How to Create a Romance Author Pen Name

How to Create a Romance Author Pen Name

August 6, 2024 in Blog, Marketing, Writing Romance

Table of Contents

Amanda Quick
Jayne Castle
Nora Roberts
J.D. Robb
Bella Andre
Christina Lauren
E.L. James

What do all the above have in common besides writing romance?

They’re all pen names.

I once saw an interview with Nora Roberts where she said she thought she was required to have a pen name when she first sought publication. Eleanor Robertson then became Nora Roberts. And when she was asked to create another name to avoid saturating the market, she decided to write a futuristic police procedural under the name J.D. Robb.

Are pen names required? No. At least not usually. Harlequin often asks for one so they can have some control over the author brand, but in general, if you want to use your given name, you can.

But for a variety of reasons, you may want to use a pen name (or several, as some authors do). If that’s the case, here are things to know and tips on creating a pen name.

Why Use a Pen Name?

Sometimes referred to as pseudonym or nom de plume, pen names are used by authors for many different reasons. Here are just a few:

  • Hide your identity: I once heard a romance author say her family insisted that she use a pen name because they didn’t want people to know she wrote romance. Pfft…what’s wrong with romance? With that said, many authors don’t want it known that they write romance. Sometimes it’s because they’re writing erotica or extra spicy stories, but sometimes it has nothing to do with heat factor. Sometimes it’s the genre itself, since romance has a stigma of being fluff. Eloisa James (Mary Bly) was a university professor when she started writing historical romance. However, you may want a pen name simply want to maintain your privacy.
  • Separate brands: Some authors are already known by another name in a different genre and want to avoid confusing readers. For example, Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb each have different “brands” even though it’s the same person. Or Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick, same authors but one publishes contemporary romantic suspense and the other historical romance. Or finally, J.K. Rowling and Robert Galbraith, same author, different genres.
  • Your name is the same or similar to someone else already famous: Did you know Emma Stone, Michael Keaton, and many other actors were forced to come up with new names because someone with the same name was already in SAG-AFTRA? If your name is Joanna Rowling or Nora Robertson, you may want to choose a new name even though these aren’t exactly the same as Joanne (J.K.) Rowling or Nora Roberts. Why? For one, you don’t want to risk being sued, but also, you don’t want your readers making the mistake of finding the more well-known author instead of you.
  • The name is already taken in social media or website URL: If someone is already using your name on social media or has a website with your name, choosing another name can help avoid confusion.
  • Your name is long or difficult to spell: You want to make it easy for readers to search for and find you. A long or complex name can make this difficult.
  • Writing in a different gender or to hide your gender: It’s well known now that Georg Elliot (Mary Ann Evans) was a woman. The Bronte sisters wrote under Acton Bell and Ellis Bell. Many female authors used initials when writing in a male-dominating genre, such as crime or horror. However, men write romance too, using female pen names. Two popular authors in the late 20th century were Jennifer Wilde (Tom Huff) and Leigh Greenwood (Harold Lowery).
  • Attract readers: Let’s face it, romance writers have a long history of names that scream romance. If your name is Jane Plain (no offense to any real Jane Plains), readers may subconsciously avoid your books, unless they’re looking for a sweet romance. Anyone looking for a sweet romance might be put off by an author named Ava Wildnight.
  • Poor sales under another name. If you have a name that isn’t selling (particularly in traditional publishing), you can pick a new name and start over.
  • For the fun of it. I’ll admit, I have a list of pen names that I think would be fun.

Note that you can’t use a pen name to hide from legal obligations whether you owe money, have a warrant out on you, or have a contract with a publisher. For example, changing my name wouldn’t nullify my contract and give me rights back to any of my traditionally published work.

The Challenge of Using a Pen Name

The biggest challenge of using a pen name is being more than one person. This is mostly a factor if you’re already busy maintaining a brand under your own name. Managing two Facebook, two Instagram, two websites, two emails, etc isn’t easy.

Going to events as a pen name can be interesting, although I’ve managed it. I’ve gone to events in which I’ve been two authors. Today, most events I go to my author friends ask me who I am while there. I answer to all my names now. Of course, if you’re hiding that you write romance, you won’t go to events, which is a shame because they’re fun, inspiring, and a great way to sell books.

Another issue is maintaining anonymity if that’s your goal. Today, anyone who really wants to find you can. There are a few things you can do to make it harder, but there’s no guarantee that others won’t find out about your pen name.

Crafting an Awesome Pen Name

It’s important to remember that the name you pick will become your brand. It’s also one that you may need to learn to respond to when you’re attending signings and book events.

What to Consider When Choosing a Pen Name

Because your pen name will be your brand and needs to attract readers, you need to consider the following when selecting your name:

  1. What is your purpose? Are you trying to maintain your privacy or simply shorten your name? For example, Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote under L.M. Montgomery because she didn’t like her name Lucy (Anne of Green Gables fame). She didn’t change her name, but simply used her initials. V. C. Andrews’ real name was Cleo Virginia Andrews.
  2. Consider Cultural Nuances: A white author just got into hot water for using a Chinese last name for the purpose of making readers think they were Chinese. You also need to consider the cultural meanings of potential pen names. Fanny is a name in the U.S. that some might snicker at, as fanny can also mean “butt.” But in the U.K., fanny is slang for vagina. (This is why many books and movies end up with different titles in different countries.)
  3. Consider Audience Perception: Names like Ava Wildnight can work for spicy romance, but perhaps not sweet or inspirational romance. Think about how your pen name might be seen in different places or by various readers. What works well in one market might not work in another.

Brainstorming Possible Names

This is the fun part.

1. List names that you like: I like to brainstorm first names and last names, playing with them like magnetic poetry. I’ll have a list of first names like Ava or Grace or Maxie or Roxie, and a list of last names like Foxx or Gray or Dumont etc. Then I mix and match:

  • Ava Foxx
  • Ava Gray (this is taken)
  • Ava Dumont (no…I used that as a character in a book)
  • Grace Foxx
  • Grace Gray
  • etc.

2. List family names: Mine your family tree for names. My sister chose her middle name with a variation of our grandmother’s maiden name. Gray and Arrington are names in my family tree that I like. I’d love to use them together such as Emma Gray Arrington, but that’s too long.

3. Check out baby name books or websites: I love this for character naming, but it’s a great way to search for pen names. You can look up popular names from the year you were born. Or perhaps names that have your same initials.

4. Use a pen name generator. Here are a few you can check out:

  • Reedsy’s Pen Name Generator: Enter a first letter, the name’s gender (or neutral), and the language, then click Generate Name (I was given Jane Blake).
  • Masterpiece Pen Name Generator: Fill out a list of prompts and then click Generate to get a list of possible names for various genres. It gave me Suellen Mikedress, Skye-Anne Sillyflower, and Shelley Thornlove as possible pen names.
  • Fantasy Name Generator: Writing a fantasy or even Victorian romance, this name generator has hundreds of types of names. You can click on “Random Generator” to be taken to one of the many options, or select a specific generator to get 10 names. I selected Red Queen Names, then clicked the “Female” option below the list and was given: Claire Wallace, Fory Cole, Hollie Whistle, Willow Farley and more.
  • Fake Name Generator: Enter the gender (or random), the name set (Country background), and language. Under advanced options, you can select age as well. It gave me Mary R. Boudreaux. (This makes me think of Jack Boudreaux from Tami Hoag’s Cry Wolf…I loved that book!)

Narrowing Down Your Options

Once you have a list of possible names, it’s time to assess and research them.

  1. Does it fit with your genre and subgenre? Again, you want a name that fits with the type of book you’re writing. A name like Serinity Grace fits will with sweet or inspirational fiction, whereas Ava Wildnight doesn’t.
  2. Is it easy to pronounce, spell, and remember? For example, I love the sound of the name Saoirse, but many readers wouldn’t know that it sounds like Sersha. And if I said “Sersha” they wouldn’t know to search for Saoirse when looking for me or my books.
  3. Search for the author’s name on Amazon. I love the name Ava Gray, but it’s already taken. Aside from possible legal hassles, I wouldn’t want my readers accidentally going to her books. Also consider how close the name is to another author. Could I get away with Avaline Gray? Or Ava Grayson? Maybe, but I have to consider again if readers might confuse that name with Ava Gray’s.
  4. Search for the name’s URL. You can type the name with .com into your browser (e.g. avawildnight.com), but you’ll also want to search the domain in registrar to make sure someone hasn’t bought it, but isn’t yet using it.
  5. Search for social media profiles that already use the name. Again, your goal is to choose a name that isn’t already in use. This is a challenge depending on the name you want to use. There are other Jenna Harte’s in the world. If you find your name, but they’re not an author, can add “author” to your social profile name (e.g. @JennaHarteAuthor)
  6. Do a trademark search in your country. While you can’t trademark a given name, it is possible to trademark a pen name. Odds are, you’d know the name is taken as trademark requires known branding behind the name. But it doesn’t hurt to check your country’s trademark office:
    1. US Trademark Search
    2. UK Trademark Search
    3. Canada Trademark Search
    4. If you’re in a different country, search your country and trademark office in Google. (E.G. Australia trademark office).

Even if your name isn’t trademarked, do be careful. Don’t use existing big names in any industry. First, you don’t want to send your readers to someone else by accident. Second, you don’t want to risk a lawsuit. For example, you don’t want the pen name of Dolly Parton or anything similar, such as Dollie Parden.

Establishing Your Pen Name

Let me start by saying that I’m not a lawyer nor an expert on intellectual property. Please check with a lawyer if you have questions or concerns. But here is some basic information to guide you through using and protecting your pen name.

Assuming you’ve done the work above and made sure the name is available for use, here’s how to set about using the name:

  1. Buy the domain for your pen name. Even if you don’t plan to set up a website yet, buy the domain URL and get it with .com (not .net or any other ending). It will cost $10 to $20 and ensure that you own the name when you do decide to build a website. It also protects you from someone else buying the name and using it, which could confuse readers. Imagine choosing Serenity Grace for a sweet romance author name, but someone else buys it and uses it for porn. If you’re hiding yourself behind a pen name, pay the extra for privacy so that anyone looking up the WHOIS for the domain information won’t see your given name as the owner. I use Godaddy for my domains but you have other options.
  2. Set up social media profiles in your pen name. You don’t need to be everywhere in social media. Instead, think about where your readers hangout to learn about the type of books you write. This could be TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, etc.
  3. Set up your business using your pen name or a publishing name. You can use your pen name as a business, or set up a publishing business and have your pen name be a business under it. You can operate as a sole proprietor to avoid the paperwork and cost of setting up an LLC (although down the road you’ll want to consider setting up an LLC). With an official business (sole proprietor or LLC) you can open a business banking account, which will be important to write-off your publishing expenses on your taxes. I’m not a business or tax expert, so please discuss this with your financial advisor and attorney to make sure you’re doing what’s best for you.
  4. Submit a Fictitious Name Statement (sometimes called Doing Business As). Check with your city or county clerk’s office on how to do this. You can probably do it online for a $10 or so fee. If you set up an LLC under a different name (for example I have a business name for my LLC), and want to use a pen name that is different, you may need to do an FNS or DBA under both names; one for the LLC and one for the pen name business within your LLC.
  5. If you’re traditionally published or want to be, give your agent or publisher your pen name. You can submit your queries with your given name and pen name, for example: Sally Sue writing as Sally Grace. When signing contracts, sometimes you can use your pen name, but more often you’ll use your legal name.
  6. Use your pen name on your books, marketing, copyright notice, and other materials produced for the name. Use your legal name on contracts and business accounts. For example, your business name may be your pen name (and people can write checks to you in that name) but your bank will have your legal name on the account.
  7. Register the copyright for your work. You can use your pen name, but over at Jane Friedman’s site, Attorney Helen Sedwich recommends registering your work under both your pen name and legal name. If you’re hiding behind a pen name, you should be okay because readers aren’t likely to hunt you down by copyright. You might want to check out Helen’s book, The Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook for more great tips to keep your publishing empire on the right track.

Protecting Your Pen Name: Copyright and Trademark Considerations

You can’t copyright your pen name. You can only copyright work created by the pen name.

You can trademark your name, but you need to prove that the pen name is a unique brand. When you hear J.K. Rowling, you think of all things Harry Potter. Dr. Seuss is trademarked as well. Most authors don’t go through the time and expense of trademarking their name.

Every now and then, do a search or set up Google Alerts to keep track of your pen name. If another author is trying to use it and you haven’t trademarked it, you can send them a note to let them know the name is being used and indicate why it’s not to their advantage to use an existing name (they might send their readers to you by accident). If that doesn’t work, contact a lawyer.

Building a Brand with Your Pen Name

I gave a list above of author pen names. When you read them, what do you think of?

Nora Roberts
J.D. Robb
Christina Lauren
E.L. James

Their names tell us what they write because the name is their brand.

What is a brand? I love the definition of brand being a promise of an experience. When I pick up J.D. Robb, I know what I’m getting and she delivers every time. That’s what you want for your readers. When they see your pen name, they’re excited because they know what sort of romantic adventure they’ll be going on.

This is why many romance writing courses recommend staying in a single lane with your writing. While some authors have gotten away with criss-crossing genres, writing across different genres can make it hard for readers to know what they’ll get. If I pick up Jayne Ann Krentz, I know I’ll get a contemporary romantic suspense, which I love. Amanda Quick readers get a historical romance. Same author, different brands.

So how do you build your brand?

  1. Build your identity. Note that I’m not saying create a different person. In this case, I’m talking about branding assets: your picture or logo, tagline, color scheme, etc. When it comes to your picture, an image of a person creates greater connection with readers, but if you’re hiding that you write romance, you can create a logo in Canva (many authors have a logo).
  2. Be consistent with your brand. Have the same name, photo or logo, and tag lines across all your platforms from your website and social media, books, ads, etc. Stick within your romance subgenre, including tone for your books. One thing I wish I’d done is choose a pen name for my cozy mysteries to separate them from my romances since cozy mystery readers don’t usually like to read spicy stuff and my other mystery series has some spice. Staying consistent makes it easy for readers to recognize your work and your unique name.
  3. Engage with your readers under your pen name: Connect with readers by joining online groups, answering their questions, and sharing interesting tidbits about yourself (within your comfort level). Be consistent with your tone and attitude. Pippa Grant has a picture of herself with unicorn horn and the opening of her bio is, “Pippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did.” Her emails are quirky and fun. Rina Kent uses a logo on her author page and her bio, while interesting, doesn’t have the quirky tone that Pippa’s does.

Side Note: One concern many authors have is about deception and having readers get mad learning the name they’ve come to know you by isn’t really your name. Most readers understand authors use pen names. Plus, you can be you just under a different name. Your interests and personality don’t have to change. It shouldn’t. You should be authentic. At the same time, you don’t have to reveal all of you all the time.

Do you have other tips or ideas for using a pen name? Let me know in the comments below!

Ways Romance Writers Can Save on Their Self-Publishing Budget

Ways Romance Writers Can Save on Their Self-Publishing Budget

July 30, 2024 in Blog, Editing, Marketing, Publishing, Tools & Resources

Table of Contents

I saw a post in a Facebook indie author group asking how important it was to hire an editor because they had limited funds. The truth is, while self-publishing is affordable, to do it right involves some investment. From editing and formatting, to covers and marketing, there are many tasks in the self-publishing process that cost money.

Budgeting in self-publishing is crucial to maximize profitability because it allows you to allocate resources effectively, ensuring that essential aspects receive the necessary investment and avoiding spending on non-essential items. The good news is that there are areas where you can lower your expenses in publishing and marketing your book, especially if you’re willing to invest a little time and elbow grease.

With that said, there are some areas where you should invest money, but even in those cases, there are ways to cut down on the costs.

Why Investing in Your Book is Important

Before we talk about how to save, let’s talk about why you should spend some money.

What is your goal? 

If you’re seeing self-publishing as a way to make extra income or a living, creating the best product you can will be important to achieving that goal. Part of what makes a great product is quality production and packaging.

If, however, you just want to publish a book and don’t care if it sells or not, then you can get away with not investing so much in it’s creation.

Your Product

When you pick books to read, or buy things in general, what factors have you taking an interest, and then deciding to buy? For most people, how the items look (the cover) and the quality of production play a role in a purchase. This is the same for people who are looking at your book.

Areas to Invest

There are three areas where I believe authors should be willing to invest money in a quality book and successful book sales. They are:

  1. Editing: If your goal is to make money with your books, then you should put out the best product you can. To do that, you need to have a professional edit. I know editors who write but don’t edit their own books because it’s nearly impossible for authors to edit their work. You’ll read what you intended to write. You’ll lose focus because you’ve already spent so much time in the story.
  2. Cover Design: The cover is the first thing a reader sees and makes the decision if they want to read the description and buy the book. A poorly designed cover won’t attract readers. They pass it without a second glance.
  3. Email list: Good news is that with an email list service that offers landing pages, you can build a list of readers without a website. Yes, social media is free and a good way to attract readers, but readers who give their email have taken a greater interest in you, raised their hands saying they want to hear from you, and are more likely to see what you post.

There are other tasks you can spend money on such as formatting, ads, tools, and more, but there are also ways to DIY or alternatives that can eliminate or reduce your expense. The above three items are where I’d recommend budget-conscious publishers focus their money in the beginning.

How to Save On Your Publishing Expenses

We’ll talk about some DIY publishing tasks in a bit, but I want to start by giving ideas on how to save on the areas in which you really should budget some money to produce a professional quality book.

How to Save on Editing

While you should spend money on a professional edit, you can save on editing services by delivering the cleanest copy of your manuscript possible. Here are some ways to do that:

  • Self-Edit Thoroughly: Self-editing not only reduces the amount of work your professional editor needs to do, but also lowers your overall costs. You won’t catch everything, but do the best you can read your manuscript to catch all the errors in spelling and grammar. Word and Google both offer basic spelling and grammar checks. Depending on the version of Word you use, there are other areas it can check your manuscript, such as Clarity (which will catch issues like passive voice), Conciseness, and Inclusivity (sensitivity elements). Before fancy editing tools, I usually did my edits by focusing on one revision task at a time through various passes of the book. For example, I’d focus on plot and story in pass 1, grammar/spelling in pass 2, filler words in pass 3, and so on.
  • Listen to Your Manuscript: Hank Philippe Ryan told me about how she listens to her manuscript during her edits. When you listen, the errors will stand out more than when you read. Word offers Read Aloud, which will read your manuscript. Google Docs offers verbalizing using a Chrome App like Chromvox. Or simply read out loud yourself.
  • Use Alpha Readers: While alpha readers don’t replace professional editors, they can help you refine your manuscript and reduce the number of revisions needed later on. Alpha readers read your story early on (as opposed to beta readers who read ARCs) to provide valuable feedback on your story, characters, and overall structure. They can help you identify plot holes, inconsistencies, and areas that need improvement, similar to a developmental editor.
  • Critique Partner: If you’re willing to read another author’s manuscript, find another author willing to swap manuscripts and provide editing feedback. This can be a cost-effective way to get another pair of eyes on your work.
  • Barter: If you know an editor and you have a skill they might need, consider bartering for services.
  • Look for newer editors: Experienced editors can usually charge more, whereas a new editor in the marketplace will sometimes charge less as way to jumpstart their business. With that said, try to find a new editor that has some experience. Using a resource like Upwork, you can find newer editors that also will have a few reviews.
  • Negotiate Payment Plans: Some editors may offer payment plans or be willing to negotiate their rates, especially if you’re a repeat client or can offer referrals. Don’t hesitate to discuss your budget constraints and see if there’s a way to make the cost more manageable. Just make sure you’re fair. Don’t ask editors to work for peanuts.

How to Save on Cover Design

There are many great design tools such as Canva or AI, but if you don’t understand graphic design, you really should hire a cover designer. Remember, as readers scroll through Amazon, the cover is what will have them stop and take a look, or pass on by.

Here are tips for saving on book cover design:

  • Develop your design concept. Check out this post on covers to learn more about what you need to consider when creating a cover. The clearer you are with your designer, the fewer the edits and lower the cost (most designers allow a couple of tweaks, but beyond that, they’ll charge). It can be helpful to share existing covers you like the help them understand what you’re going for.
  • Invest in Design Templates: Purchase pre-made cover design templates from sites like Creative Market or Etsy. These templates are created by professional designers and can be customized to fit your book’s theme and genre, providing a polished look at a fraction of the cost.
  • Hire a Designer with a Template Option: Many designers have pre-made templates that they can easily tweak to fit your needs. This is less expensive than if they create a design from scratch.
  • Hire Freelance Designers: Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork offer access to freelance designers who can create custom covers at various price points. Look for designers with good reviews and a portfolio that matches your vision. Freelancers often provide competitive rates compared to design agencies.
  • Negotiate Payment Plans: Some cover designers may offer payment plans or be willing to negotiate their rates, especially if you’re a repeat client or can offer referrals. My designer offers a discount for repeat customers or multiple orders. Don’t hesitate to discuss your budget constraints and see if there’s a way to make the cost more manageable. Just make sure you’re fair. Don’t ask designers to work for peanuts.
  • Check out GetCovers: I haven’t used this service, but I know many authors who have. You can get a basic cover for $10 and premium cover for $35.

Save on Email Lists

As you’re getting ready to publish, you should be marketing you book as well. Be sure to check out this post on How and When to Start Marketing Your Romance Book….hint…it’s before it’s published.

List Services

Systeme.io: Not only does Systeme.io have a free level for up to 2,000 subscribers, but you can use it as your website, sell books and merch, build a community, blog, and more. If I were starting today, Syteme.io is the option I’d use.

Mailerlite: Recently, I helped my sister set up her website and mailing list, and we started with MailChimp as it has a free option. BUT…that free option didn’t include an autoresponder, which is a crucial element to an email list. When someone signs up for your list, the list service needs to automatically send out a welcome email.

There were a couple more options, but we went with MailerLite because it’s free option offered up to 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 monthly emails (e.g. with 1000 subscribers you can send 12 emails a month, which is likely more than you need). Plus, it has landing pages, signup forms, and an autoresponder. Once you exceed 1,000 subscribers, you’ll have to pay.

Aweber: I’ve been with Aweber forever and have been happy with the service. It has a free option with landing page and autoresponder up to 500 subscribers. I’ll admit I’m biased, but that’s because I’ve been using it for a long time. It has great customer support, lots of tutorials and helpful articles, and is always adding new features.

Whatever you decide about your list service, pick one with a landing page feature. This will basically give you a “website” where readers can sign up for your email list until you decide to build a website. Here is a sample landing page I have for the 2023 WWH Preptober/Writevember Challenge. (NOTE: Don’t fill out the form on this page. This challenge is over for 2023. I’m just sharing it as an example of a landing page).

DIY Publishing Expenses

Below are some areas you can pay for, but you can DIY without too much impact on the quality of your book.

Formatting

Formatting your book is important, but if you’re willing to play around with your doc, and are careful to check your proofs, you can do this on your own. Formatting depends in part on where you intend to publish and what format. Kindlepreneur has an extensive multi-part tutorial on formatting.

If you’re wanting to use a tool to format, here are a few you can try:

Scrivener: This is a writing software, but it has an export option that will format your book. It’s a very affordable $59

Vellum: I bought a Mac laptop just to have this software because no PC alternative existed at the time (now there is, see below). This is spendy at $249.

Atticus: This is like Vellum but for PC, Mac, Chromebook and Linux. It has a few more bells and whistles (according to their comparison chart) at a lower cost ($147)

Publishing Ebooks

Luckily, most publishing platforms are “free” to use. I say free because you don’t have to spend money to publish your book. Instead, you “pay” out of book sales. For example, at Amazon KDP, you can get a 70% royalty from ebooks, which means Amazon keeps 30% when a book sells (there can be a few more fees depending on file size).

Publishing direct at other ebook retailers such as Nook, Kobo, iBooks, etc is free, or you can use Draft2Digital to publish at these and tons of other places (e.g. libraries and more), for free as well. Again, your cost comes from the sale of your book.

IngramSpark used to charge $49 for publishing, but it appears to have eliminated that fee. It does have a revision fee of $25 after 60 days (see full pricing info here-PDF). It will also distribute to various book retailers.

Publishing Print Books

Like ebooks, publishing print books through Amazon KDP is free to set up, and your cost comes from book sales. It will also include a free ISBN for print books.

IngramSpark, too, now offers free set up and free ISBN as well.

Bookvault offers a way to direct sell your books (e.g. from your own website) in a print-on-demand dropship method. It’s free to set up and your cost comes from book sales.

Lulu, like Bookvault also offers a a POD dropship book publishing service.

Other Areas to Save on Your Romance Publishing Budget

I mentioned that you should start marketing your book early, even before publishing. Here are free and low-cost ways to get the word out. Check out WWH’s post on 5-minute book marketing tasks, many of which are free.

Social Media: It’s free to join social media. All it takes is time. I like to use scheduling software tools to help me, which isn’t free, but can be helpful in automating some tasks. I use SocialBee because it will reschedule past posts for me and works with all the major platforms.

Email List Swaps: This is where you agree to share info about another author’s book or lead magnet in with your email list in exchange for them mentioning your book to their subscribers. You can find groups on Facebook that help arrange this (search romance author email swaps). Bookclicker offers a service to help with this as well. It’s free, although along with swaps you can buy space in a newsletter or sell space in yours. These can work well, but you’ll want to focus on finding like authors with similar list sizes for best results.

Marketing Content (graphics, videos, etc): Today, graphics and especially video get the most attention. Probably your best option for free graphic creation is Canva. You can get free graphics from Canva or stockphoto places like Pixabay.

Guest and Tours: This is a great free way to get in front of other author or book influencers’ readers. Visit blogs to see if they have author interview or guest posts. You can hire book tour/review service that can setup blog tours. Check out book podcasts or booktube for influencers who interview authors. Note, you shouldn’t have to pay to be on a podcast or show. You can also look at participating or hosting in author takeovers on social media. Find book influencers and see if they’ll mention or review your book. I’m looking at grabbing this deal at Appsumo for EezyCollab which will allow me to search for book influencers and reach out to them.

Events: I’m a big fan of events, but they can be expensive. You can end up spending close to $1000 for registration, travel, hotel and food. But there are ways to save on t his as well. The first is to check out virtual events which can be cheaper. Second, stick to local events to eliminate the cost of travel. Finally, find local free and low-cost opportunities. Libraries are a great place to talk about and sell your book for free. Search for local book festivals, which often have a table cost less than $50. Join a group of local authors and set up an event, splitting the costs (or see if the library will host you).

Time is Money

When it comes to being a low-budget author, you’ll need to invest time if you can’t invest money, and this is where things can get hard. You want to write your story, but you also need to make social media graphics and post them, hang out with your followers, reach out to bloggers and podcasters, and all the other bits that go into being an indie author (or an author in general).

As your income grows, look at ways to maximize your time and money. Are there tools to automate some of your work, such as social media? Hire a virtual assistant to help with busy work. Run ads (although watch them closely).

To scale up your author business without burnout, you’ll need to spend money, but you’ll want to do it strategically.

Do you have other ideas to help romance authors save in the writing, publishing, and marketing of their books? Let me know in the comments below.

How to Create a Eye-Catching Cover for Your Romance

How to Create a Eye-Catching Cover for Your Romance

July 23, 2024 in Blog, Marketing, Publishing

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While you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, for most readers, a book cover is often the first element of a book that causes a reader to stop and consider reading it.

I think one of the best ways to convey the importance of cover design is to take you through all the iterations of my book, Deadly Valentine. Initially, I made the cover, but as you can see, it’s not visually appealing.

Realizing how unprofessional the first cover looked, I found a cover designer to create a new cover using the same graphic. The first three books of the series had the same style with the title at the top, a graphic in the middle, and my name at the bottom.

But as the books sold, I discovered that romance readers were my primary buyers over mystery readers. I decided to recover the books (by now there were 6 books in the series), to create covers that would appeal to romance readers.

 

Now all the Valentine covers have the heart with the series name and number, my name, and title. What varies is the coloring, title, and the photo of the couple.

See what a difference a cover can make!

When developing the concept of your romance book cover, you’ll need to look at many of the same issues you do when picking your romance book title, including:

Who is your target market?

Ultimately, you want a book cover that will draw in your reader. What types of covers make them stop browsing to consider a book?

Explore popular romance covers

If your goal is to sell books, it always helps to research popular books in your romance subgenre. The best example of creating a cover based on what’s working in the marketplace are the bright colored illustrative covers on rom-coms. Readers who love rom-coms look for that style of cover.

Areas to look at include:

  • Colors: Are they dark or light or a mix?
  • Graphics: Is it a photo or illustration. Are they people or concept art?
  • Title: Is it long or short? Is it a pun?
  • Mood: A sweet romance usually has lighter colors whereas a dark romance has a dark cover.
  • How does it reflect the category in other ways? For example, a suspense will often have foreboding elements.
  • Where is the title and author name?
  • What is the typography? What font is used?
  • How does it reflect the books heat level? A bare-chested man usually suggests some spice.

Key Elements of a Romance Book Cover

Creating a captivating book cover for your romance novel involves focusing on a few key elements. Let’s break them down:

Title and Author Name

Think about the placement and font choices for your title and author name. Your title should be easy to read and ideally positioned at the top or center of the cover. Your author name can go below the title or at the bottom of the cover, depending on what looks best with your overall design. As a new author, it’s usually better to have the title up top and your author name at the bottom of the cover. But if you’re a well-known, well-sought after author, put your name at the top of the cover.

Imagery

Next up is the imagery. This is where you get to be really creative, while at the same time paying attention to the expectations of reader. Think about what visuals best represent your story. Are there characters you want to showcase? A beautiful landscape? Maybe some symbolic elements like a heart or a key? The imagery should give potential readers a hint about what to expect inside the book. For a romance novel, you might want to include images that evoke emotion and hint at the relationship dynamics.

Color Scheme

The colors you choose for your cover can have a huge impact. Different colors evoke different feelings. For instance, red and pink are often associated with passion and love, making them popular choices for romance covers. Blues and purples can give a sense of calm or mystery, depending on your story’s tone. Black and dark covers hint at darker elements, mystery, and suspense. Think about the mood you want to convey and pick a color scheme that enhances that feeling.

Typography

The fonts you choose can say a lot about your book. Serif fonts (the ones with little “feet” on the letters) tend to look more traditional and elegant, which might be perfect for a historical romance. Sans-serif fonts (without the “feet”) look cleaner and more modern, great for contemporary stories. Script fonts can add a touch of romance and whimsy, but be careful not to choose anything too hard to read. The key is to make sure your text is not only beautiful but also easy to read, even at a glance.

Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is all about making sure the most important elements on your cover stand out. Think of it as guiding your reader’s eye to the key information. Your title should be the first thing they see, followed by your name and any other crucial elements, like a tagline. Use size, color, and placement to create a natural flow. Larger fonts, contrasting colors, and strategic positioning can all help ensure that the important parts of your cover get noticed first.

Here is an example of color, font variation, and other elements.

Simplicity and Focus

Less is often more when it comes to book cover design. A clean, focused design is more likely to catch someone’s eye and make a strong impression. Stick to one or two main images and keep the text minimal and to the point. This will help maintain visual appeal and make your cover look professional.

Consistency with Brand

Your book cover should reflect your author brand and be consistent with any other books in your series. This helps build recognition and loyalty among your readers. Use similar color schemes, fonts, and imagery styles across your covers. If you’re writing a series, consider creating a template that you can modify for each book. This way, your covers will look cohesive when displayed together, whether on a digital platform or a bookstore shelf.

Here are the Southern Heat covers which showcase much of the above, as well as series brand and consistency.

Just for fun, here was the original cover for Drawn to Her, which I was afraid gave off a sweet romance vibe. The other covers were similar with different colors and graphic. I used them as the model for the new covers when I got my rights back from my publisher.

What To Avoid in Designing Your Cover

As you put together your cover concept, here are a few things to avoid.

Overly Complex Designs

It’s tempting to add lots of details and elements to your book cover, but this can actually detract from its overall impact. Too much detail can overwhelm potential readers and make it hard for them to focus on the main elements. Keep your design clean and focused. Choose one or two strong images and let them shine.

Inconsistent Imagery

Your book cover should be a visual representation of your story and its genre. Inconsistent or mismatched imagery can confuse potential readers and set the wrong expectations. For example, if your book is a contemporary romance, using historical or fantasy elements on the cover might not attract the right audience. Make sure your visuals are relevant and convey the correct mood and setting of your book.

Poor Readability

Your book cover needs to be legible, even in thumbnail size. Many readers will first see your cover as a small image online, so it’s crucial that your title and author name are easy to read. Avoid overly intricate fonts and make sure there is enough contrast between the text and the background. Test your cover in various sizes to ensure it remains clear and readable.

Ignoring Market Trends

The world of book covers, especially in the romance genre, is always evolving. The Bridgerton series has been recovered a few times, telling us that even the Big 5 pay attention to what readers like in covers.

Ignoring current market trends can make your book look outdated or out of place. Spend some time researching popular covers in your sub-genre. Notice the colors, fonts, and styles that are trending. While it’s important to be original, understanding and incorporating elements of what’s currently popular can help your book attract more readers.

Designing Your Book Cover

Considering how important a book cover is, you want to do all you can to have it look professional as well as attract its target reader. Here are your options for designing a book cover.

Professional Design

  • Pros: Professional designers bring expertise and creativity to the table. They understand design principles and market trends, and they can create a polished, high-quality cover that aligns with your vision.
  • Cons: Hiring a designer can be expensive, especially if you’re planning a series. You’ll need to communicate your ideas clearly and be prepared for a collaborative process.

Professional Templates

In this situation, a professional designer has a series of templates that it will modify it to suit your book.

  • Pros: Get a professional design but for less money.
  • Cons: Other authors can pay for the same template, which means they’ll have the same base cover just with a different title and author name.

Note, most professional designers will use stock photos, which means you may have a similar photo that another author uses. I’ve on occasion seen my photos on other covers. It doesn’t bother me too much because my designer makes the cover unique. But if you really want to be original, you can do as some other authors do and hire models. I’ve been to romance book events in which models are there!

DIY

  • Pros: Designing your cover yourself can save money and give you complete control over the creative process. There are many user-friendly tools available that make it easier than ever to create professional-looking covers.
  • Cons: DIY design requires time and effort to learn the necessary skills. The final product might not have the same level of polish as a professionally designed cover (see Deadly Valentine book 1), and it can be challenging to keep up with design trends and standards.

DIY Templates

In this situation, you can use a pre-made template and make adjustments on your own.

  • Pros: Get a basic cover design, which you can customize for an affordable price.
  • Cons: Similar to professional templates, other authors can use the same template.

NOTE: Many authors will make a cover mockup that they use while writing or to help the designer know what they want. Here is a mockup I have for my witchy cozy mystery idea during a NaNoWriMo. I used Canva for the cover and various graphics from the Canva art database. Many cozy mysteries have these cartoony covers, but when (if) this book gets written, I’ll hire a designer to make a professional cover. (To be honest, I might change to a rom-com and pitch it to a traditional publisher).

Tools and Resources for Covers

It’s time to create your cover! Here are tools and resources to help.

Finding a Designer

Look for designers with experience in creating book covers, especially in your genre. Check their portfolios to ensure their style aligns with your vision.

  • Ask other authors. I like this option the best since referrals are made by authors who are happy with their designer. If you belong to a writer group online or off, ask other authors who they used. Many authors thank their cover designers in the acknowledgement of their books, so you can look there if you see a cover you like.
  • Freelance sites. Fiverr and Upwork have freelance graphic and cover designers.
  • Template Bookcovers. Many cover designers offer templates they’ll tweak for you. I know one indie author course that recommends GetCovers for their students.

Working with Designers

Designers can’t read minds, so you’re going to need to get very clear on your design concept.

  • Communicate Your Vision: Be clear about what you want. Provide a detailed brief that includes information about your book’s genre, target audience, key themes, and any specific elements you want on the cover. This should include colors, photo ideas, and other elements. Share examples of covers you like and explain what you like about them.
  • Collaborate: Treat the process as a partnership. Be open to the designer’s ideas and feedback, and maintain open communication throughout the process. Provide timely feedback and be prepared for a few rounds of revisions to get everything just right.

DIY Cover Creation

If you decide to create your own book cover, there are several tools and resources that can help you achieve a professional look:

  • Canva: Canva is a popular, easy-to-use online design tool that offers templates specifically for book covers. It provides a wide range of fonts, images, and design elements.
  • Adobe Spark: Adobe Spark is another excellent tool for DIY designers. It offers powerful design features and templates, and it integrates seamlessly with other Adobe products.
  • Book Brush: Book Brush is designed specifically for authors. It provides templates, customizable cover designs, and marketing tools to help you create professional-looking covers quickly and easily.

These tools offer a variety of templates and customization options, making it easier for you to create a cover that suits your book and genre.

Formatting, Sizing, & Publishing

Once you’ve designed your book cover, it’s time to prepare it for publication. Here are some key steps to ensure your cover looks professional and meets the necessary requirements:

File Formats and Sizes

Different publishing platforms have specific requirements for file formats and sizes. If you’re working with a designer, they’ll know what you need in terms of size and format. If you’re DIYing your cover, here’s what you need to know.

  • Amazon KDP: For Kindle eBooks, Amazon KDP recommends a JPEG or TIFF file with a minimum resolution of 300 DPI (dots per inch). The ideal size for eBook covers is 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. For print books, you’ll need a PDF file that includes the front cover, back cover, and spine, with dimensions based on your book’s trim size, page count, and paper color. Here is Amazon’s print cover size calculator.
  • Barnes & Noble: For NOOK eBooks, use a JPEG file with a minimum resolution of 300 DPI. The recommended size is 2,500 pixels on the longest side. For print books, submit a PDF file similar to Amazon KDP, adjusted for Barnes & Noble’s specific trim sizes.
  • Other Platforms: Check the specific guidelines for other platforms like Apple Books, Kobo, and IngramSpark. They typically have similar requirements, but it’s always best to verify the details to ensure your cover meets their standards.

Print vs. Digital

Designing for print and digital covers involves different considerations:

  • Print Covers: When designing for print, you need to account for the front cover, back cover, and spine. Ensure that the colors are in CMYK format, which is used for printing, and that you leave enough bleed (extra space around the edges) to avoid any white borders after trimming. Also, consider how your design will look in physical form—fonts should be clear and readable, and images should be high resolution to avoid pixelation.
  • Digital Covers: Digital covers are usually viewed on screens, so use the RGB color format. Your design should look good in both full size and thumbnail size, as readers will often see a small version of your cover first. Focus on making the title and key elements stand out even when the cover is shrunk down.

Uploading and Checking Quality

After preparing your cover files, it’s time to upload them to your chosen platform. Here are some tips to ensure everything looks great:

  • Upload the File: Follow the platform’s instructions to upload your cover file. Double-check that you’re using the correct file format and size.
  • Preview the Cover: Most platforms provide a preview tool that lets you see how your cover will look on different devices and in print. Use this tool to check for any issues, such as text cut-off or low-resolution images.
  • Quality Check: Look at your cover on various devices, including phones, tablets, and computers. Ensure that the text is readable and the images are clear at different sizes. For print covers, order a proof copy to see how the cover looks in physical form and make any necessary adjustments before finalizing.
  • Make Adjustments: If you notice any problems during the preview or proofing stage, go back to your design file and make the needed adjustments. Re-upload the corrected file and check it again.

There is the quick and dirty on cover design. Do you have other thoughts or questions? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

 

How to Title Your Romance Book

How to Title Your Romance Book

July 16, 2024 in Blog, Marketing, Publishing, Writing Romance

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How do readers decide what to read?

The first three things they look at are title, cover, and description. Each of these are important to grab attention of the reader.

Coming up with a catchy title is key to standing out. Your title should capture the heart of your story and match what readers expect. But finding the right title for your book is more challenging that you might think.

Here we’ll cover what you should consider when titling your book, as well as tips on how to generate title ideas.

Choosing a Romance Book Title

There are a variety of options when it comes to developing your book title. Below are a variety of strategies you can use to help you craft a title that captures the attention of readers.

Explore Popular Romance Title Trends and Tropes

Romance novel titles are key to drawing in readers. By knowing what’s popular, you can make titles that speak to your audience. Some “trends” to consider are things like:

  1. One-word short and catchy titles, like “Obsessed,” “Passion,” or “Enchanted.”
  2. Tropey titles like The Grumpy Billionaire’s Mafia Princess or Damaged Billionaire Single Dad
  3. Character titles that use the main character’s name or job, such as The Duke and I, or Taming Mr. Walker, or Pucking Around.
  4. Mood setting titles such as Haunting Adeline or Spark of the Everflame
  5. Titles with place names, such as Montana Sky or Beachy Keen

Reflect Your Story’s Category

Your title should give readers a sneak peek at what’s inside. Think about the main themes, characters, or settings in your story. Is it a passionate historical romance or a modern love story? Use words that reflect these elements. Here are a few titles that suggest the books romance category:

  • The Liar (romantic suspense)
  • Quicksilver (romantasy)
  • The Duke and I (historical)
  • Dark Witch (paranormal)
  • The Hating Game (rom com)

Consider Your Book’s Heat Level and Tone

Some titles, along with the cover, can hint at whether it’s sweet or spicy, or light or dark. Stuck With My Damaged Bosshole is likely a spicy, written-to-market office romance. The Beach House is clean and cozy. 

Of course, this isn’t always the case. Meant to Be is a title used on many books (including one of my own), and those books range from sweet to spicy. The thing to consider is whether your title might lead a reader to think one or the other. For example, in the Clean & Wholesome category, there is a book called Whoops I Married the Wrong Brother. It’s royal romance that sounds cute, but the cover and title hint at a little spice, in my opinion.

When my series Southern Heat first released with the now defunct Penner Press, I was concerned the covers gave a sweet vibe that would annoy readers when they discovered the spice. When I got my rights back, I made sure the covers better reflected the content of the books. Now of course, we’re talking covers here, but covers and title work together.

    VS     

Hint at Conflict or Mystery

Add tension to your title to make readers curious. The Duke’s Secret or One Last Chance suggests challenges the characters face. This makes readers want to know what happens next.

Appeal to Your Target Audience

Know who you’re writing for. Different romance subgenres have different tastes. The challenge of this is that tastes can change (e.g. sexy bare-chested men vs cutesy cartoonish covers). Some readers might be drawn to tropey titles (e.g. The Grumpy Billionaire’s Mafia Princess) and others aren’t. 

Make Your Title Easy to Remember

A title that sticks in people’s minds is key to spreading the word. Aim for titles with three to five words for romance novels. When thinking of romance titles, try using alliteration, rhyme, or wordplay, like A Scot in the Dark, Cold Hearted Rake, or The Honey Don’t List.

Incorporate Keywords for Better Discoverability

Admittedly, this can lead to tropey titles, which you may or may not like. But when it comes to attracting readers who are scanning an Amazon list of results, titles that speak to what they like will make them stop scanning.

Think about the words that highlight your story’s category, tropes, themes, settings, or characters. Many hockey romances use the word “puck” such as Pucking Around, as an example of this. Other stories have “Boss” or “Single Dad”, or other tropes.

When naming your book, mix keywords with creativity. Your title should be catchy and appealing. At the same time, don’t overdo it with keywords as it can make your book sound like a boring category listing rather than a title.

Leverage Subtitles

Subtitles can be the solution if you don’t want a tropey title like The Grumpy Billionaire Single Dad’s Sunshine Nanny. They let you add more interest and make your book’s theme clear. Many indie authors today have their tropes in the subtitle to help readers identify what the book is about. For example, Hateful Games: An arranged marriage billionaire romance or Loving Romeo: A Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Sports Romance. 

Subtitles can suggest the story’s setting, time period, or a special twist. For instance, All Duke and Bothered: An addictive enemies to lovers, arranged marriage regency romance with Beauty and the Beast vibe.

Remember to keep your subtitle short and clear. Aim for 3-7 words that pack a punch. Here’s a quick guide to crafting effective subtitles:

  • Use vivid language that evokes emotion
  • Include keywords relevant to your romance subgenre
  • Avoid clichés and overused phrases
  • Ensure it complements your main title without repeating it

Think About How the Title Will Look on the Cover

Your romance book’s title and cover design work together to grab readers’ attention. When thinking of title ideas, imagine how it will look on the cover. Consider the font styles, sizes, and colors that could enhance your title. A short, catchy title can be displayed in a larger size, making it easier to see in small images online.

You might want to work with your cover designer from the start. Share your title ideas and get their feedback. They might suggest changes that make your title stand out.

Consider Other Books in Your Book’s Series

If this book is in an existing series, look for title names that fit with the rest of the books. For example, in my Valentine time mysteries, there is always a play on love and death in the title… Deadly Valentine, Old Flames Never Die, With This Ring I Thee Kill, and so on. My romance series all have 3-word titles: Drawn to Her, Meant to Be, Wed To You.

Lucy Score’s Knockabout books all start with “Things We” (e.g. Things We Never Got Over). Sarah J. Maas ACOTAR series all start with “A Court Of (e.g. A Court of Thorns and Roses). Sadie Kincaid’s books all have the main male character’s name as the title (e.g. Dante, Joey, and Lorenzo)

Test Your Title with Potential Readers

Before you settle on a title, get feedback from your target audience. Share your top picks with beta readers, writing groups, or on social media. Ask which title they like best and why. This feedback can really help you pick a title that connects with your readers.

What Not to Do

As you start drafting your titles, here are some things you should avoid.

  • Avoid Overly Complex Titles – Make your romance book title simple and clear. Complex titles can confuse people and make your book hard to find. Go for a title that’s easy to read, say, and remember. For instance, “Moonlit Kisses” is better than “The Intricate Tapestry of Nocturnal Romantic Encounters”.
  • Steer Clear of Clichés and Overused Phrases – Romance readers have seen it all. Avoid titles like “Love’s Embrace” or “Passionate Nights.” These worn-out phrases won’t make your book stand out. Instead, aim for fresh, unique titles that capture your story’s essence.
  • Skip Similar Titles to Existing Books – Titles aren’t copyrightable, but to avoid confusion by readers, it’s better to choose a title that doesn’t already exist. You don’t want your readers buying the book with the same title by another author. Before settling on a title, do a quick search for it on Amazon.
  • Consider Cultural Sensitivities and Double Meanings – Be mindful of potential cultural misunderstandings or unintended double meanings when choosing romance book titles. What sounds romantic in one culture might be offensive in another. It’s wise to run your title by beta readers from diverse backgrounds to catch any issues.

Coming Up with Title Ideas

You may already know all the above, but still struggle to find the perfect title for your romance novel. Here are some tips to help you get ideas:

  • Write down elements of your novel (e.g. tropes, character types, location, etc) as well as theme, words that evoke the mood, and whatever else can represent your book, and then make different titles similar to magnet poetry. Move words around. Add some. Take some away.
  • Ask your reader or writer group for help. I do this a lot, especially as one of my series grows.
  • Brainstorm by writing down a bunch of title ideas
  • Use a book title generator. Reedsy, Bookraid, and Editpad ask for input about your books and then provide book title ideas.
  • Use ChatGPT to give you a list of ideas based on information you provide about your stories premise and summary, tropes or themes, romance category, and characters. This can be more helpful than the book title generators, as you can provide more details for the AI to consider.

Do you have other thoughts about titling romance novels? Let me know in the comments below.

When and How to Start Marketing Your Romance Book

When and How to Start Marketing Your Romance Book

July 9, 2024 in Blog

Table of Contents

On a recent WWH member call, the question of when to start marketing your book came up. The short answer I always give is NOW. It’s never too early to talk about your book.

But how do you market something that isn’t finished? In this post, we’ll cover why and how you should start marketing your book the minute you decide to write it.

 

The Importance of Early Book Marketing

The biggest reason to market your book early is to insure you have buyers on the day of publication.

Using presale setup with online retailers, you can build book sales even before it is released. But even if your book is a year or more out from publishing, promoting your book during the writing process builds awareness and excitement among your audience. This leads to more pre-orders and strong sales when your book is released.

Second, once your book is published, you have a new author hat to wear; marketers. Starting your marketing early will help you develop the strategies and routine you’ll need to do both; write and sell books.

Building your author platform early helps you:

  • Establish your brand as an author
  • Grow a loyal fanbase
  • Create networking opportunities
  • Develop marketing skills

Building Your Author Platform

What is an author platform?

My favorite definition of author platform is from Jane Friedman, who describes author platform as the representation of your authorityvisibility, and reach to a target market. What does that mean?

  • Authority has to do with how much influence you have.
  • Visibility and reach represents the number of people who know and listen to you.
  • Your target market is your most likely reader.

Your goal in platform building is to increase your influence and reach to your readers, and yes, you can start building it before your book is finished.

First Steps to Building Your Author Platform

author marketing plate spinningAdmittedly, there are many moving parts to building and maintaining an author platform. It feels like plate spinning to me. The very basics should include:

  • Author website: Your website is your main online spot. I like to call it a hub as everything you do should lead back to it, and it leads to all the other things (books, social, etc). Today, while there is a bit of a learning curve to making a website, you don’t need to be tech-minded. If you can drag and drop, and know how to use Word or Google Docs, you can build a website. If you want, you can add a blog to your website, which can be a fun why to keep your target market informed. Need blog post ideas? Here’s an article with 90+ ideas on blog posts.
  • Email List: Yes, social media is free, but email is the king of building your fan list and having sales each time you launch book. It takes no commitment to follow or like on social media. Plus social platforms may or may not feed your messages to your followers. But when someone signs up for your email, they’ve raised their hand and said, “Please send me information about you and your books.” Plus you own it. You’re not at the whims of an algorithm or bot. For ideas on what to send, check out this post on 18 Effective Email Ideas for Romance Authors
  • Social media: Social platforms let you talk directly with fans. The key to success at social media for your author platform is to pick platforms where your readers are.
Platform ElementPurposeKey Features
Author WebsiteCentral hub for informationAbout page, book details, blog
Email ListDirect communicationSignup incentive, exclusives or early access, specials, ARC readers, regular newsletters
Social MediaDirect reader engagementWriting updates, teasers, industry news

 

Next Steps to Author Platform Building

I view marketing as a wheel. At the center is your website (hub), and everything else is interconnected spokes. Once you have your foundation set up (website, email, social), you can reach out and invite people back to your hub. This involves social media, but I’d encourage you to start including networking and writer/reader events.

Networking

For Networking, join writing groups in your community and/or online. Consider joining general writing communities, as well as those that are genre specific.

Join online groups as well. Here you can gain a lot of information about the industry, tips, support, and more.

Join reader groups to gain insight into what readers are looking for in your genre and building relationships with them. (Note: don’t spam groups with Buy My Book).

Visit book bloggers, Booktubers and Booktokers that talk about your type of book. Learn how they talk about books and how you can reach out to them for a possible review or mention when your book is ready.

Events

I cannot overemphasize how much you can gain from events, including:

  • Information and education
  • Networking (I found a publisher and an agent through event networking)
  • Inspiration, motivation, and support
  • Glean ideas (swag, banners, etc)
  • Meet other writers and readers

As you get closer to publishing, you’ll want to include the other spokes, making sure your hub information is in your book, doing outreach to be a guest on podcasts and other media.

Marketing Wheel (copyright Moxie Vie Media, LLC)
(c) Moxie Vie Media, LLC

The spokes:

2) Your books. Whether you’re self-published or traditionally published, include your hub website URL in your books. This makes it easy for readers to find your other books, as well as to learn more about you, your events, and engage with you on social media.

3) Social/Community. Today, consumers like to engage with businesses, including authors. Members of your community will not only buy your books, but if they like them, will leave reviews and tell others about them, which will increase your authority, and expand your reach and influence. Growing a community includes engaging in social media, building an email list, and organizing a street team.

4) Media/PR. Being featured in the media boosts your credibility and expands your exposure and influence. Your website (hub) should include a media kit with your bio and information about your books. Send press releases to media outlets targeting your reader market when your book is ready to launch or has a tie-in to news. Don’t forget to include a link to your online media kit. Consider signing up to receive the HARO report (Help A Reporter Out), which emails media requests for guests, experts, and interviewees on a variety of topics.

5) Outreach. Authors can’t rely on Amazon or sending a press release to generate interest in their books. They need to reach out to resources that are designed for their specific reader market. The advantage of outreach is that it’s free and effective at building authority, while also expanding your reach. Outreach methods involve reaching out to bloggers for articles or author interviews, guesting on podcasts, and engaging in groups and forums. Offline outreach involves submitting articles to print media and attending reader-focused groups or meetings.

6) Events. Success as an author requires getting out and mingling with other writers and readers. Every author should attend workshops, seminars or conferences geared toward writers and readers each year. Once you have a book published, try to attend events as an author speaker or panelist, or pay to have a table from which to sell and sign your books. This will boost your book sales. I sell way more books at events I speak at than if I don’t speak or sit on a panel. Other places to set up events include libraries and organizations that target your ideal reader. Consider participating in online events, such as a blog or podcast tours, or hosting or being an author guest at a Facebook book party.

 

Platform Building Plan for New Authors

We’ve already established the foundation for platform building and next steps once your book is ready to launch. But let’s break that down into your phases of writing.

Pre-writing Phase: Research and Planning

Begin your marketing journey before you write your first word. Find out who your readers will be, look at what’s popular in your genre, and figure out what makes your book special. This is especially important if you plan to write-to-market. But even if you’re not focused on writing-to-market, knowing the market can be helpful in understanding how to make your book appeal to readers.

  • Identify your ideal readers
  • Study successful books in your genre
  • Develop a marketing budget

During the Writing Process: Building Anticipation

While you’re writing, start building excitement for your book. Start by creating a marketing calendar (this post includes ideas, plus you can use many of the 90+ ideas on blog posts for social media and email as well). You find other marketing ideas here: Boost Your Book’s Visability: 30 Five Minute Marketing Tasks.

During this stage, gather reader attention by sharing tidbits from your WIP, research, and other content that will appeal to them. If you’re writing a sweet cowboy romance, include snippets of writing, pictures of handsome cowboys, and things you’ve learned about living on a ranch. I wrote a book once that involved an engagement ring people were willing to kill for to obtain. I researched the Hope Diamond, which had just been determined to be a cutting from the French Blue, lost after the French Revolution. I shared that information on social media, blog, and email.

You can share behind the scenes or trips you make that might represent the location of your story. You can do polls related to something in your story. I’ve done polls on best romantic couple and top chocolate.

TIP: Many new authors will post about writing itself. While this isn’t bad, your goal is to appeal to readers, not other writers. So focus on what your ideal reader would be interested in knowing about.

Post-completion: Ramping Up Promotional Efforts

After you finish writing, boost your marketing efforts. Start a big promotional campaign that includes social media, book signings, and reaching out to the media (check the marketing wheel above). Push presales. Set up online and in-person launch events. Reach out for podcast or other media interviews. Keep posting per your marketing calendar.

Remember, marketing doesn’t stop after your book is out. Keep promoting it well after it’s released.

Marketing PhaseKey Activities
Pre-writingMarket research, audience identification, strategy planning
WritingTeaser content, progress updates, engaging with potential readers
Post-completionBook launch events, media interviews, ongoing promotional campaigns

Keep On Keepin’ On

Along with building a ready-to-buy fan base, starting your marketing early will help you develop a marketing routine. Marketing takes time. It will be easier for you to ease into it, test different options, and create a routine that works, so when your book comes out, you’re not running around like a crazy person trying to be in all places at once.

Once your book is out, it’s time to get ready for the next book, while still keeping eyes on the published book. Remember when I said marketing is like plate spinning? This is where that comes in the most. You have to keep pushing your backlist, while also hyping new releases. Starting now to figure out how you’ll do that will make the process easier as your author platform grows.

Organize Your Book Project in One Place

Organizing a Romance Novel Writing ProjectThe Romance Author’s Novel Organizer helps you keep track of your book from idea to sales, including an entire section on marketing:

  • Tips for building your author platform
  • A content cheat sheet
  • Content ideas
  • Book launch checklist
  • 12-Month Calendar to organize your marketing tasks.

You can get immediate access to a PDF digital version of the Romance Author’s Novel Organizer from my shop or order a print copy from Amazon

Do you have other tips or ideas for when and how to market your book as a new author? Let me know in the comments below. 

12 Tips to Writing Believable Dialogue in Romance Novels

12 Tips to Writing Believable Dialogue in Romance Novels

June 18, 2024 in Blog, Writing Romance

On the surface, writing dialogue should be an easy aspect of writing romance fiction. After all, we know how to talk, right?

However, writing good, effective dialogue involves more than writing a conversation between characters. Like all other elements of your story, it needs to serve a purpose. It also should sound believable, while at the same time be coherent.

What is the point of dialogue in fiction?

Romance novels tell of people who meet, fall in love, struggle to overcome obstacles, and finally find their HEA. For that to happen, they need to talk to each other from time to time. But dialogue is so much more than a conversation.

1. Dialogue is action. It can create conflict and tension, and helps drive the story plot forward.

2. Dialogue reveals character. How characters talk and what they say reflect their past and present. It speaks to where and how they grew up, what they believe, their goals, fears, etc.

3. Dialogue delivers information. Note that the information delivered may not always be accurate. The speaking character may be unreliable, deceptive, or intentionally vague.

4. Dialogue supports the setting. How characters talk and what they talk about helps establish the setting, including time and place, social norms, locations, etc. For example, the characters in a regency era palace setting up an arranged marriage will converse differently than the characters in a modern day office environment setting up a fake relationship.

12 Tips to Writing Great Dialogue

Now that you know the point of dialogue, how do you write it so that it serves your romance story? Here are 12 tips:

1) Determine the purpose of the conversation

You want to avoid having people talk simply for the sake of conversing or break up long narrative. I’ve read manuscripts in which there are conversations (and actions) that don’t serve any purpose. Often this happens because the writer is simply trying to get from one point in time to another. But readers don’t need an account of every second of every day. For example, when characters are introduced, you don’t have to go through the entire process of the introduction and small talk. You can write that as exposition (it’s one time when telling is better than showing).

Instead, dialogue should serve the purpose of the scene. If you’re writing the inciting event, dialogue should support the decision the characters are making in that moment.

Dialogue can also reveal something about the character. In Pride and Prejudice, there is a scene at Lady Catherine’s home where Darcy tells Elizabeth that he’s not very good in social situations. To me, that line tells us all we need to understand Darcy—he’s shy and has social anxiety. Her response, he should practice more, tells us about her irreverent personality.

2. Write how people talk.

In high school English, you’re taught not to use contractions and instead to write formally. But people don’t talk formally (unless they do in your setting or genre). They use contractions, pause, hem and haw, and use slang.

Dialogue should reflect the reality of where your character is from (place and time), their mood, and age. For example, an angry person might be loud or terse. Or, depending on the character, withdrawn. Children and teenagers speak differently than adults.

BONUS TIP: Your characters should also think how they talk. If you have inner dialogue, it should reflect how they speak.

3. Don’t write EXACTLY how people talk.

Yes, I understand this contradicts #2, but your goal is to be realistic without slowing down the story or annoying your reader. Adding “uh,” “well,” “um,” that people use in real life is difficult to read.

For example, compare:

“Well, I… ah…I guess maybe…ah…maybe I should go.”

Versus

“I guess maybe I should go.”

Both express hesitancy or uncertainty, which is your goal. There’s no reason to use eleven words if six will do.

When adding pauses (ahs and ums), use them for effect instead of in the course of a regular conversation.

4. Don’t write monologues.

Long-winded characters detract and can pull readers out of the story. In many cases, characters talk too much for too long to provide information. While information dumps aren’t necessarily bad, they don’t work as a single long-monologue.

Instead, break up the monologue with a conversation or action. How does the other person respond to the information? Let person two ask questions or have the speaker (if it’s their POV) consider the reaction of the listener, or vise versa (if it’s the listener’s pov, have them think about the speaker).

Finally, consider that many times less is more. One of my pet peeves in romances is that at the end of the story, one or both of the protagonists gush out all their feelings, which feels out of character to me. They’ve spent the entire book keeping their feelings to themselves and suddenly the words flow like a tidal wave.

While they certainly need to express their feelings, they don’t need to be long-winded. They’re still the same people. Love doesn’t automatically make someone gush with sentiment.

Characters might need to push themselves to reveal feelings, but they still must do it within the constraints of their normal ways of behaving.

5. Skip the pleasantries.

I mentioned this above, but it’s worth mentioning again (I just read two books that did this). You’re told to show, not tell in writing, but sometimes you want to tell to skip unimportant or boring stuff. For example, when two people meet, you can skip the “Hi, how are you?” “Nice to meet you,” etc, unless it serves a purpose beyond an introduction. For example, if the couple is being introduced and the night before they had a one-night stand, you might have an introduction with hellos and nice to meet yous, but there will be subtext of discomfort or surprise or worry.

6. Limit dialogue tags.

Reducing dialogue tags (e.g. he said) is one of the easiest ways to beef up the quality of your writing. By limit, I suggest you avoid them as much as possible. It can be difficult if there are more than two people in the conversation, but dialogue tags pull readers out of the story because dialogues are telling. Instead, use action or description to identify who’s speaking.

For example:

“I hate you, Sam,” June said angrily.

“Really?” Sam asked in surprise.

Versus

“I hate you.” June’s hands fisted at her sides.

“Really?” Sam’s brows lifted.

June’s fisted hands suggest anger, and Sam’s raised brows show surprise. Now, instead of being told how June and Sam are feeling, we can “see” it and feel it.

Many authors use a dialogue tag with action, in which case, you can remove the tag. For example:

“I hate you, Sam,” June said, as she threw her glass at him.

Versus

“I hate you, Sam!” June threw her glass at him.

If you do use dialogue tags, stick with “said.” Occasionally you can use similar tags to “asked,” “yelled,”  or “muttered,” but avoid getting too creative. Avoid tags like opined, retorted, etc.

Here is an interesting article on dialogue tags from Jane Friedman’s blog. The author of the article points out an important trouble spot for many authors is using dialogue tag that aren’t acts of speech. For example, “smiled,” “laughed,” “sneered.” Romance authors in particular use these types of tags, usually in the form of breath or sighs. I suspect most readers are okay with that, but for tighter prose that shows instead of tells, you can rewrite those sentences so that these words are illustrative instead of telling.

7. Be careful when using dialect.

I love books set in Louisiana. I enjoy the cajun language, culture, history, etc. However, when all cajun dialogue is written phonetically, I find it difficult to read. It’s like reading old English. You have to slow down and try to figure out what the words mean.

My series, Southern Heat, takes place in the south and part of what creates the setting is how people talk. However, I don’t drop every -g from -ing words (e.g. fixin’). Choice of words and sentence organization can go a long way to convey a character’s dialect without having the reader sound out the words.

Yes, in the south, y’all and bless your heart are common phrases, but there are other expressions or turns of phrases that differ from other parts of the country that can highlight the southern dialect without phonetically writing. For example, in the south we “cut on” (or off) the lights versus turn on/off. We cut the grass, not mow it. I have a friend from New York who says she stands “on line” (like in a queue) whereas I’d say “in line.” Some areas of the country say “soda” while others say “pop”.

8. Give characters distinct voices.

There’s a writer in my critique group that has a very distinctive writing voice. When he writes, though, nearly all his characters have that same voice (his voice), which makes them blend together.

As I mentioned above, dialogue can reveal character. The words they choose and how they talk tells the reader about the person. This can include dialect and slang, but also tone and pace. The strong silent type says a lot in a few words. A babbler uses a lot of words to say very little.

9. Speak without speaking

I’ve already mentioned limiting dialogue tags and using action to identify the speaker. However, sometimes no words are needed. One of my favorite books is Persuasion by Jane Austen. During the course of the book, Captain Wentworth, still hurt from Anne’s rejection years before, hardly acknowledges her, much less talks to her, and yet, during the story, we slowly see him rekindling his feelings towards her. Glances, gestures, and other non-verbal cues can say as much, if not more, than words.

One way to get a sense of this is watching movies. In Forest Gump, when he learns he’s a father, the expression on his face reveals everything going on inside him emotionally. Awe. Surprise. Concern. Tom Hanks won the Oscar in that moment (in my opinion).

The challenge for writers is to convey all that with words so that readers can see and feel it.

10. Balance dialogue with narrative.

An author recently shared with me that they found the dialogue in a book they were reading exhausting. While all readers differ in their experiences of books, it is important to remember that dialogue is action and sometimes readers need a break. You’re not writing a screenplay, so you want to break up dialogue with narrative. It can be action (e.g. taking a sip of their drink) or a thought. It could be an awkward silence or interruption.

Sure there are times when banter or rapid-fire dialogue is needed, but there’s a limit at which readers also need a moment to catch their breath.

11. Fit dialogue with the tone/mood of your book.

If you’re writing a sweet romance, there shouldn’t be swear words. And, if appropriate for your book, be purposeful in your use of swear words. Too much and it could get annoying.

If your book is a romcom, there should be a light tone and lots of banter. A dark romance can have banter too, but the overall tone of the book will be foreboding.

12. Read your dialogue out loud.

Saying your dialogue out loud will help you hear how your character sounds. If you stumble while reading it or it sounds awkward, then you know it’s not quite right. In fact, consider dictating for the most realistic sounding dialogue.

 

Do you have other tips for writing great dialogue in romance fiction? Share it in the comments below.

How to Write an Author Bio for New and Established Authors

How to Write an Author Bio for New and Established Authors

June 11, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

Table of Contents

Who are you and why should I read your book? That’s what your author bio needs to answer.

Your author bio acts as your introduction. It shows your credibility, shares your story, and entices people to read your book. It seems straightforward, but crafting a compelling bio takes some thought and creativity.

Understand the Purpose of an Author Bio

Your author bio does four main things. It provides:

  1. Credibility – This can include anything from being a best-selling author to winning an award to the number of books you’ve written. As a new author, this is what you’re hoping to build.
  2. Authority – This goes in hand with credibility, but authority has more to do with your expertise and experience.
  3. Personal story (about you) – Who you are and why you write.
  4. Target market appeal – Why readers should be interested in the books you write.

Where to Use Your Bio

Author bios are used in a variety of areas.

  1. About page in your books
  2. About page on your website
  3. About section of media kit
  4. Short bio for event programs
  5. Short bio for social media
  6. Short bio for email signature lines

The Elements of a Well-Crafted Author Bio

In a moment, we’ll walk through how to write your author bio. For now, let’s go over the elements of an effective author bio.

  1. Stick to 60 to 100 words. Longer bios can be used on your website or in your books, but don’t make this a tome.
  2. Write in third person (he/she/they)
  3. Tout your accomplishments without bragging
  4. Have a tone that fits your books’ tone (e.g. if you write rom-com your bio should be humorous)
  5. Give a call to action, such as your website
  6. Be interesting

Preparing to Write Your Author Bio

Before sitting down and writing your bio, pull together the following information:

  1. Who is your target reader?
  2. What are your achievements? If you’re a new writer, you won’t have best-seller status or awards, but you can be creative in giving your accolades.
  3. List interesting factoids about you that might intrigue your target reader.
  4. Decide your call to action.

How to Write Your Author Bio

With your notes from you prep-session, you can begin to draft your author bio.

Start with a Captivating Introduction

You’ve probably heard about writing a “hook”. Hooks are used everywhere in writing because they’re the opening that captures a reader’s interest whether it’s the book’s description, opening line, or the author bio.

Begin your author bio with a powerful intro to grab attention. Highlight key facts like your latest book’s title or genre. Or share something interesting about you. If you have a big achievement, lead with that.

Here is Meghan Quinn’s opening line from her Amazon bio:

#1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover.

Here is sweet romance author Elena Johnson’s opening line:

USA Today bestseller Elana Johnson writes adult contemporary beach romance.

Here is my opening line:

Jenna Harte is a die-hard romantic, writing about characters who are passionate about and committed to each other, and frequently getting into trouble. 

Add Relevant Credentials and Achievements

Show off your expertise next. Talk about your awards, bestseller status, or other achievements. This proves you know your stuff. It builds trust with readers, making them more likely to select your book.

Remember that if you’re a new author, you may not have the bestseller status, but “relevant” can include anything that would intrigue your target market. For example, if you’ve set your book in the southwest of the U.S. and that’s where you live, include that. If you’re protagonist is a lawyer just like you, include that.

In the examples above, both Meghan and Elena included credibility in their opening lines. But here is Elena’s second line, that adds more achievement:

She is the author of over 130 books across two names, and there’s nothing better than sun, sand, and swoon-worthy kisses! 

Here is mine:

She is the author of the Valentine Mysteries, the first of which, “Deadly Valentine,” reached the quarter-finals in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013. 

Share Personal Details to Create Relatability

Share your hobbies or fun factoids about you. This helps you stand out from others and makes your bio stick in readers’ minds. They’ll feel a closer bond with you as an author. In Meghan’s bio, she talks about being an adoptive mother and her love of peanut butter.

Tell ‘Em What to Do Next

End your bio with information on how they can learn more about you. The best option is to include your website where you’ll have all your books and social links in one spot.

Let It Sit

Once you’ve written your draft, leave it alone for a day or so. Come back to it with fresh eyes and determine:

  1. Does it include all the info it should?
  2. Is it interesting?
  3. Does it fit with your desired author brand (e.g. if your books are quirky, is your bio quirky too)?
  4. Is it too long?

Keep Your Author Bio Up-To-Date

Admittedly, I’m terrible at this. Do as I say, and not as I do. Put on your calendar once a year or so to review your bio on your website, social media, Amazon and other retailer author pages, and your books.

Multiple Author Bios

It is possible you’ll need different bios depending on where they’re being published or the target reader if you write beyond one genre or sub-genre. Here are some tips for author bio variations:

Optimize Online Bios: For your website, and other online postings, you’ll want to make sure your author bio stands out for search engines by adding keywords your target reader might use. Use terms like “romance author,” “love stories,” and other genres you write. By doing this, more readers searching for romance books will find you.

Hyperlink to Website, Books, Etc Online: Include a hyperlink (readers can click on text) to your website for online author bios. You can also include links to your books or other profiles, but be careful not to overdo it. Less is usually more when it comes to links in author bios.

NO FULL URLS on AMAZON: You’ll find many authors who have their websites or social media URL’s listed, but they were created before Amazon enacted a new TOS that says you can’t have websites in your author bio. You’ll need to fudge it a bit by having your URL written with “dot com”. For example, JennaHarte dot com.

Write Out Website URL in Offline Bios: Author bios that will be in print books, event programs, and other offline publications should have your website URL written out (not hyperlinked). For example, JennaHarte.com.

Focus on the Target Reader: When I go to mystery book events, I lead with my cozy and romantic-mystery books, usually leaving off information about my romances. However, at romance events, I lead with my romances.

List Series, Not Books (if you have a lot of publishing credits): In both Meghan Quinn and Elena Johnson’s bios, they don’t list books or series at all because they have too many. But if you don’t have many books under your belt, you can provide titles initially, but as your backlist grows, you’ll want to focus on series name. As that grows, you can focus on your genre/subgenre, as Meghan and Elena do.

Examples of Author Bios

Pull out the books on your shelves or in your e-reader and see what other authors have written. As you read them, decide if it’s interesting or boring. Is it too long or do you wish you knew more? Make note of the ones that appeal the most and figure out why that is.

Here are a couple of author bios to check out (these are from their Amazon Author Pages):

Debut Paranormal Romance Author Gin Griffith:

The real world is boring. Gin prefers the realm of fantasy, where heroes smolder, heroines kick ass, magic is real, and love conquers all.

When she’s not writing paranormal romance, she’s usually reading it. Otherwise, you can find her singing in her modern-vintage lounge band, enjoying good food and cocktails, or training to be a superhero in her home gym.

​She lives in the midwestern woods with her golden retriever and her husband, who has a sexy beard he’s forbidden to shave.

​Favorite things include: funky music, tart drinks, strong candles, and big, goofy dogs.

Rom Com Romance Author Meghan Quinn:

#1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.

Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Find me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

Visit my website: http://authormeghanquinn.com/

Historical Romance Author Tamara Gill 

Bestselling author Tamara Gill writes steamy, swoon-worthy Regency and Time-Travel romances with strong, intelligent heroines and heroes you can’t help but love. She’s an Australian author whose love of writing and reading romance was rekindled while raising her three children. When Tamara is not writing or jetting off to England for more research, which she believes you can never have enough of, you can find her online or by visiting her website tamaragill dot com. Feel free to reach out to Tamara, she loves to hear from readers.

Romance Author Jenna Harte 

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

When she’s not telling stories, she works by day as a ghostwriter and runs the online community for romance writers, WritewithHarte.com. She lives the empty nest life with her soulmate and a nutty cat.

Keep up on the passion, murder, and mayhem at JennaHarte.com

 

Do you have tips or ideas for crafting a compelling author bio? Let me know in the comments below!

Easy Steps for Cutting Words from Your Romance Novel

Easy Steps for Cutting Words from Your Romance Novel

June 4, 2024 in Blog, Editing

It’s a feat to write a book. But once you’ve completed your first draft, it’s time to revise and edit. A part of that process is figuring what words need to go.

Stephen King suggests cutting 10% from your writing. But you’re not cutting any words. Your goal is to remove what’s not needed without losing the story’s heart. Think of it like spring cleaning; you want to declutter so you have a tidy, yet still inviting home.

Why Cutting Words is Necessary

There are several reasons why words should be cut, including:

  1. They take the oomph out of your writing.
  2. They slow down the story’s pacing.
  3. They confuse the point or cause readers to miss important information.
  4. They don’t add to character or story development.

How Many Words Do You Need to Cut?

The short answer is that you need to cut as many as needed to fix the problems listed above. If your goal is a traditional book deal though, you’ll need to cut (or add) to fit within standard publishers’ guidelines.

Harlequin has very specific word counts for each of its lines. Most other publishers aren’t quite as rigid, but you still need to be aware of they’re looking for. With paper costs skyrocketing, it’s difficult to sell a contemporary 90,000+ word romance unless you’re Lucy Score or any of the other indie authors who have amassed a huge following.

Typical romance book word counts:

  • Contemporary Romance (includes rom-com & new adult): 65,000 to 80,000 words (maybe 90,000)
  • Romantasy: 90,000 to 150,000 words
  • Romantic Suspense: 70,000 to 80,000 words (maybe 90,000)
  • Historical Romance: 55,000 to 80,000 words

If you’re a first-time author wanting an agent and/or traditional book deal, you’ll want to stick within these word counts. If you’re an indie published author, you have more leeway to write shorter or longer. With that said, because word count can impact the reader experience, don’t dismiss the importance of cutting words.

Keep in mind that an 80,000 word book is approximately 320 pages long. If you go too much over that, readers that see chunky books as being too time consuming may pass on it.

Macro vs Micro Cuts

When you start cutting words, look at it from two angles; macro cuts and micro cuts.

Macro cuts are big deletions. These are edits done at the content level looking at character and plot development. You might remove whole scenes or chapters that don’t move the story forward.

Micro cuts, on the other hand, involve polishing the details. These are smaller word-deletions to tighten and strengthen the prose, such as removing filler words.

Macro Word Cutting

When you’ve finished your first draft, your next step is revision, in which you go through your manuscript, fleshing out the areas that need more, and cutting the bits that don’t serve the story or slow it down. Sometimes it might seem obvious what needs to go. In Come to Me, I cut the first two chapters. They were well written and interesting, but they put off the meet cute. Since the book is a romance, I decided I needed to get the couple on the same page sooner…in chapter one. I was able to repurpose some of the information in the chapters, but the rest was deleted.

Cutting entire chapters or scenes isn’t for the faint of heart, especially if you love what you wrote. Deleting prose is referred to as “killing your darlings” and a necessary part of crafting a great novel.

Cutting Scenes

Sometimes you have to get into the weeds to figure out what’s not working and needs to be eliminated from your story. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make sure all your scenes have a purpose. Here is a checklist I like to use when I evaluate scenes of my books. Note this checklist is part of the Revision Checklist free to Write with Harte Members. You need to be logged in to access it. Not a member? Join here for free.

All scenes should have at least one of the following:

 Plot purpose
 Character goal
 Action to advance plot
 Action to increase tension

They should have at least two of the following:

 Character development
 Cause for character conflict
 Effect of character conflict
 Raised stakes
 Reinforcement of stakes
 Character motivation

Bonus

The following list isn’t necessary for every scene, but they can be used to enhance the scene. NOTE: The list below enhances the above scene elements. Scenes should not be made up of only of any of these items (e.g. the scene shouldn’t be only backstory).

 Character backstory
 World building
 Tone/mood
 Theme
 Foreshadowing

Work from the Middle

There are two reasons, in my opinion, that books slump in the middle act. One is that the second act is the largest (half the book). But another is that the opening chapters (act 1) often have the most rigorous revision. As you work through the book, you tire. Your attention to detail wanes. You let things go that you edited/revised in the first act. For that reason, consider starting your revision from the middle.

Some writers suggest starting at the end, and working backwards. This can work too.

Micro Word Cutting

When I first started writing, this type of cutting was the most tedious. I had to search each element or word to revise or cut, which took a long time. I had a list of 16 words or so and each one needed to be searched, evaluated, then cut or saved. At one point, I had a Word Macro that highlighted every possible issue (filler word, passive voice, etc) to make the process faster. It made my manuscript look like a Christmas tree with all the various colored highlights of issues to address. Sometimes that was overwhelming.

Today, tools like AutoCrit and ProWritingAid can identify all these issues and you can easily deal with them. Even so, it helps to know what you’re looking to cut and why:

Cut Filler and Weak Words

These words often take the oomph from your sentences. For example, in the opening line to this section, “often” isn’t needed.  Here’s a list of words to eliminate or reduce in your manuscript:

Weak or Vague Words
 Felt
 Took
 Gave
 Very
 A lot
 Really
 Often
 Always
 Sort of/Kind of
 To Be Verbs (is, was, has become – choose stronger verbs)

Thought /Sight/Hear Words (if you’re in a specific POV, we don’t need to be told who thought or noticed as we know who is thinking or noticing from the POV)
 Thought
 Realized
 Noticed
 Saw
 Heard
 Wondered

Others Words to Check
 Beginning/Began
 Starting/Started
 That
 Now
 Just
 And (at the beginning of sentences)
 But (at the beginning of sentences)
 So (at the beginning of sentences)
 Well
 Up/Down (the act of sitting is a downward motion, so sitting down is redundant.)

Fix passive sentences

Passive sentences aren’t only weaker than active voice sentences, but they contain more words.

The house was blown down by the hurricane. (8 words)

vs.

The hurricane blew down the house. (6 words)

Note, not all passive voice sentences are bad. There are times when you may want to use it. You can check out my video on passive voice here.

Reduce or eliminate adverbs

Like passive voice, adverbs add words that may not be needed, especially if a stronger verb will be better.

She walked quietly.

vs

She tiptoed.

What about adding words?

During the revision process, chances are you’ll need to add words as well. Maybe you need to flesh out a scene that isn’t clear or add a scene to draw out tension.

You’ll add words when you revise to show instead of tell, especially if you decide to reduce dialogue tags and replace them with action, thoughts or feelings.

“I hate you,” Joannie said.

vs

“I hate you.” Joannie threw the coffee mug at Joe.

But in the end, you’ll likely cut more than you add unless your first draft isn’t quite done.

Being Merciless

It’s not easy to cut words. It feels like going backwards (unwriting). Sometimes they’re great words (darlings). When it comes to revision and what to cut, you need to think less as a writer and more as the reader. It’s their experience you want to enhance. To so that, you need to show no mercy to words (well used or not) that take away from the story.

I save any large chunks of writing or well-crafted sentences in a “Darlings” file for each book. They’re cut from the manuscript, but aren’t gone. They’re stored in the off chance I can use them elsewhere. (I’ve never used a Darling, but I still feel better knowing they continue to exist.)

Do you have other tips or ideas on cutting words from your manuscript? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

The Business of Romance Writing

The Business of Romance Writing

May 28, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

Table of Contents

Most authors I meet start their journey with two focuses; writing and getting published. Perhaps there is a dream of becoming a bestselling author with a huge bank account. Maybe even a TV or movie deal.

But when you start writing, the steps to get from finished book to author career aren’t usually mapped out. I can’t tell you how many new authors I’ve spoken to who say, “I finished my book, but I’m not sure what I do next. How do I find a publisher? How do I put it on Amazon?”

As writers start to navigate these next steps, they begin to understand that making a living as an author requires so much more than simply writing books. In fact, successful authors understand that to make a living with their books, they need to see their writing as a business.

This is true even if your goal is traditional publishing. As a traditional author, you’ll still have tasks and expenses related to selling your book. For the self-published author, seeing your efforts from a business mindset will be crucial to your success.

For many would-be authors, this sounds daunting, even scary. It’s not what they envisioned being a successful author entailing. But running a small, one-person author business isn’t hard. Here’s what you need to know and do:

The Mindset Shift from Author to Authorpreneur

What is an authorpreneur?

An authorpreneur is an author who takes an entrepreneurial approach to their writing career. This means treating your writing not just as an art form but as a business that requires planning, strategy, and execution. An authorpreneur understands that writing the book is just one part of the equation; the other crucial parts involve marketing, branding, networking, and financial management. In essence, an authorpreneur combines the creative process of writing with the strategic mindset of a businessperson to build a sustainable and profitable career.

Developing an Authorpreneur Mindset

The authorpreneur mindset combines both the creativity of authorship with the business mind of entrepreneurship. These two “minds” usually operate on two different sides of the brain, although businesses can benefit from creative thinking. You need to see your book writing as the creation of your product, and the packaging, marketing, and distribution of that product as the business side.

The big difference between being an author and authorpreneur is that the authorpreneur has set up goals, systems and routines for the purpose of writing, publishing, and selling books. Like any other business, they have a plan, track their progress, use data to make informed decisions, and adjust strategies as needed.Regularly reviewing goals and outcomes ensures that the author stays on the right path and continually moves towards greater success.

Further, they embrace ideas of scalability and growth. Sure it would be nice to have a book go viral on TikTok and have publishers reaching out to you to publish your book, but for most authors, like most businesses, you start small and grow. Scalability refers to the ability to expand and grow without being constrained by limited resources. For authors, this could mean creating multiple income streams, such as expanding distribution options (direct sales, subscriptions, etc), offering courses, or speaking engagements.

Growth involves continually building on past successes, expanding reach, and increasing profitability. By embracing these ideas, authorpreneurs can ensure that their career is not static but dynamic and evolving, allowing them to reach new heights and achieve long-term success.

Becoming an Authorpreneur

Let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of strategic planning for your writing career. Think of this as your roadmap to success, guiding you through the journey from where you are now to where you dream of being.

The Big Dream: Vision and Mission

What would be the ultimate dream for your writing? Want a Big 5 publishing deal? To see your book on the shelf of bookstores? To have your book made into a Netflix series?

Your vision and mission are the heart and soul of your authorpreneurial journey. They define why you write and what you hope to achieve. A clear vision keeps you motivated and focused, especially when the going gets tough. Your mission outlines the steps you’ll take to turn that vision into reality. Think of your vision as your North Star and your mission as the steps on the path leading to it.

Take a moment to write down your vision and mission. They should reflect your deepest aspirations and be specific enough to guide your decisions.

For example, your vision might be to write swoony and heartfelt HEAs for entertainment and escape. Your mission would include specific actions like publishing a new book each year, attending writer or reader conferences, and engaging with your audience through a vibrant online presence.

Set Author Goals

If you were in New York and wanted to go to Florida, you could get in your car and head south, but not all roads lead south. Some start south and head west. It’s much easier to get from New York to Florida with a map. And within that map, you have a plan from getting to where you want to go.

Long-Term Goals:

In our analogy, your long-term goal is to get to Florida. In terms of writing, long-term goals are things like:

  • Publish your first book within the next year.
  • Achieve bestseller status on Amazon or another major platform.
  • Build a mailing list of 5,000 engaged readers.
  • Transition to writing full-time within the next five years.

Short-term Goals

Short-term goals are your immediate checkpoints on the road to your long-term goal. In our analogy, it would be drive to the interstate. As a writer, your short-terms goals might include:

  • Write 1,000 words a day.
  • Finish your current manuscript in three months.
  • Grow your social media following by 10% in the next month.
  • Send out five queries to agents or publishers this week.

Authorpreneur Business Plan Basics

Please don’t click away thinking this is going to be boring or hard. Having a business plan is like having a GPS for your authorpreneurial journey. It helps you stay on track, avoid detours, and reach your destination more efficiently. Here are some key benefits:

  • Clarity and Focus: A business plan keeps you focused on your goals and the steps you need to take to achieve them. It prevents you from getting sidetracked by distractions or overwhelmed by the big picture.
  • Informed Decision-Making: With a clear plan, you can make decisions based on your overall strategy rather than reacting impulsively. This leads to smarter choices and better outcomes.
  • Accountability: A written plan holds you accountable to yourself. It serves as a constant reminder of your commitments and helps you stay disciplined.
  • Motivation: Seeing your goals and plans laid out can be incredibly motivating. It gives you a sense of purpose and progress, driving you to keep pushing forward.

Business plans don’t have to be complex tome. The idea is for you to:

  1. Get clarity on your business (your goals and your products)
  2. Understand the marketplace and how to find your readers
  3. Develop a system for writing, publishing and marketing
  4. Create a budget
  5. Find areas you need to learn more, get support, or other holes in your plan

Here are the essentials of a business plan:

Business Summary (Short paragraph of two)

  • Business concept. What does your business do?
  • Business goals and vision, which you did above.
  • Product description and uniqueness. What do you sell, and why is it different?
  • Target market. Who is your ideal reader?
  • Marketing strategy. How will you reach readers?
  • Current financial state. What do you currently earn or have on hand to support your business
  • Projected financial state. What do you foresee earning in the future?
  • The team. Who’s involved in the business besides yourself (e.g. PA, cover designer, agent, etc)

Description of your author business

  • Your brand (see below)
  • What you do (write books, publish books).

Ownership of your author business

  • This is you and your official business set up (see below).

Market Analysis

  • Who is the ideal reader? Who are they (demographics, interests)? What are they reading? Why are they reading it? Where (e.g. what platforms) do they go to find these books and interact with authors?
  • How many of them are there?
  • What genres and themes are popular in your niche?
  • A SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats)
  • Competition (other authors in your genre and subgenre)
  • How do you fit into the current market, and what sets you apart? Any business is all about being the same yet different. You provide what readers want, but with a new twist.

Products/Services (what you sell)

  • Books (print, ebook, audio)
  • Subscriptions
  • Merch
  • Courses

Distribution (where can your books and other offerings be found?)

  • Book retailers (online and off)
  • Author website
  • Membership/subscription (e.g. Ream or Patreon)

Pricing Strategy

  • Price for format
  • Price for distribution source (For example, I charge less to buy directly from me versus other book retailers.)
  • Subscriptions
  • Merch

Financial Planning:

  • What are your expected expenses (editing, cover design, marketing)?
  • What are your potential revenue streams (book sales, speaking fees, merchandise)?
  • What money do you have available now?
  • How will you budget for these expenses and manage your income?

Production Schedules

  • What is your writing and publishing timeline for the next year?
  • How will you manage your time to ensure you meet your deadlines?
  • What resources or support (e.g., editors, cover designers, beta readers) will you need?

Marketing Plan (see below)

  • Brand
  • Platform
  • Strategies

SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN

This looks like a lot, but many of the above are simple answers. Below is a sample plan. Please note that this is just an example. You’ll need to tailor the answers to your goals. The below might be for an author is brand new looking at focusing on book sales through Amazon. But that’s not your only option.

Business Summary (Short paragraph of two)

Sally Sue is a sweet historical romance writer. She’ll publish one lead magnet and 3 novels and build her email list to 2,000 in 2024. Her romance novels are set in 1920’s southern U.S. and will involve quirky and humorous heroines with dashing leading men. Her readers are women ages 25 to 80 who enjoy historical romance, romcoms and are avid romance readers in the KU program. The books will be in KU, and will be set to free one per quarter. Currently, Sally Sue has $500 for business startup, but anticipates earning $1,000 per month by the end of the first quarter.

Description of your author business: Sally Sue, Making Sweet History through humorous historical romance

Ownership of your author business: Sally Sue

Market Analysis

  • Who is the ideal reader? women ages 250 to 80 who enjoy historical romance, romcoms and are avid romance readers in the KU program
  • How many of them are there? 20 million (I don’t actually know this…you’ll have to research.)
  • What genres and themes are popular in your niche?
  • A SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats): Won RWA contest. Don’t know how to market. Prohibition romances are gaining popularity, but so far don’t have much competition. Amazon can terminate account.
  • Competition (other authors in your genre and subgenre): Wren Gray – Prohibition Mafia romance, Marilyn Marks – Prohibition Fantasy romance
  • How do you fit into the current market, and what sets you apart?: Real life setting, lighter tone with humor

Products/Services (what you sell)

  • Books (print, ebook, audio) – Book One: Oh My Darling ebook, Book two Oh Suzanna ebook – all in KU

Distribution (where can your books and other offerings be found?)

  • Book retailers – Amazon KU

Pricing Strategy

  • 99 cents first two weeks, $4.99 thereafter
  • Free for 5 days once per quarter

Financial Planning:

  • What are your expected expenses: Editing $500, Cover $100, Ads $300. Monthly expense: Ads $300 for first 6 months, scale up to $1,200
  • What are your potential revenue streams: Sales: $300, Page reads $1,000 first quarter, $3,000/month by end of year
  • What money do you have available now? $500
  • How will you budget for these expenses and manage your income? Sell clutter on ebay.

Production Schedules

  • What is your writing and publishing timeline for the next year? Book 1 March, Book 2 May, Book 3 July
  • How will you manage your time to ensure you meet your deadlines?: Write 2k per day, 5 days per week
  • What resources or support (e.g., editors, cover designers, beta readers) will you need? Editor, cover designer

Marketing Plan (see below)

  • Brand: Sally Sue Sassy Sweet Romance
  • Platform: Website, TikTok, Discourd
  • Strategies: Social media, email, ads

The above is done off the top of my head, but you get the idea. The plan is simply to organize and get clarity on all the mov9ing parts of being a successful author.

Setting Up Your Author Business

Let me preface this by saying that I’m not a lawyer or accountant or other business-expert professional. This info is given as an overview and guideline. Consult an expert or professional for your particular circumstances.

Also, this is mostly for U.S. writers. Authors outside the U.S., consult your local government business authority for details on setting up your author business.

Establishing your author business is a crucial step in treating your writing career like a true entrepreneurial venture. This involves choosing the right name, deciding on a business structure, and ensuring you have all necessary licenses and registrations. Let’s break it down step by step.

Choosing a Business Name or Author Name

Your business name or author name is your brand’s first impression. It’s how readers will identify you and your work, so it should be memorable, unique, and reflective of your style or genre. You can simply use your given name, a pen name, or creating a publishing business name, which would be ideal if you plan to write under multiple names.

Considerations for Your Name:

  • Memorability: Choose a name that is easy to remember and spell.
  • Relevance: Ensure it reflects the genre or tone of your writing. For example, a fantasy author might choose a more whimsical or mystical name.
  • Availability: Check that the name isn’t already in use by another author or business. Also, verify that the domain name is available for your website.

Deciding on a Business Structure

Choosing the right business structure is essential for legal and financial reasons. Here are the most common options for authors:

Sole Proprietorship:

  • Pros: Easy and inexpensive to set up, complete control over the business.
  • Cons: Personal liability for business debts and obligations.
  • Ideal for: Authors just starting out or those who prefer a simple business model.

Limited Liability Company (LLC):

  • Pros: Limited personal liability, flexible management structure, potential tax benefits.
  • Cons: More paperwork and higher setup costs than a sole proprietorship.
  • Ideal for: Authors with significant income or assets to protect, or those collaborating with others.

Corporation:

  • Pros: Limited liability, potential tax advantages, easier to raise capital.
  • Cons: Complex setup, more regulations, and higher costs.
  • Ideal for: Authors with large-scale operations or multiple income streams.

Most authors I know started as a sole proprietor and later created a single-person LLC, which are easier and more affordable to start these days. You can also umbrella businesses under an LLC. For example, you can have your LLC business, and within it, your author business and an author coaching business.

Doing Business As (DBA)

If you decide to use a business name that’s different from your legal name, even in a sole proprietorship, you’ll need to file for a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name. This allows you to legally operate under a different name and is required in many jurisdictions.

Filing a DBA:

  • Process: Check with your local government (city or county clerk’s office) for the specific process and fees. You’ll typically need to file a form and pay a fee.
  • Benefits: Allows you to use your chosen business or pen name for banking, marketing, and legal purposes.

Note, if you have multiple businesses under your LLC, each of those businesses that aren’t your given name will need a DBA.

Obtaining Licenses and Permits

Depending on your location and the nature of your author business, you may need certain licenses or permits to operate legally.

Business License: Many local governments require a general business license to operate any business, including an author business. Check with your city or county government to see if this applies to you.

Seller’s Permit: If you plan to sell physical books directly to customers, you may need a seller’s permit to collect sales tax. This is typically required for authors who sell at events or through their own website. In the US, your state should have an office that you can sign up for a seller’s permit online. Note that this permit can also help you avoid paying sales tax in your state on materials you use in your business.

Copyright Registration: This is not required, but registering your works with the U.S. Copyright Office provides legal protection and makes it easier to take legal action against infringement. While copyright is created when you write your book, protecting it without an official copyright registration can become complicated. Further, mailing your manuscript to yourself will not suffice if you have to go to court to defend your intellectual property rights.

Trademark: This also isn’t required but could be something to consider if you have a business name (not a person’s name) or logo or some other word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies you or your book world, and distinguishes it from competitors.

Setting Up Business Banking and Finances

Regardless of how you structure your business (sole proprietorship or LLC), separating your personal and business finances is crucial for managing your money effectively and protecting your personal assets. If the tax man comes looking at your business write-offs, he’ll expect to see a separate business account.

Business Bank Account: Open a business bank account to handle all your income and expenses. As a sole proprietor using your given name, this can be a basic account that is separate from your personal account. If you have a name other than your given name or an LLC or corporation, you’ll set up a business account. This makes accounting easier and ensures your business finances are distinct from your personal ones.

Accounting Software: Use accounting software like QuickBooks, FreshBooks, or Wave to track your income, expenses, and profits. This helps you stay organized and prepares you for tax season.

Professional Advice: Consider consulting with an accountant or business advisor to ensure you’re setting up your finances correctly and taking advantage of any tax benefits.

Building Your Author Brand

Your brand is your promise to your readers. It tells them what they can expect from your books and why they should choose you over countless other authors.

  • Nora Roberts > Romance
  • JD Robb > Gritty police procedural set in the future
  • Emily Henry > Romcoms with real life challenges
  • Sylvia Day > Erotic romance

What should readers know they’re going to get when they read your books? That’s your brand.

Building a strong, recognizable brand is essential for standing out in the crowded publishing world.

Elements of a strong author brand:

Voice: Your unique voice is what sets you apart. It’s the personality that shines through in your writing, making your stories distinctly yours. Whether your tone is witty, dark, romantic, or adventurous, your voice should be consistent across all your works. Think about what makes your writing style unique and ensure it resonates in everything you create, from your books to your social media posts.

Visual Identity: Your visual identity includes your book covers, author photo, logo, and any other visual elements that represent you. These should be professional, high-quality, and reflective of your genre. A cohesive visual style helps readers instantly recognize your brand. For example, if you write sweet romance novels, your visuals might include soft colors and elegant fonts, whereas a dark romance writer might use darker tones and bold typography.

Online Presence: Your online presence is where your brand comes to life. This includes your website, social media profiles, email newsletters, and any other online platforms you use. Make sure your profiles are updated regularly and present a consistent message about who you are and what you write. Engage with your audience in a way that aligns with your brand voice and values.

Consistency across all platforms and works: Consistency is key to building a strong brand. Your readers should have a seamless experience whether they’re reading your latest novel, visiting your website, or following you on social media. This means maintaining the same voice, visual style, and messaging across all platforms. Consistency builds trust and recognition, making it easier for readers to connect with you and your work.

Platform Development

My favorite definition of platform is from Jane Friedman, which is that plaform is an author’s visibility, authority, and reach to a targe audience.

Visibility refers to who knows or is aware of your books? Where do you and your books appear and how many people see it. Essentially, where do people see you.

Authority has to do with your credibility, normally through education or experience, but in fiction, can play a part in terms of popularity. For example, Nora Roberts has more authority than me in the romance world simply based on the number of books, her longevity in the industry, and how she’s revered.

Reach goes beyond visibility (where you can be seen) to who is actually listening. This could be your email list, website traffic, social following, etc. This also includes reviews or testimonials or blurbs.

Target audience is your ideal readers. Your visibility, authority, and reach should be to these people.

How do you build visibility, authority and reach? Through an author platform.

Website

The first thing you need is a place for readers to find you (visiblity). That starts with a website. You should absolutely have a website that you own. You don’t want to have a Facebook Page or other social media as your main hub. If they decide to take you down, then you no longer have a place for readers to find you.

Your website is your home base on the internet. It’s where readers can learn more about you, explore your books, and stay updated on your latest news.

Professional Design: Invest in a professionally designed website that reflects your brand. It should be easy to navigate, visually appealing, and mobile-friendly.

Key Elements: Include an engaging homepage, an about page with your bio and photo, a books page with descriptions and purchase links, a blog or news section for updates, and a contact page.

Regular Updates: Keep your website fresh by regularly updating it with new content, such as blog posts, book announcements, and event information. This is an area I really need to improve in.

Social Media

Social media and blogging are powerful tools for building your brand and connecting with your audience.

  • Social Media: Choose platforms where your target readers are most active, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok. Post regularly and interact with your followers by responding to comments, participating in discussions, and sharing relevant content. Social media is a great way to showcase your personality, share behind-the-scenes glimpses into your writing process, and promote your books.
  • Blogging: A blog on your website can help establish you as an expert in your genre and provide valuable content to your readers. Blog about topics related to your books, writing tips, book reviews, or personal anecdotes. Regular blogging improves your website’s SEO, making it easier for new readers to find you.

Marketing and Promoting Your Books and Author Brand

This is the part that many authors don’t like. They want to write, not beg people to buy their books. Whether you are traditionally published or self-published, you have to market your books if you want to sell them and make money.

Remember we talked about platform including visibility and reach to a target market, that’s where this happens. Through marketing and promotion, readers find and read your books, which then helps build your authority as well as your bank account.

Marketing is a HUGE topic, too big to cover in a few paragraphs. But some basic strategies include:

  • Social Media
  • Newsletters
  • Launch plans
  • Outreach (e.g. blog tours, guest on podcast, etc)
  • Ads

You can check out the Write with Harte Marketing category for more posts on marketing tips and ideas. Be sure to check out Write with Harte’s free Marketing Calendar for tips on creating your marketing strategies.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation

Why have bookstores struggled over the last 20 years? In my mind, Barnes and Noble wasn’t paying attention when Apple changed music through iTunes, followed by Amazon’s pushing the concept of the ebook. If they had, they might have done better with their ebooks and Nooks.

It’s nice to create your plan and hit a stride, but times change, if you’re not paying attention, you’ll get left behind. This idea always makes me think of TikTok and how important it is to selling romance books. It’s a no-brainer to be there, and yet, me and so many other authors don’t want to. But I can’t help but think by not being there, I’m hindering my writing career.

Especially in this ever-evolving world of publishing, staying informed and adaptable is key to long-term success. Embracing a mindset of continuous learning and being open to change will keep you ahead of the curve and help you grow both as a writer and a businessperson. Let’s explore how you can stay informed and adaptable in your authorpreneurial journey.

Staying Informed

Industry Trends

The publishing industry is dynamic, with new trends, technologies, and reader preferences emerging constantly. Staying informed about these changes ensures you remain relevant and competitive. By keeping your finger on the pulse of the industry, you can identify new opportunities, understand market shifts, and adapt your strategies accordingly.

  • Market Insights: Know what’s popular in your genre, what readers are looking for, and how other successful authors are engaging their audiences.
  • Technological Advances: Stay updated on new tools and platforms that can enhance your writing, marketing, and distribution processes.
  • Publishing Trends: Be aware of changes in traditional and self-publishing, from submission guidelines to royalty structures.

Ongoing education (courses, books, webinars)

The best way to stay informed is to make continuous learning a part of your routine. Here are some valuable resources:

  • Courses: Enroll in online courses on creative writing, marketing, business management, and technology. I’m a course junkie, and have signed up for courses recently on TikTok for Authors, Direct Sales for Authors, Subscriptions for Authors, and Serializing for Authors.
  • Books: Read widely, both within and outside your genre. Industry-related books on writing, publishing, and entrepreneurship can provide deep insights and practical advice. You can check out a handful of books listed here.
  • Webinars and Conferences: Participate in webinars and attend conferences (both virtual and in-person). These events often feature industry experts who share the latest trends and best practices. I’ve got a post on why authors absolutely should attend events.

Adaptability

Adaptability is about being flexible and willing to embrace new ideas and methods (that means TikTok 😖). In both your writing and your business practices, innovation can lead to greater efficiency and success.

Writing Practices: 

  • Experiment with different writing techniques, genres, and formats. A fun why to do this is through fan fiction. This can help you discover new strengths and keep your creativity fresh.
  • Be open to feedback and willing to revise your work. Constructive criticism can lead to significant improvements in your writing. Sometimes it can be hard to deal with critique, but here’s a post to help you take it and use to improve your writing.

Business Practices:

  • Stay agile in your marketing strategies. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to try a new approach. Test and tweak strategies to make them work better.
  • Embrace new technologies and platforms that can streamline your workflow, reach a broader audience, or enhance reader engagement.

Learning from failures and successes:

Every experience, whether it’s a triumph or a setback, offers valuable lessons. By analyzing what worked and what didn’t, you can refine your strategies and grow stronger.

Failures:

  • View failures as opportunities to learn and improve. Identify what went wrong, make necessary adjustments, and apply those lessons to future projects.
  • Don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Every successful author has faced challenges—what sets them apart is their resilience and determination to keep moving forward.

Successes:

  • Celebrate your wins, big and small. Take time to understand why something succeeded and look for ways to replicate that success in other areas.
  • Share your successes with your readers and peers. Not only does this build your credibility, but it also helps inspire and motivate others.

A Day in the Life of An Authorpreneur

Every author is going to have their own schedule and tasks. But to help you see how to integrate your writing with the business of authorship, here is a sample day. Note that this is someone who is a full-time author. Below, find another sample for someone who has a another job or obligations during the day.

Full Time Author

This is a little pie in the sky, I know. I tend to spend more time writing and don’t edit until the book is done. I focus on one book at time (versus editing one book and writing another). But you can get a sense of all the tasks that need to be done in a day to both write and take care of business.

Morning Routine

6:00 – 7:00 AM: Personal Time

  • Wake up and start the day with a routine that sets a positive tone, such as exercise, meditation, or reading.
  • Have a healthy breakfast to fuel your day.

7:00 – 8:30 AM: Writing Session

  • Begin with your most creative work while your mind is fresh.
  • Set a word count goal or a specific writing task to complete.
  • Avoid distractions by turning off notifications and creating a focused environment.

Mid-Morning

8:30 – 9:00 AM: Break

  • Take a short break to stretch, grab a snack, or take a walk.
  • Use this time to reset and prepare for the next block of work.

9:00 – 10:30 AM: Marketing and Promotion

  • Schedule social media posts using tools like Social Bee.
  • Engage with followers by responding to comments and messages.
  • Work on a blog post or newsletter content.
  • Check and analyze your social media and website analytics to track engagement and adjust strategies.

10:30 – 11:00 AM: Administrative Tasks

  • Answer emails and handle any business correspondence.
  • Review your schedule and prioritize tasks for the day.
  • Pay bills, manage invoices, and update your financial records.

Late Morning

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM: Editing and Revisions

  • Spend time editing your current manuscript or revising based on feedback.
  • If you’re not in the editing phase, use this time for research or planning future projects.

12:30 – 1:30 PM: Lunch Break

  • Take a proper break for lunch to recharge.
  • Step away from your workspace to relax and refresh your mind.

Afternoon

1:30 – 3:00 PM: Business Development

  • Work on business-related tasks such as updating your website, creating promotional materials, or planning upcoming book launches.
  • Research industry trends, marketing strategies, and new tools to enhance your business operations.
  • Network with other authors, join writing groups, or participate in online forums.

3:00 – 3:30 PM: Break

  • Take another short break to stretch and relax.
  • Use this time to do something enjoyable and non-work-related.

3:30 – 5:00 PM: Writing Session

  • Return to writing or work on any creative projects that need your attention.
  • Use this session to focus on a different writing task or continue from where you left off in the morning.

Early Evening

5:00 – 6:00 PM: Reader Engagement

  • Interact with your readers through social media, email newsletters, or your blog.
  • Respond to reader questions, comments, and messages.
  • Plan upcoming reader events, such as virtual book readings or Q&A sessions.

6:00 – 7:00 PM: Personal Time and Dinner

  • Wind down your workday and transition to personal time.
  • Enjoy dinner and spend time with family or friends.

Evening Routine

7:00 – 8:00 PM: Reading and Learning

  • Dedicate time to reading both for pleasure and professional growth.
  • Catch up on industry news, read books in your genre, or study writing craft books.

8:00 – 9:00 PM: Relaxation and Unwind

  • Spend the final hour of your day relaxing. This could include watching a favorite show, listening to music, or engaging in a hobby.

9:00 PM: Prepare for the Next Day

  • Review your schedule for the next day and set goals.
  • Ensure you have a clear plan for your writing and business tasks.
  • Go to bed at a reasonable hour to ensure you’re well-rested for the next productive day.

Part Time Author Sample Schedule

This assumes a normal 8 to 5 work schedule, but you can tweak to better fit your work hours or other daily obligations.

Early Morning

5:30 – 6:00 AM: Personal Time

  • Wake up and start the day with a routine that energizes you, such as light exercise, meditation, or a quick breakfast.

6:00 – 7:00 AM: Writing Session

  • Dedicate an hour to writing before heading to work. Set a word count goal or a specific task to complete.
  • Focus on uninterrupted writing time to maximize productivity.

Commute and Work

7:00 – 12:00 AM: Commute and Job

  • Use your commute time to listen to audiobooks or podcasts related to writing, marketing, or personal development.

Lunch Break 12:00 – 12:30 PM: Business Tasks

  • Use part of your lunch break to handle quick business tasks, such as responding to emails, engaging with social media, or scheduling posts.
  • Review your goals and prioritize tasks for the evening.
  • Or write

12:30 – 1:00 PM: Lunch

  • Take the remaining time to have a relaxed lunch and recharge for the afternoon.

Afternoon

1:00 – 5:00 PM: Day Job

5:00 – 6:00 PM: Commute

  • On your way home, continue listening to educational content or take some time to relax and unwind.

Evening

6:00 – 7:00 PM: Personal Time and Dinner

  • Enjoy dinner and spend some time with family or friends.
  • Use this time to relax and transition from work mode to personal mode.

7:00 – 8:00 PM: Writing Session

  • Dedicate another hour to writing. Continue working on your manuscript or focus on editing and revisions.
  • This second writing session allows you to maintain momentum on your projects.

8:00 – 8:30 PM: Break

  • Take a short break to stretch, grab a snack, or do something enjoyable to refresh your mind.

8:30 – 9:30 PM: Marketing and Promotion

  • Work on your marketing tasks, such as updating your website, creating content for your blog, or planning promotional activities.
  • Engage with your readers on social media and respond to messages or comments.
  • Send out your email newsletter or work on drafting future content.

Late Evening

9:30 – 10:00 PM: Learning and Development

  • Spend some time reading industry-related books, articles, or taking online courses.
  • Focus on improving your craft and staying informed about the latest trends and strategies in writing and publishing.

10:00 – 10:30 PM: Planning and Reflection

  • Review your accomplishments for the day and plan tasks for the next day.
  • Set specific goals for your next writing and business sessions.
  • Take a few moments to reflect on what worked well and what can be improved.

10:30 PM: Relaxation and Unwind

  • Wind down your day with a relaxing activity such as reading for pleasure, watching a favorite show, or practicing a hobby.
  • Ensure you go to bed at a reasonable hour to get enough rest for the next productive day.
How to Write Faster

How to Write Faster (Tips and Strategies)

May 21, 2024 in Blog, Writing Romance

There are two things that don’t like about writing.

  1. Getting stuck
  2. How long it takes to write a book

Before I started ghostwriting, I was a haphazard writer. Sometimes I was in a flow, writing a lot, and other times, I’d go weeks, even months, without writing.

But as a ghostwriter, I’m producing a 70,000 to 80,000 word book a month for my client. To do that, I had to learn to write fast.

Now I’m not saying that you should write a book a month. But if you feel the writing process is going too slow, here are my tips for how to write faster.

Determine Your Goals

To get anywhere, it helps to know your destination. In my client’s case, that goal is a book a month. Goals for my own work, admittedly, have been haphazard, but with Q3 around the corner, I’m re-looking at my publishing goals for the rest of the year.

When it comes to goals, they can be whatever you want. Write a book in 12 months. Write a book in 6 weeks. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is knowing what you want and an idea of when you want it.

What Does it Take to Reach Your Goal?

Once you know where you’re heading, you need to decide how to get there. To write an 80,000-word book in 30 days, I need to write 2,700 or so words a day. If I want weekends off, I need to average 3,700 a day.

To write an 80,000 word book in six months requires writing 13,333 words a month. If you write just on weekends, that’s 1,667 words a day over 8 weekend days a month. Or you can write 445 every day. So, in less than four hours over a weekend, or 20 minutes daily, you can write an 80,000 word book in six months.

The final question is: Is this pace is doable? If not, you need to adjust.

Anticipate What Will Slow You Down

What’s that saying about best laid plans? We all know that while we can set goals and plot out a strategy, life can get in the way. Anticipating potential roadblocks that will slow you down can help you overcome them. Here are common situations that obstruct writing and potential solutions you have on standby to help you through.

Problem Solution
Difficulty getting situated to write Designate a writing area that is always ready
Slow computer ·  Tune up computer to clean out digital gunk and speed up processes, or

·  Invest in a new computer

Stress ·  Eat right and get adequate sleep

·  Get into “writing” mode through meditation or other calming activity

Distractions ·  Turn off computer and phone notifications

·  Turn off social media

·  Don’t check email

·  Shut the door to your writing space

·  Let others around you know you’re writing and ask not to be disturbed

·  Use focus apps

Lack of Time ·  Set a schedule for writing

·  Set limits to Netflix, YouTube, Social Media, etc.

·  Delegate household tasks to others

·  Outsource or use services to save time (EG meal box for dinner)

Writer’s Block ·  Plot or plan what you’ll write before you sit to write

·  Brainstorm ideas with writer group, AI, or do an activity that allows your book to percolate ideas (e.g. walking)

·  Write what you know, even if it’s out of order (E.G. write the black moment even if you’re in the middle of Act 2.)

·  Read some of what you’ve already written to get ideas on where to go next in the story

·  Write about why you’re stuck. Sometimes, writing what’s blocked will guide you toward answers (E.G. I don’t know whether Alice should go left or right. If she goes left, then this will happen. But if she goes right, this could happen. Actually, if she goes right, she’ll run into Alister, which will solve X problem).

·  Ask AI to start you off. Sometimes it’s easier to edit than generate words out of thin air. Ask AI to write the first paragraph and then revise it as a jumpstart to your creative flow.

Procrastination ·  Review above issues that could be the reason for procrastination.

·  Stick to writing schedule

·  Set a deadline

·  Change something (E.G. your writing environment)

 

Develop a Plan

Developing a plan to write can help avoid some of the anticipated issues that might pop up (above). This plan should include your goal and how you’ve determined to reach it (e.g. write 1,000 5 days a week). But it should also include:

  1. Days and times you’ll write. It’s easiest to have a set schedule, such as 6 AM each morning, or 10 PM each night. If you can’t have a regular writing time, pull out your calendar and schedule when you’ll write week by week. For example, week 1: Monday: 6 AM, Tuesday: Lunch, Wednesday: 6 AM, Thursday: 9 PM, Friday: 6 AM.
  2. Where you’re going to write. Having a designated writing spot saves time in getting set up, makes transitioning to writing faster, and lets others know you’re busy. If you have to move around, for example, writing on your lunch break, set up in advance where your writing will occur. Will you go to a cafe? The library? The park?
  3. Know as much as you can about your book or what you’re going to write. This can include plotting, but if you’re a pantster, having an overall summary of your book and then deciding what you’re going to write BEFORE you sit to write, will make the writing process go faster.

Write Regularly

First, writing regularly is the best way to consistently make progress. Remember, 1,000 words a day is 30,000 words a month. But writing regularly has other benefits.

Speed: The more often you type, the faster you get.

Retain the Story: One of the reasons that I don’t get stuck when ghost writing is that the story never leaves me. Because I write so much so quickly, the story lives in me even when I’m not writing. It percolates, deepens, and evolves as I drive, walk, clean house, dream, etc. When I sit down to write, it’s all there at the surface, waiting to get written.

The longer you go without writing, the more time you need to take to review your writing and get back into the emotions of it. That slows down the writing process.

I write almost daily. I know for many that’s not doable. But if you can avoid letting more than two days go by without writing, you’ll make steady progress, but also, when you sit to write, you’ll have easy access to the story.

Visualize the Scene You’re Writing

It’s much easier to write when you know what words you want to use. It’s one thing to know you plan to write the inciting event. It’s another to take a moment to use your imagination to “view” it play out. Through visualization, you can choreograph movement, “hear” dialogue, “see” the setting, and tap into the emotion of the scene. Now you just have to write what you’ve already seen, heard, and felt.

 Writing Sprints

A writer sprint is a timed writing session with the goal of cranking out as many words as possible without stopping. Sprints can be 5 minutes or 30 minutes.

There are many options for writer sprints. You can join a local Shut Up and Write. Some authors host sprints through Zoom. You can create a sprint that you do on your own or invite your writer friends.

Only Write

Writer sprints are great because you’re not allowed to edit or read what you’ve written. Stopping to revise or read can be a form of procrastination. So when you sit to write, that’s all you should do…write.

Turn off Editing Tools: One tip to avoid editing while writing is to turn off your grammar/spell check while you’re writing and turn it back on when you’re revising.

Take Note: Along with focusing only on writing, find tricks to keep you typing when you want to stop. For example, sometimes I’m writing, and I have a thought that I might be using the wrong name or be off on the timeline. I quickly use the Comment feature in Word to jot down a note to check this, and then keep writing. What I don’t do is stop and sift through the manuscript to find the name or timeline.

Use Placeholders: I use placeholders if I come to a section that I need to research or expand upon, but don’t know what I want to say yet. You can use the Comment feature, enter the note in brackets or parenthesis in the text, highlight, use the traditional writer placeholder “TK”, or anything else that will stand out during revision.

Dictate

Most of the suggestions here will help you develop a routine, clarity about your story, and focus on writing, all of which can help you get your book written at a steady pace. But for significantly upping your word counts quickly, nothing beats dictation. The best news is that today, dictation is available easily and affordably. It’s integrated into many programs such as Word and Google Docs. There are phone apps where you can dictate.

When I type, I average about 1700 words per hour if I’m in a decent flow. Let’s contrast that with dictation in which I can produce 4,000 words, sometimes more, in that same hour. That’s including revision.

Part of the reason I can write 80,000 words per month is that I’m not typing all the time. If I only typed, I’d spend 50+ hours writing each month. Using dictation, I spend just over 20 hours.

I know many find dictation awkward. I did too. But once you get the hang of it, it has many benefits beyond getting your book done faster. For more information on dictation tools and how to use it to write up to 5,000 words per hour, check out this post on dictation here at Write with Harte.

 

Writing a book can be a frustrating activity partly because it takes so long. Hopefully, some of the above tips and strategies will assist you in writing faster to get your book done sooner.

Do you have other ideas to pick up the pace in writing? Please let me know in the comments below.