writing

More on Creating That “Book Buzz”

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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Be sure to start talking early—months ahead of time—via social media: Facebook, X (Twitter), Pinterest (Yes, it’s not just for hairstyles, recipes, and decor), Goodreads, and so on.

Post/Blog: Whether you have a book coming out or not, you should be connecting at least weekly. Besides writing a blurb, you can include RELEVANT images, quotes, excerpts, etc.

Cover Reveal: Reveals aren’t just for baby announcements! You can narrow your cover choices down to two or three, and ask for opinions on Facebook, for example. (I couldn’t resist the opportunity to show off my romance novel’s cover, above.)

Once you’ve chosen a cover, post it. Thank participants by offering them “freebies” in exchange for their email addresses.

Get That “BUZZ”

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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Authors, you can use book reviews to build credibility and buzz about your book BEFORE IT IS PUBLISHED.

Here’s how:

1- Identify reviewers who read in your genre. (In other words, if you write mysteries, target people who read mysteries—or, better yet, other mystery authors who are willing to review your book for you.)

2- Offer to review their work, in exchange for their review of yours. (If they are not an author, offer them a free, signed copy of yours AND let them know their review will be published on the back cover of your book or inside page following the title page).

3- If you don’t have contacts of your own, you can use platforms, such as BookSirens or Net Galley, but they require a fee and the sending of free copies to their reviewers.

On those platforms, you are able to read reviews written in the past, and choose one or more reviewers (based on what kind of job you think they did) to review your book.

**Stay tuned. More information in next week’s blog.

Don’t Jump Into This Blindly

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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An internet search will tell you that thousands of retirees aspire to be authors, with the goal of writing the next best seller.

But, did you know that less than 2% actually go down that road?

Before embarking on any new career, and especially that of writing, it’s important not to jump into it blindly.

Here are some things to consider:

Can you give it your all? Have you interviewed writers—or at least read about them—to find out if the life of a writer is really what you envisioned?

Then answer this question:

What will motivate you enough to get started? Money? Fame? The fun of creating a “story”?

And this one:

Are you able to set aside a block of time each day to write? Realistically, will you follow through?

And finally:

Will you allocate a portion of your finances to go to conferences, purchase books on writing, publishing/marketing, and so on? An internet search on the cost of these can be daunting, but it will help you immensely in the decision process.

Hopefully, I haven’t burst your bubble. If you’re still interested in writing, visit my website at www.brendapoulosauthor.com 

Should I Blame AI?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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I read a book this week that had a torture scene in it that kept me from sleeping one night.

It was by an author I hadn’t read before. One that the internet had said was an author of Christian Fiction. I was more than surprised when it turned out to be anything but.

I don’t think the description was purposeful, so I wonder if there might be some glitches in AI- assisted writing. 

Nothing is perfect. Could it be possible that AI can misunderstand?

And, if so, can AI “think” and make mistakes?

If that is true, then AI is scarier to me than any story a fellow author might write.

It Was a Nice Trip, But…

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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We just returned from a vacation up north, where we experienced a reprieve from the summer heat. It was a nice trip, but I agreed with my husband when he said he was “ready to go home.”

I thought about his remark this morning as I  completed another chapter of my book. I’m winding down. Writing it has been a good experience, but I’m ready to finish this latest book.

Although title, cover, publishing, marketing all lie ahead, I always feel I’m “home” once the writing is done.

If you’ve been looking forward to reading Sunset Pointe, you won’t have to wait much longer. It could be out by the first of the year, or perhaps it will find its “home” in the midst of this year’s Christmas releases.

Patience and Character Development

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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As an author, one of the skills I have learned is character development. In planning for my next book, I realized that the entire process of writing has helped in the development of my own character—specifically in the area of patience.

When ideas don’t come readily, I need the patience required to change directions, to write—and re-write, to let the characters evolve. 

Things like research, title selection, cover choice, and marketing take up a good deal of time.

All require patience. And patience is basically about time—about waiting—about pacing.

The more I exercise patience, the easier it is for me to concentrate and enjoy this time-consuming craft.

How about you? As an author, what character traits have you learned/developed that have made a difference in your writing?

Just A Few Words

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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I’ve been writing my blogs for more than ten years. When I first started them, I spent hours cranking out several pages.

But I soon learned that what people really wanted was just of few words of: encouragement 

suggestions

information

clever sayings

 jokes

A little blip on the screen… just a few words so readers can get onto the next blog, article, text, and so on.

So, if you’re an author considering starting a blog, it’s not as daunting as you might think.

Start with just a few words.

Who Said That?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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New authors often receive advice on attributions, commonly known as dialog tags. They are advised to almost exclusively use the word “said” rather than such words as “muttered, exclaimed, yelled,” and so on. This is because “said” is nearly invisible to readers, allowing them to concentrate on what is most important—the dialogue itself. 

Don’t overuse “he said” or “she said” at the end of every line of dialogue. If there are two speakers, only use them every few lines. However, don’t underuse them, either, because readers will be confused as to who is talking.

Misunderstood and Misused

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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One of the misunderstood and misused words by authors is myriad. You’ll see it used differently—and interchangeably—in many books.

It can be confusing because myriad can be used both as a noun and an adjective. 

As a noun, myriad usually means “great in number.” (Use the word, “of” in the sentence).

As an adjective, it means “many.” (Do not use the word “of” in the sentence).

Correct: She listed a myriad of reasons to divorce Melvin. (Meaning a great number).

Correct: There were myriad reasons to divorce Melvin. (Meaning many).

Confusing, huh? Since it is such a tricky word, why don’t writers simply avoid using it?

I think its because even though so many words/phrases can be substituted for myriad, none are quite as beautiful on paper and none sound quite as poetic when read aloud.

Myriad is simply one of the coolest words in a writer’s toolbox.

Updated Trends in Reading Audiences

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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It turns out that some of the “least-selling” books in 2024 were in the Romantasy category.

My husband often says I am always “a day late and a dollar short.” He was right in this case, I guess, because I had decided to follow the trend from 2023 and wrote my book, Remember Me: a Sonnet for Marigold, in 2024. It has performed below my expectations. This was partly because I published under the pen name, Mia Michaels, which was unknown to many of my readers. 

Surveyors say Limited Editions of premium books, such as J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy and Melania Trump’s, Melania are the biggest trends for 2025.

Following that, is a surge in Religious Books and in books about AI and its possible effects on the world.

So what am I doing? I’m going back to what I do best, Christian Fiction.