I'm Presenting at a Conference Today!

AUTHOR FRIENDS!

I am so excited! I'll be presenting at the Thriving Scribes Summit today. It's free to attend and I hope I'll see you there! All the fun starts at 9:00 a.m. MT today!

I'm teaching about 15 Minute Marketing and how to create a marketing plan that is perfect for your busy life.

You'll learn all about…

How to make a marketing plan and strategy that fits you.
Proven strategies that will increase your visibility and sales.
Tips and tricks to make the most of your marketing minutes.

And it’s not just me—there are tons of other presentations for you to watch, too!

Each speaker is sharing a potential strategy or system you can implement in 2024 to grow in authorship! Get your free ticket at summitthrivingscribes.com and head on over to the summit. I'll see you there!

I'm Presenting at a Conference!

Author friends this is for you!

Do you want to grow your author business in 2024? I'm going to be one of several speakers at the Thriving Scribes Summit Jan. 22nd-24th where there will be online presentations on how to build your author brand, expand your readership, and streamline your process. It's FREE to attend and something you won't want to miss!

Get your free pass HERE

My First Experience with AI

So, AI is a big topic of conversations among writers these days, and I came across an AI back copy generator. How it works is, I put in my current back copy and then AI produces their version of it. Here are my results:

My current back copy for The Captive:

Former Navy SEAL Jake Williams is the newly appointed head of a task force assigned to rescue a kidnapped American diplomat. Their only hope is Mya Amari, the daughter of a notorious Algerian hostage negotiator, but she is full of secrets and complications---something Jake takes as a personal challenge. As they grow closer, the threat to the mission escalates and time runs out for the hostages. Can Jake unravel the web of deception to save them all without getting caught in the crossfire?

Mya Amari has been in hiding nearly her entire life to escape her father' s enemies. But when her sister is kidnapped along with an American diplomat, she'll do anything to bring her home---including walking into the enemy's lair. She doesn't trust anyone, especially the too-handsome-for-his-own-good Commander Williams, but when all her careful plans explode out of control, he's the only one she can turn to with the truth about her family. Is it too little, too late?

The AI back copy for The Captive:

When the daughter of a notorious Algerian hostage negotiator is recruited by a former Navy SEAL to save an American diplomat from the clutches of a powerful enemy, she must face her deepest fears in order to protect her family. But when all her careful plans begin to unravel, can she trust the stranger in her life to help her?

In this thrilling romance, Mya Amari and Jake Williams must confront their conflicting loyalties as they battle against time and the forces of evil to save the hostages. If you enjoyed the edge-of-your-seat tension of books like The Bodyguard by Chris Bradford, then you'll be sure to love Former Navy SEAL Jake Williams and the stakes of his mission in this book. Buy now before the price changes!

So, the AI one isn't bad, but it doesn't really capture the story. I like the action words and overall suspense feel, but the call to action at the end was a surprise. I've never heard of Chris Bradford's book and don't know if it would compare to mine. And the buy now line seems cringe-y to me. (That could just be me, though.) 

As someone who has written back copy for authors professionally, I think I'll stick with human-generated back copy. But it is going to be interesting to see how much AI affects authors in the future and the potential for what it can do.

What's your opinion of AI?

Have You Listened to the New Podcast?

 

The new Authors Off the Page podcast is up! In this one, we are discussing our writing processes and how we do what we do as writers and storytellers. And as always, we might get a little sidetracked a few times! But if you've ever wondered about where we get our ideas and how we work, you won't want to miss this one!

You can listen to it HERE or wherever you get your podcasts!

The Power of Fifteen Minutes!

I got to teach at a Leadership Summit yesterday about the power of fifteen minutes. It mainly focused on my marketing plan and how authors can use just fifteen minutes a day to build their author business, but really it could apply to anything in life.

When I was a young mother, I was really overwhelmed trying to take care of everything I had on my plate. When I became an author, I was asked to do book signings and marketing and I had a hard time finding balance. When I realized that I could tell myself to just do one thing for fifteen minutes and make progress on it, my life really changed. I applied that to my marketing and writing and it really helped me not be so paralyzed and overwhelmed. It might not seem like much, but every drop in the bucket adds up!

It was really fun to be with those women yesterday and I hope something I said inspired them!

Have you used the power of fifteen minutes in your life?

The Music of Battle Scenes

I have some intense battle scenes to write today and I'm gearing up with some great soundtracks. They're so inspiring when you need all the ups and downs of a great battle!

The soundtracks for today's scenes are Speed, Gladiator, and Marvel Universe, with some Transformers and Lord of the Rings thrown in. So next time you read some action scenes in one of my books, you can think of that music and hear the inspirational contributions!

Do you have soundtracks you like to listen to when you're working?

Researching As A Writer

Writing is such a strange profession. I can research for days on the most obscure topics. For example, in my upcoming book I had to research the layout of an oil terminal in Libya. I can tell you so many facts about that! For some of my older books I've researched things like cargo ships, classic cars, guns, rifles, Algerian food, prison security, locks on nuclear facilities, I mean, it's so crazy to have all these hours of research just to get minor details right! 

One time when I was researching cargo ships, there was a documentary about that very thing. It seemed so providential! So there I am taking notes and so excited about this documentary and my kids came in and were so confused. They did not think cargo ships were very interesting! Haha. But I like to think I nailed those cargo ship scenes and if cargo ships ever come up in conversation, I'll have something relevant to say!

I have to admit, though, I do love the research part of writing. I want to get things right in the story, to give my readers an experience, to transport them to another time and place and make it believable. That's why I research so meticulously.  

But, just like the quote says, sometimes I do all that research for one line and then it ends up getting cut anyway! I like to think the research was still worth it, though. Maybe I'll use what I learned in a later book, who knows? 

Until then, my head is filled with a strange amalgamation of details. But, for writers, that could be considered a badge of honor!

What's the strangest bit of knowledge you've ever come across?

My Character Inspiration

A lot of times when I'm writing, I look for actors and actresses that sort of look like or have a characteristic of the men and women I'm writing about. It helps me to have that picture in my head when I'm fleshing out the story. 

For Second Chance, I settled on Barrett Foa as my Augie and Marie Avgeropoulous as Rian. I was going for adorable computer tech and a mysterious Libyan information broker. I love how much their eyes can say without any words being spoken. 

Second Chance comes out next month and I can't wait to hear what you think of it! And if you think Marie and Barrett were perfect for the role. 

A Lesson Learned the Hard Way

Things have been a bit crazy for me lately. A few days ago, I was at my desk working, when all of the sudden my screen went black. I wasn't that worried and pressed the button to reboot. When I couldn't get anything to work, I called in my husband and my son who are computer experts. And then I started to wonder when the last time I backed up my computer was. 

All my books. All my current work-in-progress. My pictures. Everything. Had I backed it all up? That's when I started to worry. 

But I had faith in my husband and son so I cleaned the whole house while I waited for the verdict. (I'm a stress cleaner). The news was grim. I'm not really that tech-savvy, but everything they said sounded bad. Corrupted files. Something about the hard drive. Scary stuff like that. The takeaway was my computer as it had been was dead. Kaput. But maybe they could still get some files off of it from the last backup. 

Maybe. 

They worked late that night and my sweet husband stayed up until two in the morning trying valiantly to get back what he could, then got up at six the next morning to keep trying. By noon that day my computer was running again, but I'd lost some files. Not everything. It wasn't catastrophic, but I've spent every moment since then trying to recreate the lost files. It's been stressful, but I'm finally feeling like I am where I was before the crash. And I'm so very grateful that I had backed up the important stuff and I have a sweet husband and son who worked so hard to get it all back for me. I am ready for a restful weekend!

Teaching My Fifteen-Minute Marketing for Authors Class

Well, I'm teaching at a writing conference this week and I'm focusing on fifteen-minute marketing for Authors. It's hard to fit everything I want to talk about in a 50 minute class! But I finished the recording today and hopefully the students learn something new. Here's the picture of me teaching. I wore my lucky shirt, so hopefully that helped!

And if you'd like more information about Fifteen-Minute Marketing for Authors, you can see my book HERE

Here's the back copy:

Have you ever said, “I don’t have time to market my books and I don't know where to start?”

As a busy mother of a large family, best-selling author Julie Coulter Bellon was trying to balance kids, writing, and getting her books in front of the right audience. Some days it seemed impossible until she developed a system of marketing that harnesses the power of just fifteen minutes. Through proven patterns that have increased her visibility and sales, Julie will teach you her system of  fifteen minute marketing techniques with tools that any author---from beginner to advanced---can add to their marketing toolbox.

Save the Date for Fun and Prizes!

I have a fun announcement!

In one week from today, Authors Off the Page (Jennifer Peel, Becky Monson, and me) will be welcoming best-selling romance author, Sariah Wilson! 

We're going to talk about what makes a great romance, and maybe we'll get to hear all about how Sariah met Adam Driver! I can't wait. And we'll also be offering several fun Valentine's Day giveaways, so save the date and head over to my Facebook Author page HERE at 7:00 p.m. on Feb. 11th!

The Dreaded Typos

I go over and over my books before release, I have beta readers and editors, but I still have one or two typos that get through. Gah!

This meme really resonated with me today, especially since I have a new book out. (If you found a typo would you tell the author? I always go back and forth on that issue myself.)

Fingers crossed the typos are few or non-existent in my new book!

Look What I Did!

Well, look what I got to type on my manuscript! I feel like I have been revising this work-in-progress for FOREVER! And today I finally finished it!

This writer’s retreat has been amazing! I soaked up so much creative energy and the words flowed, but I also ate yummy food, laughed, and stayed up way too late with my incredibly talented writer friend Annette Lyon. I’m sad it’s over, just because I was able to focus and really get some uninterrupted writing time, but I’m going home refreshed and revitalized and ready to put on my mom hat.

I can't wait to share this new book with you all!

Writers Having Fun

I'm still at my writer's retreat. We've eaten so much yummy food, talked, walked, laughed, and written so many words. (So. Many!) And I can't wait to share more about my current work-in-progress.

This has been such a recharge for me and I'm so grateful. One strange thing about me that I was worried my fellow writers might think was weird is that when my kids were little, I could only sit at the computer and write for 30 minutes while their favorite kid show was on. So, even though I don't have to do that anymore, my brain has been trained to write in 30 minute increments and then I have to get up and do something else for a bit before I can sit down again. I know, it's a bit strange, but it works for me. And my writer friends didn't judge me at all! Yay!

Have you ever been worried your friends might think something you do is strange? Care to share?

I'm Going On A Writing Retreat!

I'm so excited to be going on a writing retreat this weekend! I have so many goals that I want to accomplish and having that precious time to do it in will be invaluable. I can't remember the last time I had truly dedicated writing time, so I'm really looking forward to this. And I'll be with fellow writers and absorb all that wonderful writing energy. (It will be tempting to just visit and not write, but I'm determined to be wise.)

 Of course my little boy is worried about who will tuck him in at night, which pricked my mama's heart, but I assured him his daddy would take over that special privilege.

So, hopefully, when I come back I will have some wonderful writing goals accomplished and something to announce very soon!

Do you ever go to retreats for a recharge or for your occupation? Were they productive?

I'm Presenting at a Writer's Conference!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be presenting two classes at the 2019 Kanab Writers Conference! I'll be spilling all the secrets to successful self-editing AND how to write great back cover copy. I'm so excited to be in this beautiful part of the world and the conference also includes a hike through red rock country with plenty of time to write in this beautiful setting.

If you'd like to learn more or register for the conference, you can see more information here

Amazon Ads For The Win!

I finished a course last week that taught how to effectively run an AMS ad. It was given by Elana Johnson and Bonnie Paulson and I have to tell you, it was amazing.

The thing I liked most about it was that they started from the foundation of what every author needs to have to make an ad great. They had video tutorials, tip sheets, and workshopped it in a way that even a newbie like me could understand, yet those who have been doing ads for a long time still learned something new.

I'm sort of sorry the class is over because I liked the camaraderie I had with the other class members and I really learned a lot. I'm a little obsessed with ads right now and so far I am thrilled with the bottom line results.

So, when you're browsing around Amazon, you may very well see an ad from me! In fact, I hope you do! (And if you're an author, and Elana and Bonnie's class comes around again, you really need to take it. It was fantastic!)

When Writing At The Computer Isn't Working

Well, my work-in-progress is stalled. I just sit there and look at the computer screen and the words are not flowing.

I really hate it when that happens.

It's partly because it's summertime and my kids want to go out and do something. My writing time is limited more than usual, but it's also because my motivation seems to have taken a nose dive.

So, this is what I'm doing to combat my motivational issues. I'm going to long hand my story. I used to be a journalist and it's comfortable for me to write things out. I bought myself a little notebook and I've transferred in my character sketches and outline. So now I'm going to work on the story.

Wish me luck.

What do you do when you're not motivated?

I've Realized My Writing Process is Weird

Most of you know that I'm a mother of eight children. In order to carve out time for writing with a lot of kids, I usually had to think through my scenes while I was changing diapers and washing dishes, then, when Barney or Paw Patrol came on, I would rush to the computer and write down everything I'd been thinking about. I had half-hour increments to get any writing done and it worked for a lot of years.

Fast forward to this year, when my youngest is in school all day and I have HOURS to write. I could write for six hours a day if I wanted to! I had big plans for this year and was going to be so super productive.

But, I've realized over the last two months when I was under some hard deadlines, that my writing process is super weird. I'll be sitting at my computer, typing away, but after half an hour, my brain just has to get up and go do some housework or something. I tried to work through it, but my brain has just been trained to stop working after half an hour!

My workaround is that I go ahead and take a break to do some household chores, put in laundry, sweep the floor, or whatever, and then go back to writing. Oddly, my brain just picks back up and I go on my merry writing way! And the upside of it is, I'm getting a lot of writing done AND my house is looking great!

I wonder if time goes on, that my brain will eventually be able to adjust and just write for longer than half an hour. I hope so! But until then, I'll just keep trying to balance this strange process.

Do you believe brains are trained in certain habits?

Teaching at the Writing Conference Today!

I had so much fun presenting at the Utah Book Marketing Symposium today! There is just something about the energy at a writing conference that is so motivating. 

I taught a class about how to write great back copy and turn browsers to buyers. I think that sometimes it can be overwhelming to authors to try and "condense" their book into compelling back copy and I hope the people in my class walked away with foundational steps of where to start and how to get it done. I had a lot of great feedback and really enjoyed myself.

So, thank you so much to everyone who came and all those who asked questions. Meeting and chatting with so many authors was definitely the best part!