauthoralliBusiness Musings: The Problem With Skimping: by Kristine Kathryn RuschSelf-Publishing News: What does Amazon’s AI Policy for KDP mean for indie authors? by Dan Holloway @indieauthoralliConferences and Events / MiscellaneousPublisHer Holds a First Rio Event During the Bienal do Livro: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesBuchmesse’s 75th Year: ‘Frankfurt Academic’ Programming: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @book_fairBritish Academy Names Its Shortlist; Reports on Sales Impact: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesNigeria’s Aké Arts & Book Festival Wins First Aficionado Award: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesUS National Book Awards 2023 Longlist: Young People’s Literature: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesUS National Book Awards 2023 Longlist: Translation: @Porter_Anderson @NationalBook @PubPerspectivesAt Frankfurt Book Fair: Politics and Policy in the Pavilion: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives @Book_FairCreativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as WritersCrime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Bruce Hammack’s Exercise is Murder: @MargotKinberg7 Must-Read Nigerian Horror Novels: @AdorahNworah @electriclitThe benefits of reading like a writer: @nownovelFive Stories About the Unintended Consequences of Time Travel: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcomFive Books Featuring Strange Gods: by Tobias Carroll @tordotcomFive Surprisingly Devoted SFF Couples: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom9 Poetry Collections For Beginners: @LittleInfinite7 Novels About Girlbosses and the Dark Side of Social Media: by Noelle CrooksOn Learning to Read Generously: @mollytempleton @tordotcomSink Your Teeth Into These 5 Books About Vampires: by Linden A. Lewis @tordotcomCreativity and Inspiration / Writing LifeDogging the Watchdog: In Which a Scammer Tries to Troll Me: @victoriastraussHow to get everything done (including your book): @jbernoffOn The Ethics of Taking Writing Inspiration from True Crime: by Victoria Selman @crimereadsWhy Writers Make Great Spies: by Susanne Bennett @writers_writeOf Sweet Spots and Near Misses: @IrishRoad @womenwritersAfter the Deadline: @theladygreerWriting Myths: Slow/Fast Writing is the Best: Forgive The Writers, For We Are So Tired: @ChuckWendigSomeone Needs to Hear Your Story: @aprildavilaJulia Cameron on Learning to Write Sober: by Julia Cameron @lithubThe Grift of Fiction: @DavidCorbett_CAGenres / HistoricalHow to Research for Historical Fiction: @DKParsonsWriter @SelfPubFormGenres / MiscellaneousOn Breaking Genre Rules: by Marilynn ByerlyGenres / MysteryNot Speaking the Local Language as an Element in Crime Fiction: @margotkinbergGenres / Short Stories20 Tips For Writing a Captivating Short Story: by Mindy HalleckThe Gamemaster’s Guide to Short Story Plot: by Ursula Whitcher @sfwaPromo / BloggingA 12-Step Process for Getting Desired Blogging Results: @ninaamirIncrease the Readability of Every Blog Post You Write with These Tips: @ediemelsonPromo / Book Reviews17 Places to Find Book Reviewers: @joewalters13 @IndieBookViewPromo / MiscellaneousGuide To A+ Amazon Content That Sells: @KatBaldwinPromo / NewslettersBeing Hacked Made Me Realize the Importance of Newsletters: by Diana StoutPublishing / MiscellaneousOxford University Press Opens Topical Interdisciplinary Research Tool: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesEye on the Publishing Business: @jamesscottbellHow to Get a Book Published: 10 Steps: @TheNovelryHow Scientific and Technological Breakthroughs Created a New Kind of Fiction: by Joshua GlennPublishing / News / AmazonIMHO: What Remedies Do Authors Have When Fraudulent Work Appears on Amazon? @JaneFriedmanPublishing / News / DataCircana BookScan: US Print Book Market ‘Slowing a Bit’: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesPublishing / News / International PublishingThe Philippines: Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Acquitted: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectives wkb64How the Booksellers of Paris Are Preparing for Next Summer’s Olympics: by Jacqueline Feldman @parisreviewIn Mexico: Government Textbooks Spur Nationwide Criticism:
@Porter_Anderson | Allegations of political indoctrination, distorted history, and flagrant errors are greeting the academic year’s new government-made schoolbooks.European Publishers Welcome Parliament’s Book Sector Report: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesPublishing / Options / Traditional PublishingWhat to expect from your publisher’s marketing and publicity teams: @JBernoffPublishing / Options / Traditional Publishing / QueryingLiterary Agent Interview: Heather Cashman Interview and Query Critique Giveaway: @HeatherCashman @NatalieIAguirreWriting Craft / Characters / DevelopmentCharacter Type & Trope Thesaurus: Snob: @BeccaPuglisiCharacters Also Need A Soul: 5 Tips to Write Interesting Characters: by Cátia Isabel SilvaHow to Build Your Characters in Six Easy Steps: by Nat LeblancWriting Craft / DialogueMake the Dialect You Write Shine with These 4 Tips: @CindyDevoted @EdieMelsonWriting Craft / Lessons from Books and FilmThe 5 Worst Book To Film Adaptations: @writers_writeWriting Craft / MiscellaneousHow Do I Build Attachment to Objects? by
Oren AshkenaziWriters, have you fired “Chekhov’s Gun”? @annerallen @killzoneauthorsDoes each character, including the hero, have a limited perspective? @cockeyedcaravanWhat is the Denouement of a Story? Definition and When to Use: @DaveChessonWriting: Prologues, Pro or Con? @lindasclareWhat Makes a Reader and Character Connect: @TheRyanLanzFive Mistakes That Reverse Social Justice Messages: by Chris WinkleDo the characters avoid saying things they wouldn’t say and doing things they wouldn’t do? @cockeyedcaravanHow to Write the Climax of a Story: And What NOT to Do: @DaveChessonDo the characters interrupt each other often? @cockeyedcaravanThe Don’ts And Definitely Don’ts of Writing Stupid-Funny Books by Peter Derk: @litreactorWriting Craft / Pacing5 Tips for Pacing in Your Story: by Sariah JimenezWriting Craft / POVMultiple Points of View without Head Hopping: @annerallenWriting Craft / Pre-Writing / OutliningThe Bitter Butter…Pantser, Plotter Divide: by Diana Giovinazzo @writerunboxedStory Structure and the Essential Outline: @livewritethriveWriting Craft / Pre-Writing / PlottingDo the characters consciously and unconsciously prioritize their own wants rather than the wants of others? @cockeyedcaravanWriting Craft / Revisions / CritiquesOn Critiquing Nicely: @HopeClarkWriting Craft / TensionThe Two Most Important Tricks for How to Build Suspense: @kmweilandWriting Tools / MiscellaneousHow AI Tools Are Useful For Writers With Disabilities And Health Issues With S.J. Pajonas: @thecreativepenn

 

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Writing Myths: Slow/Fast Writing is the Best

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It’s always a little frustrating to me when writers say a particular approach to writing is the only way to go. Just because something is right for you doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.

I’m a fast writer. But that’s not going to work for everyone. Sometimes writers are deeply into word-crafting. Sometimes writers have complex plots and universes to world-build. Some writers have less time to devote to writing or are writing while wrangling young children or helping their parents. And some writers might just be very slow to put words on the page, which could be related to insecurity or not having a plan for their story.

There are also slow writers who feel that you can’t create a thoughtful or entertaining story without laboring over every word. It’s possible that this approach might be truer for literary fiction than for commercial fiction. But there have been entertaining and interesting quickly-written stories at least since the days of pulp fiction from the 1920s-1950s. You can write fast and create books that are fun to read.

As with many things in life, there can be a touch of truth in both approaches. I write quickly and edit slower. Maybe a slow writer who wants to speed up a little could find ways to rev up the process (detailed outlines, skipping description and chapter breaks until the second draft) without feeling pressure.

But the point is that you don’t have to follow anyone else’s method. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You’re free to go with whatever works for you or change it if or when that method no longer helps you create.

Are you a faster or slower writer? Do you ever feel you should speed up or slow down?

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LitLinks

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Business / MiscellaneousSubgenres and Comp Books. Find Ones that Sell Books Better: by Kris MazeContract, Payment Delays at the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction: @victoriastrauss8 Things Book Promotion Companies Wish Authors Understood: @bookgalHow to Decide the Target Audience of your Cartoon Series: @pick_penSelf-publishing News: UK Publishers Call for Government to Protect Copyright at AI Summit: by Dan Holloway @indieauthoralliWattpad Authors Who’ve Gone From Page to Screen: @JaneFriedmanConferences and Events / MiscellaneousAt Frankfurt Book Fair 2023: Books-to-Film Events: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesSix Tips for a Book Party on a Shoestring: @burke_writer @killzoneauthorsGermany’s Chancellor and Slovenia’s President To Open Frankfurt: @Porter_Anderson @book_fair2023 Longlists Named by American Literary Translators Association: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesEngland: The £50,000 Baillie Gifford Prize Names Its Longlist: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesNational Book Foundation: Paul Yamazaki Wins the Literarian Award: @Porter_Anderson @pubperspectivesThe £50,000 Wolfson Prize Shortlist: ‘People and Societies’: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesUS National Book Foundation Honors Poet Rita Dove: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesSharjah International Book Fair Names South Korea Its Guest of Honor: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesCreativity and Inspiration / First Novels6 Tips For How To Write A Novel When You Never Have Before: @StephMorrill Creativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as WritersCrime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Anna Celeste Burke’s A Dead Husband: @margotkinbergThe Doctor Is In: Five SFF Stories Featuring Therapists: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcomOn Patricia Highsmith and the Horror—and Revelation—of Obsession: by Hannah Meyer @lithubFive SFF Novels With Fun Approaches to Time Travel: by Vanessa Len @tordotcomRead Your Genre, Read Widely: @AkNevermore @diymfaFive Classic SF Stories About Letting A.I. Do All the Work: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom8 Books About Friendships With Wealth Disparities: by Julia Fine @electriclitFive Gripping SFF Narratives Composed of Interlinked Short Stories: by Lorna Wallace @tordotcom21 Thoughts (Not Rules) About Reading Habits: @mollytempletonCreativity and Inspiration / MotivationTake the Creative Risk (podcast): @danblankCreativity and Inspiration / Writing LifeWhat Completism Can Teach Us About the Creative Process: @RhianSasseenWhy do we read and write? @nathanbransfordFinding Your Perfect Writing Rituals: @KBullockAuthorAdvice For New Writers: by Leenna NaidooBreak Out of Your Writing Rut: @writenowcoachHow Writers Can Deal with Unsupportive Family and Friends: by Lisa Fellinger @livewritethriveTech Tip for Writers–Back up a cloud file: @worddreamsVacation Spots for Writers – An AI opinion: @HowellWave @storyempireEvery Writer Needs to Develop These 2 Online Habits: @ediemelson7 Tips to Handling Author Pride: @cyallowitzStart a Writing Club for Teens at Your School: @authorSATOrganizing Your Ideas: @JoanHallWrites @storyempireTempus Fugit: @grantdrawsWhat Fidget Spinners Can Teach Us About Writing: @PFC_PupHow to Protect Your Creative Work from Criticism: @losapalaWriting Cultures Not Your Own: @beemweeks @storyempireOn Being a Writer and a Mother to Children Who Don’t Love to Read: @aimiekrunyan @lithubGenres / MysteryFinding links between victims and suspects in crime fiction: @margotkinbergDistinguishing Features as an Element in Crime Fiction: @MargotKinbergGenres / Non-FictionNon-Fiction Marketing Strategy for Indie Authors: Six Steps to Success: Promo / PlatformsAmazon’s Algorithms and Branding: @MorganHzlwoodPromo / PodcastsHow to Pitch Author Podcasts or Start Your Own: @bookgalPromo / Social Media TipsWriting and Balancing Social Media: by Eve MessengerBuilding Your Brand on TikTok Isn’t Curation, It’s Authenticity: by Kerry Chaput @JaneFriedmanPublishing / News / International PublishingCanadian University Presses in De Gruyter Distribution Partnership: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesElsevier and Projekt DEAL: More Open Access in Germany: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesItaly’s Publishers Ask Rome to Raise Family Schoolbook Funding: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesPublishers Association Cheers the UK Rejoining Horizon Europe: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesPublishing / Options / Self-PublishingPros and cons of self-publishing – should you do it? @nownovelPublishing / Process / LegalitiesIndie Authors Need to Talk About… Copyright: @indieauthoralliWriting Craft / BeginningsDeconstructing Chapter One: @HankPRyanHow To Write A Fantastic Opening Sentence In Your Novel: @bang2writeWriting Craft / Characters / DevelopmentIconic Characters: Made Not Born: @DonMaassWriting Craft / Common MistakesDo you use too many filler words in your writing? @pubcoachWriting Craft / DialogueHow to Master Your Dialogue (Podcast): @sacha_black @JffelkinsWriting Craft / Literary DevicesTones in Writing: The Ultimate Guide for Fiction and Nonfiction: @davechessonWriting Craft / MiscellaneousMusic and Mood in Writing: by Casey Cooper @diymfaWriting: Threads of Meaning: @lindasclareAdapt or Die: Telling Stories about Change: @ElizabethHuergo @writerunboxedHow to Use Meal Scenes to Develop Characters, Relationships, and Your World: by Lacey PfalzHow to Write Interesting Happy Scenes? 6 Tips: @kmweilandAre You Missing These Opportunities to Write a Better Story? @Janice_HardyStupidity as a Plot Device: by Marilynn ByerlyWhat I Learned Cowriting A Novella: by Gareth L. 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LitLinks

 

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

LitLinks are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 70,000 free articles on writing related topics. It’s the search engine for writers. While you’re there, check out the Writer’s Digest award-winning Hiveword novel organizer.

Have you visited the WKB lately?  Check out the new redesign where you can browse by category, and sign up for free writing articles, on topics you choose, delivered to your email inbox!  Sign up for the Hiveword newsletter here. Follow the WKB on Facebook here.

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day!  I’ll be taking tomorrow off from the blog. See you back here next Sunday.

Business / MiscellaneousYour Publishing Options With Rachael Herron: @thecreativepennSurprising benefits of launching a book – for the whole marketing funnel: @jbernoffConferences and Events / Miscellaneous9 Benefits Found on a Group Writing Retreat: @TickledPinkTam @ediemelsonIn England: The Polari Prize’s 2023 Longlists: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesIndia’s Jaipur Literature Festival Heads for Three US Cities: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesHave a successful Book Signing by Checking These 14 Things Off Your To Do List: @EdieMelsonNYU’s New Advanced Publishing Institute: 2024 Speakers: @Porter_Anderson @PubPerspectivesCreativity and Inspiration / InspirationWriting From Your Shadow Side With Michaelbrent Collings: @thecreativepennCreativity and Inspiration / Inspiration / Reading as WritersFive SFF Novels That Will Make You Long for a Breath of Fresh Air: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcom8 Novels With Narrators That Defy Our Expectations: by Nathan Go @electriclit8 Poems Everyone Should Know – Little Infinite by Tanya Marion @LittleInfinite5 Iconic Horror Books From the Early ’90s: @JimmyRJuliano @tordotcom7 Crime Books Featuring Special Events Going Off the Rails: by Jamie Day @crimereadsTake a Minute to Celebrate the Forgotten Greats of Science Fiction: @jamesdnicoll @tordotcomGood Movies as Old Books: @MattStevensCLTAm I Reading Too Many Books at Once? @mollytempleton @tordotcomTime Travel Stories That Explore What It Means To Be Human: @HolSmaleBraille Is Alive, Well, and Ever-Evolving: @smswritesCreativity and Inspiration / Productivity / Fitting in Writing5 Tips for Building a Sustainable Writing Practice: @ArianaThePoet What Can You Write in 15 Minutes? @KelsieEngenWriting and Time Management: @dlfinnauthorCreativity and Inspiration / Writing LifePublish A Book with a Family Member: @indieauthoralliTime, Space and Grace: 7 Success Factors for Neurodivergent and Cognitively Impaired Self-Published Authors: @indieauthoralliI’d Rather Commit A Murder Than Write One: @lizzienugent @crimereadsPaul McCartney on not-knowing and doing it now: @austinkleonFive Lessons Learned After I Signed With My Agent: @JenBohmueller @writerunboxedWhy Writers Should LOVE the Back-to-School Season: @ediemelsonEverything That Will Tempt You to Quit Writing and How to Deal with It: @MegDowellGenres / FantasyThe Seven Best Fantasy Settings For Your Novel: by Andrea Stewart @thenovelryGenres / Humor11 Ways to Add Funny to Fiction: by Dave Cohen @selfpubformGenres / MiscellaneousHow to Pick Your Writing Niche – And Why You Need One: @NathanielTowerGenres / MysteryCatalysts in Crime Fiction: @margotkinbergDo Heists Require a Meta Mystery? by Oren AshkenaziDisgruntled Employees as an Element in Crime Fiction:
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@writerunboxedA Line-By-Line Revision Tip No One Talks About: @authorSATWriting Tools / AppsEasy Speech-to-Text Tools: @worddreamsWriting Tools / Books5 How-To-Write Books That Have Impacted My Writing: @ElaineRosemaryD @writers_write

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What to Post on Instagram as Authors

By Jessica Thompson, @ jessicathauthor2

My writing group got together to talk about “what to post on Instagram (IG) as authors” and I realized I had many collected insights on the subject. So I’ve compiled information from other authors and their classes and from my own experience, if it helps one of you out there, please let me know! Drop a comment, find me on IG as @jessicathauthor2 or email me at jessicaisanauthor@gmail.com

Ok, so knowing what to post. First, the general rules, then we’ll get into ideas for specific posts.

General rules –

As a writer, don’t only post about writing, but do post about writing. You can talk about your journey, your book, your characters, etc., but also pick one other thing to post about. It should be a thing that’s related to your writing. Like your kids if you are a children’s author (but be careful about what you share) or your knitting if you write knitting cozy mysteries. Your past as a cop, your dog, your city, anything! But shoot for something visual since it’s Instagram.

I know a lady that lives in Europe and writes about historical fiction in palaces, so she visits a lot of castles. She posts about her weekend trips, the castles, her research, and her books. So she gets the history buffs, people who like castles, people who stumble upon her account because they loved this one castle they visited this one time, people intrigued by poisons, readers of historical fiction, AND other writers. If all you post about is writing, you might only get other writers to follow you. Plus, like, your mom. But that’s it. Writers are great, but the aim should be to cast a wider net.

Since I write culinary cozy mysteries, I post about writing and cooking/food. Food works great because it’s related to my books, everyone likes it, it connects me to a bunch of IG accounts that are not only other writers, and it’s very visual for Instagram.

Whatever you choose to post about, just jump in! Once you start, then you start seeing even more opportunities. Then they start coming to you! A friend gave me Oaxacan chocolate from her trip because she knew I’d appreciate it, or the other day I found myself sitting in an empty restaurant because I told a lady that I like cooking and it turned into an adventure! Then you just have to remember to take pictures of everything.

I guess it’s different for everyone depending on genre, personal situation, time of life, location, etc. The important thing is that you post about your writing and one other thing. Not just about your writing and not too many different things.

Some people will come to your Instagram account to hear about your writing, so don’t be too mysterious about that, but that will only be super fans and other writers, so pick another thing to post about to cast that wider net.

Don’t ask too much. Brandon Sanderson told us in a class to post about our books and ask followers to buy our stuff even less than the generally accepted guideline of posting about 3 non-asks for every 1 ask. He said more like 1 in 10 or even less!

“Asks” are requests like “Go buy my book” or “preorder now” or “sign up for my newsletter.” You are supposed to keep these to a minimum. Instagram is not free ad space. You are supposed to be letting people know who you are, forming connections, organizing a community, not just shouting about your book.

I find that I publish rarely enough that it’s okay to have times and seasons where I do more and less asking. Especially because most people are not going to see every post of mine. And if they do, they probably saw 100 others between them. Right now I’m doing a 30 day countdown. So I’m posting everyday about my upcoming release, but I’m still trying to break it up with other posts too. I also make sure that every day of the countdown is a little different. I got an app called “AI Arta” to generate pictures of my characters for free in exchange for my watching ads. There’s also a site called “Pixabay” with tons of free photos you can download. Those are more like stock photos. Then you take those into “Canva” or maybe “Gimp” (which is like a free, harder-to-use Photoshop) and make a ton of graphics. Then I can post about that one book forever because the only people seeing every one of those posts is my husband, my mom, and maybe a few fans. And if they’re fans, they don’t mind hearing from me a bit.

So right now I’m posting twice a day, but that’s only because I have a book coming soon. If you don’t have a book that’s about to come out, you really don’t have to post everyday.

Your visibility can ebb and flow. Most of the time, you can just glide along and post maybe three or four times a week, and slowly gain followers, then ramp up when a book is coming.

That’s important because more posts will be seen more because there are more of them, yes, but also Instagram will push your posts to more people if you are posting more, so your visibility goes way up. It’s something about the black magic of the algorithm. I don’t know.

Decide now if you’re going to get political or controversial. On my Instagram I stay away from politics because it’s always going to make someone mad. My opinion especially pisses off EV-ER-Y-ONE, so I just don’t talk about it. HOWEVER! Lots of successful accounts get very controversial and it works for them. It depends on if you are very politically inclined, if you enjoy getting yelled at by strangers, if that’s part of your brand, who your readers are, etc. I usually tend not to have strong political feelings anyway because I see both sides of the argument, so just staying out of it works for me. That’s part of why I like Instagram best. It seems the least likely to get political and argumentative. *Cue some aggressive activists yelling at me now for not being verbal enough.* Well, I can either not care at all or care 100-and-crazy percent, so I am picking my battles. And I am keeping it off social media so it stays separate from my work. Even though I decided this early, I have been tempted to jump into the fray a couple times. Decide this early, then stick to your decision.

Back to happier topics!

Add value. Try to add some kind of value to your content. What do I mean by that? Give those Instagram followers a reason to watch/look at/respond to your content. You can use humor or entertainment, offer education on a certain subject, create personal connections, give ‘em a little eye candy, something! Delectable pictures of food, being vulnerable or likable, doing something funny, teaching them about the stuff you have been researching, anything! Since it’s Instagram, do try to do something visual.

Pick one or two platforms instead of spreading yourself too thin. It’s good to jump in and work hard, but the general consensus seems to be that you should funnel your effort into one or two platforms instead of doing all of them. I do Instagram with Facebook as a second choice. If you try to be active on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, Clubhouse, Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon Author Central, Chair, Laterspam, and everything … then you won’t make an impact on any of them. Okay, I made up the last couple of those. But the point is, you can give everything a little bit of effort and get nowhere, or you can concentrate on finding your readers on a few of those. It helps if you look into where your readers are. Find out about who is reading what genres and who is on which platforms. How do you do that? I’m not sure. That’s the rabbit hole I’m in right now. As for me, my reads are clean and most of them are cozy, so Instagram and Facebook seem to be where my people are. It also helps to choose ones that you like. I’m not sure I LIKE any social media, but my favorite is Instagram, so that works for me.

You also want to have the same handle everywhere if possible. And then even make it your email address. I have @jessicathauthor almost everywhere, but there was some unpleasantness with getting locked out of my account, so now I’m @jessicathauthor2 on Instagram. I have yet to use that as my email.

As for cross-posting, a lot of platforms, if they’re owned by the same bossypants mega company, can talk to each other and cross-post. I post from Instagram because you can set it up, toggle a switch, and link it to a Facebook page and it can post to both places at once. Sometimes I will post from IG, have it automatically post to my Facebook author page too, then I’ll go over to FB to change the post a little. Like changing “link in bio” to “this link – blah.com” since FB posts can have links and IG posts can’t. I only post separately when I’m scheduling posts, which you can do from a business account on IG. IG and FB pages can both schedule posts, but when you schedule ahead you can’t automatically cross-post between the platforms. So I go on IG, write the post, copy the text, then schedule it to post later. Then I go to FB and paste the text, use the same picture, and schedule it there. It’s easier than it sounds.

Start early. When figuring out what to post, it helps a lot to already have a book to post about, but you should be starting before that book deal is signed or your ebook hits Amazon. If you are querying agents, sometimes they look to see if you already have a following or an audience to sell your book to. On the flipside, if you are self publishing, you also want to have a community of people who will be interested in buying your book. It might be annoying, but you should be on Instagram or some other social media and doing all of this BEFORE your book comes out.

But don’t let it stop you from writing! Quick reminder: My publisher, Darkstroke Books, said “The best marketing you can do is writing the next book.” Sorry, but you need to be doing all this AND writing your next book so that you can get the next book out before your readers forget about you.

Specific Posts

So you’re on Instagram and have chosen topics to cover, maybe with some trial and error (that’s okay,) so now what do you post? We’ve talked about big picture and general rules, so let’s cover ideas for specific posts.

Post Ideas for any author out there-

-Make a reel about your process, or what you’re working on right now

-Tell about a funny thing that happened to you in a reel or your stories

-Share a milestone as a graphic or a reel, or a story

-Posts about your current word count always get a lot of support

-Trade posts with other authors and tag them

-Get excited about a promo or giveaway and post about it

-Read an excerpt in a reel

-Post an excerpt with a photo or graphic

-Post about putting your book in bookstores and libraries, or Little Free Libraries

-Always post about any author appearances or events. Before and after.

-Reposting stuff from other people with the app “Repost for IG”

-Ask a question. (Do you like beets? Have you seen this movie? Do you read at the beach? Anything!)

Questions seem to increase your engagement a lot. In my experience it seems like humor gets likes, but questions get comments. If you want responses to your posts to feel like someone is watching and you’re not just screaming into the void, ask a question.

The most engagement I get is on those posts where I have people finish a phrase or sentence through using their predictive text (or the suggestions that appear above your phone’s keyboard.) I especially love it when it’s related to my book. For my last book I had people finish the phrase “A Caterer’s Guide to…” because that ties into the titles of the books in my culinary cozy mystery series, “A Caterer’s Guide to Holidays and Homicide” and “A Caterer’s Guide to Love and Murder.”

 

Ridiculously Specific Post Ideas for you to adapt (because they worked for me)-

-Post about the recipe you just developed

-Post a picture of your dinner out and call it research

-Predictive text prompt of the first half of your book title

-Post that prompts people to “replace one word with Turkey and ruin a book title”

-Do a campaign of #showmeyourbooks where you show pictures of friends holding your book and ask people to post pictures of them holding your book

-The predictive text thing for different holidays, like “The Easter Bunny brought me …” And “With my four-leaf clover I wished for …” Or “I stuffed my turkey with …”

-Multi-post campaigns like “sign up for my newsletter and I’ll choose one person to name a character in my next book”

-Poll on the book title between two options you have it narrowed down to

-Poll on what flavor of macarons you should make for an event

-Watch some reels or tiktoks, find a funny audio, save it, and use it for a video about writing or about your book

Hashtags – As for hashtags, I’ve heard from Wintour Krueger, a fellow author, to pick ones that have under 1 million posts, but more than like 1 thousand. You can mix it up though. Give a post some popular hashtags and some less popular hashtags. And do variations on the same phrase like – #mysteryreader #mysteryreaders #mysteryread #mysteryreads #mysterybook

I also do different hashtags on different posts. So one day I’ll do all those variations on mystery, then another day I’ll do variations on #cleanbooks #cleanreads, Then another day

#comingsoon #newrelease #newbook #newmystery, then another day of #preordersopen #preordernow #bookpreorder.

It’s also okay to start your own hashtag, like I’m using #shootshovelandshutupbook, for my next book, “Shoot Shovel and Shut Up,” but no one is going to find my posts because of that tag. They might be following #newbook or #mysteryreader, but not one that’s so specific to my book. And once you have a following, then you can also do your name or your handle as a hashtag.

Monthly IG Challenges – These are those things where there is a list of prompts for the month in a graphic. They’re easier than they look. You can follow one and it helps you know what to post about because everyday has a different hashtag or question, like #meetmymc or “Beach or Mountains?” or whatever. The challenges don’t have rigid rules. They’re just there to help you and form a little community. You just take that prompt and look for something interesting to say about it, like “I like the beach better than mountains because this one time something really funny happened to me blah blah blah.”

Can’t find an Instagram challenge you are interested in? You can create one! Especially if you grab a friend or even distant acquaintance to host it with you. That’s how J.R. Lancaster and I became friends! It sounds crazy, but yes, we met over Instagram. You just grab a friend, pick a hashtag that’s not too crowded yet, pick a theme, make a graphic in “Canva,” and tell people about it before the month starts. J.R. and I did one in April 2023 and we used the hashtag #afreshmystery if you want to look up an example. It was springy and targeted at mystery writers. The days had hashtags as the prompts, like #freshgoals at the beginning of the month and #myauthorstory for you to share your author journey. When you do one of these and publicize it well, It’s amazing how many people jump on board!

Or… Hire it out. Still don’t know what to post? Just want to throw money at it so you can use your time and energy for writing your next book? There are ways to load off your Instagram posts onto someone else. The options I know of are hiring a PA (Personal Assistant) or a VA (Virtual Assistant, pretty much the same thing in this case) who can be given some direction and then let loose on your account to varying degrees, paying for a virtual book tour, or having a service do it.

I’m in the middle of a few months of a service right now and it’s going much better than I imagined. Since I have many books coming out in the next few months and I keep feeling really overwhelmed, I’m using an AI post generator from Lisa Kempton and cleanauthors.com. She got details from me about my published books and upcoming releases and now I have a “trigger form” from her. I gave her blurbs, URLs, cover art, and some things that my ARC readers said, and now I just have to go in, choose a book from a drop down list, select a type of post, and the whole post gets emailed to me. It generates the post’s copywriting, the graphic, even the hashtags! Then I just have to copy and paste it. Lisa even has the option of having her post the content that her AI generates, but I haven’t sprung for that … yet.

And as for book tours, I actually arrange those for clients. A virtual book tour is also known as a blog tour and it’s really just arranging for other people to talk about your book on lots of different accounts. You can reach out to countless people and arrange one yourself, or hire a “book tour” company like me, Bittersweet Book Tours, or someone else like Damp Pebbles or Kate Rock, for very reasonable prices. These book tour companies arrange for Booktokers, Bookstagrammers, bloggers, podcasters, YouTubers, etc. to feature, highlight, or review your book, or to interview you, or have a guest post written by you. Even if you only want to focus on Instagram, your book tour can have you featured in Instagram Live interviews, bookstagram accounts, and a lot of people also post on IG when they have a blog post or podcast episode coming out, so you could be on someone’s podcast and get that publicity from their podcast listeners and their Instagram followers.

Instead of reaching your own audience that you have grown on Instagram, you appear to someone else’s. Ideally, you should do both, have an audience and tap into other people’s followers, but I suppose you could use it as an alternative to having your own social media presence.

I hope this helped you figure out what kind of posts you want, a little bit of how to make them, and a lot of ideas for individual posts. And if not, now you know how to hire someone else to do it. If I forgot anything, please comment below or reach out to me. You can also contact me if you have questions at jessicaisanauthor@gmail.com or on Instagram as @jessicathauthor2 and Facebook as @jessicathauthor.

Good Luck and Happy Instagramming!

 

 

What to Post on Instagram as Authors by @jessicathauthor
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Jessica Thompson

Jessica Thompson is the author of the Amazon best-selling mystery novels “A Caterer’s Guide to Love and Murder” and “A Caterer’s Guide to Holidays and Homicide.” Her second book was a Whitney Award nominee in the mystery category and her first book was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Awards. She also curated an anthology called “Beyond the Woods: A Supernatural Anthology.” She is active in her local writing community and volunteers as the Assistant Communications Chair for the Storymakers Guild.

Jessica lives in the suburbs of Austin, Texas with her husband and two children. When not writing, she’s getting her boots dirty at her parents’ nearby longhorn cattle ranch. Whether she’s revving up chainsaws or wrangling charging bulls, she sees it all as plot-inspiring material for her next mystery.

 

 

 

My Links-

Book Link

https://jessicathompsonauthor.com/sssu

Website

http://Jessicathompsonauthor.com

Instagram

https://instagram.com/jessicathauthor2/

Facebook

https://facebook.com/jessicathauthor/

Book description:

“Suspenseful, shocking, and sweet!

A riveting mystery set in

the heart of Texas.”

-J.R. Lancaster, author of Someone’s Always Watching

After a fight over the family ranch, Dad’s young fiancée is found dead. Bria risks her family’s disapproval to sneak around and investigate as the tragedies pile up. Luckily, she has help from her childhood crush and from the handsome new deputy.

When new love blooms in two directions and her main suspect dies, she must grow around her grief to discover the family’s secrets before she loses everyone she loves.

 

 

Image by free stock photos from www.picjumbo.com from Pixabay

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