Blog – jennaharte – Write with Harte

Boost Your Book’s Visibility: 30 5-Minute Daily Marketing Tasks for Romance Authors

April 22, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

Writing and publishing a great book are only the first steps to author success. The next step is getting it into the hands of readers. Unfortunately, having your book available for sale on the top book selling platforms isn’t enough. You can’t expect if-you-build-it-they-will-come mentality to sell books. You have to go out and find your readers to let them know about your books.

I’ll confess that I’m a work-in-progress when it comes to marketing. I know all the things I can do, but marketing is time consuming, sometimes boring, and often hit-and-miss on whether it works. As a result, I tend to be haphazard.

The answer, of course, is to come up with a marketing plan AND to schedule time for each element. As much as I try to do that, I still struggle. One solution I’ve found to be helpful is making a list of marketing tasks I can do in five minutes or less a day. Knowing I need to do something, I can check this list and quickly get something out each day.

Here is a list of 30 of those ideas in random order.

1. Social Media Engagement:
Like, comment, or share posts from fellow authors or readers in your genre. Respond to comments or messages on your own social media posts.

2. Update Your Author Website:
Make minor updates to your website, such as changing out a featured book or updating your bio. I can’t tell you how often I check my website and realize I don’t have info about my new release. It happened today!

3. Repurpose One Piece of Content into One or More New Formats
Depending on what you do, this could take more than five minutes, but it’s a great way to use what you’ve already got to post somewhere new. For example, transform your blog post into slides for TikTok or Instagram. Turn your teaser into a video. Post your TikTok or Instagram Reel on Pinterest. If you have a pro-Canva account, you can easily resize images for the various platforms. Using a tool such as Pictory, you can resize videos. Pictory can also take a blog post and turn it into a video.

4. Share Quick Updates:
Post a quick update about your writing progress or upcoming releases on social media platforms.

5. Update Your Follow-Up Email Sequence
Review your email sequence when readers subscribe to make sure it’s up-to-date. Add any new information or tweak it to increase opens and engagement.

6. Review Analytics:
Take a quick look at your website or social media analytics to see which posts or pages are performing well. This can help you decide what’s working to boost engagement and what’s not.

7. Research Trends:
Spend a few minutes browsing book trends or popular topics in the romance genre to stay informed. Or research marketing trends. Or check out what other romance writers in your niche are doing to market their books for more marketing ideas.

8. Engage with Readers:
Respond to a couple of reader emails or messages to maintain engagement and build relationships.

9. Schedule Social Media Posts:
Use a social media scheduling tool to schedule a few posts for the upcoming days. I really like Social Bee. I can schedule posts, but also set them up for reposting in the future. Since social posts have a short lifespan, this helps make sure posts have a chance to be seen by those who miss it the first time.

10. Share Reviews:
Share a positive review from a reader on your social media platforms.

11. Check your inventory of books, marketing materials, and swag
Don’t caught without enough books, postcards, or swag right before an event. Figure how much you have and what you might need to order.

12. Engage with Book Communities:
Join a book community or forum related to romance literature and participate in discussions or share helpful insights.

13. Create Quick Graphics:
Design a simple graphic using a tool like Canva to promote your latest book release, a sale, or an upcoming event. If you’re a pro user, you can create a spreadsheet of social post texts and bulk upload to create many graphics in one fell swoop.

14. Update Social Media Bios:
Review and update your social media bios to ensure they reflect your latest book releases or promotions.

15. Research Hashtags:
Spend a few minutes researching trending hashtags in the romance genre and incorporate them into your social media posts.

16. Collaborate with Book Bloggers, Booktubers, and Booktokers:
Reach out to a book bloggers and influencers in your niche to inquire about potential collaboration opportunities, such as author interviews or book reviews.

17. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content:
Post a quick behind-the-scenes photo or snippet of your writing process on social media to give readers a glimpse into your life as an author.

18. Participate in email swap:
Using Bookfunnel or Bookclicker, find other authors to do an email swap with. This is a great way to get in front of new readers. Just be sure to choose swaps with authors that right books with the same target reader as you.

19. Research Advertising Opportunities:
Spend a few minutes researching advertising options on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or BookBub to promote your books.

20. Plan Future Content:
Take a moment to brainstorm ideas for future social media posts, blog articles, or newsletters to keep your content calendar filled. Use a content marketing calendar to plan your posting schedule.

21. Reach out to local independent book stores about selling your book and/or having an event:
Support local business and let local business support you by negotiating having your book in the store. Better yet, see if you can set up a workshop, reading, or signing. Check out online independent book retailers such as Bookshop.org and IndieBound. Consider other local shops that might be willing consign your book. For example, if you have wine in your book, maybe a local winery will give space for your book.

22. Create Book Teasers:
Design a teaser image or quote graphic from one of your books to share on social media to pique readers’ interest.

23. Monitor Book Sales:
Quickly check your book sales or download reports on platforms like Amazon KDP or other distribution channels to track your sales performance.

24. Research Author Events:
Spend a few minutes researching upcoming author events, book fairs, or virtual conferences where you can participate or promote your books.

25. Engage with Book Clubs:
Join a book club or online reading group focused on romance novels and participate in discussions or recommend your own books when appropriate.

26. Update Author Profiles:
Review and update your author profiles on retailer websites, Goodreads, or author directories with any new releases or relevant information.

27. Add By Me a Coffee to your website
Let your biggest fans send you a few appreciative bucks to support your writing using an easy tool like Buy Me A Coffee.

28. Create One Piece of Merch
Using Canva for your design, which can simply be the cover of your book, use a print-on-demand company like Printify to create the merch. You can have a mug, tumbler, t-shirt or whatever you want created in minutes. Learn more about Merch here.

29. Monitor Industry News:
Spend a few minutes reading industry news articles, blogs, or newsletters to stay informed about trends and developments in the publishing industry. Don’t forget to check the News and Resources group here at WWH for industry news.

30. Set up a giveaway
Get your readers excited and engaged by having a giveaway. Using a tool like Kingsumo, you can not only take entries, but readers can gain more entries by sharing or signing up for your email, thereby increasing your following. Plus it can randomly pick the winner. Be sure to follow your area’s laws about contests.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to 5-minute marketing tasks, but there should be enough to get you started.

💡Want more ideas? WWH members can access a growing spreadsheet list of more 5-10 minute marketing ideas in the member’s only freebie page (you need to be logged in). Not a member? You can join for FREE!

Do you have other five minute marketing tasks to suggest? Let me know in the comments below.

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

Writing the Black Moment in Romance

April 9, 2024 in Blog

As a reader, the black moment is one of the most delicious parts of the book. During the black moment, the main characters experience intense emotional turmoil as they face their ultimate fears. It is the pivotal turning point that, that like the inciting event, will change the course of each of our love bird’s lives. It’s the catalyst for the intense emotional struggle that leads to the ultimate resolution and growth of the main characters.

Expertly crafted black moments have the power to elicit strong emotional responses from readers, drawing them further into the story and increasing their investment in the characters’ journey. It takes readers on a journey from hope to despair, from heartache to triumph. This emotional rollercoaster provides is the center of enjoyment for romance readers.

Understanding the Black Moment in a Romance Novel

The black moment in a romance novel serves a crucial purpose in the story. It is the moment when everything seems lost for the main characters, plunging them into their darkest fears and insecurities. It is the fear come true. For that reason, the characters’ goals and fears, their flaws and wounds should be well-established so that readers can feel the despair or anger or grief along with the character as they endure this all-is-lost moment.

This pivotal turning point tests the strength of their relationship and forces them to confront their flaws, ultimately propelling the story towards its resolution.

By understanding the significance of the black moment, writers can create emotional stories that resonate with readers. This powerful plot device not only adds intensity and depth to the narrative but also allows readers to connect with the characters on a profound and personal level.

BUT…

Recently, many readers have been expressing dislike of the black moment. In examining some of these complaints, I come to believe that it’s not the black moment they don’t like, but how it is executed. Two common complaints are:

Misunderstanding – This is a plot device to create tension and the black moment breakup, in romance. The problem is that if the situation can be remedied with a simple conversation, the moment feels forced and contrived. It has readers rolling their eyes.
Breakup, angsty, dark, drama – There are readers out there who complain about the black moment being over the top or too emotionally negative. With that said, there are readers who love that stuff. In this case, marketing your book to the right reader is the key to avoiding complaints.

Many interpret the idea of the black moment as being dark, angsty or requiring a breakup, and that’s not necessarily the case. Yes, this moment should cause some level of pain because characters are having to look their fears in the face and make a decision. But that can happen in many different ways.

In Pride and Prejudice, the black moment for Elizabeth and Darcy was societal norms slapping them in the face when Lydia’s actions ruined the reputation of the Bennet family. But, there are many friends to lovers romances (Lauren Blakely has many of these) in which the black moment is soft. For example, a couple might be indulging their attraction while hiding their true feelings, until one or the other has to move across the country for a new job. When the moment comes that the character has to move, and the couple is saying their goodbyes, secretly grieving inside, is the black moment. There’s no fighting. No misunderstanding. But it’s still painful and a loss.

Or, your romance can be a suspense, and the black moment is danger. In my romantic mystery series, once we get to book 2, the black moment is always the bad guy showing up and threatening the characters’ lives.

What’s most important for this moment is that acts like the inciting event at the beginning of the book, except it’s the catalyst for the characters’ ultimate change. Further, it needs to be plausible and believable within the context of the story. It should make sense for the characters and the situation they find themselves in.

Setting Up the Black Moment

If you look at story structure, you can see that you start at the beginning of the story and move upward, with a few ups and downs, toward the peak of the story, which is the black moment. During that ride up, there are a few things you can do to build up the emotional impact of the black moment.

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing and building tension are crucial components when setting up the black moment in a romance novel. These elements create a sense of anticipation and unease throughout the story, leading to a more impactful and emotionally charged black moment.

Throughout your novel, strategically place hints and clues that allude to the upcoming black moment. Pinch points (or Ut-Oh’s as I like to call them) offer two points at which to foreshadow the black moment.

These hints can be subtle or more overt, depending on the tone and pacing of your story. They should create a sense of intrigue and foreshadow the imminent emotional climax.

Situational Foreshadowing

Consider using situational foreshadowing to drop subtle hints about the challenges the characters will face. This could be through dialogue, actions, or even symbolic objects that carry deeper meaning. For example, in an office romance in which the boss can be ousted from the company for having a relationship with an employee, a situational foreshadowing could be a board member telling the boss he’s hearing rumors about an affair.

Character Foreshadowing

This is really where the black moment occurs…the character faces their big fear. To do this, develop your characters in a way that reveals their fears, insecurities, wounds, and potential conflicts. To build tension, gradually increase the stakes and obstacles that the main characters encounter. The conflicts they face should escalate, creating a sense of rising pressure and emotional turmoil.

Inner thoughts and emotions can convey the characters’ growing unease, along side situational foreshadowing that forces them to reassess the stakes. The boss who finds his very being wrapped up in his company will be afraid of losing it. Having scenes with thoughts and feelings about building the company and how the company has made him into somebody, provides the information needed to understand the stakes he’s risking by having an affair with someone who works for him. These conflicts escalate through the story, creating a sense of rising pressure and emotional turmoil.

Remember to pace the buildup of tension appropriately. The black moment should occur at the peak of emotional intensity, where the stakes feel highest and the resolution seems most challenging.

Romantic Tension

The black moment only works if the reader is emotionally involved with the characters. They need to feel the growing affection as well as the tension growing between them. This involves creating a palpable connection between the main characters, building up their chemistry and attraction throughout the story. By teasing the reader with moments of longing, desire, and conflicts, the emotional stakes are raised and the anticipation for their ultimate union is intensified.

Setup for Growth

The black moment is where the 5h!t hits the fan for our characters, whether it’s dark and angsty or light and fluffy. They are forced to face their fears or the consequences of their choices, and ultimately, this moment will lead to their growth. The black moment should be a reflection of what they need to learn and how they need to change to find happiness. By bringing these conflicts to a head, the characters are given the opportunity to confront their issues head-on, leading to personal growth and transformation.

Be Strong

Even if you’re writing a cozy black moment, you have to make your characters face their fear and feel the loss. Remember, this is the situation that pushes them to change. Without it, they keep going on just as they have, which hasn’t been an HEA.

Make it Necessary

This speaks to two ideas; 1) don’t toss any old bad situation in that doesn’t make sense to the story and 2) make sure that you’ve set up the story that this moment is inevitable for change to occur and the HEA attainted.

Avoiding Common Mistakes in the Black Moment

When it comes to crafting the black moment in a romance novel, it’s essential to avoid common mistakes that can undermine its impact. By steering clear of these pitfalls, you can ensure that your black moment resonates with readers and leaves a lasting impression. Here are some common missteps to avoid:

Rushing Through the Black Moment

One of the most common mistakes in writing the black moment is rushing through it without allowing enough time for the emotional struggle and character growth to unfold naturally. The black moment should be a pivotal point in the story, where the tension and stakes reach their peak.

My personal preference is to have characters retreat, trying to go back to their lives before the inciting event, only to find they can’t. I like them to experience life holding onto their fears or lies (misery), instead of growing. I give it a chapter or two.

However, for lighter black moments, you can wallow in the moment on the page, but in terms of timing in the story, the change can happen fairly quickly. Perhaps the change is unfolding already, and it’s the black moment that pushes them into growth.

I can’t remember what book it was by Lauren Blakely, but it was a friends to lovers in which one was moving across the country. They were saying goodbye after their fling (black moment), and I don’t think the door shut before one confessed their love. However, that scene saying goodbye, wasn’t just the black moment. It also had all the other beats to the HEA…feeling the misery, having the epiphany, and then finally, being brave enough to reach for love.

Making the Black Moment Implausible

Another mistake to avoid is creating a black moment that feels implausible or disconnected from the rest of the story. The black moment should be grounded in the characters’ experiences and motivations, making it believable within the context of the narrative. A simple misunderstanding from an overheard conversation or text from an ex really isn’t enough. Take the time to establish the necessary groundwork and foreshadowing, ensuring that the black moment feels like a natural progression rather than a contrived plot device.

FAQ

What is the black moment in a romance novel?

The black moment in a romance novel is a pivotal turning point that serves as the emotional climax of the story. It involves a moment of intense emotional struggle and character conflict, creating a relationship crisis that must be overcome for the characters to achieve their happily ever after.

Why is the black moment significant in a romance novel?

The black moment is significant because it tests the strength of the main characters’ relationship and forces them to confront their fears and insecurities. It serves as a catalyst for character growth and propels the story towards its resolution.

How do I create a powerful black moment in my romance novel?

To create a powerful black moment, make it personal to the main characters by tying it to their fears, insecurities, and past experiences. Foreshadow the black moment and gradually build tension throughout the story. Ensure that the black moment is plausible and believable within the context of the story.

How does the black moment resolve character conflicts?

The black moment forces the main characters to confront their flaws and insecurities, leading to personal growth and resolution. It provides an opportunity for them to overcome their internal conflicts and achieve a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationship.

How does the black moment create emotional impact in a romance novel?

The black moment is the emotional climax of the story, heightening romantic tension between the main characters. It forces them to face their deepest fears and insecurities, evoking strong emotions in both the characters and readers. The resolution of the black moment should provide a satisfying emotional release.

What mistakes should I avoid when crafting the black moment?

Common mistakes to avoid include rushing through the black moment, making it implausible or disconnected from the rest of the story, and leaving readers feeling unsatisfied or cheated. Take time to develop the emotional struggle and character growth within the black moment.

Can you provide examples of powerful black moments in romance novels?

In Pride and Prejudice, the black moment is when Elizabeth and Darcy are finally coming together, but then her sister Lydia runs off with Wickham. The scandal makes it so none of the daughters in the Bennet family have marriage prospects. The growth has already started happening at this point, as Elizabeth and Darcy are letting go of some of their pride and prejudice, but a societal conflict mucks things up for them.

In Red, White, and Royal Blue, the black moment is when Henry’s fears of being outed and rejected by his family and people cause him to pull away from Alex.

In The Duke and I (Bridgerton book 1), the black moment is when Daphne takes advantage of Simon in the hopes of getting pregnant, which he feels as a betrayal as well as forcing him to do something he vowed he’d never do, carry on the family name.

These black moments lead to character growth and resolution.

How does the black moment contribute to character transformation?

The black moment pushes the main characters to confront their fears, insecurities, and flaws, ultimately leading to personal growth and transformation. Through this experience, they learn valuable lessons and make positive changes in their lives.

How should the black moment be integrated into the plot?

The black moment generally occurs at the end of Act 2A (about 75% in the book). What’s most important is that the black moment should be a natural progression of the story and the character arcs. By strategically placing the black moment in the narrative, it becomes a driving force that propels the story towards its resolution.

Tags: plotting, Writing No Comments »

by jennaharte

Author’s Guide to Understanding Beneficial Ownership Information Requirement

March 26, 2024 in Blog, News

In an effort to curtail business fraud, the United States requires certain types of businesses to report information about the individuals who own or control them. Failure to comply with this law could cost you up to $500 per day!

If you created a company (e.g. LLC) for your author business, you are required to fill out the Beneficial Ownership Information form through the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

In this article, you’ll learn about this law, who is required to supply their information and who is exempt, and where to go for more information.

Disclaimer: I am not an expert. This is article is a guide using the information from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Please consult the official FinCEN resources for accurate and up-to-date information on the required format and contents of the form.

What is Beneficial Ownership definition?

Beneficial ownership refers to the individuals who have ultimate control or ownership of a company, even if their names are not listed as owners on official documents. The goal of this law is to stop “bad actors to hide or benefit from their ill-gotten gains through shell companies or other opaque ownership structures.”

Here is the goal of the FinCEN:

Enhancing financial transparency: By disclosing beneficial ownership information, authors contribute to the overall transparency of financial transactions and help combat illicit financial activities.
Preventing money laundering and corruption: Accurate information about beneficial ownership allows authorities to identify and combat money laundering and corrupt practices that can undermine the integrity of the publishing industry.
Complying with legal requirements: Filling out the beneficial ownership form is a legal requirement set by FinCEN to increase transparency and accountability in financial transactions. By complying with these requirements, authors avoid penalties and ensure their legal standing.
Maintaining professional reputation: Filling out the beneficial ownership form demonstrates authors’ commitment to ethical business practices and maintaining a professional reputation within the industry.

Admittedly, authorship seems like a really poor way to try and perpetrate fraud, but authors and publishers aren’t exempt from this new requirement.

In a sad bit of irony, the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has notices on its website informing people of “recent fraudulent attempts to solicit information from individuals and entities who may be subject to reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act.”

Who is Required to Complete the Beneficial Ownership Form

You are required to complete the report if you are a:

Domestic company

Corporation
LLC
Any entity created by filing with a secretary of state or similar office in the U.S.

Foreign company

Entities (corporations, LLCs etc) formed under the law of a foreign country that have registered to do business in the United States by the filing of a document with a secretary of state or any similar office.

In essence, if you created an author business in which you formed a corporation, LLC or other entity by filing with your secretary of state or similar U.S. office, then you are required to file the Beneficial Ownership Information form.

Who is Exempt from Beneficial Ownership Form

For a full list of who’s except, visit the FinCEN FAQ page.

What isn’t on the list, but is mentioned on the FinCEN site’s FAQ, is that sole proprietors are exempt UNLESS the business was created by filing a document with a secretary of state or similar office. According to the FinCEN site, “Filing a document with a government agency to obtain (1) an IRS employer identification number, (2) a fictitious business name, or (3) a professional or occupational license does not create a new entity, and therefore does not make a sole proprietorship filing such a document a reporting company.”

Beneficial Ownership Information for Authors

If you’re an author who created a business (corp, LLC, or other through the secretary of state for your location), then you’ll need to fill out the beneficial ownership form. This form will collect information about who has ultimate control or ownership of your author or publishing company, or any other business entity you are involved in.

Reporting Deadlines for Beneficial Ownership Information:

Missing the reporting deadlines can have serious implications…up to $500 a day!! So it is important to complete and submit the necessary forms on time.

If you formed your business BEFORE January 1, 2024, you have until January 1, 2025 to complete the form. If you created your business entity on or after January 1, 2024 and before January 1, 2025, you have 90-days from receiving the notices of the company’s registration to file the BOI form.

Companies formed on or after January 1, 2025, will have 30 days to file their initial BOI reports with FinCEN.

How to File for Beneficial Ownership Information

When it comes to the beneficial ownership registry, authors can follow the guidelines provided by FinCEN to ensure compliance. The specific process may vary depending on factors such as the type of business entity and the reporting requirements in your jurisdiction.

Because you’ll have supply information and documents, start by pulling those together. You’ll need:

For the Business

1. Company legal name, trade names, Doing Business As or Trading As names.

2. Business Address

3. Jurisdiction of formation or registration (where you filed papers to form your company)

4. Taxpayer Identification number or TIN or foreign tax ID number

For the Individual

1. Name

2. Date of Birth

3. Address

4. ID number from acceptable identification document such as a current (not expired) passport, U.S. driver’s license, or government ID, and name of state or jurisdiction of the document.

In addition to the filing process, it is important to note that authors may need to obtain a FinCEN ID. This ID serves as a unique identifier for entities required to report under the Bank Secrecy Act and can be obtained through FinCEN. The FinCEN site indicates this is optional.

Here are the steps to help you navigate the filing process:

Consider getting a FinCEN ID. This is optional but according to FinCEN, it can simplify the reporting process.
Visit the official FinCEN Filing website and click on “Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Reporting.” You can download and fill in a PDF or use their online system.
Review the guidelines and requirements provided by FinCEN to understand what information you need to provide.
If you haven’t already, gather all the necessary documentation and details related to the beneficial owners of your publishing company or any other business entity you are associated with.
Fill out the required forms accurately, ensuring that all the information provided is up-to-date and correct.
Submit the completed forms and documentation through the designated channels specified by FinCEN.
Keep a record of your submission, including confirmation receipts or any other documentation that verifies your compliance with the filing requirements.

FAQ about Beneficial Ownership Information

What is beneficial ownership information?

Beneficial ownership information refers to the individuals who have ultimate control or ownership of a company, even if their names are not listed as owners on official documents. It has been established for financial transparency and preventing illicit activities.

Why do authors need to fill out the beneficial ownership form?

Authors, like many other individuals or entities, may be required to fill out the beneficial ownership form to comply with legal requirements and increase transparency in financial transactions.

What are the reporting deadlines for beneficial ownership information?

The reporting deadlines for beneficial ownership information vary depending on when your company was formed. If you formed your business BEFORE January 1, 2024, you have until January 1, 2025 to complete the form. If you created your business entity on or after January 1, 2024 and before January 1, 2025, you have 90-days from receiving the notices of the company’s registration to file the BOI form. Companies formed on or after January 1, 2025, will have 30 days to file their initial BOI reports with FinCEN. .

How can authors file for beneficial ownership information?

Authors can file for beneficial ownership information by following the guidelines provided by FinCEN and consulting the official website for detailed instructions and required information.

Are there any exemptions to providing beneficial ownership information?

Yes, if you’re a sole proprietor or haven’t created a business entity by filing with the secretary of state, then you’re excempt. You can find more exemptions here.

Where can authors find additional information or conduct a beneficial ownership search?

Authors can find more information and answers to frequently asked questions on the official FinCEN website.

Beneficial Ownership Information Website
Beneficial Ownership Information FAQ
Beneficial Ownership Information Filing

Tags: Taxes & Legal No Comments »

by jennaharte

How to Decide Your Publishing Path: Traditional or Self-Publish

March 19, 2024 in Blog, Publishing

When it comes to publishing, for many there are strong attitudes about what is best. Traditional publishing still holds some air of superiority. While self-published authors question why anyone would give up control to be paid less. The truth of the matter is that both options have pros and cons. Your job is to figure out what is best for you and your book.

Another truth is that you don’t have to stick to one or the other. While you need to decide the path for any single book or series, you as an author can do both depending on what is best for each book.

When I wrote Deadly Valentine back in the early 2000’s, I knew I wanted to write a mystery series that included romantic and sexy bits. I was a fan of Hart to Hart and I wanted to write something like that. But I knew when it came to mysteries, many readers didn’t like the sexy bits. And in romance at the time, there weren’t series that focused on a single couple.

Initially, I toned down the sexy bits and pitched it to agents. The feedback was to turn up the heat and sell as a one-off romance. I didn’t want to do that. Ultimately, I decided to self-publish.

Later, I wrote the Southern Heat romance series, which was traditionally published, until the imprint closed and I got my rights back. At that point, I self-published it. I have a cozy mystery series that is traditionally published.

Each book I write, along with all the other decisions I make about the book is whether or not I want to pitch it to an agent/publisher, or self-publish.

So how do you do that? How do you decide the best publishing path for you and your book? Here are my thoughts:

Publishing Options

Before I go through how to choose the best option for you, lets talk a little bit about your options and their pros and cons.

Traditional Publishing

In traditional publishing, a publishing house takes the reins of bringing your book to life. This means they cover the costs of editing, cover and interior design, marketing (to some extent as even in traditional publishing, you need to market your book), and distributing your book. You have a team taking care of most of the business, while you do what you do best, write.

The Pros of Traditional Publishing

Editorial Excellence: One of the best parts of going traditional is the access to professional editing. Note that just because you’ll get a developmental and copy edit, doesn’t mean you can get away with substandard writing. To get a traditional book deal, you need to pitch the best manuscript that you can.
Marketing and Distribution: Traditional publishers have established channels to get your book out into the world, from bookstores to libraries and beyond. While most publishers do some marketing, such as submit for review at NetGalley, depending on the size of the publisher and how important they think you are, you may or may not get help in marketing. Every publisher expects you to help sell your book.
Prestige and Validation: While this has changed over the years, especially in romance, there is still a prestige that comes from traditional publishing. It’s a validation of your work by industry professionals, which can be a huge confidence boost.
Seeing your book on the bookshelf: Not all publishers will send your book to bookstores, but for those that do, it is a thrill to see your book in the store.
Possible advance: While there are some authors who are getting 5- and 6-figure advances or their books are going to auction, the reality is that advances are less common than you might think. While bigger publishers offer them, most smaller presses don’t. That’s not a bad thing as you don’t earn royalties until you sell enough books to cover the advance. The reality is most authors don’t earn out their advance.

The Cons of Traditional Publishing

The Waiting Game: The path to a published book with a traditional publisher is 6 months to 2 years, and that doesn’t include the time it takes you to pitch an agent to help you sell the book, or pitching publishers directly.
Less Creative Control: When you sign with a publisher, you’re also signing over certain rights to your book. This can mean less control over things like cover design and marketing strategies.
Royalty Rates: While you won’t have to front the costs of publication, royalty rates in traditional publishing are typically lower than self-publishing. This means you’ll earn less per book sold.
Returns: So few people talk about returns. Your book has a very short life on the shelf of a bookstore. Books that don’t sell are returned. Those returns are counted against you. It happens that authors end up owing money if too many books are returned. For that reason, I’m not so hung up on my books being in stores. Also, if a bookseller supplies books for an event I’m attending, I buy all my books that didn’t sell during the event just so I don’t have returns.
Difficulty getting another book deal if your last book doesn’t sell. Publishers are all about making money, so if they invest in your book and you don’t earn out your advance or make significant sales, it will be difficult to get another book deal not just with your publisher but with other publishers who will research your past sales success.

Embarking on the traditional publishing path requires patience, perseverance, and a bit of luck. But for many authors, the rewards of seeing their book in the hands of a devoted publishing team—and eventually, readers—make it all worthwhile.

Self-Publishing

Self-publishing is the DIY of the publishing world. You are the publisher and the writer all-in-one. Thanks to platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Ingram Spark, and Draft2Digital, getting your book into the hands of readers has never been easier. You control every aspect of the publishing process, from the initial draft to the final product.

The Pros of Self-Publishing

Creative Control: You call the shots on everything from the cover design to the pricing and marketing strategy. You hold all rights which gives you freedom to market and distribute your book however you want. Want to give it away free? You can. Want to write bonus content for it? You can. Want to sell audio or foreign rights? You can. Your book, your rules.
Higher Royalties: Without a traditional publisher taking a cut, you stand to earn a higher percentage of your book’s sales price. Even if you charge less for you book than traditional publishers, you often earn more per book self-publishing than in traditional publishing.
Speed to Market: Self-publishing can get your book to readers much faster than traditional publishing. Some authors publish 4, 6 or more books per year.

The Cons of Self-Publishing

Upfront Costs: Editing, cover design, formatting—it’s all on you. Quality matters, and these services don’t come cheap.
Marketing and Distribution: While self-publishing platforms offer wide distribution, that doesn’t mean your book will be in bookstores. In fact, most bookstores won’t shelf your book unless you have a return policy (Ingram Spark offers this). Your book can be available to order online through all bookstores, and of course, ebooks will be available. The next challenge though is getting noticed, which means time and money into marketing.
Quality Perceptions: Despite many self-published successes, some people still view self-publishing with skepticism. Romance readers are the exception. They love romance and will read any authors, regardless of how they publish, who write a great book. With that said, romance readers do expect a quality written and designed book. They may shy away from poor quality covers especially since there are so many romances with great covers to choose from.

Hybrid Publishing

For years, many authors, including myself, who are both traditionally and self-published have referred to ourselves as hybrid authors. That’s not the same as hybrid publishing, though. Hybrid publishing combines both traditional and self-publishing. In this model, authors pay for services such as editing and book design, while the publisher offers a one-stop-shop for professional services including ISBN and possible distribution. This partnership aims to combine the author’s creative freedom and financial reward potential with the publisher’s expertise and resources.

Note that hybrid publishing isn’t vanity publishing. In vanity publishing, an author pays the publisher to produce the book. In hybrid publishing, the author still pays, but the publisher vets the writing. It would be like hiring Penguin Random House to publish your book (note that PRH doesn’t have a hybrid line. I’m just trying to illustrate that a hybrid publisher is a publisher, not a book printer). The Independent Book Publishers Association has set a criteria for what constitutes a hybrid publisher.

Define a mission and vision for its publishing program.
Vet submissions.
Commit to truth and transparency in business practices.
Provide a negotiable, easy-to-understand contract for each book published.
Publish under its own imprint(s) and ISBNs.
Publish to industry standards
Ensure editorial, design, and production quality.
Pursue and manage a range of publishing rights.
Provide distribution services.
Demonstrate respectable sales.
Pay authors a higher-than-standard royalty.

This can get tricky because some “publishers” use the word hybrid loosey goosey. Some smaller presses have a traditional and a hybrid service. Jane Friedman has a great article about hybrid publishers and what to look for and avoid.

The Pros of Hybrid Publishing

Professional Support: Hybrid publishers offer a range of professional services, from editing and cover design to marketing and distribution.
Higher Royalties Than Traditional Publishing: While not as high as pure self-publishing, hybrid publishing typically offers better royalties than traditional routes, giving you a larger slice of the pie.
More Creative Control: Though not absolute, you’ll often enjoy more say in the final product than with traditional publishing. Your voice matters here, and your vision for your book is respected.

The Cons of Hybrid Publishing

Upfront Costs: Unlike traditional publishing, where the publisher bears all costs, hybrid publishing often requires an investment from the author similar to what they’d pay in self-publishing. A self-published author likely pays $1,000 to $2000 for services, whereas hybrid publishing is closer to $3000 to $5000. It all depends on what services you want them to do.
Reputation and Quality Variances: The hybrid publishing scene is diverse, with varying levels of quality and reputation among publishers. It’s crucial to do your homework and choose a reputable partner. There are many scam and questionable hybrid publishers as well. You can check out Writer Beware in general, and this post they have on a few specific hybrid companies to avoid.
Marketing Efforts May Still Fall on You: Even with support, the bulk of marketing and promotional efforts might still be your responsibility. In fact, one complaint I often see with hybrid publishing is lack of marketing results. Be prepared to be your book’s biggest cheerleader.

What Publishing Option is Best For You?

Now that we’ve covered the options and their pros and cons, you may already have a sense of what you’d prefer. But lets now go over questions to ask yourself in making a decision about which publishing option to choose.

What are your career objectives?

Do you want to be rich or famous or both?

I once asked another author about why Twilight became so big when there were plenty other teen vampire books, and his answer was “Stardust.” I’ve looked and Amazon doesn’t sell stardust. All that to say there is no guarantee any publishing route will lead to money or fame. In fact, Publishers Weekly has an article that indicates most traditional authors make a living through non-writing-related work (e.g. courses or editing services not their books.)

While there are traditional and indie authors who are both rich and famous, there are far more self-published authors who are rich than traditional authors. That’s not to say self-publishing is a guaranteed path to riches. There are far more authors making little to nothing than there are six-figure authors in all options. In fact, you might be surprised to know that most traditionally published authors have day jobs.

But if your goal is to make money, self-publishing offers more control and per-book return rates than traditional. This requires you to treat your author career as a business.

If you’re looking for prestige over income, then traditional publishing may be a better route.

How much control or flexibility to you want?

It’s true that in traditional publishing you have less control. However, except for one time for a non-fiction book, I’ve always had input on cover design and could fight for any content the editor wanted to change. With that said, self-publishing gives you the ultimate in control in terms of the book content, cover, publishing dates, marketing, etc.

How much money do you have to invest in your writing career?

One reason that self-publishing struggles with prestige is the lack of quality from some authors. They write and publish, with no thought to a professional package. Successful self-publishers hire editors and book designers, forking out $500 to $1,500 or more for these services.

There are tools to help you edit, design your book cover, and format the interior, but if you want to compete with top-selling authors, you need a professional to handle each of these. If you don’t have the money to invest in your book, or are adverse to losing money, traditional book publishing is a better option.

How patient are you?

The path to getting a publisher and then working with that publisher to prep and publish the book is a long time. Any book I submit today, I wouldn’t expect to be available to reader for 18 months to two years. Of course, this timeline depends some on the publisher. Big 5 and other large imprints will take longer. Smaller presses will be faster. But if you want control over when and how often your books are published, self-publishing is a better option.

How well does your book fit into your genre’s lane?

This is an important question and you need to truly understand your genre to answer it. When I attempted to sell Deadly Valentine, I knew up front that I wasn’t quite fitting in either the romance or mystery lane, which is why I ultimately decided to self-publish. But my romances and cozies fit perfectly into what publishers want, so I sold them traditionally.

If your book doesn’t fit in the expected norms of the genre, then self-publishing will be a better option. Self-publishing doesn’t have such lanes and what’s been fun to watch is how readers love that self-published authors mix and match genres and often push the envelop in what’s expected.

Do you already have a large following of potential readers?

A platform and following will help you get a traditional book deal, but if you already have a following clamoring for your stories, self-publishing is the option that can lead to greater per-book income.

Did you use AI in generating prose?

Agents and traditional publishers won’t take your book if you’ve used AI to generate any of your prose.

Tips to Navigate Publishing Options

Once you’ve decided on the best option for you and your book, it’s time to start the publishing process. Here are tips for how to navigate each publishing option.

Tips for Traditional Publishing

If you want a big five or large imprint (e.g. Sourcebooks’ Bloom imprint), then your best option is to get an agent first. If you’re okay with a smaller press or perhaps are targeting Harlequin, then you can pitch the publisher directly. Here are tips for pitching:

Make sure your book is done, and by done, I mean revised and edited.
Research agents/publishers that represent/publish the type of book you’ve written. Along with category of romance, you need to consider word count and other guidelines indicated by the agent/publisher. Places to find agents and publishers include Writers Market for Literary Agents or Writers Market for Novel and Short Story, Query Tracker, and My Manuscript Wish List. Following agents or publishers on Twitter/X and looking for #MSWL is another option. Note that you should verify any agent/publisher you find on these resources by going to their website.
Write a synopsis of your story. This is a 1 to 2 page overview of your book, written in present tense, with the same style and tone of the book. It’s single spaced and highlights the major plot of the story. Don’t leave a cliffhanger unless your book ends in a cliffhanger. The synopsis shows an agent/publisher that you can write a complete story, so leaving off the ending tells them you don’t know how to end a book. It will not entice them to request the manuscript to find out what happens.
Write a query letter. This is the first item an agent/publisher reads so it needs to make a great first impression. It should be addressed to the agent/publisher by name. Grab their attention quickly with a great hook. Tell them the title, genre, and wordcount. Provide a brief blurb about the book. Give a short bio that includes past writing credits if any (even if they’re in a different genre), and/or why you wrote the book.
Be patient and diligent. Part of getting an agent or publisher has to do with finding the right one at the right time. A no from an agent or publisher doesn’t necessarily mean your book isn’t good enough. When I agented, I turned down many well-written books because they just didn’t fit with what I was looking for. At the same time, if you’re getting lots of rejections, review your book, synopsis, and query to make sure they’re as good as they can be.

Tips to Self-Publishing

As a self-publisher, you’re the captain of your own ship, steering your book through the process of prep, design, publishing, and distribution. It offers an unparalleled level of freedom and potential for profit, but it also demands a great deal of effort and an entrepreneurial spirit. Here are tips for self-publishing.

Invest in Professional Services: Don’t skimp on professional editing and cover design. These are crucial for making your book competitive. A book that looks hobbled together in a DIY effort may make readers think the interior content isn’t great either. Errors in grammar and spelling can lead to poor reviews that will prevent future readers from buying your book.
Buy ISBN’s. While you can get them free through publishing platforms such as Amazon, it’s better to to have your books listed under your publishing company (author name or publishing company) than Amazon’s or other platform. Buy in bulk if you can as one ISBN is $125 but 10 of them is $295. You can get them at Bowker.
Decide your distribution platforms: This is a whole other blog post, but basically, do you want your ebook to be exclusive to Amazon Kindle Unlimited, or available to other ebook retailers such as iBooks and Nook? Whoever you choose for print can arrange to have your book available to all book retailers. Popular choices for this are Ingram Spark, and Amazon’s KDP’s wide distribution. Don’t forget, you can sell direct through your own website as well. With ecommerce tools and a service such as Bookfunnel to deliver ebooks and Book Vault or Lulu to deliver print books, you can sell straight from your own website.
Build a marketing mindset: What do you look for when buying a book? If you’re like most readers, the cover and blurb lead to deciding on buying or not buying the book. To get sales, you need to think like the reader. You need to determine who your perfect reader is, what about your book they’d like, and how you can reach them so they can know about your book.
Build Your Author Platform: To be honest, you should do this regardless of what publishing model you choose. Start early with social media, a website, and an email list. Your platform is key to marketing your book.
Embrace Community: Engage with other authors and readers in the romance genre. Don’t underestimate how much engaging with you will help readers buy your book and share it with others. Colleen Hoover was the number one book seller in 2022 because readers talked about her book.

Tips for Hybrid Publishing

Hybrid publishing offers the support of professional publishers but with greater control as an indie-author. For romance authors straddling the line between independence and the desire for professional backing, hybrid publishing could be the best answer. But because paid publishing services is filled with shysters, it’s important to find the right partner.

Prepare a pitch package similar to what you would for a traditional publisher. Reputable hybrid publishers vet the books the help authors publish.
Do your due diligence to research. Don’t go with the publisher that calls you out of the blue or spams your email. Go out and research hybrid publishers. Talk to authors who’ve used them for referrals. Before signing with a hybrid publisher, research their track record, speak to their authors, and understand exactly what services they offer and at what cost. Consider joining the Independent Book Publishers Association for information and resources on hybrid publishers.
Understand the Contract: Hybrid publishing contracts can vary widely. Pay attention to rights, royalties, costs, and the scope of services covered. Don’t be shy about negotiating terms.
Understand how the process works: What is the timeline for editing and publishing. Find out how you get author copies and if there are extra expenses for it. If they offer marketing help, what specifically do they do? Do they give you a website and if so is it a single book listing, an author page, or something more robust? Where will the book be available (distribution)? Is the book listed under the publisher’s account or the author? If the book is in the publisher’s account, how can you change prices, description, categories or other aspects of the listing? (Trust me, this is important! I have a trad publisher who doesn’t have the entire description on the book page and I have no way of correcting it).
Prepare to Participate: While hybrid publisher will help you prepare your book, they’re not going to do everything for you. Be ready to engage in the publishing process, from marketing to book tours. Your involvement can significantly influence your book’s success.

Remember, that as an author, you don’t have to pick a single publishing path. It’s possible you have a book/series that is ideal for traditional publishing, and another book/series that is better suited to self-publishing.

If you want to go the traditional route but are unable to secure a deal, the good news is that you have two other options for publishing. In fact, you have more than two options, as you can post your book as a serial, start a subscription, or simply give it away (many authors giveaway a book as a way to find readers that later will buy future books).

Do you have questions or feedback on publishing options for romance authors? Let me know in the comments below.

Tags: Publishing No Comments »

by jennaharte

Blogging for Romance Authors (90+ Ideas Free Download)

February 27, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

Back in 2021, I wrote a post asking if authors needed to blog. In it, I explained how I stopped blogging and why blogging wasn’t necessarily helpful and, more often than not, stressful for authors. Over at Jane Friedman‘s website, she has a post in which she states the average author doesn’t benefit from blogging. I imagine many authors, including myself, have agreed with this.

But, I’m rethinking blogging as a strategy. Here’s why:

Blogging content is something I can share on social media to bring fans and new potential readers to my website.
Today, there’s growing emphasis on building community with readers, and blogging is an opportunity to do that.
There is potential SEO (being found in search engines)
Monetization options outside of book sales
Easier to make direct sales and sell merch

The downside of blogging still remains, which is mostly:

Setting up a blog if one isn’t already a part of your website
Making time to write, optimize, and publish posts
Knowing what to write about

In this post, we’ll cover the basics of planning your blog including ideas of what to write. If you’d be interested in the more technical aspects of setting up a blog, let me know.

Part One: Pre Blog Considerations

Step One: Who is your reader?

If you plan to blog to help sell books, then the answer to this question is the reader who buys your books. Who are they? What are their demographics?

Step Two: What Draws in Your Reader?

BookTok and BookTube offer proof that readers enjoy content about books. The key here is to figure out what content they’re interested in consuming. There is a saying that reviews are for readers, not authors. That’s true of author content marketing as well. You need to think about what your reader would enjoy, not what you want to post.

Readers also enjoy engaging with authors and so you also want to figure what sort of posts you can do that make them feel a part of your community.

Step Three: What is your goal?

Your ultimate goal is book sales, but to achieve that you do many things, right? You post on social media. You have an email list. But like your books, you have to promote them as well. So you have additional goals of:

Email signups
Grow social media
Engagement with readers (readers respond)
Gaining Exposure

👉When crafting your blog posts, you need to think about who you’re creating content for AND why you’re posting it.

Part Two: Blog Content

This is really where writers, including myself, have struggled. As a former non-fiction blogger, I know that non-fiction content is easy peasy to come up with. But for fiction authors, it’s a challenge. Here are tips that I plan to use as I re-establish my blog.

Step Four: Content Pillars

Content pillars are topic categories, sometimes called buckets. While you don’t have to create content pillars, it can be helpful in creating your overall content strategy. How is works is that you choose 3 to 5 pillars (categories) that you’ll create content for. As a romance author, this can look like:

Author life (Behind the scenes)
Current WIP
Book Talk (this would be other books that your readers also read)
Reader Fun (polls, contests, etc)

With your pillars, you now have a framework from which to organize your content, but also a focus on what content you need to create.

Step Five: Content Post Types

Other ways to help you get ideas and organize your content is understanding the wide variety of types of posts you can make. These include:

Pillar Post (As described above)
Lists (e.g. favorite books)
Behind the scenes
Review
FAQ or Q&A
Progress (where you are in the writing process as a whole or in a specific project)
Teaser
Round up (curated list of other blog posts your readers might like)
Updates, events, announcements
Crowdsource post (ask readers or authors to share their thoughts on a specific question and curate their answers in a single post)
Profile (other authors, readers, your publishing team)
Poll or Quiz
Authors to follow or books to read
Giveaway
Interview (characters or other authors)
Serialized story
Bonus content (e.g. additional epilogue or deleted scenes)
Research
Survey
Quotes (I once did love letters from famous real and fictional people).
Guest post (other authors contribute a post)
Video (live or recorded)
Podcast (I post Tales from the Harte as audio and video on my website embedding from Podbean and YouTube)
Feedback (as your readers for feedback or ideas)

Step Six: Generating Post Ideas

To make blogging easier, start by listing 20 or more post ideas (e.g. 4-5 for each pillar) and as you create and post them, always be adding more ideas so you never run out. The worst thing is knowing you need to make a blog post, but don’t what to write. Your idea list helps prevent that.

Where to get ideas

Your books. Mine your books for ideas on life, character interviews, locations, etc.
Your life. What is involved in being a writer? Where do you write. How do you write. Where do ideas come from?
Other authors. Invite other authors to write on your blog. Or share profiles of other authors.
Your genre/subgenre. What makes up your subgenre of romance. What’s its history. How has it evolved?
Current trends and fads. Has the mafia man replaced the billionaire in popularity?
Books, magazine, TV, movies, pop culture.
Ask your readers what they might like to know more about you and your books.
Read other author blogs. DON’T copy. Use them to trigger ideas. Maybe an author just shared a post of her writing in a cafe and the hilarious conversation she overheard that she plans to use in a book. From this you can share a post about where you write or how the environment helps or hinders writing.
Expand on content that your readers have shown to enjoy
Time of year. Seasons and holidays offer a source of ideas.
ChatGPT. While chat generally will give you generic ideas if you simply ask it for blogging ideas, if you prompt well, you can generate ideas more specific to your author brand and writing.

Step Seven: Creating a Content Calendar

A content calendar not only helps you stay on track with your content, but it keeps your readers engaged because they know each Tuesday (or whenever you post), there will be something for them to enjoy.

This calendar is compiled similar to a marketing calendar.

Decide on your posting schedule. Will it be once a week? Bi-Monthly. It should be often enough that readers remember you and want to check out new content.
Check out your marketing calendar for upcoming releases and other content you’re creating as part of your marketing plan. For example, you’ll want to cover topics related to your new book as the release date nears.
Determine what topics you’ll cover and when (your pillars). For example, week one might be a day-in-the-life, week two, a review of what you’ve just read, week three, something about your current WIP, and week four, something fun for your readers (bonus content, contest, etc). You don’t have to be this specific, but again, knowing that a book review is expected during week two makes it easy to know what to write during week two.
Fill in your calendar. I’d recommend including your blogging on your marketing calendar.

➡️Helpful Tip: Use a tool like Trello or Notion where you can list all your ideas, but follow the progress of the article from idea > draft > edit > graphics > post > promote in a Kanban style.

Step Eight: Write, Publish and Promote Blog Post

It seems straight forward; just write. But successful blog posts have several elements including:

Keywords. This is especially important for non-fiction bloggers, but it can be helpful for fiction authors as well. Keywords and SEO are an entire post on their own, but the quick and dirty is to use keywords in your blog title, description, and within the content that readers would use to find your article. There are free and paid tools to help you with this. I used to like Answer the Public to figure out what words readers might be using to find books. It appears it still has a free option, but now Neil Patel owns it (he also owns Ubbersuggest, another keyword tool for serious bloggers). Ingram Spark has an article with examples on SEO for authors.
Write a post that appeals to your reader. Have a catchy headline and opening line. Use your keywords, but don’t overdo it. Write to your reader, not the search engines. Consider using H3 or other header tags with keywords in your content. This helps make your post easy to read and search engines like it. Break up long content and consider using bullets. Too much text makes readers eyes glaze over. Consider adding images within the post to break up content as well.
Include links to pages on your website. This can help keep readers on your website, which gives more opportunity for them to sign up for your email and/or buy books. This can be links to other blog posts or details about your books. Note that search engines like external links too (links to sites outside your website). Normally, you want to keep people on your website, but external links can be to your author page on Amazon, your social media, other sites you’ve written for or been profiled on, etc.
Include a post graphic (featured image). As an author, the best graphics will be those you take of yourself or your books, but you can use Canva or Pixabay for free photos and images. Since you’ll likely want to share these on social, make them conducive to showing up correctly on the platform. An image on FB doesn’t look as good on Pinterest. Canva pro offers the ability for resizing at the click of a button.
Mark the category and tags (or whatever your blogging platform calls them) for your post. Using your pillar content as your categories makes this easy.
Call to Action. Remember above when we talked about goals? This is a great place to achieve that. If your blog post is about your lead magnet book, the call to action would be a sign up form or a link to where readers can sign up to get it. If you’ve written a post about some element of your book, your call to action would be a link to the book. If you post a review, a call to action would be to ask readers if they read the book or what book did they have a similar reaction as you did.
FTC disclosure (when applicable). If you include affiliate or sponsor links, you’ll want to let readers know that. For example, if another author sent you a free book for review, you want to mention that you got the book for free. If you write about audio books and include an affiliate referral link from an audiobook company, you need to mention it. I have my disclosure automatically appear in all most posts, but you can do it only as needed if as well. For more info about this policy, read this article at the FTC.
Check grammar, spelling, clarity, etc. I get this wrong all the time. I use ProWritingAid in my browser that checks my blog posts on my platform.
Publish. Most blogging platforms let you post now or you can schedule them, which allows you to batch create posts.
Promote. Don’t rely on search engines or fans to hunt you down. Let readers know about your post by promoting it. The fast and easy way is in your reader group and other social media. I like using Social Bee because I can schedule posts, but set them for automatic reposting so the content doesn’t die after one post. Social Bee works with all the big platforms, including TikTok and the various Instagram formats. Plus, you can access your Canva account from within Social Bee to create or adjust your social share image. Other places to promote your post is in your newsletter.
Repurpose (Bonus). A great way to get maximum mileage from a blog post is to repurpose it. That is, take it and turn it into a different format. Some ideas include:
1. Video: Use an AI tool that turns text into video, such as Pictory (which I use) or InVideo. You can create a video of the full post, or chop up the post and use smaller bits for video shorts such as Reels, Shorts, or TikTok.
2. Audio: Turn your post into a podcast, or simply have an audio option on your website. AI tools like ElevenLabs can help you create text to audio if you don’t want to do the speaking. Or, lets say you have a post written by one of your characters, you can use AI to generate that voice.
3. Email: We’ve already mentioned you can send the link to your post in the email. Or give a teaser of the post in the email, and use “Read More” to send them to your website to read the rest.
4. Additional social posts: This can be video, or new graphics with quotes or alternative images. Consider a slide show on Instagram and/or TikTok.

90+ Blog Post Ideas (Free Download)

The list of post content types above should give you a good start. But here is a list of over 90 romance author specific post ideas (PDF) no signup required: Blog Post Ideas for Romance Authors

Setting Up Your Blog

Curious about where to start a blog? While this post isn’t about the mechanics of creating a blog, here are some resources to check out. Note, that I’m a WordPress snob, so I don’t have experience with other options, at least not recently.

WordPress Self Hosted – WordPress can be set up as a website, blog, or both (which I do). This option requires a domain and a host, and some setup, but in my opinion offers the most customization and cool features. And once you know how to use WordPress, it’s easy. I use Godaddy for my domains. I LOVE Momwebs for hosting! Would you be interested in a tutorial on how to set up a WordPress website/blog? Let me know.
WordPress.com– This is different from above in that WordPress will host your blog. It lacks some bells and whistles, but it’s free. The disadvantage is that your website and blog are on two different platforms.
Squarespace – This is a website builder where you can include blogging.
Wix – Similar to Square Space you can have website and blog in one spot. There is a free version.
Blogger (Google) – Like WordPress.com, Blogger is free. It is used by tons of book bloggers and authors. Like other free options, there are limitations to customization and other bells and whistles you might want. The disadvantage is that your website and blog are on two different platforms.
Medium – Is a free blogging platform that has the advantage of existing visitors and the possibility to get paid. However, you have to ask yourself if you want to charge readers to read content that you’re using to sell your books. This option would be better for story content than blog content used to build your sales and readership, in my opinion. The other disadvantage is that your website and blog are on two different platforms.
Substack – This is a newsletter platform. The advantage is that each post is sent as an email to your “followers” but can also be read online. It has millions of visitors and you can also put content behind a paywall. For example, you could put your regular posts free and your serial or bonus content behind the paywall. The disadvantage is that your website and blog are on two different platforms.
Shopify – This is an option if you have or plan to have your own shop to sell books and merch, you can add a blog to your shop. While your website and blog are on different platforms, the blog would be part of your store, so that’s okay. On some platforms (e.g. WordPress Self-Hosted) you can embed your Shopify store into your website/blog. Here is how to blog for your Shopify store.
ReamStories – This is a subscription platform like Patreon, in which you can ask readers to subscribe for exclusive and/or early access. It has a “Community” option where you can post blog articles. Like Substack, this option allows you paywall options for content, but it is separate from your website.
Write with Harte – Yes, you can blog from your profile here at Write with Harte. If you don’t have a website, you can create an author profile and a blog here for free! If you’re not a member, join free here: Write with Harte

Posting to more than one blog:

One thing I’m considering is posting blog content on my website, my profile here at WWH, Shopify store, and Ream Stories. In the past, bloggers were discouraged from posting the same article to more than one place. Many blog owners wouldn’t accept content posted elsewhere. The reason? Worry about a duplicate content penalty from Google.

As it turns out, this isn’t really a thing. Google won’t penalize your site for having duplicate content. What happens though is not all sites with your article will come up in search. Google will list one of them and not the others. For that reason, I’d recommend having your article show up first on the site you want readers to find when searching for you, and then post later on the others. Google offers a few technical tips for helping it know what article to use in search, but in the end, it says not to worry about it too much.

So my plan is to post on my author website first and promote it social media. Then I’ll post on all my other platforms.

Do you have other blogging topic ideas for romance authors? I’d love to know them. Let me know in the comments below!

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

How to Write a Swoonworthy Meet Cute

February 20, 2024 in Blog, Writing Romance

In my opinion, there are three pivotal plot beats that make a romance work. The first is the meet-cute, the screenplay writers’ term of the scene in which our characters first cross paths. (The other two are the black moment and grand gesture.)

The meet cute generally comes after the opening and leads into the inciting event, the catalyst that will for them together.

The term meet cute makes me think of romcoms, but the first moment your characters meet don’t have to have the humor, awkwardness, or cuteness that romcoms often have. What they do need to do is make an impact on the reader that tells them there’s something-something between our lovebirds.

The Elements of a Meet Cute

When your characters first come onto page at the same time, the reader should know that this is the couple they’re supposed to root for. To make that happen, your meet cute should use:

Romance Genre and Tropes

The romance subgenre and tropes of your book set the tone, mood, and expectations for your readers, and they often indicate the type of meet cute you’ll have in your book.

Each subgenre – be it historical romance, contemporary, paranormal, or romantic suspense – comes with its own set of rules, expectations, and conventions. A meet cute in a historical romance, for instance, must contend with the societal norms and constraints of the time. On the other hand, a paranormal romance might allow for a meet cute sparked by an extraordinary circumstance such as being saved from being hit by a car by a sparkly vampire.

Tropes in romance are essentially plot themes or character types that readers look for or avoid when choosing romances to read. They provide a framework within which your meet cute can unfold. In the enemies to lovers trope, the meet cute is fraught with conflict, a delicious tension that promises a journey from disdain to deep affection. While this can be an initial meeting in which there is immediate disdain, it could be the characters already know and hate each other when we first meet them in the book. Either way, the meet cute plot beat (where readers first encounter our couple together) must reflect this hate.

Common meet cutes in romances that involve tropes include:

Insta-love or love at first sight. This can be toned down to interest at first sight.
Insta-hate or enemies to lovers.
Unrequited love or friends-to-lovers.

These aren’t your only options. Sometimes the meet cute is awkward, like in a romcom. Perhaps it involves danger, like in a romantic suspense or paranormal romance.

Setting

Before our characters’ eyes meet or their hands accidentally brush against each other, there’s something equally crucial that sets the stage for their memorable encounter: the setting. Setting orients your readers to time and place, but also contributes to how and why your characters are coming together. The setting should enhance the encounter, adding layers to the characters and their budding relationship. A well-chosen setting can reflect the personalities of your protagonists, foreshadow their relationship dynamics, or even act as a metaphor for their journey ahead.

But remember, setting doesn’t have to be in person. In today’s digital age, “setting” can include virtual spaces and online platforms. Imagine the possibilities of a glitchy video call leading to a chance encounter or a mistaken message in a gaming chat room. These modern settings can bring a whole new level of relatability and charm to your story, resonating with readers who live and love in a digital-first world.

Choosing the right setting for your meet cute is about blending the familiar with the unexpected. It’s about creating a space where magic can believably happen, whether it’s in a crowded elevator or across cyberspace.

Character Introduction

Introducing your characters during a meet cute is like setting up a blind date between them and your readers. It’s that pivotal moment where first impressions can either spark intrigue or miss the mark. This introduction is where the threads of personality, quirks, and potential for love begin to intertwine.

When your characters first appear on the page, especially during their meet cute, they need to pulse with life. This isn’t just about what they look like or what they’re wearing (though those details can add a nice touch). It’s about giving a glimpse into their essence, their desires, and the flaws that make them human and meant for each other.

Here’s the secret sauce to making your characters stand out in their first encounter: Show, don’t tell (yes, I know, that old rule again!). Instead of simply describing John as nervous or Mary as free-spirited, let their actions and interactions with their environment do the talking. Perhaps John is constantly adjusting his tie or avoiding eye contact, while Mary might be laughing a little too loudly with a stranger, her eyes alight with curiosity and zest for life.

While the opening allows us to meet one or both characters on their own, together, they need to be greater than the sum of their parts in terms of reading experience. To do that, the couple needs chemistry. This is where readers can sense and feel there’s something more going on between the couple. Chemistry is best shown through the senses (that show don’t tell rule again.)

Remember, in the romance novel, the introduction of your characters is more than just a meet cute moment; it’s the foundation of their journey together. It should resonate with authenticity, setting the tone for their relationship and the obstacles they’ll navigate.

Sparks

The fun in a meet cute for a romance reader is the snap, crackle, pop of the moment that sets the entire course of the romance novel into motion. As an author, the meet cute isn’t just about bringing the couple onto the same page of your book. It’s about making that meeting unforgettable. The spark is the heartbeat of the meet cute, the moment when everything changes, and the air crackles with possibility. It’s the magic that transforms an ordinary encounter into a pivotal, heart-stopping event that neither character (nor your reader) will forget.

How do you conjure such a spark? It’s all in the build-up and the release, the tension and the surprise. It’s in the unexpected – a twist of fate that throws your characters into each other’s orbits in a way that feels both serendipitous and inevitable. The challenge is in making this spark not just believable, but irresistible. It’s the kind of moment that makes your reader’s heart skip a beat. It should speak to the longing for connection, tapping into the universal desire to find a perfect mate.

That’s easier said than done. In a world where readers are bombarded with countless tales of love and serendipity, how do you make yours stand out? The answer lies in deep POV where the reader experiences very sensation, every thought, every sight and sound, through the point of view character of the meeting. Readers need to feel the crackle between the couple viscerally.

As you weave the spark into your meet cute, remember that you’re not just setting up a plot point; you’re laying the groundwork for your characters’ journey towards each other. It’s the start of their dance toward an HEA.

Dialogue and Interaction

The dialogue during a meet cute is where words are more than just spoken; they dance, they clash, they flirt, they falter. This is where your characters’ personalities truly come to light, through the exchange of banter and unspoken tensions that mark the beginning of something new.

But crafting dialogue that resonates, that feels real, requires effort. In real life, speakers hem and haw, have brain farks and go off tangent. The trick to novel dialogue is sounding real without being real. It’s about capturing the essence of human interaction.

Further, dialogue is a place to reveal characters; their personalities, vulnerabilities, their quirks, their hopes, their fears, and perhaps, their initial reservations.

But don’t forget the power of what’s not said. The pauses, the glances away, the half-smiles – these silent beats between words are just as telling as the dialogue itself. They’re the moments that invite readers to fill in the gaps, to feel the burgeoning connection between your characters on a visceral level.

The challenge in a first meeting is to have a balance of ease and awkwardness, of curiosity piqued and boundaries still in place. But even in a situation in which the characters already know each other, there should be a hint to the resistance and interest.

Crafting the Perfect Meet Cute

Knowing what a meet cute involves, how do we transforms a simple meeting into a scene that sticks with readers, urging them to root for the love story from the get-go? The answer lies in a delicate dance of conflict, tension, and originality.

Conflict

Let’s face it: without a dash of conflict, you don’t have much of a romance much less a meet cute. Internal and external conflicts can wreck havoc on a first on-page meeting of our characters. Conflict, especially in those initial moments, does more than just add a layer of excitement; it breathes life into your characters, making them more relatable. In many cases, the meet cute is where we see the flaws in the characters’ beliefs or their true colors as the encounter their first obstacle to achieving the goal. We see how they act in the real world when faced with an adversary or an instant attraction.

Conflict introduces a hurdle right from the start, setting the stage for the characters to overcome it. But remember, these conflicts are not just obstacles; they’re opportunities for connection. They force the characters to engage, to communicate, and ultimately, to understand each other on a deeper level.

Building Tension

Romantic tension is the lifeblood of the meet cute. From the moment of the first encounter, how you build this tension dictates the pace and passion of the budding relationship. But how do you strike the perfect balance between attraction and obstacles? This tension should feel like a tug-of-war between desire and denial, a delicious uncertainty that keeps both characters (and your readers) on their toes.

But how do you master this tightrope? If they like each other, they can go on a date and the book is over. If they hate each other, they can avoid each other, and the book is over. The meet cute needs to show the electricity of chemistry, while providing all the reasons why that attraction shouldn’t be indulged, which can relate to character’s goals and/or inner conflicts that stand in the way of their falling in love. Perhaps it’s the knowledge that they come from worlds that shouldn’t collide, or the personal barriers they’ve built around their hearts. While the characters might use these obstacles to avoid love, they also deepen the tension, to make the eventual coming together all the more sweet.

Dialogue can go a long way in helping build tension. The back-and-forth banter that teases or clashes, the conversations that skirt around what they really want to say, the confessions that come out all wrong—this is where tension thrives.

The meet cute moment is where the fire starts, the tension is the spark.

Be Original (Avoiding Cliché)

I’ve been starting but not finishing a lot of romance books lately. Partly it’s time, but partly it’s not being hooked into the book. The books aren’t bad. In fact, they’re well written and came to me with high recommendations. But there’s nothing about it that has gripped me. They feel much the same as what I’ve already read. The one I’m mostly likely to finish at this point is Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating, by Christina Lauren. Why? Because Hazel is completely different from the heroines I’ve been coming across lately.

Let’s face it, the basics of a romance involves two people coming together, overcoming personal issues and outside obstacles, to finally commit to each other in love. In a world where every story feels like it’s been told a thousand times, how do you make your meet cute stand out? How do you ensure that this pivotal moment feels as fresh and exciting as a new love? The secret lies in originality, in dodging the well-trodden ideas to create a moment that makes readers take notice and interest.

Think outside the box by:

Be unconventional. Ask, “What haven’t I seen before?” Maybe it’s setting your meet cute in a location that defies expectations—a silent meditation retreat, the backstage of a magic show, or the quiet corners of a nocturnal library. Or perhaps it’s flipping the script on traditional roles and scenarios, allowing for a refreshing twist on the dynamics of the first encounter. Why not have the knight in shining armor be the one who’s rescued? In a typical office-second chance romance trope, the woman walks into her new bosses office only to discover he’s her ex. Turn that around. What if she was the boss? What if the encounter takes place at an office party where things are getting rowdy?
Draw from characters. Originality in a meet cute often stems from the characters themselves. That starts by having well-developed characters with backgrounds that impact how they live today, goals, desires, fears, flaws, and personality traits and quirks (as in the case of Hazel…she’s hoot). A character who’s a passionate botanist might meet their match in a community garden, not over roses, but over a stubborn weed that refuses to die.
Do the opposite. If you find yourself doing what others do, consider flipping it and do the opposite to offer something unexpected. In a retelling of Cyrano De Bergerac, perhaps a woman is writing letters (or emails or texts or DM’s) for another woman who is trying to attract the love interest. Instead of runaway bride, have runaway groom. Instead of fake marriage, have fake divorce (okay…so I’m not sure how that would work, but you get my point).

Examples of Memorable Meet Cutes

Here are a few fun meet cutes:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

The Hating Game is a popular contemporary romcom is an enemies to lovers office romance. When we first see Lucy and Joshua, we know they work in the same office where they engage in ongoing warfare involving competitive games and sharp banter. Told from Lucy’s POV, we learn that she’s a sweet person who is perplexed by why Joshua is so grumpy all the time, and annoyed that he isn’t charmed by her outgoing friendliness. They’re already adversaries when the inciting event occurs; they’re both up for the same promotion.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White, & Royal Blue is a contemporary enemies to lovers fake friendship romance between the First Son, Alex and the spare heir, Prince Henry. When they come together on the book page, it’s not their first meeting. That first meeting left a 14 year old Alex angry, so at 21, when he attends the royal wedding, he’s a bit of an ass, which results in a wedding cake fiasco. This media disaster leads to the inciting event, the two have to be fake friends to fix the bad publicity.

Naked in Death by JD Robb

In Naked in Death, kick-ass detective, Eve Dallas first meets Roarke (just Roarke, no last name) the Irish billionaire with a sketchy past at the funeral of the victim she’s investigating the murder of. Before they meet on the page, they’re in the same room, and each takes a notice of the other (the start of the awareness and snap, crackle, pop). He doesn’t have time for her, but offers her a ride back to the airport where she can question him. While Eve is closed off personally and a by-the-book cop, the ride is charged with energy that puts her a bit off balance. Because Roarke is a good suspect for the murder, her path crosses with his quite a bit and, much to her chagrin, the guy is too charming and sexy for her to avoid.

By the way, the In Death series has this great gimmick in which Roarke carries with him always button that fell off Eve’s coat. That button comes off in the limo drive during the meet cute. (I love that.)

Lover Unbound J.R. Ward

Lover Unbound is book five of Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series of contemporary paranormal romances. Vishous, a warrior vampire, is shot and taken to the hospital where Dr. Jane Whitcomb operates on him, discovering he has a 6-chambered heart and other unusual biological characteristics that fascinate her. Vishous wakes and in the fate-mate trope, he’s immediately taken with her, especially since he’d been having dreams about her. His “brothers” kidnap her to take care of him, which sets up their romance.

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The Duke and I is the first Bridgerton book. It’s an historical fake relationship romance involving Daphne Bridgeton, the oldest daughter who is now of marital age, and the Duke, Simon Basset, who like Mr. Bingham in Pride and Prejudice is the target of every mother who wants to marry off their daughter. In the book, Daphne and the Duke are aware of each other, but the meet cute is at a ball, which isn’t unique, but historical romances also need to abide by social norms of the time. Daphne wants to marry, but isn’t excited about her prospects. The Duke doesn’t want to marry ever, but wants to keep the mother’s and their daughters away from him, which sets up the fake relationship that will use the Duke to elevate Daphne’s appeal and prospects, and stop mothers and women trying to attract the Duke.

Do you have other great meet cute moments? If you have questions or feedback, let me know in the comments below!

Tags: plotting, Writing No Comments »

by jennaharte

Romance Author’s Guide to Creating and Selling Merch

February 13, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

Selling merch as an author has become increasingly popular due to its potential for enhancing author branding and generating additional income streams. Author merch are the products and items that authors create and sell to their fans as a way to promote their brand and connect with their readers.

Author merch can come in various forms, including but not limited to t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, bookmarks, tote bags, stickers, and even personalized bookplates. These items are often designed with unique logos or artwork that represents the author’s brand or features quotes from their books. By incorporating elements from their writing into these products, authors can further engage with their readership and create a sense of community among fans.

The benefits of selling author merch extend beyond just financial gains. Author merchandise acts as a form of self-promotion and allows writers to strengthen their personal brand. It serves as a visible reminder of an author’s work and can spark conversations about their books among friends or strangers who see someone wearing or using the merchandise.

Moreover, author merch provides an opportunity for authors to connect directly with their audience through limited-edition releases or exclusive items only available for purchase on their website or at events like book signings or conventions. This exclusivity adds value to the merchandise while fostering a sense of loyalty among fans who want to support the author’s career.

Here’s how to create author merch for your brand and books.

Understand Your Audience

Romance readers come from all walks of life, but they share a common love for stories that send them on an emotional roller coaster ride ending with a swoony HEA. To create merch that resonates, you need to know who your readers are and what they cherish in your stories.

Start by analyzing your current readership. Consider age, gender, interests, and even the social media platforms they frequent. Are your books more popular with young adults craving the intensity of first loves, or do they appeal to a more mature audience seeking tales of second chances and renewed passions?

You also want to consider what it is about your books that readers enjoy. Is there a favorite quote? Do the love a specific cover? In terms of branding perhaps you fans have a special name in the same way Taylor Swift fans are referred to as swifties. Perhaps this is your reader group name.

Merch Ideas for Romance Writers

Romance readers cherish items that make the stories they love a tangible part of their lives. Here are some popular merch ideas:

Quote Merchandise: Items like bookmarks, tote bags, and mugs featuring favorite quotes from your books can become everyday reminders of the emotions your stories evoke.
Character Artwork: Commissioning artwork of beloved characters can turn into posters, postcards, or even clothing items, allowing fans to visually celebrate their favorite moments.
Themed Jewelry: For historical romance, think of creating pieces that reflect the era of your stories, like lockets or cameo brooches. For paranormal romance, consider mystical symbols or creature-inspired designs.

Importance of Aligning Merch with Your Book Themes and Genres

The key to successful author merch is ensuring it reflects the essence of your stories. For historical romance authors, this might mean creating items that echo the elegance and detail of the periods you bring to life. Contemporary romance writers might opt for modern, chic designs that resonate with today’s readers. If you write paranormal romance, your merchandise could feature elements of fantasy and mystery, appealing to readers who love to escape the ordinary.

Aligning your merch with your book themes not only enhances the appeal of the items but also strengthens your brand as an author. It turns your merchandise into an extension of the worlds you create, offering your readers new ways to connect with your stories and share their love for them with the world.

Here are specific merch ideas:

1. T-shirts and apparel: Designing t-shirts with book quotes, character illustrations, or even personalized graphics can be an excellent way for authors to promote their work while giving readers something they can wear as a statement piece.

2. Bookmarks: Customized bookmarks featuring beautiful designs or quotes from the author’s books make for practical yet visually appealing merchandise items. They serve as subtle reminders of the author’s work every time readers open their books.

3. Mugs and drinkware: Coffee mugs adorned with witty book-related phrases or elegant designs can bring joy to avid readers who enjoy sipping beverages while diving into captivating stories.

4. Tote bags: Functional and eco-friendly tote bags featuring stylish artwork related to an author’s books make for useful accessories that fans can use in their everyday lives while showcasing their love for the writer’s work.

5. Stationery: Creating custom stationery sets including notebooks, journals, pens, or pencils allows both writers and readers alike to indulge in the art of putting pen to paper while promoting an author’s brand.

6. Collectible items: Limited edition collectibles like signed bookplates, exclusive art prints, or even themed puzzles appeal not only to dedicated book enthusiasts but also collectors who appreciate unique pieces related to their favorite authors.

7. Other/Miscellaneous: There are so many items you can put your stamp on from stickers and notebooks, to coasters and wall hangings, pajamas, candles, and blankets, and more!

Design Tips

Creating merchandise that captures the essence of your romance novels requires thoughtful design. Whether you’re crafting these designs yourself or working with a professional, the goal is to create items that are both visually appealing and resonant with your brand. Here are some tips and best practices to ensure your merchandise stands out:

Focus on Key Elements: Choose one or two elements that represent the core of your story—be it a poignant quote, a symbolic image, or a character illustration. Simplicity in design can often convey your message more powerfully than a cluttered image.
Use High-Quality Images: Ensure that any graphics or photos are high resolution to avoid pixelation when printed on merchandise.
Color Choices: Select colors that complement each other and reflect the mood of your book. Soft, romantic palettes work well for sweet romance, while bolder colors may suit stories with a bit of intrigue or suspense.

Resources to Create Your Design

Canva: Canva makes it easy for non-designers to create a quality merch designs. With a variety of new app-integrations (pro-version), you have tons of tools to help you get the right tone and feel of your design.
Adobe Express: Before Canva, I used Adobe Printshop and later Elements. Adobe Express offers the ease of use like Canva. It has free and premium versions as well.

Tips for Hiring a Designer (If Not DIY-ing)

Portfolio Review: Look for designers whose style aligns with your vision. Review their portfolios to ensure they have experience in creating the type of merchandise you want.
Clear Communication: Communicate your ideas and expectations clearly. Provide examples of designs you like, and don’t hesitate to discuss revisions.
Rights and Ownership: Ensure you have a clear agreement regarding the rights to the designs. You should own the rights to use the designs for your merchandise.

Resources for Finding Designers:

Fiverr: Freelance platforms with a wide range of designers offering services at various price points.
99designs: A design contest platform where multiple designers submit concepts based on your brief, and you choose your favorite.
Behance: Adobe’s platform to showcase and discover creative work, where you can find professional portfolios to choose from.

Finding a Reliable Supplier for Your Author Merchandise

In past, just like in vanity publishing, creating merch often meant having an inventory of totes, t-shirts, etc that you’d have to pack and ship. Today, again like books, you can order print-on-demand (POD) merch products that are drop shipped to your fans.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a merch supplier:

Quality products: Many POD suppliers have a variety of options of brands from which to create your product as well as supplier choices. While you can research reviews, it helps to order the item so you can insure it’s quality.
Fulfillment services: Choose a supplier who offers reliable fulfillment services, with experience in handling orders efficiently and has seamless integration with popular e-commerce platforms. Most fulfillment services will provide timeframes for product creation and shipping.
Pricing: Find a supplier with competitive pricing to lower your costs and increase your profits without sacrificing quality. Most fulfillment services offer a variety of brands of various prices and quality from which to choose. For example, your t-shirt brand choice can be Champion, Hanes, Belle+Canvas, and “Generic”. Each has it’s own base price.
Drop shipping: Ideally, you want a fulfillment company that will put your brand on the package so it appears to be coming from you.
Sustainability: Consider eco-friendly options for your merchandise, such as organic cotton apparel or reusable items, to appeal to environmentally conscious readers.
Worldwide Options: Does the supplier ship abroad or have an abroad-bases supplier to fulfill merch orders outside of your country?

There are several merch supplier resources to check out.

Printify: This is what I use for just about everything from t-shirts, totes, mugs, tumblers, and notebooks. But that’s not all. Printify has an extensive catalog of products, ranging from apparel and accessories to home decor and stationery, allowing authors to find the perfect medium for their book-themed designs. Printify simplifies the merchandising process with its user-friendly interface and integration with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce, making it easy for authors to set up shop and start selling. It has a free and premium plan that offers deeper discounts on the cost of items.

Printful: Similar to Printify, Printful offers a large catalogue of merch, integration with e-commerce platforms, and POD fulfillment. It has a free and premium plan that offers deeper discounts on the cost of items.

RedBubble: Many authors use this resource as it offers merch creation and ecommerce. It has a wide variety of merchandise you can create and sell. It does not integrate with other platforms, although it appears you can feed your RedBubble items onto your website. RedBubble doesn’t have a pricing plan and instead takes a percentage of the designer’s net which appears to be close to 50%. If you sold a $20 t-shirt, earning $5 net after cost of shirt and shipping, Redbubble’s fee is $3.05, leaving you with $1.95 profit. You can see sample author merch on Redbubble here.

Vista Print: I use Vista Print for banners and paper items like book postcards, but it does have a larger catalogue of merch options. I wasn’t able to determine if it offered POD and drop shipping. Vista Print might be better suited to swag items you carry with you to events such as paper items, pens, book marks, etc.

Selling Your Merch

Once you’ve created your merchandise, the next step is to find the right platform to sell it. Each platform has its own set of benefits, and choosing the right one can help you reach your target audience effectively. Additionally, setting up your online store, pricing your merchandise correctly, and marketing it effectively are crucial steps in ensuring your merchandising venture is successful.

Overview of Platforms for Selling Merch

Own Website: Creating a store on your own website gives you complete control over the branding and customer experience. Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce (for WordPress sites), and Squarespace offer easy integration of ecommerce functionalities. Printify integrates with these options.
Shopify: This is the big-daddy of ecommerce. It’s easy and affordable to start (free trial and $1 for the first month, basic plan $39). Shopify offers a ton of apps and addons and bells and whistles where you can build an author store that includes your books, your merch, and more. You can integrate Shopify store into you WordPress website. Printify integrates with Shopify.
Etsy: Ideal for handmade or personalized items, Etsy reaches a wide audience looking for unique and custom products. It’s user-friendly and has a built-in audience interested in creative goods. Printify integrates with Etsy.
RedBubble: A print-on-demand platform that allows you to upload designs that can be printed on a variety of products. Redbubble handles production, shipping, and customer service, making it a hassle-free option for selling.

Setting Up an Online Store: Basics and Best Practices

Choose the Right Platform: Consider your needs, technical skills, and the type of merchandise you’re selling when choosing a platform.
User-Friendly Design: Ensure your store is easy to navigate, with clear categories and high-quality images of your merchandise.
Mobile Optimization: A significant portion of online shopping is done on mobile devices. Ensure your online store is mobile-friendly.
Secure Payment Options: Offer multiple, secure payment methods to accommodate different preferences. Most of the above allow PayPal and Stripe.

Pricing Strategies for Your Merchandise

Cost-Based Pricing: Calculate the cost of producing your merchandise, including the cost of materials, production, shipping, and any platform fees. Add a markup to ensure profitability. The fulfillment services will provide you with this information.
Market Comparison: Research what similar items are selling for on your chosen platforms. Pricing competitively while ensuring your costs are covered is key.
Value-Based Pricing: Price your items based on the perceived value to your readers. Limited edition items or merchandise featuring unique designs may command a higher price.

Marketing Your Merch

Social Media: Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to showcase your merchandise. Engaging posts that feature your products in use can attract attention.
Email Newsletters: Share updates about new merchandise, special offers, or behind-the-scenes looks at the creation process with your email subscribers.
Book Events: Wear or display your merchandise at book signings, conferences, and other events. Offering merchandise as part of book bundles can also drive sales.
Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with book bloggers, reviewers, or other authors in your genre to reach a wider audience.

Legal Considerations

When venturing into the realm of author merchandise, it’s crucial avoid using protected designs, as well as protecting your work.

Copyrights and Trademarks: Protecting Your Work and Respecting Others’

Copyright: Copyright protects original works of authorship, including literary works, art, and designs. As an author, your books are automatically copyrighted upon creation. When creating merchandise, ensure that any text, images, or designs used are either your own or you have permission to use them.
Trademarks: If you have a unique logo, brand name, or catchphrase associated with your books or author brand, consider registering them as trademarks. This provides exclusive rights to use them on merchandise and protects against unauthorized use.

Understanding Licensing if Using Third-Party Designs or Collaborating with Artists

Licensing Agreements: If you’re using designs, artwork, or photographs created by someone else, you’ll need to obtain a license to use these materials on your merchandise. Licensing agreements should clearly state the scope of use, duration, and any royalty payments. When using a tool like Canva and accessing their designs, the site indicates that items are available for commercial use. For more information visit Canva’s explanation of licensing rights. Note that there is debate about AI generated images and whether they infringe on copyright. Canva now offers access to AI tools for generating designs. Further, it appears, at this time, that you can’t copyright AI generated graphics that you create.
Collaboration with Artists: When collaborating with artists, it’s important to have a written agreement that outlines the terms of the collaboration, including rights to the artwork, payment, and how the artwork can be used. Ensure both parties understand whether the artist is transferring the copyright to you or granting a license for specific uses.

Engaging with Your Community

Merchandise isn’t just a way for readers to show their love for your books; it’s also a powerful tool for building and engaging your community. Creative use of merch can foster a deeper connection between you and your readers, turning fans into active participants in your author journey. Here are some strategies to leverage merchandise for community engagement:

Using Merch as a Tool for Reader Engagement

Contests and Giveaways: Host contests or giveaways on your social media platforms or through your newsletter. Use your merchandise as prizes to generate excitement and encourage participation. For example, you could ask readers to share their favorite quotes from your books or create fan art for a chance to win.
Reader Polls for New Merch Ideas: Involve your community in the merchandising process by conducting polls or asking for suggestions on what type of merch they’d like to see next. This not only gives you valuable insights into your audience’s preferences but also makes them feel valued and heard.

Showcasing Fan Pictures with Your Merch as a Community-Building Activity

Fan Feature Fridays: Dedicate a day of the week to featuring fans wearing or using your merchandise on your social media channels. Encouraging fans to share their photos with a specific hashtag can make it easy to find and showcase these posts.
Testimonials and Stories: Share stories or testimonials from readers about what your books or merchandise mean to them. This can be a powerful way to highlight the impact of your work and build emotional connections within your community.

Gathering and Incorporating Reader Feedback for Future Merch Lines

Feedback Surveys: After releasing new merchandise, consider sending out a feedback survey to purchasers. Ask about their satisfaction with the quality, design, and overall experience. This feedback can be invaluable for improving future merchandise offerings.

Did you know that Write with Harte has some merch? You can check it out here: Write with Harte Shop

Have you created fan merch around your books? I’d love to know about it!

Tags: Making Money, Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

A Romance Author Guide to Making a Marketing Calendar (free download)

February 6, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

Discover how to create a marketing calendar to sell your romance novel, plus get a free downloadable calendar.

For many romance authors, marketing isn’t something they have knowledge of or experience in. As a result, their efforts are often hit and miss in terms of building book sales.

Admittedly, I’m often haphazard in my marketing and promotion. But I’m finding that having a calendar keeps me focused and consistent with my marketing.

Developing a marketing calendar can take time, but it can go a long way to helping you reach your readers and consistently engage with them to build book sales.

Understanding the Basics of a Marketing Calendar

Before we go into creating a marketing calendar, let’s dive into what they are and why they’re important to romance authors.

What is a Marketing Calendar?

A marketing calendar is a detailed plan that outlines when and how you’ll share your work with the world, from book launches to blog posts, social media blasts to signing events. But it goes beyond the big events (e.g. launches or signings) to include regular daily or weekly tasks such as social media post or email.

Why is a Marketing Calendar Important for Romance Authors?

A marketing calendar offers a plan for consistent exposure as well as focus and clarity on your messaging. If you’ve ever sat at your computer and thought, “What should I post in my reader group today?” or “What should I email my list?” then a marketing calendar can help.

Key Components of an Effective Marketing Calendar

An effective marketing calendar for a romance author should include:

Book Launch Dates: Mark your calendar for your book’s debut and plan backwards to schedule pre-launch teasers, announcements, and promotions.
Promotional Events: Whether virtual book tours, author signings, or panel discussions at romance literature festivals, these are milestones around which to rally your audience.
Content Marketing: Schedule regular updates for your blog, newsletter, and social media channels. Share behind-the-scenes looks, character insights, or snippets of your writing process.
Advertising and Promotions: Identify the best times to run ads on platforms like Facebook, Amazon, or Bookbub, and plan your budget accordingly.
Reader Engagement: Set aside times for live chats, book club appearances, and responding to comments and emails to foster a community around your work.

Developing Your Marketing Plan

Before creating your marketing plan, you need to get a firm understanding of who you’re trying to reach. Posting to social media willy nilly is going to give you lackluster results. Marketing is all about sending the right messages to the right people. To do that, you need to answer the following questions:

Who is your target reader? Who is the person most likely to read your book. Don’t say “romance readers” as that’s too broad. If you’ve written a historical romance, then your target reader would be one who reads historical romances. But go deeper into what it is about historical romance they enjoy. These feelings are what you want to evoke in them with your marketing. But to do that, you need to understand them and know who they are.
What is your offer? Of course, your book, but your offer can also be your lead magnet, something about you or your brand, a special promotion or giveaway, merch, etc.
What are the best formats for reaching your target reader? How does your reader like to consume content about books? Options include articles, videos, infographics/slides, podcasts, sales page, etc.
Where are the best places to publish your marketing content? What platforms will you use to reach readers. Most authors have a website, email list, and social media. But what social media is best to reach YOUR reader? Facebook? Instagram? Pinterest? TikTok? Where else does your reader go to learn about the type of book you write? Book blogs? Book podcasts?
What frequency will you post marketing content? This is where you decide what you’ll create and how often. In many cases, you may have a plan for several types of content. For example, you might create a schedule of a daily post in your reader group, TikTok post 3 times a week, a weekly email, and a monthly giveaway (e.g. through Bookfunnel).

Tools to Develop Your Marketing Plan

Your marketing calendar can take many forms, from digital platforms that sync across devices to traditional paper planners. The choice hinges on your personal workflow and needs:

Digital Tools: Options like Google Calendar offer simplicity and accessibility, allowing you to color-code different types of activities and set reminders. Project management tools like Asana or Trello provide more functionality, enabling you to create tasks, assign deadlines, and track progress across campaigns. Notion offers an all-in-one location to not only organize your marketing calendar, but your content, book details, and more. For those of you using Microsoft 365, you can now use Loop or the revamped Planner/To Do.
Physical Planners: If you prefer paper (as I do), a physical planner or wall calendar can serve as a daily visual reminder of your marketing tasks. Using a disc-bound system, you can insert extra calendar pages so you can separate your marketing calendar from your other scheduled tasks and events to avoid too much clutter. Or, buy a monthly planner for a few bucks and keep it with your regular planner.

WWH Members can download the free Romance Author Marketing Planner from the Freebie Resource page. It includes tips, a sample, and blank calendar. Not a member? Join free here: Join Write with Harte

Identifying Key Dates

Once you know how you’re going to keep your marketing calendar, begin to add your marketing to dos. Start with the non-negotiables such as book launch dates or events. For promotions that have a focused time period (e.g. book launches), work backward from your launch date to include your marketing activities. For example, if your launch date is April 1, you may have Feb 1 as your cover reveal. Other dates to consider are:

Posting Schedule: Do you email your list on a schedule? Post to your reader group on a schedule? Add these in!
Launch dates: Add the dates you plan to publish books if you have them decided.
Seasonal Peaks: Romance books often see a spike in sales around Valentine’s Day, during the summer beach reading season, and Christmas.
Genre-Specific Dates: Pay attention to events like Read a Romance Month in August or significant days that resonate with themes in your books.
Personal Milestones: Incorporate your own milestones, such as the anniversary of your first book’s publication or significant personal dates that you can share with your audience to create a connection with them.
Themes: Content development can be easier if you have themes. For example, January can be new beginnings, February – Love, March – spring cleaning or flowers, April – taxes or rain (maybe you have a character who is a tax accountant…lol), etc.
Time away: If you’re going on vacation or will otherwise be away, be sure to include this. You’ll either want to pre-created and schedule content, let your readers know you’re gone, or make a note to share pictures of your trip.

Setting Objectives

Don’t just willy nilly post your book cover or a quote. Have a goal, an objective on WHY your posting your book cover or a quote. What do you hope to achieve with each marketing effort? Setting clear, measurable objectives for your activities can guide your planning and help you evaluate success. Objectives might include:

Awareness/Traffic Objectives: These are goals on reaching new readers who don’t yet know about you and enticing them to follow you on social media or sign up for your newsletter. Or, if you run ads, for them to buy. Your target objectives are generally set in numbers such as growing your reader group by x amount or adding x-number of subscribers to your email list.
Engagement Objectives: Set targets for current followers/subscribers to interact with you. How many like or better yet, comment on a post? Or even better, share it? How many openings or clicks does your email garner? Your targets should be about increasing engagement with the readers who follow you.
Launch Objectives: Define your goals for book launches, such as reaching a certain number of pre-orders or hitting a bestseller list.
Sales Objectives: Aim for specific sales targets post-launch or during promotional periods to gauge the effectiveness of your marketing strategies.

Note, I like to put my objective with the content on my calendar. So if I’m doing a social post about my lead magnet, I have an A for awareness next to it.

Gathering Assets

I like to start with what I already have. Get a piece of paper or in your digital note pad, jot down notes and ideas that will eventually be added to your calendar. As you add themes and events to your calendar, jot down any marketing ideas that you think of for later inclusion on the calendar. Here’s what I like to list:

Regular topical content. In the blogging world, this is called “pillars”. Many social media influencers call this “buckets”. It’s basically topics that you can regularly create marketing content around. These topics should relate to your books or you. For example, if husky dogs feature in your books or you own a husky, then maybe one of your regular content posts would be about huskies. If cocktails are prominent in your books, perhaps you’ll have a cocktail of the week.
Sift through what you already have. Have you posted articles on your blog or other people’s blogs? Are there reviews or interviews on other blogs/podcasts? What graphics have you already made that could be reshared?
Check your data to see what content has had the most engagement. Did your question about huskies get a ton of comments? Did your cocktail of the week get shared a lot? Data helps you know what works, as well as what doesn’t.
Add other ideas that come to you as you add the calendar themes and topics.

Planning Your Marketing Activities

With your tools selected, key dates identified, objectives set, and current ideas listed, it’s time to populate your calendar. There are a bazillion different activities you can do to market. First, start with your top platforms for marketing content delivery. Here are your options:

Blog
Email
Video
Podcast
Livestream
Social Media
Media (General PR)

Then there is types of content:

Text
Graphics
Audio
Video
Slides
Polls
Q&A

Finally, there are two types of marketing you need to do: launch and backlist.

Launch Marketing Activities

Pre-Launch: Schedule cover reveals, teasers, and pre-order announcements. Plan content that builds anticipation, such as character introductions or setting sneak peeks. This should start four months before launch.
Launch Phase: Coordinate your launch day blitz with email blasts, social media posts, and perhaps a virtual launch party. Consider collaborating with book bloggers or other authors for cross-promotion.
Post-Launch: Keep the momentum going with reader engagement activities, book club visits, and leveraging reader reviews. Plan follow-up promotions or price drops to reignite interest.

Backlist or Author Awareness Activities

Email list building: Email is one of the most important marketing assets you can have. Building your email list can include social media posts promoting your lead magnet, email swaps, and/or giveaways through Bookfunnel.
Social media following building: Like email, your goal here is to attract readers to follow you so they can hear about your backlist and new releases. Each platform is a bit different, and you’ll make yourself crazy trying to be on all of them. Remember, you just need to be where your reader hangs out to learn about books. You can build social media by asking your email participants to follow you, sharing your social infomation when you’re at events or a guest on a podcast, from your website, etc.
Author life: These types of marketing posts can be sent in email or posted on social media and includes behind the scenes type content, current WIP teasers, interesting research for your WIP, what your reading, etc.
Event announcements: If you’re going to appear at a signing or speak at an event, or be a guest on a podcast, share the news before and after, especially if there is a recording of the event.
Reader Polls and Surveys: Gain insights into your readers’ preferences and involve them in decision-making processes (e.g., choosing a character’s name or the setting for your next book).
Fan Features: Highlight reader reviews, artwork, or stories on your social media and newsletters, fostering a sense of community and appreciation.
Q&A Sessions: Host regular Q&A sessions on social media or through live webinars, answering reader questions and sharing your author journey.
Bonus content: Consider rewarding fans with extra epilogues or bonus content related to your existing books. This can keep them hooked into your book world and turn them into superfans who not only buy your books, but will tell others.

REPURPOSE!

If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of creating content for website, email, and several social media platforms, take a breath. While it is time consuming, you can use one piece of content across more than one platform. When possible, do that! Here are a few ideas:

Video: Cut long-form video to smaller vids for Reels, TikTok, and/or YouTube
Graphics: If you use Canva (pro) you can easily resize graphics for Instagram or Reels/TikTok
Blog Post: Use snippets for social media teasers or quotes
Polls: Share poll results on social, blog, and email.
Text to Video: Use AI to convert text posts to video with Pictory or Lumen
Audio/Video to Test: There are many AI tools that can transcribe audio and video. Use Word or other transcription option to convert audio into a transcript.

Putting Your Marketing Calendar Together

Okay, so you’ve:

Identified your target reader
Decided on how you’ll organize your calendar
Added in key dates
Gathered your assets
Decided on platforms and content types
Listed other ideas

Now you’re ready to fill in your calendar!

Fill in what you already have or know about your schedule. For example, if you have a launch coming up, put that in as well as the dates for cover reveal, teasers, etc. Be sure to check the month ahead to see what’s going on as often you can create content in anticipation of upcoming events. For example, January is a good time to plan for Valentine’s Day.
Be specific about what you’re going to create. For example, what teaser quote you’ll share or poll you’ll post. Does it include a graphic or video, or is it just text? If you’re not sure what you specifically plan to post, put a placeholder to remind you that a post or content is expected. For example, you might have placeholders of E for email list or RG for reader group post.
Get the link, if applicable. If the marketing content will be posted by someone else (e.g. a podcast or a guest post), indicate that inb your marketing calendar and then be sure to get the link so you can let your followers/subscribers know, and promote it.
Include your objective for the content. Have a purpose for the content and a way to measure if it was successful. You can boost the success of your objective by adding a call-to-action to your marketing content. This can be telling people to sign up for your email list, take the poll, listen to the podcast interview, or add the book to their library (as opposed to “buy now”).

Looking for a bigger more robust marketing planner? Check out The Romance Author’s Novel Organizer that helps you plan your book from idea to sales, including:

tips on building your author platform
marketing content cheat sheet
marketing ideas
book launch check list
12 non-dated calendar paced to input your goals, social media, promotions, and more.

You can get a printed Romance Author’s Novel Organizer at Amazon or a digital version you can print from the WWH shop.

Monitoring and Adjusting Your Marketing Calendar

A marketing calendar is not set in stone; it’s a living document. Regularly review your calendar to adjust for unexpected opportunities or shifts in your strategy. You’ll want to make adjustments depending on:

Ability to maintain the schedule. You may find that you can’t post TikTok or Instagram everyday.
New events or promotional opportunities. Something may pop up that you’ll want to add or replace a previous activity.
Data. If something isn’t working, you’ll want to tweak it or stop it all together.

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

12 Emerging and Expanding Income Opportunities for Romance Authors in 2024

January 30, 2024 in Blog, Marketing, Publishing, Tools & Resources

The publishing world is in the midst of change. While change can be hard, for romance authors, it means growing opportunities to reach readers and earn a living.

In this post, we’ll do a quick review of the publishing world, particularly for indie authors, discuss why taking advantage of these opportunities is important, and learn about 12 of these options you can add to your author business.

History of Publishing

I probably don’t need to explain to you how publishing has worked in the past, but it could be helpful to have a quick review so that you can see how we’re in the midst of a change. Traditionally, authors needed to get an agent to help them sell their book to a publisher in order to get their book out into the world. The only other option was vanity publishing in which the author became their own publisher, which usually resulted in spending thousands of dollars to have boxes of books stored in their garage because they didn’t have an easy distribution.

In the early 2000s, things changed with print on demand, in which a digital version of the book could be stored and, at the time of order, be printed and sent. Along with that came the ebook. Both of these options made the creation of books easier and more affordable for authors and publishers. Plus, the Internet made selling books easier and more affordable as well.

Regardless of your feelings about Amazon, it changed the publishing landscape by opening up its publishing platform to anyone. Not only could an author publish their book in print and/or e-book, but it could be listed in Amazon’s store along side all the other books.

Following Amazon’s success, other online retailers followed suit. While many successful romance authors stick with Amazon’s KDP-Select and have their ebooks exclusively in the Kindle Unlimited program, many other authors publish wide, which means their ebooks are now available in places such as Barnes and noble, iBooks, Kobo, and more. The creation of Smashwords and Draft2Digitital, which have now merged, made it even easier for independent authors to distribute their ebooks through these other ebook retailers, as well as through other sources such as libraries.

Over the last couple of years, some of these authors have financed audiobooks, which has seen an explosion in popularity. Many of these authors have also hired translators to get their books into foreign markets.

All this has been great for the author who wants to get published but wasn’t able to get a traditional deal, or chose to go the independent route for greater control. But whether you traditionally published or self-published, distribution and sales were still through a third party, and authors have been at the mercy and whim of these platforms.

In the last year there have growing complaints on social media about how Amazon’s read-through payment rates in KDP-Select were falling, even as it raised the price for readers in the Kindle Unlimited program. Then there’s the fact that Amazon or any of these third party retailers can remove authors’ books for any reason, with very little recourse.

Because of this, many authors have taken control, not just of their publishing, but their distribution as well. These opportunities expanded in 2023, and I predict they will expand even more in 2024.

Why Consider Additional or Alternative Publishing/Distribution Options

I’ve hinted at some reasons why you should take a look at some of these additional or alternative ways to earn income from your books, but let me give you a list:

1: Royalty rate changes. I’ve already mentioned Amazon’s changes to KDP Select authors’ read-through rates in Kindle Unlimited. But any online retailer can change their royalties or how you earn them and when you get paid at any time.

2: Putting all your eggs in one basket can be risky. While KU is one basket, even wide, relying on third-party retailers can carry some risk. You have no control over what they do, and don’t get any information about your buyers to help you continue to sell to them.

3: Changing Tides in Reader Preferences. Today’s readers are consuming their content differently. More readers are using their phone to read ebooks or serialized content, or listen to audio books or podcasts. Plus, they’re also more engaged with brands they like, including authors. This means they want to interact with you, but also, they talk about you, helping you reach more readers.

4: Total control: Platforms have a say in what you post. If you’re a NSFW author, third-party platforms can limit your book’s visibility or ban you all together. Some of the options listed below give you control of what you post, how you post, and when and how you get paid.

Additional Publishing and Distribution Channels for Romance Authors

So now that you know why you should consider adding additional or alternative publishing and distribution channels, here are 12 ideas on how to do that.

Note that a few of these have been around for some time, growing a great deal in the last couple of years. Others are newer options. Some of these ideas can be done by traditionally published authors as well, BUT you’ll want to review your contract to understand what rights your publisher owns.

Also, let me preface this by saying that I haven’t tried all of these options, and those that I am doing are still in the creation or growing phases. So I’ve provided resources for you to learn more if you’re interested.

1. Publish Wide

KDP-Select offers a great opportunity for authors, unless you get banned from Amazon. There are social media posts and YouTube videos in which authors have had their accounts shut down, often with no warning or recourse. Imagine making your living through KDP-Select and one day the income stops? Scary!

By publishing wide, you distribute your eggs into multiple baskets. Plus you give non-Kindle readers a chance to read your books.

You can distribute wide to iBooks, Kobo, Barnes and Noble Nook and others. A service like Draft2Digital can help you with this. With that said, many successful wide-authors submit their books directly to the other major platforms (iBooks, Nook, Kobo) to take advantage of perks such as being a featured author.

To learn more you can check out Wide for the Win by Mark Leslie Lefebvra. There are several wide-sales oriented groups on Facebook such as Wide for the Win, including some that are genre specific.

2. Audiobooks and Podcasts

Audiobooks and podcasts are not just trends; they’re staples in storytelling today. There are several ways you can get your book into audio format. The first is to hire a narrator. For quality narration, you can expect to pay $200 to $300 per finished hour. If that’s too expensive, you can use Amazon’s ACX and royalty-share option in which you and the narrator split the royalty payment. Note that because this is an Amazon program and you’re sharing royalties, there are limitations to how you can distribute the book.

Another option is to sell audio rights to a an audio publisher. I did this because I didn’t have the money or time to manage audiobook creation on my own. You can do this as a traditional author too IF you retain your audio rights (check your publishing contract to see what rights your publisher has). Some audio publishers allow you to pitch them without an agent, while others will require an agent. And yes, there are agents that will help indie authors sell audio (and other non-print or ebook rights) to self-published books. You can check out this post on how romance authors can get an audio book deal for more information.

You can create an audio book by reading it yourself. This is a great option if you’d like to serialize your book in a podcast. Just make sure you have quality recording equipment and editing tools.

A new option that is controversial is to use AI. AI voices have improved over the last year, although it’s still not as good as human voices. The controversy is that by using AI, you’re taking a job away from a narrator. In my opinion, this is only true if you have the $2000 plus dollars to hire a narrator. If you’re in a situation in which there’s no audio of your book except for AI because you don’t have the money, then AI is something to consider. This is especially true if you’d like to have a multi-cast narration that has grown popular but is even more expensive to produce. Perhaps an AI version will help you sell more books so that later you can afford hire a narrator.

Some AI audio book options include Eleven Labs (which is what I’m using to serialize my lead magnet), Murf, and Google. Apple offers AI audiobook narration now too.

3. Foreign Rights Sales

Selling foreign rights can open doors to international markets. The German and Italian markets are good right now for romance, but they’re not the only markets.

You can hire a translator to indie publish your foreign books, or you can reach out to international publishers. An agent can help you sell foreign rights, even if your book is indie published in the U.S. You can even do it in traditional publishing IF you still hold the foreign rights to your books (check your publisher contract to know what rights they’ve taken).

Again, the controversial option is to use AI to translate. Search Google for resources that can translate your book. If you go that route, hire an editor who knows the language to make sure the translation is right. You don’t want to have an inaccurate translation that doesn’t make sense, or worse, offends readers.

4. Direct Sales

One of the best ways to protect yourself from the whims of third-party book sellers is to sell your books from your own online store. It’s easier and more affordable than ever to set up a store through Shopify, PayHip (which I like because it pays VAT), or Woocommerce, if you have a WordPress site. Ebooks and audio books can be delivered through Bookfunnel. When a sale comes in, the money goes to your bank, and the system takes care of delivering the book.

You do this with print books as well, but you’ll need to set up a printer that offers drop ship print on demand and will integrate with your store. Book Vault and Lulu are two options, but there are others.

There is some set up and expense to creating your own store, but it has a potential for greater per-book income, and again, more control. You’re not likely to ban your books off your own store.

For more information check out Stop Making Other’s Rich: How Authors Can Make Bank Selling Direct by Morgana Best. She also has a course as does Steve Pieper, but they’re a little pricey. There are several direct sales oriented groups on Facebook such as Building a Book Empire.

5. Serial Writing Platforms

Serial writing platforms like Wattpad or Radish have revolutionized how we consume stories. Of course, some readers might be thinking why read serialized fiction instead of getting the ebook? Plus some people don’t like to read on their phone. However, remember when I said readers are consuming content differently? This is one of those ways. Many of today’s successful romance authors have built their following through serialized content.

Benefits of serializing a book include publishing without having to have already completed the book. Posting chapter by chapter gives you some breathing room, while at the same time building a readership. In some cases, serialized fiction leads to publishing deals or adaptation opportunities. The After Series by Anna Todd was a Wattpad story. Suzy English got her start on Wattpad as well.

Admittedly, I didn’t have lots of luck gaining readers or making money when one of my series was on Kiss, but the process was a bit different than some of these other options and so I’m looking at trying again.

For more information, check out this post on Lulu; The Complete Guide to Writing and Publishing Serial Fiction and a guest post on The Write Life by Elle Griffin on why she’s serializing her stories on Substack (which could be put in the section on subscription models below).

Places to look at for serializing your books and possibility getting paid include:

Radish
Inkitt
Wattpad
Kiss
Vella (Amazon)

6. Subscription Model

You may have noticed how many business have moved to a subscription model. The biggest reason for this is building a steady income, which is why over the last few years, many authors have turned to platforms like Patreon or Substack that allow dedicated readers to support authors they love directly. Super fans pay anywhere from $1 to $10, or more per month. I know authors who have tiers of $100 or more…that’s per month per reader!

The subscription model works by authors providing benefits and perks to their fans. These perks include things like early access to chapters currently being written, exclusive content, bonus content, swag, or behind-the-scenes glimpses into the writing process.

It’s a great way to build a community and ensure a steady income.

For more information, I recommend checking out Subscriptions for Authors. You’ll find great tips and information, interviews with successful authors using the subscription model, and you can join the Subscription for Authors FB group for information and support. The cofounders of Subscription for Authors also cofounded Ream Stories, which is a subscription platform for authors by authors. You can checkout my Ream page here: Jenna Harte.

7. Crowdfunding

You may remember hearing how Brandon Sanderson generated $41 million through Kickstarter. While you may not have his success, crowdfunding your next romance novel can not only cover costs but also gauge and build interest before you even publish.

There is much to consider when going this route. If you’re giving a print copy of a book, you have to make sure that your income covers the cost of printing and mailing.

Khalieha Wright has a post on crowdfunding your book.

8. Special Editions and Limited Runs

Reader fans love to have something unique and special from their favorite authors. Special editions or limited runs a fun way to make them feel a part of your reader community.

Special editions or limited runs can have exclusive content not in the general book, and/or a special cover. Offering special editions or limited runs is something you offer to the general public through social media, email, and/or website (or shop), and/or it can be a perk of a subscription model. For example, fans in your $25 tier can get a special edition of your book.

Your publishing service should be able to create your special edition or limited run book for you.

9. Personalized Stories and Commissions

Imagine writing a love story where your reader is the protagonist! Or how much fun for a fan to have you write the scene or situation they wish they’d read in your book. It’s like writing fan fiction in your own world.

Offering to write personalized stories or commissions for readers is not just lucrative; it can be fun. Again, this can be something you offer in general through social media, email, or on your website/store, and/or it can be a tier in your subscription program. I’ve even seen authors offer this on Etsy.

You’ll need to be cognizant of how you set this up. You don’t want to have to write a bunch of personalized or commissioned books at one time. A better option would be to limit a full book to a single person at time, and or, write shorter (3,000 words or so) content. Make sure you charge enough for this. On Etsy, many of the writers there are charging $25 for 3,000 words which doesn’t seem enough to me. You should charge at least 2.5 to 3 cents per word. A 3,000 word piece should be at least $75 to $90.

10. Collectibles and Merch

Are you a fan of something in which you buy pictures, doodads, and other representations? Readers do too.

Collectibles can include special editions or limited runs (mentioned above), or digital artwork or swag. For example, you can create stickers or bookmarks with each character. Or charms. Merch ideas include t-shirts, mugs, totes etc. Here is a Pinterest board with tons of author swag ideas.

These can be sold in your store or bring some to sell at your in-person events. You can also use them as perks in your subscription.

You can easily design your brand/book materials using Canva and services such as Printify to create and ship them. Other swag/merch companies to check out include:

Printify: Merch such as t-shirts, mugs, stickers, calendars, totes, coasters, posters, and a whole lot more! Can integrate into Shopify and WooCommerce, as well as Etsy.

Etsy: Great place to find unique swag creations.

Zazzle: Mugs and a host of other merch ideas.

Vistaprint – I use this for all my paper goods (post cards, door hangers, etc). I also got my banners from here. Offers free QR code which I use with a link to my book sales page!

Sticker Mule – Many authors use this for sticker swag.

11. Brand Partnerships

I heard about this from a speaker at Alessandra Torre’s Inkerscon a few years ago. I haven’t tried to get brand partners, but I think for successful authors, brand partnerships can be a smart way to integrate your stories into broader marketing campaigns. It’s definitely something big publishers are doing.

This could work in a variety of ways. Perhaps you have a character who loves a certain product. That company may sponsor being in the book, or perhaps provide product you can use for giveaways and events.

12. Interactive Storytelling

Imagine turning your book into a choose-your-own-adventure? Or letting them make decisions such as names. Or having them converse with your characters. Interactive storytelling using AI can help you create a romance that adapts to the choices of the reader, creating a unique experience each time.

Unless you’re tech savvy or have a lot of money to hire a tech person, your best bet to creating an interactive story is through AI. Again, it means using AI instead of hiring someone, but if you don’t have the know-how or cash, AI can be a way to created your interactive book.

Like many of the other options, this is something you can create and sell directly to your readers (social, email, website) and/or offer as a subscription perk.

I have not tried this yet, but I’m intrigued. Here are a few tools you can research if you’re interested.

Story Nest
Charisma.ai
TopAITools (list of other interactive story telling tools)

(Note on AI: Most people who are anti-AI are against AI generated content such as writing, graphics, and as mentioned, audio narration. AI tools such as editing (e.g. Grammerly) or writing assistance (dictation), etc, are okay. Where that leaves interactive storytelling tools, I’m not sure. You have to decide for yourself if and how you want to fit AI tools into your author career.)

There you have it, 12 additional or alternative ways to get your stories in the world and make a living from them. Which of these avenues excites you the most? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

Tags: Audiobooks, Marketing & Promotion, Publishing, Tools, Writing No Comments »

by jennaharte

Media Kit Magic for Romance Authors (free one-page media kit template)

January 23, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

When I started writing fiction, I didn’t consider the need for a media kit. I had one for my non-fiction works, but think I needed one for fiction. Wrong!

The issue was that I when I thought about “media,” I was thinking traditional options such as newspapers, radio, and TV. Since I don’t see many fiction authors in those mediums, I didn’t think I needed a kit.

But those aren’t the only mediums. If you’d like to attract the attention of book bloggers, podcasts, and influencers, a media kit can help.

My first media kit in non-fiction was several pages of information in a folder and eventually posted as a PDF online. Today, I try to stick to a few pages along with a one-sheet because who’s going to read 10-pages of information about you and your book?

What is a Media Kit?

A media kit is a package of promotional materials designed to provide the media, publishers, and potential collaborators with essential information about you. For authors, especially those in the romance genre, a media kit typically includes a captivating biography, high-resolution author photos, book summaries and cover images, press releases, testimonials or reviews, and contact information. Essentially, it serves as a professional portfolio that highlights an author’s brand, achievements, and published works in an engaging and succinct format.

The purpose of a media kit is to make it easier for journalists, bloggers, and reviewers to learn about and feature the author, aiding significantly in marketing and publicity efforts.

Essential Components of a Romance Author’s Media Kit

As listed above, a media kit can include lots of information, but what’s most important is the info that will intrigue the media to want to talk to you. I recommend starting with a Media One Sheet, a condensed version of the media kit.

Media One-Sheet

I like the media one-sheet as a link on my media page or in an email to media. It’s short and succinct, so the media doesn’t have to sift through pages and pages of information. Write with Harte Members can get a media one sheet template for Canva in the Freebie resources (you need to be logged in). Not a member? You can join here for free!

Author Biography: This isn’t a dry CV. It’s your story so make it as captivating as your books. Share your journey, inspirations, and why you adore writing romance.
High-Quality Author Photo: Ensure yours is quality but also shows the authentic you. While you can go to a studio to get professional photos, you can use your smart phone at home for something more personal. It just needs to be high quality (not fuzzy or blurry or dark).
Book Covers and Descriptions: Just like for readers, media will be attracted by your cover and book blurb.
Contact Information: Make sure the media can easily reach you by including your email, phone, and maybe social profiles as well.
Testimonials and Reviews: If you book has reviews, list a couple of them.

Full Media Kit

The one-sheet is a great tool to email or even have available at events, but it can be hard to fit everything you want media to know onto one page. I have a media kit that is 5-pages long in PDF as well as text on my website, JennaHarte.com. It includes information about me, each of my series, and information interviewers might be interested in.
Items in the full-media kit:

Author Biography: This isn’t a dry CV. It’s your story – make it as captivating as your novels. Share your journey, inspirations, and why you adore writing romance.
High-Quality Author Photo: Ensure yours is quality but also shows the authentic you. While you can go to a studio to get professional photos, you can use your smart phone at home for something more personal. It just needs to be high quality (not fuzzy or blurry or dark).
Book Covers and Descriptions: Just like for readers, media will be attracted by your cover and book blurb.
Contact Information: Make sure the media can easily reach you by including your email, phone, and maybe social profiles as well.
Testimonials and Reviews: If you book has reviews, list a couple of them.
Past appearances: If you’ve been interviewed before or spoken at an event, list them. This shows other media has been interested in hearing from you, and that you have experience being interviewed.
Factoids: This is optional, but I like to include some interesting tidbits that might interest media.
Sample Questions: I highly recommend a list of possible questions the interviewer can ask. This helps them do their job. When I used to do a podcast, I always asked my interviewees for a few sample questions to make sure I asked questions that were important and helpful to them.

How to Use Your Media Kit

The first place to send your media kit is to your website. I like to have all the info on a webpage so I’m not forcing potential media to download anything, but I also have a link to a PDF in case they do want to download it. Most media outlets won’t take email with attachments, so having a link to the website and PDF is ideal when sending pitches to the media.

Pitching to Media Outlets

Armed with your media kit, you can now reach out for interviews. How do you do that?

Make a list of media sources you want to participate with.
Review the guests/topics the media sources have covered recently. Your goal is to pitch an idea that is new or fresh take on an old idea.
Consider using a tool like Connectively (formally Haro) to find additional interview options. While none of the media sources there will likely be looking for romance authors specifically, there may be some who want to interview authors in general about publishing etc.
Read the pitch guidelines and FOLLOW THEM!
Create your pitch. This is essentially a press release. In your pitch:
- Greet them by name
- Indicate why you’re reaching out to them. If possible let them know what you’ve read or listened to or watched of theirs, and why it made you think you’d be a good fit for them.
- Provide a topic to cover. Make it easy for them to say yes to you by doing some of the work. Make your idea unique (see #2 above).
- Tell them a little about you, and then give a link to your media kit and one sheet.
- Thank them for their time and sign off with your signature line
Send your press release email to the media sources you researched making sure you follow the guidelines (if any) they have on their websites. Failure to follow the guidelines will likely result in no response.

Sample Pitch

Subject line: The never ending romance (pitch)

Hello Sally Sue Romance Book Podcaster,
I so much enjoyed your recent episode with AUTHOR NAME where you talked about pet peeve tropes. I’m so glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t like secret child.

I’m writing to pitch you the never ending romance, a romance series that continues with the same couple. I hate it when romances end and I have to say goodbye to the couple. But it’s difficult to find romance series that continue with the same couple, so I wrote a romantic mystery series that does just that!

My name is Jenna Harte and I’m the author of the Valentine Mysteries an ongoing romance series between a sleuthing couple who stumble over dead bodies by day and tumble into bed at night. I’ve also penned a contemporary romance series, Southern Heat, and, at the urging of my agent, wrote a cozy mystery series.

I’ve been interviewed on The Cozy Sleuth Podcast and have been on panels or led workshops at the Virginia Festival of the Book, Malice Domestic, Maryland Writers Association, the Virginia Writers Club, and more.

When I’m not writing HEAs, I run an online community for romance authors, Write with Harte, that includes a podcast (I’d love to interview you too!).

If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss this further with you. You can easily access my media kit at JennaHarte.com or email me at (EMAIL).

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Jenna Harte
❤️Website: Jenna Harte
❤️Free Romantic Mystery: Deadly Valentine
❤️Amazon Author Page
❤️Exclusive Jenna Harte Community
❤️ARC Team
❤️Join Write With Harte, the online community for romance writers

Who to Pitch and Send Your Media Kit to

Book Bloggers
Book related podcasts
Book influencers (e.g. BookTubers, Booktokers)
Local media (newspaper, radio, magazine)
Writing/Publishing oriented media (e.g. writing magazines, NPR shows related to books)
Any media that your readers consume

Tips to Generate Interest In Your Kit

Many media outlets get more pitches than they can manage. Too many of the pitches are the same old blah blah blah. Here are tips to make your pitch standout:

Include your pitch idea in your subject line. e.g. The never ending romance from sample.
Personalize the greeting with the host/interviewer’s name.
Let the media outlet know you’ve done your research by telling them what you’ve viewed on their site/show (see sample).
Make your pitch topic unique. What is different about you as an author or person, or about your books that will standout from all the other interviews this person has done? Or tie your book into current news, trends, or seasons.
Keep your email brief. Media people don’t have time to read a tome. If they’re interested in the topic and you, they’ll check your website and/or social media, and/or email you.
Be engaging. While you don’t want to be too informal, you do want to be interesting.
Considering offering something to the outlets readers. While this could be your lead magnet, something like a giveaway or discount would offer more value.
Don’t be afraid to follow up. While you don’t want to bombard media folks with emails, if you don’t have a response in a week or maybe two, email again to follow up. This email should be brief, asking if they got your last email, but should include your pitch topic idea and link to your media kit. (Sample below)

Follow up Sample

Subject line: The never ending romance (pitch follow up)

Hello Sally Sue Romance Book Podcaster,

I know you must be busy, but I wanted to follow up on my email from (DATE) pitching the Never Ending Romance, a romance series that continues with the same couple.

If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss this further with you. You can easily access my media kit at JennaHarte.com or email me at (EMAIL).

Thank you so much for your consideration!

If you have comments or questions, or what you to share your media kit page or more ideas for creating and using your media kit, let me know in the comments below!

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

jennaharte

Do you have other five minute marketing tasks to suggest? Let me know in the comments below.

Understanding the Black Moment in a Romance Novel

BUT…

Setting Up the Black Moment

Foreshadowing

Romantic Tension

Setup for Growth

Be Strong

Make it Necessary

Avoiding Common Mistakes in the Black Moment

Rushing Through the Black Moment

Making the Black Moment Implausible

FAQ

What is the black moment in a romance novel?

Why is the black moment significant in a romance novel?

How do I create a powerful black moment in my romance novel?

How does the black moment resolve character conflicts?

How does the black moment create emotional impact in a romance novel?

What mistakes should I avoid when crafting the black moment?

Can you provide examples of powerful black moments in romance novels?

How does the black moment contribute to character transformation?

How should the black moment be integrated into the plot?

What is Beneficial Ownership definition?

Who is Required to Complete the Beneficial Ownership Form

Who is Exempt from Beneficial Ownership Form

Beneficial Ownership Information for Authors

Reporting Deadlines for Beneficial Ownership Information:

How to File for Beneficial Ownership Information

FAQ about Beneficial Ownership Information

What is beneficial ownership information?

Why do authors need to fill out the beneficial ownership form?

What are the reporting deadlines for beneficial ownership information?

How can authors file for beneficial ownership information?

Are there any exemptions to providing beneficial ownership information?

Where can authors find additional information or conduct a beneficial ownership search?

Table of Contents

Publishing Options

Traditional Publishing

Self-Publishing

Hybrid Publishing

What Publishing Option is Best For You?

Tips to Navigate Publishing Options

Tips for Traditional Publishing

Tips to Self-Publishing

Tips for Hybrid Publishing

Part One: Pre Blog Considerations

Part Two: Blog Content

90+ Blog Post Ideas (Free Download)

Setting Up Your Blog

Do you have other blogging topic ideas for romance authors? I’d love to know them. Let me know in the comments below!

The Elements of a Meet Cute

Romance Genre and Tropes

Setting

Character Introduction

Sparks

Dialogue and Interaction

Crafting the Perfect Meet Cute

Conflict

Building Tension

Be Original (Avoiding Cliché)

Examples of Memorable Meet Cutes

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Naked in Death by JD Robb

Lover Unbound J.R. Ward

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Do you have other great meet cute moments? If you have questions or feedback, let me know in the comments below!

Table of Contents

Understand Your Audience

Merch Ideas for Romance Writers

Design Tips

Finding a Reliable Supplier for Your Author Merchandise

Selling Your Merch

Overview of Platforms for Selling Merch

Setting Up an Online Store: Basics and Best Practices

Pricing Strategies for Your Merchandise

Marketing Your Merch

Legal Considerations

Copyrights and Trademarks: Protecting Your Work and Respecting Others’