Writers: Tips on Adding Animals and Humor to your Stories

Give each character a role in your story,
even adorable kittens!

By Linda Wilson      @LinWilsonauthor

Animals and humor: two tried-and-true—and beloved—additions to children’s stories. Most children’s stories have them. Personally though, when I first started writing for children, I didn’t single out their importance. Not until my students enlightened me.

While teaching elementary school, I would read some of my very first stories to my students. I’m afraid one story that I read turned out to be pretty bland indeed. I asked my students for their thoughts. One boy, about eleven, raised his hand and said, “Your story doesn’t have any animals in it.” What a revelation! He went on to say, “Always include animals in your stories.” I never forgot his advice. Since then, animals have taken on big roles in my stories.

It goes without saying that children love to laugh. Humor can fit into most stories, when appropriate.

Incorporating Animals in your Stories

In my first book, Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery, I included the most adorable kittens. I knew my readers would just love them. I believed in this idea so strongly that I went to my local pet store and had a photo taken of me with kittens that were for sale.

I’ll now put in a plug for one of my most trusted professional editors, Chris Eboch, https://www.chriseboch.com.  Chris understood my desire to include the kittens in my story. But she suggested I take out an entire chapter about them. The fateful chapter didn’t move the story forward. And worse, the kittens didn’t take on an important role in the story.

You can imagine after all the effort I’d put into those kittens how unsettled I felt. After thinking it over, though, I realized Chris was right. It wasn’t that hard. I just deleted the chapter and rewrote the chapter numbers. Not to worry, I saved the chapter for possible future use, although so far I haven’t found a way to fit it in.

The same principle held true for one of the main character’s adorable younger brother, Ryan. Ryan added cuteness and lots of humor (more on humor in a minute). But the same principle applied. Ryan didn’t move the story forward nor did he have a role. Giving Ryan a role wasn’t hard. I gave Ryan a key role in finding a glove that had been missing throughout the story, therefore, having him help solve the mystery. And as an added bonus, Ryan had Star, the dog in the story, hold the glove in his jaws and lay it at the sheriff's feet.  

Finding a Way to add Humor

In my current Work-in-Progress, WIP, Secret in the Mist: An Abi Wunder Mystery, I’ve worked in as much humor as possible, keeping in mind the principles of moving the story forward and giving each character a role. Here are some tips for hilarity:

• Breaking wind is always funny to kids.
• Smelly stuff, too.
• Made-up words are fun.
• Underwear is funny, take it from Dav Pilkey, who figured that out in elementary school where he created his Caption Underpants character.
• Little-kid antics like ringing the doorbell and running away, and listening in on older siblings’ conversations.

Most of the advice and suggestions I’ve learned have been hard-won. Maybe that’s what it takes for improvement. Most important: that your creations are meaningful for children, and you've made your stories so intriguing that kids keep coming back for more.

Additional reading:

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/how-to-mix-humor-into-your-writing

https://www.writersdigest.com/improve-my-writing/a-list-of-funny-words-to-help-you-writing-funnier-stories

https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/qx8di2/how_to_write_humor_when_you_arent_that_funny/?rdt=40640

Two of my picture books,
Tall Boots and Cradle in the Wild
are now available in Spanish

Linda Wilson is the author of the Abi Wunder Mystery series and other books for children. Her two new releases are Waddles the Duck: Hey, Wait for Me! (2022) and Cradle in the Wild: A Book for Nature Lovers Everywhere (2023). You’ll find Linda on her Amazon author page, on her website at LindaWilsonAuthor.com, and on Facebook.

The Secret to Writer’s Block: How the Law of Attraction Can Help You Break Through It

 by Suzanne Lieurance

Writer’s block. 

 

Two words that send a chill down any writer’s spine. 

 

You’ve got the ideas, the passion, and the will to write, but when it’s time to sit down and actually do the work? 

 

Nothing.

 

Zilch.

 

The screen stays blank, and frustration builds. 

 

But here’s the thing: writer’s block isn’t a dead-end. 

 

It’s a reflection of the energy you’re putting out. 

 

And once you learn to shift that energy using the Law of Attraction, you can bust through those creative blocks for good. 

 

Here’s how:

 

Step 1: Recognize the Energy Behind the Block.

 

Writer’s block doesn’t just come out of nowhere. 

 

It’s a sign that something’s off with your energy. 

 

Maybe you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or doubting yourself. 

 

Whatever the case, writer’s block shows up when you’re out of alignment with your creative flow. 

 

The Law of Attraction teaches us that what we focus on expands. 

If you’re focused on feeling stuck, that’s exactly what you’ll attract—more stuckness.

 

So, the first step to breaking through writer’s block is recognizing the energy behind it. 

 

Are you coming to the page with frustration, fear, or self-doubt? 

 

If so, it’s time to shift that energy.

 

Action Tip: Before you start writing, take a minute to check in with yourself. What’s your current energy? Are you feeling tense or blocked? If yes, take a few deep breaths and release that tension before you get to work.

 

Step 2: Set the Intention for Flow.

 

Here’s the game-changer: instead of focusing on the block, focus on flow.

 

The Law of Attraction responds to your intentions, so set a powerful one before you start writing. 

 

Instead of sitting down with a mindset of  "I hope I can write something today,” shift it to, “I write with ease and creativity flows effortlessly.” 

 

When you set a clear intention, you’re telling the universe what you want—and you’re aligning yourself with the energy needed to make it happen.

 

The secret is to believe it before you see it. 

 

You have to trust that the words will come, even if they’re not there yet.

 

Action Tip: Create a personal writing affirmation that you can repeat before each writing session. Try something like, “I’m in creative flow, and the words come easily.” Say it out loud, believe it, and let that energy guide you.

 

Step 3: Visualize Yourself in the Flow.

 

Instead of stressing about being stuck, close your eyes and see yourself writing effortlessly. 

 

Picture yourself in the zone, your fingers flying over the keyboard, the words pouring out faster than you can keep up. 

 

Imagine how good it feels to be in flow—to feel inspired, excited, and unstoppable.

 

Why does this work? 

 

Because your brain responds to what you visualize. 

 

When you see yourself succeeding, your mind starts to believe it, and suddenly, that energy block starts to dissolve.

 

Action Tip: Spend 2-3 minutes before your writing session visualizing yourself in full creative flow. Get specific—picture the words, the ideas, and the excitement of writing with ease.

 

Step 4: Let Go of Perfectionism.

 

One of the biggest reasons we get stuck is because we expect everything to be perfect from the get-go. 

 

But perfectionism is the enemy of progress. 

 

If you’re waiting for every sentence to be flawless, you’re creating resistance. 

 

The Law of Attraction thrives on ease and flow, and there’s nothing easy about demanding perfection from yourself.

 

Let go of the idea that every word has to be perfect. 

 

Give yourself permission to write something messy. 

 

The important thing is to get it out. 

 

You can always go back and polish it later, but for now, the goal is to keep the words flowing.

 

Action Tip: Next time you sit down to write, tell yourself, “It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be written.” Give yourself permission to write a rough draft, and trust that you’ll improve it later.

 

Step 5: Celebrate the Small Wins.

 

Gratitude is a powerful tool when it comes to manifestation, and it’s especially useful for breaking through creative blocks. 

 

Instead of focusing on what’s not working, celebrate what is. 

 

Did you write 100 words? 

 

Awesome, that’s progress. 

 

Did you sit down to write, even if it didn’t go as planned? 

 

Celebrate that. 

 

The more you focus on what’s going right, the more you attract positive momentum.

 

Celebrating your small wins shifts your energy from frustration to appreciation, and that’s exactly the kind of energy that brings more success your way.

 

Action Tip: At the end of each writing session, write down one thing you did well, no matter how small. It could be anything from showing up to writing a single sentence you love. Celebrate it and keep building on that energy.

 

Step 6: Trust the Process.

 

Finally, trust that you’re exactly where you need to be. 

 

Writer’s block doesn’t mean you’re failing—it just means your energy is a little off, and that’s fixable. 

 

Trust that by shifting your focus, setting intentions, and taking action, you’re opening up space for creativity to flow again. 

 

It may not happen all at once, but that’s okay. 

 

The important thing is you’re moving in the right direction.

 

The Law of Attraction works on its own timeline. 

 

Keep showing up, keep aligning your energy, and trust that the words will come when they’re ready. 

 

Writer’s block is temporary—your creativity is always there, waiting for you to tap into it.

 

Action Tip: When you feel frustrated or stuck, remind yourself that this is just part of the process. Take a deep breath, realign your energy, and trust that the flow is on its way.

 

Writer’s block isn’t a curse—it’s a sign that your energy needs a little shift. 

 

By using the Law of Attraction, you can turn that block into flow. 

 

Set clear intentions, visualize your success, let go of perfection, and celebrate your progress. 

 

The more aligned you are with the energy of ease and creativity, the quicker the words will come. 

 

So next time you’re staring at a blank screen, remember: the power to overcome writer’s block is already within you. 

 

All you have to do is unlock it.

 

Try it!

And for more Law of Attraction tips for writers, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge with access to a private Resource Library for Writers.

Suzanne Lieurance & Some of Her Books

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of more than 40 books and a Law of Attraction coach for writers at writebythesea.com.

Increase Your Odds of Publication

By Terry Whalin (@terrywhalin)

We prize and value our books. They are permanent and have our names on the spine of the book and the front and back cover. Within the writing community, it is a myth that you are not a writer if you don’t publish a book.

If you’ve written a Christian book, then you need to get a copy of Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace by Sarah Bolme. This book is packed with a wide range of information and resources. As someone who has been in the Christian market for many years as an author and editor, I appreciated the honest and forthright information in this book. Here’s some details Bolme mentions in her introduction:

• Almost half of the books published today are self-published.

• The average self-published book sells between 40 and 200 copies.

• These poor sales are often because the author doesn’t know how to effectively market.

Bolme writes, “When promoting the Kingdom of God, getting books into people’s hands is God’s business. All you can do is what you know to do. Do that and ask God to bless your feeble efforts. After all, if he can feed over 5,000 people with two small fish and five little loaves of bread, He can multiply your marketing efforts to reach thousands of people, if that is His desire. Marketing and selling books are not a sprint; it is a marathon. Too many authors give up too quickly when they do not see immediate results.” 

Publishing in magazines is an underused route for authors to reach readers. As a former magazine editor, I understand the power of reaching the audience. With one article, I have reached millions of people. When you write for periodicals, it builds your reputation as a writer with the editors. Also, through magazine writing, you increase your confidence to write for publication and your ability to meet target lengths and deadlines. There are many benefits when you write for magazines.

The bulk of my magazine writing is done on assignment. How do you get an assignment? You can get an assignment when you write a query letter which is targeted to a particular audience and publication.

Which magazines do you read on a consistent basis? Your familiarity with these publications and the types of articles that they publish gives you some needed background. Pull out the magazines that come into your home. Next organize several months from the same publication. Then study the contents. What types of articles do they publish? How-to articles? Personal Experience? 

After you have studied the publications, write the publication for their writers’ guidelines. Almost every magazine has guidelines for their authors. You can also use Google to find these guidelines online. Or use The Christian Writers Market Guide by Steve Laube. This guide is a critical tool if you are going to write for the Christian marketplace. After reading through the guidelines, you will have some additional information. Does the publication accept query letters or prefer full manuscripts? Some magazines have a query only system. This means that you have to write a query letter (one page) and get a letter of request from the editor, before sending the full manuscript. Other publications do not look at query letters but only completed manuscripts.

What’s a query letter? Entire books have been written on this topic and one of the best is How to Write Irresistible Query Letters by Lisa Collier Cool (Writer’s Digest Books). A query is a single-page letter which sells your story idea. It has a four-paragraph formula. The first paragraph is a creative beginning for your article. You don’t write the entire article—only the first paragraph which captures the reader’s interest. The purpose of this first paragraph is simply to capture the editor’s attention. Editors are involved in a multitude of tasks. Reading query letters is often done at the end of the day, late at night or in a carpool on the way home. It must be interesting.

The second paragraph of a query includes the main points of how you will approach the article. The third paragraph gives your personal qualifications for this topic and your writing credits (if any). It basically answers the question regarding your expertise which provides the basis for the article. 

The final paragraph outlines timelines and deadlines. When could you deliver the article? Make sure you give yourself enough writing time. For example, your query could say you will deliver the completed article “three weeks from assignment”). In addition, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope and mention you look forward to their reply. When I send my pitch, I often send it to as many as ten different publications at the same time.

Within the magazine business, there is an on-going discussion about simultaneous submissions (where you send the same finished article to several publications). If you submit the same work to many different publications at the same time, you may end up on the blacklist of authors. Each publication has a list of people that are blackballed. You don’t want to be on that list. Also, each publication has a list of authors they use regularly and call with ideas. Your goal is to get on the list of regular contributors.

A simultaneous query is not the same as a finished article. Go ahead and query several magazines at the same time on the same topic if you think you can write several different articles on the same subject. One magazine may ask for 500 words on the topic while another may approach it from an entirely different viewpoint and ask for 2,000 words. Your illustrations and information will be considerably different. If you send it to 10 magazines, you may get 10 rejections. On the other hand, perhaps you will get an acceptance or two, or at least a request to see the entire article on speculation. “On speculation” means that the editor is not under obligation to purchase your article if it doesn’t meet the periodical’s standards or expectations.

No one gets magazine assignments just thinking about it. As a writer, you have to take action and regularly pitch your ideas to editors and write query letters. Then when you get an assignment, write an excellent article and submit it on or ahead of the deadline. As you learn to write a query letter and take consistent action, you will increase your odds of publication and get published in magazines.

Tweetable:

There is an underused route to reach readers—magazines. In this article, thisprolific writer and editor provides the details to increase your odds ofpublication. (ClickToTweet) 

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s recent book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Writing: Rejection and Starting Late

 

Contributed by Margot Conor

A writer should not be disheartened if success doesn’t come immediately, or when facing rejection from an editor, agent, or publisher.

 Being dropped by a publisher or having a book that doesn’t meet sales expectations is not a definitive end—it can actually be an opportunity to pivot, regain creative freedom, and rediscover why you started writing in the first place. History has shown that many authors have faced similar setbacks, only to later thrive after taking a different approach to their work.

For example, Stephen King initially faced numerous rejections before finally selling Carrie. Even after achieving early success, he dealt with setbacks when his pseudonym, Richard Bachman, failed to perform as well. Yet King continued to write freely, and his resilience led to one of the most iconic careers in publishing.

Margaret Atwood, now a highly celebrated author, struggled with early rejection and low sales of her debut novels. It wasn’t until later, when she had more freedom to experiment, that she wrote The Handmaid’s Tale, the book that catapulted her into literary fame.

Another example is Agatha Christie, whose first few novels didn’t sell well. After being dropped by her first publisher, she didn't give up and went on to write The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, a groundbreaking success that established her as the queen of mystery fiction.
These writers demonstrate that setbacks can liberate you from external pressures, allowing you to take creative risks, explore new ideas, and ultimately succeed by writing from a place of passion and authenticity.

Many authors found success later in their careers after facing numerous setbacks, rejections, or simply taking time to hone their craft. Demonstrating that success doesn’t always come quickly or early in a writer’s life. Whether due to rejections, life circumstances, or simply taking time to find their true voice, they each found lasting success through persistence, passion, and the willingness to keep going despite the odds.

Toni Morrison: Morrison published her first novel, The Bluest Eye, at age 39 while working as an editor. Although the book initially didn’t gain much attention, she continued to write and refine her voice. It wasn’t until her third novel, Song of Solomon, that she gained widespread recognition, eventually winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her perseverance and willingness to explore complex, deeply personal themes led to her eventual success.

Frank McCourt: McCourt didn’t publish his first book, Angela’s Ashes, until he was 66 years old. Prior to that, he spent decades as a teacher, all the while writing about his impoverished childhood in Ireland. The memoir became an international bestseller, earning him the Pulitzer Prize. His story is a testament to the idea that success doesn’t always come early, but writing from lived experience and persistence can create something extraordinary later in life.

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Famous for her Little House on the Prairie series, Wilder didn’t start writing until her 40s, and her first book was published when she was 65. Drawing from her childhood experiences on the American frontier, she brought a fresh, authentic voice to her work. Her books went on to become beloved classics, showing that starting later in life can lead to timeless success.

Raymond Chandler: Chandler started writing at 44, after losing his job during the Great Depression. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published when he was 51, introducing the world to his famous detective, Philip Marlowe. Though he came to writing later, Chandler became a defining figure in crime fiction and noir literature, proving that age is not a barrier to creative reinvention.

Anna Sewell: Sewell wrote Black Beauty at 51, in poor health and bedridden. She never lived to see the book's immense success, but it became a classic, beloved for its empathy toward animals and humanity. Her late success underscores the idea that a single work, written from the heart, can make a lasting impact.

The point I am making here is that when you face rejection or find that your book isn’t getting the accolades you hoped it would, or performing as well as you would like financially, it does not mean you have failed. The idea of failure is something many writers grapple with, especially when their book doesn’t catch the attention of an agent or meet sales expectations.

It’s easy to internalize these setbacks as personal shortcomings, feeling as though they simply aren’t good enough. But the reality is that failure is often a natural and necessary part of the creative process. Many well-known authors faced rejection, low sales, or critical indifference early in their careers, only to later achieve great success.

Perseverance is key to overcoming these setbacks. Writing is not a one-time effort; it’s an evolving craft. Every "failure" is an opportunity to learn, improve, and refine your voice. Sometimes, the right story, market, or timing hasn’t aligned yet. The ability to keep going, to write another book, or revise the current one with fresh insight is what separates successful writers from those who give up too soon.

All the authors mentioned in this article faced numerous rejections before their breakthrough moments. If they had quit after their first setback, the world would never have experienced those great novels. Each setback is part of the larger journey, not a final verdict on a writer’s ability. With perseverance, the next story might be the one that resonates, not just because it’s better crafted, but because the writer has grown stronger, more resilient, and more attuned to their creative potential.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margot Conor has been writing for as long as she can remember, but it wasn't until the COVID lock-down that she had enough time to dedicate to the craft and bring something to completion. Having finished her first novel, she went through the grueling two-year process of editing. Now she has jumped into the author's world with both feet. She's preparing to debut her first novel, which means learning how to promote it. The last year has been spent attending many writing retreats, seminars, and writers' events. She also listened to presentations specifically on the topic of publishing and book marketing. She will be sharing what she learns with the reader.
Learn more about Margot at https://margotconor.com/

 

Most Serious Mistake Authors Make for the Success of Their Books

Preplanning for Jump Starting Your Book with Reviews

 

One of the first badges made for the Third Edition 

of Carolyn’s flagship book in the HowToDoItFrugally Series of 

books for writers. See the whole series at 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T. 

Dear Subscribers and Visitors:

I still working madly on the second edition of my How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically with Modern History Press. It was time for a new one because getting reviews is so important and because there is so much new in the Wonderful World Wide Web surrounding the publishing industry (yep, four w’s!) to deal with these days. I hoped to have better news for the introduction of its release with this more important aspect of releasing a book that most authors miss out on.  Thus, think of it as a sneak preview with more on this topic to come!  

That book is still needed because using query letters and ARCs before a book’s release is still a mystery to so many. And, of course, reviews are still one of our very most useful (and successful) marketing devices. So please keep it mind! 

So this will be short. It’s something for you to copy-and-paste or bookmark somewhere it won’t get lost. You might also install a likely date on your calendar—at least four months before the expected release date or the book you are working on right now. I know. Appalling. But that’s a conservative estimate of the time your pre-release review campaign needs to  be ready to go before you type in those last three oglethorpes. No, I am not kidding. Here is a little excerpt from that new edition to get you fired up: 

 

My clients and readers hear me talk about preplanning often because human beings so often play the waiting game. It’s no different in the world of getting reviews. Preplanning for your first review-getting campaign is no small thing. It is essential to getting reviews into what I call the supermedia—that’s the media that other media and publishing industry gatekeepers rely on to give them the publishing world’s current news. That’s where you book needs to have a klieg light shining on it get the kind of exposure when and where it is most needed to assure your dream of selling lots of copies, of becoming a bestseller. That early review-getting campaign should include the news of your book’s release along with beautifully written and ethical reviews of your book. 

 

If there was ever harmful information being bandied about in the publishing world, this is it: “To promote your book, especially to get reviews, you should have a book available online or in print for reviewers to actually read,. You needn’t wait to have proof copies or ARCs (advance reader—or reviewer—copies) before you can ask for reviews. Authors who believe these rumors spread by web grapevines will miss their only opportunity to pitch a review to big review journals and to get the most exciting blurbs possible for the backs of their books.

 

The kind of query and ARC you are expected to provide to a reviewer depends on the kind of reviews you are trying to get, of course, but even the most sought-after review journals may accept manuscripts, galleys, or other means as review copies—all covered in detail in my How to Get Great Book Reviews book. It isn’t easy but the exposure you’ll get just as your book is released is well worth pursuing, When I was working as an assistant editor at Hearst’s famous Good Housekeeping Magazine, we started our decision-making for our holiday issue six months in advance and our stories weren’t always current news. That was necessary production time. Our stories that involved authors often had nothing to do with the release of their most current book. We authors need to know this kind of thing to work on our patience-and preplanning quotient!

 

Caution: In this world of ever-growing AI (artificial intelligence), I frequently mention the important decision authors and publishers must make according to their tolerance for risk in any given situation. A real paper copy is considered more plagiarism- and AI-resistant than e-books and that is true for ARCs, too.

 

I hope we’ll talk more about increasing your chances of getting expert reviews and some others (I call them “forever reviews. This is just your heads up that it is almost never too early, but it can be too late —to start working on the review process for your book. The publishing industry isn’t trying to keep it a secret from authors and publishers. It’s just that the system has been around a long time, there is so much new to know, there is so much misinformation out there, and, frankly, (Breathe!)  there are so many newbies just waiting to be taken advantage of.

 

So, next when you get that alert message from your calendar, let’s talk. If the starving authors among you can’t afford to buy my book, let me know by sending an e-mail to me at HoJoNews   @.   AOL    dot.   com with “Carolyn’s #AuthorsHelpingAuthors Project.” 

 

Disclaimer: This isn’t an exact excerpt from the How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically. It has been liberally tweaked so authors and publishers can get information they need to save good books from never getting the great start needed to propel their success and to help build long writing careers.

 

MORE ABOUT CAROLYN

The Image Amazon Makes for Authors with Series--Free!

 

Once a month Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares something writer-related she hopes might save some author from embarrassment (or make the task of writing more fun or creative) here on Karen Cioffi’s #WritersontheMove blog. This is an extra promotion that Karen graciously offered me after the release of the second edition of my How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.It is part of her multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers from Modern History Press including the third edition of The Frugal Editor . Find them all on Amazon’s new buy-page for series where the e-book versions are all offered with a single click. (The availability—free—of that new page for book series is another of her #FrugalBookPromoterTips she shares regularly on the social network X at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo.)

 

Carolyn finds time to blog all things publishing at her SharingwithWriters blog between serving her clients and writing new books.

 

 

 

Getting Ready to Celebrate the Release of My New Book--and Your Next New Book

Carolyn Series Page for her multi award-winning 
HowToGetItFrugally Series o Books for Writers

Getting Ready to Celebrate the 

Release of My NewBook--and Yours

 By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Excerpt from the soon-to-be released 

How To Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically, second edition

It seems that doing final edits for a book is a great time for identifying sections in it that might be useful right now and give the readers of Karen Cioffi’s #WritersontheMove blog a head start on releasing books this fall. This section from the second edition of the third full sized book in my HowToGetGreatBookReviewsFrugallyandEthically, is after all about preplanning.  This section from Chapter Thirteen from that soon-to-be released book works because--odiously--pre-planning is a good thing can never really start too early--and the essentials can always be used in a next book, and the next. But it’s never more important than at release time; that’s when we as authors (no matter how or who publishes our books) can do something most authors forget to do  to jump start their book sales. That’s a shame because that what primes is for a chance and some very good stuff--like a chance  at  best-seller stardom! Consider this little piece your “how-to” as well as your inspiration to get started. And please put my Amazon Series page address on your calendar to check out for late fall release. The full series can be found on my Amazon Series page for the now long-lived series of books, HowToDoItFrugally Series for Writers. 

Navigating Pre-Publish Opps and Deadlines

“Writing a book is a little like having a baby. If we authors weren’t optimists, we’d probably never tackle writing a whole book. If we were realists about the time it takes to raise it properly after we’ve typed ‘The End,’ we might stop right there.” ~ CHJ

First-time authors are almost always completely unaware of the secret behind those vital promotion processes  and/or underestimate the importance of the time gap between the time our books or ARCs come rolling off a printing press and appear for sale in bookstores. They have no clue that big publishers actually set their release dates (the date bookstores are given the greenlight to deliver books into the hands of readers) well beyond the time the book comes rolling off their presses.

They do this to accommodate an extended premarketing campaign and to take care of necessary marketing including getting reviews. If authors do know about it, they feel it is somehow dishonest to follow publishers’ universal practices. The supermedia has done us a big favor by demanding those deadlines, and the New York Big Five—our models—have done it for probably more than a century. They aren’t fudging. It’s the way it’s done. The essential time gap before their books are released might look something like this:

 

Example: Your print date may be 04/01 and your release date set for 08/01 or beyond.

 

Gasp! The thing is, we already have too much love put into the project to give up, too much invested not to pay attention to this example set by publishers. The other thing is, we have choices, and what seems like it’s going to be hard can be managed with preplanning. The great news is you already have a head start with that master-list of yours. Though it is a never-ending project it’s ready to use just as it is. Even if we should decide against participating in the supermedia regimen—or learned about it too late—authors need time to do any or all the pre-release essentials.

The traditionally published must know their publisher’s marketing plans in enough detail to support their efforts. We all must resist getting so eager for the release of our book we forego the time between knowing our books are ready and releasing them to the public. We want, need, desire the thrill of being a “published author” whether it’s our first or our tenth. That’s what we came for. But if we don’t wait (and work our fannies off in the meantime!) many of the thrills that go with that achievement won’t materialize. No matter how carefully your book has been crafted, pre-release neglect severely limits a book’s future sales. A few get lucky in spite of it; most don’t. First off, once you get an ARC into a reviewer’s hands reviews aren’t done, done, done. Post this list on your bulletin board: 

§ Review Chapter Eleven, “Getting Your ARCs Ready for Anything,” and remind yourself you will be using them for life of your book. Reviews are forever.

§ Review Section III: “Your Review-Getting Arsenal”

§ Do a search on “blurbs” and “Editing (blurbs)” so your file of blurbs is set up to save you time in your ongoing marketing plan. You are building a career, not selling a book.

§ Check Chapter Four , “”You Blurbs and Getting Past Book Bigotry.” Even if you have the best publisher ever!

§ Reread this Chapter (Thirteen), too. Of course.

§ And keep reading for Amazon essentials in the next chapter. They’re a big part of must-dos before that release date.

Much of your review-getting and turning-reviews-into-blurbs business must happen after you have reviews and before your precious book comes rolling off the press—whatever kind of press you or your publisher uses. Don’t miss any that have appeared on the pages of journals trusted by publishing influentials and in your e-mail from readers.

As described in Chapters Ten and Eleven on ARCS, many of those big publishers use print-on-demand (POD) technology to produce review copies well before the first copies of their offset run come off the press. (It seems POD is an innovation that is too useful for anyone in the publishing industry to ignore!), but both you and they may choose other ARC iterations, too. Here’s the thing: No matter what they do, that time before your book’s release—way before—is time you must navigate. This is not a time to mourn what could have been. Take a sabbatical from anything that might interfere. Enlist help from friends. Sculpt that time using what you knew before and what you know now to realize that goal most of us wish for—surreptitiously or right out loud—to meet our hopes and expectation for our book.

MORE ABOUT THE #WRITERSONTHEMOVE CONTRIBUTOR 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally books for writers including the flagship book of that series, USA Book News’ winner, The Frugal Book Promoter  now in its third edition. It was originally written for UCLA Extension's renowned Writers Program where she used it as a text for nearly a decade. She believes using the time before a book’s release is the most productive time for assuring its future. Two of her favorite awards are Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment given by members of the California Legislature and “Women Who Make Life Happen,” given by the Pasadena Weekly newspaper. She is also an award-winning poet and novelist and she loves passing along the tricks of the trade she learned from marketing those so-called hard-to-promote genres. Learn more on her website at https://HowToDoItFrugally.com. Let Amazon notify you when she publishes new books (or new editions!) by following her Amazon profile page: https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile. Her The Frugal Editor is now in its third edition from Modern History Press. Let it help you edit your work-in-process. The third book in the series, How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically will be released this fall.