#self-published authors

[thebookmarketingnook]

World Read Aloud Day: Share Your Story

How You Can Participate in LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day Are you looking for an inspiring and entertaining way to connect with your readers and build your author brand, all while advocating for literacy? Look no further than LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day! This annual event inspires global advocacy for literacy by inviting everyone to join and share the joy of reading aloud. As authors, you…

[keyboard-squared]

Self-Published Authors, Don't Miss Out on This Free Conference Happening Right Now!

Are you a self-published author? Make sure you check out this incredible free opportunity happening this week!

I interrupt my normal Tuesday post to tell you that I finally opted to pay for a ticket to a free online writing conference. As I talked about a few weeks ago, free online writing conferences are happening all the time. If you haven’t already, you should start subscribing to writing websites so you can hear about these events and make sure you grab a pass before they start.  Yesterday, I got…

[hellishrebukesystem]

This is my mood board for my latest writing project, MAGI. I was just fooling around and making stuff for the camp nano boards, but I liked it so much I thought I'd share it here.

[amanda-n-newman-author]

On Switching to a “Different Kind of Project”

Okay, so the title of this post might sound a little strange. You’re probably asking yourselves “does she mean going from writing novels to writing something else, like short stories or poetry?” The answer to that is no, I’m still writing novels and will be continuing to write novels for at least the foreseeable future (and beyond because I honestly can’t imagine writing anything else, unless it’s purely for bonus or expanded lore content). So what do I mean by “switching to a different kind of project”? Well, basically, it means that I’m going to be switching to working on a different series (which also means a bit of a different kind of fantasy mixture).

Now, you’re probably wondering what this means for my dystopian fantasy series. If you’ve been following me on social media for a while, or if you know me in real life, you probably know that I’ve been working on a dystopian fantasy series known as Tales From the Outback and that I’ve already released two “companion books” for the series (which take place concurrently with the second book) and that I’m releasing A Tale of Two Bitzers (book 1 of the main part of the series) on November 13th this year. Don’t worry, that release date will not be changing. I’ve actually started writing book 2 of the main part of the series but, honestly, getting through it has been like pulling teeth (even with a full outline, which is not common for me at all). The only reason I can think of is that I might be a bit burnt out on the series. And the reason for that burn out could be a few reasons.

First off, this series tends towards being very dark (I’m talking having a content note at the beginning of every book dark). That could be one reason (especially considering all of the dark, depressing, and dystopic type things going on in the real world lately). Another possible reason could be the length of each of these books. For those who don’t know, all of the books I’ve currently written for this series are over 150k words each (for reference, the minimum word count for a novel is typically between 50-60k words). And each of the books is told from multiple first-person points of view. Both of those factors combined with the dark themes means that each of these books is a huge undertaking. To be clear, I don’t mind this undertaking...usually, but it might be wearing on me lately, especially when combined with reason number three. Reason three, these books, as much as I love them, are not easy to market (at least not for me). That could partly be because of the state of the world (and a bit of me not wanting to bring down anyone’s mood with the dark & dystopic). Yes, people are often intrigued by darker fiction, but not necessarily when they’re living in uncertain and borderline dystopic times. And part of the marketing difficulty might also be that these books don’t really have much of a “crossover” to photo or video opportunities I can realistically set up (in everything from genre, to setting, to symbolism, etc). This leads into my next point, the content, plus the length, plus the difficulty marketing makes these books a very hard sell (even being enrolled in Kindle Unlimited). And finally, I first started Children of the Outback (the first book I released set in this “world”) in 2014 (& then released it in 2019). I’ve been writing in this world (or part of the world) with all of its darkness for almost ten years, and I think I’ve just gotten tired. 

Now, none of this is to say I’m giving up on this series, because I’m not. This series is still very important to me (and to a few others who I know love these characters as much as I do). I won’t be giving up on it, but I need a break from it. At this point, if I keep trying to force the draft for book 2, all I’m going to do is make more work for myself later when I have to go back through and edit and I run the risk of reduced quality and building resentment for the project (yes, I know it sounds crazy). This is not a decision I’ve made lightly or without thought (I’ve thought a lot about it over the past few weeks/months because it goes against a lot of self-publishing advice I’ve read/heard, mainly to write within one series or write closely connected books until you’re more established). But when I was watching a YouTube video last week, it was the final “nail in the coffin” when I heard the advice that “your wants and needs are important too. If you’re not enjoying writing the book, your readers won’t really enjoy reading it” (yes, I’m paraphrasing. So, it’s with a heavy heart that I officially announce that the Tales From the Outback series will be on hiatus/the backburner following the release of A Tale of Two Bitzers. 

Now, you’re probably wondering what I’m going to be working on in the interim (because, let’s be real, we all know I can’t sit still or not be writing something). Well, back in the spring (when I took my first hiatus from writing TFtO Book 2) I drafted what I thought was going to be a short standalone new adult urban fantasy type book, and... only one of those criteria ended up not getting met. It’s still urban fantasy, still new adult, and still short (compared to the Tales From the Outback books). But it’s no longer a standalone. I ended up falling hard for the character (big surprise because that’s how it usually starts for me) and wanted to spend more time in their world, and ended up finding out more about their stories. So, for now, I’m going to be working on a new series tentatively called the Shadowed Curses series. 

Now, I don’t have covers for any of the books yet (though I will be getting a cover for one of them made in November), so the graphic doesn’t look the best. But, this graphic gives basically what you can expect (a series structured similarly to the Tales From the Outback series). Only this time I have much more of a plan than I did for Tales From the Outback (probably because I figured out much earlier how the series will go and acknowledged much sooner that this won’t be simply a standalone). As it stands right now, I have book 2 completely drafted and have started drafting book 3 (I decided to go back to book 1 last because it takes place several years before books 2 and 3). As for the companion books, companion book 1 takes place at the same time as book 2 and companion book 2 takes place at the same time as book 3 (which is why I haven’t started on those yet). Other than that, all I can really say for now is that these books will be much “lighter” than Tales From the Outback (there will still be some darkness, but these characters aren’t fighting to survive in a dystopian world every second of every day. They actually get the chance to breathe and have hobbies and interests). Also, if you like the idea of “learnable magic” (to a degree), slow-burn romance (of course), a “hybrid” school system [for high school and college] (meaning both magic and non-magic subjects are taught), and mythical creatures being commonplace, you’re going to want to keep an eye out for more information on this series.

Also, bear in mind that I have a ton of other book ideas to write (a whole google doc full of them). But going through those could be a post in itself ;)

[daisyvramien]

[autumn2may]

GUYS DO NOT GIVE YOUR MANUSCRIPT TO AN AI THIS IS A BAD IDEA ON EVERY LEVEL DON'T DO IT

original tweet from @jamesjyu reads: "We launch Shrink Ray today on Sudowrite! Upload your manuscript and get loglines, blurbs, synopsis, and full outlines automatically. Takes a ton of legwork out of book marketing. Below the tweet are two images of the program."

original quote tweet from @sudowrite reads: "New in Sudowrite: Upload your whole novel/script, get instant longlines (sic), blurbs, synopsis, and outline!"

tweet from @FantasyFaction reads: "Oh jeez! Bad bad, very bad! Writers DO NOT willingly give your manuscript to an AI so it can "learn" by stealing your work! I know blurbs and synopses are hard, but PLEASE do not do this! - JI 🐉

(stolen from ML Brennan & Sravani Hotha so I can include alt text)"

[drchucktingle]

hey chuckie, how do you get published and also over the fear of nobody liking your work.

my initial way was to trot a SELF PUBLISHED trot, which is pretty dang exciting because anyone can do it. after writing about four hundred books WORLDS GREATEST AUTHOR CHUCK sent a message to a big time publisher name of nightfire and said 'will you publish my horror novel in all stores?' and they said 'yes bud'

so basically to answer first question of 'how do you get published?' it is both simple and difficult. SIMPLE in that i just started self publishing which anyone can do but DIFFICULT in that i did it for a long time and wrote till my dang eyes fell out.

but honestly i do not think this is the real question.

i think what is really being asked is: how can i climb over the greatest hurdle of all, the voice telling me that i am no good?

the way is to understand that YOU ARE GOOD AT BEING YOU. in fact YOU ARE PERFECT AT BEING YOU. there is LITERALLY NOBODY BETTER, not now, not in the past, not in the future. you are a brilliant eruption of rarity in the middle of endless time stretching forever in either direction.

when i say 'i am the worlds greatest author' i HECKIN MEAN IT, but this does not mean that i am better than you. the podium i stand on is not just for one buckaroo, it is for ALL BUCKAROOS. there is plenty of room at the top because YOU CAN BE THE WORLDS GREATEST AUTHOR TOO. IN FACT, YOU ALREADY ARE.

now that you realize you hold this power and prestige, what are you gonna do with it? that is up to you bud. id say you should go out and publish your dang incredible book

[vanhelsingapologist]

Publishing has always been a fucking nightmare, but now it’s a layer of hell. It’s not enough that writers be good at what they do. Writers have to maintain an active social media presence and cultivate a following. Be available.

They have to be conventionally attractive enough to look good enough to see on a screen, aesthetically pleasing, kind, funny, up-to-date on trends, socially aware but not so controversial that they turn off a brand from California from slapping their discount code on a video promoting a book.

They have to do all of this with no media training, with little help from the companies that are supposed to be doing this for them.

Of course, a lot of this isn't possible for say, the 40-something mother of two who teaches English at a school and writes on the side. She’s boxed out of an already complex industry that already has enough walls.

On some level, I think authors have always marketed themselves a little, but we’ve reached such a crazy point where we’re demanding the author become the influencer. Accessibility in publishing has narrowed from an inch to a sliver. And that inch was hard enough to get in as is.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Just a quick reminder that I will not tolerate bad-mouthing of traditional, indie, hybrid, online, fan-fiction, or any other type of writing and publishing on my blog, in asks, in the replies, or in the reblogs.

Furthermore, anyone who feels the need to disparage any type of writing or publication should take some time to educate themselves and do some self-reflection. What insecurities are these feelings masking? Why are they not confident enough in their own writing or path to publishing to be supportive of all types of writing and publishing? Why do they feel the experiences of some are enough to invalidate the experiences of many?

There is room for everyone in the world of writing and publishing. There's no reason not to be inclusive of everyone, all types of writing, all paths of publishing, and advice from every background and level of experience.

~ with love, WQA

[night-market-if]

Chapter Three

Chapter Three is here! Right now it is early release on Patreon with a public release being on April 8th. Subscribe to the Bog With tier to get access to the chapter. All asks in the next two weeks will be posted under spoilers so do not worry about getting spoiled if you have to wait.

If you do join to support me, I thank you so much! We are back on track now and it feels good!

🪷✨🪷✨ If you want to support me 🪷 ✨🪷✨ 

🌿 Free Demo 🌿Book 1 Steam🌿Book 1 Itch.io🌿🌿 Patreon 🌿Discord🌿FAQS🌿

[thebookmarketingnook]

Book Marketing Slump? Time to Reinvigorate Your Marketing Plan

It’s common for even the most talented authors to hit a book marketing slump. When your current campaign is sputtering out, it’s time to reinvigorate your book marketing plan. Here is a roadmap to guide you through reinvigorating your book marketing efforts to boost your sales. 1. Revisit your target audience Sometimes, a marketing slump occurs when your book has not found its ideal audience.…

[jjjackalope]

"INKED" by J.J. Jackalope out now!!

Have you guys considered what the world might've be like if sometime a century ago, people started being born with ink embedded into their skin, and powers at their fingertips? No? Well you should start, because I have the new-age queer book for you.

Think X-Men meets coming-of-age meets a bit of Percy Jackson action.

My goal is to give a sense of belong to anyone whose eyes grace my work. I know how important rep is to every minority and I want to do everything I can to give that representation.

Check out my website to learn more and buy!

Here's the book blurb :)

After being in online school for the last four years, Scottlin Vincino starts his Junior year at a new private boarding school an hour from home. It should have been similar to any other in-person school-- but alas, they had everything Scottlin didn’t. 

A mark. 

He'll have to keep it a secret, but it gets tricky when you have a knack for ending up in the infirmary… Whether it be for the hot boy you just met, or you're swept up in one of the freak accidents at the school that seem to just keep happening. 

Scott will have to juggle his sexuality, his grades, and his new friends all while solving the mystery of what is happening to his new academy.

[writing-with-sophia]

Writing a novel: Step by step

Most writers aspire to publish at least one book in their lifetime, but writing a novel is not easy. From new writers to experienced writers who have published hundreds of books, everyone must follow a step-by-step process to create their work. These steps are based on the wisdom of famous writers, so while they may not be entirely definitive, they will certainly be helpful to you.

Step 1: Generate ideas

Start by generating ideas for your novel. This can involve brainstorming, keeping a journal of potential story concepts, or drawing inspiration from real-life experiences, books, movies, or current events.

Once you get an idea, hone it.

Step 2: Create characters

A novel cannot be successful without unique and charming characters. Create compelling and well-rounded characters for your novel. Develop their backgrounds, motivations, personalities, and relationships. Consider their strengths, flaws, and how they will evolve throughout the story.

Remember, the more realistic the characters, the better the novel will be.

Step 3: Build setting

Establish the setting or world in which your novel takes place. Whether it's a real location or a fictional world, provide enough descriptive details to immerse readers and make the setting feel vivid and believable.

Step 4: Define plot and make an outline

What is your story about? How will it unfold? How does it begin, develop, and conclude? What and how many scenes will be included? Make an depth and very depth outline, even going so far as to outline every chapter.

Step 5: Write

Begin writing your first draft. Don't worry about perfection; the goal is to get the story down on paper. Embrace the creative process and let the ideas flow. Please remember, don't go back and make changes. Just write!

Step 6: Revise and edit

Once the first draft is complete, take a break (for 3 days) before revising and editing. (This will keep you from overediting or not editing enough.) Then, read through your manuscript with a critical eye, focusing on plot holes, inconsistencies, pacing, character development, and overall storytelling. Revise and rewrite sections as needed.

Step 7: Get beta readers

(You must) seek feedback from trusted individuals, such as beta readers, writing critique groups or your friends. Their input can provide valuable perspectives on areas that may need improvement. Consider their suggestions while maintaining your unique voice and vision for the story.

Step 8: Polish and refine

Polish and refine your novel based on the feedback received. Pay attention to sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and overall prose. Ensure clarity and coherence in your writing.

Step 9: Publish

You can research different publishing options, such as traditional publishing or self-publishing. Remember to evaluate the pros and cons of each approach and decide which is the best fit for your goals and circumstances.

That's all. I hope you success in publishing your novel!!

If you want to read more posts about writing, please click here and give me a follow!

[sweetarethediscords]

Support an independently published character-driven, slow burn, adult fantasy-romance novel featuring a female lead with just as much bite as her bark.

With only 45% of our goal reached and less than 3 days left to our Kickstarter, The Maiden of the Barren Rime needs your help!

________________

The Fallow Peaks, a frozen wasteland of cruel mountains and blood thirsty beasts, where the veil between the Realm of Mortals and the fae realm thins, where very few adventurers have dared to tread, where very few guides are qualified to lead.

Guides such as Mina, unfortunately.

Isolated by choice, Mina finds her solitude interrupted by a sudden request from the Crown of Lanholde to lead their latest band of contractors up the Peaks to finish their quest and deliver their bounty to the capital. The overly friendly five-some she’s contacted to escort seem hell-bent to step over her every boundary, no matter now stern and scornful she acts, worst among them their leader, Sebastian Windenhofer.

Will the fire wizard warm Mina’s cold heart? Or will the reasons behind her icy demeanor turn them all to ice before he gets the chance?

________________

A character-driven adult fantasy-romance narrative featuring a female protagonist with flaws that serve more to the story than just being a character trait. The Maiden of the Barren Rime is a book about love and family and acceptance and people, all while throwing you into an amazing, fascinating, fantasy world. 

AND, as this is a slow-burn romance, there are well-earned, intimate scenes for those who like a little spice with their catharsis. 😉

With plans to expand the series into a trilogy, your backing will help The Maiden of the Barren Rime reach it's intended audience, and a fresh style of narrative into the fantasy-romance drama.

Check it out on Kickstarter

[pcm-vandermeer]

cute things to do if your bf is an eldritch body horror abomination:

✧ kiss his tentacles ✧ buy him donuts to devour ✧ try to hug his entire 30-feet body ✧ listen to his trills, growls and songs ✧ let him take you to his pocket dimension ✧ hold his organs for him ✧ despair at the implications of an everchanging body in constant need of transformation ✧ cuddle!