By Marie E. Bast @mariebast1 To steal the heart of the reader, a story must have a solid plot line and the protagonist must believe a lie about him or herself, which will cause obstacles and hinder them achieving their plot goal. This problem will become obvious at the inciting incident and first plot point. Each chapter, like a golf …
ACFW Storyfest (Takeover Blitz and GIVEAWAY!)
Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for ACFW Storyfest, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! You are Invited ACFW Storyfest August 24-26, 2023 Hyatt Regency at the Arch, St. Louis When hundreds of authors gather for their annual ACFW conference in August, readers are invited to participate in their own event on the same premises. Storyfest will present a full program of …
And Your Readers Are?
By Lynn Hobbs Years ago I was taught to write to a certain group selected to be your target market. Various writing workshops and writing conferences included this type of training. Age and gender or ages and genders were to be strictly adhered to for whatever you were writing. Consistency was of utmost importance. The argument was believable, and presented …
My Ideal Reader
By Sarah Hamaker Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my ideal reader. Who is she? What does she like to do? What does she read? Where does she live? What is her family life like? What draws her to pick up a book? What does she like to feel after reading a book? I don’t have the answers to …
Making Sleep Loss the Goal
By Chandra Lynn Smith You’re in your favorite chair, maybe even sitting sideways across its arms. A cone of light from the only lamp on in the house shines over your shoulders. The dogs are curled up at your feet and maybe even a cat is on the back of the chair. The rest of your family went to bed …
Earning a Reputation
by Christa Kinde As an author, I have a reputation. I’m not ashamed of it, but it isn’t really the sort of label I had in mind when I set out to tell stories. Now, I’m not talking about those snazzy accolades we plaster on dust jackets. “Best-selling.” “Critically-acclaimed.” “Award-winning.” “Highly-anticipated.” I’m talking about the words readers choose. Do you …
Author Influencer and Reader Groups: Why Do Readers Join?
By Carrie Fancett Pagels The writing life isn’t just about sitting in your cave pounding out a stellar book. Writing lifestyles includes book promotion. So what makes a reader want to join an influencer/reviewer group? Terminology: Influencers promote an author or a new release through social media. Readers/reviewers accept a book and read it, determine if it is worthy of …