Feel Free to Disregard
My General Reply When Baby Authors Ask Me for Advice
For the record, I don’t believe in generalized advice when it comes to launching or conducting your writing career.
Becoming an indie writer is a bit like going to wizarding school. We all have innate magic, but that magic shows up differently in all of our wands—especially when it comes to marketing.
Some writers have skill sets and mindsets that make them great at ads. Over the last few years, quite a few writers have unlocked a talent for reels magic. Obviously, my own chaos magic feels most comfortable in the Audience Enchantment Seminar.
So, I would never dare to presume there’s a universal path to making magic in this business. Which is why I almost always caveat my advice with a “feel free to disregard.”
Please keep that in mind as you read the letter I send to (usually) new writers who ask me for advice.
This is basically what I’d tell myself if I were just starting out today-ish.
Advice For Starting Out
The industry is always changing, so my number-one piece of advice is…
Keep Asking for Advice—even when you think you’ve got it all figured out.
When I started out back in the early 2010s, I was told to write 10 books before even thinking about visibility efforts. I wouldn’t advise that now.
But I would tell my younger self, starting out today, to…
Prioritize Your Backlist
If I were to do it all again, I’d have a planned, one-genre series ready to go for the first year, then spin off into other genres or series to satisfy my novelty, genre-hopping needs.
One book is just that—a book. Even if it becomes visible and gets all sorts of love, readers won’t have anywhere to go after that.
The more books you have, the more places readers logically have to go. It’s a bit like F.I.R.E. (Financial Independence, Retire Early). You’re “saving up” for the life you want by building backlist stock so you can start earning passive income. That way, you can write your frontlist without worrying so much about money.
Listen, Learn, Adapt
At the beginning of your career, focus on learning and listening. Figure out what resonates with audiences and what resonates with you, and write toward both.
Your aim is to happily write wonderful books that SELL.
Go to writer conferences and seek out advice that works for you. For example, I was a terrible genre-hopper before I hit fifteen or so books. Now, I’m a “diversified” writer who hops genres within series, so I get both the satisfaction of sell-through and the joy of switching genres. This is me taking advice I’ve gotten and adapting it to fit my energy and brain.
Set a Target Goal
After I wrote 10 books, my new goal was to sell more than a specific writer in my category.
I studied what she did, made sure I was doing that, and then did even more to earn more readers and sales. That target helped me prioritize my marketing efforts.
Do the Mental Work Early
The same person who advised me to write 10 books also warned me to watch my “shadow stuff.”
He told me that the problems plaguing me then—anxiety, insecurity—would only get worse with success.
He was right.
If there’s mental or emotional work you need to do, start now. Secure a good therapist1, start the self-care you’ve been putting off, and address any known issues (especially defensiveness, distrust, and insecurity).
TL;DR: My Top 5 Priorities for New Authors
Keep Asking for Advice.
Build your backlist. Start with a strong, one-genre series and grow from there.
Learn to write sellers well, fast, and happily. This is a long game—find what works for you.
Set a target. Use a specific goal to prioritize your efforts and focus your energy.
Take care of your mental health early. It’ll pay off when success brings new challenges.
Bonus: Start a newsletter properly—not haphazardly. Take the course2, set up the funnel, and put in the automations with bonus content before your first launch. Don’t wait until you’re 10 books in to build an ecosystem, like I did.
[Insert personal note to Baby Author here because I’m sincerely trying to be specifically helpful with generalized advice]
Wishing you so much book fortune,
Theodora
Speaking of newer authors, one of my greatest joys last December was receiving a lovely note from an author who read the Universal Fantasy™ books, took the course, and even attended a few of our salons.
She’s absolutely killing it in monster romance right now, and I’m overjoyed to see her reaping so much success fairly early in her career with Butter (and some seriously yummy stories) on her side.
No matter what stage you’re at in your author career, it’s never too early—or too late—to slather some Universal Fantasy Butter on it.
Here are just a few ways to begin your 2025 with Butter:
Bestseller Magic (Universal Fantasy™ Course): On sale until the Butter Beginning Course launches! Learn how to create characters and situations that addict readers and make them clamor for more.
Butter Blurb Master Class: Craft irresistible book descriptions that make readers one-click without hesitation.
Butter Beginnings Master Class (Coming Feb 24th!): Pre-sale now for $47. Craft beginnings that hook and compel readers to read all the way to The End.
I work with author and energy coach Heather Hildenbrand and happily recommend her Manifest Your HEA coaching to everybody.
I am not nearly as good about book funnels as I would like to be, but I got set up for a bare minimum with a Holly Darling course*. I love her energy and delivery, and eventually taking all of her terrific advice stays on my Someday List. (* I won’t say which course since she’s expanded and updated her offerings a lot since then.)
Hi Theodora!
I have a question about this piece of advice: "Now, I’m a “diversified” writer who hops genres within series, so I get both the satisfaction of sell-through and the joy of switching genres. " Could you provide an example of what that looks like?
Thank you!