By Greta Boris //
Have you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? This can be a problem for both new and seasoned writers.
A few years back, I wrote a novel with a friend. It was fun. It’s a great story. We even hired a higher-priced editor to smooth it out. But then it sat. For years. Unpublished.
Why? Because I couldn’t figure out how to market it. It didn’t fit with anything else in my backlist.
Since then, I’ve analyzed exactly what it is I write and how far outside the lines I can draw without confusing my readers. It has been a big help.
Such a big help that Megan Haskell, my partner at The Author Wheel, and I created a mini-course that leads people through the process we’ve each gone through to clarify our personal author mission statements.
7 Days to Your Author Brand will help you uncover your core motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language.
Each day you’ll get an email that will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it’s free.
Here’s DAY ONE:
Which genre or genres draw you in?
The fiction we’re most attracted to can tell us a lot about what motivates us.
For instance, many psychologists believe that those who love mysteries and thrillers want to face their fears and see justice done. They’re seeking safety.
Romance readers are looking for human connection. They long to see love and kindness win the day.
Fantasy and Science Fiction readers are often looking for the answers to the problems of humanity on a more global scale.
Answer these questions about your reading and film choices:
- What was your favorite genre as a child?
- What is your favorite genre today?
- If you have more than one favorite genre, can you find where those genres overlap?
- What genre(s) or subgenre(s) do you write in?
- What’s your closest crossover genre?
Save your answers in a notebook or document, because you’ll be referring to them on subsequent days.
Click here to get the rest of the lessons! And, don’t worry, you’ll get Day One again when you sign up so you don’t have to save this information now.
See you in the course!
GRETA BORIS is a USA Today Bestselling mystery-thriller author and co-founder of The Author Wheel, a business focused on the production of books, courses, and a podcast designed to help writers keep their stories rolling.
Thank you for these classes – I took the first one, looking forward to the next!