Hello everyone! Anna Bushi, author of Heir to Malla here. I am happy to introduce a fellow author JL Rothstein to my readers. She writes in the Fantasy genre with an affinity for the Supernatural. Her debut novel in the Heaven Sent series is available now on Amazon.
Atonement Heaven Sent Book One is a Fantasy novel that takes place on Earth. It’s about a family of nine siblings, members of an elite fighting force referred to as Heaven’s Guard. They fight back against Hell’s unfair influence on humanity. This is book one of a trilogy, each book will focus on one of the O’Mara sisters, three strong female leads. The first book is Genevieve O’Mara’s story. The story has themes of family, love/loss, and the power of forgiveness. Though this is a trilogy the first book is a complete stand alone story and does not leave off on a cliffhanger. There is a lot of action and suspense, sprinkled with a bit of humor. The below snippet is from the back cover.
To Hell, this world is fractured and faithless, perfectly ripe for the picking. Sent by Heaven, Guardians defend against a malevolent onslaught of demonic intrusion. For hundreds of years the nine siblings of the O’Mara family have been engaged in this merciless battle, fighting to protect the souls of all humanity.
Heaven and Hell have been waging this infernal war bound only by the rules of a contentious accord. On the 40thanniversary of her husband Gabriel’s disappearance, Genevieve O’Mara’s lingering sorrow manifests into a murderous rage unfurled upon a demon. Vengeance is coming, not just for Genevieve, but for all those she loves.
What is your social media advice for 2020 Debut Authors like me?
Finding readers is the question that every writer wants the answer to, especially Indie authors. When Amazon broke the barriers to publication, I think most writers, myself included, assumed our material would now reach the intended audience. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Self-publication fundamentally changed the industry and I don’t think it’s yet settled nor recovered. Most people would tell you the industry is still in flux. Nearly overnight, writers were producing material and throwing it onto an unsuspecting public.
A lot of what went into the market back then, was not consumer ready. People were publishing unedited and unreviewed material. As a result the early days of self-publication gained a negative reputation. If you were self-published, that became synonymous with low grade. If you self-published, it was because no one else would publish you. That negative first impression is something the Independent industry is still trying to overcome. Fortunately, it is getting better, but I bring this up because a new barrier has emerged in the marketplace. A gatekeeper born out of need, one aimed at protecting readers from purchasing sub-par material. The birth of the book blogger/reviewer is now what Indie writers need to navigate through. Reviews are key, if you want to reach your readers you’ll have to work at reviews before and after launch. Once you establish your social media presence, you’ll need to use it to help with requesting reviews.
Use social media to build a platform, a brand, before you launch. Start a website and begin accumulating subscribers, people who like your writing and will be reading your work. Create social media accounts as early as you can, at least six months. If you are able, keep consistent with the naming convention, I am JLRothstein1 on both Twitter and Instagram. That makes it easy to find me across platforms. Writing is hard, for a lot of new writer(s) self-promotion is harder, be prepared to put yourself out there. Take risks, make connections, and stay positive. In time the readers will find you, but it will take time.
Anna Bushi 