Introducing Books and Brew with Andrew Huff
Happy Tuesday from Erica! Welcome to a bonus blog today! I'm so pleased to host friend and fellow Kregel Publications author Andrew Huff today. Andrew writes suspense/thrillers, and he's got a new venture he'd like to tell you about. Take it away, Andrew!
Introducing Books & Brew!
My journey to becoming a published novelist was long and arduous. Hours upon hours of reading, writing, and repeating. One of the things that I found indispensable in the process was learning from other authors. I especially enjoy interacting with authors through conferences, workshops, and critique groups.
Along the way, I've also discovered that when I write I love to have a cup of coffee right beside me. As a matter of fact, many, many, many chapters of mine were not only written while drinking coffee but written inside of a coffee shop. As I've gotten to know other authors, I've discovered the same is often true of them as well. We all love to have some beverage at the ready while crafting imaginary worlds.
Recently, I came up with the idea to put those two things together in a brand new video series debuting on my YouTube channel called Books & Brew. I loved getting to chat with other authors, but I also became interested in not only learning about what kind of brew they like to drink while writing but trying their beverage out myself. This series will introduce you to fiction authors you both know and may not know, learn what their favorite writing drink is, and hear about their secrets to writing great fiction.
I'll be launching the series with great guests such as Jaime Jo Wright, Natalie Walters, Betsy St. Amant Haddox, Erica Vetsch, and more. Episodes will premiere on Sundays, but as a special treat for Seekerville readers, you can preview the first episode right now !
Building Platforms As An Author
Part of my desire to launch this series has been to engage with readers across my platforms in new ways. Authors, veterans and first-timers alike, spend just as much time building "platforms" as they do writing. One of the easiest ways to connect and engage with readers is on the social media websites many of us already use. But another way to engage with your followers is through video, and the year 2020 has proven just how easy it can be for anyone to use video as a way to reach a broader audience.
For Books & Brew, the interviews all take place over Zoom with the meeting recorded to a video file on my local hard drive (here's a handy video on how to set this up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZHSAMd89JE). Given my background in multimedia production, I add some flare to the interviews with branded elements, but you don't have to do this in order to launch your own vlog or interview series. I'm also hosting Books & Brew exclusively on my YouTube channel in order to increase traffic to it, but you could just as easily post your own videos to Facebook or even Instagram using IGTV (find out how here: https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/225190788256708).
The most important thing I would encourage you to do as you consider how you might utilize video in engaging with your followers is to come up with a unique spin on how the content will be presented. I chose to talk with fellow authors over their favorite beverages, so the video series is as much about trying new coffees and teas as it is learning about the craft of fiction writing. And I came up with the idea simply because I really enjoy drinking coffee! What's your unique spin?
Don't Be Shy
It can be intimidating to create video content when writers are often people who are the least interested in speaking publicly, but video offers you a chance to keep trying until you are satisfied with the result. There are many ways in which you can write what you are going to say in advance and even read it from a screen while recording the video (check out any number of available teleprompter apps for your phone or tablet). Another great way to get around the obstacle of appearing on video is to not do it alone. Find a friend or two and simply record yourselves having a conversation you would normally have!
Now, I know I just said the opposite of this, but the final thing I would say is that you should post your video content to your platforms even when you are not completely satisfied with the end result. Take it from someone who's created a lot of video content: you'll never be fully satisfied with the end result. But you should share what you make anyway! Come to think of it, that is often true of us authors as well, isn't it? We feel like there was a better version of the story than we were able to tell, and yet we wanted to share it with readers anyway. It's more important to get your work out to the audience that will be interested than it is waiting until it reaches some (actually unattainable) level of perfection.
I hope you enjoy Books & Brew, and I can't wait to see what creative writing content you create!
For Discussion
What are some of the obstacles you face when creating content to use on your author platforms?
What are some of the podcasts, vlogs, or other types of media content that you engage with as a reader?
Who are some of the authors you would love to hear from about writing and discover what their favorite brew is?
Author Bio
Andrew Huff is the author of the action-packed Shepherd Suspense Series from Kregel Publications. The first book in the series, A Cross to Kill, was a finalist in the Mystery/Thriller categories of both the 2020 Foreword INDIE awards as well as the 2020 ACFW Carol Awards. Huff now works in Christian media and entertainment after spending 10 years as a youth and creative arts pastor. He currently calls North Texas home where he and his beautiful wife Jae raise their two boys and rescue dog.
THE SHEPHERD SUSPENSE SERIES When journalist Christine Lewis and former CIA operative John Cross first met, neither could suspect how the encounter would forever change the course of their lives. From chasing down international terrorists in Washington D.C. to investigating murder in Dallas, the Shepherd Suspense Series promises thrilling action and adventure mixed with faith and values like you’ve never read before. Andrew Huff delivers what readers are calling a “wild ride” that makes you feel like you’ve “jumped into Jack Ryan or Jason Bourne’s life” (Natalie Walters, author of the Harbored Secrets trilogy).
Get your copies of the Shepherd Suspense Series at: https://amzn.to/3fiFlUBhttps://www.christianbook.com/apps/easyfind?Ntk=author&Ntt=Andrew%20Huffhttps://www.christosrochester.com/contributors/andrew-huff/or wherever fine Christian fiction is sold!
Visit Andrew's website at: https://www.andrewhuffbooks.com/ where you can sign up for his newsletter and get a free sample of the first THREE chapters of A Cross to Kill!
Introducing Books & Brew!
My journey to becoming a published novelist was long and arduous. Hours upon hours of reading, writing, and repeating. One of the things that I found indispensable in the process was learning from other authors. I especially enjoy interacting with authors through conferences, workshops, and critique groups.
Along the way, I've also discovered that when I write I love to have a cup of coffee right beside me. As a matter of fact, many, many, many chapters of mine were not only written while drinking coffee but written inside of a coffee shop. As I've gotten to know other authors, I've discovered the same is often true of them as well. We all love to have some beverage at the ready while crafting imaginary worlds.
Recently, I came up with the idea to put those two things together in a brand new video series debuting on my YouTube channel called Books & Brew. I loved getting to chat with other authors, but I also became interested in not only learning about what kind of brew they like to drink while writing but trying their beverage out myself. This series will introduce you to fiction authors you both know and may not know, learn what their favorite writing drink is, and hear about their secrets to writing great fiction.
I'll be launching the series with great guests such as Jaime Jo Wright, Natalie Walters, Betsy St. Amant Haddox, Erica Vetsch, and more. Episodes will premiere on Sundays, but as a special treat for Seekerville readers, you can preview the first episode right now !
Building Platforms As An Author
Part of my desire to launch this series has been to engage with readers across my platforms in new ways. Authors, veterans and first-timers alike, spend just as much time building "platforms" as they do writing. One of the easiest ways to connect and engage with readers is on the social media websites many of us already use. But another way to engage with your followers is through video, and the year 2020 has proven just how easy it can be for anyone to use video as a way to reach a broader audience.
For Books & Brew, the interviews all take place over Zoom with the meeting recorded to a video file on my local hard drive (here's a handy video on how to set this up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZHSAMd89JE). Given my background in multimedia production, I add some flare to the interviews with branded elements, but you don't have to do this in order to launch your own vlog or interview series. I'm also hosting Books & Brew exclusively on my YouTube channel in order to increase traffic to it, but you could just as easily post your own videos to Facebook or even Instagram using IGTV (find out how here: https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/225190788256708).
The most important thing I would encourage you to do as you consider how you might utilize video in engaging with your followers is to come up with a unique spin on how the content will be presented. I chose to talk with fellow authors over their favorite beverages, so the video series is as much about trying new coffees and teas as it is learning about the craft of fiction writing. And I came up with the idea simply because I really enjoy drinking coffee! What's your unique spin?
Don't Be Shy
It can be intimidating to create video content when writers are often people who are the least interested in speaking publicly, but video offers you a chance to keep trying until you are satisfied with the result. There are many ways in which you can write what you are going to say in advance and even read it from a screen while recording the video (check out any number of available teleprompter apps for your phone or tablet). Another great way to get around the obstacle of appearing on video is to not do it alone. Find a friend or two and simply record yourselves having a conversation you would normally have!
Now, I know I just said the opposite of this, but the final thing I would say is that you should post your video content to your platforms even when you are not completely satisfied with the end result. Take it from someone who's created a lot of video content: you'll never be fully satisfied with the end result. But you should share what you make anyway! Come to think of it, that is often true of us authors as well, isn't it? We feel like there was a better version of the story than we were able to tell, and yet we wanted to share it with readers anyway. It's more important to get your work out to the audience that will be interested than it is waiting until it reaches some (actually unattainable) level of perfection.
I hope you enjoy Books & Brew, and I can't wait to see what creative writing content you create!
For Discussion
What are some of the obstacles you face when creating content to use on your author platforms?
What are some of the podcasts, vlogs, or other types of media content that you engage with as a reader?
Who are some of the authors you would love to hear from about writing and discover what their favorite brew is?
Author Bio
Andrew Huff is the author of the action-packed Shepherd Suspense Series from Kregel Publications. The first book in the series, A Cross to Kill, was a finalist in the Mystery/Thriller categories of both the 2020 Foreword INDIE awards as well as the 2020 ACFW Carol Awards. Huff now works in Christian media and entertainment after spending 10 years as a youth and creative arts pastor. He currently calls North Texas home where he and his beautiful wife Jae raise their two boys and rescue dog.
THE SHEPHERD SUSPENSE SERIES When journalist Christine Lewis and former CIA operative John Cross first met, neither could suspect how the encounter would forever change the course of their lives. From chasing down international terrorists in Washington D.C. to investigating murder in Dallas, the Shepherd Suspense Series promises thrilling action and adventure mixed with faith and values like you’ve never read before. Andrew Huff delivers what readers are calling a “wild ride” that makes you feel like you’ve “jumped into Jack Ryan or Jason Bourne’s life” (Natalie Walters, author of the Harbored Secrets trilogy).
Get your copies of the Shepherd Suspense Series at: https://amzn.to/3fiFlUBhttps://www.christianbook.com/apps/easyfind?Ntk=author&Ntt=Andrew%20Huffhttps://www.christosrochester.com/contributors/andrew-huff/or wherever fine Christian fiction is sold!
Visit Andrew's website at: https://www.andrewhuffbooks.com/ where you can sign up for his newsletter and get a free sample of the first THREE chapters of A Cross to Kill!
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