Are you currently published or publishing a novel in 2023? Are you a writeblr or active writer on tumblr?
Hey everyone! I want to dedicate two months in 2023 to reviewing the published works of indie and self-published authors of tumblr. The current state of the publishing industry frustrates me as both a consumer and future author, but I see the imaginative works of so many fellow writers through this app and hope that we can collectively shine a spotlight on the talent showcased here. My reviews will be posted across social media platforms and shared on all major book review sites (like Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Indigo).
I do not want free ARCs or copies of your work. I personally believe it’s important for us to increase the book sales of smaller, debut authors so they can find a larger audience. I will pay for all of my copies, as I have the means to do so.
I do want you to please reblog this post and share the title, link, genre, and description of the book you have published or will be publishing in 2023.
Feel free to use or adjust the below sample template, or respond with your own.
Please reblog and boost!
Author name:
Relevant social media: (any social media you would want potential readers to seek out)
Social media: https://www.tiktok.com/@noabrooksauthor?_t=8Y4cbpXGzRy&_r=1
Book title: Descendants of the Earth
Genre: YA Fantasy
Word count: 94k
Summary: Owen is a boy who realizes he is special - he can control fire. Then he finds a camp where everyone is like him, able to control the elements. When the Master of the Elements is killed, Owen is sure that he is going to be next in line. All he has to do is help his friends find the Rings of Power, which will allow him to control elements other than the ones he was born with. This is exactly the kind of quest he’s always dreamed of being a part of, and with his new friends by his side he knows they will succeed. But when one of his allies turns out to be a traitor, he no longer knows what to believe. And though he thinks he knows what he wants, by the end of his journey, he’s not so sure.
Trigger warnings: minor character deaths, burns, cults, mental manipulation/unreality
Publication date: November 23, 2020
Link to purchase:
Descendants of the Earth - Kindle edition by Brooks, Noa. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use fea
It would mean the world to me if anyone checked out my book :)
Thank you for doing this, I’m releasing the third in my ongoing series in March 2023.
Here are my details...
Author name: Syntell Smith
Relevant social media: Twitter (@syntellsmith), Facebook (@syntell_smith) and here on Tumblr
Book title: Hold Circulation: A Call Numbers novel - Trial and Redemption
Genre: Literary Fiction
Word count:106,532
Summary: After a lengthy punishment, library clerk Robin Walker is given a second chance, but as soon as he's back on the straight path, an overzealous investigator puts him and the rest of the 58th Street Branch in harmful trial by fire.
Trigger warnings: Childbirth, Mild Violence, 1 intense sexual scene, drinking, dramatic scenes of women in homeless shelter.
So, writing advice from someone who has done marginally okay with writing;
Get on Twitter: all of publishing rn is on Twitter right now. That’s where you need to be.
Participate in Pitch Parties. These are events on Twitter where you put out a short pitch (usually between 5-10 throughout the day) and agents like pitches they’re interested in. DO NOT LIKE OTHER WRITER’S PITCHES. Retweet to show support unless the rules specify otherwise. But never ever do the thing exclusive to agents (usually likes).
Get into some writing discords. Not only are these great places to find fellow writers and to network but they’re a great way to build a whisper network
Build a whisper network. Publishing is a shady game. There are lots of “publishing houses” you shouldn’t sign with if your life depended on it. One example of these are vanity press scams. If you don’t have a whisper network yet, follow the Twitter account @/YaWhispers - these are a great source of info on shady agents and publishers.
Before you sign with anyone CHECK CHECK CHECK their reputation. Talk to their other clients, see what their sales are like, check where they’ve worked before, ask around other authors, search their name on Twitter and see if they’ve been in any scandals. New agents can be great - they often have more time for you because they have fewer clients, so this isn’t to say never sign with a new agent, but just be cautious.
MSWLs (Manuscript Wishlists) are your best friend. Search using sites like manuscriptwishlist.com and mswishlist.com to find agents who are actively seeking out works like yours. Then, once you’ve found them, vet those agents like it’s your job.
Look agents up on querytracker. Querytracker is your new best friend, so say hi and get well-acquainted. This is where you’ll be able to read feedback, see what their generic response forms look like, check their response times, etc etc etc. Enjoy! You’ll be spending a LOT of time researching on here.
Follow authors who write in your genre, find out who their agents are, and follow those agents. From there, you’ll find agents THEY retweet and interact with and build your network.
Speaking of, interact! Lots of authors are super sweet and love chatting to up-and-coming authors (shout out to Ryan La Sala, Rebecca Mix, and all those lovelies) and will be super generous with their time as long as you’re also being supportive of them.
If you want, try entering contests on Twitter! Though I didn’t get anywhere in PitchWars, one of my good friends is in the finals right now! But from PW I got a whole new group of writing buds and met loads of great people. This isn’t your only way into publishing, it’s just one.
Your query letter, your pitch, and your first 3 chapters are arguably the most important things you’ll ever write. Write them. Rewrite them. Send them to your author friends. Rewrite them again. These are the things that will make an agent go ‘ooh, interesting’ and request more pages, or send you straight to the slush pile.
If you decide to use comps, make them strong. Comps (or comparisons) are titles that are like yours, and will paint a picture for an agent of the vibe of your book. For example, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell might be comped as ‘HARRY POTTER’s Drarry meets 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU’. Magic? Check. Enemies to lovers? Check. Yay.
When picking comps, you want something that’s not too mainstream and not to obscure, and you want to say your books are like that. Don’t say you’re the next JK Rowling, or your book is the next Harry Potter, because that sounds gross af.
Okay I have so so so many more tips so if you have specific questions, queries, etc. then drop me a DM and I can answer specific questions or make lists that are around particular topics (e.g. query letters, elevator pitches, choosing comps, any jargon that you don’t know, etc.)
Okayyyy byeeeee and good luck for those out on query!
Now on Pre-order! The drama continues for Robin Walker & the staff of the 58th Street Branch Library. Shocking developments of life & death leads to a secret revealed & a heartbreaking departure. Book Endings - A Call Numbers novel, coming in September!
Alright, July brings the Beta Reading Phase for Book 2! I’m looking for some readers who are familiar with the Call Numbers series, have read book 1 and are ready to read book 2 on a sneak peek!!! If you’re interested, sign up here!
https://forms.gle/vVx9dicJBeWtzATA6
A powerful excerpt from "Call Numbers: Loss, Pain, and Revelations" (Book 2)
In this current political climate, I felt inclined to share an excerpt from book 2. In June 1994, the country celebrated the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. As a Scottish-Japanese immigrant, library senior clerk, Sonyai Yi has an emotional heated exchange with a patron.
A patron came up to the returns side and asked Tommy, “Excuse me? I’d like to check out this book, please.”
Tommy looked to Sonyai and back to the elder gentleman. “Uh, Sir, this is the returns side; you’ll have to step over to the other side in order to check it out.” He extended his arm showing the way.
The patron looked at Sonyai and stood in place. “Can’t you do it?” he asked.
Sonyai narrowed her eyes.
“Sir, I see nothing wrong with you stepping over…”
“Well I do, Son. So I’d like YOU to check out this book...please,” he insisted.
She stepped across to Tommy’s right side. “Is there a problem here, Sir?”
“Nothing personal. I would prefer not to speak to you, Miss.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, have I offended you in some way, Sir? Do you have a problem with me personally, Sir!?” she snapped.
“I have no qualms with you personally, Ma’am, I just wish not to have anything to do with you people considering the significance of today.”
Sonyai said nothing and Tommy did his best not to reveal his disdain. “Well, I’m sorry Sir, but if you want that book you have to go to her. End of story.”
A moment passed, and the patron chewed his lip. “Fine.” He dropped the book on the desk in front of Tommy. “I’ll go someplace else, where I don’t have to see any gooks!”
He walked around to leave. Sonyai shut her eyes, resisting the urge to say something...she failed.
“You got a problem with Japanese people, you racist!?” she spat at his back.
He froze and turned around to face her. “I have a problem with 2400 dead military and civilians in Hawaii because of some rice-eating, slanty-eyed cowards!”
She nodded. “Pearl Harbor; it always comes down to Pearl Harbor, doesn’t it? I am 36 years old! I was born 16 years AFTER it happened. I have nothing to do with what happened that day!”
“If not you, your parents, uncles, cousins, you people were responsible for the USS Arizona!”
“Not everyone in Japan was in favor of the war! My parents brought me and my brother here to the United States in 1969, after hearing the words of John F. Kennedy seven years earlier. He was a visionary, representing the land of the free! Words that inspired every person that heard his voice...and what do you do? Shoot him dead! Martin Luther King, Jr. Dead!”
Sonyai’s voice began to attract glances from the rest of the floor. She started to pound her chest. “My father was a scholar! He reached thousands of people with his writings, and what did he do for a living when he came here? He worked in a hospital as a janitor!”
The patron’s face turned red with rage. “I lost my father when he was stationed there as a missionary...he was a peacekeeper! He wanted to help people! He didn’t deserve to die cowering in the corner of a hospital room when the bombings began!”
“So you want me to personally apologize on behalf of all the Japanese!? You, who killed MILLIONS of innocent people?” She gritted her teeth. “You talk about losing 2000? Tell that to the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Tears were running down her face as her voice began to break. “All we want is a chance...at the American Dream, and we are treated unfairly, discriminated against! You held an entire generation accountable for something they had nothing to do with! Even after 50 years, nothing’s changed. Nothing WILL change.”
The man looked back at her, stunned. He shook his head and whispered, “It was WAR. They were casualties…” he raised his voice again. “We needed to send a message!”
“It wasn’t a message...it was genocide.”
Zelda stepped up to the circulation desk. “I know this is a touchy subject, but I must ask you to refrain from continuing this conversation please.”
Sonyai and the patron stared at each other, then without another word the man left through the exit. It was almost the top of the hour. Robin walked in and noticed Sonyai walking in the clerical office wiping at her face. He looked at Tommy.
“Uh, did I miss…”
“Just drop it, Walker...before you even ask,” he dismissed.
thank u @theworst-pirate ! this is from my up and coming wip seasalt secrets (title is under construction ahaha)
“I loved him more than anything else in the world” Juno said, her voice rising almost to a scream. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she paused for a moment to lick them away.
Marigold stared at her in shock. After the events of the past week she wasn’t surprised that Juno was finally losing her mind. “You don’t have to do this Ju-ju!” She moved towards the hysterical girl, her arms outstretched peacefully.
Juno backed away, a wild look in her brown eyes. “Get away from me Mari. I don’t need her help. No one does. So just fuck off,” Juno spat. “I’m going to kill him and you will not stop me.”
oops sorry this is more than a line! I also had to make this up on the spot because I have 0 lines at the moment hahah! but actually, this was quite helpful for thinking up my plot!
I tag: @sprigofbasil @furysreign @medusaswrites <3
thanks for the tag @stargirlsaga! My last line from tth is uhh diving straight into major spoiler territory, so here’s just a snippet with 0 context:
“It must hurt,” [redacted] continued, “to see your once-loyal subjects turn on you, turn their backs on everything you stand for. Doesn’t it just burn you up inside? You’ve given up everything for them, your family, your name—“
I tag: @percvalx @bookism @honeywharf! Feel free to ignore this if you want or if you’ve already done it :3
Thank you! @sprigofbasil. My last line is from a high fantasy I was tinkering with, uh about rebirth. Here’s the first few lines (for now).
Children are often born pure as the freshly fallen snow. Untainted by the world, without longing. It is only when time begins to spin its wheels that they become murky, sloshy, with little divets inside them they will search all their life to patch back up again.
Once, there was a child who was born with a suggestion inside him—an abyss he wouldn’t know how to fill.
I’m tagging @cjjameswriting @corishadowfang @chierafied good luck :3
I made these as a way to compile all the geographical vocabulary that I thought was useful and interesting for writers. Some descriptors share categories, and some are simplified, but for the most part everything is in its proper place. Not all the words are as useable as others, and some might take tricky wording to pull off, but I hope these prove useful to all you writers out there!
So hey, I know it's been awhile since posting anything...been trying to market the book and making a few mistakes in the process, BUT good news, Book 2 is 98.5% done and I'm starting the Self-Editing process, will hire a professional editor by April and then the search for Beta Readers will begin for the summer!!!
I've also decided to stay the course and start books 3 and 4, instead of finishing and publishing Redeye. I really want to acquire a fanbase by doing the first 5 books over 3-4 years before doing something else.
Hey btw if you don’t know how to program, you should check out [novelty], which is a free Visual Novel creation software. Absolutely no programming required, and it’s super easy to use, I played with it some when I was a teen but the only reason I didn’t do much with it is cuz I made my story complicated and had like 5000 different branching routes that kept spawning new routes and made myself confused LMAO
But yeah, it’s a WYSIWYG with a really straight-forward GUI, if I remember correctly.
It even comes with some free backgrounds and characters and stuff, and this is what it looks like:
Did I mention it’s super duper free? It hasn’t been updated since 2010, but it has basically all you’d need to make a simple visual novel.
Just make sure your DirectX runtime is updated, cuz it can act buggy if it’s outdated, but this program is so old that I doubt it’d even be an issue lol
@becausedragonage @ashidoodle can I recommend Choice Script? It’s like a choose your own adventure coding program. The finished product looks like this, where every option sends you down a different path:
They are literally books you can play. You can even insert your own character’s name and pronouns and that would make writing reader inserts so much easier And as a writer who can not art, writing and making dating sims and games is more convenient.
The coding is also super simple and easy to learn and all it requires other than the program files is a text editor. And just like that you can start typing up like you would your own fanfics or stories. Plus it’s very versatile so you can make your game/book as simple or as complicated as you want, and even implement stats and inventory systems.
AND CHOICE SCRIPT IS ALSO SUPER DUPER FREE. THE COMPANY EVEN PUBLISHES YOUR FINISHED GAME FOR YOU AND GIVES YOU ROYALTIES IF YOU CHOOSE TO SELL IT. THE PROGRAM STILL GETS UPDATED AND THE COMPANY PUBLISHES BOOKS EVERY MONTH INCLUDING THE FANMADE ONES. THERE’S ALSO A FORUM FOR PEOPLE TO POST WIPS AND TALK ABOUT CHOICE SCRIPT AND GET HELP.
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