Pagan Alexandria's Blog

I often get asked “how do you manage to do everything that you do?” and the honest answer to that question is that… I have really good boundaries.

These are boundaries that go beyond surface level. They’re unshakeable and non-negotiable. They take a lot of intentional practice and reinforcement on my end. And they aren’t always easy to uphold.

If I had to lay out three boundaries that I believe have really helped me over the course of my writing career, and currently support me to achieve all that I do (even while working a day job), then it would be these three boundaries.

1) Boundary #1: I prioritise forming helpful beliefs

When I was growing up, I distinctly remember people nurturing my writing skills.

My parents would constantly encourage my writing and even teachers would point out that I had a talent for it, all of which my young, developing brain soaked up like a sponge.

I believe this formed a core belief that writing was meant for me and that being an author was a matter of when, not if. This has been fundamentality helpful as I have grown as a writer, navigated criticism and negative reviews, and even the query trenches of publishing.

When I started querying my manuscripts around, I expected to get rejections like any other author. Instead, I was offered a publishing deal on my first attempt ever fresh out of high school. 

But in hindsight, this doesn’t surprise me because I was already taking action like a serious author would:

While in high school, an author came to speak at the school. I approached her with my manuscript and asked for honest feedback – then applied it without taking any of the feedback personally.I asked my English teacher to help me edit the book and polish it for publication.I developed a consistent writing routine and wrote four complete drafts before I started querying the series.

So when I was offered a contract, that made complete sense because:

I hadn’t told myself I wasn’t good enough, and I didn’t doubt my abilities – I took actions that built evidence of refinement and confidence in my work.I knew I had something polished and of industry-standard to pitch to editors.I had already demonstrated an ability to treat it like a serious career and stick with it.

When it comes to authorship, the beliefs and thoughts you have shape your habits and actions. And yet, a lot of people have been told by their own parents and peers that they’re aren’t a good writer, that it’s not a viable career path, and that they’ll never make anything of it.

This is why I prioritise forming beliefs that are going to help me (like, “I’m meant for writing”) rather than beliefs that are going to discourage or limit me from my potential.

So if fear and doubt is holding you back on your own journey, it could be something deeply engrained, and I encourage you to do regular mindset work and rewrite any unhelpful beliefs you’re currently noticing.

Then take action in alignment with who you’re setting out to become… and watch what happens next.

2) Boundary #2: There is no room in my life for people who discourage me

Stemming off of the first point, I am very protective of my space and energy and anybody who discourages me or makes me doubt my abilities is quickly removed.

Why? Because I don’t want anybody derailing my progress or throwing me off my game, especially not without good cause!

Surrounding myself with people who support me is essential. And take note, this doesn’t mean I don’t accept feedback or criticism, as that’s very different. It just means anybody who has genuinely negative intentions towards me does not get to stay in my life, or have access to me.

This extends to trolls, haters, and people who perhaps desire to live their life differently but don’t realise they’re projecting onto me. All of this has taken a lot of practise and emotional awareness to recognise, but once I do see that someone fits into this category, it’s one of my top boundaries to remove them from my space.

Through this, I’m holding the standard for people who do get to be in my world and receive my time and energy. And by not feeding into negative behavior, I reinforce that standard of what I am available for, which strengthens the support system I’ve built around me.

3) Boundary #3: My books come first, no matter what

I prioritise my books the way some people prioritise going to the gym, or meeting their kids needs. And one core reason why I view it this way (when perhaps not everybody would) is because I see it as a business, not a hobby.

So in order for it to work like one, I need to treat it accordingly. It means having the discipline to say no to outings or evenings spent on the couch sometimes in order to write. It means waking up a few hours early to work on admin tasks or prepare for an upcoming launch. It means spending a Sunday replying to emails from bookstore managers when I could be cosy gaming or doing a tasting at a local winery. 

But going even further than this, it means being fiercely protective of my down time vs my day job time with my employer. It means planning my days off strategically so I can do book signings or leaving work early to ship signed copies out at the post-office. 

It means that at times during my career, I’ve left unsupportive work environments that haven’t supported my books or enabled me to do the things I need to do to grow the business. It means I’ve moved myself across the country to access better opportunities for them. And none of that has been a privilege, it’s been hard work and years of sacrifice to get into a position to be able to do any of these things (including putting off getting a house when most of my peers have mortgages, and choosing not to have kids). 

In short, it means making it the priority, no matter who else might disagree. And that doesn’t mean my day job is treated less than or that I de-prioritise my relationships. It just means I’m really intentional with everything that I do and I don’t overpromise to things I know I can’t commit to.

I hope this article inspired you and helped you see things in a new way! 

What boundaries do you currently have for your books – and better yet, what boundaries do you feel you need to put in place moving forward? DM me on Instagram and let me know!

If you’re looking for your next favourite read, then why not pick a series based on your favourite childhood Barbie movie?

As it happens, all of my fairytale retellings can be linked back to a Barbie movie. So if you loved any of the following movies while growing up, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy diving into its paired fairytale retelling duology.

If you loved Barbie in a Mermaid Tale …

…then you should read the Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters duology.

By the time this movie came out, I was actually in high school so it’s one I haven’t yet seen. But it actually shares a similar premise to my mermaid-fantasy duology which may make Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters all the more enjoyable for you.

Both stories feature a surfer protagonist, both of whom discover that they are actually a mermaid, and both are faced with a choice to head to the Undersea to save members of their family.

But unlike Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, Coral’s mother is long-dead, and so her incentive for heading to the Undersea to save her family centers around helping her father and sister. There, she encounters strange characters, discovers family curses, and uncovers devastating secrets.
If you enjoy stories with romance, royalty, animal friends and interesting magic systems, then give Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters a try!

If you loved Barbie Rapunzel …

…then you should read the Blood Magic duology.

This was my favourite Barbie movie growing up, and the Blood Magic duology is loosely inspired by this classic Barbie movie. 

Both of these stories are retellings of the original fairytale, Rapunzel. But story wise, that’s where the similarities end. Still, if you love Rapunzel in any shape or form, and if Barbie Rapunzel was a beloved film for you growing up, you’ll likely enjoy Blood Magic.

The duology follows Fleur, a vampire hunter, who is forced to hide and help her rival hunter, Percy Renaud, when he is turned into a vampire. As they search for a vampirism cure, Fleur begins to unravel a mystery deeply entwined in the fabric of her own reality, revealing a scheme that will change her life forever.
Since Blood Magic is a new adult duology, you can expect dark academia vibes, spicy scenes, enemies-to-lovers with plenty of tension and banter, and a world full of paranormal characters who form a found-family vibe.

If you loved Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses …

…then you should get on the waitlist for Midnight Curses.

Everybody remembers the iconic, 12 dancing princesses movie with the dancing shoes and the secret portal to another land. This was one of the most enchanting and fun movies of the franchise!

My upcoming duology, Midnight Curses, is also loosely inspired by this movie. It follows Katrina, a changeling, who has spent most of her life in Faerie posing as the Princess of Glaciroria. Determined to keep her place, she competes amongst 12 eligibles in a competition to win Prince Kyran’s heart, seeking a bond that will tie her to Faerie for good. But she soon discovers that Prince Kyran is hiding a dark secret that will threaten the fate of Faerie—and change the outcome of the competition forever.
Since the first installment of this duology isn’t due to be released until 2026, you can get on the waitlist here if you’re interested in being notified when pre-orders open.

As a fellow author, I see you.

You have a goal to go full-time as an author.

You want to tell stories for a living.

You want to see your books on the shelves of every bookstore worldwide.

You want thousands of new readers discovering your work every day.

But the problem is… your books aren’t selling.

And you think they should be selling. But in this article, we’re going to get brutally honest and look at whether it actually makes sense for your book to be selling the way you want it to… or if you’re actually blocking your own book’s success.

Being something of an entrepreneur myself, I spend a lot of time learning from experts and studying creators and business owners. And a piece of advice I received recently changed my life, which was this:

You have a value that you give to the marketplace

AND, you are already making the money that equals the value you’re currently giving to the marketplace.

Ouch.

This really hurt to hear at first, knowing I had poured all of myself into my recent book, knowing it has huge earning potential, and sitting in the reality that I was making less than $1k a month off the book.

But the more I thought about it… I realised how true (and honest) the advice is, and how more people really need to hear it.

I want to share an example that I think will help you see this advice in a new light.

Let’s imagine, for a moment, that you’re a high ticket coach or mentor, who wants to sell a $10k offer 10 times, and bring in 6 figures.

That’s a huge amount of money, and a life-changing milestone to hit. And I know for a lot of fellow authors, really envisioning that scenario of being able to close $10k sales and see that land in your bank account, and then deliver on an offer worth that much… it feels big.

So the question becomes… can the average person actually hold this offer and bring in this amount of money without completely upleveling (not changing—uplevelling) themselves to do it?

Can you energetically/emotionally hold it?

…really visualise yourself selling and delivering this offer.

Are you showing up like a hot mess on social media promoting it? Are you running late to every client call? Are your emotions a wreck after your 9 – 5 job? Are you able to emotionally navigate what the client is bringing to the table in every call? Could you actually hold 10 clients at once?

Or… do you have rock solid boundaries between personal stuff and business stuff? Have you figured out a way to show up for your clients when you’re solid and can actually hold space for them?

Can you physically hold it?

…are you someone who can sell with consistency? Who has the stamina to do the emotional labour of 2 – 5 calls per day (possibly in your evenings or weekends?)

Or are you showing up for yourself and for your clients burnt out, unfit and exhausted?

Is the business even in a place to support it? 

…do you have the customer service team, the onboarding processes, the automations to support the caliber of client experience your client expects after paying $10k?

I took you through this example to help you really see the difference between someone doing the bare minimum vs someone who has made intentional shifts and decisions to be able to hold and show up for a bigger result.

Sure, your book can absolutely bring in a million dollars. And you might even argue that if only it would just happen already, of course you’d have the time and energy and money to show up on a bigger level and create a bigger result.

But you have to go first. It doesn’t happen the other way around. A million dollars won’t create itself out of thin air.

If you are not currently showing up in the marketplace in a way that contributes big value daily, you won’t see that coming back to you (the same way you might if you had 100 books instead of 1, or if that 1 book was reaching 10 x the audience. Again, it won’t happen until you take the action to make it happen).

If you really want to change your results, it’s time to get brutally honest about how you’re showing up each day for your book(s). And these questions can help you audit your actions:

1) How do you approach and view marketing?

Is the majority of your time (and content) spent complaining about how hard it is and how you wish you never had to do it?

Or are you constantly working to elevate your content and make it better?

Do you stay consistent for a while then fall off the bandwagon (then repeat the cycle?)

Or are your working on processes and habits that support you to be able to show up regularly?

2) How do you handle interactions with readers?

Does one negative review throw you or lots of DMs overwhelm you?

Or can you confidently say you could hold a community with hundreds of daily conversations?

Do you actually seek out new readers and create spaces to engage with them?

Or do you ignore your readers because it’s already a lot to respond to comments/DMs and it’s the last priority on your list right now?

3) Are you showing up daily like someone doing it professionally?

Do you even write regularly? Do you hit the wordcount goals and deadlines you say you want to hit?

Or are you constantly making excuses for why you can’t and pushing it back?

How do you expect to be someone who releases 2 books a year (without a day job getting in the way) when you aren’t even trying to write regularly and build that habit now?

^ When you really visualise yourself in the identity of a full-time earning author, does that person match who you’re being right now?

When I really thought about this for myself, I realised I wasn’t even being that person. I see myself writing TV shows and video games eventually, but *just* writing my next book has been a struggle recently. And if I’m brutally honest with what’s been stealing my time and focus, it’s been things like TikTok and television in my precious, downtime hours.

There’s no way I could handle more creative work with my current habits, so of course, I’m not putting anywhere near close to that level of value out into the world currently (and I’m certainly not ready to hold it if it showed up tomorrow).

So look—obviously your current, day-to-day isn’t going to look 100% the same as the million dollar earning version of you, since you don’t have all the resources yet (time, money, energy, etc).

But it’s more about the identity level here—are you at least approaching your goals like that person? Are you making intentional decisions like that person? Are you thinking like that person?

Are you being someone who gives that level of value to the marketplace every day?

Because if you, like me, are kind of half-assing some areas of your business, it actually makes sense why you’re earning the level of income you’re earning from the books.

The biggest trap is expecting your books to bring it the potential that it can bring in, without doing any of the work to reach that level.

Yes, your book could lead to a movie deal. But are you even presenting yourself online as someone ready to negotiate with executives?

Yes, your book could move thousands of units per month. But are you even being someone who is willing to promote your book on a daily basis?

Yes, your book could become a global franchise? But are you even doing the work of leaning into that future vision and branding it accordingly?

This is the brutally honest picture to look at… and it will reveal where your gaps to success are.

If you’re an avid Sarah J. Maas reader, you probably remember the high from your very first read through of Throne of Glass. And if you’re anything like me, you may share the sentiment that nothing has come remotely close to giving you that same feeling ever since.

Well, have I got some recs for you.

These books have not only taken me across well-developed kingdoms and continents, but have introduced me to new characters who have stolen my heart, as well as magic systems that left me speechless. 

If you’re hankering for something to fill the void, you need to dive into these book recs ASAP.

Which books are spicy books with TOG vibes?

The Queen Rises by Kirsten Cirpriano

I did a (rare) review on this book here since I loved it that much, and I still stand by everything I said in my review.

If TOG wasn’t quite spicy enough for you, this book certainly will be. Not to mention the incredible worldbuilding, the intricate magic system, the characters I completely fell in love with, and how freaking engaged I was reading this.

I literally could not put this book down for hours straight, and I enjoyed every moment of reading it. I highly, highly recommend this as a series that will scratch your TOG itch, while still feeling fresh and different to anything you’ve read before.

Lady of Darkness by Melissa K. Roehrich

If you loved Aelin’s whole ‘tell nobody the plan’ vibe, you’ll love Scarlett.

Also an assassin, this series follows Scarlett as she accepts a job in exchange for revenge against the fae fire prince who killed her mother. It also introduces a great cast of additional characters to follow as the story unfolds, so if you loved the multiple POVs in TOG (such as Manon, Dorian and Elide), you’ll likely eat this series up.

Which books are like TOG but with healer protagonists?

Silver Tongue by Gabrielle R Herd

Assassins? Check. Monsters? Check. Political intrigue? Check. 

If you’re looking for a vast world to escape in, a love interest that gives Prince Zuko / Bucky vibes (!!) and an adventure to fill the TOG-sized gap that’s been there since you finished Kingdom of Ash, definitely check this debut out. It follows Ceridwen, a healer who is stalked by an ancient monster that only she can see, who must hunt it down before it kills the people she holds most dear.

A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

Following Arwen, a healer with a rare magical ability, this series spans three books and takes you on a rollercoaster of plot twists through different kingdoms and territories. This series will hook you with it’s solid plot line and swoon-worthy romance.

Speaking of which, if you’re an ACOTAR fan, then you kind of get the best of both worlds here since the love interest in this trilogy gives more Rhysand “shadow daddy” vibes, while also having a shape-shifter ability like Rowan. Why pick when you can have both?

Which TOG-similar books have the trainee/trainer trope?

Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

Carissa Broadbent is probably the only author to come close to writing like Sarah J. Maas in a sense that her stories share very similar themes, her writing style is highly engaging, her worlds vast, and her romances steamy and epic. 

If you love feminist rage, you’ll love this story following Tisaanah, a former slave who is fighting to save those she left behind when she escaped slavery. With many similarities to Aelin, the most notable being her badassery, Tisaanah is a character you’ll soon struggle to forget. And her chemistry with Max is simply… incredible.

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall

If you’re looking for a longer series to get lost in, this one contains 5 main books and 2 novellas. It follows Emelin, who is taken from her human family by a deadly, fae murderer after being caught wielding forbidden magic (again, subtle but notable similarities to the world of TOG here).

It turns out that her captor, Creon, needs Emelin’s magic to win at his own ambitions, and if she agrees to help him… she could free all of humanity. And so, Creon begins training her, and it’s not without plenty of banter, teasing and flirting along the way.

If you love slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, you’ll definitely love this book (if not the entire series!)

What would you add to this list? Come follow me on Instagram and let me know if you have more recs (or, if any of these recs turn out to be your new favourite read!)

When you’re not making the book sales that you want to make, or you’re struggling in general with the action of marketing and promoting your book, it’s very easy to come back to the logical question of “How do I sell my book?”

But let me tell you why this actually isn’t the best question to ask.

There are usually three phases of building a business, and before you really get into a selling phase, you need a building phase.

What happens in the building phase completely depends on your strategy for building your business. Some people focus on networking and referrals, other people focus on branding and content strategy. But ultimately, the building phase is what sets you up to be able to sell and actually convert people to buy your product as a result, because it builds pieces like trust, connection, problem awareness, etc.

(By the way, I get that these are all marketing terms and you may not understand how this applies to fiction books, but stick with me here.)

The best question you can ask if you’re struggling with sales is: how do you build your foundations?

Because if you’ve built your foundations and you continue to practise at your foundations, the sales will come much easier.

What do foundations look like in business?

Foundations chalk up to what’s working really well to grow your business (be it your audience, your engagement, your retention rates, etc.)

Once you know what’s working, the key is to keep doing it, and this is where people can also tend to drop the ball once they see some success.

For example:

Let’s say you reach your first 1,000 readers through content strategy and sending out ARCs.

You see some great success after doing this for 6 straight months suddenly, you want to jump into a scaling phase of your business. So you start focusing on other efforts like doing events, organising paid partnerships, or even running paid ads.

And you drop the ball on your content strategy and ARC outreach strategy.

So then, 3 more months down the track, you start to see a dwindle in your audience growth, your engagement, and even sales are dropping off because there’s less readers talking about your book.

That’s an example of a foundation. Your content strategy and ARC outreach strategy was a foundational effort that was working to get you a result. As soon as you broadened your focus without being able to maintain that effort, you saw a dip in the result.

So often, the solution to a lack of sales comes down to either (a) not having a foundation in the first place, or (b) not being consistent enough with your foundations and forgetting to ‘go back to basics’ (so to speak).

What foundations should indie authors aim to build?

In my opinion, there are some really important foundations to focus on. You may not choose to adopt or focus on all of these, but I’ll explain why I see value in each of these below:

1) An audience of ideal readers – having the right audience in front of you is a really important foundation, and knowing how to bring these people into your world and retain their attention and loyalty is equally valuable.

Why? Because without an audience, you have nobody to buy your stuff, share it, or tell others about it. If you’re not selling books and you don’t have the right people in front of you, it’s no surprise why.

2) A known brand – your brand is such a huge asset in your marketing. It contributes know factor, builds memorability so that people who are just discovering you for the first time can remember who you are, and it also lays a foundation for credibility and trust in the purchasing process.

There’s a reason why known, household name authors get easy sales (like Sarah J Maas with ACOTAR) and why indie authors can sometimes feel like they’re pulling teeth just to get new readers to take a chance on them. Brand is a huge piece of this, so brand is definitely a foundation I’d focus on.

3) A launch sequence – the reason I recommend developing a launch sequence for your books is because this acts as a sort of ‘sales process’ for you.

When done right, the act of launching requires you to:

a.) Command the attention of new readers and bring them into your world (e.g. audience building)

b.) Warm people up to buy your book through tactics such as posting content around the book, sourcing early book reviews, or even partnering with established creators. And this helps to build your brand and social proof.

By the time you start selling, you’ve already built a foundation in a sense that you have people in front of you, these people know who you are and what your book is about (plus, why they would enjoy it), they have social proof to build trust in their purchasing decision, and they’re ready to buy from you.

As opposed to dropping your book randomly one Sunday afternoon and asking people to buy, you’ve laid foundations and taken them through a process to get them interested and committed. And it’s a process you can rinse-and-repeat for every book (so with a consistent launch sequence, you won’t accidentally drop off and see a dip in your income either). 

P.S: Found this article helpful? Dive deeper in my podcast episode where I expand on this topic and share more examples and insight on building your foundations as a fiction author.

If you’re here, it’s because you know how important marketing is to be able to get your book into the hands of more dream readers (or you’re starting to come to that realisation).

However, book marketing for indie authors is a very different approach to traditional marketing methods (and by that, I’m not referring to a traditional publisher, but rather, traditional marketing in general).

What gets taught in the digital marketing space and in other industries is not so easily applicable for authors (and it makes complete sense that if you’re not a marketer in your day-to-day job, it makes no sense to you).

Statements like ‘what problem do you solve?’ are super helpful in service based industries, but not so much for authors who are just writing what’s on their heart to share.

Luckily, I’ve got a huge bank of podcast episodes that you can start binging immediately that will help you with a broad scope of book marketing ideas and knowledge, each one actually tailored towards indie authors. 

How do writers market their books?

If you’ve been in the publishing space for a while, you’ll know that authors do all kinds of things—from offering ARCs in exchange for reviews, to posting on social media, to running ads and more.

But the most important thing to remember is that it’s never one thing. It’s the accumulation of things that you do paired with the intentionality and consistency of the things that are working really well (which you can only really know through trial and error, because what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another).

And yes, I get that hearing that is really frustrating, but what that actually means is… all you really have to do for book marketing to work is:

Have a strategy that fits a goal that makes sense for where you’re at (maybe that’s growing your audience to it’s first 1000 readers, or maybe it’s getting established in enough places that people can start to discover you).Tailor the actions you’re taking towards that goal, rather than trying to do everything or throwing spaghetti at the wall until it sticks.Practise consistency of those actions, and have the intention to get better at them over time. You’re not going to start off creating amazing content or running successful ads, but with practise and consistency, you’ll eventually get really good at the action you’ve committed to.

As for knowing where to start, or what actions to take, or which goal to pick… here are some podcast episodes that can help you build your own strategy and put the pieces of the book marketing puzzle together.

Ep 7: The SJM Marketing Training

If there was any episode to start off with, it would be this one.

This episode gives you a THOROUGH breakdown of SJM’s rise to success.

Luck and connections aside, it walks you through tangible and actionable marketing actions you can take to build your audience, to build trust, and to build momentum for your books (that ANYONE can replicate, no matter how ‘known’ you already are for your books). And it breaks down WHY these actions work and the marketing psychology behind their success.

For a broad roadmap to your marketing goals and to be able to identify where you’re currently at on your publishing journey and what the next goal might look like, this is a FANTASTIC episode (plus, there’s a free, extended resource you can download to go with it!)

Ep 9: When You Don’t Have The Capacity or Time to Market Your Books

I strongly believe that time and energy are actually the two biggest problems any committed author faces when it comes to marketing.

It’s not so much the lack of knowledge (because if you’re resourceful and know how to use Google, you have endless ideas and guides at your fingertips). No, it’s actually the lack of time and emotional capacity to do it all properly and keep up with the marketing.

Sound familiar?

Well, this episode dives into how I managed to run a business (during a scaling phase), work a part time job, and release four books back to back in a single year and how I found the time and energy to make it all happen.

You’ll learn:

a.) The #1 mindset shift that helps even when you’re capped for time and struggling with low energy.

b.) How to set yourself up for success every week so that you actually do the book marketing things (rather than putting it off or letting things slip through the cracks).

c.) How to identify the ONE, needle moving book marketing action (rather than trying to do it all on side-hustle hours).

Ep 11: How to Create a Fandom Around Your Work

If there’s one asset that I consider to be the most important when trying to sell any product, it’s having an audience to sell to. Without an audience, you’re just shouting into the void and getting nothing back.

But building an audience is not the same thing as building a following on social media. An audience is actually engaged in your content, your offers, and your brand, and they have to be an ideal customer for your product (as opposed to a follower, who may rarely engage and never intends to buy).

In order to learn how to build an audience, I recommend listening to this podcast episode as it will teach you all about building a fandom around your work, including:

a.) Three simple ways to grow your audience.

b.) What’s missing if you already have followers, but these people aren’t buying from you.

c.) How to ensure your marketing isn’t boring your audience (and is actually attracting the right people to you!)

IMO, this episode is a must-listen for every author.

Ep 17: How I’ve Sold Books With An Audience of Less Than 200 People

This Bestseller Energy podcast episode breaks down how I sold books consistently with an audience of less than 200 people when I released my duology, Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters, back in 2022.

In this episode you’ll discover strategies that led to consistent, ongoing sales and why these things worked, including:

a.) How I built my audience from scratch with a brand new pen name (aka: how to build an audience if you’re a completely new, unestablished author in the publishing space).

b.) How I built sales experiences for the duology to engage my audience and build community, hype and anticipation.

c.) How I created a brand and community around the duology to create memorability and recognition.

This is a great episode to dive into if you’re embarking on your very first book launch, or you have a small audience and you want to maximise your book marketing results.

Ep 23: How to Reach More Readers

When I released my first book, Stuck on Vacation With Ryan Rupert, I sold less than 50 copies and quickly realised how important it was to have an audience prior to releasing my next book.

The thing was, I really saw myself writing for a global audience… and in reality, I could count how many people bought the book on both hands and track most of those sales back to my friends and family. Was it a good start? Sure. But was it what I’d envisioned? Not by a long shot.

Maybe you can relate. There’s no shame in admitting you want people outside of your friends and family to discover and read your work, and that’s what this episode is here to help you achieve.

Your missing piece here is a lack of discoverability and awareness. That’s why, contrary to the earlier episode on building a fandom, this episode focuses more on visibility strategies, including:

a.) How to speak to your ideal reader at different stages of the buyer journey, in order to warm them up to buy from you.

b.) Types of content that will go beyond your friends and family bubble, and bring readers back to your audience.

c.) How to leverage collaborations and utilise storytelling to boost your discoverability and brand awareness.

Ep 25: A Riff on Niching Down

One popular piece of marketing advice is to niche down in order to speed up your results, as this forces you to get more specific and clear in your marketing.

However, for writers who write across multiple genres, this can be challenging. So, in this episode, I answer the question… can you achieve a mass level of reach with your book without niching down? 

Tune in to learn about:

a.) The main benefits of niching down (why it works) and the #1 mistake I’d avoid if you choose not to niche down in your marketing.

b.) How to lead with your most popular creative work and then cross-sell readers into your lesser known work.

Ep 30: 4 Tweaks to Elevate Your Brand Perception

Something I did really well (even when all else failed) in the first 5 years of my author journey was build a personal brand around myself as a writer, which helped a lot of my early work get known.

This taught me a lot about branding yourself, including the power of branding in marketing and the importance of how your brand is perceived by readers. 

This Bestseller Energy episode reveals 4 simple tweaks you can start making today that will elevate your author (or book’s) brand and how you’re being perceived by ideal readers to increase your income, reach and overall book marketing results. You’ll discover:

a.) How to present your marketing to create an instant ‘know factor’ around who you are and what you do.

b.) The difference between being perceived as an ‘aspiring writer’ vs a ‘bookstagrammer’ vs a ‘professional author’.

c.) How to shift your language (and messaging) to instill confidence in future buyers and convey an established, professional energy. 

d.) Why pricing your book for cheap (or free) might actually lower the perceived value of your book and negatively impact your sales (and how to leverage positioning tactics and sell a reading experience to increase the perceived value of your book).

…and more (honestly, this episode has SO many great nuggets of wisdom!)

Ep 40: How to Reveal Your Book Cover

Your book cover is branding for your product, which is why I would never skip a book cover reveal.

Furthermore, like anything, if you don’t make your cover reveal an ‘event’ (in a sense that it’s bigger than posting it once and calling it a day), you may not get the maximum impact and reach you could get from it. And this is not an opportunity to be missed.

Until your book has a cover, it’s hard for people to visualise it as a real, tangible book they’ll eventually be able to hold. So revealing your cover at the right time, and in a way that builds anticipation and hype, is not only a great marketing tactic… but really important.

In this episode, I break down the step-by-step strategy for revealing your book cover (making this a great episode for any newbie authors out there!)

Ep 43: 5 Book Marketing Actions to Take This Week

Finally, if you want a quick week of marketing actions you can take immediately (this week) to kick you back into gear and start building a regular promotional habit, this episode is for you!

I share a DAILY action you can take (Monday to Friday) so that you don’t have to think too hard about how to market your book this week. The best part? These actions are easily repeatable and stackable, so you can do them over and over (and I would recommend it, in order to build a solid book promotion habit!)

P.S: Found this list helpful? Come over to my Instagram (it’s where I’m most active) and let me know which episode was your favourite!

Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters is a YA fantasy duology filled with underwater kingdoms, royal romance and ancient curses to break.

If you love books such as A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford, or even An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, chances are you’ll devour this duology.

Here are six reasons to run, not walk to pick it up.

1) Interesting world and cultures

The world in Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters is vast, with three individual kingdoms (each with their own residents, cultures and magic), as well as the human lands.

Veranis is home to the undine, who live with a long-standing curse that affects their residents. Atlantis, a war-torn kingdom, is home to the mermaids who are hunted for their heart magic. And Coronis, home to the sirens, is a reverse-feminism led kingdom where the women hold all the power over the males… or so they’re led to believe.

2) An unexpected romance

The story follows Coral who, after stumbling upon a handsome stranger by the sea, becomes swept up in the kingdoms of the Undersea and tangled in the stranger’s royal affairs. But while a budding romance begins to build between the two, there may or may not be a Tamlin/Rhysand switch planted deep within the duology with a fan-favourite character. Hey, at least you know it going in.

3) It gradually becomes more magical

I talked more in this post about why I love writing stories that start out in our world, then gradually become more magical as time goes on.

Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters is a perfect example of this. The story starts off on an island, home to a famed resort owned by the FMC’s father, but as you’re swept under the sea, you’re gradually introduced to a fantasy world filled with unique magic systems, creatures and more. And every time you return to the human lands, it feels a little bit like being in on a grand secret that only select characters in the book know about.

Read the first 3 chapters of Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters when you join my mailing list .

4) A family secret to unravel

Speaking of secrets, there’s a deep family secret entwined throughout all three kingdoms within this book to be unravelled. If you love stories with big reveals, elaborate backstories and curses that must be broken, this book gives you all of this on a silver platter.

5) The companion novella is a worthy stand-alone 

Without spoiling too much of the main story, alongside the two-book duology is an additional novella detailing the origin story for the main villain (who else loves a good villain origin story?)

Ever since I read Fairest by Marissa Meyer, I knew I wanted to write a villain origin tale, and this one was a true joy to write. Full of vengeance and overthrowing power dynamics, you get a front row seat to the gradual descent into desperation and despair that leads to the choices that set the events of the main duology in motion. Plus, it has LBGTQ+ rep and some of the most loveable (as well as love-to-hate) characters you’ll ever meet.

6) It’s a dual retelling of Snow White and The Little Mermaid

Dual retellings are kind of my thing, though I would argue Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters is my truest ‘retelling’ I’ve done. With easily recognisable story structure following the original tales and clearer character matches, you’ll enjoy reading this duology and having ‘aha!’ moments for where inspiration was drawn from each fairytale, and how it’s been reimagined.

Get your hands on the completed series today:

eBook:

Grab the complete duology directly via me here

Alternatively, you can get the eBooks via your preferred retailers here:

AmazonKoboAppleBarnes & Noble

Print:

You can get print copies via the following retailers:

AmazonBarnes & Noble

It’s been a looooong time coming, but Blood Magic is officially out today!

If you’ve been eyeing this book and thinking about picking it up, but you’re still on the fence, let me give you 6 good reasons to add this one to your TBR immediately.

1) It’s loosely inspired by Barbie Rapunzel

Yeah, you know the one where Barbie has a magic paintbrush and can paint doorways and dresses and shit? THAT Barbie Rapunzel!

I was lowkey obsessed with that movie as a child. It’s arguably one of the best classic Barbie movies ever (with 12 Dancing Princesses coming in as a close second… oh wait, that’s my next duology! Lol)

2) It has vampires

Haven’t you heard? Vampires are BACK, baby, and you don’t want to miss this book while they’re having a resurgence.

If you love dark academia settings, enemies-to-lovers and spicy reads, you will *definitely* enjoy Blood Magic!

3) There are also other supernatural creatures

Why stop at vampires when you can also have witches and… well, no spoilers here, but there might be a few other types of beings hanging out on Monsec campus too.

(Did I mention there’s a crossover character in Blood Magic that leads into my next planned duology, set in the world of the fae?)

4) It has a vampire x vampire hunter pairing

Is there anything more delicious than a good vampire x vampire hunter duo? The tension, the yearning, the enemies-to-lovers banter… you know you want to read this.

5) You will not see the plot twist(s) coming

You know the twists are good when nearly 30 early readers have read the book and not a single one could predict the major twist (and even the twists that they *were* able to predict, had *another* twist interwoven that they didn’t see coming!)

6) It’s a dual retelling of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty

Dual retellings are kind of my thing. This one combines Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty into a unique, new storyline and re-imagines parts of both fairytales to create an intricate magic system and world.

What early readers are saying:Get your copy:

eBook:

Grab the eBook directly via me here

Alternatively, you can get the eBook via your preferred retailers here:

AmazonKoboAppleBarnes & Noble

Print:

You can get print copies via the following retailers:

AmazonBarnes & Noble

I’m so excited for you to receive and read your copy of Blood Magic! Come DM me on Instagram to let me know when you’ve ordered yours so I can celebrate with you!

I can still remember being 11 years old, walking into my Grade 6 classroom and noticing that one of my friends was holding a copy of a book I’d been seeing everywhere. When I asked her what Twilight was about, she responded,

“It’s about a girl who falls in love with a vampire.”

It sounds simple. Boring, even. But nonetheless intrigued, I went out and got myself a copy… and soon became hooked.

What I loved about reading Twilight as a budding teenager wasn’t necessarily the romance (it certainly had its issues, in hindsight).

It was more the fact that I found myself absolutely enthralled by the experience of this very average human, who somehow stumbled into this supernatural world that was hidden in her plain sight, and was let in on this massive, family secret that nobody else was special enough to know about.

Bella then goes on to be part of something so unreal, so unlike anything her peers are experiencing, and still manages to keep up the pretenses of a double life (sidenote: this is probably why I enjoyed Sailor Moon and The Vampire Diaries so much as well).

Honestly, I ate that shit up. This is an experience that I love in stories—I loved it about Splintered by A. G. Howard, I loved it about Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, and I loved it about the Percy Jackson series.

And, I find it so unbelievably rare to come across in books nowadays—the concept that something can start out seemingly normal and unravel to reveal something strange, magical and wonderful.

I knew, even back then as a developing writer, that I wanted to tell stories like this and that it would make up a huge foundation for the types of stories I tell throughout my lifetime.

It feels in some ways like a forgotten art—maybe I’m just reading the wrong books, but everything I read now is either set in an already-established fantasy setting, or involves the protagonist getting transported there. I really love it when two worlds blend, or even layer themselves on top of our modern-day reality.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with stories set in pre-established worlds, but I’m a big believer in writing the kinds of books I want to read—and nobody’s writing them, so I’ll gladly take up that challenge!

When I wrote Kingdom of Sirens and Monsters, I really loved crafting the island setting in which the story starts out, and then slowly submerging readers into the Undersea—at first, through carefully sprinkled clues and hints, and then all at once as Coral discovers the three kingdoms, the magic system of the Undersea, and the beings that reside in each part of it. Even then, she’s able to balance her ‘normal’ life with her magical one, travelling from one to the other, and maintaining appearances on the island to everyone who isn’t closely involved in her family’s secrets.

And then, in Blood Magic, we have a french-inspired University campus that seems normal in every regard (aside from the vampires), until you get further and further into the book. Only then do you discover there are more magical beings on the campus, there are strange happenings afoot, and the whole town may not be what it seems.

If you enjoy stories like Twilight , or the other books I mentioned above, and for the reasons I mentioned in this article (as well as the romances, let’s be real!) then you may just love my books. You can learn more about each series here .

Haven’t you heard? Vampires are soooo back in, baby. And there have been some scrumptious vampire books that have come out in recent years.

We may be many months out from the spooky season, but there’s never a bad time to dive into a vampire book (especially if it’s a spicy, romantic vampire book!) And in light of Blood Magic releasing soon, I thought it was a great time to put together a list of must-read vampire books!

So, check out these un-put-downable vampire books that should be next up on your TBR:

The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Clarissa Broadbent

Clarissa Broadbent is everyone’s new favourite author and she has blessed us with a HANDFUL of vampire books set loosely in the same universe for people to dive into. So, loving that for all of us.

The Serpent and The Wings of Night serves as a really easy starting point into her work, and from there you could jump into a second duology (The Songbird & the Heart of Stone) or a standalone novella (Six Scorched Roses) but either way, she’s got your fix sorted for at least six books worth of binging. And based on what I’ve read from her so far, she’s a natural follow up read for any ACOTAR fans as her writing is definitely giving *the vibes*.

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

This one is like Caraval, but with spice and vampires (okay, that’s a broad generalization but you get the idea).

Honestly, words don’t really do this book justice. It’s one of those rare, literary masterpieces that have come out in recent years. It’s eerie, fascinating, FUN, and it’s got those gothic vibes that make a vampire book so delicious! If you enjoy books with trials plotlines and forbidden romances, this one should definitely be on your TBR. 

The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin

Another one of those books that really nails the gothic worldbuilding, The Scarlet Veil is a natural follow up read for anyone who read and loved her Serpent & Dove series. Though, I will warn ahead, the vibes (at least for me) are very different.

I really loved Serpent & Dove but I love all things witchy and for me, that series really hit on everything I wanted. The Scarlet Veil is very different, which I would argue is a good thing, and follows a murder mystery plot line and incorporates some fun new worldbuilding and magic elements as an intriguing romance is explored between Célie and Michal. 

Blood Magic by Pagan Alexandria

If you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Vampire Diaries, but don’t enjoy the standard mold of ‘paranormal romance’ reads, this one will hit different.

Something that I (yes, I’m the author of this one) tend to do differently in my books is start them out in modern-day settings and gradually steer the story into more magical waters, giving it that delicious blend of paranormal-meets-romantasy. And the early reviews have spoken a symphony for how well I nailed it with this one.

In Blood Magic, two vampire hunters must work together to find a cure when Fleur’s rival, Percy Renaud, is turned into a vampire. If you don’t enjoy a book that feels super urban but do enjoy a book that has a dark academia feel, contains an enemies-to-lovers romance with plenty of tension and spice, and has a great cast of characters, definitely pick this one up!

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn

Everyone is saying how this is one of the most underrated books right now, and contains a couple that will quench your thirst for a Dramione fanfic. While it’s not actually Dramione, it does contain a MMC who gives Draco Malfoy vibes and a FMM whose stubbornness and intellect will have you hooked within the first chapter.

This was definitely one of those books that really grabbed me and kept me reading. It’s not personally my favourite book on this list (thought it has all the tropes and elements that suggest it should be) I still really enjoyed it and can definitely see why it’s taking off right now. If you’re a fan of Zodiac Academy, this is really similar vibes so go check it out.

A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

Another vampire x vampire hunter pairing, this book is something else.

Not only is the worldbuilding in this one on a whole other level (SO well developed!) but the characters and romance are honestly top tier. It’s a truly beautiful story and told incredibly well, with so many sweet moments sprinkled throughout.

For readers who love family elements in their books, this one also hits the mark for that, and honestly, if you love vampires you’ll love reading this so add it to your TBR!

Court of the Undying Seasons by A. M. Strickland

This is another really amazing vampire read, with a seriously slow burn romance that will leave you wanting and tension for days!

It’s also another book that nails the dark academia vibes and dark fantasy world. There’s some great LGBT rep, and the protagonist is incredibly well written with a great backstory that really drives her motivations and the events of the story. I highly recommend reading it!