Writers in the Storm

by Julie Glover

I've thought about marketing a lot.

I've read books about it, talked with other authors about what worked and what didn't, and tried various approaches. I've mulled over publishing industry changes, book signings and tours, internet tools, and social media. I've learned about Facebook ads, Amazon ads, and dipped my toe into the BookBub world.

One of the best sources for marketing information is this blog right here! Here's just a sampling of author marketing posts you can find on Writers in the Storm:

• Social Media Habits that Support Your Brand AND Your Life
• Using Amazon Categories to Sell More Books
• Want Authorly Superpowers? Build a Street Team!
• Exactly When Is the Best Time to Begin Your Book Marketing?
• Indie Publishing 101– Part III
• The Strategy that Leads to More Book Sales

But Here's the Problem...

I often make big plans and then don't follow through.

I might have a fantastic marketing strategy, all the tools I need to make it happen, and the budget to boot. I start with dollar signs in my eyes and visions of readers devouring my stories with satisfied grins on their faces.

And then I crap out.

Sometimes right away, sometimes much later.

Regardless, marketing is my least favorite part of being an author, and I'm not good at following through with big plans.

What's the Best Plan?

Many authors are naturally talented marketers, others are wonderful learners who apply savvy advice with success, and yet others are simply good at getting the required jobs done. Good for you!

But whether you're a sales genius or an embarrassing failure, I can tell you the best plan for you. After a lot of screwing up, I finally remembered that saying that the best exercise program is the one that you will do.

There's no point in telling yourself that you'll run a marathon when you hate jogging down the street. Nor should you take up ballroom dancing if you have vertigo and two left feet.

Remember how you told yourself at the beginning of a global pandemic that this was your chance to reacquaint yourself with the treadmill? And instead, you spent weeks perfecting your sourdough starter and cinnamon rolls? Surprise! Surprise! You followed through with the thing you actually wanted to do.

It's the same with writing. If you want to do it, you will. If you don't, you ultimately won't.

The best marketing plan is the one you will do.

Sift Through Advice.

You can save yourself a lot of heartache if you'll sift through all book marketing advice with this in mind. Ask yourself questions like:

• What are my marketing strengths?

Embrace those smart marketing tactics that tap into your talents. My coauthor and I have discovered that I suck at doing ads but I'm great at managing our Facebook group. We each play to our strengths.

• Which tasks do I enjoy doing?

What do you look forward to doing? Book signings do not work for many authors, but I know one who loves this one-on-one interaction so much that she becomes a sales powerhouse at signings.

• What marketing is desirable or necessary and what isn't?

Some things you have neither talent nor interest are still necessary tasks. For instance, you are not required to be on social media, but you must write a blurb for your book.

• Which required tasks should I hire out?

Don't like it? Can't do it well? Still need it done? Hire it out! Like you can get help with writing that blurb or hire someone to do your Amazon ads. Whatever needs doing—short of writing the book—someone out there can do it for you.

• What pace is reasonable for me to accomplish tasks?

Get real with yourself about what marketing will look like, given your personality and lifestyle. Not everyone can run the author marketing sprint. You may need to jog to your destination. And that's okay.

• What would success really look like for me?

Consider what results you can expect given who you are and what you'll do. If that image is not the success you want, revisit the points above. Reconfigure the plan until you have something that represents who you are, what you want, and what you will actually, honest-with-yourself complete.

In short—as my Gen-Z sons have often said—you do you. ("As if I could do anyone else," mutters their Gen-X mother.)

What marketing plan ideas have you learned that you will and won't do? What adjustments have you made or need to make?

About Julie

Julie Glover writes mysteries and young adult fiction. Her YA contemporary novel, SHARING HUNTER, finaled in the 2015 RWA® Golden Heart® and is now on sale! She is also coauthor, under the pen name Jules Lynn, of the supernatural suspense Muse Island Series.

When not writing, she collects boots, practices rampant sarcasm, and advocates for good grammar and the addition of the interrobang as a much-needed punctuation mark.

Images by StartupStockPhotos and Sabine Mondestin from Pixabay

Julie is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. You can visit her website here and also follow her on Facebook.

by John Peragine

Completing a draft of a book can feel like you scaled a mountain. You might take a moment to breathe and celebrate. You did it! You are on top, after a difficult climb. And then you notice, as the clouds clear a bit, that you have only scaled the first peak. There are three more even steeper peaks ahead before you can call it DONE! Those triple steep hikes are called editing.

I recommend three different edits completed by three different people. Try to use both men and women and people from different races and backgrounds than your own. They will provide a more diverse edit and provide you a broader perspective on your work.

If you are having the book edited by a traditional press, the process is similar to the experience of self-publishing in which YOU are the publisher.

I don’t recommend skipping any of these edits, because there is nothing worse than a manuscript full of typos, errors, and even plot holes.

Step 1: Developmental Edit

Hold on to your britches because the developmental editor is most likely the first person who will be reading your epic work. This edit usually takes the longest because they are looking at your manuscript through the lens of its overall story structure -- plot, characters, scenes, dialog, and more.

Before you open your editorial review document, have a glass of your favorite beverage and remember: this process is meant to help you polish your work. It isn’t personal.

It may feel personal, but it isn’t. The editor doesn’t hate your book. They love your work and want to help you bring the best version of it into the world. Editors have your best interest, so try not to cry and don’t give up.

Remember this mantra: ALL FIRST DRAFTS ARE CRAP! (Whenever you doubt that, watch this video from bestselling author Maureen Johnson.)

Pour yourself a second glass of whatever you're drinking and dig in. You have work to do.

Step 2: Copy Edit

Most of the time, you will move to the copy edit after the developmental edit. If your book needed a lot of work you might want to consider a second developmental edit, but try to find a different editor with fresh eyes to do it.

The copy edit is a step closer to perfection. Your grammarian will pull apart your syntax errors and dangling participles. They will point out beautiful things such as, “Don’t use the word large again. You have used it 80 times in this chapter. Treat yourself - buy a thesaurus.” (Taken almost verbatim to a comment I received.)

Once they are finished, your manuscript will be ready to sing. You can send out your Advance Reader copies and begin gathering the tons of compliments and reviews of your Pulitzer worthy masterpiece.

But wait…there is one more peak to conquer…

Step 3: Proofread

Many first time authors skip right to this step and believe this is all they need for their edit. If you skip the other two edits, a proofread can be compared to putting lipstick on a pig.

Remember: ALL FIRST DRAFTS ARE CRAP!

I could offer crasser euphemisms to describe what happens when you only have a proofread edit of your work, but I will confidently leave it to your imagination.

A proofread is the time to "cross eyes and dot teas." A good proofreader scans every word, every bit of punctuation, every missing pronoun, and creates a manuscript worthy of being printed on cream-colored paper. (I’m not too fond of white paper; it hurts my eyes. Be kind to your readers: use cream-colored paper.)

The Investment

If you are self-publishing your book, the process I mention here is an investment. Whenever someone asks me how much it will cost, I do my best impression of Dr. Evil and say, “One million dollars.”

The reality is, there is no standard price. It can vary, and more expensive editors are not always the best. More important than price is the output of the editor. The Writer's Market has a great section that offers market prices for editors and the like.

How do you know they're the best person for the job? Here are some things to consider:

1. Where did you find the editor? There are many great organizations, such as Reedsy. They vet their editors. There are a ton of sites that have lists of freelance editors, but how do you know if they are any good? I hire most of my editors through referrals from people I trust. Ask other authors who they use and their experience with their editor.
2. Not all editors are the same. I have not found any one editor that does all three kinds of edits well. They usually have one or two types of edits they do better than others. The reason for this is each edit is different and requires different skills. For instance, I tend to use College English professors for proofreaders. They are more versed in grammar rules and writing styles.
3. How much experience do they have in your genre? If you are writing a YA book, your first choice for a developmental edit may not be a historical fiction writer. You want someone who knows your genre and how the book should read in that genre.
4. Negotiate price. Most freelancers are flexible. You may even ask them to edit a couple of pages for you before you hire them. (You will, of course, pay them for this.) Tell them what your budget is, and they will often work something out with you.
5. Editors work hard and often make your book fantastic, where it may have started out mediocre. I recommend you do these three things for your editors:

• Tip them. A tip can be money or perhaps a nice bottle of whiskey.
• Acknowledge them in your book. Your grandma should be thanked for all the recipes you stole from her to write your cookbook, but be sure to thank the editors who made the words sing on the page.
• Refer them to others. If you like their work, send them to other authors. More work is the greatest ‘thank you’ you can give them.

What are your common writing mistakes? (Come on- we won’t judge.) Who do you recommend as an editor, and why? Share the love down in the comments!

About John

John Peragine has published 14 books and ghostwritten more than 100 others. He is a contributor for HuffPost, Reuters, and The Today Show. He covered the John Edwards trial exclusively for Bloomberg News and The New York Times. He has written for Wine Enthusiast, Grapevine Magazine, Realtor.com, WineMaker magazine, and Writer's Digest.

John began writing professionally in 2007, after working 13 years in social work and as the piccolo player for the Western Piedmont Symphony for over 25 years. Peragine is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. His newest book, Max and the Spice Thieves, will be released this Fall. https://www.facebook.com/twilightdjinn/

by Karen Debonis

The very phrase “self-advocacy” in the context of my writing gives me shivers of trepidation. Will you follow me on social media? Read my latest essay? Blurb my book? Buy my memoir (someday), and then please, oh please, write a review?

I’ve never been good at asking for help, for anything. When my husband and I were dating in college in Washington, D.C., he had a car and I didn’t. Once, I told him I took a very inconvenient bus ride somewhere.

“Why didn’t you tell me you needed a ride? he asked.

“I didn’t want to bother you,” I answered.

“Karen, it’s me, Michael,” he said, looking at me incredulously. “Just tell me where you need to go and I’ll take you.”

Why We Can’t Ask

I’m not alone in my reluctance to ask for help, and for me, it’s a manifestation of people-pleasing. You’ve probably heard of this character trait – of people who just can’t say NO. Trust me, it’s rarely that simple.

My experience with this complicated compulsion is that the internal discomfort of potentially displeasing someone—they’ll be annoyed, they’ll think I’m pushy/aggressive/stuck-up—dwarfs the potentially negative consequences of the action: I won’t get what I need.

In other words, what others think of me has mattered more than what I think of myself.

The Game-Changing Moment

At its worst, the negative consequences of what I call “toxic agreeableness” can be devastating, and I’m an unfortunate case-study. Twenty years ago, when our pediatrician dismissed my concerns about my young son’s deteriorating health, I wasn’t able to push back. I didn’t want to appear rude or disagreeable. I didn’t want to be overbearing. I didn’t want a reputation as that mother, the troublemaker. Or, in modern parlance, I didn’t want to be a “Karen.”

Because I hadn’t yet admitted to myself how deeply imbedded my need to please was and not advocating strongly enough for my son was too shameful to admit, I rationalized. Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe Matthew is just quirky. Maybe I’m wrong.

I wasn’t wrong. Turned out Matthew, eleven, had a brain tumor. And I had a head and heart full of guilt.

Because of that dark time, which was the basis of my memoir, it is now my life’s purpose to confront and overcome my people-pleasing. How else can I possibly make meaning of my story?

I’ve made progress. I can regularly ask the grocery store bagger to put the tomatoes on top. I told my writing critique group that two hours on Zoom is my limit. And recently, when my physical therapist took off her mask to give me instructions, I asked her nicely to keep it on.

Applying This Transformation to My Writing

I’ve applied my newfound assertiveness to help me face the “big asks” required of a wannabe published author. Here are the three rules that guide me:

I practice good literary citizenship.

When the recipient of my “ask” is another writer, I feel less awkward approaching them if I’ve already supported their work. I’ve made it a practice, when I read a memoir I love, to give the book a five-star review, promote it on social media, and track down the author to compliment them. In doing that, asking these authors for advance commitments to blurb my book has been almost painless.

I remember that others might welcome an opportunity to grant a favor.

My wise therapist once said that not asking for help deprives that person of an opportunity to show they care. You know how good it feels to do something nice for someone? Why not assume others will want to do that for you? Recently, I reconnected with some former neighbors when we lost a mutual friend to COVID-19. When I wrote a blog honoring our friend, I asked my neighbors to subscribe to my website to read it. I knew they’d be happy to comply, and they were.

I don’t give myself a choice.

A modicum of procrastination and hand-wringing is acceptable when I have a “big ask,” but I don’t allow myself to back down, and I don’t listen to my own excuses. Despite the discomfort, I ask.

I used this strategy when I was invited to be a guest blogger on Writers in the Storm. It was such an honor and my first thought was, “Who me?” But the big question sitting on my tongue was, “Do you pay?” It’s a question freelance writers insist is non-negotiable, but it was a tough hurdle.

I’m supposed to write for the sheer joy of it, right? Asking about payment felt like a business transaction instead of a writers-helping-writers collaboration. It felt yucky – the best way I can describe it, even as a writer. But I knew I’d never learn if I didn’t give it a shot. So, I asked.

The answer was no. And I didn’t care. The honor of my name appearing among so many experienced writers is priceless. Nobody at WITS, even the editors who make the rest of us look good, makes a dime. But the point is, I reached beyond my anxiety and posed the question. And I knew one of my first blogs would be to tell this story since it represents the personal growth my writing journey has inspired.

Speaking of growth, I’ve left you hanging about Matthew. At thirty-three, he’s made remarkable progress. Like mother, like son, he occasionally succumbs to people-pleasing, but he never settles for tomatoes at the bottom of the bag. In more ways than I can count, he’s my inspiration. 

Final Thoughts

Like any goal worth pursuing, my dream of publishing has forced me to push past my discomfort. The need to self-advocate is slowly letting the air out of my people-pleasing bubble.

This has been a fake-it-till-I-make-it endeavor. By acting like I value my self-worth as a writer, I’m gradually coming to believe it deep in my soul. And the more I believe it, the more my shivers of trepidation become flutters of anticipation.

Perhaps some day soon I will only feel anticipation when the “big ask” – will you buy my memoir – presents itself.

Are you good at "the big ask," or do you struggle like me? If you're "recovering," how did you get over it? How do you advocate for your writing? I'd love to hear what you have to say down in the comments section!

About Karen

Karen began writing twenty years ago after her eleven-year-old son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Those early pages are now a real-life medical mystery about a mother who must overcome her toxic agreeability if she's to save herself and her son. The manuscript is currently in submission for publication.

A happy empty-nester with her husband of thirty-seven years, Karen lives and writes in upstate New York. You can find out more about her journey at www.KarenDeBonis.com.