By Emilie Haney, @emhaneyauthor

You’ve probably heard that writing is a solitary pastime. It typically looks like a person sitting at their computer pouring their heart onto the digital page. There’s collaboration in certain aspects, but often the writing itself is a lonely pursuit tackled by the bravest of creators. We step into the unknown of our story and fight our way through distractions, plot twists, unruly characters, and our own self-doubt. 

For publishing, however, that dynamic changes—and it needs to. Books should not be published in a vacuum. They take collaboration, outside input, and a community of skill sets to create a successful release. If you go the route of traditional publishing, some of this is built in*. You’ll have an editor (or team of them), cover designer, marketing team, and the backing of the publisher’s name. But, if you publish independently or go with a smaller press, a lot of that rests on your shoulders. 

*In today’s publishing world, you will still be required to promote your book no matter how you publish. 

The thing I’ve been thinking about most recently is the power of asking for help. This may seem obvious – you need help, you ask for it – but do we? Are we willing to be vulnerable to others in our circles and actually admit that we need support? 

I believe one of the greatest assets we have as writers is our community, and it should always be greater than the competition we might face in the publishing world. 

Five steps to ask for help effectively 

1. Decode what is keeping you from reaching out 

Dig deep here to find out why you’re afraid to ask for help. Are you letting pride get in the way? Perfectionism, perhaps? Maybe you don’t know who to ask or what to say? Establishing the roadblocks first is a step in the right direction. 

2. Determine what you need help with

There is something called a “call to action” you may see on websites or in other marketing areas. This step is for you to determine what your call to action is. What would be most helpful to you at this stage in your writing career? 

Examples: 

If you’re pre-published: growing your email list is a great way to start. 

If you’re contracted: buying (or preordering) your book is so important!

If you’re multi-published: asking for a review is going to be very helpful.

3. Decide who is best suited to help you with this 

It’s great to know that your mom, aunt, cousin, or whoever will buy your book “one day”, but who in your current situation is best suited to help you with #2 above. This may look like a few different groups of people: social media acquaintances, writing groups, church groups, libraries, or bookstores.

4. Define your needs

This step is important because once you’ve (1) decided to ask for help, (2) know what you need help with, and (3) know who is going to help you, you need to give them directions on how to do that. Rather than generally asking someone to share about you or your book, you can ask them to share about your newsletter or a post you’ve just made. Give them tangible things to act on so they can feel accomplished but also have direction for how they can best help. 

5. Distribute the request 

Lastly, spread the news that you need help (and ask your community to help you do this). One example is using the Story feature on Instagram (if you’re a user) to tell your community about an exciting opportunity and then—right there on the post—you can say “please help me by sharing this”. Sometimes, the more direction you give, the better your results will be. 

These things may seem simplistic, but I’ve found that it’s easier said than done to ask for help when it comes to your created words. When I have pushed past that fear and asked, my community has shown up! Even the smallest number of shares can really improve visibility for a post or can add emails to your newsletter list. 

And one last word of caution? Don’t forget that, to make friends, you need to be a friend. Ask your community to share for you, but be on the lookout for how you can help them, too. 

What about you? Is it hard for you to ask for help? Have you utilized your community to spread the word about a book or project for you? What was the response?

 

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As Easy As Riding A Bike

Emma Holland is almost finished with the renovation of The Brown Bear Lodge nestled just off the Pacific Coast 101 Highway in picturesque Justin Harbor, Oregon. Being a business owner in a small town isn’t easy, but Emma’s got more than enough determination—not to mention an excellent eye for interior design. There’s only one problem. One of her first guests of the season is someone she hoped she’d never see again. As a famous landscape photographer, Connor Pearson has traveled far and wide following his dreams at the cost of losing his first love. Now, back in Justin Harbor, Connor is looking for more than just a place to stay. He’s looking for himself. As Emma and Connor rediscover their lost friendship and seek to find common ground in the present, Connor feels the tug of his small town roots. Is it possible that a man who’s traveled the world could find his home where his dreams began? Can Emma come to terms with the fact that self-reliance isn’t all it’s cracked up to be? Will their bonds from the past weather the storms of the present? As Easy as Riding a Bike will introduce you to the salty air and calming waters of Justin Harbor, the first novella in a series featuring small town women business owners.

Emilie Haney (also writing under the pen name Bell Renshaw) grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has a love for the outdoors that matches her love for the written word. In addition to writing, she is a graphic designer who creates promotional graphics for writers, designs book covers, and has built a thriving community around her Instagram platform and brand CreateExploreRead. Emilie writes YA science fiction and fantasy as well as adult contemporary fiction with strong themes of romance and suspense and believes that–no matter what–love fights for what’s right. Connect with her: www.eahcreative.com, Instagram, Etsy