Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of authors have learned to deal with professional obligations via the cruel miracles of online technology. We’ve all become Zoom proficient and surf-savvy, sometimes against our will, turning the lockdown into a lifesaving whirl of virtual signings and workshops and luncheons and book clubs.

Chuck Wendig is a prolific writer with more than 20 books under his belt, but he still gains new readers regularly through his blog, Terribleminds. The blog has been active for more than a decade, adding up to a blog archive of more than 400 pages filled with writing advice, updates about his books, and humorous inspiration for other writers. 

When I first started writing romance, a few folks rushed to tell me what every author HAD to do (or mustn’t ever). A lot of the advice contradicted itself and others’ suggestions…which flat-out drove me nuts for a while. Supposedly everyone in Romancelandia did this stuff, right? Maybe it was my obligation to follow suit. Happily, the film industry had given me a healthy skepticism of bromides and blandishments. I tend to be an ornery cuss with a contrary streak, so I took the advice that worked and discarded what didn’t. Mainly, I knew what I was playing for.

How important your author headshot? If you answered “not much,” think again! Readers and media pros make make a lot of inferences just from your portrait. A great headshot helps your audience deduce your unique personality and connect with you on a more personal level.

One of the dumbest mistakes I ever made as a baby author transpired at my second big fan convention. And for all the crazed preparation and contingencies I’d laid out, I didn’t realize my error until I was on the ground schmoozing at 100 miles an hour. That first night, I was standing at the bar chatting with a colleague and they said, “Do you have a card?”

Looking at cover designs is half the fun of browsing a bookstore. Cover art might be the first thing that catches your eye, but what do you notice next? The fonts used probably give you some important information about the book, like the genre and tone.

Want to build a free promotional resource useful to readers, colleagues and industry pros? Consider compiling and offering a reading order checklist for your work.

Stories of failed promises are common to everyone all over the world. From fallen New Year resolutions to be more active, to yearly falsehoods of readings more books, or being more social, or sticking to a budget, we’ve all made deals with ourselves that end up falling flat. We are human. We make mistakes.

One of the odd paradoxes of authorship is the fact that we work alone, but our business is entirely dependent on cooperation and word of mouth.

Lots of people want to help you, most likely more than you realize. Even before your book releases, family members, friends, coworkers, and members of professional groups may come to you and ask what they can do to help you get the word out. Let them!

How do you share news about your books with your readers? If you’re like other authors, you probably use graphics to catch their attention. With BookBrush, you can cut down the amount of time it takes to make punchy advertisements for your books.