Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Come Write with Us: Writing Fight Scenes with Crystal Caudill
Award-winning author Crystal Caudill joins us again so we can practice what we learned in her previous episode about writing both physical and verbal fight scenes (Picking the Write Fight; 1/16/24). After a brief recap of the earlier episode that focused on the purpose of a fight scene, Crystal led a brief brainstorming session. Then she asked specific questions that guided us in writing our own fight scenes. Every story needs tension to engage readers. Watch the replay to learn more from this week’s episode.
Watch the March 19th Replay
Crystal Caudill is the award-winning author of “dangerously good historical romance. She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver. When not writing, Crystal can be found hanging with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Find out more at crystalcaudill.com.
Fiction Series Collaboration with Naomi Musch and Amy Walsh
Naomi and Amy have participated in several collaborative fiction projects. Today they share advice on creating a marketable project that novelists will love to write and fans will love to read. They cover such topics as the difference between a series and an anthology, finding a common element for the stories in the collection, financial commitment and so much more. This episode is a great starting place for anyone who is interested in creating or participating in a series or an anthology.
Watch the March 26th replay
Naomi Musch writes to bring hope that will change the story—maybe even her own. Some of her novels have been finalists in the Carol Awards; the Faith, Hope, and Love Readers’ Choice Awards; the Selah Awards; and have been twice nominated for Book of the Year. Naomi’s perfect day is spent writing, roaming the farm, and loving on her passel of grandchildren.
Amy Walsh writes historical and contemporary romance, mysteries, speculative fiction, and women’s fiction. She is a 5th-grade writing teacher in an urban public school. Amy and her husband, Patrick, have three creative children. Amy considers herself greatly blessed in the roles God has given her as an earthling–including aspiring wordsmith, teacher of youngsters, nature appreciator, tea aficionado, avid dessert fan, book fanatic, lover of family and friends, and Christ-follower.
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133
Experts continue to tell writers that their email list is one of the best ways to turn followers into book buyers. Therefore, growing your email list is great strategy for promoting your writing. Here’s a simple way to expand your reach and potentially gain new email subscribers—Author collaborations.
Collaborating with other writers enables you to leverage off each other’s followers, so you can quickly reach a whole new audience. Here are some tips to make collaborations work for you.
Look for someone who writes for a similar target audience. Your audiences don’t need to be identical, but they need to overlap. For example, a writer who targets young moms overlaps with a writer who targets healthy family relationships.
Look for someone who writes about similar topics or themes. Your book topics, lead magnets, or blog themes need to be something the other writer’s audience will find interesting and useful.
Avoid a collaboration where both writers are promoting almost identical products, such as two authors who both wrote books about gluten-free diets. The idea is to overlap so the audience wants both products rather than competing for the same purchase slot.
Don’t forget the goal
If your goal is to build your email list, you need to have a lead magnet to promote. Without an incentive to join your list and a clear call to action, the other writer’s audience isn’t likely to visit your blog or sign up for your newsletter.
If your goal is only to promote your book, being featured by your collaboration partner may be sufficient. Again, don’t forget an enticing call to action that includes links to purchase your book
Types of collaborations
Guest post swap. If both writers have blogs, you can agree to exchange guest posts. Don’t forget to mention your lead magnet in your guest post!
Newsletter lead magnet swap. Both writers can agree to share each other’s lead magnets in their newsletters.
Newsletter (or blog) book review swap. The collaboration partners can agree to review each other’s books for their newsletter. Don’t forget to disclose that you have agreed to swap books. NOTE: Amazon does not approve of authors trading reviews, so if you swap book reviews, don’t post them on Amazon. (It’s probably best to skip other review sites as well.)
Interview swap. Bloggers, podcasters, or YouTubers can choose a pertinent topic and take turns interviewing the other on their blog/show.
Gift Guides. Two or more authors can create a book gift guide on a particular theme. The guide includes one or more of each author’s books plus other excellent books that fit the theme. For example: Great Action Books for Middle Schoolers or Powerful Books to Help You Overcome Negative Thinking.
Always keep the audience in mind
Whatever collaboration you try, always remember your first goal is to serve your partner’s audience. (Not to promote yourself or sell something.)
The better you meet the needs of the audience, the more those people will be interested in your work, and the more likely the other writer will want to work with you in the future. Collaborations can be the beginning of a fruitful and long-lasting partnership.
You can be a collaborator
Even if you are not yet published, you can still begin to collaborate with other writers through swapping guest posts or lead magnets. It’s a small, doable step even beginning writers can try.
Who will you reach out to this week to discuss a possible collaboration?
Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).
She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.
We’re all familiar with phrases that warn us of danger lurking ahead.
Look before you leap.
You can’t be too careful . . .
I’d think twice about that if I were you.
All of these idioms are meant to ward off an ill-conceived project or advising someone to think carefully before tackling what might be considered an ill-fated trip.
But my favorite is: Every dark cloud has a silver lining.
I recently published a compilation book with twenty-two additional authors. I considered the idea a long time before I pulled the trigger. I wanted to “pay forward” the support and assistance I received when I began to write 10 years ago. I’m confident had I not engaged a writing coach and joined a professional writing community for women I might never have become the author of five books. Coupled with a certification as a writing coach, I felt confident in tackling this task.
We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished was a title I stumbled on nine years earlier. I used it as a tagline for my first website, My Purpose Now. The audience? Women 50+ who were struggling to discover their purpose once the nest emptied. They’d been all in, clear about their calling, and engaged in their families. With that no longer in demand (and rebuffed if offered) they were uncertain as to whether their best years were behind them. No. Absolutely not. God had so much more in store; they simply needed an assist to find that path.
I wanted to feature stories of ordinary women 50+ who had done extraordinary things: accomplished a long-ago dream, goal, or vision. Completed a degree. Travel. Quit the job to build a business or develop a non-profit. Serve in a homeless shelter. Dare to dance, paint, act on the stage that called them for 30 years. Some stories centered on loss – a loved one, an unexpected divorce, health issues or financial adversity. But no matter the theme, God was the hero in each story.
A friend asked, “why not write this yourself? Just interview them and tell their story. This is going to be a lot of work.” I insisted each woman’s voice was vital to the telling.
I turned to social media sites to invite those who’d been writing for at least two years. Most blogged, some wrote for local publications. But most lacked their first professional book publishing credit. I selected 25 individuals – most of whom were strangers – from a total of 80 submissions. I would write 50% of the content. I tacked on a few longtime writing friends to write a chapter—and to talk me off the ledge if needed.
I had no clue the time it would require and the effort it would demand.None. Zip. Nada.
I discovered an interested publisher and sent a proposal and sample chapters. I signed the contract two days later. I was officially the managing editor.
No turning back.
The contributing authors signed an agreement for their participation. It included their commitment to write on the specific theme, follow editorial guidelines, write to the allotted word count, adhere to deadlines, and help market the book upon release. I had the final say if an issue arose regarding “artistic license.”
As the managing editor, I did two rounds of editing and coached those who needed assistance. Some were strong writers from a technical standpoint and had good stories but needed help to make the story sing. Others brought a compelling experience but needed support to strengthen the quality of the writing itself.
It was exciting, exhilarating, and exhausting. The journey was never boring.
I had divas. “My mom and my friends told me; it was perfect – don’t change a word.”
I had debaters: “I’m not using lower case for he, him, and his in reference to Christ. It’s wrong. It’s dishonoring.”
I had deniers “I don’t care about the publisher’s requirements; I’m writing it like God told me to.”
We started with 25; we concluded with 22. We parted on good terms.
From the concept development to the search for authors, from what felt like a thousand emails to release of the book – six months. We worked with a stellar traditional publisher who knows speed to market and excellence in all they do are keys to success.
And now the avalanche of advantages kicks in: I have 22 partners to help market and promote the book.
Some are teaching our group tips and tools on our private Facebook page where our primary communication exists. Many have a writing-related side-hustle: Podcasting, blogging, vlogging, or websites of their own. I was stunned by the number of social media gurus, and valuable contacts they brought with them. Our goal is to create community.
And I thought I was doing this for them.
I’ve been contacted by three writers who are interested in my coaching services. Two additional experienced writers have reached out to ask if I might be interested in teaching a workshop on this collaborative writing approach. I’m thinking that’s one to consider. I never saw that silver sliver peeking through the dark cloud on occasion.
The vision that some regarded as a fool’s errand, has been realized. Our writers are encouraging readers to resist the rocking chair brigade and press ahead to make the rest of their life the best of their life. That is a good outcome.
Nobody promised it would be easy. But then, achievement never is.
Deborah DeArmond is a recognized leader in the fields of performance development, facilitation. She is a certified writing coach as well as an executive business coach. She is also an award-winning author.
Deb’s the author of Related by Chance, Family by Choice, I Choose You Today, and Don’t Go to Bed Angry. Stay Up and Fight! All three books focus on relationship dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution. Her humorous devotional entitled Bumper Sticker Be-Attitudes was published in late 2019. Her newest release, We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished: Making the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life was released in July. She has published more than 200 articles in print and online, including a monthly column, now in her 7th year for Lifeway Magazine with an international circulation of 300,000.
Deb helps clients achieve success in becoming the coach others desire to work through through her engaging inquiry, humor, and straightforward approach. Her clients have described Deb as “candid but kind” and skilled at asking the questions that help “guide others to discover their answers and solutions to success.”
