My sister is getting ready to publish her very first book, and I’ve been trying to help her get it ready to go. We had a very productive phone call yesterday, where we broke her timeline down into regularly scheduled social media posts that she could use for marketing. As we were brainstorming, we came up with a great (but not exhaustive) list of post ideas that can be helpful to share when preparing to market your book. 
 
Here’s that list!

• Introduce yourself. Whether you’re releasing your first book or your twentieth, if you’re looking to connect with new readers, it’s always a good idea to share a little bit about yourself. Some things you can share with potential readers are…
  • Who you are
  • An interesting/unique fact about you
  • Favorite foods
  • Favorite books/movies, music
  • Favorite influences
  • What you like to write
  • What your readers can expect from you. 
• Call to audience. Reach out to the people your book is written for, and explain why it might be a good fit for them.
• Release date announcement. Tell your readers when you expect your book will be coming out.
• Cover reveal. Share your book cover with your readers.
  • You can also do a cover reveal countdown, or reveal the cover in pieces.
• A “Readers think/feel about (insert title of your book here)” post with quotes from actual readers.
• Tropes/metadata from your book. What kinds of themes, concepts, or events will your readers find in your book?
• Favorite quotes or messages directly from your book.
• Release countdown... 2 weeks away, 1 week away, and happy release day posts, etc.
• If you like X or Y, then you’ll like (insert title of your book here).
• Character introductions. Share any character art you have, what your characters like, what they dislike, what their greatest personal struggle is, what their funniest quirk is... get creative with it!
• Book vibes. Share images of similar atmospheres or vibes your book would produce for readers.
• Book blurb or quick description. Share with your readers what they would read on the back of the book (or share with them an alternate description, or both!)
• Books that inspired your book.​ Was your book inspired by anything you have read, or maybe a movie you watched? Share those with your readers.

 
Some other marketing ideas that have worked well for me (but can be more on the costly end) are running giveaways, sending PR packages with your books/book merch inside, donating your books, and of course, hosting book signing/reading events. 

With any posts or ideas that you share, it can be helpful to...
1. Match the vibe of the book (use the same fonts and color schemes)
2. Engage your audience. Ask questions in your description
3. Utilize your tagging and hashtags!

Have a book coming out soon? If you'd like someone to hype up your release on their account, reach out! I'm always happy to help my fellow authors get word out about their books. :D 

Like this post? Check back next weekend for more writing-related blog posts!

​I’ve had a handful of people in my life tell me that they wait to write because they’re in a dark place, or they’re sad, or they feel like they’re not good enough. 
 
I have a lot of people tell me that they’ve stopped writing because they can’t seem to get into the mood they want to be in for their focus project. 
 
That’s all totally fine, especially if you’re a mood writer. I’m not one to push people to do things they don’t want to do (in most cases, anyway).  BUT. If you really do want to write that book or build your skills as a writer, then I encourage you to keep at it. In today’s post, I’ll be sharing THREE quick tips that I would recommend to anyone who wants to be a writer (who may also struggle with actually getting words on the page).
 

1. Commit.
   Even if you spend ten minutes a day staring at the page, or writing garbage that you know you’ll never keep, I implore you… write it. Stare at the page. The important thing when trying to build any good habit, especially at the beginning, is to commit. Tell yourself you’re going to set aside the time to focus and try, not just once, but consistently. You’re building the habit, and the more you work at this, the easier it will become. 
   
   Along with this note, part of committing is putting down distractions. During my writing time, I have my phone with me (because I like to run a stop watch to see how long I write for and how many words I can get in that time), but I do not answer phone calls or texts, I do not open my internet browser, I do not even think about looking at my social media. All of that can be done later. If there's something I need to research, then in my manuscript, I write in all caps: OKAY BREY - RESEARCH THIS THING WHEN YOU COME BACK. Research does not go into my actual writing time (though it is a very important part of the process).
   
   
2. Be consistent.
   The hardest thing about starting a new good habit is picking it up again after the first time, even if the first time was successful. Many people tell me that they don't write because they struggle to come up with the words they want to say, or to find the flow, or to even get inspiration, but if the drive is there and they really do want to write something, I tell them this: The more you practice the muscle, the better you will get.
   
   It's kind of how I feel with yoga. I suck at it. I'm not flexible, and the breathing specifics feel like rocket science to me (I know... it's just breathing). But every time I try it, I get a little bit better. That muscle stretches a little more comfortably, and the breathing doesn't feel so weird. My balance is a little bit better. The same is true for writing. Sure, you may need some help (just like I need those yoga for beginners videos to guide me), but you can get there with consistent practice.
   
   And when you're drafting, the focus should never be on whether what you're writing is any good. If that's your focus, you're going to get stuck. The getting it good part comes later. For now, just focus on the putting words on the page bit.
   
   
3. Set your goal where you can see it. I like to put my goals on my calendar (which I look at a gazillion times a day), or on a sticky note on my desk. The most helpful way I’ve set reminders is by setting alarms for times of day where I know I’ll have at least a few minutes to work on something. Find what works best for you, where you can be reminded consistently, in a way that will prompt you to just sit down and give it a shot. Those reminders help a ton, and for days where the motivation just isn't there and I want to hit that snooze button or toss that sticky note, I just think... "Give it five minutes. I'll just write for five minutes, then I've at least tried today." Most often, that five minutes turns into something much bigger. 

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you all have a wonderful Easter holiday, and I'll write again next week!

As I connect and work with more authors - and work hard to produce more books each year - I am often met with questions like, "How do you do it all?" and "How do you meet your deadlines?"

This last year, I've been able to do so much more than I ever dreamed possible for an independently published author. I've been writing and editing and publishing so much more consistently, and I've also started hosting regular author events. These have all been wonderful additions to my life and my writing career, but they also take quite a lot of time, so this year, I've had to do some adjusting with my process to keep up with all the momentum.

I know I've already written about how I manage it all, but with all the changes that have come up in the last several months, I wanted to share with you my updated answer to these kinds of questions. Here we go.

1. I plan ahead.
I'm a planner. To anybody who knows me personally, it comes as no surprise that I have a list for just about everything, and it's been this way for as long as I can remember. I'm great with time management, because I'm really good with lists. I've always planned ahead, and that includes when I'm getting a book ready for publication. In the last year, however, I've become a lot more meticulous and intentional with my planning when it comes to my writing and publishing. 

Now, once a month (sometimes more often if I have a particularly hectic schedule), I take 30 minutes to an hour and put everything I want to remember on paper. This includes...

• Goals I want to achieve
• My schedule (which includes my work, my writing, my events, my marketing, and most importantly, my time with my family)
• Events that I have coming up, where it's located, and what I need to bring or restock on beforehand
• Marketing ideas for the entire month (including my blog post ideas and social media posts)

2. I pay close attention to where my time goes. 
I don't scroll social media, and while I do really enjoy watching TV, I almost always have a project in hand if I'm watching TV in my free time. Those are the two biggest time eaters in my world, and while I don't spend hours scrolling online, I do like to spend some time online at least a couple of days a week so I can support other authors and artists chasing their dreams just like me. I pay really close attention to how much time I spend doing these things if I haven't taken care of my daily responsibilities (work, childcare, writing, quality family time, etc.).

My love of lists ensures that I'm always highly aware of my schedule - which, yes, can be exhausting - and the things I want to get done. For my writing, I try to spend a MINIMUM of 15 minutes a day writing or editing or illustrating per day, depending on what project I'm trying to focus on the most. That time frame used to be 45 minutes, and that 45 minutes is still my most productive time slot for writing. But! After pushing so hard to get Severed released just six months after Bound came out, I realized just how important that time is to spend with my husband. So, I'm down to a minimum of 15 minutes on most days, but I'm still getting words on the page! 

That brings me to my next point...

​3. I'm awesome at chipping away at things. 
I try to fit things in where I can. Sometimes, that looks like 15 - 20 minutes per day on writing tasks after the kiddo goes to bed. Sometimes it looks like squeezing in an extra 30 minutes on days during the weekend, especially if my son decides to bless us with an afternoon nap time. It can also look like spending 5-10 minutes every day on my poetry, 5 extra minutes writing before I start work for the day, or 10 minutes of reading in the car or before bed. All of these little bursts of time are still getting me that much closer to my goals every day, and I'm grateful for all of these extra blocks.

4. I know what I want, and I have a lot of practice setting goals to get me there. 
I set a lot of goals. I set big project goals like finishing a manuscript or launching a new title. These goals are often tentative at first. I set the goal so I can see it and I can be working toward it, but I allow myself room for the specifics to change as needed. Little goals, however, I set and adjust frequently. Like, nearly every day kind of frequently. The smaller goals I can set, the more achievable they become, and every goal I achieve gets me that much closer to achieving the desired end result.

​So I set a goal to choose or design a font. I set a goal to write for so many minutes or write so many words every week. I set a goal for when I'll finish each editing phase or my cover design, and so on. And I allow myself just a little bit of grace. Number 1, I've already set small goals, so these baby steps are a nice reminder that I can be working on things every day. Number 2, I allow myself a little bit of breathing room. If I don't meet a goal for a particular part of the project, I look at the why, and I either add it into my next goal, or I adjust it moving forward so I don't get so discouraged that I give up. 


I know I've written a lot about working full time, my son, my husband, and my various aspects of my writing career which is now more productive and demanding on my time than ever before, and I appreciate all of you for reading despite the redundancies! These are the largest pieces that make up my life (and take up my time), and I'm happy to be able to share them with you. Have a wonderful week, and I'll write again soon. <3

The following post has been copied from a ​book launch checklist I put together while brainstorming to help my sister prepare for her debut book launch. This list is not exhaustive, as there are many amazing and creative things you can do to prepare for your book to launch. These are just some of the pieces that I've had the most success with for my own book launches. 

1. Create an Author Website

• This can be very simple to start out, but I would recommend having one. Having a place where your readers can come back to for more information as you expand is crucial!
• I like to use Weebly. It’s free to start, and you have a lot of options on that free avenue. If you want to sell your books on your own through your website, you may need to pay for the upgraded version, but in my opinion, it's worth it. 
• The pages I would recommend having to start…
  • About the Author
  • Published Works
    • Build a page showing off each book (before it comes out)
  • Contact Page
  • Email List Sign Up!!! (I would put this on your homepage with a mission statement of sorts. What do you want people to know about you?)
  • Events page (if you plan on doing events)

2. Create an Email List

• Email your email list at least once per week with updates/thoughts about your book. I waited years after publishing my first book to do this step, and I wish I had done it right from the start. Don't be afraid to ask people if they'd like to join your email list. The worst that can happen is they either say no upfront or unsubscribe later.

 
3. Create a Social Media Account

• Create a social media account for your author work. You can also create one for each book, if you like. I personally don't do this option, because I don't have a lot of time to manage all of them.
• Decide on your posting schedule to post. 
  • When people know when they will hear from you, it boosts engagement and excitement.
• Post consistently. Things I would recommend posting about…
  • Book release announcement (general)
  • Book release announcement with date
  • Cover reveal (see street team section for most effective cover reveal)
  • Book description (genre, brief content description, tropes/themes)
  • Character reveal
  • Countdown to book launch

 
4. Get in Contact With Bookstores

• If you have an independent bookstore that you enjoy going to and you have already built a relationship with, you can absolutely reach out to these.
• Barnes & Noble locations are often very open to supporting local authors. Reaching out to let them know you have a book coming out and that you’d like to host an event at their locations can give you an opening. You will want…
  • To share your ISBN and a picture of the cover, along with what genre of book it is.
  • Share what your release date will be and let them know that you’d love to get an event on the books whenever they have a spot. Some bookstores schedule out 6 months to a year in advance, so it may take you a while to get in, but others may have openings for the same month.

5. Develop Your Teams
ARC Team

• I’ve found that looking on Facebook is the best way to start building an ARC team (more people seem to respond on Facebook than on other platforms). Getting an ARC team can be an awesome way to generate reviews on release day (though this takes some prep work of up to a couple of months). You will want to include your ARC team in your 
  • Cover reveal
  • Shared graphics for your book
  • Descriptions 
• You may want to host online live events with them or run giveaways to those who participate. 

 
Street Team

• Reach potential readers who want to support your work and hype you up, before and after release day! Reach out on your social media accounts and email list to see who’s interested. 
• If you have a children’s book, you can create a draft copy to share with them, share an ebook file, or even have them join you for a virtual Zoom meeting so you can do a read-aloud for them. 
  • Engage your street team with daily/weekly challenges. Get creative!!