Hi, I’m Jackie and I’m currently querying agents with my YA Dystopian Fantasy, SHE WHO DEFIES THE ORDER. It’s a coming-of-age story set in a reimagined Philippines about a young girl who’s desperate to belong but the odds are stacked against her. She must eventually decide who she really is: the ‘good’ girl who conforms to what the world expects of her, or the wild magician who isn’t afraid of using her outlawed powers to protect those she loves.
My main question is what should I be posting about as I’m in that limbo stage of not yet having a ‘finished’ product, but also wanting to maintain a profile while querying.
I'm a poet, author and editor. My nature/landscape memoir, The Ghost Lake is published by Harper Collins and launches on August 15th, my new poetry collection Blackbird Singing at Dusk is published by Nine Arches press in November. I'm also founder and editor of a literary nature themed magazine, Spelt.
I am struggling with focus on my instagram account. Because my work covers different genres, and my big project (the memoir) covers so many different areas (infertility, grief, baby death, being working class rural, archaeology, history, landscape, nature, ancestry, rootedness....) I can't find a way to present myself coherently. I THINK I'm getting better at it, but I still feel like I don't have a theme or a way of working. I'm actually much better when I just post things that interest me, but worry that that isn't drawing people to my account.
I have already spotted a couple of people I know here, who I think do so well on insta!
Hello! I’m Elizabeth, and I only just noticed this post 🤪
I’m a writer, coach, and hillwalking guide. Before becoming a mother I was involved in international charity and local politics, and I worked extensively with communities in both. Motherhood gave me a new lens on community, and I’m working on a book about the idea that it takes a village to raise a child (and a world). It’s sort of memoir/narrative non fiction, with some history, politics, poetry and lots more in the mix. I’ve almost finished my proposal (it’s been sitting there a few weeks as life took over), but I’m aiming to complete it and start seeking an agent this summer 🤞🤞🤞 I’ve had a bit of support and feedback in creating the proposal. I’m writing content for the book alongside this.
My biggest instagram challenges are I think 1) getting ok with being more ‘out there’ - as an introvert and listener I’m usually feeling and accommodating other people’s stuff rather than pushing my own, and 2) balancing IG content/creation/promotion with everything else in life, especially when time is limited as I don’t currently have much childcare (though this will improve a bit in September).
Thank you - glad to be here - even just seeing these messages and everyone else’s stuff is an enormous help and prompt
Fingers crossed for the querying, Elizabeth and well done for getting the proposal almost finished. It's not easy fitting it all in, especially when your kids are so small. Re. the time management I've added this to my list (it's come up a few other times) and I'm to think of how I can support members with this as obviously it's a really individual thing so I need to do some thinking about how I can do something that is useful to more than one person.
Hi, I’m Jane Harrison. I turned to writing when my MS diagnosis meant my other creative pursuits, guitar playing and printmaking were too physically challenging. Turns out I’m a little better at the writing anyway! In this silver lining I have a Substack about my experiences of living with MS:
I also write short stories and had one published this year, I’m not sure where that fits into my Insta “strategy”!
Insta challenge for me - being slightly uncomfortable as an introvert putting myself out there (Zofia from this community and I bonded over this on a post recently!💕) But it’s definitely getting easier the more I do it. Other challenges are technical ones as a newbie but I think I’m just getting there by having a go.
Happy to be here, lovely to see what everyone is up to.
SO pleased you're here, Jane, and I'm pleased to hear you're starting to make connections within the community too. To answer your question about where your published short story fits in, I would simply share an 'announcement' post - perhaps explain how it made you feel to see your story in print - it's all part of being a human on the internet!
Hello! I'm Elaine Gregersen. I write about baby loss and being a parent carer, with a pop culture twist. I've had a funny year as my debut memoir sold, then the editor left, then it went out on submission again, and then my fabulous agent decided to leave agenting. In the midst of all of this, I wrote another memoir, and I'm about to start on a little horror project to save my sanity as I attempt to find new representation. I worked with Nicola on a 1:1 basis a few months ago and it revolutionised the way I use insta :) I even enjoy making reels now - who knew?!
Hi everyone, I’m Leah Hazard. I’m a midwife as well as the author of Hard Pushed (a memoir) and Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began. I’m currently writing Birth Wars: The Hidden Battles Changing Our Bodies and Our World, out in 2026, as well as a possible fiction project. I struggle to know how to balance self- promotion with general life stuff and midwife stuff - my social following is a mixed bunch of lovely people but I never know exactly what they want! I’d like to be better at promoting my next book when the time comes too, so I know this is an important time to keep building my audience. Help! ;-) I’m on Insta as @leahhazard.
Hi Leah - I have on my list an idea to run a workshop focused purely on defining audiences for books (and therefore Instagram audiences). I need to pull it together so it probbaly won't be until September but do you think it's something that might help with what you're describing here?
Hi, I'm Kat and I'm revising my WW2 historical fiction novel – a story of love, friendship, betrayal and what happens to the truth when promises are made and broken – with a view to pitching to agents.
I feel like I just talk "at" people there and I struggle with hooks and leads to get them engaged. When I look at what authors in my niche are posting, it seems to be just stuff about their books, so I've been trying to talk more about the time period on Insta but without giving people a reason to respond, it's hard to know if I'm doing anything right at all!
On my dog walk this morning I was thinking about this problem as I think it's especially difficult for fiction writers where there isn't a natural tips & advice thread in their writing. I wonder if it's more to do with figuring out how readers want to feel when they read a book - looking at how readers might see themselves in the characters and what the characters are going through and then focusing some content around that. I'm going to give it some thought but rest assured it's on the list of things for me to address!
Hello! I’m Steph and my debut YA fantasy novel, A LANGUAGE DRAGONS, is out on 2nd January 2025. It’s about a young translator who accepts a job at Bletchley Park to decipher a hidden dragon language in order to save her family.
I ADORE this concept for your novel, Steph, and it sounds right up my daughter's street so I'll be your first buyer! Re. newsletters - this isn't an area of expertise for me but I'm going to see if I can find someone to come and speak to the membership specifically about this.
Hello! I'm Jennie, my first non-fiction book - part memoir, part journalistic inquiry, about miscarriage and the things we get wrong about it/don't know about - came out last year. It's coming out in paperback in September. Next project is a novel (but progress is sloooow).
I'm on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jennieagg/ and feel like I lost my mojo with it all, precisely around the time my book was published, which was not ideal. (Especially because when I sold the book I was asked a lot about my Instagram stats).
In terms of what I need help with, I'd be very grateful for advice on fitting everything in. Ways to create meaningful posts without it consuming all of my time and headspace. I only have three writing/work days a week, as that's when I have childcare. (I unintentionally spent most of yesterday afternoon on a post, which was fun as it connected with people - but also I cannot lose that much writing time every week!) xx
YES Jennie, making it work around your life is so important. I've added it to the list of things to create some resources around, but in the meantime I wonder if you've read this piece about different 'modes' of Instagram: https://nicolawashington.substack.com/p/faq-6-how-often-should-i-post-to as it might give you a place to start. ALso, related to your carousel post from the other day - it was an absolute BANGER, but remember not every post can/ will/ or has to perform this spectacularly. Far quicker and easier are other kinds of posts that will connect with your audience in a different way e.g personal stories posted in a caption with a static image. Don't assume your audience knows WHY you ended up writing your book. Return to that origin story often ❤️
Hi, I’m Jackie and I’m currently querying agents with my YA Dystopian Fantasy, SHE WHO DEFIES THE ORDER. It’s a coming-of-age story set in a reimagined Philippines about a young girl who’s desperate to belong but the odds are stacked against her. She must eventually decide who she really is: the ‘good’ girl who conforms to what the world expects of her, or the wild magician who isn’t afraid of using her outlawed powers to protect those she loves.
My Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/writerandhounds?igsh=NWR1ZTc3OWN0dDJ5&utm_source=qr
My main question is what should I be posting about as I’m in that limbo stage of not yet having a ‘finished’ product, but also wanting to maintain a profile while querying.
Hello I'm Wendy
I'm a poet, author and editor. My nature/landscape memoir, The Ghost Lake is published by Harper Collins and launches on August 15th, my new poetry collection Blackbird Singing at Dusk is published by Nine Arches press in November. I'm also founder and editor of a literary nature themed magazine, Spelt.
My instagram is https://www.instagram.com/wendycat1978/?hl=en wendycat1978
my substack is
Nots from the Margin -
https://wendypratt.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profile
I am struggling with focus on my instagram account. Because my work covers different genres, and my big project (the memoir) covers so many different areas (infertility, grief, baby death, being working class rural, archaeology, history, landscape, nature, ancestry, rootedness....) I can't find a way to present myself coherently. I THINK I'm getting better at it, but I still feel like I don't have a theme or a way of working. I'm actually much better when I just post things that interest me, but worry that that isn't drawing people to my account.
I have already spotted a couple of people I know here, who I think do so well on insta!
Hello! I’m Elizabeth, and I only just noticed this post 🤪
I’m a writer, coach, and hillwalking guide. Before becoming a mother I was involved in international charity and local politics, and I worked extensively with communities in both. Motherhood gave me a new lens on community, and I’m working on a book about the idea that it takes a village to raise a child (and a world). It’s sort of memoir/narrative non fiction, with some history, politics, poetry and lots more in the mix. I’ve almost finished my proposal (it’s been sitting there a few weeks as life took over), but I’m aiming to complete it and start seeking an agent this summer 🤞🤞🤞 I’ve had a bit of support and feedback in creating the proposal. I’m writing content for the book alongside this.
My Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/elizabethwainwright_
I have a substack at
https://elizabethwainwright.substack.com
My biggest instagram challenges are I think 1) getting ok with being more ‘out there’ - as an introvert and listener I’m usually feeling and accommodating other people’s stuff rather than pushing my own, and 2) balancing IG content/creation/promotion with everything else in life, especially when time is limited as I don’t currently have much childcare (though this will improve a bit in September).
Thank you - glad to be here - even just seeing these messages and everyone else’s stuff is an enormous help and prompt
Fingers crossed for the querying, Elizabeth and well done for getting the proposal almost finished. It's not easy fitting it all in, especially when your kids are so small. Re. the time management I've added this to my list (it's come up a few other times) and I'm to think of how I can support members with this as obviously it's a really individual thing so I need to do some thinking about how I can do something that is useful to more than one person.
Hi, I’m Jane Harrison. I turned to writing when my MS diagnosis meant my other creative pursuits, guitar playing and printmaking were too physically challenging. Turns out I’m a little better at the writing anyway! In this silver lining I have a Substack about my experiences of living with MS:
https://janeharrison.substack.com
I’m a newbie on Insta and trying to use it to promote my work at:
https://www.instagram.com/ms_hobblicious/
I also write short stories and had one published this year, I’m not sure where that fits into my Insta “strategy”!
Insta challenge for me - being slightly uncomfortable as an introvert putting myself out there (Zofia from this community and I bonded over this on a post recently!💕) But it’s definitely getting easier the more I do it. Other challenges are technical ones as a newbie but I think I’m just getting there by having a go.
Happy to be here, lovely to see what everyone is up to.
SO pleased you're here, Jane, and I'm pleased to hear you're starting to make connections within the community too. To answer your question about where your published short story fits in, I would simply share an 'announcement' post - perhaps explain how it made you feel to see your story in print - it's all part of being a human on the internet!
Hello! I'm Elaine Gregersen. I write about baby loss and being a parent carer, with a pop culture twist. I've had a funny year as my debut memoir sold, then the editor left, then it went out on submission again, and then my fabulous agent decided to leave agenting. In the midst of all of this, I wrote another memoir, and I'm about to start on a little horror project to save my sanity as I attempt to find new representation. I worked with Nicola on a 1:1 basis a few months ago and it revolutionised the way I use insta :) I even enjoy making reels now - who knew?!
https://www.instagram.com/elainegwrites/
What a journey, Elaine. Keeping everything crossed you find new representation 🤞🙏
You were/ are the dream student 😉 ❤️
Hi everyone, I’m Leah Hazard. I’m a midwife as well as the author of Hard Pushed (a memoir) and Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began. I’m currently writing Birth Wars: The Hidden Battles Changing Our Bodies and Our World, out in 2026, as well as a possible fiction project. I struggle to know how to balance self- promotion with general life stuff and midwife stuff - my social following is a mixed bunch of lovely people but I never know exactly what they want! I’d like to be better at promoting my next book when the time comes too, so I know this is an important time to keep building my audience. Help! ;-) I’m on Insta as @leahhazard.
Hi Leah - I have on my list an idea to run a workshop focused purely on defining audiences for books (and therefore Instagram audiences). I need to pull it together so it probbaly won't be until September but do you think it's something that might help with what you're describing here?
Oooh I’d be interested in this too 🙋🏻♀️
Thanks Elizabeth. I’ve added it to my plan for September so watch this space!!
This sounds good! Looking forward to hearing more.
Hi, I'm Kat and I'm revising my WW2 historical fiction novel – a story of love, friendship, betrayal and what happens to the truth when promises are made and broken – with a view to pitching to agents.
My Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/katrogersauthor/
I feel like I just talk "at" people there and I struggle with hooks and leads to get them engaged. When I look at what authors in my niche are posting, it seems to be just stuff about their books, so I've been trying to talk more about the time period on Insta but without giving people a reason to respond, it's hard to know if I'm doing anything right at all!
On my dog walk this morning I was thinking about this problem as I think it's especially difficult for fiction writers where there isn't a natural tips & advice thread in their writing. I wonder if it's more to do with figuring out how readers want to feel when they read a book - looking at how readers might see themselves in the characters and what the characters are going through and then focusing some content around that. I'm going to give it some thought but rest assured it's on the list of things for me to address!
Oh, that sounds like a great approach. I *love* my characters so much and they absolutely are real people to me, so I can talk about them with ease.
Hello! I’m Steph and my debut YA fantasy novel, A LANGUAGE DRAGONS, is out on 2nd January 2025. It’s about a young translator who accepts a job at Bletchley Park to decipher a hidden dragon language in order to save her family.
My Instagram is https://www.instagram.com/sfwilliamsonauthor?igsh=ZjMxcW1jdDc3cng5&utm_source=qr
I’d love to know more about author newsletters and whether they’re worth doing if you don’t already have a big following?
Hi Steph and hello from a fellow YA Fantasy writer! I started following you when I saw the fab cover reveal of your book, can’t wait to read it, btw.
Thanks so much Jackie!
I ADORE this concept for your novel, Steph, and it sounds right up my daughter's street so I'll be your first buyer! Re. newsletters - this isn't an area of expertise for me but I'm going to see if I can find someone to come and speak to the membership specifically about this.
Hello! I'm Jennie, my first non-fiction book - part memoir, part journalistic inquiry, about miscarriage and the things we get wrong about it/don't know about - came out last year. It's coming out in paperback in September. Next project is a novel (but progress is sloooow).
I'm on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jennieagg/ and feel like I lost my mojo with it all, precisely around the time my book was published, which was not ideal. (Especially because when I sold the book I was asked a lot about my Instagram stats).
In terms of what I need help with, I'd be very grateful for advice on fitting everything in. Ways to create meaningful posts without it consuming all of my time and headspace. I only have three writing/work days a week, as that's when I have childcare. (I unintentionally spent most of yesterday afternoon on a post, which was fun as it connected with people - but also I cannot lose that much writing time every week!) xx
YES Jennie, making it work around your life is so important. I've added it to the list of things to create some resources around, but in the meantime I wonder if you've read this piece about different 'modes' of Instagram: https://nicolawashington.substack.com/p/faq-6-how-often-should-i-post-to as it might give you a place to start. ALso, related to your carousel post from the other day - it was an absolute BANGER, but remember not every post can/ will/ or has to perform this spectacularly. Far quicker and easier are other kinds of posts that will connect with your audience in a different way e.g personal stories posted in a caption with a static image. Don't assume your audience knows WHY you ended up writing your book. Return to that origin story often ❤️