How to Market Your Book Before It’s Written

By Jenna Harte

Part of The Writer's Life Series

JH: When should you start marketing your book? Jenna Harte says it’s never too early. Here are ways to market your book while you’re writing it.

Jenna Harte is a die-hard romantic writing about characters who are passionate about and committed to each other, and frequently getting into trouble. She is the author of the Valentine Mysteries, the first of which, Deadly Valentine (free at her website), reached the quarter-finals in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013. She has a contemporary romance series, Southern Heat, and a cozy mystery series, Sophie Parker Coupon Mystery Series. 

She also has an online romance book community, SwoonworthyHEA, where authors and readers can connect over romance books. Romance authors can join her free writing community for support, accountability, and more at WritewithHarte.

 

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube

Take it away Jenna...

Getting the Word Out About Your Book Release

By Sherry Howard, @SherLHoward

Part of The Writer's Life Series

JH: Book releases have gone online for 2020, and getting the word out about your new book requires a slightly different strategy. Sherry Howard shares an overview (and a few tips) on where you can share your good news.

Sherry Howard lives with her children and silly dogs in Middletown, Kentucky. Sherry is the author of the picture book ROCK AND ROLL WOODS, with a starred Kirkus review. Her poems and stories have appeared in multiple journals and anthologies. She also writes for the educational market, with about a dozen books. Her middle grade book, SPIRITS AMONG US, releases in October.

Sherry Howard | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Take it away Sherry...

Three Ways to Make “Revising Your Novel” Easier

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I’ve been a busy gal lately. Not only have I released a new novel (Blood Ties), I’ve also made some changes to my writing books.

Based on the popularity of my targeted writing guides (such as Understanding Show, Don’t Tell and Understanding Conflict), and at the requests of writers and readers, I’ve applied the same concept to my Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft. It’s now easier to get the exact help you need for your manuscript.

For those who still want one compete guide to revising their novel, the original Revising Your Novel is now an omnibus containing the full “series.” But for those who just want to work on a particular area, you now have three, targeted options:

Happy Release Day! A New Novel from Janice Hardy

Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I’m excited to announce the release of my new novel, Blood Ties—an urban fantasy series for adults, and the first book of my new Grace Harper series.

This novel has a special place in my heart (more on that below), and I’m so happy that it’s finally out in the world. It's been a long journey to get here, and one I never expected to make.

Let me tell ya what it's all about!

On the run from beings that can’t possibly exist…

Grace Harper has spent her life on the run, ever since her mother’s unnatural death at the hands of creatures that shouldn’t be real. It’s hard to believe in vampires, but the things chasing her fit every legend she’s ever heard. She dubs them “Pretty Boys,” though their beautiful faces hide ugly appetites.

For twenty years, she and her father have stayed ahead of them, but for the last five years, their lives have been quiet. Grace has found a home, a life, and people she could even care about. She thinks the nightmare is finally over, but then a man shows up asking questions about a missing woman who’s somehow connected to her and her mother. He might also have answers about her mother’s death, if she’s willing to take a risk.

Happy Release Day! Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means) Is Out!

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I’m so excited to announce my newest book in the Skill Builders series, Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means), officially releases today.

Understanding Conflict follows the same in-depth study of conflict that I did in my Understanding Show, Don’t Tell book. It looks at the various aspects of conflict, what affects conflict, and some common problems and misconceptions found with conflict—with plenty of examples.

It’s available in paperback and ebook formats at these retailers:

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound

Ebook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Inktera | Chapters/!ndio

And a quick note…all of my writing books are now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Books-A-Million, Chapters/!ndio, Kobo, Inktera, and various indie booksellers.

For a sneak peek, head over to Mystery Writing Is Murder for my guest post on What Conflict Really Means. Over the next month, I’ll be stopping by some of my favorite writing blogs to chat about conflict. I’ll let you know where and when!

Until then, here’s the book’s blurb:

Do you struggle with creating conflict in your novel? You don't have to.

Janice Hardy, award-winning author and founder of the popular writing site, Fiction University, takes you deep inside one of the most important aspects of storytelling--conflict. She'll help you understand what conflict really is, discuss the various aspects of conflict, and reveal why common advice on creating conflict doesn't always work.

With in-depth analysis and easy-to-understand examples, Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means) looks at how to develop and create conflict in your novel. It also explores the things that affect conflict (such as tension), and the misconceptions that confuse and frustrate so many writers.

This book will help you:

• Understand what conflict means and how to use it
• Tell the difference between external and internal conflicts
• See why conflict isn't a "one size fits all" solution
• Determine the type of conflict your story needs
• Fix lackluster scenes holding your writing back

Understanding Conflict (And What It Really Means) is more than just advice on what to do and what not to do—it’s a down and dirty road map to how conflict works, designed to help you create the right conflict for whatever genre you're writing. By the end of this book, you’ll have a solid understanding of what conflict means and the ability to use it to craft strong and compelling fiction.

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound

Ebook: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Inktera | Chapters/!ndio

Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Release Plan?

By Jami Gold, @JamiGold

Part of the Indie Authors Series

As my previous posts in this series have made clear, there’s no “one right way” to be successful as an indie author. The many options we need to consider won’t necessarily lead us to make “right” vs. “wrong” choices, as several of the paths can lead us to success.

To find the right path for us, we need to figure out our goals and priorities. Then once we’re ready to put our book up for sale, we need to decide on the where (such as whether we use a distributor or we sell direct through a retailer or go exclusive with Amazon’s KDP Select), the when, and the how much.

Today, let’s talk about our options for when:

• Option 1: Will we put our book up for sale right away?
• Option 2: Will we delay publication of our book?
• Option 3: Should we use preorders?