Writers in the Storm

Why I Stopped Chasing Algorithms and Started Creating Experiences

By Alicia McCalla

I didn’t set out to be a creative entrepreneur. I set out to tell stories that mattered.

But somewhere between navigating traditional publishing and trying to fit into the fast-paced indie world, I realized neither path was built for someone like me. After the devastating loss of my son, I found myself not only grieving—but completely disoriented in my creative life. The speed, the noise, the hustle… it all clashed with the quiet, philosophical, soul-deep way I needed to rebuild.

So I did something radical:

• I stopped trying to fit in.
• And I started building something that fit me.

The Moment I Reframed Everything

Most writers know the terms “trad author” and “indie author.” Some have heard of “direct-sell” author too—those who offer their books via Gumroad or Squarespace or newsletter checkout links. But none of those labels fully captured what I was building.

I wasn’t just offering an added retailer option. I was creating an ecosystem.

One where readers could experience immersive, collectible fiction. One where serialized stories lived beside premium-edition lore books, journals, guided meditations, soundtracks—even merch inspired by superheroes, vigilantes, goddesses and monster hunters. One where the world didn’t just end with “The End.”

This wasn’t about sales funnels—it was about story funnels. Not just buy buttons—but experiences my readers could return to again and again.

That’s when I realized:

• I’m not made to be a hybrid or direct-sell author.
• I’m an eCommerce Author in the "Bookish" Retailer category. 
• A creative entrepreneur of stories and spaces.

What Makes an eCommerce Author Different?

Here’s how I define it:

• Profit-first, marketing-first model. I design with revenue in mind—not as an afterthought, but from the very beginning. I believe in creating reliable income that honors my work.
• Deep product funnels. I don’t just sell a single book. I invite my readers into an unfolding storyworld with layered products, merch, and content that increases Average Order Value (AOV).
• Branded experience. My Shopify store isn’t just a shop. It’s a destination—a curated environment that reflects the vibe of my stories, from visuals to voice to checkout flow.
• Reader transformation versus transactions. My goal isn’t just to sell. It’s to shift something inside my reader. To offer empowerment, reflection, courage, and connection.

This mindset has been a godsend during my slow-build comeback. No rush. No “rapid-release pressure.” Just sustainable growth, aligned creativity, and space to breathe.

The Reality Check

The other day, I made a $48 sale on my Shopify store. A reader bought my print book, a companion workbook, and a sticker—all part of a bundle my site suggested through “frequently bought together” automation. That one transaction brought in more revenue than several retailer sales combined and I was paid in 2-days. In comparison on the same day, Amazon deposited $3.28—my delayed royalty from three books sold 60 days earlier. 

Both were legitimate sales. But the impact? Wildly different. The store sale was full margin. The buyer got a curated experience. I got to own the customer relationship—not rent it from a platform. And most importantly—it moved me one step closer to sustainable/reliable income. The Amazon royalty? It didn’t. That’s the power most authors haven’t tapped into yet. Because the mindset isn’t just about selling. It’s about owning your value.

Not One Path—But Many Quadrants

I’ve worn all the labels. I’ve been traditionally published. I’ve self-published. I guess some would say I’m a hybrid author. But none of those models made sense for me long-term. I’m not fast-drafting for whale readers. I do write to market but I add my branded spin on my books and products with my unique voice. I’m not chasing trends or the Amazon algorithm. 

I’m here to build something lasting. A world. A rhythm. A brand. A legacy business rooted in emotion, empowerment, and beautifully bold women.

And that’s why I believe authors don’t just need “more exposure”—We need ownership. Of our work, our platforms, and our pathways.

A Final Note on Connection

I don’t approach this work like a marketer. I’m a storyteller at heart—and I’ve found that the best way to “sell” is to serve through story. That’s why I focus on story-selling instead of shouting. My emails, flows, and content are built around emotional resonance and authenticity, not pressure or gimmicks. I show up as myself. I let the stories carry the invitation. And I trust that the right readers will feel it. That shift—from pushing to connecting—has made all the difference.

So if you’re a creative who wants to build something real, something lasting, something true to you… I hope this gives you permission to do just that. Maybe you’re not just an author following the lead of everyone else. Maybe you’re an eCommerce Author too.

What kind of author are you?

Find out if you’re an eCommerce author or even a hybrid. Take the author model quiz on my Substack: 

About Alicia McCalla

Alicia writes Sistas with Skills, Swords & Superpowers. She blends speculative fiction, serialized storytelling, and entrepreneurial creativity into immersive experiences for readers. Her brand features exclusive lore books, vigilante heroines, and soundtracks that pulse with story. Follow Alicia on her Substack for quiet writer rebels: https://substack.com/@aliciamccalla

by Sarah Sally Hamer

The word “sovereignty” has been floating around a lot lately, even in a writer’s symposium I attended recently. Why? Doesn’t it mean something about governments and borders? Why does it have anything to do with writing?

What Is it anyway?

Sovereignty is absolutely a legal term about political boundaries and who has control over areas of property. But it has a definition that is much more personal to each of us: We each have ultimate authority and power over our voice, our stories, our process, and how we choose to share them with the world.

Sovereignty is about calling the creative shots and making the decisions. YOU make the choice about what you write, when you write it, what it says, who it’s for, where it goes from there, and a myriad of other decisions, all of which you’re in charge of.

So, let’s talk about some of them:

1. What do you want to write? A 100,000-word novel? A memoir of an ancestor who fought in the American Revolution, an article for your favorite magazine, a journal entry? You get to decide. Of course, you’ll have specific reasons, no matter what the choice, but no one else has the power to make that choice for you.
2. When do you want to write? This one may have more factors involved, since you probably have other holds on your time, but you still can decide the day and time. And, you can even rearrange your schedule if you want to.
3. What words will you put on the paper? Happy ones? Sad ones? Big ones? Little ones? Part of the answer to this question will link with the next one…
4. Who are you writing for?

A good friend of mine is writing two different books for his eight-year-old granddaughter, one a cute talking-animal story, and the other a deeply-felt memoir she’ll probably not read until she is much older. So, of course, he will pick his words to be in line with her age and understanding for each of them. Recognizing and targeting your audience is a huge – and very necessary -- decision to make.

So, why is this important?

It’s really pretty simple. We live in a world where other people are willing to take our sovereignty away from us. Writing, and then publishing, a book fits right into that dynamic.

There are so many rules!

To fit into today’s paradigm (not that there hasn’t always been some sort of paradigm), a story has to be X-number of words long, with everything spelled right. We have to follow certain structures and plots. We even are required to fit into a box of what other people think is what we should be reading.

Is that why we’re actually writing? To fit into that box? I do realize that I’m lucky in that I have an income outside of writing, so I’m not living on what I can make. But that is still a choice.

I believe that writers are magic.

We each write for our own reasons. We tell stories about characters that don’t exist, creating situations that dance in our heads, finding great joy in the words that flow through our fingers onto a page. We can see the story unfolding in front of us with brilliant clarity and cathartic tears. We LOVE the magic.

Then, we show it to someone else and the reality of reviews and rejections and remorse fall on our heads. And we think something is wrong with us.

So. Why does sovereignty matter? It comes back to choices.

There are parts of the writing experience we have control over, and parts we don’t.

Things we do not have control over are what a publisher thinks, or a reader who had a bad hair day and gave you a one-star review. You don’t have control over Amazon or any of the other conglomerates who are the giant book-killers. Oh, I mean book-sellers.

You simply can’t change them.

But you also don’t have to give them your sovereignty. So, what do you have control over?

We have control over what we write.

We have control over what we don’t write.

We have control over what we do with our words.

We have control over how many words we write a day or a week or a month.

We have control over who we show our words to.

We have control over how we learn our craft.

We have control over classes we take, craft books we read, critique groups we’re in.

And, we have control over how we feel about writing. We’re not forced to write, unless we’ve made a decision to be.

How do you feel about writing?

Does it make you happy? Or do you write a book wondering if it will sell and you’ll make money?

I believe that a reader can tell the difference.

So. I suggest you sit down with yourself and answer the biggest, most important question of all: “Why do you write?”

Once you have that firmly in your mind, you’ll find that your decisions will change. Maybe you’ll stop forcing yourself to try to be creative. I can almost guarantee you that your writer’s block will disappear. Maybe you’ll stop trying to write to whatever the “plot of the day” is. I think you’ll find your voice and write something that may even change the writing industry. Maybe you’ll even sit down in front of your computer and find joy in your words. I think you might even find exactly what’s important in your life.

Will you make a lot of money? Maybe. Maybe not. But, unless money is the main reason you’re writing (and part of that soul-sucking publishing business), you may find that listening to your inner self, that creative, magical, imaginative human, is worth more than gold.

Why do YOU write?

About Sarah

Sarah (Sally) Hamer, B.S., MLA, is a lover of books, a teacher of writers, and a believer in a good story. Most of all, she is eternally fascinated by people and how they 'tick'. She’s passionate about helping people tell their own stories and has won awards at both local and national levels, including two Golden Heart finals.

A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twenty years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at www.margielawson.com and for the No Stress Writing Academy at https://nostresswriting.com.  Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors.

You can find her at info@mindpotential.org

Top photo created

by Jenn Windrow

The last thing any writer wants their book to be is forgettable. And that starts with an attention-grabbing, first line.

There’s a lot riding on your novel’s first line. It’s not just the opening act — it’s the handshake, the hook, and the dare. Your first line tells your reader: this is the kind of story you’re in for, and you’re going to want to sit down for it.

When I am editing, whether it be for myself, a client, or my critique partners, I am probably the toughest on the first line. I will work for hours crafting the most perfect first line for all my stories, it might be my very favorite thing about writing! And I know I’ve annoyed more than one client and critique partner by hyper focusing on theirs.

For example, this one might be my favorite that I've written right now.

"Leave it to a fanghole to interrupt a perfectly good retirement." - Evil’s Lethal Addiction

My urban fantasy series was supposed to be complete after book 4, but thanks to a simple question asked, I was prompted to write another book in the series. At the end of book four, my heroine decided to retire from her vampire hunting night job, so I needed something fun, full of my voice, that matched the rest of the series, but also explained why I decided to add more to my series. It's a few simple words, but it does the job I need it to do.

So how do you write a first line that grabs your reader by the collar and whispers, you’re not going anywhere?

Let’s break it down.

What Makes a First Line Work

The best first lines do one or more of the following:

• Introduce tension or mystery
• Deliver a distinct voice
• Establish a mood or tone
• Drop us into motion
• Offer a surprise, a promise, or a provocation

Forget weather reports. Forget waking up from dreams. You want your reader to feel off-balance in the best way — intrigued, unsettled, curious. You want them asking a question you’re not going to answer just yet.

First Line Archetypes That Slap

Here are five approaches that never go out of style with some examples and a prompt.

1. The Startling Truth

Drop a bomb. Then let your reader scramble to understand what just happened.

Here's an example...

“All this happened, more or less.” — Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut

Try: I buried the wrong body.

2. The Irresistible Voice

Hit the page with so much personality the reader can’t look away.

Here's an example...

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born…” — The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

Try: I never meant to set the nun on fire.

3. The Mystery in Motion

Something’s already happening — and we want to catch up.

Here's an example...

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” — 1984, George Orwell

Try: By the time I reached the hill, the house was already burning.

4. The Shocking Contradiction

Use irony, contradiction, or dark humor to knock the reader sideways.

Here's an example...

“It was the day my grandmother exploded.” — The Crow Road, Iain Banks

Try: He was the nicest serial killer I’d ever met.

5. The Weight of a Voice Untold

Sometimes quiet tension speaks loudest.

Here's an example...

“They shoot the white girl first.” — Paradise, Toni Morrison

Try: No one noticed she was missing until dinner was served.

There is a reason the books listed above are considered classics and have stood the test of time.

First Lines to Avoid Like a Cliché Storm

• “It was a dark and stormy night…”
• “My name is X, and I’m just a normal [insert trope]…”
• “Everything changed the day…”
• “If you’re reading this, I’m probably dead.”

You can twist these into something fresh — but if you don’t, they’ll send your reader straight to the next book in their TBR pile.

Writing Tips for Line One

• Write it last: Your best opening line might not show up until draft three. (This one doens't work for me, but I know several writers who need to write it last to make it perfect.)
•  Test it out loud: It should sound good in your mouth. Rhythm matters.
•  Be bold, not confusing: Intrigue is good. Bewilderment? Not so much.
•  Don’t overwrite: Punch hits harder than prose that’s trying too hard to be profound.

Final Thought: Give Them No Choice but to Read On

An unforgettable first line is a promise. It says, I know exactly what I’m doing, and you’re going to love where I take you. So don’t be afraid to lead with your sharpest blade.

If it excites you, if it makes you smirk, if it makes you proud — that’s the one.

Next month, I will be discussing how to craft a hooky chapter ending.

Let's make today an interactive day. Drop your favorite first line in the comment section! If you want help shaping them into something that will hook your reader, let me know and I will be happy to help you play!

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About Jenn Windrow

Jenn Windrow once attempted to write a “normal” book—and promptly bored herself into a coma. So now she sticks to what she does best: writing snarky, kickass heroines, broody supernatural men, and more sexual tension than a vampire in a blood bank.

She’s the award-winning author of the Alexis Black novels and the Redeeming Cupid series, where the undead never sparkle and the drama is always delicious. Jenn moonlights as a developmental editor, helping other writers wrangle their wild plots and tangle-free prose.

When not arguing with her characters or muttering about Oxford commas, she can be found binge-watching trash TV, wrangling the slew of animals that live in her house (husband and teenagers included), or telling herself she’ll only have one more cookie.

You can find her at jennwindrow.com or lurking on social media where she pretends to be an extrovert.

Photo by Gülfer ERGİN on Unsplash