HAPPY
BIRTHDAY,
ERIN WADE!
Best present of all, a birthday kiss From VBW.
Lynn Lawler, it is such a joy to be featured on your blog. Thank you so much for this wonderful birthday present.
Today—May 9—is my birthday and my present to myself was the release of my twenty-fifth book, “Riding the Storm.” It is the first book in my new series, “Daredevils Rescue Service.” Hopefully, it will also be my twenty-fifth #1 bestseller. Keeping my fingers crossed.
I released my first lesbian book in 2017, so “Riding the Storm” gives me an average of five books per year. I’m afraid I won’t keep that up this year as “Storm” is the only book I’ve released in 2022 and the year is half gone.
I am an Indie Author so I’m out there on my own, counting on the kindness of friends and readers.
Indies are a wonderful group of writers who are always willing to help. Don’t hesitate to ask them questions. I’m going to try to answer a few of the questions new writers ask me. I hope this helps.
SELLING BOOKS! I am trying some new marketing strategies this year and have teamed up with Morgan Elliot and Donna Raider to form Wade Write Publishing. There are so many opportunities in our genre, that it is difficult to keep up with all the wonderful things that are happening. A buddy system always helps. Find other authors to work with and strongly support one another, and share things that work for you and things that don’t.
When new writers ask me how to make a living as a writer, I always tell them, “Write.” The more books one offers their readers, the more sales they will have.
Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone. Write anything that YOU would enjoy reading: paranormal, shifters, romance, westerns, historical fiction, horror stories, etc. The best thing a writer can do is let her imagination run wild.
SCHEDULE! If you are serious about writing, set aside a block of time every day to sit down and write. I don’t mean think about your book, or scribble notes—you should do this constantly—but actually put your fingers on the keyboard and type your story.
SET DEADLINES! Nothing sets a deadline like giving Amazon a Preorder Date. I always set preorder dates to force myself to keep my fingers to the keyboard. DO NOT set an unrealistic date.
If you give Amazon a preorder date, it is set in stone. If you miss that release date, you will be banned from using the preorder service for a year. I know, I did this on my second book.
GET HELP! Talented cover designers and good editors are a must. I am privileged to work with two incredible editors, Susan Hughes, and Melissa Barker. My cover designers, Joolz & Jarling Covers, are simply the best. There are so many talented people out there waiting to help you. Use them!
ESTABLISH YOUR BRAND! Select something that says “Tada, hear I am.” A logo, a photo, a picture of your dog or cat that you want people to identify with you. In short, something that will help readers remember your name. Even if you are only releasing your first book, give a lot of thought to the image you want to present. Select something that you want to identify you five or ten years from now and build on that. Use something you can have fun with. I use variations of my logo and constantly post pictures of my faithful writing companion, Tank. Honestly, this little fellow is always at my side no matter how long I sit at the computer.
WRITER’S BLOCK! Keep several books going at once. Right now, I have twelve books in various stages of completion. Some I’ve worked on for seven years. Others are only a few years old, and some are as recent as this year.
When you hit the wall on your current book, put it aside and write on one of the others. At some point, inspiration will hit you that belongs in the original book you were blocked on. I am often midway through a book and discover I’ve written my MCs into a corner I can’t get them out of, so I start writing on another book. At some point, an idea will come to me for the original book and I’m off and writing on it, again.
This year has been good for me. Speak Up Talk Radio awarded me their 2022 Firebird Book Award LGTB Division for “Dark Justice – Book #1: God’s Canyon.”
In response to mothers who have contacted us seeking suitable books for their young adult readers, Morgan Elliot and I are beginning to edit a few of our #1 bestsellers to make them appropriate for young adult readers. We hope they will find the books suitable, entertaining, and educational for young women who may be struggling with their identity or simply want relatable books.
Morgan Elliot has rewritten her paranormal “Night & Daye” and my “Dark Justice” series will continue to be rewritten for young adult readers.
I won’t kid you, the young adult market is not a gold mine, but you will sell a few books to these readers. The important thing is that we provide the young people with strong female characters who are winners.
We tried to get Donna Raider to edit her series for this project, but she pointed out she would have to rewrite her entire series. This is true, her books border on erotica.
In closing, I wouldn’t be a promoter if I didn’t hawk my next book, “Dark Justice: Book #2 Garden of Eden. It has already been named a #1 new release based on preorders and I thank my readers for that. It will release on June 15, 2022.
Series are a good way to build a following. If readers like your first book, they will purchase your next book, and so on.
Series are difficult for me because my favorite part of writing is character development. I love developing new characters but it is also fun to take my characters on wild rides in new places.
I hope I haven’t bored you and most of all I hope I’ve answered questions you might have. Feel free to PM me on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/erin.wade.129142/ and visit my website often. I keep it updated and post on it constantly.
Lynn Lawler, thank you again for allowing me this time on your blog. It is a wonderful birthday present.
Erin Wade
Thank you, Erin, for being our guest today! A big Happy Birthday to you!
Until Next Time,
Lynn
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Lynn Lawler's Creative Artists' Blog 
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