Original subtitles

in this lesson I'm going to talk to you about the importance of becoming part of

a writing Community who will help you not only when you're writing but will also help

you when your book comes out and hopefully that will connect you with more readers as

well I got a book deal back in 2006 based on the idea for and the first three chapters of

my debut novel Lucy in the Sky this is really really unusual and the reason I got a book

based on just the first three chapters was because I was working for a really successful magazine at

the time back in the day there wasn't much social media to speak of but my publisher knew that when

my book came out I would have a means of being able to publicize it and also I was already a

writing journalist so they knew that I would be able to deliver the book these days social media

is a really really helpful tool for helping you to connect with readers and if you have already

have an online presence then a publisher may be more inclined to give you a book deal I'm

bringing this lesson to you this early on in the course because there really is no time to delay

the more of an online presence you can build up now before you even start writing your book the

better a presence you will have by the time you finished writing it so I would like you

to straight away today if possible start setting up an online presence if you haven't already got

one use the name you would like to be known by my handle on Instagram Twitter and Facebook and

Tik Tok is @ pag tune or author I've put author in the title because I was already writing books

but I could have easily said page tune writer and it's really easy now for my readers to be

able to find me if they're looking for me online so definitely future proof yourself

the same thing with registering a website if you can register a website for yourself now all the

better www.page.com it can't be simpler than that if you know that you're going

to be writing under your own name or a pudm just make sure you choose the name that you

want to be known by and make sure you register all of these online platforms under that name

so you can see here that I am page author on Instagram and on Facebook and also on Twitter

and when readers are trying to find me online all they have to do is type in my name and it

comes up with past.com so definitely think about using the name that you would like to

be known by the name that you once splashed on the front cover of every book that you

write from here on in you know if you want to be the next Jojo Moyes Mar and keys do

think about registering yourself a website name right now because it will always be

useful so once you've set up social media sites you need to really start becoming part of a

writing Community you should be commenting on other people's posts you should follow authors

and bloggers and bookstagrammers follow reviewers you know really start sort of

understanding your community these people are people who will help you when your book comes

out so you want to be writing on people's posts and commenting and liking and just start making

yourself known to the community it would be great if you can actually blog about your

writing Journey you know if you want to actually talk about whether or not you're

having a hard day or something you know often you'll get lovely enthusiasm from other people

and it might just be the sort of encouragement you need to to carry on so you know I really

can't underestimate how important it is you know just to find this writing community and

become a part of it so if we look at the latest post even now as an author I still reply to all

of my readers that WR to to me and I think it's really important you know to have that Rapport

going back and forth with people this post I was just talking about one of my books that I've been

rereading and I'll go through and make sure I like all of these comments if somebody has said

something just started reading this one then you know I'll type back really hope you enjoy

it so like and comment maybe they're not your readers yet but maybe they will be in the future

so it's just really really lovely to be able to you know build up a community of people who will

help and support you when your book comes out remember all of these people who you're

commenting on they could become a potential reader in the future and also writing could

be a lonely experience so it's not just about how they might be able to help you but it's

feeling like you're part of a community and so when you come to write your book you know there

are people there who are supporting you and you can support them in turn you know make sure you

comment on other people's posts and you know just really sort of enjoy being part of this

community because it is a lovely lovely place to be everybody is so supportive I can't stress that

enough one of my favorite authors Sally Thorne she she was a reader of another of

my favorites Christina Lauren and she used to follow them online comment on their posts and

they got to know her over time and eventually you know they said to her they encouraged her

to write a book and she'd been wanting to write one for ages and when she wrote the

book The Hating game they ended up giving her a quote and I say they because it's Christina

Hobbs and Lauren Billings are the name of Christina Lauren so it's not to confuse

you but they did give her an amazing quote for the hating game and that was a massive

success you know went on to become a film and everything so it's just really really lovely

to build up a rapport with different authors and reviewers you know and see if it can help in the

future you could also consider blogging about your writing Journey you know write about how

it's going that could be really interesting for people to read especially later if you

become an author that sells you know loads and loads of copies of books you know your

readers might like to go back and read to see how you you know made it from not writing a

book to you know being a bestselling author of many and or otherwise you could even just blog

about the books that you've read you know that can also be really interesting it's all good

practice remember because you're writing you know so you're still writing every day and it

just also helps build your confidence and you know helps you become a better writer

when you will actually come down to write your book so don't stop writing write wherever you

can so as I said before don't delay the process the sooner you start to engage with the writing

Community the better because it will always be helpful I often sort of like exchanging words

with my favorite authors and loads of authors have given me quotes for the front covers of my books

and I will have met them through the writing Community I've met them definitely through

just Twitter or Facebook or Instagram and in turn you know these authors have reached out to me and

I've given them lots of quotes for their books so it will always always be helpful but it is

definitely an essential part of of the writing business these days Publishers will be looking

for ways that they can sell your novel and if they think that you've got part of a writing

community and lots of readers out there who are potential you know people who go and buy your

book then it will all help the bigger picture it will help them to want to give you a book

deal so I can't stress how important it is and remember you know writing can be quite a lonely

business you know you are sitting at your laptop and you're writing for hours a day but with this

community you're not alone you have a community of people out there every day I sit down and do

some social media and just a way of connecting myself with my readers and with other authors

it's really really lovely you know it's such a nice Community to be a part of like I say

it just really helps you feel not not alone you know so definitely don't delay you know

do make sure you set up set up all of these accounts today if you haven't already in the

next lesson we're going to start finding inspiration I'm going to show you how I

came up with some of the ideas for my lels and hopefully help you find some ideas of your own