CL Walters, Fiction, The Letters She Left, Writer's Life, Writing Lessons, writing process Cami CL Walters, Fiction, The Letters She Left, Writer's Life, Writing Lessons, writing process Cami

The Letters She Left Behind, 3 Years.

When I was in my early twenties—an English major—I wanted to be a writer. I knew I wanted to be a writer before that even, when I would choose to sit at home and pen stories over going out with high school friends. Or when I would close my latest Judith McNaught reread and think: I want to do that. Even before then, when I wrote my first story at eight and read it out loud to my mom.

I read recently in a book by Deepak Chopra called The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success: A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams (1994), the seventh law was the Law of Dharma or Your Life’s Purpose. To paraphrase Chopra (definitely check out the book if you’re interested), each of us is born with unique talents and a way of expressing it that is original to us. In conjunction with that talent is a set of personal needs matched up to that talent which can only be expressed by us. By fulfilling this need utilizing our talents, we will find fulfillment. 

I understand this. My love and desire for writing and stories started early, and my proclivities and knack for it always leaned in that direction. That doesn’t mean, however, that at eight, or sixteen, or twenty-six, I was prepared to achieve the dream. There was work to do.

Case in point: One of the first novels I wrote (not the first. That one sits in a proverbial eDrawer collecting electronic dust), was The Letters She Left Behind, a romantic suspense that follows Adam and Alex on an adventure to catch a killer, all while given a second chance at love. I was around twenty-seven when I wrote it, a new wife of three years, a new mother. My main characters in this story, however, are in their late forties and dealing with things like grief, being widowed, and the empty nest. Needless to say, at twenty-seven, I was ill-equipped to write this story, severely lacking experience to give it justice. 

“Talent is nothing without hard work”
— Cristiano Rinaldo

While I think we may have a talent or a knack for something, that doesn’t mean it is’t necessary to build the skills necessary to do it. When I look at The Letters She Left Behind (which was rewritten in 2019 and published in January 2020) I can see how much I have grown as a writer since, how much experience I’ve gained. How much practice I’ve devoted to the craft. I love how footballer Cristiano Rinaldo tweeted once, “Talent is nothing without hard work.” I have had to work hard to develop those natural talents toward writing. 

When I reread The Letters She Left Behind, sometimes I think I should rewrite it and re-release. Then I think that would be a disservice to who I was as a writer and all the ways I grown since. It’s good to look back over the bridge to see where I once was to appreciate where I am at now. And hopefully, I’m always working hard to grow.

So in honor of the anniversary of the publication of The Letters She Left Behind 3 years ago, here’s to working hard and growing.

Also, here’s some previous blogs I wrote about this book:

Playlist

Character Interview with Adam and Alex

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Author life, CL Walters, Writer's Life, writing process Cami Author life, CL Walters, Writer's Life, writing process Cami

February Ideals: Dreaming

Dear Friends,

I was sitting at the beach the other day, drinking my coffee, watching the ebb and flow of the waves as the tide came in. The sun was warm against my face, and I thought about how though life feels static, it really isn’t. I sat on that beach for nearly an hour, and recognized the tide coming in because waves came in, drew back out, came back in, cresting and washing over the shore until a rock was submerged under the water. It was exposed and dry when I arrived. The tide is subtle and if I hadn’t been paying attention, I might never have noticed it. 

One of my dreams as an author is to be able to make a living creating. Am I there yet? Nope. Not even close. (Thank God for my husband, who’s supportive of this dream,  my mom, who supplements me when she can, and for each of you, willing to buy the books when they drop. You all probably have multiple copies of each). While I might feel discouraged sometimes at how little impact my ripples are making in this giant ocean of writing and publishing books, as I sat on the shore watching the tide, I realized that what I’m doing isn’t static. There is a dynamic ebb and flow to it, moving me forward toward my goal. 

It’s subtle.

So this February I’m going to remember that. The steps I take, the moves I make, the people I talk to, the list of things I have to do are all contributing to that rising tide. My job is just to keep doing what I do with a joyful heart filled with gratitude.

Thank you for being on this journey with me,

Cami


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February Newsletter
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Author life, Am Writing, writing process, Writer's Life Cami Author life, Am Writing, writing process, Writer's Life Cami

The Road to Echoes: Putting the Story Together

I don’t know about other authors, but I don’t walk into a draft of a story knowing how the narrative is going to go. I start with skeleton pieces: a random scene, a character, an image I need to explore and understand. Then, as I continue writing, the narrative develops, sort of exploding outward. Another metaphor: It’s like a developing polaroid. I know there’s a story and I’ve snapped a picture, but it’s taking time (and processing) to develop.

MPP Books 2.png

When I started drafting In the Echo of this Ghost Town, it started with the fight scene between Tanner and Griffin. This scene is in The Stories Stars Tell, but I rewrote it from Griffin’s perspective. When I’d finished it, I knew I had the beginning of Griffin’s story and a really good question that needed answering: What happens when someone reaches rock bottom?

This pushed me to continue writing. The deeper I got into telling Griffin’s story, however, the more I struggled with him. I knew that structurally, if I were to pick up Griffin’s story as a reader, wading through the darkness with him without any light would be terrible! To combat that, I added Maxwell’s voice. I thought the story would follow a similar pattern to The Stories Stars Tell, dual, alternating perspectives. Pretty early on, however, I knew this wasn’t going to work, Especially when Griffin’s story swelled to 190,000 words. 

This meant (besides cutting), I needed to determine how this story was going to fit together.

My other books have varied structures. Swimming Sideways is told chronologically. The Ugly Truth is told with a present timeline of “now” that branches into flashbacks of “before.” The Bones of Who We Are is told backward with a forward dream state thread. The Stories Stars Tell is told mostly chronologically with a few flashbacks peppered in to make sure the relationship and characterization were established. These choices weren’t made beforehand but were sort of born from the organic development of the story, hence the polaroid.

Griffin’s story and Max’s companion story When the Echo Answers weren’t any different. Both are chronological. For Griffin’s journey, however, I broke it up by months. It felt like a natural fit for his story to demonstrate the way someone might be able to change over time. 

How do I know this is “right”? I don’t. Not really. To claim it's instinctual isn’t helpful for you, so here’s another tip that might be more concrete and useful. I’ve studied narrative structure for years, so when considering how to tell the story, it’s important for me to use the three act structure and Vogler’s Hero’s Journey work based on the work by Joseph Campbell (some might suggest Save the Cat! which is a great resource as well).  For example, many years ago when I was writing The Ugly Truth, I had the story set up chronologically. I couldn’t get the narrative structure to work even though I knew I had the pieces I needed. Using the Hero’s Journey, I plugged in the pieces and realized that the story was out of order, hence the shift to employing the flashbacks interspersed throughout. Being willing to try something different with the structure worked and solidified for me the practice of being willing to let go of how I think it should be for how it is. 




Next Week: Character’s that won’t shut up.




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Ask the Author, In the Echo of this Ghost, Writer's Life, writing process, YA Contemporary Cami Ask the Author, In the Echo of this Ghost, Writer's Life, writing process, YA Contemporary Cami

The Road to Echoes: Writing Difficult Characters

I had a conversation with my friend Misty early in the drafting stage for In the Echo of this Ghost Town during one of our writing sessions. Note: she’s been a huge advocate for The Stories Stars Tell from the beginning and even featured me in a lovely conversation for her podcast Rainy Day Collective where we discussed purity culture (here’s a link if you’d like to listen to it). 

During that writing session she asked what I was working on, and when I revealed I was writing a book about Griffin, she said “What the hell for?!?!” I laughed at the time because I understood her incredulity. Seriously. Griffin was horrible in The Stories Stars Tell. Toxic as toxic can be. Now, I feel warmth in my bones because she’s read In the Echo of this Ghost Town and asked me “I don’t know how you can get me to go from hating a character to loving him. How do you do that?”

I’m not sure. I remember telling her during that same writing session that I was really struggling to develop Griffin because he was so freaking unlikeable. Look, I know this isn’t selling you on his story, but please stick with me. I think you’ll fall in love with Griffin as much as I have. And ultimately, this is a post about how sometimes we have to look closer at those difficult characters. 


While I don’t have a magic bullet, here are five things I did to excavate Griffin as a difficult character.

  1. First, I had to let go of my bias. I hated him. In The Stories Stars Tell he was such a jerk and so disrespectful to… well, everyone. There’s a scene in that book that solidified my dislike of Griffin. Tanner wrote a poem about Emma in his notebook, and Griffin makes fun of him for it. Not only did it break my heart for Tanner, but it sealed my dislike and informed every other scene moving forward with Griffin.

  2. I had to use what already existed in The Stories Stars Tell to begin to understand Griffin’s perspective. While these clues were superficial at best, they offered some perspective about Griffin’s world view. For example, Tanner mentions Griffin’s dad being in prison. He also indicates that his older brother has left. There’s a scene when Tanner arrives at Griffin’s house at noon, and Griffin is just getting out of bed. Then there are all of the moments Griffin opens his mouth and tears things apart.

  3. I started with a pivotal moment for both Tanner and Griffin—the fight. It was already drafted from Tanner's perspective, so I changed it to Griffin’s to see what would happen. My understanding of him began to shift. It made me wonder about hitting rock bottom and what would happen to someone who’s lost everything?

  4. Next I had to dig a little deeper. I started with asking questions about his family. Who were his mom and dad and brother? What was their family dynamic, and if the father was in prison, why was he there? How did that impact the family? Griffin? And what about his brother? What would it feel like to think he felt like he’d been abandoned by both his dad and his brother? How might that inform his behavior? His motives? His wants? And if his mom was never around because she was trying to hold the family together financially, how might that impact his teenage perspective? What did Tanner mean to Griffin, and how might the fight have impacted him? This exploration made me begin to see Griffin in a new light, one that made me empathize with—though not excuse—his choices.

  5. Next, because I saw a theme emerging in the character development, I began doing research about male culture, toxic masculinity, and abandonment. I’ll write more about my research in a future post, but for now, I knew I needed to ground myself in being respectful about these topics.

Developing characters is already challenging, but I find it always comes down to the question: why?  The more you’re willing to ask that question of your characters, the deeper they will take you into their motives, the roots of their own why. For the author, this only helps writing their stories. Difficult characters are no different, as long as we’re willing to ask those questions. If you’re familiar with The Cantos Chronicles, you know that I’m not a stranger to writing the difficult, morally gray character. Seth from The Ugly Truth was a villain in Swimming Sideways and The Bones of Who We Are.  So, I guess I find difficult characters interesting and challenging.

Next time: Writing Secondary Characters


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Writer's Life, Writer, writing process, In the Echo of this Ghost, When the Echo Answers Cami Writer's Life, Writer, writing process, In the Echo of this Ghost, When the Echo Answers Cami

The Road of Echoes: New Blog Series

Fifteen weeks and a couple of days are all that remains between today and the publication of In the Echo of this Ghost Town and When the Echo Answers. Considering that each time I venture into a new story I experience the doubt and subsequent terror that I will never be able to write a book ever again, I am ecstatic that we’re moving toward the finish line. 

In-the-Echo-of-this-Ghost-Town-Generic.jpg

I am so proud of these books. I am so proud of Griffin.

Those of you who have read The Stories Stars Tell will understand why I’m so proud, because you will recognize Griffin as a secondary character from that book. He wasn’t a likeable character in Emma’s and Tanner’s stories.  As Tanner’s best friend, Griffin did everything in his power to undermine Tanner’s growth, block the relationship, and guilt Tanner into remaining stuck within the Bro Code. 



So how does a character go from being vile to the hero of his own story?

It’s a great question, and one I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to pull off. I certainly had a ton of doubts when I first started writing it. I’m so excited to say that I did it. Griffin made it to “book boyfriend” status. I know it in my bones that’s a true statement. How did I do it?

That will be the subject of the next 9-week blog series. If you’ve ever wanted to go behind the scenes of a book, that’s where I’ll be taking you. From why I wrote the book, to research, to narrative choices, to character design, I’m going to invite you behind the scenes to look at how I created these two books. 

Be sure to join me here on the blog each Wednesday for a new installment about the creative journey from villain of The Stories Stars Tell to the hero of In the Echo of this Ghost Town and When the Echo Answers.  If you want more information, be sure to join my newsletter (which publishes the first of every month. That’s tomorrow!) There will be information about ARCs and the Pre-Order incentive.

Next week: What inspired me to take a closer look at Griffin as a possible hero for his own story.




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Fantasy, Writer, Writer's Life, writing process Cami Fantasy, Writer, Writer's Life, writing process Cami

April Challenge: Update No. 3

I’m cranky.

Maybe that isn’t the best way to start off a blog about the Work in Progress, but this story is so hard to grab ahold of and hang onto. It feels like trying to hold onto water. Just when I think: Oh! That’s it! the idea slips away. This hasn’t kept me from writing forward, however. I’m still just getting story—the good, the bad and the ugly—on the page.

So the stats:

  1. I wrote 5 of the 7 days.

  2. I wrote approximately 7,000 words this week for a total word count for April of 26,000 words give or take a few.

  3. I don’t think I’ll make a 50,000 words added, but I do think I’ll have a rough idea of the book beginning to end, and that was what I’d hoped for.

  4. One more week to go…

So, as promised, here’s some story info about this book tentatively titled Deconstructing Cale Elysian:

The original blurb:

For nearly nineteen years, Cale Elysian has lived a sheltered life. Whether it’s in the country manor where he resides with his family or the dormitory school life that he’s shared with his friends, he knows little beyond the confines of this existence. And lately, that awareness has begun to fester into wishing there was more, wishing he was more. He feels like a blank slate and no prospects to change it. Unable to go with his friends on the traditional, celebratory Grande Tour around the continent of Anola following their Year 7 exams, Cale resigns himself to the fact he’ll have to live vicariously through their stories when they return. He can't change the characteristic overprotectiveness of his father or the fact his step-mother is dying, after all. 

But when two strangers show up at the manor house with a magical item and dangerous intent, Cale realizes that not only has his father’s overprotectiveness been warranted but that magic, he thought was only in stories, exists. More outlandish, Cale learns that he and his father have powerful magical abilities that have had them in hiding. Worst of all, Cale comprehends his father has been lying to him his entire life. 

Separated from his family and on the run from a danger he can’t identify, Cale is ill-equipped to navigate the complexities of the world. Though he has a treasure map of memories his father gave him as a path to his true self, his strongest assets are his best friends, Yoneo, Jem and Domis who await the adventure of the Grande Tour of Anola. While Cale hides in plain sight among them, his odyssey will challenge everything he’s ever believed about himself and his family. It will test and define his relationships with his friends in new and complicated ways. By the time he collects the last of the hidden memories, Cale will have to decide once and for all who he really wants to be.


The Cast of Characters

Cale: The main character. It’s his journey of self-discovery. He learns he has a magical ability and everything he understood about who he is has been a lie. The most complacent of the group, Cale usually has gone with the flow, but now, his old ways of being have been stripped away as he begins to redefine who he is.

Yoneo: Cale’s best friend. They met when they were ten, and have gone through all of their school years together as dorm mates. Yoneo is wise. Of the group, he’s the one most likely to diffuse a fight.

Jem: The most rambunctious of the group, Jem is willing to do anything for a good time and a laugh. He’s got the privilege and the money to back up his escapades, but he’s also a hot-head, so watch out when he’s angry. He’s the activity director of the group, he has all the best ideas for getting into trouble, and out of it.

Domis: The logistician of the group, Domis is who everyone goes to when they need to think a problem through. Jem’s roommate for all their years at school, he’s also the best one to pull Jem from one of his moody funks.

Siha: The newest addition to the group, Siha has the most street smarts of the bunch. She’s wily and wise when it comes to keeping them safe from whatever is on their trail.

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Fiction, New Fiction, Writer's Life, writing process Cami Fiction, New Fiction, Writer's Life, writing process Cami

April Challenge: Finishing the Draft

Have I ever mentioned I was writing a fantasy book? Probably once or twice if you’ve been following my writing journey for any length of time. Or maybe this is new information. I started writing it over ten years ago, and for the last ten years I’ve started and stopped and tinkered and dabbled. The story has undergone a series of overhauls because I inevitably get stuck. A year ago—almost to the date—I scrapped everything I’d written chalking it up to world-building and started over. Over the last year, I’ve gotten the closest to a finished draft than I ever have, which is both exciting and terrifying.

Fantasy.png


Why?

Because this book has become my personal Camino de Santiago, my creative pilgrimage. Despite my many years of writing and having written ten books over my lifetime, this book has been the one that alludes me and makes me feel like I’m fooling myself as a writer. I set it as a goal, the unattainable one that is a moving target of someday. 

As a contemporary writer for the most part, there is safety in the known. I can draw from the world around me. I can create a place rooted in the safety of a world that exists in the here and now. The process for writers of historical and fantasy face a different challenges, and for fantasy, specifically, one of those challenges is building a world, its inhabitants and its systems from scratch.

And I’m close!

I made a promise to myself to use April as the month to finish the draft (or work hard trying to do it).  April is here.

So here are the current Fantasy WIP stats:

  • This WIP is currently at 82,000 words.

  • It is tentatively titled: Deconstructing Cale Elysian.

  • There is one main protagonist—Cale— with a cast of “found-family” characters around him.

  • While the story would be categorized as a high fantasy because it is in a brand new world with new systems, the story is driven by low fantasy elements to keep it grounded. 

  • There is a magic system.

What I hope to accomplish this month (so you can hold me accountable):

  • I want to add around 50,000 words (like during NaNoWriMo), or as many as I need to get this book close to a finished draft.

  • I’d like to shut down my perfectionist tendencies and just write forward (it has been harder with this book than my others).

  • I’d like to share my weekly updates with you here and on Instagram each Wednesday. 

That’s it.

Fantasy2.png


Here’s a snippet of what’s been written. This is from the POV of Cale’s best friend Yoneo:

Yoneo squinted in the darkness of his tiny attic room of their family cottage. Wondering if he heard something, he waited. After a few seconds, he closed his eyes again and rolled over deciding one of his sisters—probably Teniko, who was hiding a new, secret lover—was sneaking back into the house. The brin coursing through his system was wearing off, leaving a nasty headache in its wake which required sleep. When he heard the tap again, his eyes snapped open; he sat up and groaned. 

“Teniko, if that’s you, I’m going to kill you,” he whispered it to no one in particular since if it was in fact his sister, she wasn’t in the room. 

Being stuck between a quartet of sisters was a challenge in and of itself, add the extra pressure of being the only boy and it increased exponentially. The oldest sister, Nika, had paired last summer and lived in Billerdem with her partner, but that left the other three, Kira just above him, Teniko who was just below him in birth order and drove him crazy most of the time, and then the youngest Martika. While he had lots of attention, it was often too much, and his dad wasn’t much of a respite wanting him to be the strong silent type he could count on while his sisters nagged him to share his feelings. It was exhausting. 

Yoneo rolled from the comfort of his bed and slogged his way around Teniko’s bed where his sister was actually sleeping.  Which meant, if it wasn’t her, it was someone else. His heart picked up speed wondering who in the blister of the dark would be throwing pebbles at his window. Probably Jem since he’d be the only one likely to do something so irrational. But that didn’t make any sense. Yoneo loosened the fastener and pushed the window open, not particularly concerned it would be someone dangerous. They lived in the tiny village of Brockton, for light’s sake. 

“Yo?” A familiar voice sort of whispered up from the garden below.

“Cale? What are you doing? Your dad is going to kill you!” Yoneo whispered back.

“Can I come up?”

“Wait. I’m coming down.” Shock flooded his system. Cale sneaking about was like Hah stopping its rotation around the suns and then changing direction to go around the opposite way.

He moved through the cottage with care avoiding the creaks of the old home. Like the third step on the way down the stairs along with one right at the bottom that seemed to have an odd thump when you removed your weight. He took a wide step just the other side of his parents bedroom door to avoid the squeaking floorboard, and when he opened up the door, he made sure to do it slowly so it didn’t groan. 

His friend was nowhere to be seen in the yard, the bushes, the herbs and flowers his mother coddled looking more like a wild meadow than a manicured garden. “Cale?” Yoneo whispered into the dark. 

Cale stepped out from behind a tall shrub. It was difficult to see him in the dark, though the moon provided some light, but not enough to chase away the shadows. He looked weird. And lumpy.

“What are you doing? I thought you were sick,” he said. “Come.”

Cale moved down the walk and into the house, looking behind him as he went.

“What’s going on?” Yoneo asked once they were inside and the door shut behind them.

Yoneo’s father coughed, and he held a finger to his lips. It wasn’t that his dad would be angry that Cale was there, but the man loved his sleep he had so little of it. His temper was formidable. “Wait,” he whispered, went up the stairs retracing his silent steps, grabbed some blankets, and returned to Cale the same way. The difficulty of having so many people in a tiny little cottage meant there was no space. “The barn,” he whispered and led the way to the out building.

When they were safely inside and out of the hearing of his family, Yoneo asked again. “What’s going on?”

Cale’s face, despite its usually golden glow, looked pale and stricken. 

“Are you still sick?”

Cale flopped into a pile of straw and it was then what had made his friend look lumpy; he was carrying a bag. “I’m not sick.” Cale finally said after some time.

“Are you running away?”

“You could say that. I’m going on The Tour.”








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Book Marketing, Books for boys, Books for Teen Boys, Books for Teens, Cantos Chronicles, Books to Read, CL Walters, Coming of Age, Independent Author, Swimming Sideways, Teen Books, The Bones of Who We Are, The Ugly Truth, Writer's Life, YA Contemporary, YA Fiction, YA Series, YALit Cami Book Marketing, Books for boys, Books for Teen Boys, Books for Teens, Cantos Chronicles, Books to Read, CL Walters, Coming of Age, Independent Author, Swimming Sideways, Teen Books, The Bones of Who We Are, The Ugly Truth, Writer's Life, YA Contemporary, YA Fiction, YA Series, YALit Cami

Indie Author Marketing: Road Trip Wrap Up

On Sale today, where ever books are sold. Hooray!

On Sale today, where ever books are sold. Hooray!

We did it. We made it to the finish line, and The Cantos Chronicles are out in the world today. How we did remains to be seen, but here’s the feedback on our journey:

  1. Followers LOVE the new covers!

    This was the first thing that was mentioned as a ”stand out” in terms of marketing these books. This doesn’t surprise me (and probably doesn’t anyone else either) which reiterates the point that authors (indie authors, specifically) should budget for a cover as part of your marketing strategy. How the product appears matters. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, right? Case in point: Look at the two Swimming Sideways covers (pre-rerelease and post). Which one do you like better?

The black and white was the second cover. It’s a Canva stock image and clearly an inexperienced Indie move. It isn’t the wisest choice when trying to “stand out” in a competitive market. The new cover is designed by a trained graphic artist, Sara Ol…

The black and white was the second cover. It’s a Canva stock image and clearly an inexperienced Indie move. It isn’t the wisest choice when trying to “stand out” in a competitive market. The new cover is designed by a trained graphic artist, Sara Oliver Designs, and is original to Swimming Sideways!

Um. Yeah. The new cover is hands down better than the other (thank you, Sara!)

2. Followers enjoyed getting to know me (the author).

Shocking - I know - baring who I am isn’t comfortable - naturally introverted, but adaptably extroverted. That means I’m a freaking chameleon. No. Actually, it doesn’t, but I’d like to think it is a super power. Okay. In all seriousness, while being more in the “spotlight” doesn’t feel comfortable, it is a part of building a relationship. There is a give and take between people. What’s your favorite color? Mine is… This must occur, right for that reciprocal relationship building. This doesn’t stop even in a social media world which means we have to put ourselves out there.

What made this difficult for me (besides the whole discomfort of being in the “spotlight”) is the belief that I don’t think I’m all that interesting. I’m just ordinary Cami. Here I am feeling like my brain might be boiling over trying to figure out what’s interesting, and I’m thinking “there’s nothing worth sharing.” Perhaps this is a lie I tell myself because people expressed: I liked getting to know you. Hmm. Who knew? The lesson then: I can’t be afraid to put myself out there; I can’t worry about if what I have to share is interesting or not because I can only be myself; and I can’t be afraid to share my truth.

3. Followers liked getting to know the characters in a different way.

The methods mentioned were sharing the music playlists, sharing the book lists, and the new content snippets that helped readers feel more connected to the characters. That’s cool (and I wish I could share with you how cool these people are in my head… still!)

4. Followers liked being able to “talk” with other followers about the books while reading.

One IG follower said that being able to talk about the books with other readers while reading was a little like a “social media book club.” Bookstagrammers have this on lock and are very prolific in this regard. It’s a great tool (though I won’t pretend I’ve figured out how to generate more engagement with this; I think it will continue to be time and consistency).

Well. Here we are fellow road trippers. We’ve parked the van in the garage. We’re popping the champagne. Let’s toast to nine weeks of bumping along this Indie Marketing Road to a job well done. Thank you for being on this journey with me.

What’s next? Not sure. I’m going to take a couple weeks to finish my current book and figure myself out.

Now, I have to figure out how to look at the “after publication” marketing. :)


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Am Writing, Book Marketing, Cantos Chronicles, CL Walters, Independent Author, portrait of an artist, Swimming Sideways, The Bones of Who We Are, The Ugly Truth, Writer, Writer's Life, writing process, YA Contemporary, YA Series, YALit, Young Adult Cami Am Writing, Book Marketing, Cantos Chronicles, CL Walters, Independent Author, portrait of an artist, Swimming Sideways, The Bones of Who We Are, The Ugly Truth, Writer, Writer's Life, writing process, YA Contemporary, YA Series, YALit, Young Adult Cami

Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 6

Are we coming or going at this point? I’m not sure. It would seem I’m just following the road, windows down, music blasting and hoping beyond all hopes that the car is headed in the right direction. At least I have you all with me.

We just passed the week six marker. SIX WEEKS!?! Can you believe it? Feels like yesterday that I started this Independent Author Marketing Series, and now we’re here at the six week mark. Three weeks left until The Cantos Chronicles rereleases, and though it’s difficult to tell with accuracy, *preorders seem strong (which potentially is exciting).

*based on numbers provided by wholesale book distributor.

The Cantos Chronicles

The Cantos Chronicles

The method to keep things on the road this week involved these check list items:

Social Media

I listened to a great 15 minute podcast by Mixtus Media this week that purported it isn’t necessary to spread yourself too thin by doing ALL Social Media hotspots. Maybe that’s a little like visiting Disneyland and California Adventure and trying to do both parks and all the rides in one day. Instead, chose the format that works best and commit to that one. My favorite is Instagram. I touch base on Facebook. I’m rarely on Twitter. I do a drop in of Tumblr, but I spend the bulk of my social media presence on good old IG.

My GOAL for IG this week was to offer a bit more character depth to potential readers. All three protagonists (Abby, Seth and Gabe) were featured in my stories. Truthfully, I don’t think it worked as well as I had hoped. It was my fault - the premise of asking characters questions operates on the assumption that people already know them. What do you ask if you haven’t read the story? On the other hand, people who have read the stories saved me by asked some questions. Those answers may have offered potential readers food for thought. What do you think?

I don’t think the idea is a bad one, just perhaps that the execution could have been better.

Add to the Instagram mix, my awesome helpers on the book review and book recommendation blitz have been posting - one a day. That has been lovely to see and share. Anyone see a post from someone else that sparked your attention?

One more social media point was the completion of a flash giveaway on Instagram. It was a quick: “First 10 people to comment about some such or other will receive an ebook copy of Swimming Sideways.” It moved quickly, ten people received the ebook and hopefully they LOVE it! My thinking was to get some advanced copies out into the world to 1) generate excitement, 2) provide an early copy, and 3) perhaps inspire more people to share.

Book Signing

Further planning was done for a book signing at my local Barnes & Noble in Honolulu. With the Hawaii Literacy Project contacted and the event planners at my local B&N on board, the end of April or early May is looking like it might be a real possibility; I will use my newsletter to announce an event like this. When the plan solidifies, it will be a bit like turning full circle because I started this journey way back in November and it became the impetus for the entire rebrand of The Cantos Chronicles books.

Other Bookish Events

I contacted two local book events: A children’s literature conference held in June as well as a Book Festival held in October. I applied to both as a panelist and vendor and will be presenting at the Children’s Literature Conference in June! Still waiting to hear back on the second event, but I will keep you posted. This means I will have an event in April, perhaps one in May, one in June, one in July, am working on October and still waiting to hear back about November.

In addition to those events, I met with a high school librarian to develop a workshop for high school students about creativity. This presentation will happen at the high school where I work in April, but I’ll get to serve in a different capacity outside the realm of classroom teacher and stepping into the role of published author.

Finally, I’m giving away all of the remaining ARCs of the books to my students. They are super excited and don’t care that there are editorial mistakes in the books. Their response was: “Mrs. C, we won’t even know the mistakes are there.” (I don’t know if that is a reflection of my teaching or something else - LOL).


Wrap Up

The road is stretched out ahead of us. Are we going the right direction? I think so. I’m feeling confident, accomplished and filled with hope that where ever the road leads is exactly where I’m supposed to go. Did I have some missed turns -yeah, I think so - but that’s learning, right? With Week Six Independent Author Road Trip Marketing Journey stretched out along the asphalt behind us, we’re on to Week Seven. Only two more blogs until The Cantos Chronicles rerelease, and a final post to wrap up the road trip. I am super interested to know what you’ve noticed over the last six weeks? What has stood out? What kinds of questions are popping up for you? How can any of my experiences help inform you moving forward? Be sure to follow me on IG (@cl.walters) and keep an eye out for questions about this series in a couple of weeks.

Next week: Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 7

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Book Marketing, Book Playlist, Cantos Chronicles, CL Walters, Fiction, Independent Author, Playlist, Swimming Sideways, The Bones of Who We Are, The Letters She Left, The Ugly Truth, Writer, Writer's Life, Young Adult Cami Book Marketing, Book Playlist, Cantos Chronicles, CL Walters, Fiction, Independent Author, Playlist, Swimming Sideways, The Bones of Who We Are, The Letters She Left, The Ugly Truth, Writer, Writer's Life, Young Adult Cami

Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 3

There are peaks and valleys in every journey. The rise toward the viewpoint and the turnout that allows for us to park the car, check out the vista with a deep breath of appreciation and think: Wow. Look how far we’ve come. Conversely, there are valleys, the dips in the journey where we drive into the depths of the unknown where doubt has the opportunity to creep in and make us wonder if we’re on the right road? It’s a good time to pull out a map, except we don’t have one.

So Nevada…

So Nevada…

I’m in a valley on this marketing journey this week, spinning my wheels in the muddy terrain and wondering if I’m going to make it to the next peak. (Anyone got a song for me to cue up? Right now, I’m listening to our Spotify playlist “Indie Author Marketing Road Trip” to keep me moving forward “Grow as We Go” by Ben Platt. Drop it in the comments to give me a song of encouragement. :)

I am discouraged.

Allow me to be clear. I’m not discouraged by the support (family, friends, IG community is wonderful). I’m discouraged that engagement is down and I keep thinking “What more can you do? There must be something!” But I’m lost in this dark part of the valley where I don’t know. This doubt is rooted in the work I did for The Letters She Left Behind - the clue game giveaway which was a fun marketing idea that didn’t inspire as much engagement as I had hoped. I’m certainly grateful for those that did participate and two awesome winners resulted. Engagement has been worse this month as I attempt to build connection to The Cantos Chronicles with new and existing content. I’m terrified my spinning wheels are only making me sink deeper into the muck.

What does this all mean in the larger picture of being an independent author?

Upon reflection, I don’t think the answer is black and white but shades of variation. Here’s some thoughts I had this week:

  1. I’m being impatient. The perfectionist in me is also looking at the effort and expecting a specific outcome. Truth is, I’m new at this. Why would I have expected The Letters She Left Behind Clue Giveaway to create more engagement when people are only beginning to learn about me & my writing? In all of the research I’ve done about marketing of anything, instant success isn’t a thing (even if I want it to be). I need to be patient and persistent.

  2. Social media is only one tool at my disposal. Perhaps I’m not using all of the tools available effectively enough? I spend a lot of time on Instagram, but maybe that isn’t where to find my readers (even if I’ve connected with a wonderful community of writers). In considering my target audience: where are they? Maybe instagram, yes, but maybe I need to widen the search.

  3. Set backs - being stuck in the mud - isn’t a reason to give up; time to dig deeper and find the work around.

So what did I get to this week:

  1. I maintained my February approach to The Cantos Chronicles, offering new content interspersed with existing excerpts from the three books. I’m using a mixture of Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook, but as I mentioned earlier engagement is low and I haven’t found the magic elixir. Though I’m using a variety of hashtags rotating different ones, posting consistently I haven’t found a way to engage a majority of the followers I have.

  2. I did research on 301c Charities in my area. This is because my local Barnes and Noble is interested in using the charity as a draw for book sales. It’s a great idea. The charity benefits by bringing in patrons because they get a percent of the proceeds. Win-win-win for all three parties. My next step will be to craft letters to the charities are a good fit.

  3. I finalized the letters to teachers in my area. Now it is a matter of determining forward action: selecting schools, teachers, and timing. With the school year drawing to a close, timing might be an issue.

  4. I finalized plans for the March Social Media Blitz. Now it’s time to draft the information my March Blitzers will need and get it to them.

  5. I finished the Book Trailer. I plan to unveil that after the covers are revealed February 25. Look for the trailer next week.

That’s the week in review. While I might be stuck in the muck as an independent author marketer, I feel like I’m standing on top of the world as a creator: I finished my fifth book! And that reminds me why I am doing this: so I can keep doing this.

Until the next peak, my friends. Could you help me push the car out of the muddy terrain so we can get back underway to find it. Happy writing.

Next Week: Indie Marketing Update No. 4

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