Q&A with Aspiring Young Writers

One of the great things about being an instructor is hearing the words that emerge from my students mouths. Sometimes adorable, sometimes rude, often surprising, I find myself wondering if these elder teens are aware that they are speaking with the person who is grading their papers. 

But sometimes they ask questions about what it’s like to be a published author. And that’s the most fun.

Last week I hosted an event on my campus with aspiring young writers about the process of writing and indie-publishing a novel, and they asked some interesting question. 

Which social media works best for authors and how do authors promote themselves on social media?

This was a difficult question because I do not think I am very good at social media anymore. I was once. I used to post any observation about my life on Twitter and any accompanying photos on Instagram. I loved making funny remarks about my world and the silly things that I would see. Now, I do good to remember to post about my weekly blog. I just stopped enjoying the social media platforms. I value my website the most because instead of sending someone to a social media platform that they may or may not use, I just send everyone to my website.

However, the writers I know who do really well on social media are those who post a lot, like other peoples posts, engage in conversation, and build a community of followers. It’s a full-time job doing that on multiple platforms, and they always suggest to pick one and just stick with the one.

As for which one is the best? Which ever one you are most comfortable spending time. If you love TikTok and love making videos? Do it. If you like articles and making smart remarks? Twitter or Threads. If you like the visual aspect, Instagram. I cannot comment on Facebook because I gave up on that platform a long time ago. 

What is the process for being published?

First, there is the traditional route, where you write the full manuscript and then send it to agents. If an agent wants to take you on as a client, they will shop your script to publishing houses looking for the type of book you have written. A lot of it has to do with timing. Have you written a book that will make money, have potential for multiple formats, or could be developed into a franchise? 

I chose not to wait, and sat down and made a list of what I would need to publish my book myself. On that list, was: hire a copyeditor, hire a cover designer, purchase paginating software, purchase a block of ISBN numbers for my book and any soon to be written books. Then I made a schedule for myself, and announced my launch date. 

When the cover and the manuscript were ready, I uploaded it to a print-on-demand book website that made it possible to order print copies and allow the book to be purchased on different book selling platforms. For my first book, I used Draft 2 Digital and Amazon. This was challenging because bookstores would not stock books from Draft 2 Digital. They are rather particular about who they order their books from. As a result, I used Ingram Spark for my latest book because most bookstores order from Ingram for their indie books. 

Once the book is available, you just need to shout from the rooftops that the book is available. Call your friends. Call your neighbors. Tell everyone on your socials. Don’t just assume because a book is on Amazon that people are going to see it. 

What if I don’t have anyone to help me copyedit my manuscript?

One of the ways I am fortunate is I have been writing for a long time and have made connections with different writers who also take on freelance editing work. I was able to ask around and employ my friends. 

However, if you don’t have anyone who can help you at this point in your career, a college campus is a fantastic space to find a writing community. Every class I have taken has connected me to writers, who will then connect me with other writers. Give good feedback and be kind and others will want to keep working with you. Also, a college campus has extra-curricular clubs as a way to meet other writers as well as a campus Writing Center. Many students who work at the writing center love editing and would be happy to freelance. They might have a side hustle editing things for a small fee.

Did the story or characters change in any surprising ways as you wrote?

Yes, actually. When the story was first conceived, I had a completely different person as the murderer. And this was surprising. As much as I thought I knew exactly how the story was going to go at the beginning, in the act of writing I found myself being pulled in a different direction. I have to leave myself open to those changes. 

One of the other main things I had to change was the geographical location of one of the characters. Gabbi originally was living in Nashville, Tennessee, a good two hours away from the small town of Pleasant Springs, Kentucky. And it stopped making sense for her to drive back and forth all the time. I had to rewrite half the book when I realized this, but it had to be done.

On your recent book, was there a particular scene or chapter that was the hardest to write? 

Not as much in this book. In my debut novel Mothers of the Missing Mermaid, one of the main characters is being sexually harassed by her boss, and those scenes were particularly difficult to write because she was in a situation where she was trapped. And it was hard to write because I felt so sad for my character.

In Pretty Girls, there were some scenes that were emotionally charged. Lindy and April are in a fight at one point and it’s a state of the future of their relationship kind of fight. And I wanted it to be like a real fight, where there is just as much silence as there is shouting. That was difficult and rewarding to write.

If you could go back and change one thing about the book now that it’s published, what would it be? 

I had a scene that I absolutely loved that I had to cut from the book. It just didn’t fit anywhere well. Gabbi is a character who is following the guidance of an online self-help guru. And I wanted her to push her way into a live event and demand answers about her future with Ethan. After the encounter, I wanted her to drive off and pitch her copy of the guru’s book out the window and have it land on the sidewalk, only to be picked up by different woman who is walking with her guitar strapped to her back. Like she’s on her way to a gig or an audition to discover this self-help book. But after I had Gabbi move away from Nashville, it just didn’t make sense anymore.

Were any parts of the story based on real experiences or people you know?

Yes and no. No, I do not know anyone who has had this experience. However, there is a little of people I know in all my characters. That’s what’s cool about being a writer is you can craft characters that are based on a real person but with attributes either added or subtracted. 

How do you deal with writer’s block, especially when you’re on a deadline?

Usually my writers block comes from not being kind to myself. When I don’t write for a couple of days, I feel a little edgy and annoyed. So I need to journal to keep me grounded and balanced. 

I don’t get blocked in a traditional sense, because I always have something to write about. However, when insecurity kicks in, I will avoid writing. Or when regular lifestyle stressors kick in – my day job, my parenting responsibilities, family drama, the holidays – I will put writing on the backburner. I can sustain that for about two weeks. After two weeks, my brain will develop overly dramatic sentences like, “I have not written in FOREVER. I guess I’ve peaked. I’ll never write again.” And I will journal about it and then look back at my journal entries and realize that it’s been two weeks. Two weeks is nothing. I can get right back on track.

Deadlines give me a purpose and a finish line. I was a journalist and a deadline was sacrosanct. So when someone tells me that something has to be completed by a certain time, I make it happen.

Writer’s block can often be avoided by keeping a regular schedule or routine. Creativity is like a fire. Once you get it started, just keep feeding it. Block can usually come from not feeling inspired, but for me, lack of inspiration usually comes from feeling like I need to write something for someone else instead of for myself. 

What are the differences between a copyeditor and developmental editor?

I didn’t understand a lot of the nuance until I needed to hire one. A developmental editor works on the development of the story and whether it works or not. They tell you where stories drag or whether the conclusion is satisfying. 

A copy editor is the person who corrects your grammar, punctuation, and continuity errors. 

And there is also an editor called a line editor. This is the person who looks at the story on the sentence by sentence basis, analyzing the rhythm and music of the writing. 

I have a developmental editor and a copy editor, and I am grateful for both of them because they possess a skillset I do not. I’m a good storyteller, but I am a little too excited and amped about my story to focus on the details. And while there are spell and grammar checks that are helpful, a lot of those programs have flaws too. My spelling and grammar check will sometimes lag behind how fast I am typing. And even though I read it and reread it and read it aloud, I still miss things. So I am grateful for copy editors because I don’t want anyone to be pulled out of the story because I reversed letters or spelled a word correct but it was the wrong version of that word. 

How do you go about the pricing for editing? Essentially, what’s the criteria for a high price or low price?

I had no idea what anyone would charge when I started, so I went on gig websites like Fiverr and Reedsy and started price shopping. But shopping for a stranger to copyedit my work made me a little nervous. I had already heard a lot of stories about writers being scammed and I wanted to avoid that. But over the years I have been fortunate enough to work with really talented people. So I reached out and asked if they were interested in doing some freelance work. And because they were my friends, I was comfortable paying what they asked because this was a mutually beneficial relationship. It was nice. We were working on a project together. 

Also, I’m the kind of person who is very comfortable with the idea that all prices are negotiable. If someone quotes me a price that I cannot afford, often I will contact them and let them know what I can afford. And if that doesn’t work for them, they will politely decline. It’s not personal. But sometimes they say yes. And then everyone is happy. 

Do you find that social media matters a lot to getting your book recognized? What do you put on a social media page for an author?

I think it matters while I also think it doesn’t matter at all. 

It’s not being seen online as much as being seen by book influencers. And to be seen by book influencers, you need to follow them, then DM them to ask them to review your book. And those people are being contacted by lots of other writers. And many are also making their living by promoting books and those influencers will charge you for that exposure. So sometimes a writer will need to budget for that exposure, both their time and cash.

Now, it you are someone who really enjoys being on social media, then I would say start following and connecting with as many book people as much as possible. I would also encourage you to purchase your name as a domain name. If someone else has your name when you need it, then you’ll have to pay more to get it. So grab it now.

Authors often post about their process and their book activities. Some authors post how they spend their day. Some will post photos of the conferences they attend with people they meet. I use social media to promote my blog and any announcements regarding my publications. 

For me, I don’t see a lot of traction on social media. My follower count hasn’t moved in years because I am inconsistent with posting any new content. 

What does a publicist do and where do you find one?

I used the company Books Forward to assist me with my launch. 

They developed a publicity campaign for six months including before and after the book was published. They wrote a press release, sent books out to reviewers, contacted multiple media outlets, and provided advice on metadata to help categorize my book better on bookseller websites. 

I liked working with them because they were able to see things in my novel that would grab the attention of readers, because that’s their job. They identify that readers want. 

I hired them after I met a representative from Books Forward at a writers conference and we had a great chat. So after, I emailed them and we started discussions on forming the campaign. They listened to what I wanted and gave me really good advice.

In your personal experience, do you feel that self-publishing has been lucrative for you? I’d like to be a “full-time” writer, but I know there’s a lot of hurdles.

There are a lot of hurdles, but there are also a lot of hurdles for writers who are traditionally published.

The writers I know who now have the ability to be full-time writers are disciplined, supportive of other writers, open to suggestion, and say yes to as many opportunities that they can. But they didn’t start out being full-time writers. They took whatever job they could until they were able to support themselves. Some of them would takes jobs in professional writing or publishing. Personally, when I was writing for others, I wasn’t writing for myself. So the jobs I had that were unrelated to writing were always the ones that allowed me the brain space to be more creative. My most creative summer was once when I worked at a golf ball factory loading wads of rubber into a molding machine. The work was repetitive, almost meditative, and the sounds of all the machinery blended into soothing white noise. I’d leave work and write for hours because my brain was still active after work. Also, the standing and squatting all day to load the machine was fantastic for my abs. 

Now I try to think of my non-writing jobs as research for future projects. If I were a full-time writer, I might not engage with as many humans on a daily basis and I have learned that most of my best material has emerged from conversations I’ve had with other people.

Writers have a variety of jobs that fuel their creative self. Editing, publishing, freelancing, and of course, teaching. Teaching allows me the opportunity to talk about writing all day, and sometimes I will advise a student to do exactly the thing I need to do myself. I can carve out time to write during the day and meet other writers. 

Until your writing career takes off, your “money job” can be the seed money for that writing career. It provides routine and structure so you can develop solid writing routines. Also if you spend your days resenting your day job, you are more likely to allow negative self talk to take over.

We have conversations in my house about: where the limit is with my writing? At what point will I say I have written enough? At what point will I hang it all up and stop trying to make writing a real thing? The limit does not exist. Like what a wise woman told Harriet in the Harriet the Spy, “You’re a writer Harriet. That’s your job for life.” 

Please check out one of the many stories I have available for readers in the brandibradley.com store. 

Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder

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