I’d say my biggest emotional challenge started for me after I wrote my first novel.
I sat at my computer staring into the illuminated screen and said, “Now what?”
At first, I hadn’t a clue about self-publishing or traditional publishing. I researched and tried to wrap my head around the pros and cons. Then I decided to try each path and realized there is a common challenge for both, marketing.
You may have written a scintillating tale, but no one will know about it unless you market it to the public.
When I Finished My Novel, I Realized It Was Only the Start
I started writing to feel close again to my mother who had passed from cancer. It had always been a lifelong dream of ours to write together.
So, when I finished my 80,000 words manuscript, I felt accomplished until I realized it was only the start before I’d get to hold that book in my hands.
I had no idea what to do with it after it was complete. Nor did I have my mom to turn to lean on for support.
I made a hundred mistakes in the beginning, but they all taught me something, perseverance. I reminded myself this is a tribute to my mother and our love for books, it’s not life or death. I had to take a step back and then four or five forward and just keep pressing on.
I took classes, went to conferences, watched a million YouTube videos, read book marketing books, and inundated myself with research until I learned the tricks of the trade. My fanbase grew and started making sales.
Writing the novel is the easy part, letting the world know you and your work exist, now that’s like competing in the Hunger Games, survival of the fittest.
And if I am anyone in the story of my own life, it’s Katniss Everdeen.
Staying Active Sets Off Many Sedentary Moments in Front of My Computer
When I’m not writing, I’m staying active. Having been on QVC as a fitness co-host and featured in fitness apps and streaming TV, health and wellness are major hobbies of mine outside of writing and business.
Both my husband and I like to hike, travel, ride bikes, anything that keeps us moving and grooving. When not soaking up vitamin D, I’m indoors teaching hot yoga and barre in Los Angeles, California.
Staying active off sets the many sedentary moments in front of my computer. I don’t have the typical aches and pains other authors do. I’m fortunate to have such a work life balance.
The only challenge I am met with is sometimes when I’m on a writing roll it’s hard for me to walk away from the computer to work out. But I make sure I do so that I live a long healthy life, as someone able to write/type for all the years to come.
Remember living life and being an active member of society will help you be a better writer. So, get out there, take a walk, soak up some vitamin D, all of these things will motivate your writing career.
How Being a Fitness Instructor Helps Me As a Writer
One of the first things I learned from my teacher trainings was that many people don’t hear your active cues the first time around, so you need to find creative ways to say something multiple times with different words.
That training has overlapped into my writing. I’m able to create scenes where you as the reader feel like you are a part of it because I write in multiple ways to convey what is happening without “He smirked. She raised her brow. They nodded” being the only descriptions.
Also, because as an instructor, it’s important to remove any filler words or fluff from your vocabulary, I believe this translates to my writing. Instead of using flowery language— elaborate words that substitute for simple ones and longer sentences used to try to convey multiple ideas— I get straight to the point and keep the reader engaged.
The worse thing as a writer and a fitness teacher you can do is attempt to make yourself sound like you know more about a subject by using jargon terms and connecting different concepts together when a simple active cue would get everyone there faster.
My Top 3 Book Marketing Tips
I mentioned earlier marketing was a challenge. And I still believe that, but I have 20-years’ experience in marketing and sales for eCommerce and CPG brands.
I took my knowledge from my business career and applied it to my book marketing strategies while also doing the research in my new industry. And now I have a ton of marketing advice. I could probably chat with you for hours about it.
But if I had to narrow it down, the most successful marketing tip I have is create Super Fans using this three-prong method: ARC readers, Book Tours, and Ads.
Make sure you built a good ARC list (advance reader copy readers). I currently have a solid 200-person team and I’d be nowhere without them.
Secondly, get involved with Book Tours and offer giveaways. These tours will help you create buzz and excitement about your book baby. Plus, you’ll gain fans along the way.
Thirdly, make ads. Since my writing career started in 2020, I partnered with Book Brush. I run their online seminars helping other authors promote their own works with stunning professional visual ads for social media and advertisements using the Book Brush platform.
All of these things will help build your SuperFans. Your superfans will be the gasoline to your fuel tank. And then all you got to do is press on the pedal and go!
How I Fit Writing Into My Busy Life
My writing process is not a sexy process, but it works with my busy schedule as I am not only a fitness instructor but Vice President of Sales for a SaaS company.
Just like in any job occupation, time management is key. I schedule time to write whether that is early in the morning, nights, and/or weekends. I make small goals, 1,000 to 3,000 words per writing session or one to three chapter edits a day, whatever my work needs at the moment.
I have distinct stages, writing days, line-editing days, character development days, etc. I also make time for marketing because as much fun as writing is, if I don’t advertise my work, no one will receive the blissful enjoyment of reading my books if they aren’t aware of it.
Tips to Help You Get a Traditional Book Publishing Contract
I like being both traditionally published and self-published. I’ve noticed over the years many successful authors follow the same trend.
I think you need to find out what’s important to you before you decide on the path you’d like to choose. Do your research and see what aligns better with your goals. At the end of the day, it’s your story and there are different ways to get it out in the world.
If you choose traditional publishing, go meet agents at a conference, face-to-face, one-on-one. It will make all the difference. I’ve been in sales for 20 years and I just knew I’d sell my book baby better than anyone else.
CamCat Books, my publisher, was one of the first 11 people I pitched to face-to-face, and they picked me up a couple weeks after we met. I’m very glad they did.
Advice for a Young Writer: Stay Positive!
Go to conferences, online/virtual events, speak to other authors, and do your research. And stay positive! Do not let self-doubt cloud your ability to fulfill your dream. You are good enough. Your story does need to be heard. And you do have an audience for it.
Many writers get caught up in the insecurity of a lonely occupation. Make friends in the industry by joining writer groups, going to events, and staying connected online. My success as a writer is only partially from my deliciously captivating stories, the rest is from the love of my fans, my friends, and my family. Without them, I’d be still living my stories in my head rather than seeing them in print.
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Dana Claire is an award-winning author whose stories explore identity, fate and destiny in the crossroads of romance and adventure. But her writing career didn’t begin when she published her first book, The Connection, in 2020. It started when she was a young girl when her mother, an elementary school teacher, inspired her to create imaginary worlds between the pages.
Dana’s love of romantic tension, the supernatural and non-stop action has elicited very positive feedback from many readers, as their online reviews reveal her flair for spine-tingling action and unforgettable characters. But it’s not just readers who love her; literary critics have also taken note, and Dana was given the Young Adult Children’s Moonbeam award for The Connection in 2021.
Dana is now sharing her stories through speaking events and book signings, introducing more readers to the worlds she created. For more information on Dana and her work, see her website and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, and Bookbub.
War of the Sea: His powers could save the ocean. Her vendetta could sink a kingdom.
Captain Elouise Farrington, the youngest pirate on the Caviar Sea, seeks revenge on her father’s killer. But when her oddly hypnotic foe proposes a pact to kill the Siren Queen and end the War of the Sea’s bloodshed, she must make a choice. Put aside her long-brewing retribution or act the underhanded pirate and use the alliance to claim the life of the man who destroyed her family?
Captain Rylander Bordeaux, the revered royal navy captain of the Isle of Cava, has one mission—kill the Siren Queen and end the War of the Sea. The ocean is the only place Rylander calls home, but to bring peace to his beloved waves, he must defeat his past so he can reshape the future. His greatest hope is Captain Elouise, who calls to him like no siren song ever has. Too bad she’s almost as bloodthirsty as the fanged heart-eaters themselves. She promises to lend her all-female crew to his war on the sirens, but can he trust a brigand—especially one who wants him dead—to uphold her end of the bargain? Or will she be his undoing?
Available at Amazon.
Hunterland: Grab your stakes and your rock salt. Monster hunting class is in session.
Liam Hunter has warded off hungry vampires, slayed monstrous beasts, and put agonized spirits to rest since he was old enough to hold a stake. When trouble comes through the Hunterland message board, the Hunter family hits the road. Nurses are dying at high schools across Wisconsin in a string of fishy so-called suicides, and the trail leads to Falkville Falls High, where Liam clashes with Olivia Davis, whose maddening family seems inexplicably embroiled in this haunting mess. Liam deals with monsters, not people. Things just got more complicated. Can Liam find out who or what is responsible before the next murder, or will this vicious death cycle have no end?
With only their father to care for them, Olivia Davis has always mothered her little sister, Pepper. But when the Hunter family opens her eyes to the hidden underworld of real monsters lurking in the dark, she realizes she can’t protect Pepper from this newest threat alone. She’ll have to join forces with the wayward boy who irritates her the most to take down a monster that’s too close to home. That’s if her own family doesn’t stand in her way.
Available at Amazon, CamCat Books, and wherever books are sold.