We’re reading The Ugly Truth in February. Join me on Instagram! Post for an entry into the end-of-month exclusive giveaway (be sure to take me there @cl.walters).
Cantos Love: Happy Anniversary!
Thank you all for the love you’ve shown this series and these characters over the last three years, I am truly grateful.
Praise for Swimming Sideways:
“I adore this book. I fell in love with the characters immediately- with Abby and her family, and the complicated history and relationships with Seth and Gabe.” M. Wish, Amazon Reviewer
“SWIMMING SIDEWAYS features a classic (and very well done) love triangle, complemented by the main character's internal conflict, which is fueled by a loss of connection with her Hawaiian heritage. It's a perfect example of how diversity can enhance and improve the young adult genre.” Stephani H, Indie Reader Reviewer
Praise for The Ugly Truth:
“Before reading the Cantos Chronicles, I had never read a series of books following the same timeline of events. Well... I am so glad I decided to read it. Thanks to The Ugly Truth I learnt that characters from CL Walters books are never just good or bad. They're all so beautifully complex that each one of them deserves his story to be told.” Paola, Amazon Reviewer
“Fantastic book. I will say I was so concerned about how the book would end, that I found myself speed reading. Since, at times, it went over identical dialogue from the previous book, I didn’t feel as guilty. The ending will have you buying the next book before you take your next breath.” Rayna, Amazon Reviewer
Praise for The Bones of Who We Are:
“This novel was a raw and honest depiction of one of the greatest struggles people face today—how to make peace with and find freedom from the demons of our past. It is intricately woven narrative that explores the intrinsic value of a human being, the search for identity, the power of forgiveness, and the strength in hope. C.L. Walters approaches issues head-on that many people avoid and does so with intentionality and grace. Ultimately, she introduces a perspective shift on pain and the hope that comes with understanding that we are all deserving of love.” S. McClellen, Amazon Reviewer
“The last story int he Cantos Chronicles was wonderful! We get yet another POV this time Gabe. This story was so heart breaking that I just couldn't put it down. I loved the journal entries and each chapter was surprise after surprise. This entire story was just so shocking and because I had my own brush with suicide I felt so much for Gabe. I think that readers will enjoy this trilogy as a whole as they ride the highs and lows of these amazing characters.” Crossroad Reviews
Cantos Love: Gabe
I just recently returned from a trip home… my first home, I should say, Oregon. It was a visit with family. reconnecting with many people I hadn’t seen in years. The trip made me think of Gabe, of The Bones of Who We Are and his mental and emotional journey back in time. (Definitely check the trigger warnings if you dive into that book). There’s a saying that “you can’t go home” again… and maybe that’s true in the sense when you do return home you are changed . . . but I do think there is power in returning home—just like any hero’s journey and the return with the elixir (in this case knowledge and experience).
As I write this—March 21—it’s Gabe’s birthday—and I’m on an airplane returning to my new home. I am getting ready to dive into the next newsletter installment of The Wedding Assignment (in which he returns with everyone else from The Cantos Chronicles). I’m having a lot of fun writing these characters as adults, but you can only read it in the newsletter.
Want to read more Gabe?
Here’s a link to the letters (his is included here).
Here’s a bunch of posts I put together when I first marketed this story (the cover is different!)
5 Thinks to Know About Gabe and 5 More Facts and 5 Reason Gabe thinks he’s a monster
The Bones of Who We Are Playlist (the list) and here’s a link to the Spotify list)
Where you can find Gabe:
Cantos Love: Seth
I have a secret. Come a little closer… Seth is one of my favorite characters. Shhhh. Don’t tell the others. But the proof is in how many different works he’s made his way into. He starred in The Ugly Truth, and was a secondary character in Swimming Sideways and The Bones of Who We Are. Then he showed up starring in a second novel, The Messy Truth About Love. And now he’s made an appearance in the new novella I’m publishing in my newsletter, The Wedding Assignment. The only other character to make so many appearances is Tanner from The Stories Stars Tell. I must have a thing for the broody and slightly villainous. Okay. Maybe an overstatement. Morally gray? Probably better.
In honor of three years, here are the character letters reposted from our Cantos Crew: Abby, Seth, and Gabe.
There’s a link to The Ugly Truth Spotify playlist (definitely check out my favorite track, Ayahuaesca by Vancouver Sleep Clinic).
Do you have a favorite character from the Cantos Chronicles?
Cantos Love: How They Came to Be
For anyone that’s been following my writing journey, you’ll know that the 2018 version of Swimming Sideways didn’t start out as a contemporary coming-of-age story but as a 2008 paranormal fantasy called Fallen (That’s a link to that original story). After facing a plethora of rejections, I put this story away and moved away from writing believing that I just must not be good enough. Rejection—at the time—did a number on my self-confidence—but Abby, Seth, and Gabe didn’t stop talking to me regardless of my insecurities. So I wrote The Ugly Truth abandoning Fallen with the belief that perhaps Fallen had always been Seth’s story after all. That is when the paranormal fell away and The Ugly Truth became a contemporary coming-of-age story. I queried again. Only this time, after even more rejection, I stopped writing.
Fast forward several years, my father unexpectedly passed away.
Grief did strange things to me, and one of those things was forcing me to return to the one place I felt comfort, like the best version of myself. Writing was the one place that offered me solace amidst the grief. During that first year, I remember looking in the mirror and asking myself, “if you only had today, are you doing what you were meant to do?” And I knew that while I was doing something I was good at, writing had always been my passion—my calling. That awareness now alive inside me, within the next week, I was sitting in my car at a stoplight and Abby spoke up: “It’s time to write my story,” she said.
So I did. Finishing Abby’s story, Swimming Sideways, helped me fix Seth’s, The Ugly Truth, and suddenly Gabe started talking, and The Bones of Who We Are was written.
These stories go together—it’s hard to read one without the context of the other. Abby’s story, Swimming Sideways, is first because her story is the catalyst that brings change to Cantos, to the reality of what has become the norm for Seth and Gabe and Cantos High. But because she brings that change, Seth and Gabe can’t stay the same. Seth’s story The Ugly Truth is the follow up to Swimming Sideways and explores how that change manifests in his life (check the trigger warnings), but Seth’s change doesn’t occur in isolation, impacting Gabe in The Bones of Who We Are and pushing him toward his own change (check the trigger warnings). Each story is told from the perspective of one of the three characters, each offering their version of the story.
I’m really proud of these stories, of forcing myself to push through the the insecurities, the doubt, and the imposter syndrome to see these three books published. While it didn’t happen when I thought it would, these books getting finished and published happened when it was supposed to. Timing, sometimes, is everything.
If you haven’t read these stories, Abby kick things off, here’s with a letter introducing you to her journey.
And if you’ve read all three of these books, you might enjoy these short vignettes from In the Wait (but there are spoilers if you haven’t read the books).
Cover Love
A book cover matters. Maybe that’s not a popular opinion. Sure, the blurb is also important, but the first thing I notice is the cover. I know we don’t want to think of ourselves as superficial, but let’s get honest about this; sight is the first sense we use to catalogue all kinds of information. It’s natural. It’s normal. So let’s forgive ourselves for saying that how something looks matters. It does. Especially a book cover.
So this is an embarrassing post, but I also think it’s important to showcase that it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them too. This kind of transparency about my author’s journey serves to exemplify that I got it wrong, and though I’m initially embarrassed, I’m also kind of proud too. I was brave enough to take the risk, make mistakes, and learn from them.
In a new author resource book I wrote called The Indie Author Book Planner: Navigating Indie Publishing to Establish Your Brand as an Author (officially releasing June 1), I talk a bit more about why I made the choice to rebrand the Cantos Chronicles. On Instagram, I’ve been showcasing the evolution of The Cantos Chronicles covers from my first jump into publishing to where they are today. It’s been fun remembering Swimming Sideways and The Ugly Truth, and today reveals the evolution of The Bones of Who We Are. I threw in the change for The Letters She Left Behind too, for kicks.
I’m so excited and proud of the new book The Stories Stars Tell. And I love how the upcoming releases In the Echo of this Ghost Town and When the Echo Answers connect aesthetically. Super cool how Sara Oliver made that happen. She’s a wonderful cover designer.
Here a few of my favorites covers I thought about off the top of my head. This isn’t an exhaustive list but I’ll start keeping track so I can do a fun cover post toward the end of the year. I also need to be honest about Wilder Girls; I DNFd the book (I made it through 100 pages and just couldn’t keep reading). BUT THAT COVER! Also, I couldn’t choose which Aurora Cycle Book Cover I liked best; all of them are gorgeous!
Indie Author Marketing: Road Trip Wrap Up
We did it. We made it to the finish line, and The Cantos Chronicles are out in the world today. How we did remains to be seen, but here’s the feedback on our journey:
Followers LOVE the new covers!
This was the first thing that was mentioned as a ”stand out” in terms of marketing these books. This doesn’t surprise me (and probably doesn’t anyone else either) which reiterates the point that authors (indie authors, specifically) should budget for a cover as part of your marketing strategy. How the product appears matters. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, right? Case in point: Look at the two Swimming Sideways covers (pre-rerelease and post). Which one do you like better?
Um. Yeah. The new cover is hands down better than the other (thank you, Sara!)
2. Followers enjoyed getting to know me (the author).
Shocking - I know - baring who I am isn’t comfortable - naturally introverted, but adaptably extroverted. That means I’m a freaking chameleon. No. Actually, it doesn’t, but I’d like to think it is a super power. Okay. In all seriousness, while being more in the “spotlight” doesn’t feel comfortable, it is a part of building a relationship. There is a give and take between people. What’s your favorite color? Mine is… This must occur, right for that reciprocal relationship building. This doesn’t stop even in a social media world which means we have to put ourselves out there.
What made this difficult for me (besides the whole discomfort of being in the “spotlight”) is the belief that I don’t think I’m all that interesting. I’m just ordinary Cami. Here I am feeling like my brain might be boiling over trying to figure out what’s interesting, and I’m thinking “there’s nothing worth sharing.” Perhaps this is a lie I tell myself because people expressed: I liked getting to know you. Hmm. Who knew? The lesson then: I can’t be afraid to put myself out there; I can’t worry about if what I have to share is interesting or not because I can only be myself; and I can’t be afraid to share my truth.
3. Followers liked getting to know the characters in a different way.
The methods mentioned were sharing the music playlists, sharing the book lists, and the new content snippets that helped readers feel more connected to the characters. That’s cool (and I wish I could share with you how cool these people are in my head… still!)
4. Followers liked being able to “talk” with other followers about the books while reading.
One IG follower said that being able to talk about the books with other readers while reading was a little like a “social media book club.” Bookstagrammers have this on lock and are very prolific in this regard. It’s a great tool (though I won’t pretend I’ve figured out how to generate more engagement with this; I think it will continue to be time and consistency).
Well. Here we are fellow road trippers. We’ve parked the van in the garage. We’re popping the champagne. Let’s toast to nine weeks of bumping along this Indie Marketing Road to a job well done. Thank you for being on this journey with me.
What’s next? Not sure. I’m going to take a couple weeks to finish my current book and figure myself out.
Now, I have to figure out how to look at the “after publication” marketing. :)
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July 2024
- Jul 15, 2024 Imposter Syndrome: Tools for Authenticty Jul 15, 2024
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June 2024
- Jun 1, 2024 June Read Along: In the Echo of this Ghost Town Jun 1, 2024
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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
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January 2024
- Jan 31, 2024 February Read Along: The Ugly Truth Jan 31, 2024
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December 2023
- Dec 28, 2023 2024: Year of the Read Along Dec 28, 2023
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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
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September 2023
- Sep 25, 2023 Blog Digest from 2018-2023 Sep 25, 2023
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August 2023
- Aug 26, 2023 Blog Moved to Substack Aug 26, 2023
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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
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June 2023
- Jun 21, 2023 3 Things I Learned About Reading Space Opera Jun 21, 2023
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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
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April 2023
- Apr 26, 2023 You Can Go Home Again Apr 26, 2023
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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
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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
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November 2022
- Nov 16, 2022 Book Hangover List Nov 16, 2022
- Nov 9, 2022 Advice: Find your People Nov 9, 2022
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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
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June 2022
- Jun 27, 2022 4 Things You Should Know about The Messy Truth About Love Before Reading Jun 27, 2022
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February 2022
- Feb 2, 2022 February Ideals: Dreaming Feb 2, 2022
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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
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September 2021
- Sep 1, 2021 Road to Echoes: 8 Tips for Using NaNoWriMo to Write Your Novel Sep 1, 2021
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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
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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
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June 2021
- Jun 30, 2021 The Road of Echoes: New Blog Series Jun 30, 2021
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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
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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
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March 2021
- Mar 31, 2021 April Challenge: Finishing the Draft Mar 31, 2021
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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
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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
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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
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July 2020
- Jul 1, 2020 Interview: Lauren-Marie with The Indigo Book Jul 1, 2020
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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
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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
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April 2020
- Apr 29, 2020 Reading Wonderland: an Introduction Apr 29, 2020
- Apr 22, 2020 Quarantine: 37 Days Apr 22, 2020
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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July 2019
- Jul 8, 2019 The Bones of Who We Are: Aesthetic Jul 8, 2019
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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December 2018
- Dec 3, 2018 The Ugly Truth: Cover Reveal and Playlist Dec 3, 2018
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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
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 8
One more week until The Cantos Chronicles releases March 31, 2020!
Good News! IndieReader.com gave Swimming Sideways, Cantos Chronicles Book 1 a 4.5 stars out of 5 stars rating! That means it’s considered a, “IndieReader Approved” designation and will go on their “BEST OF…” YA round up. That’s AWESOME!
One another note:
With the chaos of the current situation, I wasn’t sure if I should even post, but I decided that regardless, I’d committed to this Indie Author Marketing Road Trip. Though I’ve been grounded to a halt due to a very flat tire, a bent rim, and inclement conditions, but that’s part of the journey right? It begs the question: How do we adapt in the face of challenges.
This is pretty challenging. :)
So here we are.
My events are cancelled for now. As difficult as this is to take, I’m choosing to look at it as an opportunity to develop and grow. I hope to eventually reschedule.
My IG friends have come in clutch by posting. Thank you to them for keeping things visible. I appreciate it so much. I haven’t seen any of the reviewers post yet. Hope those are forthcoming.
I’ve maintained my Social Media content - that’s about the extent to my abilities right now. It Is what it is.
I’m working on April’s newsletter for my subscribers and some new work to share with them.
I developed a #bookstagram challenge with the hashtag #quarINTEENd which I hope provides 1) something fun and creative to do in April while we’re all shut in; 2) sparks discussion between book lovers, and 3) adds to the community.
In light of the climate and the difficulties, I offered an Ebook copy of Swimming Sideways to interested readers via Instagram and Facebook. The offer still stands. You can sign up for my newsletter, you can email me (clwalters2015@gmail.com) or DM me on Instagram, and I will email you the ebook. This offer is valid until Tuesday, March 31. Happy reading.
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July 2024
- Jul 15, 2024 Imposter Syndrome: Tools for Authenticty Jul 15, 2024
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June 2024
- Jun 1, 2024 June Read Along: In the Echo of this Ghost Town Jun 1, 2024
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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
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January 2024
- Jan 31, 2024 February Read Along: The Ugly Truth Jan 31, 2024
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December 2023
- Dec 28, 2023 2024: Year of the Read Along Dec 28, 2023
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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
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September 2023
- Sep 25, 2023 Blog Digest from 2018-2023 Sep 25, 2023
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August 2023
- Aug 26, 2023 Blog Moved to Substack Aug 26, 2023
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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
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June 2023
- Jun 21, 2023 3 Things I Learned About Reading Space Opera Jun 21, 2023
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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
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April 2023
- Apr 26, 2023 You Can Go Home Again Apr 26, 2023
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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
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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
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November 2022
- Nov 16, 2022 Book Hangover List Nov 16, 2022
- Nov 9, 2022 Advice: Find your People Nov 9, 2022
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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
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June 2022
- Jun 27, 2022 4 Things You Should Know about The Messy Truth About Love Before Reading Jun 27, 2022
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February 2022
- Feb 2, 2022 February Ideals: Dreaming Feb 2, 2022
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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
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September 2021
- Sep 1, 2021 Road to Echoes: 8 Tips for Using NaNoWriMo to Write Your Novel Sep 1, 2021
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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
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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
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June 2021
- Jun 30, 2021 The Road of Echoes: New Blog Series Jun 30, 2021
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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
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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
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March 2021
- Mar 31, 2021 April Challenge: Finishing the Draft Mar 31, 2021
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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
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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
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 7
If I thought I didn’t know if I was coming or going last week, this week it’s all about staying put. I’ve had to park it. At home. Social Distancing. And with no end in site, it makes me wonder what’s to come? Well, hopefully I’ll offer some interesting content. Here’s a vlog brought to you from the inside of my bathroom (LOL) as I reflect about this week.
In the grand scheme of my Independent Author Book Marketing road trip, the vehicle sort of stalled on the side of the road. I got pulled over by the police and escorted to the next motel where I’ve been directed to hang out for the next couple of weeks. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Great. What does this mean for book marketing? Long term, I don’t know. My events might be shot. Short term, I’ve got Social Media.
One of the things I mention in the vlog was publishing the Book Playlists on Instagram for each of the books in The Cantos Chronicles. One of the biggest necessities of marketing is identifying the target audience. As a YA Writer, I’m speaking to teens, specifically 16-18 year olds (though I’m beginning to wonder since my books seem to have a crossover adult appeal. This begs the question: am I marketing to the correct audience?) Since art of all kinds speaks so loudly to me, and every teen I have known speaks music, I decided a playlist might be a solid interactive experience).
I’ve begun to consider that this isn’t a short term game, but a long one. I’m in the process of building a relationship with readers. That’s going to take time and consistency. So while we might be “In the Wait” (Oh hey, head over to Wattpad to read those short vignettes if you’re interested in them), I need to continue to be vigilant in offering the strongest content I can to showcase who I am as a writer and as a person.
Rerelease day for The Cantos Chronicles is right around the corner (March 31, 2020) though they are available for PreOrder. Two more weeks!
Next Week: Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 8
-
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
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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
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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
Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 6
Are we coming or going at this point? I’m not sure. It would seem I’m just following the road, windows down, music blasting and hoping beyond all hopes that the car is headed in the right direction. At least I have you all with me.
We just passed the week six marker. SIX WEEKS!?! Can you believe it? Feels like yesterday that I started this Independent Author Marketing Series, and now we’re here at the six week mark. Three weeks left until The Cantos Chronicles rereleases, and though it’s difficult to tell with accuracy, *preorders seem strong (which potentially is exciting).
*based on numbers provided by wholesale book distributor.
The method to keep things on the road this week involved these check list items:
Social Media
I listened to a great 15 minute podcast by Mixtus Media this week that purported it isn’t necessary to spread yourself too thin by doing ALL Social Media hotspots. Maybe that’s a little like visiting Disneyland and California Adventure and trying to do both parks and all the rides in one day. Instead, chose the format that works best and commit to that one. My favorite is Instagram. I touch base on Facebook. I’m rarely on Twitter. I do a drop in of Tumblr, but I spend the bulk of my social media presence on good old IG.
My GOAL for IG this week was to offer a bit more character depth to potential readers. All three protagonists (Abby, Seth and Gabe) were featured in my stories. Truthfully, I don’t think it worked as well as I had hoped. It was my fault - the premise of asking characters questions operates on the assumption that people already know them. What do you ask if you haven’t read the story? On the other hand, people who have read the stories saved me by asked some questions. Those answers may have offered potential readers food for thought. What do you think?
I don’t think the idea is a bad one, just perhaps that the execution could have been better.
Add to the Instagram mix, my awesome helpers on the book review and book recommendation blitz have been posting - one a day. That has been lovely to see and share. Anyone see a post from someone else that sparked your attention?
One more social media point was the completion of a flash giveaway on Instagram. It was a quick: “First 10 people to comment about some such or other will receive an ebook copy of Swimming Sideways.” It moved quickly, ten people received the ebook and hopefully they LOVE it! My thinking was to get some advanced copies out into the world to 1) generate excitement, 2) provide an early copy, and 3) perhaps inspire more people to share.
Book Signing
Further planning was done for a book signing at my local Barnes & Noble in Honolulu. With the Hawaii Literacy Project contacted and the event planners at my local B&N on board, the end of April or early May is looking like it might be a real possibility; I will use my newsletter to announce an event like this. When the plan solidifies, it will be a bit like turning full circle because I started this journey way back in November and it became the impetus for the entire rebrand of The Cantos Chronicles books.
Other Bookish Events
I contacted two local book events: A children’s literature conference held in June as well as a Book Festival held in October. I applied to both as a panelist and vendor and will be presenting at the Children’s Literature Conference in June! Still waiting to hear back on the second event, but I will keep you posted. This means I will have an event in April, perhaps one in May, one in June, one in July, am working on October and still waiting to hear back about November.
In addition to those events, I met with a high school librarian to develop a workshop for high school students about creativity. This presentation will happen at the high school where I work in April, but I’ll get to serve in a different capacity outside the realm of classroom teacher and stepping into the role of published author.
Finally, I’m giving away all of the remaining ARCs of the books to my students. They are super excited and don’t care that there are editorial mistakes in the books. Their response was: “Mrs. C, we won’t even know the mistakes are there.” (I don’t know if that is a reflection of my teaching or something else - LOL).
Wrap Up
The road is stretched out ahead of us. Are we going the right direction? I think so. I’m feeling confident, accomplished and filled with hope that where ever the road leads is exactly where I’m supposed to go. Did I have some missed turns -yeah, I think so - but that’s learning, right? With Week Six Independent Author Road Trip Marketing Journey stretched out along the asphalt behind us, we’re on to Week Seven. Only two more blogs until The Cantos Chronicles rerelease, and a final post to wrap up the road trip. I am super interested to know what you’ve noticed over the last six weeks? What has stood out? What kinds of questions are popping up for you? How can any of my experiences help inform you moving forward? Be sure to follow me on IG (@cl.walters) and keep an eye out for questions about this series in a couple of weeks.
Next week: Indie Author Marketing: Update No. 7
-
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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December 2018
- Dec 3, 2018 The Ugly Truth: Cover Reveal and Playlist Dec 3, 2018
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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