💡 Substack as the New Digital Book Tour Launching Pad [Creator News]
Plus: I'm teaching a writing class at a new romance bookstore here in San Francisco!
Hey creatives,
I’ve been getting ~ out and about ~ more than usual here in San Francisco. I’ve been trying to create parts of the city I wish existed like 3pm yoga classes and romance writing events!
I’ve been reminded of the magic that comes with putting oneself out there. It can be a bit scary (I am an introvert, after all) but every time I do so I’m rewarded with new friends and a deeper sense of meaning and community.
It can feel safe to stay behind our laptops and exist on the online world, but in-person community is what we make it. That’s why I’ve been putting effort in rooting down more here in SF.
If you’re based here or in town I’ve got different ways you can plug in to what I’m up to, linked below!
And if you’re not based here, don’t worry — I’ve got links to author interviews and interesting creator news before to help keep you informed and inspired.
Let’s get into this week’s roundup:
💬 Links I Sent My Fiancé
My fiancé (!!!) Kyle Cords is my co-founder which means DMing him links counts as productive work 💕
tbh this week Kyle and I have mostly been talking about CozyJobs, our jobs + opps platform for creatives, freelancers, fractional talent, and people wanting interesting full-time work. We’ve also recently built out some improvements for the application tracker so you can better track what you’ve submitted to both for jobs and opps!
🌁 Dispatches From the Bay
What to do and where to eat in San Francisco.
I’m teaching a romance writing class in support of San Francisco’s newest romance bookstore opening, The Love Potion Library! It’s on June 2nd from 7-8:30pm. RSVP here. The class is for romance writers (and readers!) who want to learn how to use screenwriting techniques to write more cinematic novels. There’s already 25 people registered so sign up soon if you’d like to join!
It’s official — I’m now teaching a weekly “yoga &” series where I’m pairing yoga with different mindfulness practices! This Wednesday it will be a yoga & tea tasting event at The Commons in Hayes Valley here in SF. RSVP here!
☕️ Content Trends
Trends in social media, content creation, and what’s going on here on Substack.
I interviewed award-winning author and TV & film writer Jordan Harper about his modern Los Angeles noir novels as part of my ✍️ Make Writing Your Job author interview series. His books are both elevated and fascinating and also can’t-put-them-down pageturners. Check out our conversation and pick up one of his books if you’re ready for a great read:
The TikTok-skits-to-three-book-deal pipeline is now an editorial template. PW’s May 11 issue has a great inside look at how Saga acquired Jaysea Lynn’s Hell’s Belles romantasy series — she went TikTok skits → self-pub → 18K print copies in week one of the trade paperback → 23K week one for the deluxe edition (now in its fourth printing). It just goes to show that self-made authors are able to find different ways to market their work and get in front of their readers. From TikTok Skits to a Three-Book Deal (Publishers Weekly)
Lena Dunham used Substack as a primary driver of her book tour. Just goes to show that lots of avid readers are on this platform, and this is where future books will be marketed. This is also part of the reason I’ve been enjoying interviewing authors on my Substack ✍️ Make Writing Your Job — I love supporting books and writers while also giving our readers a look into their writing career behind-the-scenes.
💰 What to Watch & Read If You Want to Make Money Online
Resources to make you smarter and richer in the Creator Economy.
I interviewed writer Julie Clark Robinson as part of my community interview series at ✍️ Make Writing Your Job. We talked about how she sold personal essays for $1,500 and $2,000 per piece and used that to build momentum to get published in anthologies and short story collections.
Open Tab Episode 2 with Esther Perel just dropped. Hanne Winarsky sits down with Perel at Temple Bar in SoHo on the day of the 20th anniversary re-release of Mating in Captivity. She talks about how she hires and builds her businesses, why work has replaced religion as a source of meaning, whether AI can give good therapy, and how she's making it her life's work to recreate the proverbial village online.
🛍️ Add to Cart
Things that have made my life better or products I have my eye on.
Wide mouth mason jars have been the best purchase I’ve made for my kitchen. I’ve been prepping overnight oats + celery juice and they’re great for that as well as for random leftovers that would take up too much space in other containers. I also have been getting back to growing my own sprouts for smoothies and salads, and you can get a mason jar kit for that as well :)
Sprouts can grow on your kitchen counter without soil (you just rinse the seeds each day — here are the seeds I get), and they’re really good for enhancing the natural detoxification of your body. I inhaled so many sprouts in my journey to reach remission of my autoimmune condition, so they’ve been a staple in my diet during my recovery journey (and beyond, now that I’m healed!)
Questions? Thoughts? Would love to hear what you’re thinking, reading, or making in the comments.
Happy creating,
-Amy