Riley Adams's Blog, page 5

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.

Monetize Your Public Speaking: Podcasts, Author Events, and Beyond: by Alexa Nazzaro How to Find an Editor for your Book: 6 Tips: by Polly Watt UK: The £30,000 Women’s Prize for Fiction 2025 Longlist: by Porter Anderson Making the Most of Publishing Conference Contacts: by Nicole M. Hewitt 7 Meta Books That Question the Boundaries of Storytelling: by Eliza Moss Five Short Stories About Defiance and Taking Charge: by Ratika Deshpande Is the Book You’re Reading Literary or Genre Fiction? A 100% Definitive Guide: by Sarah Garfinkel & Katie Burgess 7 Captivating Books About Life on a Farm: by Liese Greensfelder 5 Historical Fiction Novels Led by No-Nonsense, Rulebreaking Women: by Megan Beauregard Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Sarah Woodbury’s Crouchback: 8 Books About Cousins That Explore Secrets, Rivalries, and Kinship: by Krystelle Bamford Write Your Novel In Your Spare Time: The 3-Draft Method: by Kelly K. James Navigating Writing Challenges: When to Pause, When to Push Through: by April Dávila Cultivating a Strong Author Network: by Eric LaRocca Writers’ Wellness: How to Embrace Boundaries Without Guilt: by Dr. Bradford Stucki Business Musings: How Entertainment Fits Into Our Lives: by Kristine Kathryn Rusch At London Book Fair: Video Games Writer Dan Houser: by Porter Anderson Why Bad Books Are Popular: by Chris Winkle Want to write a book? Prepare to make 200,000 decisions: by Josh Bernoff Tips For Overcoming Authoring Burnout: by KM Allan Writers@Work: Writing a Memoir about Illness: with Liv Rosin Mysteries set in the past vs. mysteries written long ago: @mkinberg.bsky.social Crafting Non-Fiction Books That Build Your Brand and Income: Joanna Penn On The Biz Book Broadcast with Liz Scully Writing the Future: How to Predict Emerging Trends for More Realistic Sci-Fi & Fantasy: by Stuart Conover Writing And Selling Short Stories With Douglas Smith: How to Market a Book in 7 Simple Steps: by Brandi Badgett 7 Tips to Build an Audience for Your Writing: by Bucket Siler New Study: Half of Australians Say They Want To Read More: by Porter Anderson My Process When Finishing a Book: How To Start a Novel: by Susan Vreeland First Page Words of Wisdom: compiled by Dale Ivan Smith Exposition in Your Opening: Less is More: by James Scott Bell How To Use Traits to Create Character Arcs: by Sarah “Sally” Hamer Character Secret Thesaurus: Faking an Illness: by Becca Puglisi How To Sell Your Funny Fiction: by Dave Cohen Three-Act Analysis of Die Hard: by Gabriela Pereira Anora Beat Sheet Analysis: by Shari Simpson Five Well-Written Battles That Writers Can Learn From: by Oren Ashkenazi Scene and Structure: The Wave Technique: by Susan DeFreitas @janefriedman.com How To Master The Art of Misdirection: by Sue Coletta Using “was” is passive writing, or is it? by Dr. Diana Stout 6 Tips on Writing Disabled Characters: by James Irwin @janefriedman.com Writing About Our Past & Fiction Development: by Leslie What Four Ways to Invite Your Reader In: by Shutta Crum 25 Personification Examples for Authors: by Millie Dinsdale Slang! What’s the 411? by Beem Weeks When Writer Meets Reader: Intent and Interpretation of Theme: by Linda K Sienkiewicz Writing a Meet Cute for Any Story, Any Genre: by September C. Fawkes Bad Decisions: by Kay DiBianca A New Way to Find Your Point of View: by Carter Wilson 5 Reasons NOT to Use Multiple Point of View (and What to Do Instead): by Bucket Siler Mastering the Art of Character Names: by April Dávila 5 Questions to Ask Before Adding a Subplot: by Janice Hardy Editing with Your Audience in Mind: Featuring Matty Dalrymple Scene Writing: Story Waves: by Linda S. Clare Writing Voice: Choice Words: by Anne Janzer

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Published on March 09, 2025 07:07

My Process When Finishing a Book

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

I’ve really ramped up my writing in the last couple of years. It’s been even more important to keep myself organized through the process. If I get off track, it’s easy to make mistakes. And publishing isn’t the most forgiving industry. Here’s what my process looks like and how I keep things straight:

I start loading the book onto retail sites. For me it’s Draft2Digital, KDP, Google Play, PublishDrive, and IngramSpark. I also load the book onto Prolific Works so I can share it with beta readers (my editor works with Word).

I draft a newsletter to announce the release and give updates on my life and what’s publishing next.

I list the book for preorder, giving myself enough time to address edits and beta reader suggestions. I make sure the book is linked to the rest of the series on Amazon and other retail sites. I also make sure it’s up on Goodreads as part of the series (which has been an issue lately).

I update my website with the preorder listed first.

Then I outline the next book in that series, while my brain is still in that story world. I start with my cozy mystery outline template, which helps me out.

I write the back cover copy for the book I’m outlining first. It gives me a global idea of the story. Then I send it to my cover designer. It’s important to get on her calendar early, but it also helps me visualize the project better when I have a cover.

I register the ISBNs with Bowker for the project (epub and print).

I upload the new cover and the cover copy to my website under the “coming soon” section.

Once I’m finished with the outline, I move right on to write the next book (which, in my case, is always with the other series I’m writing–the one I’d have already outlined after finishing a story in that series). This may sound more confusing than it actually is.

And I work harder to celebrate the publication of a new book. It’s important to recognize these moments!

That’s my end-of-book process, but I’d like to hear what yours looks like for publishing, or starting a book.

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Published on March 02, 2025 21:01

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.

Mastering the Mic: Prep for Your Author Podcast Interview: by Penny Sansevieri Planning a Conference: A Big Job and an Adventure: by Susan Gourley at The IWSG The British Book Awards Shortlists: 46 Small Presses: by Porter Anderson Setting Writing Goals That Actually Work: by April Dávila 25 Creative Winter Writing Prompts: by Bryn Donovan 37 Days of Shakespeare: Richard III: by Matt Bird Five SFF Short Stories Written as Instructions: by Ratika Deshpande 3 Books Helping Me Reset my 2025 Writing Goals: by Shannon A. Thompson 7 Thrillers About the Role of the Witness: by Jacqueline Faber Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Christoffer Petersen’s Katabatic: @mkinberg.bsky.social When You’ve Written Lots of Books: Writers on Not Writing: Kate Kaminski and Karen DeBonis: from The Masters Review What Nine Fictional Authors Would Be Like as Editing Clients: by Oren Ashkenazi How I used ChatGPT to catch a publishing scammer pretending to be John Green: @rozmorris.bsky.social Does learning to be a good writer matter anymore? Or will AI fix your problems? by Jacqui Murray 5 Big Truths In The A.I Debate Nobody Seems To Be Talking About: from Bang2write 9 mental models to help you write: by Daphne Gray-Grant Yo! Muse! by PJ Parrish 23 Magic Types to Mix and Match Into 1,000+ Unique Systems: by Chris Winkle How to Write Historical Fiction: by Angie Andriot Turn Your Short Pieces Into a Finished Nonfiction Book: by Lara Lillibridge @janefriedman.com Writing for Children? 3 Things to Avoid: by Karen Cioffi Why Cheap Promo is No Bargain: One Unusually Prolific Example: @victoriastrauss.bsky.social Boost Your WordPress Blog’s Reach: A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding a BlueSky Sharing Button: by Hugh Roberts Convicted: Rushdie’s Assailant Faces Up to 25 Years in Prison: by Porter Anderson UK Publishers Advance the AI-Copyright Debate: by Porter Anderson Your rights as an author: by Josh Bernoff The Burden of Your First Five Pages: by CS Lakin Making Nice Guys & Girls Realistically Flawed: by Becca Puglisi Character Secret Thesaurus: Concealing a Sexual Identity: by Becca Puglisi Ways to Fix Writing Mistakes: Oversimplified Characters: by Ellen Buikema How Chandler Overcame “Plot Constipation”: by James Scott Bell Understanding Evil Characters (and Writing Them Real): from Fox Print Editorial Why Chapters & Their Lengths Matter: by Elaine Dodge Diving in the Toolbox: Creating a Plot-Subplot Template: by Laurie Schnebly Campbell Should You Use Clichés in Writing Your Book? by Joy York 5 Tips For Writing A Great Chase Scene: by Brian Andrews Show vs. Tell: The Definitive Guide for Writers: from Story Grid Is Your Prologue Necessary? by Marilene Louise Blom How Fiction Writers Can Manipulate Time: by CS Lakin Beth Kephart: Writing About Yourself? Why Not Start With a List? by Beth Kephart 8 Author Tips to Avoid Body-Shaming in Your Books: by Paulette Stout Why You Need to Call Your Book What It Is: by Sue Bradford Edwards Book Structure for Disorganized Writers: by Jenny Hansen Don’t Use Exclamation Points, Ethyl Cried! by Reavis Wortham 5 Unexpected Tips From Professional Editors: by Linnea Gradin Finding a Critique Group: by Marilynn Byerly

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Published on March 01, 2025 21:01

When You’ve Written Lots of Books

by Elizabeth Spann Craig

At some point in 2024, I hit 60 books. That’s 60 original books that I’ve penned. The only reason I noticed this is because my family kept asking me how many mysteries I’d written until I sat down and actually counted them up.

I didn’t mark this milestone because I didn’t realize when I’d reached it, and I’m past it now. But it did make me take a moment to reflect.

Here are some things I’ve learned about having written 60+ books

As I mentioned, you probably won’t know how many books you’ve written. The point isn’t the volume, it’s the attempt to continue producing quality content. But the volume is often what sets you apart in readers’ minds.

You have to try harder to make sure you’re not repeating old ideas. You try to remember if you’ve used a character name before and whether it’s been recent.

You worry that you’re overloading your beta readers and editors when you’ve written a lot in a single year.

You rely heavily on series bibles. They’re key to helping you remember your character smoked as a young person or that they prefer driving minivans to sedans.

You’re watchful for burnout. Burnout can sneak up on you, and it’s ugly when it strikes.

You feel strange when you take a break from writing. Restless.

Writing becomes almost muscle memory. You sit down, open your document, and just hop right in. Your routine makes this easy.

It becomes harder to consider changing genres, if the bulk of your output has been in a single genre.

You have a very clear picture of what your upcoming writing year will consist of. You might already have covers and outlines.

You might like to think of yourself as prolific. Others will say you’re “churning out books.”

You don’t spend much or any time looking at reviews. Ditto for sales.

Readers will be surprised when you don’t remember details about the last book you wrote, much less a book you wrote 10 years earlier.

Writing gets easier and easier, but you still occasionally get hung up on a scene when you’re writing.

You still look forward to writing every day.

What have you learned during your writing journey?

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Published on February 23, 2025 21:01

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.

Editorial manners: by Josh Bernoff What to Look for in an Editor: Q&A Podcast with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black: Essential Tips for Success as an Author in 2025: by Nicholas C. Rossis Make Your Writing Plan for the First Quarter of 2025: by Suzanne Lieurance Five Post-Apocalyptic Novels Set on a Nearly Empty Earth: by Lorna Wallace 18 Novels Celebrating the Stories of Older Main Characters: from The Women’s Fiction Writers Association Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Ruhi Choudhary’s Our Daughter’s Bones: @mkinberg.bsky.social 3 Aspects of Managing the Clutter-Tidiness Continuum: by @amcarley.bsky.social How Authors Thrive in a World of AI-Generated Books: by Angela Ackerman 6 Of The Oldest First-Time Authors: by Elaine Dodge Staying Afloat in the Roiling Sea of Books: by James Scott Bell No, your editor (probably) can’t make your book great: byJosh Bernoff Quick Writing Tip: Make a Note to Your Future Self in Your WIP: by Bucket Siler 5 Ways to Winterize Your Writing Life: by Jessica Strawser Perfectionism in writing: by Daphne Gray-Grant It’s Time to Interview Your Own Inner Diminisher: by Anne Carley @janefriedman.com Finding and Sharing Joy as a Writer: by Lisa Norman Writing About Your Book’s Time Period: Tips: by Linda S. Clare Genre Decisions: Memoir? Fiction? Self-Help? Hybrid? by Lisa Tener Alibis in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg.bsky.social On the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, Anna Featherstone talks with professional indexer Madeleine Davis about the importance of indexes in nonfiction books: Optimize Your Amazon Author Central Page in 10 Steps: by Penny Sansevieri Podcast: Using Pinterest in Your Author Business with Heather Farris: from Sacha Black Handling Being Interrupted While Giving a Talk: by Gigi Rosenberg USA Pen Press: The Ghostwriting Scam of a Thousand Websites: by Victoria Strauss Publishing scams are rampant. How to be vigilant: by Nathan Bransford First Page Critique: Murder, Mystery, and Misdirection: by Debbie Burke The Comic Villain: by Debbie Burke Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Having an Addiction: by Becca Puglisi Character Flaws: Definition and 20 Examples: by Brandi Badgett Explorer Archetype: Everything Writers Need to Know: by Linda O’Donnell Tag Your Dialogue with Big-Time Power: by Margie Lawson Wicked Beat Sheet Analysis: by Shari Simpson 5 Netflix Shows That Will Make You A Better Writer: by Elaine Dodge Six Moments of Contrived Grimdark in Popular Stories: by Oren Ashkenazi How to Foreshadow with Finesse: from Fox Print Editorial How to Ensure Your Story Has Heart: by Cara J. Stevens How to Explain Away Plot Holes – Believably: by Chris Winkle Frustrating Narration Choices: from Mythcreants The Art of Misdirection: by Kay DiBianca Show, Don’t Tell—But How? by CS Lakin When to Wax Strong on Interiority: by September C. Fawkes Creating Illusions for Your Readers: by Jessica Strawser
Key Methods for Direct and Indirect Foreshadowing in Your Story: by Tiffany Yates Martin @janefriedman.com Why Do Fantasy Characters Have Real Mythological Names? by Oren Ashkenazi How to properly use and format hyphens and dashes: By
Josh Bernoff On Punctuation: by D. Wallace Peach Editor and Editing Words of Wisdom: compiled by by Dale Ivan Smith Fair Use, Copyright, And Licensing. AI And The Author Business With Alicia Wright: from Joanna Penn

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Published on February 22, 2025 21:01

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.

Taking tomorrow off in observance of the holiday. See you here next Sunday.

Should Your Books Have Content Warnings? Authors Weigh In: by Rachel Thompson Preservation Guidance for Authors Planning to Donate Their Personal Papers to Archives: by Monica Louzon What (Not To) Expect At Your First Book Signing: by Rachel Stone Writing Activities and Other Fun for Author School Visits: by Ellen Buikema 3 Reasons To Attend a Writers Retreat This Year: by Leigh Shulman UK: The £30,000 Women’s Prize for Nonfiction Longlist: by Porter Anderson London’s Westminster Book Awards: The 2025 Winners: by Porter Anderson Your New Year Checklist: An Author Roadmap for Success: by Penny Sansevieri 10 Wintery Horror Novels That Will Chill You to the Bone: by Claudia Guthrie 6 Great Thrillers Featuring Sisters (and Murder): by Kate Alice Marshall How Deliberate Practice Can Develop Your Writing Skills and Talent: by Jules Horne @janefriedman.com When Can I Call Myself a Writer? by Edie Melson The Challenges of Writing: by Jill Kemerer The Writing Life: Discipline and Challenges: by CS Lakin It’s Still and Always Will Be About the Book: by James Scott Bell A better way to approach quiet quitting: by Daphne Gray-Grant Can A NYT Mini-Crossword Puzzle Boost Your Writing? from The Writer magazine How did AI become an inescapable virus in my writing tools? by Josh Bernoff The guilt of not doing enough: by Daphne Gray-Grant Make the Writing Process Work for Your Novel: by Liz Gauffreau Hard Magic vs Soft Magic: Differences and Writing Tips: by Emily Park ‘Only the strong need apply.’ Talking to Eleanor Vincent about writing memoir: @rozmorris.bsky.social How to Find Your Memoir’s Narrative Arc (There May Be More Than One): by Bonny Reichert @janefriedman.com Don’t Make Genre Writing Generic: by N.L. Holmes When Bad Guys Get Away in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg.bsky.social Romancing the Beat: How to Plot a Romance Novel: by Linda O’Donnell 5 Unusual Things I Did To Create My Dream Writing Career: from Bang2write Book Pricing Strategy – Does it help or hurt other authors? by Laura Drake 21 Parts of a Book (and How to Write Them): by Lisa Taylor Business Musings: Generational Change in Publishing: by Kristine Kathryn Rusch Macmillan’s Jon Yaged on Book Banning: ‘It Stigmatizes Reading’: by Porter Anderson Is an MFA Creative Writing Program Worth It? by Jack Smith UK: Masculinity Issues Trending in Carnegies’ Longlists: by Porter Anderson Six Common Pitfalls When Self-Publishing: by Heather Wallace Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Pursuing a Personal Goal: by Becca Puglisi 7 Tips to Writing Immortal Characters: by Charles Yallowitz Writing Animated Secondary Characters: by Linda S. Clare A Real Pain Beat Sheet Analysis: by Shari Simpson Seven Worldbuilding Lessons From The Southern Reach: by Oren Ashkenazi How to Leverage Humanity to Outshine AI-Generated Books: @angelackerman.bsky.social How to Write a Story About a CEO Killer: by Chris Winkle Want Readers to Empathize? Use Hidden Experiences: by Angela Ackerman Three Easy Fixes for Common Craft Problems: by Debbie Burke 5 Reasons NOT to Use Multiple Point of View (and What to Do Instead): by Bucket Siler The Fourth Person Viewpoint: by Elaine Dodge Pantsing a Complicated Plot: by Bonnie MacBird How to Get Better at Self-Editing Your Fiction: 8 Vital Steps to Follow: by K.M. Weiland World-Building Lessons from the Video Game Myst: by Gabriela Pereira Writers: Use Libraries’ Resources:

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Published on February 15, 2025 21:01

Writers: Use Libraries’ Resources

When I’ve given talks, I’ve frequently mentioned that I grew up in a library. This is pretty much the case. My dad was a high school English teacher, and we were often at the library. He was reading different newspapers and grading essays, and I’d be immersed in mysteries (first Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, then Agatha Christie).

Now I use the library in a lot of different ways. Here are a few of them. Every library is different, but if a service sounds interesting, go online or drive over to your local library to find out what it offers.

Books and Magazines: We all know writers need to spend a good deal of time reading to learn to create well-constructed books and keep on top of industry and genre trends. The library has always been my go-to for getting books. If I absolutely can’t get something at the library, I’ll use an online request form to request a purchase (they’ve never turned me down when I’ve made a suggestion). I always have something on loan from the library that I’m reading. Most of the time, I’m getting ebooks through Overdrive (look into the Libby app). I’m not an audiobook fan as a reader, but many are and are getting free audiobooks through Overdrive and Hoopla.

Many libraries now offer access to academic journals and research papers, which can be incredibly useful for writers doing deep dives into specific topics.

I’ve used this less often, but my library also offers free magazines online. They’re now available through an expanded digital newsstand that includes publications from around the world.

Education: Want to learn how to use the latest AI writing assistants? How to market your books in the ever-changing digital landscape? There are now even more opportunities to learn different skills through expanded online learning platforms. My library offers access to platforms like Coursera and edX, providing free access to university-level courses. I’ve also taken courses on programs like Excel, which I’ve struggled to learn on my own.

Entertainment: Watching good movies and television not only helps me refill my well, but also inspires me in the same way a good book will. We stream at our house (no more cable) and get our programming through various streaming services. The library is helping supply me with some great films and TV through expanded streaming services. I’m a fan of classic movies and independent films, but there are also a lot of box office hits available. And it helps me keep up with my favorite British television shows. See if your library offers Kanopy or Hoopla.

Creative Spaces: I’ve always treated the library as an extra living room for me. Sometimes, I’ve found the house can be simply too distracting, or my project just a little too complicated to focus at home. Those are days I pack up and head to the library. Ours has study rooms you can use (which I have during days where I felt I was running behind), but it can also be stimulating for me to work alongside others in the main room. Whatever they’re working on somehow pushes me along and motivates me to keep going, too.

Are you a library power-user, too? What kinds of services do you use there? Do you go there to write?

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Published on February 09, 2025 21:01

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.

5 Ways Writing a Book Can Grow Your Business Brand: by Rebecca Camarena 120 Themes in Literature: Definition and Examples: by Polly Watt Crime Fiction: In The Spotlight: Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders: @mkinberg.bsky.social Break Writer’s Block: 5 Ways Reading Can Rekindle Creativity: by Linda K Sienkiewicz Avoid a Creative Slump By Writing and Publishing in a Different Medium: by Elizabeth Rynecki @janefriedman.com How Can Better Sleep Boost Your Creativity as a Writer? by Dr. William Henderson Why Real Events Aren’t Always Believable in Fiction: by Oren Ashkenazi Reviewing Other Authors’ Work: by Jags Arthurson Balancing Creativity With Building A Business, And Author Nation With Joe Solari: Un-productivity tips for 2025: by Nathan Bransford Don’t Write Every Day: 3 Things to Do Instead to Finish Your Book: by Allison K Williams @janefriedman.com Break free from the procrastination-guilt trap: by Daphne Gray-Grant Get Out of the Silo: by Anne Carley @janefriedman.com Hilary Mantel & Writing Historical Fiction: by Elaine Dodge A Look at Paternity Themes for Novels: by Debbie Burke Museums as an Element in Crime Fiction: @mkinberg.bsky.social Marketing quotes and why you need them: by Jenn Windrow Navigating the Sea of Social Media: by Beem Weeks Navigating the Social Media Landscape: My Journey with Five Platforms: by Hugh Roberts 10 Quick Tips for Introverts Using Bluesky: by Kayelle Allen US Publishers Sue Idaho, Alleging Book Banning: by Porter Anderson Spotify Adds Crooked Lane and Podium Audiobooks: by Porter Anderson Italy’s Book Trade Down 23.2 Million Units in 2024: by Porter Anderson What the Fonz Can Teach Us about Resilience: from Fox Print Editorial Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Knowing About a Cover-Up: by Becca Puglisi What Would You Save in a Fire? by Therese Walsh @writerunboxed.bsky.social The Three Ways to Keep Your Story Short: by Chris Winkle The Rules of Fiction: What They Are and What They’re Not: by K.M. Weiland What Happens When There are No Plot Points in a Story? by September C Fawkes Writing: Higher Stakes, Higher Tension: by Linda S. Clare Writing fresh takes on public-domain classics: by Paula Munier 6 Tips For Pulling Off a Really Good Plot Twist: by
Jessie Garcia Quick Story Pacing Tip: Pause at the Threshold: by Bucket Siler 5 Act Structure: Examples and Writing Tips: by Brandi Badgett Advancing Your Plot: by CS Lakin A Complete Guide to Revising Your Novel: by Lynette M. Burrows Should you hire a professional beta reader? by Lisa Poisso How to Write Intense Scenes That Captivate Readers: by Christina Delay Characterization and Worldbuilding Through Fight Scenes: by Corrine A. Kumar Being the Chosen One Is A Curse: by Charles Yallowitz 7 Worldbuilding Tools For Fiction Authors: by Randal Gilmore

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Published on February 08, 2025 21:01

Launching a New Series as an Indie

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Before last year, the last time I’d launched a new series was in 2019. In a lot of ways, the series from 2019 seems like a brand-new series still. I guess it is, compared to the other series that had their starts back in 2009 or 2010.

Fortunately, I remembered my top tip from 2019 about releasing a new series.

Release the first book of your new series on the same day you release a book from a long-running series.

This is a pretty easy thing to do that, in my experience, has a good payout. I either write the book from the new series at the same time as a book from an older series, or I write a book in the older series and sit on it until I’m ready to release the book from the new series.

Then I announce the pre-order for both at the same time on my social media and in my newsletter.

This approach seems to help to make readers more aware of the new series, and also seems to help catch them in a pre-ordering mood, since they’re often already ordering the book from the older series. It helps them link both books to me.

Readers of your established series might be more willing to try your new series when they’re already in the mindset of purchasing your work. And having two books to promote can increase your overall visibility on social media by spurring more engagement.

That’s my bigggest tip, but I’d love to hear from you. What tips do you have for introducing a new series to readers?

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Published on February 02, 2025 21:01

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.

Sorry about my absence last week and for the shorter edition this week! I managed to catch the flu and have been off-track a bit. :)