Writing Roots

Of all the emotions you could include in your story, grief is one of the most common yet most complex options. Many stories address the idea of grief, whether it is the loss of someone they loved, the loss of a limb, a new medical diagnosis, or a loss of something smaller. No matter what is causing the grief, you should be familiar with what grief is, what it means, and how it can impact daily life. Listen for a deep dive on this emotion and how to include it in your story.

First aired March 4, 2024.

This whole month has been about helping you understand that when you become an author, you become a public figure of sorts. That means "being cancelled" is a real possibility if you make the wrong move or say the wrong thing.

Aside from that, there is also a long-standing debate in the book world about censorship - particularly book banning. In many ways, these are two sides to the same coin. But what does it mean for you? Leigh and Ley discuss it in this episode.

First aired February 29, 2024.

If there is one thing that we collectively stop doing as a bookish community, it should be FOMO marketing and exclusive special editions.

Don't get us wrong. We love special editions as much as the next reader. They can be great for authors as a way to draw in readers and really grab attention. Even bonus content can be a great way to keep people engaged. Some publishers, however, have taken it a step further by including exclusive bonus content in only some special editions. Others have preyed on the fear of missing out to push readers into buying more and more editions of the same book. It's all very problematic.

So where is that line between a good special edition and compelling bonus content, and predatory marketing tactics? 

All advertising is good advertising, right? It doesn’t matter if you’re mean or nice, so long as people know your name, right?

Wrong. People may know your name, but you could easily do more damage than good. In this episode, Ley and Leigh discuss how to identify rage bait, what to do when you find it, and why it's generally a bad idea to implement on social media if you're looking to become a career author.

The idea of writing a memoir pushed me way out of my comfort zone. So instead of trying to eat the whole elephant in one sitting, I took small bites. - Rachel Trotter

Whether or not you’re writing a memoir or a piece of fiction, it is well known that writers “write what they know.” In many cases, that translates to using real experiences from the author’s own life to help shape or directly inspire certain scenes in their book. For memoir writers, it’s almost all true.

But how true should a memoir be? How much can you really pull from real life if you’re writing a piece of fiction?

First aired February 22, 2024

Authors often feel pressure to be active on social media, particularly TikTok, in order to get and keep a substantial following. This is largely new territory, and some long-time authors are finding themselves in hot water because they don't understand the spaces they're stepping into. Particularly, they don't understand the support out there for self-published books.

When you decide to be an author, you decide to be a public figure of sorts. You will need to interact with other authors for a variety of reasons. As a result, you need to learn how to interact with other authors without making enemies or offending large groups who may choose a different writing path than you.

First aired February 19, 2024.

Your readers are the most important piece of your marketing. If they like your book, they will share it with other readers with similar tastes. Like a pyramid scheme, but better. However, they also hold the potential for your failure in their hands. In recent months, several authors have betrayed reader trust and thus ultimately ended their careers.

When you approach the reading communities - especially influencers and ARC readers - you need to treat them with respect. You need to understand what they do, why they do it, and that it ultimately serves you to have a good relationship with them.

First aired February 15, 2024.

There have been a few authors recently - usually newer authors - who have made a bad name for themselves because of how they interacted with readers. In some cases, it was calling them names for leaving bad reviews. In others, its an unreasonable restriction on the copyright page that completely ignores the legally-established First Sale Doctrine.

When you set out to be an author, one thing you need to prepare for is interacting in reading communities. It is the reader's space and you are there as a guest, even among your own fanbase.

First aired February 12, 2024.

As authors, it is good to engage in reader spaces, but it doesn't come without dangers. When you are looking to leave reviews, you need to look at your purpose and goal. It's not always appropriate for an author to review another author's work - especially if it's negative. 

You've likely heard of the author who bombed her career when she review-bombed other authors on Goodreads. This is a prime example of why you need to navigate reviews carefully.

First aired February 8, 2024.

Bad behavior from authors has been causing all sorts of drama across the online book community recently, and much of it stems from authors interacting within reader spaces.

Reader spaces are places like BookTok or Storygraph, where readers go to review, build community, and share their favorite (and sometimes least favorite) books. For authors, those spaces can serve as a great way to find and build an audience - if you don't ostracize anyone in the process.

In this episode, our hosts talk about the benefits and potential pitfalls of being an author in a reader space, and how to best navigate it without ending up infamous in book circles.

First aired February 5, 2024.