Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 1

February 4, 2020

This week marked the first steps into the eight week marketing blitz for the Cantos Chronicles, a completed YA Trilogy that’s undergoing a complete rebrand: new ISBNs, new covers, new interiors. With a ton of work (and money) invested in the rerelease, marketing and publicity to spread the word is even more important and has never been clearer how in over my head I am. But when has that ever stopped me?

Here’s what I did this week:

My newsletter went out this week with the new covers of the trilogy. Lots of information out there insists that newsletter subscribers are an indie author’s most important asset. There is a definitive need to build this list and cultivate that relationship by providing subscribers with benefits that no one else is able to access. So - they were the first to have access to the new covers (which I’m ecstatic about) as well as new content of my work in progress. And wouldn’t you know it, I got a few emails from subscribers excited about them. Hooray!
The second thing I did is begin the calling and planning of various events (book stores, media outlets, podcasts, etc). I’m not going to lie - this feels a lot more like doors slamming in my face than opening. The difficulty of this step is the lack of relationship which is really what a publicist provides. But without that added cost in my budget yet, I’m going to have to build these relationships on my own. Slammed doors aren’t enough to stop me; I’m searching the work around - the secret door. I’ll keep you posted.
On instagram @cl.walters, I’m using an IG month challenge to begin connecting the Cantos Chronicles stories with followers. I have two months until the rerelease happens (March 31) so with eight weeks to go, I didn’t want to create brand weariness or blindness. Instead, I’m hoping this provides the ability to connect, think, and link reader interest with the writing and the characters. Additionally, I want to maintain current momentum with readers who have already enjoyed the series by offering new content. I chose #onewordpromptchallenge hosted by @mjvaughn1_author because of the way the challenge is open ended and I’ve found it inspires me creatively. The prompts have offered me a way to mingle new content with existing content. The hope is always to invite engagement on IG because that is what creates visibility. I’ll keep you posted on the effectiveness of this method. Two days in, engagement is low (big-eyed worried face).

With this week in the books, there’s a sliver of myself that’s worried. What if this is an epic fail? What if I sunk a ton of money into something that is dead on arrival? As a perfectionist, I’m putting a ton of pressure on myself - I can feel it. And then there’s a part of me that recognizes this journey is several marathons in succession - nothing worthwhile is built overnight. Even as cliche as it is, the cliche exists for a reason. That is why I wake up and try again everyday, because I know this dream is worth it. The hope, however, doesn’t necessarily calm the fears that I’m going to fall flat on my face. That’s the risk, though, I suppose. And I’m not sure I’ve been one to back down from the challenge, fear and all.

Next week: Indie Marketing Update No.2

July 2024
- Jul 15, 2024 Imposter Syndrome: Tools for Authenticty Jul 15, 2024
June 2024
- Jun 1, 2024 June Read Along: In the Echo of this Ghost Town Jun 1, 2024
March 2024
- Mar 25, 2024 New Post on SubStack tomorrow! Mar 25, 2024
- Mar 1, 2024 March Read Along: The Bone of Who We Are Mar 1, 2024
January 2024
- Jan 31, 2024 February Read Along: The Ugly Truth Jan 31, 2024
December 2023
- Dec 28, 2023 2024: Year of the Read Along Dec 28, 2023
October 2023
- Oct 25, 2023 Unhealthy Relationships and Romance Books Oct 25, 2023
- Oct 25, 2023 Relationships: Isolation versus Autonomy Oct 25, 2023
- Oct 22, 2023 Unhealthy Relationships: The Love Bomb Oct 22, 2023
- Oct 22, 2023 Healthy Relationships: Hindsight is 20/20 Oct 22, 2023
- Oct 22, 2023 Relationships: Beware Gaslighting Oct 22, 2023
September 2023
- Sep 25, 2023 Blog Digest from 2018-2023 Sep 25, 2023
August 2023
- Aug 26, 2023 Blog Moved to Substack Aug 26, 2023
July 2023
- Jul 31, 2023 The Trials of Imogene Sol: The Allies Jul 31, 2023
- Jul 13, 2023 Foundational Books & Book Bans Jul 13, 2023
- Jul 5, 2023 Tropes: Found Family Jul 5, 2023
June 2023
- Jun 21, 2023 3 Things I Learned About Reading Space Opera Jun 21, 2023
May 2023
- May 24, 2023 The Dangers of Myopic Reading May 24, 2023
- May 17, 2023 My Trek...Journey...Quest to O'ahu Independent Bookstores May 17, 2023
- May 10, 2023 My Life as an Alien Invader May 10, 2023
- May 3, 2023 How I Got to Hawaiʻi, My Hawaiʻi Story May 3, 2023
April 2023
- Apr 26, 2023 You Can Go Home Again Apr 26, 2023
March 2023
- Mar 29, 2023 Cantos Love: Happy Anniversary! Mar 29, 2023
- Mar 22, 2023 Cantos Love: Gabe Mar 22, 2023
- Mar 15, 2023 Cantos Love: Seth Mar 15, 2023
- Mar 8, 2023 Cantos Love: How They Came to Be Mar 8, 2023
- Mar 1, 2023 Cantos Love: A Month of Cantos Mar 1, 2023
January 2023
- Jan 25, 2023 The Letters She Left Behind, 3 Years. Jan 25, 2023
- Jan 18, 2023 Behind-the Scenes: The Trials of Imogene Sol Jan 18, 2023
- Jan 11, 2023 Behind-the-Scenes: Reading & All My Rage Jan 11, 2023
November 2022
- Nov 16, 2022 Book Hangover List Nov 16, 2022
- Nov 9, 2022 Advice: Find your People Nov 9, 2022
October 2022
- Oct 26, 2022 Contest Awarded Short Story: The Invalid Oct 26, 2022
- Oct 13, 2022 The WHY Behind The Messy Truth About Love Oct 13, 2022
June 2022
- Jun 27, 2022 4 Things You Should Know about The Messy Truth About Love Before Reading Jun 27, 2022
February 2022
- Feb 2, 2022 February Ideals: Dreaming Feb 2, 2022
December 2021
- Dec 22, 2021 My Top 10 Songs (w/Lyrics) 2021 Dec 22, 2021
- Dec 15, 2021 My Top 5 Characters I've Written Dec 15, 2021
- Dec 1, 2021 My Top 5 of My Own Books Dec 1, 2021
September 2021
- Sep 1, 2021 Road to Echoes: 8 Tips for Using NaNoWriMo to Write Your Novel Sep 1, 2021
August 2021
- Aug 25, 2021 Road to Echoes: 4 Lessons I Learned Writing Maxwell Wallace Aug 25, 2021
- Aug 18, 2021 Road to Echoes: Tropes Aug 18, 2021
- Aug 11, 2021 The Road to Echoes: Loud Characters Aug 11, 2021
- Aug 4, 2021 The Road to Echoes: Putting the Story Together Aug 4, 2021
July 2021
- Jul 28, 2021 The Road to Echoes: Research to Understand Griffin Jul 28, 2021
- Jul 21, 2021 The Road to Echoes: Secondary Characters Primer Jul 21, 2021
- Jul 14, 2021 The Road to Echoes: Writing Difficult Characters Jul 14, 2021
- Jul 7, 2021 The Road of Echoes: What Inspired Griffin's Story? Jul 7, 2021
June 2021
- Jun 30, 2021 The Road of Echoes: New Blog Series Jun 30, 2021
May 2021
- May 26, 2021 Favorite Reads of 2021 So Far May 26, 2021
- May 19, 2021 Cover Love May 19, 2021
- May 12, 2021 Writing Limbo May 12, 2021
- May 5, 2021 Writing In Between May 5, 2021
April 2021
- Apr 28, 2021 April Challenge: Update No. 4 Apr 28, 2021
- Apr 21, 2021 April Challenge: Update No. 3 Apr 21, 2021
- Apr 14, 2021 April Challenge: Update No. 2 Apr 14, 2021
- Apr 7, 2021 April Challenge: Update No. 1 Apr 7, 2021
March 2021
- Mar 31, 2021 April Challenge: Finishing the Draft Mar 31, 2021
February 2021
- Feb 24, 2021 Character Speaks: Dear Paola, from Gabe Feb 24, 2021
- Feb 17, 2021 Character Speaks: Dear Sam, from Seth Feb 17, 2021
- Feb 10, 2021 Ask the Author: Advice for Newbie Writers? Feb 10, 2021
- Feb 3, 2021 Ask the Author: What motivates you to write? Feb 3, 2021
January 2021
- Jan 27, 2021 Ask the Author: Series or Stand Alone? Jan 27, 2021
- Jan 20, 2021 Ask the Author: Why did you choose to write YA? (Part 2) Jan 20, 2021
- Jan 13, 2021 Ask the Author: Why did you choose to write YA? Jan 13, 2021
- Jan 6, 2021 Ask the Author: Favorite Part of the Writing Process? Jan 6, 2021
October 2020
- Oct 16, 2020 Rainy Day Collective Podcast & Purity Culture Oct 16, 2020
- Oct 14, 2020 The Stories Stars Tell: It's Here! Oct 14, 2020
July 2020
- Jul 1, 2020 Interview: Lauren-Marie with The Indigo Book Jul 1, 2020
June 2020
- Jun 24, 2020 This-Then-That: YA Dystopian and SciFi Edition Jun 24, 2020
- Jun 17, 2020 This-Then-That: YA Contemporary Edition Jun 17, 2020
- Jun 10, 2020 This-Then-That: YA Fantasy Edition Jun 10, 2020
May 2020
- May 27, 2020 Reading Wonderland Interview: Piper Bee May 27, 2020
- May 20, 2020 Reading Wonderland Interview: Nancy Richardson Fischer May 20, 2020
- May 13, 2020 Reading Wonderland Interview: Rob Rufus May 13, 2020
- May 6, 2020 Reading Wonderland Interview: Lisa Brown Roberts May 6, 2020
April 2020
- Apr 29, 2020 Reading Wonderland: an Introduction Apr 29, 2020
- Apr 22, 2020 Quarantine: 37 Days Apr 22, 2020
March 2020
- Mar 31, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Road Trip Wrap Up Mar 31, 2020
- Mar 25, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 8 Mar 25, 2020
- Mar 18, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 7 Mar 18, 2020
- Mar 11, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 6 Mar 11, 2020
February 2020
- Feb 29, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 5 Feb 29, 2020
- Feb 24, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 4 Feb 24, 2020
- Feb 19, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 3 Feb 19, 2020
- Feb 12, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 2 Feb 12, 2020
- Feb 4, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 1 Feb 4, 2020
January 2020
- Jan 29, 2020 Indie Author Marketing: A Hope and A Dream Jan 29, 2020
- Jan 15, 2020 The Letters She Left Behind: It's here! Jan 15, 2020
December 2019
- Dec 18, 2019 The Letters She Left Behind: Character Interview Dec 18, 2019
- Dec 11, 2019 The Letters She Left Behind: Annotated Playlist Dec 11, 2019
October 2019
- Oct 16, 2019 Awesome Writer Spotlight: Mary E. Pearson (again) Oct 16, 2019
- Oct 7, 2019 The Bones of Who We Are: Gratitude Oct 7, 2019
September 2019
- Sep 30, 2019 The Bones of Who We Are: It's time. Sep 30, 2019
- Sep 16, 2019 The Bones of Who We Are: A Difficult Story Sep 16, 2019
- Sep 9, 2019 The Bones of Who We Are: Journey to Gabe Sep 9, 2019
July 2019
- Jul 8, 2019 The Bones of Who We Are: Aesthetic Jul 8, 2019
May 2019
- May 26, 2019 Time Away May 26, 2019
- May 20, 2019 Writing Inspiration: Music May 20, 2019
- May 13, 2019 Awesome Writer Spotlight: Mary E. Pearson May 13, 2019
- May 6, 2019 Happy Book Birthday: A Character Interview May 6, 2019
- May 1, 2019 The Letters She Left Behind PLAYLIST May 1, 2019
April 2019
- Apr 29, 2019 YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: Genevieve Jane Apr 29, 2019
- Apr 15, 2019 YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: M. Wednesday Apr 15, 2019
- Apr 8, 2019 YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: Leslie Arambula Apr 8, 2019
- Apr 1, 2019 YA Author Series - Author Spotlight: Alison Aldridge Apr 1, 2019
March 2019
- Mar 25, 2019 YA Author Series Launch: CL Walters Mar 25, 2019
- Mar 12, 2019 Book Mash-Up Fun Mar 12, 2019
- Mar 4, 2019 Snappy Dialogue in 3 Minutes Mar 4, 2019
February 2019
- Feb 25, 2019 Pacing the Narrative: A New Tool Feb 25, 2019
- Feb 18, 2019 Character and Conflict Part2: Motivation Feb 18, 2019
- Feb 11, 2019 Character and Conflict, part one: Types of Conflict Feb 11, 2019
- Feb 4, 2019 Point of View and Writing Feb 4, 2019
January 2019
- Jan 28, 2019 Off to Refill the Well . . . Jan 28, 2019
- Jan 21, 2019 Character-Driven or Plot Driven Narrative? Jan 21, 2019
- Jan 14, 2019 Character: Conversations Jan 14, 2019
December 2018
- Dec 3, 2018 The Ugly Truth: Cover Reveal and Playlist Dec 3, 2018
October 2018
- Oct 29, 2018 This Writer Reads Oct 29, 2018
- Oct 8, 2018 Empathy is Our Superpower! Oct 8, 2018
- Oct 4, 2018 The Writer Hoard Oct 4, 2018

The Bones of Who We Are: Gratitude

October 7, 2019

It has been a week since The Bones of Who We Are released. A gorgeous week filled with support for Gabe and his story. I am so very grateful. I remember when I got to that point I was ready to share the story, how terrifying it was because I knew I’d taken a risk with his story, but with the wonderful and supportive feedback, I am so ecstatic.

John Green said in a Crash Course about Literature that when an author lets go of the story and gives it over to the audience, it ceases being the author’s story and becomes the readers’. I love this. So, I’d like to share some of the impressions Gabe’s story in THE BONES OF WHO WE ARE has provided to readers.

“... the words were magic, each line so delicately put like a song you wanted to continue singing... the author sends you spiraling inside [Gabe’s] brain and his story ... and each step of the way, you become [his] cheerleader...”

— Sophie Fahy, author

“...it is rare to find a novel, a character that resembles oneself - at least for me - it was as if I was looking into a mirror... CL Walters talent for capturing, conjuring the essence of her characters is remarkable... [She] is a talent that you do not want to miss.”

— W. Scott Brown, author

“I became a fast fan of CL Walters after reading Swimming Sideways and The Ugly Truth. The Bones of Who We Are is a brilliant conclusion to the Cantos Chronicles YA Book Series.””

— Janine Caroline, author

“Have to warn you, have tissues next to you while you read. You’ll need them.”

— Mike Walters, author

“The aspect that makes these books so good is that the themes, conflicts, and internal battles are deeply relatable...”

— Sammi, a reader

“Walters tackles heavy, important issues like Mental health and Racism with grace and tact - with a responsibility to the story without losing her voice. Beautifully paced, she drew me in but kept me guessing as the story moved to a breathless conclusion... This is a story everyone needs to read.”

— Bethany, reader

Thank you so much to all of the readers who have read Gabe’s story. I am so deeply humbled and grateful for your willingness to take a chance on Swimming Sideways, The Ugly Truth and now, The Bones of Who We Are. Please continue to share your experience with me, with others. I believe in these stories, and it is so wonderful that you do too.

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The Bones of Who We Are: It's time.

September 30, 2019

It’s here! Tomorrow - Tuesday - October 1, 2019, The Bones of Who We Are is out. It’s been an arduous (thought fulfilling) adventure, and I couldn’t be more excited and proud of this story. I can’t wait to hear what you think of Gabe’s journey, so be sure to post a review to Amazon, share it on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I’m looking forward to it.

“[This story is] emotional and thought provoking. We all need a hand in finding the beauty within.”

— Advance Reader

“Martha and Dale . . .they smile laughing and dancing to music only they can hear. I’m at the dining table watching them and for a split second, I allow myself to think about a future I’ve never considered before...”

— Gabe, The Bones of Who We Are

The Bones of Who We Are: A Difficult Story

September 16, 2019

My father - my rock - passed away in October 2017. I miss him everyday. I didn’t think I would ever find the words to write again. When I tried, all that made it to the page were visceral and painful images of where I was stuck: my cave. About six months later, I was sitting at a traffic light and heard Abby say “I need you to write my story.” The pilot light was relit, and I found my way through a new draft of SWIMMING SIDEWAYS.

The summer of 2018, with SWIMMING SIDEWAYS and THE UGLY TRUTH drafted, I went home to Oregon for a month to help my mom and sister go through my father’s things. Most of the month was spent broken-hearted, trudging through necessary spaces. I cleaned the garage breathing in my father’s work space and going through each of his tools. This was something my mother wasn’t going to be able to do. My dad and his workshop were symbiotic; he could fix anything, and his workshop reflected this. So, immersion in his workshop, going through each of his toolboxes and trinkets, the jars of things he saved because they’d come in handy one day, cracked me open. Somehow, in the breaking of my heart and the diligent reorganization of his things, I was able to assemble the broken parts of myself back together. It was during this four weeks in Oregon that I began drafting Gabe’s story, and as I stitched myself back together, Gabe’s began to unravel.

I’ve warned readers that Gabe’s story isn’t an easy story to experience, and that is because THE BONES OF WHO WE ARE deals with heavy topics: bullying, depression, identity, loss, grief. Maybe in a way, the loss of my father is reflected in the pain of Gabe. My pain became his, though Gabe’s story was always this, I just couldn’t write it before. The pivotal scene in the book - the reason Gabe is who he is - was written back in 2009, eight years before I lost my father; nine years before I went through his workshop and faced my own undoing.

Perhaps, I was never going to be equipped to tell Gabe’s story without understanding the complete loss of someone so essential to my own identity. Perhaps, sitting inside my father’s workshop by myself allowed me to grasp loss, life, and grief in a way I never would have without that struggle. As writers our life experiences impact the depth of our knowledge. Virginia Woolf wrote, “Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind is written large in his works.” So, I suppose by realizing how painful it was to look at my father’s empty steel-toed work boots and be slammed with the awareness of how much I missed him, it forced me to jump into the deep end of loss. When the only thing I could do was climb into bed and bury myself in romance novels because those stories were as much as I could handle to not sink and drown, I found a way to tread water. Perhaps, this trial was the only way I was ever going to be able to empathize with Gabe’s experience.

THE BONES OF WHO WE ARE isn’t an easy story, but then life, love, loss, grief never are. That is the truth of what it means to be human. We hurt, but there is power in the warmth of hope. That - the hope - is what my father would have loved about Gabe’s story.

Release date: October 1, 2019; Kindle Pre-orders available at Amazon.

NEXT WEEK: A Letter from Gabe to readers

The Bones of Who We Are releases October 2, 2019 (pre-orders for kindle are live).

The Bones of Who We Are: Journey to Gabe

September 9, 2019

When Gabe became a character in my mind, he started as a fallen angel. There was something magical and beautiful about him in those first drafts of the original paranormal story. He was the blameless sacrifice - the Christ figure - idealized in all his beauty and glory. Then in 2009, I was teaching a class on creativity and in our daily pages, I wrote a heartbreaking scene that I couldn’t shake. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the character was Gabe as a child, and it shattered the paranormal drafts of the work-in-progress at the time. Nothing already drafted could stand if I used the scene. What the heck was I supposed to do with that, I wondered.

So the scene sat in my head as an unresolved issue with Gabe’s character. I put the manuscript - two years and nine drafts completed - away (partially because of this unresolved issue, but mostly because a wave of fallen angel stories broke in 2009 and 2010).

In 2015, Seth - the loudest of the three characters - who’d been dragged into hell at the end of the first paranormal story, began nagging me about having left him there. I pulled the story out again. I was teaching Homer’s Odyssey and the Hero’s Journey to my freshman at the time, and decided to plot Seth’s story using Chris Volgler’s work, and suddenly something clicked. The story was there, but I believed it to be a stand alone novel assuming Abby and Gabe were just secondary characters. So, I finished THE UGLY TRUTH in 2016; I was never happy with its ending. My family and friends enjoyed it (or pretended to), but I couldn’t get the nagging feeling out of my head and heart that the ending was all wrong.

So, it sat for another two years.

Then in March of 2018, I was sitting at a traffic light, waiting, and I heard Abby say in my head, “I need you to finish my story.” In that moment, it dawned on me that all three of them needed their own story. Abby. Seth. Gabe. With Seth’s already done, I went back to the original paranormal manuscript to see if there was anything salvageable for Abby and Gabe. With a ton of cutting, rewriting, and creating new content, Abby’s story, SWIMMING SIDEWAYS, came together, but like Seth’s narrative, I struggled with the ending. I couldn’t figure out how it was supposed to connect until it dawned on me: Abby’s story was first and both she and Seth’s stories were necessary in order to tell Gabe’s. Like finding the last pieces of a puzzle being put into place, I understood the whole story in three parts. The entire series had been moving toward the culmination of Gabe’s narrative all along.

That quiet, painful scene I wrote back in 2009, suddenly made sense, and served as the cornerstone around which Gabe’s entire story is built.

Next week: the difficulty of writing Gabe’s story .