Monday, April 21, 2025

On Community

'Way back in 2001 when I first started writing, the only other person I knew who wrote was a friend from college.  We were both busy raising kids and living life, so we rarely talked about our work, especially since we were limited to regular mail, then email (note, this was a while ago!). Once I started working, I had to move rooms after about 5 years in the building, and the person on the other side of the wall was our ESL teacher.  We got to talking, probably at lunch or before a meeting, and I learned that she wrote, too!  That was about it for community, however.  I worked alone, struggled through challenges alone, prepared my books for publication alone.

All that has now changed.  I have more unscheduled time, having retired from full time teaching, and have joined a small writers' group here in our little town.  They've been awesome, encouraging/prodding/figuratively kicking me in the behind me to branch out to BookTok, and we spend time in our meetings talking over the triumphs and frustrations of writing.

The other big change has been the community on BookTok.  Every day I meet new people (kinda weird for this happy introvert) who are kind, helpful, and, most of all, they GET ME.  haha!  There's nothing more affirming than finding your tribe.  In a certain sense it's like being in grad school again.  I've been chatting with people from all over the world, both on BookTok and on the phone, and it's a huge boost.  I used to teach French, and I understand well the struggle of getting people to understand what you're talking about.  I suppose that's every writer's ultimate goal: comprehension on the other side of the page.  Stephen King called it the most durable kind of magic.  It's fantastic when the trick lands right.

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Hanging at the Cool Kids' Table

 About a month ago I, filled with angst and trepidation, joined TikTok.  To be completely honest, I've mocked and scorned what I called TikGram and InstaTok in my classes, and I still despise what they've done and continue to do to our kids' minds.  That said, BookTok is an incredible boon for readers and writers alike, providing a platform for reviewers and authors to get their work known, and it's for this reason that I joined.  My most recent novel, I, Christine, never really took off, despite decent reviews from several bloggers, and I hated seeing it languish when I poured body and soul into it.  It's a good story of a fascinating, brilliant woman whose life and work is largely unknown beyond the ivory tower.  

So, where are we, a month or so in? Well, I've gotten used to talking to my phone and have learned a little about video editing.  With the help of a few generous indie author supporters (@MommaD, @alexandrashawauthor2, @oshanwaters4, and @A_Brew_Story, I'm looking at you!) I know have 186 followers, gaining about 10 new followers every day, and I've connected with several reviewers who have agreed to read and review Christine!  Yesterday I picked up @bethanys_bookshelf92, and when I saw she had twenty thousand followers, I had to ask, and yes! Although she generally reads and reviews fantasy, she's going to review Christine for me!  Even if 10% get the book, it'll be 2000 new readers.  This for a book that's sold maybe a few dozen copies.  Four other readers will also be posting their reviews to another 40,000 followers.  I also ran a Goodreads Giveaway of the ebook.  That cost some money, but if 10% of them review (Goodreads carries the freight on that one, prodding recipients to review) it'll be far more activity than the book's seen in probably a year.

Now, could it all disappear into the ether, among the thousands of romance, fantasy, romantasy, etc. published and promoted on BookTok every day?  Possibly, but I choose optimism.  And, with a healthy roster of followers, it'll be easier to promote my next book with a ready-made audience.  On we go, courageously into the 21st century!