New Writer Tips

Tips and tools for new and established writers

  • New Writer Tips

    Don’t miss free access to Self Publishing Advice Conference Oct 29-30, 2022 #SelfPubCon #Writing

    Free Access for ALLi Members

    The Self Publishing Advice Conference offers two full days (10:00 AM - 10:00 PM) of information and insights for indie authors. Speakers include Joanna Penn, Mark Dawson, Nick Stephenson, Joel Friedlander, Jane Friedman, Mark Lefebvre, Mark Coker, Michael Anderle, Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathering Rusch, Robin Cutler, Carla King, and my favorite -- David Gaughran.

    The Conference cost is $499, but is free to members of the Alliance of Independent Authors - ALLi. ALLi is a professional business membership organization that advices, campaigns for, and empowers self-publishing authors. The mission of this non-profit organization is ethics and excellence in self-publishing, and the provide authors with trusted advice, supportive guidance, and a range of resources. Benefits include contract advice, guidebooks, discounts and deals, vetted services, and much more.

    Membership levels in ALLi:

    Associate ($89USD)

    You are preparing your first book for self-publication. You could also be a student of creative writing, multimedia, or publishing with an interest in author-publishing.

    Advisory team – all questions answered
    Free author advice guides
    Private moderated member’s forum
    Selected discounts for author services
    Affiliate earnings program
    Approved Services directory
    Online advice conference
    Daily blog, twice-weekly podcast
    Associate member website badge

    Author ($119USD)

    If you’ve published one book or more, or are just about to upload your first book, this is the membership for you. This could be a full-length (50,000+ words) book for adults, a number/series of shorter books, or a children’s or poetry book."

    Advisory team – all questions answered
    Free author advice guides
    Private moderated member’s forum
    All discounts for author services
    Affiliate earnings program
    Approved Services directory
    Online advice conference
    Daily blog, twice-weekly podcast
    Author member website badge
    Public author-publisher profile
    Book listing
    Contract vetting
    General legal advice
    Blogging opportunities
    Speaker opportunities
    Interview opportunities

    Authorpreneur ($149USD)

    Authorpreneurs earn their living from self-publishing and associated business. This membership is assessed – you will need to show evidence of 50,000 book sales in the past two years and/or KU or business equivalent.

    Advisory team – all questions answered
    Free author advice guides
    Private moderated member’s forum
    All discounts for author services
    Affiliate earnings program
    Approved Services directory
    Online advice conference
    Daily blog, twice-weekly podcast
    Public author-publisher profile
    Book listing
    Contract vetting
    General legal advice
    Blogging opportunities
    Speaker opportunities
    Interview opportunities
    Authorpreneur member website badge
    Business development advice
    Dedicated literary agent
    Rights and contract consultancy
    Business, tax, legal, and contract advice and resources

    As a member of ALLi, I have seen the benefits already. When you join, you can join their affiliate program and help other authors gain the same benefits. Here are two links to join ALLi. This one has my affiliate link - https://selfpublishingadviceconference.com/?wpam_id=10337 and this one does not. Using my link won't cost you any more or less than this one. https://selfpublishingadviceconference.com

  • Author Marketing,  New Writer Tips

    Happy Birthday #14 Marketing for Romance Writers #MFRWauthor @MFRW_ORG #RLFblog #Authors

    Happy Birthday #14 Marketing for Romance Writers #MFRWauthor @MFRW_ORG #RLFblog #AuthorsKayelle Allen here. Marketing for Romance Writers started in 2006 and is still going strong. All services and membership are free.

    It began because, like all my friends, I was promoting, learning more about promoting, and asking friends about promoting. All the ins and outs of book marketing were starting to gel and I was beginning to understand the overall concept. Even so, I had a constant list of questions. Facebook was two years old. Twitter had been founded that year. Pinterest and Instagram were four years away. How was I supposed to promote on social media? Did I need a blog?

    So many questions

    My friends all had the same questions, and we would email each other and ask. Often, I’d get the same question several times in a row. I found myself going back to my “sent” file to copy an answer and resend it. I was asking questions myself, plus I took time to go find an answer if someone asked and I didn’t know. Eventually, I got more and more questions.

    It was Halloween, and I was busy with all sorts of details of writing, and I got the same question from two different people. I remember thinking that there had to be an easier way to do this. I needed a way to let everyone know what I’d discovered at the same time, and if I had a question, get an answer from someone who knew. Yahoo Groups was established and well-used, so I decided to create one that all of my friends and I could use together. We could post a question there, and anyone who knew the answer could reply.Happy Birthday #14 Marketing for Romance Writers #MFRWauthor @MFRW_ORG #RLFblog #Authors

    I set it up as Marketing for Romance Writers because that’s what all of us were at the time. Our current members are not all romance writers, however. They come from all genres. Looking back, I’ve often wished I’d named it Marketing for Every Writer. Of course, then the initials would have been MEW vs MFRW and our symbol might have been a black cat!

    In 2006, we had 12 members. Fourteen years later, we’re in the thousands. We now meet on IO Groups and our staff of volunteers produces a monthly magazine. We coordinate multiple blog hops to bring traffic to member websites, including Book Hooks and MFRWsteam.

    About MFRW

     

    Marketing for Romance Writers is a peer-oriented mentoring group open to the entire literary community. Ask your marketing-related questions, or request help, advice, or opinions. You can learn how to create a professional image and use it effectively, as well as ask for opportunities to join other authors in promotional efforts. You can learn the business aspects of writing.

    News about pitch sessions and calls for submission are posted on the Yahoo group. As a member, you can attend exclusive, member-only pitch events with publishers. Members can attend free, online workshops and seminars.

    Marketing for Romance Writers is on most social media. The Twitter hashtags are #MFRWhooks #MFRWorg #MFRWauthor and #MFRWsteam, used for various weekly/monthly blog hops. See volunteers needed below for a chance to network while making a difference for fellow authors.

    Find and Join MFRW

    Marketing for Romance Writers IO Groups:
    Main https://marketingforromancewriters.groups.io/g/main
    Steam (Erotic) https://marketingforromancewriters.groups.io/g/steam
    MFRW Magazine https://newsstand.joomag.com/en?q=Marketing+for+Romance

    Marketing for Romance Writers Website http://marketingforromancewriters.org

    Marketing for Romance Writers News https://www.facebook.com/mfrworg

    Marketing for Romance Writers Promo https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/

    MFRW Triberr Tribes

    Books and Authors http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=31990
    Business of Writing http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=48112
    Erotic http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=40964
    LGBT http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=41440
    Mainstream http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=40921
    Sweets http://triberr.com/pages/tribe-overview.php?tid=40922

    MFRW Blogs & Hops

    MFRW Marketing http://mfrw.blogspot.com
    MFRW Author http://mfrw-authors.blogspot.com
    MFRW Book Hooks https://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com/
    MFRW 52 Week Challenge https://mfrw52week.blogspot.com/
    MFRW Steam http://mfrwsteam.blogspot.com

    Free Promotion for MFRW Members

    Follow us – we follow back.

    Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/mfrworg/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/161092-the-mfrw-book-place
    LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/marketing-for-romance-writers-organization/
    Twitter http://twitter.com/MFRW_ORG

    MFRW Volunteer Staff

    Kayelle Allen, Founder & Blog Coordinator https://kayelleallen.com
    Emerald, Facebook Coordinator http://www.TheGreenLightDistrict.org
    Mona Karel, Moderator http://mona-karel.com
    Rochelle Weber, Newsletter Publisher http://www.rochelleweber.com
    Barbara Donlon Bradley, Newsletter Editor http://www.barbaradonlonbradley.com
    Michelle Davis, Newsletter Editor https://twitter.com/michelle40768
    Tina Gayle, Twitter Promo & Blog Hop Coordinator http://www.tinagayle.net/home.html
    Kathryn R Blake, Blog Hop Coordinator http://www.kathrynrblake.com/
    Lisabet Sarai, Blog Hop Coordinator https://www.lisabetsarai.com/
    Alice Orr, Writing Tips Blogger https://aliceorrbooks.com
    Dee S Knight, Blog Hop Coordinator https://deesknight.com

    Volunteers Needed

    Goodreads Coordinator (posting books as requested) [edit: Fiona McGregor took on this role.]
    Twitter Coordinator (approving followers, sending tweets)
    Triberr Coordinator (approving blog posts within Triberr)
    Pinterest Coordinator (pinning covers)

    We currently need coordinator volunteers for these sites. Each position takes about an hour a week, average, and can be spread over several days. If you have experience in these areas and would like to volunteer, please contact us! main+owner@marketingforromancewriters.groups.io


    If you have questions about marketing your books, or you want to share an opportunity such as being a guest on your blog, join us. It’s okay to ask for guest spots too. The MFRW motto is “seek, teach, share, learn, succeed.” Services and membership are free.

    The Success Story

    Are you part of the Marketing for Romance Writers success story? Please share in the comments.

     

  • Author Marketing,  New Writer Tips

    Where can authors go for help? To MFRW right here: @MFRW_ORG #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

    What is MFRW?

    MFRW is Marketing for Romance Writers, a peer-oriented mentoring group open to the entire literary community. Ask marketing-related questions, request help, advice, and opinions. You can ask for opportunities to join other authors in promotional efforts. You can learn the business aspects of writing. What’s it cost? Nada, zip, zilch, zero — just come join up and share.

    Marketing for Romance Writers promotes for its members on most social media. Get your book cover pinned on one of the MFRW Pinterest boards, and share your tweets on MFRW’s monthly Retweet Day. The hashtags #MFRWorg #MFRWauthor and #MFRWhooks help you promote.

    If you have questions about marketing your books, join us. The MFRW motto is “seek, teach, share, learn, succeed.”

    MFRW was founded in 2006 by Kayelle Allen, who heads the group to this day, guiding its direction and overseeing the numerous volunteer staff members that help it run. The group began with a dozen friends, and today boasts over 2400 members, and over 7000 members make up our Facebook group. We have a multiple award-winning magazine. We have over 400 followers on Goodreads and feature our members books there in the MFRW Book Place group. On Pinterest, we are followed by over 1500 people, have 55 genre related boards, and almost 1000 pins. Want your book cover pinned on our site? Even if you don’t have a Pinterest account, you can take advantage of our presence there. Join our Yahoo group today and you’ll get information. Services and membership are free.

    MFRW Volunteer Staff

    Alice Orr, Barbara Donlon Bradley, Carmen Stefanescu, Emerald, Jessica Cale, Kayelle Allen, Libby McKinmer, Lisa Lowe, Lyncee Shillard, Michelle Davis, Mona Karel, Nicole Morgan, Paloma Beck, Reet Singh, Rochelle Weber, Tina Gayle

    MFRW Online

    Yahoo group (where you can get help) https://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/MFRW_ORG
    Kayelle Allen on Twitter https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
    Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfrwauthors/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/161092-the-mfrw-book-place
    Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/mfrworg/

  • New Writer Tips,  Paranormal

    The Werewolves and Me: To Break a Warrior King’s Curse by Kryssie Fortune @kryssiefortune #RLFblog #PNR

    The Werewolves and Me: To Break a Warrior King's Curse by Kryssie Fortune @kryssiefortune #RLFblog #PNRGuest post by Kryssie Fortune
    “Write what you know,” people say.
    “It makes your writing come alive,” they say.
    But I write about werewolves, vampires, former military men, and regency heroines. I don’t know any of them personally.
    So, for my Scattered Siblings series, I cheated.
    In my book, To Wed a Werewolf, the beta wolf, Giles, whose lies come home to roost is getting married. My son had just had an upmarket wedding at a five-star hotel. That went straight into my book – only with a werewolf bride and groom.
    My second Scattered Siblings book, To Break a Warrior King’s Curse – formerly Curse of the Fae King – explains why the siblings are scattered and what the Fae’s Warrior King is doing about it. Then there’s my heroine, Meena. She lives in Whitby, the homeland of British Goths. I know the place well. Every place mentioned until Meena and Leonidas end up in the otherworld is visitable and beautiful. Also, my heroine’s a witch. Well… I’m no witch, but I have pagan leanings and Wicca fascinates me. The bit about it being too cold to work sky clad came straight from a talk I heard at the British Pagan conference a few years back.
    In To Mate a Werewolf, Ellie, my heroine is a cook who tempts the werewolf alpha with her cakes. If I’m not writing, I’m baking. Add in that I’ve coached athletics and my daughter ran the London marathon, then it’s no surprise Ellie likes to run. I felt like I knew Ellie before I put pen to paper.
    Another of my heroines, Viola in To Seduce an Omega has crippled knee. While I am no cripple, I’ve had trouble with my right knee for years. Adding her pain into the story came easy to me.
    I’m Sagittarius, which means I get itchy feet. A few years back, I did a tour of the historical sites in Greece that I thought I’d only ever get to read about. Of course, there was fodder there for another story. In Seduced by the Vampire, Claimed by the Werewolf my vampire is a former Spartan. My werewolf is a former Macedonian prince, and although it’s never mentioned in the book, I had him pegged as a forefather of Alexander the Great. He certainly has the same coloring.
    While I didn’t know many witches, werewolves, fae, or vampires, I can still put reality into my fantasy novel.

    To Break a Warrior King’s Curse by Kryssie Fortune

    Leonidas can fight anything except dark magic.
    He inherited his father’s curse along with the Fae throne. Thanks to a rogue witch, if he doesn’t bed a different woman every month, he’ll turn feral. A man can only stand so much meaningless sex. No wonder he hates witches.
    When he meets Meena, he intends to seduce her, not love her.
    Meena’s a witch who never developed any powers.
    Banished to the mundane world, she masquerades as human. When she accidentally bonds with an escaped war dragon, Leonidas comes to reclaim it. His enemies strip him of his powers, and his month’s almost up.
    What happens when he discovers she’s a witch? And how will this warrior king cope when his curse kicks in and forces him into another woman’s bed.
    Please note this book was previously sold with the title Curse of the Fae King.
    Amazon USA https://www.amazon.com/Break-Warrior-Kings-Scattered-Siblings-ebook/dp/B079JTG5B9/
    Amazon Uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/Break-Warrior-Kings-Scattered-Siblings-ebook/dp/B079JTG5B9
    Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/Break-Warrior-Kings-Scattered-Siblings-ebook/dp/B079JTG5B9/
    Amazon Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/Break-Warrior-Kings-Scattered-Siblings-ebook/dp/B079JTG5B9/

    Kryssie Fortune Social Media

    Kryssie reads everything and anything, from literary fiction to sizzling romance. Her earliest memory is going to the library with her mother. She can’t have been more than two at the time. Reading, especially when a book’s hot and explicit, is more than a guilty pleasure. It’s an obsession.
    Kryssie loves to visit historic sites, from Hadrian’s Wall to Regency Bath. The first book she fell in love with was Georgette Heyer’s The Unkown Ajax. After that, she devoured every regency book she could. After a while, they went out of fashion, but part of Kryssie’s psyche lives in Regency London. She longs to dance quadrilles and flirt behind fans. Of course, Kryssie’s heroines do far more than flirt.
    Kryssie lives in Bridlington on the Yorkshire coast –about thirty miles from Whitby, where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula. She enjoys gardening, travel, and socializing with her author friends. You’d be surprised how many erotic romance authors live in the North of England.
    Website http://kryssiefortune.wixsite.com/kryssie
    Blog http://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk/
    Twitter https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KryssieFortune
    Pinterest http://bit.ly/1OGFnjc
    Goodreads http://bit.ly/2kxqabJ
    Amazon Author Page http://amzn.to/2hA0ZVO

  • It Takes a Cat Burglar by Cailin Briste @CailinBriste #RLFblog #SciFi #Romance
    New Writer Tips,  Science Fiction Romance

    Going Indie by Cailin Briste @CailinBriste #RLFblog #amwriting #SciFiRomance

    Going Indie by Cailin Briste @CailinBriste #RLFblog #amwriting #SciFiRomanceGoing Indie by Cailin Briste

    As a traditionally published author, I’ve done most of the marketing for my sci-fi suspense romance novels. My publisher advised that I spend my time writing more books. That’s good advice. But I wasn’t ready to leave it at that. Going indie means having freedom.

    Initially I focused on getting my name out there and building my author platform. (Social media, newsletters, and such.) Book sales would follow like B follows A. At least I hoped so. Hearing how well other authors had done in Kindle Unlimited, I decided I needed to take the plunge and gain new readers through that service. It Takes a Cat Burglar was written with that in mind.

    The learning curve for Indie publishing was both easier and worse than I expected. The marketing wasn’t difficult because I’d done many similar things with my Sons of Tallav series published by Loose Id. There was just more of it. Hiring a professional editor was a no brainer, duplicating the process at my publisher. The real booger was formatting. Eventually I managed to create a beautiful Amazon eBook edition and release It Takes a Cat Burglar on May 7th.

    Within days I realized the cover wasn’t right. I redid it but not in time for the first round of advertising. Cover matters. In June when the book went on sale I had a fabulous new cover. Still no huge rush to buy the book followed. Hmmm. A decision had to be made. Continue doing what didn’t seem to be working or change things up.

    Thus, I’ve pulled It Takes a Cat Burglar from Kindle Select, so it will no longer appear in the Kindle Unlimited catalog. It also allows me to drop the price from $2.99 to $0.99. The book is also now available through Barnes and Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Google Play. My run in Kindle Unlimited wasn’t successful. I’m still a new author. If the program continues it may be more worthwhile for my books sometime in the future.

    Meanwhile, I’ve taken my publisher’s advice and continue to write more books. I’m working on Rand: Son of Tallav the third in the Sons of Tallav series. Educated by the Master will release in October in the Cosmic Love Cabaret anthology. It’s a prequel to the fourth Sons of Tallav novel which will feature Master Trey. I’ve also started on Cade’s story in the A Thief in Love Suspense Romance series.

    With It Takes a Cat Burglar priced at 99 cents I hope many more readers will discover the sexy thieves Darcelle Lebeau and Sebastian St. Croix.

     

    Today’s featured book is It Takes a Cat Burglar: A Thief in Love Suspense Romance, a sci-fi suspense romance by Cailin Briste.

    When Darcelle Lebeau throws off the invisible chains that keep her bound to her family, she discovers a new vocation. Tempted to enter the illegal playground of a man she nicknames Matou, she becomes a cat burglar in training. Deeply ensnared with each task he entices her to fulfill, she fails to discover his identity and true intentions.

    Sebastian St. Croix, a wealthy businessman, has a dark side. He’s a thief, a cat burglar who steals art and historical objects. For one year, he trains Darcelle to become his assistant, remaining incognito, observing her from afar. His admiration grows along with his desire for her with every phase-one challenge she completes. Phase two will test the limits of his control. Hands-on personal training? Yes. Sex? No. With his sister’s happiness at stake, nothing, not even the tempting Darcelle Lebeau, can interfere with accomplishing the biggest break-in of his career.

    Genre Sci-fi Romance, Romantic Suspense

    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R

    When Darcelle Lebeau throws off the invisible chains that keep her bound to her family, she discovers a new vocation. Tempted to enter the illegal playground of a man she nicknames Matou, she becomes a cat burglar in training. Deeply ensnared with each task he entices her to fulfill, she fails to discover his identity and true intentions.

    Sebastian St. Croix, a wealthy businessman, has a dark side. He’s a thief, a cat burglar who steals art and historical objects. For one year, he trains Darcelle to become his assistant, remaining incognito, observing her from afar. His admiration grows along with his desire for her with every phase-one challenge she completes. Phase two will test the limits of his control. Hands-on personal training? Yes. Sex? No. With his sister’s happiness at stake, nothing, not even the tempting Darcelle Lebeau, can interfere with accomplishing the biggest break-in of his career.

    Publisher Hot Sauce Publishing
    Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Takes-Cat-Burglar-Thief-Romance-ebook/dp/B0727MJK45/

    Cailin Briste Social Media

    Cailin has been writing fiction for six years and non-fiction for two decades. Her non-fiction work has been published in magazines and in a non-fiction anthology. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the RWA Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter, and the RWA Passionate Ink Chapter.

    Cailin likes to flip convention on its head, creating a universe in which each planet is a study in different what ifs. What would happen to alpha men on a matriarchal planet? How would society handle it if girls born on their new planet developed empathic senses?
    Website http://cailinbriste.com/
    Blog http://cailinbriste.com/category/all-posts/
    Street Team http://cailinbriste.com/cailins-street-team/
    Twitter http://twitter.com/CailinBriste
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cailinbriste/
    Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/102592935378667862505
    Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/cailinbriste/
    Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7413817.Cailin_Briste
    Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cailin-briste
    Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Cailin-Briste/e/B00GSX9QVW

  • New Writer Tips

    When Humans Fail Hope – Rana: Teenage Queen #scifi #romance #RLFblog

    Liza shares a bit of history.
    Why did humans come to Hope?
    Because they not only destroyed Earth but then they ruined the first planet they escaped to, which called originally called Hope (then renamed it Hopeless as it became crammed full of formally rich and totally useless people). Always the optimist, or perhaps, simply lacking creativity, they name this planet Hope as well.
    What did the fairies think about them naming their planet Hope?
    They couldn’t care less. Frankly, naming a planet just seemed silly. But it amused them enough that they would name little rocks silly names like ‘Rocky’, paint them and give them to each other on the human’s silly holiday.
    Since when the ship first arrived, the Fairies welcomed them and let them name the planet, the humans assumed they were the new masters. The three to four foot tall fairies, who looked like humans, since their wings were hidden, had happy demeanors and were most helpful finding them nice places to live. Thus, the humans were not frightened by the little people. In fact, due to a serious shortage of human women, the men were most happy to mate with the taller of the little women.
    And this is exactly how Rana, our soon to be Teenage Queen came to be. Her father was a human, but her mother was a powerful fairy, and so is Rana. She’ll need it for the troubles ahead.
    Rana is only sixteen when she becomes queen. Her first challenge is to quell an internal coup while a massive army storms the gates of her castle. Her enemies believe her to be a child, but she has powers they’ve never suspected. She also has great dreams for her people, and she will do whatever is necessary to make them happen, even marrying a prince she does not want.

    Liza O’Connor Social Media

    Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
    Novels by Liza http://www.lizaoconnor.com/p/liza-oconnors-books.html
    Twitter https://twitter.com/Liza0Connor
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/liza.oconnor.90
    Facebook Author Page https://www.facebook.com/Liza.O.Connor.Wakes.Up
    Multiverse Blog https://multiuniversesoflizao.blogspot.com/