Authoring Onward

Today’s episode is a joint one with Let’s Start Writing, so if you also subscribe to LSW, no need to listen to both–they are the same!

Today’s tips episode is about what to do when you’re writing along on one project and a shiny new story idea comes up, tempting you to cheat on your current manuscript. What do you do with these ideas? Are they an indication you should jump ship on your current project? How do you keep your writing commitments while not losing the power of a new, inspiring idea?

Next week is back to the regular schedule, with two separate episodes, one for each podcast.

P.S. Now scheduling editing clients for April 20th and onward.

This week, I chatted with author Edward Di Gangi about his book, his book launch, what went well and what he’d do differently. It’s a whole book launch analysis. If you’re getting ready for a launch or looking ahead to one, this is a great episode to help you in decision making.

About Edward:

Edward Di Gangi was adopted at birth in New York City. An only child, he made no effort to explore his heredity until, at age 67, a visit to a cemetery where members of his adoptive mother’s family were buried stirred his interest.
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Over the past three years, through extensive archival research and DNA testing, Ed has peeled back the layers of his once unknown family.

Set in the 1940s, as America emerged from the Great Depression and went to war,  Ed’s book, The Gift Best Given, recounts the search for his family and tells the story of a young woman’s courage as she overcame obstacles to achieve her dreams. 

Ed and his wife, Linda, live in Hillsborough, North Carolina.  Their son, James and his fiancee, Renee, live in nearby Durham.

Ed’s site

P.S. Looking for an editor. I’ve got some openings in April onward.

Thousands of writers write a book in a month during National Novel Writing Month, but what about writing so fast that you’re publishing a book each month for two years!

That’s what cozy mystery author ACF Bookens has done. Of course, she’s not writing them the same month they are published–there’s editing, formatting, etc. to be done–but she’s maintained a book-a-month pace for an impressive stretch of time.

In a pandemic. With a small kiddo.

This week, I sat down to talk with her about rapid release as a strategy, how authors might decide whether it’s right for them, how different each writer’s process is, and more. Have a listen!

About Andi/ACF:

ACF Bookens is a lover of small towns, charming but imperfect people, and animals of all sorts but especially plump cats and loyal pooches. The St. Marin’s Cozy Mystery Series and the Stitches In Crime Series are her first of what she hopes will be many cozy series.

Her website

P.S.: I’m now booking editing and proofreading for April onward.

It’s our second critique episode! This time, I talk to horror author Ghost Lady. We go over the sales page for one book and the first page of a manuscript for a work in progress. Hopefully you all learn a little something about creating a compelling first page and about crafting a sales page that appeals to your readers.

Missed last night’s webinar? Hop over here and watch the recording. But it will coming down on March 10, when it will only be available as part of Pub Club.

I’m hosting four weeks of affordable group coaching for first-time and early career authors on how to self publish successfully. Learn more here: bookechoes.teachable.com/p/pub-club-first-cohort

This week, I’ve got something a little different on the show, the first book sales page critique. Author Sean kindly volunteered to go first.

I go over his book’s sales page from cover to description to categories. I hope you all learn a little something about presenting and selling books.

If this is a format that you find helpful, please let me know in the comments and it can be a regular part of the rotation.

P.S. Don’t forget my Jump the First Hurdle of Self Publishing webinar is happening on March 3, at 7 p.m. Eastern. (And there will be a replay for those who register.)

They say truth is stranger than fiction, so is it any wonder that history can inspire great fictional stories? In this episode, I chat with fellow mystery writer and podcaster Landis Wade about his historically inspired mystery, and about researching and writing fiction with a historical bent. Have a listen!

Landis Wade is a recovering trial lawyer, dog and sports lover, host of Charlotte Readers Podcast, speaker, teacher, moderator, fly-fisherman and author of books and stories whose third book—The Christmas Redemption— won the Holiday category of the 12th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards. He won the 2016 North Carolina State Bar short story contest for The Deliberation and received awards for his non-fiction pieces, The Cape Fear Debacle and First Dance. His short work also has appeared in Writersdigest.com, The Charlotte Observer, News and Observer, Flying South, Fiction on the Web and in anthologies by Pamlico Writers’ Group, High Country Writers and the Daniel Boone Footsteps Personal Story Publishing Project. Follow Landis on his Facebook Page.

Preorder Deadly Declarations

I’m so glad to be back this week. Last week the podcast took a short break because of Covid-related school closures (thank goodness my family all okay, though). Today I’m chatting about one of the rookie mistakes I see newer authors make, which is modeling themselves on household name authors or making choices they’ve been advised against because a famous author or classic novel does it that way.

Listen to find out why if you aren’t yet a household name, you don’t want to copy them.

And for more on the rookie self pub mistakes I’ve seen in my time (and a few I’ve made myself), join my webinar on March 3rd! And, yes, there will be a replay, so sign up to get that.

Finally, I’ve taken the plunge into TikTok. If you’re on there or want to join in, I’d love to hear from you.

This week’s solo episode explores the ways fear holds us back in our writing and book promotion. What are some common ways we get held back? And what can we do about it?

The good news is that this is normal. It happens to all of us. It’s also something we can chip away at with time, patience, and a little help from our writer buddies.

It’s character time! Just as I’m getting ready to start a new mystery for the upcoming Mysteries, Midsummer Sun, and Murders anthology, I had the chance to interview Carrie Knowles about creating and developing characters.

We had a wonderful chat about the importance of character development, finding inspiration for characters, creating nonhuman characters, and so much more. Have a listen!

Carrie is the author of 9 books while also contributing a regular column for Psychology Today, also called “Shifting Forward: A Wanderer’s Musings.” Carrie was named the North Carolina Piedmont Laureate for Short Fiction in 2014 and her short stories have won more than 25 awards. She has been named a finalist in Glimmer Train competitions six times, was a finalist in the Doris Betts Fiction Contest and received an honorable mention in the National Literary Awards. Find out more at https://www.cjanework.com/

This week, I honored my commitment to working more sustainably in 2022 and did something I’ve never done before. I took a mental health day. So I thought this week would be a great time to talk about writer burnout and how to avoid it. I’m joined by artist and writer e’Layne Kelley to talk about how to recognize burnout, how to avoid it, and how to manage stressful times when you can’t take the break you so desperately need.

e’Layne Kelley is a prolific artist and writer who has founded four art galleries… plus so much more. To learn more and read about her forthcoming book, visit her site: http://elaynekelley.com/

Need an edit? I’ve still got a few spots open in upcoming weeks.