If you’re at all involved in the indie writing community, I’m sure you’ve heard about the change Thunderclap made in their TOS. To boil it down for you, if your Thunderclap is for anything remotely commercial (a.k.a. you’re an author and you could make book sales from this Thunderclap), they are no longer allowing campaigns of that nature to be posted.
Being able to use Thunderclap for book launches was AMAZING while it lasted, but once again it seems the indie book community has been shafted. So, Thunderclap has made itself obsolete to a massive portion of former users with that one simple change in TOS, and many of us are having to make the switch to Daycause.
I can’t help wondering, though, how long before indie authors are again excluded from a social sharing site? How long do we have before we must adapt AGAIN?
That right there is my #1 rule for any kind of writing success. Give yourself the right tools, the right tribe, and the right mindset to get your writing where you want it to be.
You want an actionable list of things you can do to invest in yourself? Awesome! I put together a countdown for you. Check it out.
If you’re anything like me, and it helps to have someone (in this case something) to talk to/ask you questions about your stories when you’re in the planning phase, get in on this ASAP! I am in LOVE with Notebook.ai. You can sign up HERE.
6. 5,000 Words Per Hour (Book & App) by Chris Fox
I honestly can’t even BEGIN to tell you how much more productive I am as a writer after reading this book and downloading the app! Get the book HERE.
5. Invest In Your Cover!
I’ve come across some truly amazing cover designers on Facebook guys! I’m just going to give you a bulleted list here. I highly recommend checking them all out and seeing who best suits your style (or your price range)!
Since Pronoun’s closing, a lot of writers are looking for new wide publication options outside of simply uploading to KDP. If you’re looking to go wide, PublishDrive will get you where you want to be!
3. The Plot Genie
If you’re anything like me, working with The Plot Genie (a.k.a. Heather Cardona) will save your (writing) life! Seriously, join her group HERE. I promise you WILL thank me for this.
I always find myself second-guessing all the plotting I’ve done, and I always worry about my pacing, because it’s not my strong suit. You don’t have to worry about that when you work with The Plot Genie. She does everything from taking outlines you’ve already done and fixing them up to make them even MORE addictive, to writing your outlines FOR you if you don’t want to be bothered!
2. Creative Central With Debbie Burns
This is an AMAZINGLY positive and uplifting group for creatives on Facebook. You can find it HERE. If you join, I can PROMISE you that you’ll find some of your most faithful tribe members here.
1. Rebecca Hamilton & OTOH, Books!
I really can’t say enough about how wonderful Rebecca is, both as a person and as a service provider for authors! She has several Facebook groups and a website. All I can tell you is JOIN EVERYTHING! You never know when or where she’s going to post some kind of incredible opportunity, service, course, or deal on any of the above! There’s a reason I’ve listed her at #1, guys.
Just in case you missed out on my newsletter (or *gasp* you didn’t know I have one), you might want to scoot on over and check it out! There are recommendations, giveaways, and more! Just CLICK HERE to read it.
I’ve been learning all kinds of incredible things from Rebecca Hamilton at OTOH Books, guys! I am boldly exploring new frontiers in marketing and other things on the business side of writing. I’m re-launching Author Promo Network, as well. I made a post about that on Facebook today, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to make one on the actual APN blog.
ANYWAY…back to the point of this post.
I’m super excited to be running some giveaways, and my Street Team is where the BEST giveaway action is. My team gets access to exclusive giveaways and freebies no one else gets.
Join the Fiction Freebies group on Facebook for regular updates on active author giveaways! I’m not the only author in the group. We’re constantly adding new authors who can share giveaways you can enter! The giveaways are all no purchase necessary.
That’s right, I’m doing it again. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) is right around the corner, and I’ve committed to doing it again this year. I’m taking a short break from my Otherworld Trilogy to start my Murphy Family Mysteries series. So, what book am I doing this year?
This will be the first of many mysteries for the zany but endearing Murphy family. I’m not letting myself do a whole lot of over-planning for this one. I’m trying to short-circuit my perfectionist tendencies that usually make me bog down in my writing. This year, I intend to make steady progress and have an extremely rough draft to work from by November 30.
What tools do I have in my arsenal for this November? Here’s a short list:
Here’s the video from my first writing workshop hosted at The Creative Kitchen in Bay Minette! HUGE shout-out to the owner, Lacey Collier, for working with me and hosting my events!
Have you ever had a thought like this? Man, I’d really love to write a book someday, but I have no idea where to start.
I used to have similar thoughts, but I worked my butt off over the past 11 years, and I’ve been published in Flash Fiction Magazine, Noir Nation No. 3, as well as having self-published A Collection of Reflections (poetry) and Frost: An Otherworld Tale (my debut novel).
If you love a good story, that love is all you need to become a writer. I’ve invested a lifetime of passion and thousands of dollars in learning about writing craft and the publishing industry, and I’d love to share what I’ve learned with those of you who have an inner storyteller begging to get out.
If you’d like to learn more, you can reserve your seat at my upcoming writing workshop dates HERE. The workshops will be held at The Creative Kitchen in my aweome hometown of Bay Minette, Alabama.
Here’s a fun exercise for those of you considering attending the workshop (or anyone who wants to join in, for that matter):
Describe your worst fear in a single paragraph, but there’s a catch; you cannot name your fear in the paragraph. Post your answers in the comments and we’ll try to guess your fear!
Honing Your Horror is a 3-week Creative Writing Workshop series that meets once a week. This series will meet each Saturday at 11:30 starting Sept. 23rd with its last meeting being Oct 7th. Seats are $60 for the entire workshop ($20/week) with complimentary food & drink being served.
You will meet with me as I lead our group in a series of group exercises and discussions drawn from the many writing craft resources I’ve invested in over the years, as well as my personal experiences in the writing and publishing industry. You will receive personal feedback from me on the pieces you craft in the workshop, as well as positive, constructive critiques from the group as a whole.
TCK’s Lacey Garner had this to say about the workshop: Chelsea wrote within her imagination as a young girl and has made her dream come true through her hard work and determination that has lead to the production of Frost: An Otherworld Tale, a collection of poetry called A Collection of Reflections, as well as many publications within Magazines and Blogs.
By reserving your seat in this workshop, you will learn how to:
Tap into your subconscious for good suspense.
Draw inspiration from your everyday life and fictionalize it.
Paint a compelling story.
Shape & mold your phrasing.
Decide on your best conclusion.Surround yourself with fellow writers in a like-minded, workshop setting for strong content. Learn from a local published Author as you listen to her advice and gain from her experience. To reserve your seat simply call TCK at 251-753-9210 or book on Eventbrite.
You may have noticed that I’m a Writers Digest affiliate, now. I only became an affiliate and share their links because I use their products, love them, and genuinely believe they will help other writers, too.
