We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Elizabeth a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Practice marketing before I publish my first book.

Most debut authors see publishing as the finish line, but it’s really just another step in the journey.

If you don’t have a strong marketing plan going into your first publication, often your book won’t sell well. Not only could low sales mean not receiving another contract from that publisher, but it will also hurt your chances of getting in with a different publishing house.

You could always self-publish a book to practice marketing, but even a self-published novella can count toward an author’s sales history. If it doesn’t sell well, then you face the same problem.

So what’s the solution?

I graduated in the inaugural class of the Author Conservatory, a college alternative for gifted writers that teaches creative writing and publishing along with business and entrepreneurship. One of my final assignments was to publish a short story in an anthology alongside eight of my classmates.

Unlike a novel or novella, an anthology doesn’t count toward an author’s sales history. It also offers the opportunity to practice all the skills you’ll need when publishing a book: writing a tight story, meeting deadlines, and implementing feedback from professional editors.

Then, of course, you get to practice marketing the book to readers. One of my favorite aspects of publishing in an anthology was that I didn’t have to do it alone. I got to brainstorm and work alongside my fellow anthology authors as we marketed as a team with the support of the instructors at the Author Conservatory giving us guidance.

We practiced recruiting a street team, having in person author events, and building a strong community. Our anthology, Voices of the Future: Stories of Family and Fearlessness, ended up reaching 500 preorders and sold over 1000 copies within the first year.

Those are fantastic numbers for a new author and are unheard of for an anthology!

Publishing a short story in an anthology has been an invaluable experience, allowing me to walk through publishing a book without the pressure of it being my first novel.

Not only that, but 100% of the proceeds from the anthology go to sending me and my fellow authors to writers’ conferences where we can pitch our stories to agents and publishers. It’s literally funding my dream while still giving me experience as I continue to market it, finding different ways to engage readers and serve my audience well.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a homeschool graduate who fell in love with stories at a young age from my mom reading classics aloud to me and my siblings. I collect swords, chocolate, and love crafting wholesome fantasy stories of light overcoming the darkness.

Growing up, books were my safe place, my adventure, and what sparked my imagination for the incredible world we live in. But as I grew older, finding new books became difficult. Too often I grabbed a story promising an exciting adventure, just to be disappointed when I encountered unwholesome content.

We shouldn’t have to choose between stories with exciting adventures but gray morals, or stories that are wholesome and lack the high stakes of battles and swordplay.

I grew up reading The Lord of The Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia and wished there were more books that affected me the same way— books with exciting adventures and brave heroes who inspire me to be a better person and give me hope to fight my own battles.

Your time is valuable and I know you don’t want to pick up a new book just to be burned by disappointment. That’s why when you pick up a book from me you can expect:

— Stories with deep themes designed to help you grow as a person.
— Stories that deal with darkness while maintaining a thread of hope.
— Books with high-stakes adventures that don’t compromise traditional values.
— Stories that can inspire you to be a better person by offering relatable heroes that are brave in their own way.

I know what it’s like to feel frustrated with a new book that left you feeling depressed instead of encouraged, being disappointed from finding unwholesome content in a book you were enjoying, and struggling with stories that condone darkness instead of portraying it as wrong, leaving you disheartened and confused.

Words are powerful and stories have the ability to change us, challenge us, and inspire us to live with greater dignity and courage.

It is always my prayer that my stories will not only entertain, but inspire my readers with a renewed since of wonder and the courage to face the dragons in their own lives.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’d always heard writing is a solitary art. No one can help you actually write a story, so it must be, right? I also used to think a story came solely from the author’s imagination, no one else’s.

But that is not what I have found. The act of creating a story doesn’t have to be done alone. Authors need community, both to write and publish a book.

When I receive feedback from other writers on my stories, they’re always so much stronger than if I develop them all by myself. As authors, we’re often too close to our stories to see things that aren’t working and having other writers (both peers and those further along than you) look over your stories can help so much!

Having writers to brainstorm with and offer feedback not only helps your story, but helps you grow as an author when you give feedback in return. Even when drafting, you don’t have to be isolated in some dark corner of the house until you finish your draft. The drafting process can be long and fraught with pits of discouragement, and having people who are willing to keep you accountable, listen to snippets of your story, or simply offer encouragement is so valuable.

Every writer needs a support group, both to offer encouragement and ideas when developing a story, and to be your launching pad for when you publish your book.

Something that blew me away when I launched the Voices of the Future: Stories of Family and Fearlessness anthology was the way our communities rallied around us. Sure, we sent emails and asked people to help share about the book, but it was the community— our friends, family, fellow authors— who stepped up, ordered the book, left reviews, and told others about our stories.

They made our launch a success and it was so humbling to witness.

The more you genuinely invest in others, the more they’ll be willing to invest in you. This goes for your audience, fellow authors, and just people in general. Kindness is never wasted.

Writing doesn’t have to be solitary. In fact, it’s often more fun and you get a stronger story when you invite others into the process!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Hearing from my readers.

I enjoy making people laugh with my stories, but I also love when the story connects with them on a deeper level.

A reader reached out to me many months after the anthology was released to tell me how my short story had impacted her little brother. Not once, but twice he read it, was brought to tears, and told her it was really good.

That is one of the most rewarding aspects of being an author for me.

Writing is a lot of hard work. There is a lot of doubt, stress, and tears that go into bringing a book to life. I do it because I love it and because I want to share stories with people in the hope that it will bring them joy and courage to keep going.

I love connecting with my readers and hearing their thoughts. Receiving a message from them fills me with such joy and I always read every email, DM, and letter they send me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rachelelizabethauthor.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelelizabethauthor/
• Other: Join Rachel’s Email List: https://rachel-elizabeth-author.kit.com/61e7081885