Today I had the privilege of talking to Sage Adderley Knox, who grew up in a creative household. Both her parents were artists, so creativity was normal in her life.

Her foray into writing began in the Zine community. Sage says this is a world of its own within Indie publishing. The joy with Zines, she says, is that they are rough and ready, raw and authentic.

When Sage first got into the scene, she used good old-fashioned pen and paper. These days, however, young Zinesters create digital editions. For Sage, there is now right or wrong way, as long as they keep being created!

Not only does Sage write YA fiction, and is currently writing the third book in her The Triple Goddess Series, but she helps other writers find their feet in the book community.

Sage is a writer’s coach. She noticed that a lot of her clients had trouble actually opening their projects and working on them. There was a lot of Imposter Syndrome going on and feelings of inadequacy.

That’s when she pivoted and focused on helping writers move past those limiting beliefs and set themselves free to write the book they want.

For example, many writers worry about getting it right. They don't like the idea of not being in control or feeling out of their element. By focusing on the here and now, her clients feel confident about working on the step they’re in now.

Once the book is written, Sage helps writers produce and market their books.

Production is formatting the text on the page, writing the blurb, designing the book cover for ebook and for paperback.

It’s getting the ‘product’ ready for publication and placement on the self.

Marketing side is all about finding readers. It might seem counterintuitive, but writing the book is often the easiest part of the author's life. Finding readers and making an income is even harder, and this is something Sage helps her writers do.

An example of how she does this is by organising Blog Tours for her writers. She says this is great for visibility of the book and creating relationships with other writers and book bloggers. It’s a way of building community and feeling like you belong.

Blog tours are different from Vlog Tours. They are text based and are usually an interview about the book being promoted and the writer’s life. So, for the more introverted writer this is a less stressful way of marketing their book.

Finding The Writer Within is Sage’s annual online summit. It’s a free and convenient way for new writers to discover those with more experience and who have knowledge or expertise that helps writers build their confidence and their skills.

Cosmic Smash Books is a specific way of creating that Sage uses within her Storytellers And Wild Creatives membership programme. In our conversation together, she tells me what it involves and just how it helps her clients.

Finally, if you are interested in attending an online writing retreat, Sage is hosting later this year (2021). If you go to her website and sign up for her newsletter, you’ll get the details as and when they are released.

I really enjoyed my conversation with Sage. She is a true creative with boundless energy, a joy for colour and a passion to help writers.


Connect with Sage:

Sage Adderley (sageadderleyknox.com)
Sage’s YA books - https://amzn.to/3utp7PN

Support the show