Welcome to the first episode of a new year. I’m your host, Sonja Dewing, and today I’m diving into the realm of Amazon Ads and sharing the top tips to help you make the most of this powerful marketing tool. With millions of books available on Amazon, standing out from the crowd can be a daunting task. Amazon Ads allow you to target potential readers directly, increasing the visibility of your book and, ultimately, boosting sales. Over the last three years I’ve learned a lot about Amazon ads by running them for Gracepoint Publishing and other authors and I’m happy to share some of what I’ve lea ..read more

Today I’m diving into Marketing 101 for authors. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, understanding the basics of marketing can make a significant difference in getting your book into the hands of the right readers. It’s going to be a lot of work, unless you’re Britney Spears and already have a huge following of people who will buy your book.  First up, let's talk about author branding... Find show notes on my website at https://womensthrillerwriters.com/blog-2 ..read more

Let’s talk about AI. Tons of people are talking about it and mostly about how AI is going to negatively affect so many people and industries. I’m really relived that organizations like SagAFtra, Writer’s Guild of America, and the Authors Guild have taken on the issues to protect creatives. Definitely, in the hands of people who have no ethics AI will just be a bad thing. However, we have to acknowledge that AI is not going to go away. Our competitors are going to use AI ... Read the rest on my website: Find show notes on my website at https://womensthrillerwriters.com/blog-2 ..read more

Today, I’d like to talk about scam advertisers. Now, when they take your money they will do what they promised. They’re going to put your book on their website, they’re going share your book to their social media. The problem is nobody is looking… Find show notes on my website at https://womensthrillerwriters.com/blog-2 ..read more

Setting can be an antagonist in the story, standing in the way of your main character or characters in getting what they want. It can also have a wealth of tools your protagonist can use. So your setting can live and breath just like any of your other characters and react along with the story. For example, As an antagonist, Hogwarts doesn’t just give away it’s secrets. It’s dark and old and you usually have to know what you’re looking for in order to find it. However, if you’re worthy it will give you the room of requirement.  Or in... Find show notes on my website at https://womensthrill ..read more

Imposter Syndrome and Writers This last weekend, I played roller derby with my team, Elevated Roller Derby. You want to talk about imposter syndrome? It hits hard when I'm supposed to be a jammer. I've been skating for 6 years and I still feel like I'm a complete newbie sometimes.     I think that as I focus on the basics of roller derby (strength, speed, and skating) I'll get better. So, I'm going to focus on those things before our next game and see if I can't kick that imposter syndrome to the curb.  What does that have to do with writing?     Many writers ..read more

Today, I want to talk about persevering as a writer. I know it can be hard to keep going, so I want to share some stories.  I wrote Toy of the Gods in 2010. I knew back then it wasn’t ready for publishing. So I put it through a critique group, I traveled to the Amazon for research, and in 2013 I spent a month at an Airbnb rewriting it. It went through another critique group and then I felt it was ready. I started researching agents and publishers and started the whole process for publishing the traditional way. I had bites but no one seemed to want to take it. So, I planned on going to a ..read more

Here are some common self publishing questions whether you’re publishing it yourself or handing it off to a company that self publishes for you. I know when I took my book back from my publisher I had to take a step back and look at what my workflow should be. My first step was to find a good editor because I knew the publisher hadn’t done much work on my book at all, and being my first novel it needed plenty of work. I also didn’t have a lot of money so I had to find someone who would be willing to work on it for me within my budget ... Find show notes on my website at https://womensthrillerw ..read more

Getting your book in the book stores doesn’t have to be complicated. But the number one rule as for most things and for being an author is just don’t be a jerk. Bookstores don’t need your book what they need is to get people in the door and to make money and to make their customers happy. When I was going to be in Farmington, New Mexico for a conference, I thought I’d see if I could also do an author event, so I reached out to Amy at Amy’s bookcase, especially as my novel Gamble of the Gods is based near Farmington and other parts of New Mexico... Find show notes on my website at https://women ..read more

Before I get into the does and don’ts of prologues remember, this is your book, you can have a prologue if you want to. Just make sure you’re using it to the best possible advantage for your story and your reader.... Find show notes on my website at https://womensthrillerwriters.com/blog-2 ..read more