Thinking About Writing a Book? Start Here.

Every week I meet aspiring authors who are excited to write a book. They have an idea. They have enthusiasm. They may have even started writing. But they’re also worried.

“How does publishing even work?”

“Can I self-publish?”

“Do I need an agent?”

“Will anyone buy my book?”

The publishing industry has changed dramatically over the past twenty years, and many writers never begin simply because they don’t understand how it all works.

The good news?

You don’t have to know everything before you start.

But you should understand these three things.

1. Know Your Publishing Choices

There are three primary ways to publish a book today.

Traditional Publishing

You work with a literary agent to secure a publishing contract. The publisher pays for editing, cover design, printing, ebook and audiobook production, and distribution.

The money: You receive an advance and then royalties once your advance earns out.

The rights: You own the book, but the publisher acquires certain rights under your contract.

Self-Publishing

You become the publisher.

You hire the professionals you need and pay the production costs.

The money: You make the investment and you keep the proceeds from your book sales.

The rights: You retain complete ownership of your book.

Hybrid Publishing

A hybrid publisher provides the publishing services you choose while you finance the project.

The money: You pay for the services and receive the proceeds from your sales.

The rights: A reputable hybrid publisher should allow you to retain all rights to your book.

If a hybrid contract asks you to surrender your rights, claims a percentage of your future book income, or requires you to buy hundreds of copies of your own book...

Run.

2. Understand Book Distribution

Distribution is simply how your book gets from the printer to the reader.

Many first-time authors believe Amazon is the only distribution option available to them to sell their book but it isn’t.

There are many distribution options, and understanding them gives you more opportunities to reach readers.

Now, you may ultimately decide that Amazon is exactly where you want to focus your efforts and that may be the right decision for your book.

But it should be your decision, not because someone told you it was your only option.

3. Authors Must Promote Their Books

This is the one that surprises new authors the most.

If you want people to buy your book, you have to help them discover it.

Most writers initially resist book marketing because it feels like “selling.” They’d rather spend their time writing than promoting.

I get it.

But here’s what I’ve learned after years of working with authors:

When writers understand book promotion from an author’s perspective, it becomes much less intimidating.

Book promotion isn’t about becoming a salesperson.

It’s about helping the right readers discover a book they’ll love.

In Get Your Book Seen and Sold, my co-author, Julie Murkette, and I explain the fundamentals of publishing and book promotion in fewer than 130 pages, using examples, graphics, and practical advice.

Here on my Substack, you’ll find deeper dives into many of these topics using the search bar.

My goal is simple:

To help you understand today’s publishing industry one step at a time so you can spend less time feeling overwhelmed and more time writing the book you’ve been thinking about.

Leave any questions about getting started in the comments.

Coming next in Author Basics: Why Every Author Needs a Book Marketing Plan.

Another Tool When You Are Ready…

Understanding the publishing landscape is the first step.

Knowing what to do next is where many authors get stuck.

That’s exactly why I created the Author Book Marketing Starter Kit for my paid subscribers.

Inside you’ll find four practical resources that help you move from learning to doing:

🗺️ The Book Marketing Map
Get your arms around book marketing with one simple visual.

📂 The Easy Author Folder System
Organize your book marketing once and never lose track again.

📝 The Fill-in-the-Blank Book Marketing Plan
Build a realistic marketing plan without starting from scratch.

⭐ The Book Industry Reviewer Guide
Learn who reviews books, where to submit yours, and how to approach reviewers professionally.

These tools will help you:

✔ Understand the big picture before you spend time or money.

✔ Organize your promotional efforts with confidence.

✔ Build a practical marketing plan you can actually follow.

If you’re ready to move from thinking about publishing to preparing for it, I’d love to help.

👇 Upgrade to unlock the complete Author Book Marketing Starter Kit today.

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A Lotus Grows in the Mud is a treasure. I expected a celebrity memoir. Instead, I found a fun, fabulously written, honest and deeply personal book about resilience, gratitude, and building a joyful life.

📚 A Book I Loved

Book

Title: A Lotus Grows in the Mud
Author: Goldie Hawn
Publisher: Berkeley Publishing Group: Penguin

First Impressions: The Cover

Like Empty Mansions - a previous Claudine’s Bookshelf pick - A Lotus Grows in the Mud is a gorgeous book with a fabulous cover, the fact that Goldie Hawn is gorgeous doesn’t hurt. The publishers took a risk with the intriguing though mysterious title, “A Lotus Grows in the Mud.” Committed readers will eventually be rewarded with its poignant meaning. I suspect the title was a Goldie Hawn decision. Goldie sticks to her guns when she feels something is important. After reading and listening to the book, I feel that I know her now.

Why This Book Worked for Me

The book was published in 2005 and it is also credited to co-author, Wendy Holden, a seasoned writer in her own right. Wendy and her accomplishments deserve their own post… but back to Lotus… the writing is sublime. As can be expected in the audiobook version, Hawn is reliving the story through her narration, and her inflection/emotion at certain spots is simply charming and also revealing. You can tell what affects her through her giggles, spacing and pauses as she reads the different vignettes of her life.

How It Made Me Feel

You never know if a celebrity will be honest in the memoir. I certainly would have trouble being completely honest if I were ever to write a memoir but there is a sense in “A Lotus Grows in the Mud” that Goldie is being honest about her life. She starts from the time she was a young girl and often describes events as a third-party narrator. Each of the stories that she includes in the book have a subtle takeaway and a not so subtle one-lined summary. There is no hammering over the head in this memoir, though. Hawn simply tells what happened to her and what she learned from it as a technique to propel her personal story forward. This method of writing is extremely effective and keeps the reader (listener) thirsty for more.

Hawn writes as a mother, a daughter, a career woman, a wife, a friend, a partner and an entrepreneur. Many of her famous movies and vignettes from the making of them are included in the book, including two of my favorites - Private Benjamin and Overboard.

I picked the book up because I am huge fan of Hawn’s movies but what I found was so much more than a play by play of movie-making. Hawn is a very cool chick and interesting person struggling to be fulfilled and happy like we all are. She grew up in a loving family with both parents who clearly adored her and raised her right. I loved reading about the chances she took as performer first as a dancer and then as an actress/writer/producer. Although this book published in 2005, Hawn obviously went onto continued success. She is still with the partner whom she mentions in this book, Kurt Russell, and seems to have held on to all the attributes of her personality that is described in the book.

I would love it if she wrote a follow-up, continuation of her story with her additional lessons - I’m sure she’s got ‘um. I didn’t want this book to end and it’s a treasured addition to my permanent bookshelf.

Let’s Talk Books

Have you read A Lotus Grows in the Mud? What books are inspiring you lately? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments.

If you are an emerging or aspiring author (Do you have memoir in you like Goldie Hawn?) upgrade your subscription to unlock my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—a clear, step-by-step system designed to help you go from stuck or scattered to focused and in motion. It applies to both fiction and non-fiction writers.

✔ Start promoting your book—even if you’re not finished yet
✔ Follow a simple, proven path instead of guessing
✔ Use plug-and-play templates to save time and energy
✔ Build a complete marketing plan you can actually stick to

👇 Get instant access here:

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📚Claudine’s Bookshelf

Books That Stayed With Me

Title: Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huegette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune
Author: Bill Dedman and Paul Newell
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Overview

This book knocked me on my ass. It’s a non-fiction book that reads like a novel - my favorite kind of book. For such a huge story spanning more than 110 years, it manages its page-turning readability for the entire 496 pages. It’s a mystery, a sprawling family story and a documentary focused on one woman whose father was a self-made captain of industry (copper) in America. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

First Impressions: The Cover

The cover and the book itself is simply gorgeous. The picture of the beautiful building surrounded by that beautiful blue begs you to own the hardback book. The pages have deckled edges. The pictures are fantastic. I love a gorgeous, solid, hardback book with a fabulous, representative image on the cover.

Why This Book Worked for Me

The story is just terrific and in Empty Mansions, it’s well-told. Two authors, one an investigative journalist and one a relative of the heroine, Huegette Clark, were more than simply documentarians, they were passionate observers. Bill Dedman and Paul Newell really cared about their subject. Newell is her cousin although he referred to her as “Tanta Huegette” (Aunt Huegette). Another way readers can tell that the authors cared about their subject is because of their website - a clever companion to the book. They intuited correctly that fans of the book would want to learn more.

How It Made Me Feel

I love to learn new things about real people. Huegette’s story and the story of her family is fascinating. I loved learning about how her father, W.A. Clark made his fortune in the copper business in Montana, built a railroad company, helped establish Los Angeles and Las Vegas, built his dream home in New York City, sired five kids with his first wife, married a second wife who was 40 years younger and sired two more kids with her. His surviving daughter Huegette by his second wife lived to over a hundred and her story is more than half the book. When Huegette ended up living in a hospital (yes, living in a hospital) for 20 years, her descendants questioned her mental health and suspected caregivers of taking advantage of her and/or stealing her money. The book attempts to answer that question with the facts and leaves it up to the reader to decide.

A definitely came away with a few opinions of my own.

Spoilers Ahead:

The reported criticism (not by the authors) that Huegette and W.A. Clark did not donate money like the Vanderbilt’s, for example, bothered me. The Clarks donated money to great causes before and after their deaths. Just because they didn’t donate their entire remaining fortunes to establish universities is an unfair criticism of their philanthropy. Huegette, especially, donated to family members and friends for her entire life in addition to many great causes as did her Mother and all of her half-siblings. Who is to say that donations to family, family, and musicians are less deserving causes? It is THEIR money after all and the criticism bothered me.

The tax law on gift giving was particularly upsetting to me. Why should a person have to pay a gift tax on monies given to another person, family or no? The government is wrong to tax a giver on a gift with funds that have already been taxed when earned. It’s really disgusting. Huegette had to sell personal items in order to pay gift tax of the gifts she gave to friends and family.

I absolutely loved the part of the book where W.A. Clark’s will was detailed. Call it the accountant me - the details of who got what in his estate are delicious.

Related To Book Promotion

I’ve been writing a lot about about the importance of pre-publication book reviews. Case in point for this book on Claudine’s Bookshelf: three, count ‘um, three industry book reviews: (source: Amazon Book Page)

“Riveting . . . deliciously scandalous . . . a thrilling study of the responsibilities and privileges that come with great wealth.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A spellbinding mystery.”—Booklist

“Enlightening.”—Library Journal

Let’s Talk Books

Have you read Empty Mansions? What books are inspiring you lately? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments.

If you are an emerging or Aspiring author, upgrade your subscription to unlock my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—a clear, step-by-step system designed to help you go from stuck or scattered to focused and in motion.

✔ Start promoting your book—even if you’re not finished yet
✔ Follow a simple, proven path instead of guessing
✔ Use plug-and-play templates to save time and energy
✔ Build a complete marketing plan you can actually stick to

👇 Get instant access here:

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I often get challenged about the importance of book reviews - especially pre-publication book reviews. If book reviews aren’t important, then why does every successful book have pre-publication book reviews published on their Amazon / Barnes and Noble book page?

Don’t believe me? Have a look:

The Unknown by Riley Sager, published by Dutton, is available for pre-sale on Amazon today and will be released on Aug 4, 2026. Below is how the book page looks today with a few pre-pub reviews listed including an industry book review blurb from Publishers Weekly. I’ll watch this listing as the weeks go on to see if the publisher updates the book page with more pre-pub reviews.

PW accepts submissions for pre-pub review 3, preferably 4 months in advance of publication. The amazon book page for The Unknown also includes “praise for Riley Sager and his other novels” with some of those reviews which also includes a book industry reviewer, Bookpage. This technique is very clever - it bulks up the reviews as more pre-pub reviews for this novel are collected.

Insider Tip: The Unknown’s book genre is “mystery fiction.” If your book is also mystery fiction have a look at the other media outlets that reviewed Riley Sager’s books - Rolling Stone, Vulture, USA Today, People.

Consider adding these media outlets to your book marketing plan’s media list for pre-pub submission.

What is a pre-publication book review? Check out this post for a quick lesson.

This is one piece—but you don’t need to figure the rest out alone.

Whether you’re just starting—or trying to connect all the dots—my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit gives you a clear path forward.

Here’s more about the system:

✔ Start where you are (even mid-manuscript)
✔ Turn tactics into a complete system
✔ Use templates instead of starting from scratch
✔ Build momentum with a plan that makes sense

👇 Get the full system here:

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It’s Time!

If you’ve been dreaming about writing a book but feel overwhelmed about where to start — or worried about how you’ll ever promote it — this live, interactive Zoom class hosted by Penn Writers was created for you.

📚 Four Wednesdays | 7:00–8:00 PM | Live on Zoom | June 3, 10, 17, 24

This class is live, interactive, and easy to digest. We take the mystery and the fear out of book promotion while helping you finally move your book forward.

Join two published authors for a powerful 4-week experience designed specifically for beginning and aspiring authors, starting Wed, June 3rd.

You’ll learn from:

✨ Kate Brenton — Writing teacher who guides the creative and spiritual side of authorship, helping you uncover clarity, confidence, and purpose in your message.

📈 Claudine Wolk — Book marketing coach who brings the analytical strategy and practical tools that make promotion understandable and achievable.

By the end of this course, you will have:

✔ A focused, finished book idea
✔ A compelling elevator pitch
✔ Foundational knowledge to promote your book effectively
✔ Confidence about both writing AND book promotion

👉 Seats are limited to keep the experience interactive.
Register now and take the first real step toward becoming a published author:

Penn Writers Course Sign-up

Member Price - $75 | Non-member Price - $100

Your book isn’t going to write or sell itself. Let’s start together. You’ll come away with a plan!

Kate and I have seen a lot of successful authors come away from this fun course, hope to see you there! ~Claudine Wolk

Happy Mother’s Day, Miss you Mom…

The Green Afghan and the Six Pillows

It’s funny how your perceptions change with age.

When I was twelve, I’d end up at my friend Tara’s house after school. Her room was beautifully decorated, with a wooden four-poster bed and six matching, ruffled pillows. Gosh, how I loved those pillows.

By comparison, my bed was adorned with a scratchy, dark green, hand-crocheted afghan that matched nothing.

At Tara’s house, her mom would be busy preparing gourmet meals like chicken tarragon—yes, chicken tarragon—finished off with chocolate chip sundaes covered in stewed strawberries. My mom wouldn’t be home for another few hours. She worked full-time.

At my house, decorating and gourmet meals were the last things on my mom’s list. Our home was nice, for sure, and a nutritious dinner—meat, starch, and vegetable—was served every night at six o’clock sharp. But her focus was elsewhere. After dinner, she was committed to her college coursework and preparing for the next workday.

It was at the dinner table that my mom connected with us. She knew what was going on in each of our lives and was genuinely interested. My siblings and I embraced that attention.

My parents’ relationship was strong, too. They were true partners. Every Friday night after work was their time. My siblings and I watched The Dukes of Hazzard upstairs on our black-and-white TV while they caught up downstairs—sharing stories, asking advice, staying connected.

Eventually, we all went off to college—tuition paid for with the money my mother earned at her full-time job. I even had friends stay at my house.

And that crocheted green afghan? Still on the bed.

I’m ashamed to admit I was embarrassed by it.

When I visited my college friends’ homes, they looked more like Tara’s—beautifully decorated, full of ruffled pillows and thoughtful touches. I hadn’t made the connection yet.

Years later, I got married. Because of my mom and her sacrifices—how in the world did she manage a full-time job, night school, home-cooked meals, and still show up emotionally for her family?—I was able to earn my degree before having kids and build a career.

And yes, I could afford a few ruffled pillows.

Don’t you see? I got to have my career and my pillows because of her.

Much later, after my kids were grown, my mom would visit my home—filled with lots and lots of pillows. At the sight of them, she’d laugh and say, “House Beautiful!” (a nod to the magazine she probably never had time to read).

If she ever made the connection between what I thought I was “missing” and my affection for pillows, she never said a word.

I didn’t understand it as a child. But as a mother, I came to admire her choices—and her stamina.

While I was noticing what our home lacked, she was building something I couldn’t yet see.

At one point, I went searching for that green afghan. I couldn’t find it, and it made me surprisingly sad.

It didn’t match anything.

But it was part of a life that gave me everything.

If this piece resonated with you, I write often about the things we only understand later—about work, family, and what it really takes to build a life.

My paid subscribers get my deeper, behind-the-scenes reflections on publishing, book marketing, and the real stories that don’t always make it into my public posts.

If you’d like to go a little deeper with me, you can join here.

🎯 What Actually Sells a Book: What Worked, What Didn’t (Part 3: Ongoing Promotion)

What keeps the book selling

After your book is published and after you’ve done everything you can to promote it in those early days you still have to keep going.

Book promotion doesn’t stop at launch.
It can and should continue for the life of your book.

Just as I described our decision to change the book cover based on early sales results, it’s equally important to continuously evaluate what’s working and what isn’t in your ongoing promotion efforts.

And in our case, one key insight drove everything that followed.

🔑 The Insight That Changed Everything

Before publication, we did what every author is told to do:

We defined our target audience.

We believed our audience would include publishers and literary agents.

Our thinking was simple:
our book is essentially a mini-course for new authors on how to promote their books so surely publishers and agents would see value in offering it to their authors.

We reached out.
We sent galleys.
We pursued bulk sales opportunities.

The response?

Minimal.

That’s when we realized something important:

Publishers and agents are not focused on teaching authors how to promote their books.

We had misidentified our audience.

💡 The Moment Everything Clicked

Around this time, I agreed to speak at a writers conference on book marketing fundamentals.

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t expecting much turnout.
I assumed authors might avoid the topic altogether.

I was completely wrong.

The session was packed.

And that’s when it clicked:

Authors aren’t avoiding book marketing—they’re actively looking to understand it.

🔄 The Shift

That realization changed everything.

We stopped trying to reach intermediaries (publishers and agents)
and started focusing directly on emerging and aspiring authors.

Then we asked a better question:

Where are these authors already looking for help?

The answer was clear:

👉 Online bookstores—especially Amazon

That’s where new and emerging authors go to find resources on publishing and promotion.

So we aligned everything around that insight.

🔧 What We Changed

We:

• Updated the book cover to speak directly to new authors

• Revised the book description to better reflect their needs

• Enhanced the page with A+ publisher graphics

• Adjusted pricing to encourage discovery

• Increased online promotion of the ebook

These changes helped us connect with the right audience—and that made all the difference.

🧠 What This Really Means

Rethinking our target audience wasn’t just a small adjustment.

It was the foundation for everything that followed.

Once we:

• Identified the right audience

• Understood where they were searching

• Made it easier for them to find us

Sales followed.

🚧 But That Wasn’t the Only Lesson

We also learned:

• The importance of flexibility

• The value of trying new approaches

• And how to navigate unexpected challenges—including criticism

In the next section, I’ll share what we’re continuing to do to promote the book…

…and a story I’ve never told before about a well-known author (and podcast guest) who presented me with an unexpected ultimatum—and how we handled it.

Everything changed when we stopped trying to reach who we thought our audience was—and started focusing on who was actually looking for us.

Read more

What Actually Sells a Book: What Worked, What Didn’t

Post Two: Post-Launch Adjustments
What We Changed, What We Stopped Doing, and What Actually Helped Sustain Sales

🚀 After launch, sales were solid—but we knew we could do better.

We wanted to reach more aspiring authors.

The mission behind Get Your Book Seen and Sold has always been clear:
to simplify and de-risk the publishing and promotion process by creating a concise guide aspiring authors can actually finish—so they feel informed, empowered, and ready to take the correct next steps.

Two Decisions That Changed Everything

So, we made two big decisions after launch:

• We changed the book cover

• We changed the ebook price to $0.99

Big rolls of the dice. 🎲

But really, we weren’t guessing—we were adjusting based on what we were seeing.

The decisions paid off.

Here’s What We Did

We worked with April Cox to redesign the book cover and revise our Amazon book description so it was rich with relevant keywords.

We partnered with Holly at Red Ribbit Designs to create bright, engaging “From the Publisher” A+ content for our Amazon page.

We focused heavily on increasing the number of reviews.

Because here’s what matters:

More reviews = more credibility = better visibility in Amazon search

We already had a solid base from pre-launch outreach, so we followed up with early readers who hadn’t yet posted reviews to build that number further.

Then We Made the Big Move

At this point, we had:

• A stronger cover

• A more optimized book description

• High-quality A+ content

• A growing number of reviews

Now we were ready to push.

We dropped the ebook price to $0.99.

And then we did something that made a significant difference:

👉 We stacked multiple ebook promotions in the same week.

What Is “Stacking”?

Instead of running promotions one at a time, we scheduled several discount ebook promotions with different companies to hit within the same week.

The goal:

• Build momentum

• Increase visibility quickly

• Signal activity to Amazon’s algorithm

And it worked.

The Result

Book sales—especially ebooks—started to rise.

And as a result, we hit the #1 Amazon Best Seller badge in our category: Business Aspects of Publishing.

Why This Mattered

This wasn’t just about running promotions.

It was about:

• Improving the product (cover + page)

• Increasing credibility (reviews)

• Then amplifying visibility (pricing + stacking)

That combination made the difference.

🔒 Paid Section: What We Used and How We Used It

If you want to replicate this strategy, this is the part that matters most.

In this section, I break down:

• The exact promotion platforms we used

• How each one works

• Why we chose them

• And what kind of results we saw

If you’re considering trying this strategy yourself, the details below are what made the difference. Part 3 is coming in a few days—make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.

Read more

We did almost everything “right”—and some of it still didn’t work.

When my co-writer, Julie Murkette and I set out to promote our book, we weren’t starting from scratch.

She had spent over 20 years running a successful small publishing company. We approached the launch of Get Your Book Seen and Sold: The Essential Book Marketing and Publishing Guide the way any traditional publisher would—strategically, deliberately, and with a full plan in place.

We lined up reviews.
We booked podcasts.
We scheduled ads.
We pursued every opportunity that should have made an impact.

Some of it worked beautifully.

Some of it… didn’t move the needle at all.

And that’s the part most authors rarely get to see.

So instead of another generic “how to promote your book” post, I’m breaking down exactly what we did—step by step—and, more importantly, what actually paid off.

This is a three-part series covering:

• Pre-launch and launch day

• Post-launch adjustments

• Ongoing promotion

In each post, I’ll share the full checklist of what we did.

And for paid subscribers, I’ll show you the part that matters most:
what worked, what didn’t, and what I’d do differently next time.

Let’s start with everything we did leading up to—and during—launch.

📚 Post #1: Pre-Launch & Launch Day — What We Did

✅ Pre-Launch & Launch Checklist

• Secured pre-publication industry reviews (e.g., trade publications)

• Conducted pre-publication outreach to early reviewers and influencers

• Coordinated launch-day reviews to go live during release week

• Booked a WOW (Women on Writing) blog tour

• Scheduled podcast interviews timed to release week

• Ran a BookBub New Releases ad

• Booked an Instagram influencer promotion for launch day

• Hosted a launch event at a local bookstore

• Pursued special sale / bulk catalog placement opportunities

This list isn’t exhaustive—it’s what I remember. And that’s the point.
These are the strategies that stood out because they worked… or didn’t.

While this was a nonfiction launch, the strategies here apply broadly—because visibility, timing, and credibility drive book sales in any genre.

Because of our pre-launch and launch day efforts, we hit the #3 Amazon bestseller spot in our category during launch week.

Here’s the screenshot I grabbed that day:

It was an exciting moment—and a clear sign that some of what we put in place was working.

Hitting #3 on launch week told us something was working.

But it didn’t tell us what was working.

Because here’s the truth: we did a lot of things—and not all of them contributed equally.

Some efforts clearly drove sales. Others didn’t move the needle at all.

If you’re deciding where to spend your time (and budget), this is the part that matters most.

Here’s exactly what worked—and what didn’t.

And as you’ll see in Part 2, what we changed after launch is what ultimately helped us reach #1. It is coming in a few days—make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss it.

Read more

Let me be direct:

Most authors don’t realize they’ve made this mistake until it’s too late.

Their book is published.
The launch window is closing.
And they’re scrambling for visibility that should have been building months ago.

Because one of the most important parts of book promotion…
never happened.

Skipping industry book reviews before your book publishes is a mistake.

And right now, I’m watching more authors—including traditionally published ones—make that mistake because they’ve been told it “doesn’t matter anymore.”

I disagree.

If industry reviews weren’t valuable, major publishing houses wouldn’t still be securing them for their authors.

But in today’s publishing landscape, something has shifted.

Some traditional publishers are quietly pulling back from pre-publication review submissions. They see it as time-consuming. Optional. Not worth the effort.

And authors are paying the price.

Because industry reviews aren’t just about exposure.

They do three critical things:

• They establish credibility with media, bookstores and librarians

• They create early promotional momentum before your book is available

• They force you to get clear on your message, audience and hook

That last one … is the advantage most authors never see coming.

Every submission requires you to explain what your book is, who it’s for, and why it matters. In doing that, you’re not just pitching reviewers—you’re building the foundation of your entire marketing strategy.

I’ve done this as both a traditionally published and self-published author.

In both cases, I submitted to industry reviewers.
In both cases, I secured reviews.

And in both cases, the process itself made my book marketing stronger.

That’s why I created this guide.

Inside, I’ll show you how to approach industry review submissions so you can build credibility before your book launches and set the stage for everything that follows.

How to Submit Your Book to Industry Reviewers

A Pre-Publication Strategy to Build Credibility and Visibility

Submitting your book to industry reviewers is one of the most overlooked parts of a book marketing plan—and one of the most valuable.

Here’s how the process works—and where most authors go wrong.

What Are Book Industry Reviewers?

These are established publications that review books before they are released.

You (or your publisher) submit an Advance Review Copy (ARC), usually months ahead of publication, in hopes of being selected.

Simple in theory.

But in practice, timing, preparation, and attention to detail determine whether your submission is even considered.

What’s a Galley or ARC?

A galley (or ARC) is a near-final version of your book, shared with reviewers in advance.

It includes your core book information and early marketing messaging—and it’s often the first impression your book makes in the industry.

Which means:
👉 it needs to be more than “finished”—it needs to be positioned.

If You Have a Traditional Publisher

Your publisher may handle submissions—but that doesn’t mean this is off your radar.

Many authors assume this step is being handled… and never ask.

That’s where opportunities get missed.

At a minimum, you want visibility into:

• Whether submissions are happening

• Where your book is being pitched

• And how your book is being positioned

Where This Fits in Your Marketing Plan

This is part of your pre-publication phase—and it happens earlier than most authors expect.

Submissions are typically made months before publication, not after.

That timeline matters.

Because by the time your book launches, this opportunity has either been leveraged… or lost.

Core Submission Realities (What Trips Authors Up)

This is where good intentions tend to fall apart.

• Timing is tight → miss the window, miss the opportunity

• Every reviewer is different → there’s no one-size-fits-all submission

• Details matter → small mistakes can disqualify you

There are only a handful of major industry reviewers.

Which means:
👉 each submission carries weight

Where to Submit

There are a small number of established industry reviewers that consistently influence visibility, credibility, and purchasing decisions.

You’ll want to research each one individually and review their current submission guidelines before moving forward.

(Inside the paid section, I’ll list them and help you track and manage each submission so nothing falls through the cracks.)

What You’ll Need (At a High Level)

Before submitting, you’ll need a complete set of materials—your ARC is just one piece.

You’ll also need:

• Core book information

• Positioning and messaging

• Supporting materials used across your promotion

This is where many authors realize:
👉 they’re not as prepared as they thought

Final Thought Before You Move On

Getting selected for review isn’t guaranteed.

But preparing and submitting properly?

That’s entirely within your control.

And it’s one of the clearest ways to start building momentum before your book is even available.

🔒 Paid Section

If you’re thinking:
“I understand this… but I don’t want to mess it up.”

You’re right to pause.

Because this is where most authors lose the opportunity—not from lack of effort, but from lack of structure.

Miss a deadline → you’re out.
Miss a requirement → you’re ignored.
Miss a detail → your submission doesn’t get considered.

That’s why I don’t just “do this”—I use a system.

And that’s what I’m giving you next.

👉 Not more information.
👉 A way to execute it correctly.

Here’s exactly what this system looks like:

Most authors skip this step. The ones who don’t? They launch with momentum.

Read more

I Tested a Simple Book Promotion Strategy—Here’s Why It Worked

How writing one well-placed article can quietly connect you with the readers you’re trying to reach

Most authors don’t have a promotion problem—they have a connection problem.

They’re posting, sharing, boosting… and still wondering why their book isn’t reaching the right readers.

What if the answer isn’t more promotion—but better alignment?

I’ve long believed that writing articles can be one of the most effective (and overlooked) parts of a book marketing plan. Recently, I put that belief into practice in a very intentional way.

Here’s what I found.

Why Articles Work (When They’re Done Right)

A well-placed article does more than “promote” your book—it creates a bridge between you and your ideal reader.

Done strategically, an article can:

• Lead directly to book sales

• Grow your newsletter or social media following

• Reach readers where they already are

• Strengthen your writing and editing skills

• Sharpen your pitching and positioning

• Cost nothing but your time and energy

• Double as the foundation of a future media list

• Even generate income (many publications pay)

But the real value is this:
You’re not interrupting your audience—you’re serving them.

A Simple Way to Get Started

Instead of trying to be everywhere, start with a short, focused list.

Ask yourself:
Where is my target audience already reading?

For example, my book (Get Your Book Seen & Sold) is written for beginner and emerging authors—people trying to understand publishing and build a realistic marketing plan.

So I looked for publications those readers already trust.

One of them: Writer’s Digest.

The Strategy in Action

From there, the approach is simple:

1. Identify one core idea from your book

2. Expand it into a helpful, standalone article

3. Pitch it to a publication your audience reads

4. Focus on value—not visibility

When your article is accepted and published, your byline often includes your book—quietly putting your work in front of the exact readers you want to reach.

No hard sell required.

What Happened When I Tried It

I recently pitched an article to Writer’s Digest titled:
“How Do I Find My Book’s Target Audience?”

It appears in their May/June issue (you can even find it at your local library).

The piece takes one concept from my book—identifying your audience—and goes deeper, walking writers step-by-step through how to figure out who their readers are and where they “hang out.”

Here’s what matters:

• Readers get immediate, practical help

• They experience my voice and approach

• If they want more, they know exactly where to find it

That’s the bridge.

Why This Works So Well

Promotion works best when it doesn’t feel like promotion—for you or the reader.

You’re doing exactly what you set out to do when you wrote your book in the first place:
helping, teaching, or entertaining.

The difference is where you’re doing it.

Instead of waiting for readers to find your book, you’re meeting them in a space they already trust—and inviting them, gently, to take the next step.

A Thought to Take With You

If you’re building a book marketing plan, consider adding article writing to your strategy.

Not as an afterthought—but as a core piece.

Because the right readers aren’t hiding.

You just need to meet them where they already are.

—-————————————————————————————————————

This is one piece—but you don’t need to figure the rest out alone.

Whether you’re just starting—or trying to connect all the dots—my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit gives you a clear path forward.

✔ Start where you are (even mid-manuscript)
✔ Turn tactics into a complete system
✔ Use templates instead of starting from scratch
✔ Build momentum with a plan that makes sense

👇 Get the full system here:

Subscribe now

If Instagram has ever made you feel like you’re shouting into the void, you’re not alone.

Before her debut YA novel, See Dot Smile, hits shelves (this October), Meg Oolders was already asking the question most authors avoid: How can I reach my book buyers?

What changed next wasn’t luck—it was clarity.

And it completely reshaped how she shows up online.

In this podcast episode, I ask Meg about the process of bringing See Dot Smile to publication, including its brand new cover, editing issues, as well as her whole-hearted, reel-creating deep dive into Instagram. Her heart-felt endeavor to learn the tech behind Instagram reels will resonate. Her reels are truly entertaining. Social media magic occurs when an author’s skills combine with her genuine interests on social media.

In the podcast you will hear about:

Empress Editions publishers

WattPad

Talk Fiction Podcast

Meg Oolder’s Website

Meg’s Instagram @MegOolders

Too Much Social Substack by Nicola Washington

“Meg’s journey isn’t finished—it’s unfolding.
When her book launches this October, we’ll check back in to see what’s working, what changed, and what every author can learn from what comes next.”

If you’re an author trying to figure out how to actually reach your readers—not just post and hope—this episode will give you a clearer path forward.

And if you’ve been stuck in the “this isn’t working” phase on Instagram, Meg’s shift might be the one that unlocks it for you.

____________________________________________________________________________

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with authors who are building their platforms in real time—and sharing what’s actually working (and what’s not).

Upgrade your subscription to access my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—where I break down strategies like the ones you just read into clear, usable steps you can apply to your own book.

✔ Translate expert advice into a real plan
✔ Use templates to implement faster
✔ Build your own repeatable promotion system
✔ Stop consuming—and start executing

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It’s here!

Many authors believe book marketing requires a giant budget or a publicist.

It doesn’t.

What it actually requires is a simple system—a way to see the big picture, stay organized, and know exactly what to do next.

That’s why I created four subscriber-only resources for my paid Substack members.

Think of them as your personal book marketing toolkit.

What You Unlock as a Paid Subscriber

When you upgrade, you’ll instantly get access to four practical tools:

🗺️ The Book Marketing Map

Get your arms around book marketing in one clear visual.

📂 The Easy Author Folder System

Organize your marketing materials once—and never lose track again.

📝 Fill-in-the-Blank Book Marketing Plan

Build a simple, step-by-step marketing plan for your book.

⭐ Book Industry Reviewer Guide

Learn where and how to submit your book for professional reviews.

What These Tools Will Help You Do

When you unlock the Author Book Marketing Starter Kit, you’ll be able to:

• See the entire book marketing landscape at a glance so you know what actually matters—and what you can ignore.

• Organize your promotional materials and outreach so marketing your book stops feeling chaotic.

• Follow a clear, realistic marketing plan that helps you promote your book step-by-step.

Everything above shows you what’s inside the toolkit.

Everything below unlocks the tools themselves.

Unlock the Author Book Marketing Starter Kit

These are the exact tools I use when teaching authors how to market their books without overwhelm.

Inside this toolkit you’ll get four practical tools designed to help you:

• understand the book marketing landscape
• organize your promotional efforts
• follow a clear marketing plan
• submit your book to industry reviewers

What This Toolkit Would Cost Elsewhere

If you hired a book marketing consultant or took a publishing workshop, resources like these would typically cost:

• Book marketing strategy session — $150–$300
• Marketing plan template or course — $50–$200
• Book review submission guidance — $50–$150
• Author marketing organization system — $50+

Total potential value: $300–$700

But as a paid subscriber, you get the entire Author Book Marketing Starter Kit — plus ongoing weekly book promotion insights, tools and podcast interviews with experts — for just:

$40/year or $10/month

Upgrade to unlock the full toolkit.

Upgrade Here To Unlock The Full System

More On Your Author Book Marketing Starter Kit

🗺️ Book Marketing Map

See the Big Picture in One Page

Book marketing can feel like trying to navigate a maze in the dark.

This one-page Book Marketing Map shows you the entire landscape so you can quickly understand:

• what matters
• what doesn’t
• where to start

Perfect for authors who want clarity before action.

Access Link

📂 Easy Author Folder System

Organize Your Marketing Once — and Never Lose Track Again

Promotion quickly becomes chaotic: files, emails, media pitches, reviewer lists.

This simple folder system shows you exactly how to organize your marketing materials so everything is easy to find and reuse.

Many writers tell me this one tool alone saves hours of frustration.

Access Link

📝 Fill-in-the-Blank Marketing Plan

No Guesswork — Just Fill It Out and Follow It

Most authors know they need a marketing plan… but don’t know where to start.

This downloadable template walks you through it step-by-step so you can build a plan that is:

• realistic
• focused
• actually doable

No marketing degree required.

Access Link

⭐ Book Industry Reviewer Guide

Where to Send Your Book (and How to Do It Correctly)

Book reviews can open major doors for authors—but most writers have no idea where to begin.

This guide shows you:

• who the key book industry reviewers are
• where to submit
• how to approach them professionally

Think of it as a shortcut into the book review ecosystem.

Access Link

Welcome to the Toolkit

Congratulations on unlocking your Author Book Marketing Starter Kit.

You now have a clear system to help you promote your book with confidence.

As a paid subscriber, you’ll also receive new book promotion strategies, insights, and ideas in your inbox every week.

I look forward to hearing about your book sales successes.

Welcome aboard.

Claudine

I invite you to press play to hear how Julie Vick built her publication guide and how writing articles for other outlets can introduce your work (and your book) to entirely new readers. ~Claudine

Humor writer Julie Vick joins the podcast to share her detailed “guide to publications” to pitch essays, articles, and stories. The interview includes details on how authors can use them to reach new book readers. You can find Julie’s writing at her substack titled, Humor Me. Her pitching guide is a fabulous tool for authors to get started. If you sign up for her substack as a paid subscriber, you will have access to this fabulous tool.

In my first interview with Julie we talked about TikTok as a book promotion tool. I mentioned that I would be taking advantage of Julie’s publication pitching guide. I downloaded the pitching guide few months ago and I am loving it.

I pride myself on providing reasonably priced resources to help you promote your book - Julie’s guide is one of those resources. Have a listen to the interview for more tips on pitching and a learn about a second tool that Julie provides to paid subscribers - examples of pitches that landed.

Julie is an author as well as a freelance writer. You can buy her book, Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?, at the link.

Links mentioned in the podcast:

Julie’s previous podcast hit: Get Your Book Seen And Sold: TikTok for book promotion

WhoPaysWriters.com

Julie’s Website

Julie’s Substack

Humor Me

Pitching Guide for Over 40 Publications

Half the battle with pitching publications is trying to find the right email address to pitch to. There is often publicly available information out there, but finding it can be time-consuming…

Read more

3 years ago · 7 likes · Julie Vick

Julie’s Book: Babies Don’t Make Small Talk (So Why Should I?)

Julie’s Substack Post: BookTok You Don’t Stop

————————————————————————————————————

Want to turn insights like these into action?

The challenge isn’t finding advice—it’s knowing how to apply it.

Upgrade your subscription to access my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—where I break down strategies like the ones you just read into clear, usable steps you can apply to your own book.

✔ Translate expert advice into a real plan
✔ Use templates to implement faster
✔ Build your own repeatable promotion system
✔ Stop consuming—and start executing

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Since then her book, Gene-ius has indeed published, is available on Amazon for sale, and won an honorable mention from the Southern California Book Festival!

In the podcast episode, Sharon shares how our teachings inspired successful book marketing for her book including the fact that her “elevator pitch” (an exercise we do in the four week zoom class) is highlighted on her bookmarks.

Kate and I answer Sharon’s questions about the Sit & Write: Begin class which is now open for sign-ups and starts Wed night, March 4th from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm EST for four weeks: March 4th, March 11, March 18 and March 25. More information and registration can be found at the Penn Writer’s course page at the link. The cost is $100 non-member, $95 member, an absolute steal.

We then ask Sharon all about the release of her new medical thriller, Gene-uis, how it came to be, how the class gave her the confidence to promote it and what she is up to next. Sharon is an inspiration to all aspiring authors and Kate and I hope to share what we know to help YOU have a great success story, too!

Links Mentioned in the Podcast and More…

Penn Writer’s course page for Sit & Write: Begin

Gene-ius by Sharon Wegner, on sale to day at Amazon

The Southern California Book Festival

Kate Brenton’s website with additional course offerings for writers

——————————————————————————————————————

Want to turn insights like these into action?

The challenge isn’t finding advice—it’s knowing how to apply it.

Upgrade your subscription to access my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—where I break down strategies like the ones you just read into clear, usable steps you can apply to your own book.

✔ Translate expert advice into a real plan
✔ Use templates to implement faster
✔ Build your own repeatable promotion system
✔ Stop consuming—and start executing

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From Novel to Major Motion Picture

Who didn’t love Hamnet, the fabulous novel by prolific author, Maggie O’Farrell, first released in 2020? The novel was adapted into a successful major motion picture at the end of 2025. O’Farrell co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with the film’s director, Chloé Zhao. The collaboration was clearly successful as Hamnet is now an award-winning film. It won best picture (nominated for best screenplay) at the Golden Globes this past January and looks to be a favorite for an Oscar.

O’Farrell talks in detail about her process in transforming a novel to a screenplay. Her mindset on taking on the project is illuminating. See if you can catch her turning point in the process of adapting her beloved novel to a feature film. The O’Farrell interview is featured on the What Should I Read Next podcast hosted by Anne Bogel.

You can find more details this podcast episode on Ms. Bogel’s site Modern Mrs Darcy.

——————————————————————————————————————

If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to market your book—you’re not alone.

That’s exactly why I created the Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—to give authors a clear, simple way forward without feeling overwhelmed.

Upgrade your subscription to access my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—where I break down strategies like the ones you just read into clear, usable steps you can apply to your own book.

✔ A calm, structured approach to promotion
✔ Tools that make marketing feel manageable
✔ A system designed for real authors

👇 You can access it here:

Subscribe now

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In this podcast interview with book publicist, Holly Mitton, owner of Little Bird Boston, we introduce The Story Graph App as a resource and future promotion opportunity for authors as well as a cool app for book lovers. With The Story Graph App, readers track their books read and their reading progress from month to month and year to year. Enjoy the conversation on how Holly uses The Story Graph and why she loves it.

The Story Graph is the New Goodreads. It is fairly new and in a nice phase where it is simply fun for readers to use - a place where avid readers keep track of their books, rate books, and measure in graph form their reading accomplishments by day, month and year.

How Can The Story Graph App Help Authors To Promote Their Books

For authors, it the perfect time to start using the The Story Graph App. Not only can you track your own reading which is fun in and of itself, you’ll also be a user when The Story Graph begins to offer author publicity opportunities. (that these opportunities will come about eventually is my educated guess) In the meantime, have fun tracking your own reading and use the app as a resource to learn about the reading patterns of others - what genres are the most popular, what are readers likes and dislikes, what new book covers look like by genre, etc.

Two Oft-Asked Book Publicist Questions Answered

**Bonus: Holly answers two burning questions in the podcast:

1. What is the right time for an author to hire a publicist?

2. How Can a Publicist Help An Author To Reach Their Book Buyers?

Find Holly Mitton

Holly Mitton, publicist, offers a free consulting call for authors.

Contact her: Little Bird Boston Website | email: holly@littlebirdboston.com | Instagram: @hollylittlebirdbostonpr

Holly’s Book Recommendations:

The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye

The First Witch of Boston by Andrea Catalano

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza

Women Who Think Too Much by Susan Nolan-Hoeksema

Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb

Claudine Book Mentions:

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell

Too Old For This by Samantha Downing

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

note: affiliate links are mine, thanks for your support

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holly Also Mentions: Goodreads and F/B: The Peloton Mom’s Book Club

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Want to turn insights like these into action?

The challenge isn’t finding advice—it’s knowing how to apply it.

Upgrade your subscription to access my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—where I break down strategies like the ones you just read into clear, usable steps you can apply to your own book.

✔ Translate expert advice into a real plan
✔ Use templates to implement faster
✔ Build your own repeatable promotion system
✔ Stop consuming—and start executing

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Geraldine Donaher released her YA novel on January 30th, Mouth Shut, Head Down.. January was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a subject covered in her book. In anticipation of her book release, which btw, we chatted about in a robust podcast episode here, Gerri pitched local, Philadelphia area media (radio, tv) in advance of the book’s release for some promotion.

Per Gerri, in spite of numerous pitching outreach to these media outlets, she heard ‘crickets’ but she didn’t give up. Every day close to and after her book’s publication she continued to reach out to local media.

Finally Gerri got a call. A media person from ABC was interested in the subject and wanted to feature her as a TV guest. They would highlight her new book. At first, Gerri was taken aback because the ABC affiliate was in Alabama (WBRC)! She thought she had sent the pitch to a Philly affiliate but in her quick morning googling, she had sent the pitch to different city’s abc station. “Would she still be interested in doing a tv segment?” asked the show’s host. “Heck yea!’ said Gerri.

Below is the fantastic interview where Gerri knocks it out of the park. She succinctly answers the animated host's questions as the expert that she is and leaves room for him to ask his very thoughtful questions.

This is how it is done ladies and gentleman!

Authors, don’t give up on your book promotion. Be flexible, be prepared and be authentic. Through the interview highlighted above, Gerri provided a very motivated tv host a very important segment. You can tell he was amazed and horrified but happy to provide this important information to his viewers. Gerri had answers to his most important questions: 1. What are warning signs that your tween or teen loved one may be in an unhealthy trafficked situation? 2. Describe ways that a person can get out of such a situation?

The content of the interview is fantastic stuff and exactly the kind of attention you want to get for your book! Gerri was noted as an expert in the subject and her book was featured.

Hopefully, this interview will lead to other local and/or national spots.

PRO TIP: Producers of news shows often watch affiliate segments for content ideas for their programs. As well, Gerri can use this video and send clips of it to the media folks who did not respond to her original pitch. It demonstrates an example of how the sensitive subject matter can be approached and how captivating it is as content.

I asked Gerri her advice to other authors on the slog that can be book promotion. She replied, “I only try new things because everybody (you included) keep saying: don’t stop, keep moving, you won’t get a ‘yes’ unless you send the email, make the phone call and ask.”

——————————————————————————————————————

Want to turn insights like these into action?

Upgrade your subscription to access my Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—where I break strategies like these into clear, usable steps you can apply right away.

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Mouth Shut Head Down is a new, young adult novel that released today. It is already sporting a #1 New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Alternative Family Fiction on Amazon! That ranking is not surprising considering the time and attention the author Geraldine Donaher has given the subject matter - child sex trafficking and coercive control. The subject is heavy and uncomfortable but it is reality and the more we know about it as parents and citizens the better chance we have of saving our 12 to 15 year olds from it. Our children need to know that if they are in a coercive control (sex trafficked) relationship, that there is hope - that they have agency and autonomy.

Geraldine Donaher researched the subject of sex trafficking for six years before she attempted to a write this non-salacious, ya story about it. If kids read it and recognize it, that can learn how to stay away from it or get out of it, that they are not alone! Mouth Shut Head Down tells the story of two girls, Allee and Tanaya, who live in Philadelphia. Through their story, Donaher illustrates how coercive control can happen, what it looks like, what the warning signs are and how kids can use their agency and autonomy to get out. This is not a guess at what goes on in our very own American neighborhoods, it’s a very real, very frightening reality that society as a whole is finally learning about.

***For the writers writing about sensitive material, Gerri discusses her use of sensitivity readers***

Geraldine invites listeners/readers who are interested to join her at her book launch at Immaculata University this Sat, Jan 31st from 2:00 to 5:00. Please email Gerri at gerridonaher@gmail.com for more information and to reserve a seat.

***Call to Action *** Also, if you would like to see Mouth Shut Head Down in your child’s school library, send a note to Geraldine’s Publisher at Parisian Phoenix Publishing - a popular demand push will get it there! Angel Ackerman at angel@parisianphoenix.com.

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

Covenant House

Soul Survivor Ink Organization

Clover Tattoo in Lancaster, PA - @Clovertattoopa (Instagram)

Geraldine Donaher Website with more information

Gerri’s first novel, Still (a Claudine favorite)

Sign Up For Gerri’s Substack Newsletter: The Writer’s Flashlight

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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I “discovered” author Nelson DeMille in 2025. In my October 2025 post, Write Your Book & Learn How To Market It | Sensational October Book Picks, I highlighted his book, The General’s Daughter (1992) as a book that I was reading and loving. If you know anything about DeMille, you know that I am late to the party. The man, who sadly passed in 2024 at the age of 81 but not before writing 24 novels, at least 7 of which were NY Times bestsellers, is clearly one of Americas best authors of all time.

DeMille’s writing is amazing - great story-telling, witty, smart dialogue, good pacing - the kind of writing that is like snuggling up with a warm blanket in fluffy socks in front of a crackling fire with hot cocoa overflowing with fresh whipped cream. The writing is THAT good.

The General’s Daughter was not the first book of Demille’s that I have read. That honor goes to Night Fall, originally published in 2004. OMG! Night Fall. I ripped through it. I grabbed it after reading ’s book, TWA 800: The Crash, the Cover-Up, and the Conspiracy. Cashill’s book is a non-fiction investigation of the TWA 800 crash that occurred on July 17, 1996 off the coast of Long Island, New York. Although Night Fall is a fiction book, Cashill mentions it as including a possible scenario behind the mystery of the crash. After reading Cashill’s riveting account I needed more and Night Fall fit the bill beautifully.

Night Fall’s author note and introduction are must-reads. Demille explains why he decided to write a fiction book based on fact and how his daughter took the exact same flight three days before TWA flight 800 took off on July 17th, 1996. He had dropped her off personally at the JFK airport the night she flew. Yeah, I’d say something that close to home is motivation to write a book about the subject matter.

Two fantastic summaries of Night Fall can be found at the BookReporter Site and at the bookrags site.

After I ripped through Night Fall, which turned out to be part of the John Corey series, I started in on The General’s Daughter part of the Paul Brenner series. I finished The General’s Daughter this past week. (I have a really bad habit of putting fantastic books down before I finish them because they are so good I don’t want them to end) DeMille’s witty, non-conformist characters are fun to read. His research and life experience is clearly represented in his writing but it’s his story-telling that really makes a great novel.

Demille’s Advice for Writers and His Journey As a Successfully Published Author

DeMille gave many interviews both written and audio and was often asked about his writing process, tips for writers and journey to a successful authorship

• Demille admits that although his books are long, much of the narrative is dialogue, much of which was infused with humor and sarcasm. (I can attest to this assertion - the dialogue is my favorite of his novels and keeps me coming back for more)

• DeMille usually outlined the story before writing, especially major plot turns and the ending. He wrote longhand with #1 pencils on legal pads. (I LOVE it when I read that an author writes out a book long-hand on legal pads - Daniel Silva and Vincent Bugliosi also wrote manuscripts long-hand.)

• DeMille’s number one tip for writers was: Leave out the parts that nobody wants to read. (Ha! better said than done, but a great tip. Sometimes we write something that we love - a phrase or idea that is perfectly articulated - but it simply does not move the story forward. Say Adieu!)

• I started this post with a quote from DeMille in an article that he wrote for NovelSuspects.Com to promote one of his books, By The Rivers Of Babylon, the book that launched his career after many of his novels failed. DeMille, describes his author journey, how close he comes to giving up, the people who pushed him along, and the decisions he had to make for better or worse. I think you will heartily (that adverb is for you, ) enjoy and be inspired by it.

—————————————————————————————————————-

If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to market your book—you’re not alone.

That’s exactly why I created the Author Book Marketing Starter Kit—to give authors a clear, simple way forward without feeling overwhelmed.

✔ A calm, structured approach to promotion
✔ Tools that make marketing feel manageable
✔ A system designed for real authors

👇 You can access it here:

Subscribe now

Know a writer who needs this?
Share this post and help them take the next step toward getting their book seen.

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