welcome…
…to all my secrets on life as a published author
(I’m 7 traditionally published books in and I’ve learnt some stuff 😉)
I blog weekly about author websites, newsletters and life as a writer…
New posts published every Monday 😊
Want to learn more about me and my own publishing journey first?
(includes info on how I landed one of those mythical six-figure book deals!)
Read all about my own journey to publication →
Or scroll down to read all my other posts!
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most recent posts
Substack for authors: interview with Emma Rowley
I had such a great response to my previous interview with Eleanor Anstruther about Substack, that I thought readers might find a chat with Emma Rowley, who works for Substack in the UK, helpful too.
Making the most of Substack as a fiction author - interview with Eleanor Anstruther
I’m so excited to be sharing this interview with you! Eleanor Anstruther is an award-winning author and was one of my very first web design clients, five years ago.
Life as an assistant editor - interview with Sophie Dawson
I’m really excited about today’s interview! Sophie Dawson is an Assistant Editor at publisher Head of Zeus. She also recently worked on my second Charlotte Rixon novel, which is coming out later this year, and she’s been a real joy to work with! So I’m thrilled that she agreed to answer a few questions about her work.
Life as a book publicist – interview with Ana McLaughlin
Ironically, I’m not sure that book publicists (or PRs) get enough publicity for the very important job they do getting books on readers’ radars! So I’m super happy today to have an interview with Ana McLaughlin to share with you. She has worked in book PR since 2001. She’s also a published author herself and has a wealth of experience to share about this very important part of the sales-marketing-publicity triangle…
What’s it really like being published by a small publisher?
I’m excited to have another interview for you today, with thriller author Emma Christie. I have known Emma for a while now, as we share the same agent, and I thought it would be interesting to talk to her about her experience of being published by a small publisher, as this is something authors often have questions about.
Top tips from expert fiction editor Rebecca Millar
As an author, I am in awe of editors! They contribute so much to the publishing process, and I know for sure that my books wouldn’t be half as good if it weren’t for the vigorous editing they were put through by some very talented editors. However, as editors are largely ‘behind the scenes’, we don’t hear that much about them. So I thought it might be nice to pin one down to find out a little bit more about how they work! I’m delighted to be sharing this interview with Rebecca Millar, a hugely experienced freelance fiction editor, to find out more about how she works with both established and aspiring authors.
5 marketing tips for debut authors
Really excited to have another guest post from marketing expert Katie Sadler for you this week. When they get their first book deal, many authors feel totally overwhelmed by the prospect of marketing their books - so I thought it might be helpful to get Katie’s take on the most important things to do as a debut!
Marketing for authors – top tips from expert Katie Sadler
This is probably the most interesting and helpful interview I have ever done! I worked with Katie Sadler on my first novel The Rival, when she was working in-house at Quercus.
How to overcome tech phobia and build your own author website
This post is one that’s very close to my heart. I speak to SO many authors who say ‘I hate technology’ or ‘I just find it all so confusing’ or ‘I have no idea who to build a website - I’m a writer!’ and I’d just like to begin this post by saying that I totally get it.
Social media for authors: interview with expert Anita Chapman
I’m very excited about this week’s interview, with social media expert Anita Chapman, who specialises in working with authors and book marketers. I pinned her down and basically asked her all the questions I wanted answers to myself, and she was incredibly forthcoming and helpful in her answers. It’s a long one, so settle in with a coffee…
5 of the best support groups for published authors
Some of the most interesting feedback I’ve had from my ebook The Debut Author’s Survival Guide has been about the pages right at the front of the book – all about your feelings as a debut author. I really believe (and I covered this in my post on managing your feelings as a debut author) that the experience of being published can be a little tricky to navigate.
Interview: Tracy Buchanan from Savvy Writers
I was so excited to interview bestselling author Tracy Buchanan, who also runs the Savvy Writers’ group - a group of published authors set up specifically to provide support for one another. Tracy is launching her first writing festival later this year, and in our chat she tells us all about what to expect, as well as sharing her tips on achieving longevity as an author…
How to create a links page for your social media bios
If you use social media to promote your books, you’ve probably found the limitations in your social media bios frustrating. Your bio areas on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are restricted by the number of characters they can hold, meaning you can only promote a few things from there at a time.
✨ 30 things I’ve learnt from 5 years being published ✨
September 6 2023 marked 5 years since my first book was released 😲
To celebrate, I shared a new post about what I’ve learnt from being published EVERY DAY throughout the month.
Enjoy!
curious about my books?
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Look at all the great stuff you’ll get…
Essential Guide to SEO for Authors
17 page guide
The Debut Author’s Survival Guide
30 page ebook
Author Website Content Guide
14 page guide
Author Newsletters
- a Beginner’s Guide
30 minute video
Blogging for Authors
- a Beginner’s Guide
18 minute video