How to Write a Swoonworthy Meet Cute

February 20, 2024 in Blog, Writing Romance

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

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

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

The Elements of a Meet Cute

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

Romance Genre and Tropes

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

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

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

Common meet cutes in romances that involve tropes include:

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

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

Setting

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

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

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

Character Introduction

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

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

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

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

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

Sparks

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

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

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

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

Dialogue and Interaction

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

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

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

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

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

Crafting the Perfect Meet Cute

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

Conflict

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

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

Building Tension

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

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

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

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

Be Original (Avoiding Cliché)

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

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

Think outside the box by:

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

Examples of Memorable Meet Cutes

Here are a few fun meet cutes:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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

Naked in Death by JD Robb

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

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

Lover Unbound J.R. Ward

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

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

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

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

Tags: plotting, Writing No Comments »

by jennaharte

Romance Author’s Guide to Creating and Selling Merch

February 13, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

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

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

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

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

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

Understand Your Audience

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

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

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

Merch Ideas for Romance Writers

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

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

Importance of Aligning Merch with Your Book Themes and Genres

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

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

Here are specific merch ideas:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Design Tips

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

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

Resources to Create Your Design

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

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

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

Resources for Finding Designers:

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

Finding a Reliable Supplier for Your Author Merchandise

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

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

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

There are several merch supplier resources to check out.

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

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

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

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

Selling Your Merch

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

Overview of Platforms for Selling Merch

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

Setting Up an Online Store: Basics and Best Practices

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

Pricing Strategies for Your Merchandise

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

Marketing Your Merch

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

Legal Considerations

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

Copyrights and Trademarks: Protecting Your Work and Respecting Others’

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

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

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

Engaging with Your Community

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

Using Merch as a Tool for Reader Engagement

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

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

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

Gathering and Incorporating Reader Feedback for Future Merch Lines

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

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

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

Tags: Making Money, Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

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

February 6, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

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

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

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

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

Understanding the Basics of a Marketing Calendar

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

What is a Marketing Calendar?

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

Why is a Marketing Calendar Important for Romance Authors?

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

Key Components of an Effective Marketing Calendar

An effective marketing calendar for a romance author should include:

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

Developing Your Marketing Plan

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

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

Tools to Develop Your Marketing Plan

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

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

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

Identifying Key Dates

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

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

Setting Objectives

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

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

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

Gathering Assets

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

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

Planning Your Marketing Activities

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

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

Then there is types of content:

Text
Graphics
Audio
Video
Slides
Polls
Q&A

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

Launch Marketing Activities

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

Backlist or Author Awareness Activities

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

REPURPOSE!

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

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

Putting Your Marketing Calendar Together

Okay, so you’ve:

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

Now you’re ready to fill in your calendar!

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

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

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

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

Monitoring and Adjusting Your Marketing Calendar

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

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

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

12 Emerging and Expanding Income Opportunities for Romance Authors in 2024

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

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

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

History of Publishing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why Consider Additional or Alternative Publishing/Distribution Options

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

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

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

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

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

Additional Publishing and Distribution Channels for Romance Authors

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

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

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

1. Publish Wide

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

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

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

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

2. Audiobooks and Podcasts

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

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

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

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

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

3. Foreign Rights Sales

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

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

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

4. Direct Sales

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

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

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

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

5. Serial Writing Platforms

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

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

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

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

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

Radish
Inkitt
Wattpad
Kiss
Vella (Amazon)

6. Subscription Model

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

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

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

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

7. Crowdfunding

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

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

Khalieha Wright has a post on crowdfunding your book.

8. Special Editions and Limited Runs

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

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

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

9. Personalized Stories and Commissions

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

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

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

10. Collectibles and Merch

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

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

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

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

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

Etsy: Great place to find unique swag creations.

Zazzle: Mugs and a host of other merch ideas.

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

Sticker Mule – Many authors use this for sticker swag.

11. Brand Partnerships

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

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

12. Interactive Storytelling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by jennaharte

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

January 23, 2024 in Blog, Marketing

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

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

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

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

What is a Media Kit?

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

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

Essential Components of a Romance Author’s Media Kit

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

Media One-Sheet

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

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

Full Media Kit

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

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

How to Use Your Media Kit

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

Pitching to Media Outlets

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

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

Sample Pitch

Subject line: The never ending romance (pitch)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you so much for your consideration!

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

Who to Pitch and Send Your Media Kit to

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

Tips to Generate Interest In Your Kit

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

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

Follow up Sample

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

Hello Sally Sue Romance Book Podcaster,

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

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

Thank you so much for your consideration!

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

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

Write Blurbs That Sell: A Romance Writer’s Guide to Compelling Descriptions

January 16, 2024 in Blog, Marketing, Publishing

There’s only one thing worse than writing a synpsis…it’s writing a blurb or book description. How do you condense tens of thousands of words into a couple of paragraphs that don’t just explain the story, but excite readers to buy it?

Writing a blurb or book description can feel as daunting as writing the book itself. But fear not! I’m here to guide you through crafting a blurb that will make readers fall head over heels for your story.

Understanding Your Audience

You may notice a theme when it comes to selling your book, and that is; knowing your target reader.

Why is this crucial? Because they’re who we want to attract. And by knowing about them and what attracts them, you can craft marketing materials that have them buying your book.

Romance isn’t a one-size-fits-all, though. They all want to read about a relationship, but the type of characters, plots, settings, and tropes vary. Some read only one category, such as historical. Others gravitate to certain tropes, such as second chance at love. Knowing what your readers crave in their romance stories is key to speaking their language.

Here are tips to figuring out who your target reader is:

1. Define Your Romance Sub-Genre: Romance is a broad genre with many sub-genres like contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, suspense, erotic, and more. Each attracts a different type of reader. It is possible that your book straddles more than one sub-category, such as paranormal and suspense.

2. List your tropes: Successful romances have two to three, sometimes more tropes. Tropes are plot devises or themes that tell the reader what they’ll find in the book. There are hundreds of tropes. Common ones include:

- - Fake relationship
  - Second chance at love
  - Enemies to lovers
  - Friends to lovers
  - Forbidden love
  - Brother or sisters’ best friend
  - Secret baby/pregnancy
  - Secret child
  - Fish out of water
  - Trapped together
  - Search on google for romance tropes to find many more.

With category and tropes, you know have a way to describe your book to readers. Many successful authors put these in their titles or covers. Others list it as part of the title in the book listing. For example, my book, Drawn to Her, has “Opposites Attract Billionaire Romance.” You don’t have to go that far, but you do need to know the sub-category(s) and trope(s) so they can be conveyed in the blurb.

3. Analyze Existing Readers: If you already have readers, learn about them. Look at their demographics (age, gender, location), their interests, and reading habits. Consider polling them. Ask them how they found your book in the first place (that could be a clue to what’s working in your marketing.) Find out why they chose your book and why they enjoy it (which will reveal the type of romance and tropes they enjoy).

4. Check Out Comparable Authors: Look at authors who write similar romance novels. Who are their readers? What marketing strategies do they use? This can provide a blueprint for the type of audience you should target.

The Key Elements of a Romance Blurb

Armed with the knowledge of what attracts your reader to buy a book like the one you’ve written, it’s time to write your blurb.

Read blurbs from top-selling books in your subgenre and tropes: This can help you determine the tone, style, and structure that works now. Note that this often changes. Sometimes long descriptions are best. Sometimes short, staccato ones work. Some open with a hook or logline. Others write from first person. I’m not telling you to plagiarize, but instead to study the format that is currently working to sell books like yours.

Introduce the Protagonists: In a few sentences, give us a glimpse of your main characters, their goals and obstacles. Your premise, is a good starting point. Premise: Title Name is about (character info) who must (goal that needs to be achieved) in order to (stakes and opposition). For example:

Despising Her Boss is about an unemployed single mom who is finally getting on her feet again, when she arrives at her new job and discovers her ex is her new boss.

Note that you won’t use your premise, but it’s a starting point to help you organize your thoughts about your book.

Set the Scene: We’re not just talking about setting in terms of location. Here you’re also giving a clue as to time and perhaps season. Is your book set in an English countryside in 1812, a perpetual winter in a land far away, or current day summer in New York?

The Conflict: What is going to throw a wrench into this love story? A family feud, a personal struggle?

The Tone: Your blurb should be the same tone and style as your book. If have a light, third-person POV book, your blurb should be the same. If you’ve written a dark mafia romance with suspense at every turn, your blurb should have that same tone. Highly spicy books should hint at that, although be careful of the language you use as some platforms may reject anything too provocative.

Writing Techniques for Engaging Blurbs

Now that you have your elements, it’s time to weave them together into a description that will make readers buy.

Show, Don’t Tell: You know this rule. Use imagery and emotions. Choose words that evoke feelings and paint pictures.
The Hook: Start with a bang! A question, a dramatic statement, or an intriguing scenario can do wonders. When I was agenting, I always started my query letters with a hook. I do the same on most of my blurbs.
Keeping it Concise: Boil down your story to its romantic essence. No need for subplots here, just the love.

What to Watch Out For

Avoid spoilers and clichés like the plague (see what I did there?).

Include the sizzle, but leave the steak for the book.

Leave them hanging. A dash of mystery keeps the intrigue alive.

Fine-Tuning Your Blurb

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a perfect blurb. Write a draft and then leave it for a bit. Writing your blurb is a process of tweaking and massaging. When you think you’re close, get feedback from other authors, and then tweak some more.

Remember, this is the second element readers check when deciding to buy a book (the first is the cover). It should draw them in.

Updating Your Blurb

If your books aren’t selling, there are many factors to check to find out why. It could be your cover, but also, it could be your blurb. Don’t be afraid to change it if needed.

Also, consumer preferences and what lures them in is ever changing. The blurb can do well initially, but later falter. I’ve re-written many of my blurbs to better fit what attracts readers.

Do you have questions about writing book blurbs? Maybe you have tips I haven’t included. I’d love to know in the comments below.

Tags: Marketing & Promotion, Publishing No Comments »

by jennaharte

52 Swoony Romance Writing Prompts

January 9, 2024 in Blog, Writing Romance

I had this idea that I’d share a writing prompt per week on social media in 2024, but we’re in the second week of the New Year and I haven’t done it yet. So I thought I’d just share them here.

The list below has 52 romance story ideas. Some are basic tropes, but others offer some intriguing premises.

These ideas are for you to use as you wish. Some ways to use them include:

Writing prompt to get you out of a rut
Take the idea for a book or short story
Use it to brainstorm new ideas
Find inspiration for your current work.

Do any sound interesting to you? Let me know in the Writing Life Group or the comments below.

Rekindled Flames: Two high school sweethearts reunite at a mutual friend’s wedding after years apart.
Love Letter Mystery: Someone keeps leaving anonymous love letters in a librarian’s return books.
Second Chance at Love: After a bitter divorce, a single parent finds love again with an old college friend.
Forbidden Romance: Two people from rival families fall deeply in love.
Love Across Time: A modern-day character falls in love with someone from the past through an old diary.
Celebrity Crush: An ordinary person’s celebrity crush becomes reality when they accidentally meet.
Love in the Workplace: Office rivals slowly realize they have feelings for each other.
Cupids in Training: Two beginner cupids are assigned to make a mismatched pair fall in love.
The Accidental Text: A wrong number text leads to an unexpected romance.
The Bucket List Romance: Two strangers meet while completing their respective bucket lists.
Virtual Love: Two gamers fall in love through an online game, unaware they are rivals in real life.
Fairytale Retelling: A modern twist on a classic fairytale romance.
Historical Romance: Love blossoms between a noble and a commoner in a historical setting.
Unexpected Roommates: Two strangers are forced to live together due to a housing mix-up.
The Pact: Two friends agree to marry each other if they are still single by a certain age.
Road Trip Romance: A long road trip leads to unexpected love.
Love Potion Mishap: A love potion goes awry, causing unexpected feelings.
Dance Partners: Rival dancers are forced to partner and find they have chemistry.
Love and Magic: A romance in a world where magic is real.
The Makeover Bet: A bet leads to a makeover and unexpected feelings.
Secret Admirer: Someone starts receiving gifts and notes from a secret admirer.
Holiday Romance: A romance blooms during a festive holiday season.
Matchmaker’s Mistake: A matchmaker accidentally sets themselves up with a client.
The Wedding Planner: A wedding planner falls in love with the groom/bride-to-be.
Love at First Sight: Two people experience love at first sight and navigate its challenges.
The Time Traveler’s Love: A time traveler falls in love with someone from a different era.
Survival Love: Stranded together, two people fall in love while surviving in the wilderness.
Best Friends to Lovers: Two best friends realize they have deeper feelings for each other.
Love Undercover: Undercover agents fall in love during a mission.
The Bookstore Romance: Two book enthusiasts fall in love in a quaint bookstore.
The Proposal Bet: A bet to get a stranger to accept a fake marriage proposal turns into real love.
Love on Set: Actors fall in love while filming a romantic movie.
The Forgotten Ex: An amnesiac rediscovers love with their ex.
Healing Hearts: Two broken hearts find solace and love in each other.
The Royal Romance: A commoner and a royal fall in love, challenging royal traditions.
Blind Date with a Twist: A blind date set up by friends leads to unexpected results.
Love at a Coffee Shop: Regulars at a coffee shop find themselves drawn to each other.
Art of Love: Artists find love while collaborating on a masterpiece.
Love and War: In times of war, two enemies fall in love.
Arranged Marriage Turned True Love: An arranged marriage leads to genuine love and affection.
Love in the Countryside: City dweller falls in love with a countryside local.
A Second Glance: Overlooked love becomes apparent upon a second chance.
Time Loop Love: Stuck in a time loop, someone falls in love with the same person repeatedly.
Love in the Stars: An astrologer finds love that defies their astrological predictions.
The Heirloom Ring: A lost heirloom ring brings two people together.
The Guardian Angel: A guardian angel falls in love with their human charge.
The Chef’s Special: A chef falls in love with a food critic.
Fate’s Design: Two people keep running into each other, seemingly by fate.
Love in the Rain: A chance encounter in the rain leads to a lasting romance.
The Musician’s Muse: A musician writes a hit song for an unknown muse.
Island Getaway Romance: A vacation romance that turns serious.
The Last Letter: Discovering a last letter from a deceased loved one leads to new love.

Tags: Writing No Comments »

by jennaharte

The Indie Romance Writer’s Guide to Getting Your Book into Libraries

December 19, 2023 in Blog, Marketing

Most self-published authors focus on selling their books to readers, but this isn’t your only option for getting your stories into readers’ hands. One avenue that is often under-explored by independent authors is getting their book into libraries.

The librarian at my small county library orders books by Susan Stoker, Lani Vale, and other independent authors that feature ex-military or MC characters for a group of octogenarian woman. Lani Vale’s books alone take up three shelves!

Libraries not only spend a great deal of money on books, but they’re a way to get your book in front of readers who may later buy your books.

Find out how to prepare your book to meet library standards and how to reach libraries to ask them to carry your book,

The Library Market for Self-Published Books

As a self-published romance author, your pathway to libraries is different from that of traditionally published authors, but it’s doable.

At one time, libraries viewed self-published books with skepticism, but today, librarians increasingly recognize the value and diversity that self-published titles bring to their collections. In an article about library distribution, the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI) reported that 92 percent of librarians regularly purchase from self-published authors and small presses.

When selecting books to order, libraries consider factors like reader demand, reviews from trusted sources, the book’s relevance to their current collection, and its overall quality. Additionally, librarians will often consider books of local interest, and/or by local authors. But even if your book isn’t about area locations or you don’t live in the area, you can still ask them to carry your book.

Preparing Your Self-Published Book for Library Standards

Here are the key elements that will polish your romance novel for library distribution:

Professional Presentation: It’s true that books are judged by their covers. First impressions count, and for books, this begins with the cover. Invest in a professional cover design that captures the essence of your romance novel while maintaining a look that fits comfortably on library shelves.

ISBN & Barcode: Alongside an eye-catching cover, ensure your book has an ISBN and a barcode. These are necessary for cataloging and sales tracking. Depending on your printing source (e.g. Amazon or Ingram Spark), you can obtain an ISBN for your book through your printer. Or you can purchase from Bowker. One ISBN is $125, but you can buy 10 for $295, which is clearly a better deal. Remember, each version of your book (print, ebook, audio) has its own ISBN.

Quality Binding: Libraries love books that endure, and binding plays a big part in this. Remember, this isn’t one reader buying your book and reading once or twice. This will be a library book that has the potential to be read a hundred times or more. Opt for high-quality binding that can withstand frequent handling.

Editing and Formatting: You should have professional editing regardless of where you sell your book, but it’s especially so for libraries. Typos, grammatical errors, and formatting faux pas can be off-putting. Invest in professional editing services to ensure your book reads smoothly and maintains a high standard. Proper formatting, including a clean, readable font and well-structured layout, makes your book inviting and accessible.

Categorization and Clarity: Libraries are all about organization. Help librarians place your book in the right spot by clearly categorizing your romance novel. Is it historical romance, contemporary, paranormal? Clear labeling helps librarians and readers alike find your book where they expect it to be. If possible, include the subcategories that help librarians find books their readers want, such as the categories of the ladies in my area who like ex-military heroes and MC romances.

eBook Standards: Don’t forget that libraries lend ebooks (and audio books) as well. If offering a digital version, ensure it’s compatible with common library eBook platforms like OverDrive (Libby) or Hoopla. Formatting for eBooks requires a different approach, focusing on readability across various devices.

Metadata: Ensure your title, author name, ISBN, and descriptions are consistently and accurately represented across all platforms. This makes it easier for libraries (and readers) to find your book.

Distributors and Aggregators for Self-Published Authors

You can walk into your local library and ask them to buy your book or donate it, but to get your book in libraries across the country, you’ll need to work with a distributor.

Think of distributors as the middlemen who handle everything from storage and shipping to managing relationships with libraries. But here’s the catch: not all distributors are keen on self-published books. This is where doing your homework pays off. Look for distributors like IngramSpark or Baker & Taylor, which are more receptive to self-published titles, especially ones that have a professional touch and a unique appeal. Amazon offers expanded distribution into libraries as well.

Ebooks are distributed to Overdrive (read through Libby app) or Hoopla. Distributers that can do this for you include Draft2Digital (D2D), StreetLib, and PublishDrive. These resources should also be able to make your books available through Bibliotheca and Baker and Taylor’s Axis 360.

For audio books, you can apply direct to Overdrive, but a better option is likely to use Findaway Voices (which also distributes to Spotify).

Pricing Your Book

Pricing your book right is crucial. Libraries have budgets, and your book needs to fit within their financial constraints. Research the pricing of similar titles in your genre and find a sweet spot that makes your book an attractive purchase for libraries without undercutting your worth. It’s important to note that often the prices for libraries is higher than the retail price. Remember, you’re selling libraries a book that will be available to multiple readers and will be read multiple times, so it’s a little different than a single sale to a reader. Some distributors, such as Draft2Digital, will recommend a library price.

Contacting Libraries

Remember that first you need to have your book in a distribution channel that libraries order from (see above). At that point, your book is available for order. But instead of waiting and hoping they find your book, you can reach out to libraries to introduce them to your book. To do that, you need to prepare a query that tells libraries who you are, about your book (genre, blurb, etc), why their readers will love it, where they can get it, and any additional data you can provide that supports the book’s appeal.

Some tidbits to collect for your pitch include:

Reviews and testimonials
Social Media Buzz (especially social media that talks about your book, but also you can share your own social media)
Awards
Appearances

Your Marketing Pitch: Your marketing pitch needs to hook the librarian and persuade them to buy your book. Highlight what makes your romance novel unique, its appeal to their readers, and why it’s a must-have in their collection. Be sincere, be passionate, and most importantly, be clear about what sets your book apart.

You also might also want to consider offering a reading or doing a presentation as part of your pitch. With zoom, it’s easy for you to be available for library programming, book clubs, and more. If you tie your book into something you believe will appeal to the librarian, offering this extra bit of service can help. If the library is local or within driving distance, consider doing an in-person events. I have ALWAYS sold out when I’ve done in person events at libraries.

Professional Press Kit: A press kit is like your novel’s résumé. Include a captivating author bio, a synopsis that intrigues, high-quality images of the cover, and any reviews or endorsements you’ve garnered. Don’t forget to add your book’s ISBN, details about where the book is available, and your contact information. Write with Harte has a one-page media kit template you can use in Canva (it’s in the Freebies Resources). It’s free for WWH members. Not a member? Join for free!

Finding Libraries to Contact: Once you have your pitch letter and press kit, you need to contact libraries. To do that, you need to have library contact information. You can search Google for individual libraries, or you can buy lists but usually that is for snail mailing, and the listings may not be a fit for what you’re trying to do. Library Marketing Services has several lists provided in a spreadsheet with 3,000 to 6,000 libraries. Most of their list options are under $50.

Steps for Contacting Libraries

Have your materials ready and know what your goal is. Do you want to introduce your book? Do you have a new release? Maybe you want to introduce your series.
Select the libraries you plan to reach out. Do you want to focus on libraries in your area or in the area your book takes place?
Decide how you’re going to email. Your emails should be addressed to the librarian by name. You can do that by emailing them one at a time from your author email account. To save time, you can bulk email, BUT you need to use an option with a mail merge to enter the name of the librarian so it doesn’t come off as spam bulk email. If you’re a Microsoft user, here is a tutorial on using Mail Merge to Send Bulk Email. Or you can use a bulk email service like ClickBack, which isn’t cheap, but it will clean and check the emails on your list, which can help protect your email reputation.
When emailing, use your pitch created above. Open with a hook, something to catch the librarian’s attention. It could be a review or a tagline. Provide all the information the librarian needs (Title, ISBN, blurb, author, etc), but be succinct too. End your email by thanking them for their consideration of your book.

Librarian Pitch Letter Template

Hello [Name of Librarian],

[Hook: Review or tagline]

[Title] is a [genre-subgenre e.g. contemporary romance) with tropes of [list tropes]. The book is available through library distributors such as [list distributors]. The book is perfect for your readers who love [info about your book and perhaps heat level, e.g. southern romance novels with a little spice].

I am [Your name] and I [about you…why you wrote this book or your awards or anything else that would appeal to a librarian about you and your book ]. [name of libraries] have added [title] to their collections and I was hoping that [name of the library you’re pitching] would be interested in adding [title] to their collection as well.

I’d be happy to [event suggestion if offering to do an event].

Here is more information about [title]:

Paperback ISBN (note that a hardback will have its own ISBN as well):
eBook ISBN:
Audio ISBN:

Blurb:

Author Website:

Thank you for considering offering [title] to your readers.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Do you have questions or other ideas on how to get your books into libraries? Let me know in the comments below.

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

Tips on Becoming a Profitable Romance Author

December 11, 2023 in Blog, Marketing

Updated December 2023

I received the following question through the WWH Weekly Call topic list and thought I’d answer it here as well.

Ugh. I just did taxes, as a first year romance author. I looooovvveeee this business, but I’m wondering if I can really make a profit and how. I work a full time job so 2021 I did All. The. Things. Because I could afford to, I tried everything, bought everything, advertised the heck out of everything. Now for 2022 I’m pulling back, focusing on the things I found that work and not spending money on things that don’t in terms of marketing my books. So I’m writing my second series now, and sifting through my data to find where to get the most bank for (budgeted) marketing dollars. I guess my question is, what are some tips to becoming profitable as a romance author?

This is the million-dollar question. Like this author, I’ve done all the things and have watched while other authors who started after me zoom (or so it seemed) to the top of the bestseller list, making money hand over fist. Why is that? What were they doing?

Before I get into tips to becoming profitable, or at least making more than you spend, here are a few things you need to consider.

There is a reason most self-pub programs tell you to write to market. Some go as far as to tell you to write spicy or clean (apparently nothing in between) romance. Writing what people are devouring is, theoretically, an easier sell than to people who don’t read a subject so much. However, I’m not telling you to write to market, because sometimes chasing the sale by writing something that you’re not passionate about has it’s own problems. But it is clear that finding the right readers for your book is the crucial element to success.
There is a reason most publishing gurus tell you to be in Kindle Unlimited, especially if you’re a romance writer. Romance readers are voracious. They read more than they could possibly afford if they had to pay retail. Many of these readers consume 2 or 3, maybe more books a week. Sometimes a day! It’s more affordable (and justifiable to the budget) to pay $9.99 a month and read to their heart’s content. However, while KU can be a good option for new authors, or for a 90-day release period, there are many authors who do well with wide distribution or selling directly from their websites.

So why am I giving you contradictory information? Because when it comes to success, to a certaint extent you’ll have find your own sweetspot based on your goals and readers.

What we do know it that there are two things you definitely need:

A book readers love. Today, the ginormous sales of books is due in large part to readers telling others about your book and all of them loving it enough to tell more readers. This is how Colleen Hoover, Elle Kennedy, Lucy Score and others have found success.
Packaging makes a difference. Covers are the first thing readers see when considering your book. It needs to appeal to them, giving them a message that your book offers what they want. My Valentine Mystery series got all new covers because I wanted to better target romance readers, who are a better fit for the books than mystery readers (because I include sexy bits!). The same cover artist did both (see below). Same interior, but totally different vibe, right? It’s important that you think of your cover as a marketing tool. Here is my take on how readers choose books. Authors they love then, with new or unknown authors: Genre > Tropes > Cover > Blurb > Reviews (often checking the lower ones first).

Tips on Becoming a Profitable Romance Author

Okay, so now you have a sense of what you’ll right and for whom, the importance of a good story, and an appealing cover. Let’s move on to making money!

Marketing your book is different when you are brand new than when you already have a book or two or three under your belt. Let’s start with new authors (first book) and novice authors (have books but are still growing).

Marketing for New Authors

If you build it and put it on Amazon, the readers still may not come…even in KU. It’s crucial that new authors start marketing as soon as possible BEFORE publishing your book.

If you’re still writing, start talking about your book.

There are two advantages to starting your marketing now;

1) You develop a system and habit of maintaining your platforms (social media, website, email etc), so it’s easier to incorporate more marketing tasks later. You don’t want to do all the things at the same time your book is launching.

2) You have a group of people ready to buy your book when it publishes.

Learn who your readers are and where they hang out.

When it comes time to market your book, you need to reach out to these people so figuring out who they are and where you can find them is important. Follow authors that write in the same genre (social media, website/blog, email etc). This will not only help you get ideas for what you can do with your fans, but also, you can meet and learn about their readers…who are your readers too. CAUTION: Don’t promote yourself on other author’s platforms unless they say it’s okay.

Figure out the best place to find your readers, and create a profile. Publish tidbits of writing, things you’ve learned in your research, and other topics readers of your genre would be interested in.

Build your platforms and invite people to visit.

We’re back to that “if you build it, they will come” concept. It doesn’t work except in A Field of Dreams. In the real world, Ray would have had to go out and tell the world about his baseball field in a cornfield.

Of course, first he needed his baseball field, which you do to in the form of a website and email list.

But next, you need to find people to invite to your cornfield…or in this case, website and email list. People won’t come by cosmic magic of Shoeless Joe Jackson. You need to go out and find readers where they are, and invite them to join you at your place. This leads us to two goals in marketing:

Sell books
Build community

Selling books is first because that’s your ultimate goal. But it’s transactional; one person, one sale. What happens with your next book? You’re starting from scratch again. This is were building a community is your best bet. Sure you may get people who accidentally find you on Amazon and buy, but most successful authors (the big money makers) are making their money from existing readers buying new releases. They got those existing readers by creating places for the readers to come visit them and giving them a reason to stay. These authors stay actively involved with their readers so that when a new book comes; the readers are ready to buy.

The challenge of building a community is that you need to give readers a reason to want to follow you (i.e. a free novella or other romance-related freebie) and continue to give them things (entertainment, fun, and books) so they keep on following you. This is the equivalent of the slow burn romance (sorry, changing metaphors). It takes time to woo them, but when you do, they’re loyal and loving!

Think of it this way; some of the most successful romance writers have 20,000 to 100,000 email subscribers on their list. When they have a release, how many people do you think buy when they get an email on the new release? Probably not all 20k to 100k but I bet it’s more than anyone who doesn’t have a list, except Nora Roberts and her ilk. If only a thousand to five thousand bought, that would still be a lot. A $3.99 Kindle book, would earn (@2.99 profit/book) $2,990 to $14,950. If they’re KU readers, the earnings come through page reads. Two-hundred and fifty page reads over 1000 people would earn approximately $1,100. However, consider that more people may grab the KU version, which could lead to more downloads than if the book was purchased, in which case, you’d earn more. With a single email, these authors are making $2,500 and more.

So, I’ve taken the long route to say that you want to think beyond book sales and instead in terms of building a community of readers around you. You want to give them something they want and to engage with them regularly, and when book releases happen, they’ll be there to buy.

What is a community?

Community is where you readers can congregate to hang out with each other and you based around the writing you do. There are basically two ways to build a reader community and you should consider both.

The email list is crucial since you have readers’ email addresses. When a reader give you an email address, that’s a bigger commitment and show of support than a simple follow on social media. However, you can build a group on Facebook, Discord, or some other place where readers can engage with you (you could build your own reader group here on Write With Harte!).

So how do you find people to join your community?

If you have ZERO readers, followers, fans…

Create something readers in your genre would like. Ideally it’s a book or novella you’ve written, but it can be something else as long as it’s something your target market (the people who read your type of book) reads.
Create an email list. This is a big topic. I have a link to an article here to tell you more about email and how you can use it to become a profitable author. Put the email list sign up on a website, blog, FB page or other place you can tell people where to get it. Note that Aweber has an easy way to make a landing page so you don’t need to build another site. You can get a free trial of Aweber here
Start a Facebook or Discord group under your author name and invite people to join. Consider making it private and offer some extra stuff you don’t share elsewhere. It will make it seem more exclusive.
Pick a limited number of places to hangout on social media. You can’t be everywhere all the time and tryin to do so will lead to burnout and lower results. Facebook, for all its faults, is a good place to be unless you can prove your reader isn’t on Facebook. IOf course, if your reader is under 35 years old or younger, TikTok is a prime location. After that, think of other places your reader hangs out to learn or talk about romance books, and decide if you can actively maintain participation on the platform. The active participation is important. If your reader is on TikTok but you can’t stay consistent on the platform, maybe that’s not the place for you or you need to figure out how to you can be consistant.

Once you have your “ball field” in place, it’s time to get people to visit you:

Ads aren’t free but can be effective at quickly building a community if you have offers readers like and you can effectively target those readers.
Giveaway programs such as Bookfunnel or Prolific Works offer an easy way to build your list while helping others build their list as well.
As your email list grows, do newsletter swaps, where you tell your readers about another author and they tell their readers about you. You’ll need to swap with lists that are a similar size to yours. If you have 1000 subscribers, you’ll swap with someone in the same genre with around 1000 subscribers. There are Facebook groups that have authors who want to swap, or use Bookfunnel or Bookclicker.
Tell your friends and family to share with others they think would be interested in what you’re doing.

There are more ideas in the email email article posted here

For first-time authors (first book coming out):

Continue to build your list and community how ever you’ve done it before (as long as it’s working).
Join Bookbub and start keeping it updated with your books and asking your community to follow you. It’s free to have a Bookbub profile and its where many romance readers keep track of what they read and their favorite authors.
Be a guest. Go on podcasts and guest blog. Try to focus on outlets that target your reader, not other writers. This is a great way to share your new book and even better, it’s free.
Takeover events. I did a lot of takeovers when I started and many of my fans came from it. These are free and can be really fun.
Run ads. Successful authors I know run ads nearly all the time. But for a new author on a budget, consider running your ad during your presale and a few days after launch. Ads more than anything can jack up your sales if you don’t have a large community of readers. If you have been building a BookBub following and have around 1000 followers, try to get a Bookbub ad.

For novice authors:

If you’ve already been doing the above and other tasks to market your books, you’ll want to start first by looking at the results of your efforts. Did the FB ad bring new subscribers or sales? Is your Facebook group engaged and if not, is it because you need to be more interesting? Is your email list responsive? If your list has a low open rate all around (17% or less) and/or low click through rate or high unsubscribes, then you’ll want to figure out why.

As you grow your author business, there are two things you need to do to make the big bucks:

Evaluate your results regularly. Data is your friend. It’s what will tell you what’s working and what isn’t. However, if something isn’t working, consider tweaking or assessing why. Maybe you need to make a simple change to get results. So don’t abandon a strategy without determining if you can make it work.
Keep on top of new trends in book marketing. Things that worked last year, may not work this year. There might be a brand new service or idea (i.e. BookTok) that you should consider. Staying active in author marketing resources, especially romance ones, will help you keep on top of what is working and not working for others. Note, that you can’t do all the things, but you may need to shift and change as time goes on, but you need to use your data to help you decide when and what to change.

Think Outside the Box

Recently, Amazon messed up payments to its authors. If you hang out with authors on social media, you may come across authors who’ve been banned for reasons they don’t understand from Amazon.

One of the challenges of making a living as an author is that you rely on Amazon and/or other retailers to sell your books. But things have been changing and more and more authors are taking advantage of alternative ways to reach readers. Regardless of if you’re new, struggling, or successful, you should consider diversifying your book distribution and how you engage with readers through options such as:

Direct sales (setting up your own storefront)

Subscription (e.g. Ream or Patreon)

Serials (e.g. Vella, Radish, etc)

To learn more, check out 12 New and Emerging Opportunities for Romance Authors

So, where I’m I spending my time?

I spend much of my time building my email list, which I do mostly through social media and Bookfunnel giveaways and occasional swaps (set up through Bookfunnel). When I’m at events, I have a paper on a clipboard and a QR code where people can sign up for my list as well.

I run ads off and on. They don’t seem to do as well as they used to, so they’re something that needs to be monitored daily. I usually run ads when I have something new or want to re-introduce book one when a later book in the series is coming out.

I spent this year doing a ton of FB takeovers. They were a blast and did increase my subscribers and following. I don’t necessarily see it reflected in my sales though.

For 2024, I’m refocusing my time with my reader group and street team, building a subscription income option, as well as selling wide and direct. This requires me to make some shifts in marketing which includes spending more time with my reader group and offering cool stuff, and restarting blogging.

I have also hired PR help who is assisting me in getting books out to reviewers and influencers. Admittedly, after nearly 8 months, I’m not seeing the results I’d hoped for.

Writing a book is hard, but selling it is harder (I think). It’s important to see author success as a marathon. It might look like some authors hit the bullseye on first try, but even those who say they were shot to success will tell you they were working hard on all the things until the one thing bumped them to the next level. The question you have to figure out is the “one thing” that will propel you to the next level?

What are your current marketing strategies? Please share here and in the Marketing and Promotion group here at Write with Harte.

Tags: Marketing & Promotion No Comments »

by jennaharte

22+ Great Gifts for Writers in Your Life

December 4, 2023 in Blog, Tools & Resources

It’s that time of year again…the holidays. With that comes gift giving. If you have a writer in your life and you’re not sure what to give them, or perhaps you’re a writer and need ideas on what to ask for, here is a list of 22 (plus a few more) holiday gift ideas.

FIRST…BEFORE YOU SHOP

Before you start shopping, be sure to sign up for Swagbucks and/or Rakuten. So many online retailers earn you points through these programs that you can use for cash back or giftcards. I let my points ride until this time of year, when I use them to buy gifts or get giftcards for gifts. This year, I used my Swagbucks points to buy hundreds of dollars worth of stuff to make swag (mugs, tumblers, t-shirts, etc).

Gifts

Literary Insults Gift Poster

The writer in your life will get a kick out of this unique and memorable gift of literary insults from Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twaine, Jane Austen and more.

Caskers Tears of Writers Whiskey

From the website: A gold Medal winner at the International Spirits Challenge in London and one of the highest rated Irish Whiskeys in Jim Murrays Iconic “Whiskey Bible.” It was also featured in Ian Buxton’s publication “101 Whiskeys to try before you die.” (This on my list to get for my sister!)

Support the writer in your life with this fun Writer’s Block mug from Write with Harte.

The Writer’s Block graphic can also be purchased on a tote or t-shirt.

See more romance writing merch from Write with Harte here

Retro Vintage Typewriter Pencil Holder

This 4″ x 4″ vintage typewriter pen holder for makes a fun gift for writers.

Next Mug Temperature Controlled Mug

Make sure writing isn’t interrupted because of tepid tea or coffee with the Nextmug. It will keep coffee, tea, or hot chocolate at the perfect temperature: Warm (130°), Hot (140°), or Piping (150°) and enjoy for hours. (This on my list to get!)

Novel Teas Book Lover’s Tea

Stay hydrated and inspired with tea bags tagged with literary quotes from the world over. Included 25-English Breakfast tea bags.

Book Themed Purse

Give the romance author and Jane Austen lover the gift of Pride and Prejudice in a purse. Or select a different literary themed purse such as The Raven, Beauty and the Beast, and more.

These Jane Austen gloves are perfect for cold writing rooms.

Keep your hands warm and fingers free with Writing Gloves from Storiarts.

These beautiful statement pieces are hand made from cut to finish and feature text from great literature.

100% super soft cotton jersey knit
Fingerless design keeps hands warm and working
Heat-set ink won’t wash out or fade for lasting beauty
Handmade locally in Portland, Oregon from U.S.-sourced fabric

Don’t Overthink It Notebook

This 150-blank page 6” x 9” journal is small enough to carry with you, or keep by your desk for notes and inspiration.

Books

Help get the romance author in your life organized. This Romance Author’s Novel Organizer workbook helps authors from story idea, through plotting, writing, publishing, and marketing.

Full Time Author is a tome that helps new, emerging, or struggling authors build a career from writing. It covers everything from mindset, business, branding, marketing, and more.

Writing and Launching a Best Seller is a quick overview of how Elena Johnson has been able to write and launch bestsellers in multiple pen names. Particularly helpful are her various launch lists.

Writing the Romantic Comedy is geared toward screenwriting, but offers some insights into the genre for rom-com authors as well.

Strong Verbs for Fiction Writers

Pack more oomph and excitement into your writing by plucking just the right verb for what you’re trying to convey with this book of 1,000 strong verbs. (This on my list to get!)

Character Reactions from Head to Toe

If your writing includes a few to many sighs or head nods, this book can help you find other character reactions to include instead. (This on my list to get!)

Journal of the Month

Not a book per se, but instead a subscription that sends a different literary journal every month.

Learn more at Journal of the Month

Author Tools

This is the recorder I use when I dictate. Authors can use their phone, but I like this Sony Digital Recorder better as it’s easier to pause and record, and it has a USB port built in for easy audio file transfer.

Scrivener

Plan, plot, store research, organize, write and format your novel all from one app…Scrivener. Templates can help you get started (WWH has a plot template). You can set writing targets to help you keep on pace, easily re-arrange your writing, use outlines or a corkboard to organize your ideas, and more.

Learn more about Scrivener here.

While Canva has a free option, the paid version offers a ton of extra bells and whistles to help an author especially when it comes to marketing and social media. With Canva, authors can create social media graphics to promote their books, email lists, events and more. They can create book covers and book trailers (videos). Romance authors can great pretty freebies such as book order lists, series lists, and more. It has a growing app library with AI tools as well.

Here are a few benefits to the pro-Canva Plan:

100+ Million premium images, photos, videos, audio graphics, etc
Hundreds of thousands premium templates
Branding Kit – Set your colors, fonts, etc for easy use
Folders for Organizing – You can organize from book series, pen name, etc
One click resize – Make a design and with a click, resize it for any and all social media or other types of media
Remove backgrounds from images – this is great for marketing and cover designs
Social Media scheduling on 8 platforms
Allow PA or other virtual support access
1 TB of cloud storage
24/7 Customer support

Learn more about Canva Pro here

ProWritingAid will not only help the writer in your life find grammar and spelling errors, but also it can help them improve the quality of writing. It finds passive voice, highlights when too many sentences in a row start with the same word, offers suggestions for better word choices, and more.

For authors looking to get an agent and traditional publisher, using this software will help their manuscript stand out by sending the tightest, cleanest submission possible, short of hiring an editor. If they’re an indie author, this software can clean up the manuscript, which makes it easier for the editor hired to edit the book.

Learn more about ProWritingAid

Autocrit offers editing similar to ProWritingAid, along with a few more bells and whistles, including assessing the book against best sellers in the genre, AI brainstorming, digital notecards and note boards displayed alongside your writing to keep organized, and developmental feedback on the story’s timeline, character arcs, conflicts, potential contradictions, foreshadowing and more.

Learn more about Autocrit here.

Social Bee doesn’t seem to be as well-known as other social media tools such as Hootsuite, but I love this tool and recommend it whenever I can. Social Bee does more than just allow you to schedule social media posts. With the Canva integration, you can create your sharable graphic from within Social Bee. Plus it works with all the major platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest), including the ability to schedule Reels and TikToks!

My favorite feature is the reschedule option that will automatically repost a post forever or you can set a number of times it will post or an expiration date. The automatic repost forever is ideal for evergreen content, such as sharing newsletter sign up. The time limited option is ideal for special sales or event promotions. Authors can organize post types by categories (e.g. promotion, blog post, etc) and set up a posting schedule, which again, used in conjunction with the reposting feature, means content is sent out regularly even if the author forgets or doesn’t have time to create a new post.

Learn more about Social Bee

More Ideas

Need more ideas? Here are other gifts you or the writer in your life may enjoy:

Subscription to a writer magazine, such as The Writer or Writer’s Digest
Meal box subscription
House cleaning service
Office supplies like printer paper, binders, pens and pencils, paperclips, printer ink, etc
Comfortable pajamas, yoga pants, or sweats
Registration to a writing or book event
Hotel accommodations for a weekend writing retreat
Neck massager

Tags: Writing No Comments »

« Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
…
10
Next »

jennaharte

The Elements of a Meet Cute

Romance Genre and Tropes

Setting

Character Introduction

Sparks

Dialogue and Interaction

Crafting the Perfect Meet Cute

Conflict

Building Tension

Be Original (Avoiding Cliché)

Examples of Memorable Meet Cutes

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Naked in Death by JD Robb

Lover Unbound J.R. Ward

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

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

Table of Contents

Understand Your Audience

Merch Ideas for Romance Writers

Design Tips

Finding a Reliable Supplier for Your Author Merchandise

Selling Your Merch

Overview of Platforms for Selling Merch

Setting Up an Online Store: Basics and Best Practices

Pricing Strategies for Your Merchandise

Marketing Your Merch

Legal Considerations

Copyrights and Trademarks: Protecting Your Work and Respecting Others’

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

Engaging with Your Community

Using Merch as a Tool for Reader Engagement

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

Gathering and Incorporating Reader Feedback for Future Merch Lines

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

Table of Contents

Understanding the Basics of a Marketing Calendar

What is a Marketing Calendar?

Why is a Marketing Calendar Important for Romance Authors?

Key Components of an Effective Marketing Calendar

Developing Your Marketing Plan

Tools to Develop Your Marketing Plan

Identifying Key Dates

Setting Objectives

Gathering Assets

Planning Your Marketing Activities

Putting Your Marketing Calendar Together

Monitoring and Adjusting Your Marketing Calendar

History of Publishing

Why Consider Additional or Alternative Publishing/Distribution Options

Additional Publishing and Distribution Channels for Romance Authors

1. Publish Wide

2. Audiobooks and Podcasts

3. Foreign Rights Sales

4. Direct Sales

5. Serial Writing Platforms

6. Subscription Model

7. Crowdfunding

8. Special Editions and Limited Runs

9. Personalized Stories and Commissions

10. Collectibles and Merch

11. Brand Partnerships

12. Interactive Storytelling

What is a Media Kit?

Essential Components of a Romance Author’s Media Kit

Media One-Sheet

Full Media Kit

How to Use Your Media Kit

Pitching to Media Outlets

Who to Pitch and Send Your Media Kit to

Tips to Generate Interest In Your Kit

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

Understanding Your Audience

The Key Elements of a Romance Blurb

Writing Techniques for Engaging Blurbs

What to Watch Out For

Fine-Tuning Your Blurb

Updating Your Blurb

Do you have questions about writing book blurbs? Maybe you have tips I haven’t included. I’d love to know in the comments below.