Top 5 Things NOT to Do When Self-Publishing

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Editing, Encouragement, Independent Author, Indie/Hybrid Publishing, marketing, Publishing, Social Media, tips, writing 13 Comments

By Desiree Future @Desiree_Future As a self-publisher of two Christian romance novels, I’m sharing with you the top five things not to do when self-publishing. It is my hope, you will learn from the mistakes that I’ve made. Do not underestimate how much work it takes to self-publish a book. As a self-publisher, you take on the responsibility of running …

Five Things I Learned from Launching a Book

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, creativity, Encouragement, marketing, Social Media, tips, writing 4 Comments

By Felicia Ferguson @Felicia_writer 1: Marketing a book is more than hosting a launch party. From guest blogs, to book reviews, to social media posts and ads, the author must be 70% marketer and 30% writer. Yes, I know. Most of us writers didn’t major in PR or Marketing in college. If you’re like me, you have nightmares that book …

Seeing the Bright Side of Rejection

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By Lori Domingo @loridomingo22 To say that I was beyond excited to be nearing the finish line of my MFA program would be an understatement. I had in my hands a completed, full-length novel – my first in my genre of choice, Christian fiction. Part of the requirements for one of my classes was to research a favorite author in …

The Strength of Waiting

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By Tara Johnson @TaraMinistry “A watched pot never boils.” I heard that phrase a hundred times while growing up, and every time I was chided for my impatience, I cringed. I confess, not much has changed over the years. I still pace when sending off a new manuscript to a potential publishing house. I still bite my nails when reviews …

Mismatched in the Yoke

ACFWAuthors and writing, Friends of ACFW, marketing, Social Media, writing 13 Comments

by E.V. Sparrow With all the social media ads, gurus, and writing organizations flashing their beacons before us every time we do searches on any platform, how do we choose which ones are good for us as authors? Instead of flashing neon words telling us things like, “Stop here, we promise you success, or we love all authors, and will …

5 Ways an Author Website Can Help Grow Your Platform

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, Social Media, tips 1 Comment

By Elizabeth Ludwig I belong to several organizations for writers. In recent months, one topic of conversation crops up more than any other…author websites, and the questions being asked are almost always the same. Do I need an author website? What sort of content should I include? How often should I update? Obviously, answering even one of these questions could …

LISTENING: It’s Almost Like Being There (Giveaway)

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By: The ACFW Leadership Team Writers write. And research. And ponder. And listen. We listen in on conversations so we can write authentic-sounding dialogue. We listen to podcasts about marketing and to interviews to incorporate historical accuracy in our stories. Your ACFW leadership has created a brand new listening opportunity for you–listening to all* the instruction and encouragement offered during …

The #1 Best Method for Growing Your Instagram Following

ACFWAdvice, Authors and writing, Friends of ACFW, Social Media, tips 1 Comment

By Lara Helmling If you’re not using the method I’m about to teach you for your Instagram account, you are missing out big time. You probably know that Instagram is the most effective social media platform right now. Do you also know that publishers expect you to have thousands of followers? To make it even more fun, they expect you …