Use Independently Published Media to Promote Your Writing Career!

 

 

 

 

The Incredible Power of “Hidden Gems”

 

Ode to Small Magazines and Author-Published Promotions

and
A Free Model to Use for Your Own Independently Publishing
Marketing Purtsch

 

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning novelist, poet, and author

of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers

 

Many of my readers have heard me talk about saving marketing time and budget dollars by using marketing campaigns aimed at related media to build networking opportunities and to query for reviews among a battery of other exposure opportunities that will nudge our book sales in other (preferred!) ways than saying “Buy my book.”

 

You even might have heard me tout “the free advertising/promotion opportunitities  made of real paper and get delivered directly to our mailboxes” as a good place for new writers on a strict budget to start that kind of campaign. You know, the kind of promotional material we have produced ourselves. The kind we can put in the hands of our readers free at our events and trade shows. 

 

Well, one such publishing effort with a twist just landed in my e-mail box in a media release. I finagled a free print copy to review so I could determine if it qualified for my top ten recommendations for a frugal but truly professional promotion. It gave me a few more ideas for using our own publishing skills to increase our exposure for whatever niche of the publishing industry our book, writing career, or even small business occupies including those of publishers, editors, writers of fiction or nonfiction in any genre, and even as projects for writers and other professional groups.

 

Don’t you dare go away. I’ll use bullets so you can see how you can use it as a model for your own project and tell you how to get a freebie so you can give yourself a break from chasing the brightest media stars that give you few results, anyway. And this one is literary so you’ll find darn good reading here which is likely to introduce you to part of our good old USA you know little or nothing about. 

 

UP Reader is named after a writer’s organization called UPPAA (Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association) in upper Michigan that happens to be a substantial literary journal like the ones so many authors submit their work to, often with few if any results. The issue I have is a concept that’s designed to: 

 

1. celebrate the 10^th Anniversary of the sponsoring writers’ group; in this case it’s the 10^th anniversary of the journal.

2. bring “Upper Michigan Literature to the World” with a “special edition honoring the Spirit of Mackinac Island.”

3.to expose more than seventy of their writers’ works to a wider audience including the extraordinary contributor/members. 

 

An anthology, UP READERS is published by Modern History Press and available as a paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. It takes only a first glance at the cover to see how to put this idea to work for your personal needs or for a literary/writing centered group you belong to.

 

Here are some of what this project achieves, but you might think of others. Each of their ten issued is different:

~It features the top 3 winning submissions to UPPAA’s Dandelion Short Story Contest that recognizes young writers from Upper Michigan area of the United States in grades 6 to 8 (Junior division) and 9 to 12 (Senior division).

~Royalties from the UP Reader supports UPPAA’s operating costs, and educational efforts like the UP Notable Books Club and Young Writers Storytelling Workshop that aim to showcase northern Michigan life from the Keweenaw to the Soo and from Menominee to Ironwood, but it could be adapted to support your career efforts no matter what they might be.

~Though it offers works and the voices of authors of this far-flung area, it is also mindful of the broad tastes for readers from speculative to historic fiction and poetry to nonfiction, thus making it great reading for naturally curious readers everywhere.

~It uses backmatter effectively including a “history” of the nine previous editions/issues of the Readers’ covers using glorious CineYooper Color. (What will you name you’re the color you use for the cover—inside, out, or both? 

~All ten can be ordered at upreader.org/comprehensive-index.

~Interested Reviewers are invited to spread the word about this anthology and the sponsoring group with its inclusive platform and open membership requirements. To receive a free paperback ARC of this newest edition contact Victor Volkman president@uppaa.org. If you haven’t time for a review, Victor also says, “…I would be happy to send a freebie of the e-book version of UP Reader Volume 1" to serve anyone anywhere!” 

§  Learn more about UPPAA and membership www.UPPAA.org. And experience a zoom keynote I did for this generous group on YouTube on great ways to avoid Imposter Syndrome and other debilitating fears like fear of marketing. (I first learned of Imposter Syndrome in Psychology Today when I was preparing a keynote sharing ways writers can avoid that condition as well as writers’ block and just plain moments of depression familiar to many who work with only a computer as a companion.) It’s one of those slick trade magazines with targeted distribution we authors love to query with our ideas for free ink mentioned in this article above!)

 

You will be adding UPR to my list "Top Ten Hidden Gems,” periodicals and others that are more accessible than the more competitive supermedia. If we never pitch our books for reviews or feature stories about ourselves as an author or some other related topic to more accessible publications, we might never get the recognition we need to succeed in our pursuits of those brighter stars and, sadly, never experience the opportunities they offer in the meantime. When we build our lists with readers and media in new regions (and among new demographics), we expand on the possibilities for own work. Sometimes we need to reread our own books in search for possible new audiences. Here are some already on my list to consider when the free copies get delivered to your USPS PO box just because you do business with them:

§  Westways, distributed free only to AAA members, lands in the mailboxes of over five million readers, far exceeding some of the more avidly pursued journals and trade magazines.

§  Sierra Club and a variety of other charities distribute beautifully designed publications you will be proud to appear in.

§  AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) sends genuinely helpful periodicals to their members in huge quantities and yes, many are made of real paper, exude bragging rights, and provide moments that inspire. You could be one of their stars.

§  The periodicals that come to us from our alma maters work the same way. (And yearbooks across the nation cater to avid local readers; you might be impressed—and surprised!—with the literature assigned to their senior-year English classes!)

§  Don’t forget to offer your talents to the free newspapers (known as throwaways!) you find stacked in racks in front of bookstores, drugstores, and our favorite restaurants.

§  The organizations that you have touched as a writer probably have online newsletters, often chock full of writing tips and writing news and might be open to featuring you and your suitable idea for a regular column or occasional article.

§  Generally we writers are curious travelers and our experiences can often relate in some way to our last book…or our next.

§  Don’t neglect possible Opinion pieces (my Los Angeles Times calls them “Voices) on the Op-Ed page. These pieces always include a byline and usually a credit line with the title of your book linked to your website.

 

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S “WritersontheMove” CONTRIBUTOR

 

 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a multi award-winning author of fiction and poetry but is best known for her how-to-books for writers. Find all of that series in one place on Amazon, but it’s her poetry that addresses the ills of cultures across the world. Imperfect Echoes is her Writers’ Digest honored book, self-published in the tradition of poets since the advent of the Gutenberg press, it defies #bookbigoty as well other biases we are experiencing after a period—decades—of progress on that front. Find a laudatory review by Jim Cox, editor-in-chief of The Midwest Book Review, and its Amazon buy page at  https://tinyurl.com/ImperfectEchoes.

A Look at Deep Point of View

Contributed by Linda Wilson

Do you write romance novels? Historical fiction? Mysteries? Whatever your genre, you strive to create a close personal relationship between your main character and your reader.

To shed light on this topic, Kimberley Griffiths Little presented the workshop, “Close Third Person or Deep Point of View, DPOV,” at a New Mexico Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators meeting, an SCBWI Regional event. Kimberley has written many Young Adult novels, such as Forbidden, Banished, and for Middle Grade, When the Butterflies Came and The Time of the Fireflies. Also, as Kimberley Montpetit, she has self-published The Executive’s Secret, Unbreak My Heart, and many other novels.

Kimberley described DPOV as capturing your main character from the inside out. What she “knows, sees, hears, feels, experiences—filtered through her world. DPOV creates an immersive reading experience. In DPOV we see more of who the character is.”

Add to that a writer’s greatest prize: DPOV is how you gain THE VOICE.

First: Boot out the Narrator

I received one of the first drafts of my first book back so fast from a beta reader it wasn’t funny. There were few notes, few edits. But in huge letters on the first page, she wrote: “GET RID OF THE NARRATOR! Then send it back to me.”

Oh my, was I in a world of rewrite! I think all authors would agree that finding that voice, showing and not telling the story, and nixing the narrator takes practice and experience. Also, I’ve talked to writers who agree that even in later stages of revision, “telling” and “the narrator” crop up and have to be banned. It has certainly happened to me. Examples offered at the workshop:

Narrator: She wished she could whisk back in time and redo the last few minutes.

Without the Narrator: Too bad life didn’t come with an undo button.

Narrator: He had to think hard about what to do next.

Without: What should he do next?

DPOV in Action

According to Kimberley: Become your character. Live inside your character’s mind and heart. Immerse yourself by staying in your character’s point of view. Take your reader on a journey through your character’s experiences. Want to see how? Here goes:

Shallow: Desiree’s skin prickled with pleasant excitement.

Deep: Shadows loomed. The place reeked of ancient secrets. Desiree’s skin prickled.

Shallow: He could see the tip of the dog’s nose peeking out of the closet.

Deep: Barry stepped through the door and entered the room. “Aha! There you are!” The tip of the dog’s nose peeked out of the closet.

DPOV is not italicized. According to Kimberley, italicizing thoughts takes the reader out of DPOV.

With italics: Jane looked out the window. Wow! Look at that sunshine and dew sparkling on the roses. What a perfect day for gardening. I’d better go get my tools.

She went to the garage and scanned her shelves. Now where did I put my gloves and trowel?

Without italics: Jane looked out the window. The dew on the roses sparkled in the morning sunlight. Wow! Would there ever be a better day for gardening?

Humming, she hurried into the garage. Her gaze searched the wooden shelves. Where had she stored her gloves and trowel?

Avoid “Pitfall Words”

Do a search in your manuscript and look for “pitfall words:” Think, Know, Feel, Realized, Caused, Made. Focus instead on the senses and play-by-play action in the NOW: Touch, Taste, Smell, Sight, Sound, Emotions.

Word No-No’s that create narrative distance:

• Saw, considered, made, caused

• She felt: watched, thought, realized, wished, decided, wondered

• Avoid prepositional tells: with, of, in

• Beware the IT Trap. IT is vague. What does IT mean? Namely, that substituting “it” instead of specific nouns and descriptions isn’t nearly as dynamic.

• Choose power words

Workshop Tips Served up on a Platter

• Overuse of “to be” verbs

• Don’t summarize: Write the scene

• Share from the inside out rather than a “watcher’s” perspective

• Research physiological reactions

• Write moment-to-moment

• Break up long description with an action; break up internal dialogue with action

• Don’t name the feeling—Show the feeling by physical effects on the body, thoughts in keeping with that particular emotion: ASK HOW YOUR CHARACTER WOULD REACT

• Everything can’t be written in DPOV. Your reader sometimes needs distance to relax, such as your character reflecting and telling friends.

Learn more about Kimberly: https://www.kimberlygriffithslittle.com

Photo: By Linda Wilson (from her backyard)

Moi at a recent spring book fair
at a local high school in
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Linda's latest release is Secret in the Mist, the second book in the Abi Wunder trilogy, illustrated by Danika Corrall, cover art and formatting by 100 Covers, published December 2025. Two other new releases are the award-winning Botas Altas, the Spanish version of Tall Boots, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, translated by Graciela Moreno and Adriana Botero; and Cuna en la Naturaleza, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, the Spanish version of Cradle in the Wild, translated by Adriana Botero. Linda's newest books will be released sometime this year: The Pur-r-rfect Costume, a bilingual picture book in English and Spanish, illustrated by 1000 Storybooks, translated by Adriana Botero; and A Home Run Friendship, a middle grade book, cover art and formatting by 100 Covers.

How to Explore New Creative Projects Without Losing Focus

 by Suzanne Lieurance

As a writer, you are naturally a curious person.

That curiosity is often what leads you into writing in the first place. You want to explore ideas, emotions, stories, possibilities, and experiences. So, it makes sense that eventually you may feel drawn toward trying something creatively new.

Maybe you start thinking about writing poetry after years of writing nonfiction. Maybe you become interested in scripts, songwriting, personal essays, or short stories. Maybe you begin exploring podcasts, spoken word, or other creative formats that weren’t even on your radar a few years ago.

Trying something new creatively can be exciting.

It can also become incredibly distracting if you aren’t careful.

One of the biggest mistakes writers make when they begin expanding creatively is trying to explore too many things at once. Instead of developing new creative skills, they end up scattering their focus across a dozen unfinished projects.

That’s why I believe creative expansion works best when it happens with intention.

Recently, over on my site Write by the Sea, I shared how I started taking some of my old poems and turning them into country songs. What surprised me most was how much the process expanded my creativity and challenged me to think differently about writing.

But one thing I intentionally avoided was trying to learn every type of songwriting at once.

Instead, I chose one genre — country music — and decided to stay there long enough to actually learn the craft.

That decision matters more than many writers realize.

Creative Expansion Is Not the Same as Creative Scattering

Many writers think creativity means constantly moving in new directions.

Sometimes it does.

But creative growth usually happens faster when you give yourself enough structure and consistency to develop real skill.

There’s a difference between:

• exploring intentionally and
• constantly abandoning one thing for another

When writers bounce endlessly between projects, genres, and creative goals, they often stay in a perpetual beginner stage. They experience the excitement of starting but rarely the deeper rewards that come from improvement.

Exploring something new creatively should stretch your mind, not fracture your attention.

Why Trying Something New Can Help Your Original Writing

One of the most interesting things about learning a new creative form is that it often strengthens the writing you were already doing.

For example, songwriting forced me to think much more carefully about:

• rhythm
• repetition
• emotional pacing
• hooks
• phrasing
• simplicity

Those lessons don’t stay confined to songwriting. They begin influencing every other type of writing you do.

That’s one reason creative expansion can be so valuable for writers. You start seeing storytelling differently. You notice things you previously overlooked. You challenge habits that may have become automatic over time.

Trying something new can wake your creativity back up.

The Problem with Staying Too Comfortable

Many writers eventually become extremely skilled within one creative lane. That’s valuable. But comfort can sometimes become limiting.

Once you know how to do something well, it becomes tempting to stay inside familiar patterns. You know what works. You know what readers expect. You know how to produce results.

But growth often requires temporary discomfort.

When you become a beginner again, you start paying closer attention. You become more curious. You ask more questions. You experiment more freely.

That beginner mindset can bring new energy into your creative life.

How to Explore New Creative Projects Without Losing Focus

If you feel drawn toward trying a new type of writing or creative project, here are a few things that can help you stay grounded while still expanding creatively.

Choose One New Direction at a Time

You do not need to reinvent your entire creative life overnight.

Pick one area that genuinely interests you and explore it fully before jumping to something else. That focused approach helps you build confidence and skill much faster.

Stay Connected to Your Core Writing Practice

Trying something new does not mean abandoning the work that already matters to you.

Creative expansion works best when it supports your overall growth instead of pulling you away from your long-term goals completely.

Allow Yourself to Be Inexperienced

Many experienced writers secretly struggle with being beginners again.

You may feel awkward at first. Your early attempts may not match the quality of your primary writing yet. That’s normal.

Every creative skill has its own structure and learning curve.

Focus on Learning, Not Immediate Success

When writers try something new, they sometimes expect instant results because they already have experience in another form of writing.

But each creative field teaches different skills.

Approach the process with curiosity instead of pressure.

Give the New Skill Time to Develop

One reason many writers quit too early is because they never stay with the new creative challenge long enough to improve.

Creative confidence grows through repetition and focused practice.

Expanding Creatively Can Reignite Your Writing Life

Sometimes writers think they need more discipline, more motivation, or better productivity systems.

Sometimes what they really need is a fresh creative challenge.

Trying a new type of writing can remind you why you fell in love with creativity in the first place. It can pull you out of autopilot and back into discovery.

The key is not trying everything all at once.

The key is exploring intentionally, staying focused long enough to learn, and allowing your creativity room to grow beyond the limits you may have unconsciously placed on yourself.

Because many writers do not need less creativity.

They simply need more room to expand it.

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a transformational Law of Attraction coach for writers who are ready to stop waiting to feel like the real thing. 

At Write by the Sea, she guides writers through the identity shift that changes everything — not just the writing, but the whole life built around it. 

She is the publisher of Manifesting Monthly magazine and the host of Monday Morning Manifestors. 

Check out her country music channel on YouTube.