Writing a novel isn’t easy. Every step of the way there are hurdles that feel even more insurmountable than the last. Finding the right idea, finding the beats that shape that idea into a story, discovering characters with depth who live on the page, and that’s only the beginning. Draft after draft, finding an editor that sees your vision as clearly as you do and helps you make it land. After all that, there’s beta readers, proofreading, copyrighting, cover design and every detail that goes with that, the list goes on. Then of course there’s the marketing and promoting of your finalized story. The final step that doesn’t simply start when you’re done, no, it starts well before you’re done and continues well after you’re finished, and throughout your writing career.
Recently I had a chance to chat with Joe Mynhardt from Crystal Lake Publishing. Joe wears many, many, hats as the founder / CEO of a publishing company. So it was great to get some inside perspective from someone who has seen it all in the industry, every step of the way, from writer to editor to writing coach to mentor to publisher. Joe has done it. In chatting with him we started to get into what makes a writer successful. All the things I listed above are key, without a good story, you’re not going far no matter what (well, not in all cases but those are far and few between). Most of those things above, the behind-the-scenes details a publisher will help with. But what makes a writer successful, as Joe discussed, in the long term, and that’s how a writer needs to look at it, is building their community. This goes beyond publisher duties and is on the writer to do. It’s theirs to own. Publishers can come and go but your community is yours.
I’ve struggled to fully discover this, or I should say, discover the best approach for me. At first, the marketing / promotion side was overwhelming. I understand it. I know it’s importance. I have ideas. But it’s not my strong suit to execute on. Nor do I really have an interest in doing it. So I stepped back and said, let me focus on delivering my story in the best shape that I possibly can with my current set of tools and knowledge. You can’t do everything, and you can’t do everything perfect. It’s actually impossible. Anyone that tells you otherwise, is trying to sell you something (a top movie quote for me).
Some will call it building a “brand” which I fucking loathe. Community is the right word. Not only does it sound better, it sounds like something I’d rather do. I think the difference is community sounds genuine, brand sounds corporate. And, as Joe mentioned in our conversation, that’s key. Being genuine. Pick a few things to focus on e.g. social media, newsletter, or whatever fits your identity. You like photos over text? Go with Instagram. You comfortable on video? TikTok it is. But picking one or two mediums that you can manage and do well is important. Then being genuine within that. Don’t just shill your book. That’ll get old quick. Instead, build a community. Engage with readers (and potential readers) with topics that interest you and better yet, connect to your stories. This will create a genuine connection that readers will appreciate. Finally, another point I took from my conversation with Joe was being in person as much as possible. Hold events, show up at conferences, whatever it takes. People want face to face (even as digitally connected as we are), they want to meet the person behind the words. It’s another opportunity to find that genuine voice. It’s not for everyone, but there is a way to find your external voice that lives outside of your stories. That’s the voice that will build that community and pull readers into your orbit.
Check out the full conversation below.
