Behind all the technical aspects of what we write as authors, there is a message. What is the message of your book, short story, poem, piece? What are you *really* writing?
I recently decided to pause a creative project of mine that has been doing well for 3 years. It has a captive audience who love it, but I was verging on burnout. But how and why am I stopping for a break? What is the creative life? What does it looks like? What are its seasons? All of these thoughts were blurring in my brain as I posted that I would be taking a break.
The creatives mentioned in this chat:
Amie McNee
Rob Bell
Recently in the media there's been some hoo haa about an ex-sportsman who created a Booktok, and within 6 weeks was offered a 2-book deal (fiction). Some people were excited, some weren't. Let's talk about it.
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💡 Are we building something meaningful or just tearing things down?
Lately, the book community has been flooded with negativity—trashing books, hating on authors, and feeding the algorithm with drama. But is that the legacy we want to leave behind?
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I watched a super interesting video of domino builders (yes!) that taught me a few things about writing. Sounds weird, but watch this, watch the video, and be inspired!Here's the domino builder video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWjIqZ3_Qps&list=WL
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Wesley Croft is a stunning Australian indie author, who has just published a mind-blowing debut, Awoken Forest: Ashes of the Injai. I chatted with Wesley about the writing process and all the tips other authors need to know!
Check out Awoken Forest: Ashes of the Injai here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Awoken-Forest-Ashes-Wesley-Croft-ebook/dp/B0DKTNW6LT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28ZOSWDIA6SJI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MYJG5FZPTWXTcYeXGFcc-u_XzhQ0gKQJ7NA-K1AMcR-tMIN3iZ8bbbNvYsH_cCUh.LZxdQ2hwUtsSrm2Q5r0sI6cOKaTP4GDjPsyhBWw9tJE&dib_tag=se&keywords=awoken+forest&qid=1730333390&sprefix=awoken+forest%2Caps%2C337&sr=8-1
Sign up to Wesley's newsletter at https://www.wesleycroft.com/
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Share your own ideas on this or any other writing topic by reaching out here: https://jessknaus.blog/afterhoursauthors/
Connect with me on Instagram or Threads:https://www.instagram.com/jayk_creates/
Visit my website:https://jessknaus.blog/
Feel like your marketing and promo activities for your book are literally being thrown into the abyss? Hearing crickets after publishing your book? Here's what you need to check!
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Here is the most popular short story from my blog in 2024! I released this audio story on my YouTube channel, but I wanted to share it here as a way to show how you can repurpose your content across platforms to help promote your writing. I hope you enjoy the story and let me know what you think!
Listen to this story on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yxX5I_PHaI&t=119s
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Sending big hugs to anyone who's unable to access TikTok 😭
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Guys, it's the end of the year! We made it. This is the very last podcast episode for 2024. Thanks for listening! See you in 2025 👀
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Welcome to part 2 of the engagement series! In this episode I talk about ways to increase the engagement with your email marketing. Don't feel overwhelmed, just get started and try some of my tips!
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Most content creators want bigggg follower numbers, right? I would love to encourage all authors to focus more on engagement over the number of followers you have. This is part 1 in a 2-part series. Episode 1 will focus on Instagram, episode 2 will focus on email.
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Are you a plotter or a pantser? I am the latter and man oh man, I have learnt a LOT about writing on this journey. Here are 3 things I've learnt in pantsing my first draft.
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Live events are a MUST if you want to sell books! I recently went to Book Fair Australia and took note of what author displays looked amazing and why, plus how the best sales conversations went.
Check out the incredible stand by Loren Tuxford: https://www.instagram.com/p/DB0s1zeyOU1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Share your own ideas on this or any other writing topic by reaching out here: https://jessknaus.blog/afterhoursauthors/
Connect with Jess on Instagram or Threads: https://www.instagram.com/jayk_creates/
Check out Jess's written works here: https://jessknaus.blog/