Author Advice with Julie Lessman

Welcome to the first episode of Writers Wednesday! I have had a blast creating these episodes and I hope you find them fun and informative.

Before we dive in, here are a few announcements.

Our next expert training for authors will be this Saturday, February 17th at 11:00am EST. Indie and traditionally published author Sara R. Turnquist will dive into formatting software for authors. Her training will look at three formatting softwares: Vellum, Atticus, and Scrivener. Sarah will provide a brief overview of formatting in general. Then we will discuss some pros and cons of each software.

This training is free for HCRW members and $17 for non-members. You can find a link to join below this blog post.

If you are an aspiring author of historical Christian romance, then I invite you to join your fellow authors! In HCRW, we enjoy productive and encouraging critique meetings twice a month. We have informative expert trainings once a month that equips us with the knowledge and tools to make our writing dreams a reality. Learn more and become a member today by clicking the button below. I’m looking forward to writing with you!

https://www.literaryscape.com/hcrw

Be sure to sign-up for our newsletter to stay up to date on all that is happening here at LiteraryScape.

 Episode Notes:

This week’s Writers Wednesday episode brings back one of our favorite authors here at LiteraryScape, Julie Lessman. Julie is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. A lover of all things Irish, she enjoys writing close-knit Irish family sagas that evolve into 3-D love stories: the hero, the heroine, and the God that brings them together.

Julie has also written a self-help workbook for writers entitled Romance-ology 101: Writing Romantic Tension for the Sweet and Inspirational Markets.

In this conversation, Julie Lessman reflects on her transition from traditionally published to indie published and the freedom it provides in cover design and storytelling. Julie discusses various aspects of the writing and publishing industry. She shares surprising statistics about book sales and the challenges authors face in the market.

Julie also highlights the dangers of making writing a career idol and the importance of finding balance. She advises aspiring authors to join writing organizations and connect with like-minded individuals. Julie recommends using resources like prayer partners, the One Look Thesaurus, and alternative search engines.

Takeaways:

·      Transitioning from traditionally published to indie published provides more control over cover design and storytelling.

·      Book sales statistics show that the average professionally published book sells around 3,000 copies over its lifetime.

·      Writing can become an idol in an author's life, leading to a constant pursuit of sales, rankings, and recognition.

·      Book signings are not as effective in selling books as they once were, and authors should consider alternative marketing strategies.

·      Having an agent is crucial for getting published in the Christian market and many other publishing houses.

·      Joining writing organizations and networking with like-minded authors can provide valuable support and opportunities.

·      Prayer partners, the One Look Thesaurus, and alternative search engines are helpful resources for writers.