Tag: Tessa Emily Hall

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Dear Young Scribes

Young Writer, You Are Enough

I was fifteen years old when I officially decided to launch my writing journey. I began by devouring books within the genre I’d like to write, studying the craft, learning how the industry works, starting a blog, and I wrote the first draft of my debut novel, PURPLE MOON.  

When I attended my first conference a year later, I met several writers who were supportive and encouraged me in my writing journey. I can’t tell you how many people have told me, “I wish I was your age when I’d started out!” However, over the years I’ve also come across writers (and professionals) who don’t seem to have a respect for young writers. Some might even categorize them all as inexperienced, impatient, and assume they can’t write because they haven’t been in the industry long enough.

It’s as if some people will only respect writers if they’ve held a college degree for years, have worked in another profession, and then they finally decide to pursue this field well-into their parenting years.

There aren’t enough people who are encouraging young writers. Assuring them that they are enough. Yes, you can launch your writing journey at a young age. No, you might not have as much “life experience” as the writer who is double or triple your age–but will that keep you from a publishing contract? Only if that lack is reflected in your writing. However, I constantly come across submissions at Hartline Literary Agency from young writers whose talent is far beyond their years. I wouldn’t have known they were young had they not mentioned it in their proposal!

Young writers are passionate about storytelling. Driven to learn and improve their craft. Dedicated. Innovative. Intelligent. Imaginative. Teachable. Willing to embrace new challenges and adapt to the shifting industry. And isn’t this what editors at publishing houses are seeking? (I’ll answer for you: Yes!)

If you’re a young writer who is dealing with doubts and discouragement over your age or lack of experience, let me assure you that you are enough. Age does not have to keep you from striving toward your dreams.

And if you ever do begin to wrestle with discouragement, here are a few things to remember…

  • You are the leaders of tomorrow’s publishing industry. Your future books could set new trends amongst your genre. Who knows? You might even see your story come to life on the big screen someday! (Hmm…I wonder if Veronica Roth ever believed she was too young to write “Divergent” as a young adult…)
  • You are tomorrow’s best-selling and award-winning authors. Your books could be treasured and adored for years by future generations.
  • You are more likely to embrace and adapt to the new changes within the industry—especially where technology is concerned.
  • You are eager to grow; therefore, you are open to criticism and feedback and maintain a teachable attitude.
  • You’re familiar with the struggles of your generation. Your influence and voice amongst your peers might be louder (and less judgey!) than those who cannot relate.

Of course, the publishing journey might not come quick or easy for you. You have plenty of time to grow, develop, and glean from those who have gone before you. That’s why it’s important to start now–especially if you know this is a dream of yours.

Don’t be surprised, however, if you do come across writers or professionals who don’t take you seriously. If you do, just brush off their opinions and keep moving forward. Allow your confidence as a young writer to be your response.

Besides–those who might criticize you because of your age? I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just bitter. They’re probably thinking, “If only I would’ve been smart enough to start my writing journey at that age!” 😉

If you’re a young writer, which do you receive more regarding your age–encouragement or criticism? Is there anything you’d like to add to this list? Let me know in the comments!

[bctt tweet=”Young Writer, You Are Enough @TessaEmilyHall #amwriting #teenwriters ” username=””]

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

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Dear Young Scribes

How to Create a Marketing Plan for your Book—Before it’s Contracted

Marketing isn’t exactly an author’s favorite job. After all, aren’t writers supposed to keep producing books and rely on their publishers to sell their books for them?

That used to be the case. But now, agents and publishers search to sign with authors who understand how to market a book. They want to trust that the writer will be committed and work hard toward placing their book in front of its target audience.

This is why it’s vital that aspiring authors don’t just learn how to write a book; they must also learn how to create a marketing plan. And yes, it’s smart to do this even before your book is contracted.

For my clients at Hartline Literary Agency, I like to walk them through the process of creating a marketing plan in their proposal. A plan they can put into action when the book releases.

Most writers, I’ve noticed, only include brief promotional ideas under the “Marketing” section of their book proposal. But rather than writing a brief paragraph about a few of your marketing ideas, why not create an action plan—just like you’d do if the book were preparing to release?

Doing this will do 3 things:

  1.  Prove to the editor that you know what it takes to market a book.
  2. Increase your chances of selling the book to a publisher.
  3. Make marketing easier for you once the book is released. How? Because you’ll already have your plan in place.

Even if you haven’t reached the book proposal creation stage, I highly recommend that you go ahead and begin crafting the first draft of your marketing plan.

That way, once it’s time to put your marketing section together for your proposal, you won’t be tempted to write the following paragraph:

“To market this book, I’ll hold book signings at bookstores and sell the book at writing conferences. Some other ideas include: hold giveaways and contests on my social media accounts, do a blog tour, and speak at schools and libraries.”      

Please do not write that into your book proposal. If you really want to stand out and impress the editor, then you’ll want to create an actual marketing plan.

Here’s how:

  1. Categorize your plan into the type of marketing.

For example…

ONLINE MARKETING

PRINT MARKETING

TV/RADIO MARKETING

CREATIVE MARKETING

SPEAKING

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS

  1. Beneath each category, list about 3 – 7 steps you’ll take once the book is published. Be specific by listing the newspapers, magazines, radio stations, etc. that you’d like to reach out to once the book is published.

For example:

ONLINE MARKETING:

  • Arrange a 10 – 30-stop blog tour surrounding the release of the book
  • Submit articles to teen websites, such as [list here]
  • Hold a 15-day Instagram challenge using the hashtag #PursueYourDreams
  • Invite my street team to read an early copy of my book in exchange for an honest review
  • Plan a book cover reveal with my street team members

As you create your marketing plan, keep in mind that you are not expected to do it all. If your marketing plan is too extensive, then the editor probably won’t take it too seriously. Be sure to write a plan that you will put into action. Make it realistic and reasonable by giving ideas that you know you can follow through with.

Only choose marketing efforts that 1) you’re passionate about, 2) you can logistically put into action, and 2) that will reach your target audience. Even better if your marketing strategies can intersect the three!

My advice? Familiarize yourself with how to market a book. Don’t wait until you have a contract. Not only will this impress an agent/publisher, but it’ll also take pressure off of yourself once you do sign a contract and begin navigating the intimidating waters of marketing.

Who knows? You might even discover that you enjoy the idea of marketing more than you thought you would!

What are your favorite marketing strategies? Do you enjoy the process of marketing, or would you prefer to spend the time writing instead? Let me know in the comments!

[bctt tweet=”How to Create a Marketing Plan for your Book—Before it’s Contracted #writerslife #amwriting @TessaEmilyHall ” username=””]

Categories
Dear Young Scribes

3 Gifts Authors Offer Their Readers

Let’s face it: There isn’t a guaranteed and instant pay off for the writer who works hard at finishing his/her book. Especially when this book isn’t under contract.

Perhaps you’ve invested hours into growing in your craft and writing your book—only to receive harsh critiques. Maybe you’ve been tempted to give up on this dream altogether and find a more profitable way to spend your time.

The ugly truth is, you’re not guaranteed success in this industry. You’re not guaranteed that this book will become a best seller, receive a literary award, or obtain shining literary reviews. So is the little income you might receive from this book worth the blood, sweat, and tears you’re pouring into this project?

I believe the answer to this question lies in your underlying motivation for writing your book.

If you only write in hopes to become a best seller, then no, you might not receive the pay-off you long for.

If you only write in hopes to make a full-time living as an author, then you might find yourself disappointed when your first paycheck arrives.

This is why I’ve made it my goal to view my writing as a ministry and not just as a career. Because when I view it through these lenses, then my perspective shifts. The fuel I have to keep pounding away at the keyboard no longer stems from imagining the award I might receive in some distant future.

It instead stems from obeying God’s call to use my gift for His glory. It stems from imagining the readers who might someday be touched by the words I write.

In other words: If God wants me to write, then He must have a plan for these words. They won’t be used in vain. No, I might not receive much of a profit from them—but my readers might.

So what can our readers gain by the books we write out of obedience?

Here are just a few…

  • The gift of a story.

Stories are priceless treasures. What books have you read that gave you a unique perspective or challenged you in some way? Have you experienced the escapism that comes from being swept into a fictive dream? Oftentimes, we relate certain books with specific seasons in our lives. (How many people have thanked J.K. Rowling for “making” their childhood?) When we create a story that becomes a treasure to our readers, we leave a legacy. Our words and characters will forever leave an imprint on their hearts. And when we receive a letter from readers who tell us how much our book meant to them, that’s when we know our work paid off.

  • The gift of encouragement, inspiration, entertainment, motivation, etc.

This might vary based on the genre you write. For instance, do you write science fiction in hopes to entertain? Or do you write Christian fiction in hopes to inspire? You never know: The book you’re working on now could be the very story that motivates one of your readers to follow their dreams. Or put God at the center of their marriage. Or perhaps your book will simply entertain your readers and allow them to take a break from the demands of life and find enjoyment through escaping into another universe.

  • The gift of characters.

 Be honest: Have you ever developed a friendship with a book character? Although readers understand that the characters in fiction stories don’t exist, there’s still a sense of reassurance that comes when we “meet” a character who resonates with us in some way. Ultimately, characters are the reason we’ll remember a story. Tweens and teens especially like to find a friendship in the characters they read about. (I felt this way when I read The Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn as teen.)

The next time you’re tempted to give up on your book, return to your underlying motivation for writing. Make a list of the gifts you hope to offer your future readers, and allow this to serve as fuel for your passion.

Because when our core motivation stems from the gifts we can offer our readers rather than the “success” we hope to attain, then we’ll likely become far more content with the outcome in the long run.

What other gifts can authors offer their readers? What gifts have you received from stories you’ve read? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

[bctt tweet=”3 Gifts Authors Offer Their Readers @TessaEmilyHall #writerslife #amwriting” username=””]

 

 

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: www.tessaemilyhall.com.