What to Pay for and What to Do Yourself: Self-Publishing Guide for Beginners (Part 3)

If you look at self-published books on Amazon, there is an astonishing variety of quality, to be frank. Some look like they could compete against traditionally published books. Others appear to be lumps of words someone wrote in a hurry and then uploaded immediately afterward.

The key difference between these is what the author paid for (and how much!)

Now, you might be thinking: But I don’t have money! I thought self-publishing was supposed to be free and easy!

Oh, my friend. It’s time to burst that bubble.

Cover reveal for The Mistletoe Connection!

Hello! Today I have an exciting surprise for you: the official cover for my debut novel, The Mistletoe Connection! I worked with Kyle DeMarco to design it, and he knocked it out of the park. You can see his other work here. I had this vague idea of an illustrated cover with some scripty font, and he took that and made it AMAZING. The Mistletoe Connection is told through multiple points of view and storylines (think Love Actually), and he was able to capture all those threads in the cover perfectly. I’ll have a post in a few weeks talking more about the actual process of working with a cover designer, but it’s time for the cover!

Drum roll please…

Eeep! I’m in love. It was so fun to send my character descriptions to Kyle, and then see them come to life on the cover. The Mistletoe Connection comes out on November 10. I’m still working on getting all the preorder links up, so you can access the booksellers currently stocking it here. And you can read the full summary below!

On Christmas Eve, a mix of strangers at the Denver airport is trying to make it home in time for Christmas when a snowstorm sweeps through, grounding all flights. Stuck in the airport together, they help each other discover the magic of in-between places.

Six intertwined stories unfold in the airport as the clock ticks closer to midnight: Landry runs into her ex-girlfriend Resa, and the two women hit it off like nothing ever happened—until things start to get serious. Unaccompanied minor June convinces Adrian to pose as her boyfriend for social media that evening, but what happens when she wants to stop pretending? Charles is struggling during the first holiday season since his wife’s death, and the resulting tension with his daughter only makes the night more difficult. Wes and Keely had hoped to forget about their fight during the holidays, but being stranded at the airport brings emotions to a boiling point. Airport employees Trevor and Kat have been best friends since middle school, but can Trevor work up the courage to tell Kat he wants to be more than that? Through it all, heartbroken Mariel is determined to end the worst year of her life on a good note, and ropes everyone into her scheme to make it happen.

July & August in Review // What’s Making Me Happy

It’s the end of summer! TBH, I’ve always preferred fall/winter to summer, and especially now that I’m out of school and summer doesn’t automatically mean a vacation, I’m even more over it. BUT, some fun things did happen over the past two months, and I’m excited to share them with you!

What I’m Reading

The Black Veins by Ashia Monet

This delightful novel is found family + road trip + fantasy, so basically it was created for me. I adored all the charaters, and can’t wait to read more by this author!
p.s. – if you use the link above to buy the book, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you!

What I’m Watching

Russian Doll

I know everyone was obsessed with this, like, a year ago, but I finally got around to watching it and wow does it deserve the hype! I was amazed how they turned a seemingly simple premise into a compelling series.

What I’m Listening To

Music ~ folklore ~ Taylor Swift

Like everybody and their mother, I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift’s surprise album nonstop. I’m over here impatiently waiting for it to actually feel like fall outside so I can listen to the songs while curled up with a hot cup of tea.

Podcasts ~ The Scaredy Cats Horror Show

Reply All is one of my favorite podcasts, so when the hosts PJ and Alex did a mini-spin off series with the goal of acclimating PJ to watching horror movies, I was sold. I’m similar to PJ in that I want to like horror movies, but alas, I am a scaredy cat. This podcast was the perfect combination of comedy and film commentary.

Other Things Making Me Happy

The highlight of July was that I spent a week in the mountains (at a clean, socially distant) cabin with my family. One of my favorite things was hiking the trails and finding cute little fairy villages all over the place! I tried my hand at building my own, but some of them were crazy good.

I also tried stand up paddleboarding for the first time! It was so much fun, and not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. And when I didn’t feel like standing, I just knelt or sat down. Mostly, it was a lot of fun to be in the water!

Since no summer vacation is complete without s’mores, but there’s a fire ban in the mountains, I used this skillet s’mores recipe! It was dairy free (my husband is lactose intolerant) but really you can use any chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. Super easy and super yummy!

For reasons I can’t explain, I’m now obsessed with James Hoffman, a coffee expert with a lovely YouTube presence. It started with his funnier videos on trying coffee from the ’70s or comparing instant coffees, but now I’ll watch him spend fifteen minutes reviewing a $3,000 espresso machine I’m never going to get. I blame the accent.

In other YouTube news, I found a new booktuber who I adore! Joel Rochester aka Fictional Fates has been a staple in the online bookish community for years, but just began his YouTube channel this month. He has such a fun vibe and creative videos. He also recommended The Black Veins, so I will forever be in his debt.

What’s making you happy this month? Let me know in the comments!

After You Write The Book: Self-Publishing Guide for Beginners (Part 2)

When you want to self-publish, the first step, naturally is writing a book. But once you’ve got a book that’s been edited by you and others…then what?

The short answer is, you’ve got a lot of decisions to make.

If we’re being honest, most of this you should actually work out during/before writing the book, but you’ll absolutely need to have it figured out once you’re ready to publish, because these choices will determine what your next steps are.

Read part one of the Self-Publishing Guide for Beginners!

Where to publish?

Once you decide to self-publish, you’ll realize there are a lot of ways to get your book out there. The simplest way to summarize this is whether to “go wide” or not. What does going wide mean? It’s when you decide to have your book available for purchase at places other than just Amazon.

6 Podcasts for Writers and Creatives

Y’ALL. It’s been two years since I started this blog!

*cue confetti and lots of cake or the dessert of your choice*

I’ve got some ~big changes~ planned, but for now, let’s celebrate with…podcasts!

One of my first posts was about 10 podcasts to make you a better writer, and since I keep finding new podcasts, I updated that list with 5 more podcasts for writers. Now, I’m back with even more podcasts!

It’s sort of interesting to track how these lists reflect my writing life and style. These podcasts are much more about the industry of publishing, both traditional and independent publishers. I still really value podcasts about craft and author interviews, but it’s also been helpful to learn more about books and publishing as a wider industry as I (hopefully!) get closer to getting an agent and fully stepping into that world.

The Print Run podcast is hosted by publishing pros, Laura Zats and Erik Hane. They’re both literary agents and Erik is a writer himself, so they know the ins and outs of the business. The podcast is primarily an honest conversation between the two of them about whatever crazy stuff has gone down in publishing recently. They answer questions from listeners and sometimes interview other publishing professionals. The two hosts have an easygoing vibe but also aren’t afraid to ask hard questions about what publishing needs to change. It’s a compelling, frank look at the industry, and an invaluable resource for anyone who hopes to be a part of it.

Average run-time: 50 minutes

Author Victora Schwab is making the most of quarantine with her new podcast No Write Way. Each week, she sits down with another author on Instagram Live and chats with them about their career, writing craft, and life as a creative. So you can watch live on Instagram, or listen at your convenience when she uploads the audio as a podcast. So far, Schwab has known the authors she’s interviewing pretty well, which means they already have camaraderie and an ease that makes the podcast more like listening to your (super smart and talented) writer friends chat rather than an interview.

Average run-time: 1 hour

I’ve mentioned Sarah Enni’s podcast First Draft in a previous podcast round-up, but now she has a podcast-within-a-podcast called Track Changes. This one, appearing on the First Draft feed, focuses on what you don’t know you don’t know about publishing. She talks to industry professionals and published authors about each step in the process – from finding an agent to signing a deal to marketing your book. She’s also done a really good job of addressing inequality in the industry and how publishing was literally designed to benefit wealthy white, able-bodied people.

Average run-time: 30 minutes

Self-publishing icon Joanna Penn hosts The Creative Penn, which is chock-full of information for writers interested in both traditional and self-publishing. The first part of the podcast is updates from Joanna on her writing life and news about the writing industry, usually for indie authors. In the second half, she interviews other writers. Sometimes this is more industry-focused and aimed at indie authors, but sometimes it’s more about craft and is helpful no matter how you want to publish. She recently celebrated 500 episodes and ten years of the podcast, so it’s safe to say she knows her stuff!

Average run-time: 1 hour

Nina LaCour’s calming voice guides writers through all the struggles that come with creating in Keeping A Notebook. She’s so chill and soothing, but has such great advice. During quarantine, she’s shifted the podcast structure to be more about writing prompts, which is great if you’ve been struggling with writer’s block thanks to all the craziness we’re living through.

Average run-time: 15 minutes

As an author who wants to take a hybrid approach (both self-publishing and traditional publishing books), How Do You Write? hosted by hybrid author Rachael Herron has been so valuable. She has so much knowledge to share, both about the industry and about writing. Her interview episodes span writers of all types and are always fascinating.

Average run-time: 30 minutes

There you have it! Six podcasts to add to your routine. Even if being published is still a long way off, I think it’s helpful to have the insight these podcasts provide so you know what you’re getting into and have reasonable expectations.

Do you listen to any of these podcasts? What’s your favorite writing podcast? Let me know in the comments!

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Featured image by Francis Bouffard

10 Books That Are Really New Adult

If you’re browsing a bookstore or website looking for a specific age range, most will skip from young adult straight to adult. But in real life, it’s a big jump from high school age to living on your own, having a full-time job, and paying bills. There’s a lot of growing up and changing that happens. So why is this weird phase of life not reflected in book categories?

The truth is, that age is in books, but for a variety of reasons, a separate category for it never really took off. Still, books featuring protagonists between the ages 18-25 are colloquially referred to as New Adult, and I wish we could see more books officially marketed that way.

Why You Should Organize Your Nightstand

You can ask anybody who has lived with me: I’m not an organized person naturally. If it weren’t for my much-more-organized husband, I would have piles of laundry and stacks of random crap covering most of the floor.

But there’s one space in our apartment that I try to keep fairly organized: my nightstand.

This might seem a little odd. Of all the spots to keep neat, why would I choose my nightstand? I only really see it in the morning and at night, and it’s such a small space in the apartment.

These reasons, though, are key to why organizing your nightstand is so effective, especially if you tend to be a cluttered person.

Self-Publishing Guide for Beginners: Part One

Welcome to the first part in my self-publishing guide! My first novel, The Mistletoe Connection, releases on November 10 (add it on GoodReads!) and as I work my way through the self-publishing world, I’m breaking it down for you in simple steps that are easy to understand and follow.

There are a lot of things that go into successfully self-publishing a book, whatever success means to you. But it all starts with one very important step: Write a good book.

This is probably the advice that every self-publishing advice starts with (and if it isn’t, run!). You can try all the gimmicks and advertising you want, but if you don’t have a good book, it’s going to flop. The self-publishing market is saturated with titles these days, and so while you could just slap together a first draft, use Microsoft Paint to create a cover, and hit “Publish” on Amazon, you’re not going to get any readers beyond (maybe) your family and friends.

But what does it mean to write a good book? That’s what we’re going to be talking about today.

2020 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hello, lovely readers! It’s already half-way through July, which means it is past half-way through the year! And what a year it’s been… I thought it would be fun to look back at this year from the lens of what I’ve been reading, so I’m doing the mid-year book freak out tag to talk about all my favorite (and not-so-favorite) books I’ve read so far!

I’ve read 51 books out of my goal of 95 for the year. Follow me on GoodReads to see my thoughts on what I’ve read!

How Anti-Racism Changed My Writing

There are some big updates about my self-publishing project! One: TITLE REVEAL! Drumroll please…

The Mistletoe Connection

On Christmas Eve, a mix of strangers at the Denver airport are trying to make it home in time for Christmas when a snowstorm sweeps through, grounding all flights. Stuck in the airport together, they’ll help each other discover the magic of in-between places.

Six intertwined stories explore what happens in the airport as the clock ticks closer to midnight: Landry runs into her ex-girlfriend Resa, and the two women hit it off like nothing ever happened—until things start to get serious. Unaccompanied minor June convinces Adrian to pretend to be her boyfriend for social media that evening, but what happens if she wants to stop pretending? Charles is struggling during the first holiday season since his wife’s death, and the resulting tension with his daughter only makes the night more difficult. Wes and Keely had hoped to sweep their fight about Keely’s career under the rug during the holidays, but being stranded at the airport will bring emotions to a boiling point. Airport employees Trevor and Margo have been best friends since middle school, but can Trevor work up the courage to tell Margo he wants to be more than that? Through it all, heartbroken Mariel is determined to end the worst year of her life on a good note, and ropes everyone into her scheme to make it happen.

I’m also looking for beta readers! If you’re interested in providing big picture feedback, fill out this form.