Posted July 30, 2022
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In this episode, we break down how Suzie Webster started Lust in the Lowcountry, what authors need to know when building their own community, and how you can supercharge your network and career as an indie author.
Here are Suzie’s links:
Check out RomanceCon: http://www.suziewebster.com/romancecon
Join the Lust in the Lowcountry community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lustinthelowcountry
#4 EPISODE OUTLINE:
0:00 – 1:53 Introduction and Context
1:58 – 8:42 How Suzie Got Started as an Author and Running Conferences
8:43 – 11:15 How Suzie Markets her Steamy Romance Books
11:15 – 16:40 How Suzie Got Best-Selling Authors to attend her conference… and how you can build your Tribe
17:00 – 21:10 The Big Opportunity in Steamy Romance
21:10 – 23:30 How Suzie Makes Her Community a Safe Space for Authors and Readers
23:30 – 25:35 Being Authentic as an Author
25:35 – 29:30 How Suzie Balances her Priorities as an Indie Author
29:30 – 32:40 The Importance of Interacting with Readers
32:40 – 34:13 Building a Reader Community as an Introvert
34:13 – 39:00 Parasocial Relationships for Authors and Unique ways to Build Your Communities
39:00 – 42:00 How Suzie Envisions the Future of Her Indie Business
42:00 – 42:45 Suzie’s Big Takeaway: Meet Fans and Authors In-Person
42:45 – 43:45 Conclusion and Goodbye 🙂
#4 Full Episode Transcript:
Michael Evans: Hello everyone! And welcome back to the subscriptions for authors podcast. Today, we have Suzie Webster chatting with us who is the founder of lust in the low country, a steamy romance conference that had authors attend with over 80 million books sold throughout their career.
Michael Evans: It really shares how she supercharged both her author and reader network. It’s really incredible. I actually had the privilege of volunteering at the conference and Emilia spoke there. So we had firsthand experience of being a part of this community.
Michael Evans: And we’re just so impressed and we decided we’d love to talk to Suzie on the podcast. It’s really inspirational because she started her career in her late forties. And a lot of people may be thinking they’ve missed the boat at that point.
Michael Evans: Why didn’t they pursue their dreams earlier? But she’s really an example of how she built off of her prior knowledge and expertise to contribute something valuable to the author community, just when she was getting started. And as a new author, she was able to build a network that is really unmatched. So maybe we can learn a lot from her when building [00:01:00] our own communities, both our reader community and our author community. I know this isn’t explicitly about subscriptions. Next week, we have one of the longest running and most successful subscription authors ever coming on our podcast, which will be super awesome. And if you’re interested in joining a community, I couldn’t recommend more. If you’re a steamy romance author to join lust in the low country, the Facebook group is in the description below.
Michael Evans: And it’s an awesome group of ladies with tons of insight, both readers and authors in there. If you’re an author of steamy romance or any other genre interested in pursuing a subscription model and being with a welcoming community of authors, just looking to carve out their own path in publishing, check out the Subscriptions for Author’s Facebook group in the description.
Michael Evans: That’ll be it for me. Let’s get into it.
Michael Evans: [00:00:00] I think where we should start, because I think Suzie’s one of the most sweet and just innovative, imaginative authors out there. And I know her, so we should talk about how we met, which is very connected to who you are and what you do as an author. ,
Suzie Webster: I guess, through Emilia Rose, who sent me an email about your interest in my, lust in the low country romance con, and then I guess you and I connected and made plans to meet up with each other. When you got back to Charleston from your stint in Boston.
Michael Evans: Yes, she’s a fellow Charlestonian and for some context, west and low country is an awesome romance conference that took place in Charleston.
Michael Evans: And before we get to what the conference is, and your advice on maybe people who wanna throw in person events or attend conferences, where did your journey start as an author?
Suzie Webster: My journey started as an author probably when I was in elementary school and I wrote my first.
Suzie Webster: and I [00:01:00] made the whole book cover and did all of it. myself and my sister still has that book to, to this day. I didn’t even know it still existed until a couple years ago when she took a picture of it and posted it on Facebook, which was really embarrassing. I just always loved writing.
Suzie Webster: I was a editor of my literary magazine when I was in high school. And so I was really very, very popular as you can imagine, being the editor of the literary.
Suzie Webster: I think I’m cool now. So I was a late bloomer, but, so I always loved writing, but I just kind of life got in the way.
Suzie Webster: So , got real job, real jobs that helped me pay the bills and enabled me to move outta my, my house when I was 18. And I started working in real estate really young and, spent. About a dozen years in, in the real estate business.
Suzie Webster: I did events for about, I’d say about 10 years. and it was probably around 2017 that I had kind of wrapped up an event and I told my husband, I said, I just, I don’t really know what I’m gonna do next. And I just am [00:02:00] tired of doing events and I wanna do something. And I’ve really always wanted to write a book.
Suzie Webster: And I’m really interested in kind of helping women that are of my age, which I was in my late forties then. And kind of helping them find, I guess, find their passion. not only for career or. But just also in the bedroom and reconnecting with her husband and realizing that life over 40 is not over.
Suzie Webster: It’s just beginning and. I said, I think a great way for me to kind of connect with a lot of women is if I write, spicy romance novels. So I said, I feel like this is a way for me to kind of connect all the parts and pieces. I had just done an event called the I gods Faire, which was super rewarding and it was a really fun event.
Suzie Webster: And I had a hundred different females involved in that event. And it was very, very cool, but it was not the greatest financial. [00:03:00] event I’ve ever had. So it was kind of, it was a, it was kind of a burnout for me on events, but the, the concept and the idea of helping women kind of stuck with me after that.
Suzie Webster: So I decided that I would use the platform of writing. Novels. So I could kind of scratch that itch as well as getting me in front of a bigger audience of women. That was my, that was my plan. Anyway. so I just sat down one day and started writing. I wrote out a kind of an outline. I wrote down the characters.
Suzie Webster: I was knew I wanted to do a series. I knew I wanted to set it in Charleston. Cause I love Charleston. I’m super passionate about Charleston, even though, even though I’m not a. And I wasn’t born here, great city, but I’ve been here since 2006. I’ve just built up a really wonderful community of people here in Charleston that surprisingly I never had in Northern Virginia where I was born and raised, and lived for 36 years.
Suzie Webster: so that’s kind of what got me started. And I just did it. I didn’t really know what I was doing. I had, bought some books [00:04:00] on, writing your, a book self-publishing versus. Traditional publishing how to write a query, all these different things that I kind of research, as I was also writing the book.
Suzie Webster: and eventually I decided after talking to some people and doing my own research that I didn’t want to. Actually even find an agent or go, even try to go down the traditional publishing route. Cuz I felt that I was already kind of in the marketing marketing side of things and I knew that even if I had an agent, even if I had a publisher, I would still be required to do all of those things.
Suzie Webster: So I’m like, why do I wanna split my money? I’ll just do it myself. So I hired a company, to come in. Handle all the logistics of the book side that I didn’t know or understand such as how finding an editor, someone to design the book, cover and format the book and do all of those things.
Suzie Webster: but I decided that I kind of wanted to do things on my own [00:05:00] timeline and have control. So after that first book publishing, I hired my own editor. I hired my own book designer. I did all of that stuff on my own for the rest of the books I published, which is, which works great for me, cuz then I’m not under anyone else’s time constraints.
Suzie Webster: I can do things my own way and. and I saved about 50% of my out of pocket costs by doing it that way versus paying, paying the, the company. Well, understandably, cause they were doing all the, all the logistical work. So that’s how I got started. And, and it did lead me into, I did have some speaking engagements.
Suzie Webster: I did a women’s conference here at Charleston where I had a workshop about finding your passion and writing your own chapter and in life. And I had about 50 women come to that and it just kind of kept me spurred me on to keep wanting to do more of that sort of thing.
Suzie Webster: Like how can I connect? , different kinds of women and we can all share the same love and passion for books and romance and reading and that sort of thing.
Michael Evans: [00:06:00] that’s beautiful. Beautiful. I first wanted just throw in a disclaimer and say that. There’s always in any community. There’s always talks of like vanity publishers and there’s a lot of people who are predatory.
Michael Evans: And when you’re hearing what Suzie’s saying, a lot of times the pitch that she said can be what vanity publishers kind of throw at you? Oh, we just will help market it and sell your book. Just give us this huge fee. I’m familiar with the people she worked with and, and they’re a good team, but definitely her path of moving into handling it all herself is what I think.
Michael Evans: Baseline really good advice. And a lot of us probably already know that, but for those who maybe are just starting out and are a little bit wary, like a lot of these kinds of groups are Vanity publishers like run it by other authors because we know best, when it comes to things like that. You’ve talked so much about community and about this really ethos that you have.
Michael Evans: And this group of women that you wanted to kind of bring around your stories. I mean, that is. That is such a beautiful inspiration to write. And I wanted to ask you in terms of how you [00:07:00] actually market your books. And actually build your community when you first were starting out and approaching all this
Suzie Webster: I knew not all of them obviously read romance novels, but it’s funny. And I’m sure Emilia Rose, you, you run into this as well as like, when you tell people what you do. especially if it’s women. Really almost any age over the age of like 25, they just perk right up and they’re like, oh, like I read 50 shades of gray or I read romance and they just are so intrigued.
Suzie Webster: So I kind of. I had a network. I had a lot of women that I was already connected to through my other events and efforts. So I just kind of expanded that and started my own author page of course, and just started networking myself mostly through my own social media channel.
Suzie Webster: Obviously the more you can target your reader audience, the better, and that’s a big reason why I started out at kind of a good time, bad time because of COVID,[00:08:00] happening I published my first book in 2018 and I started doing events.
Suzie Webster: I did book signings all over Charleston. My books were in Barnes and noble, which was really cool. wow. I hired a publicist so I did. All of these things. I did spend spend a bit more money on that first book than I have since. but I definitely got a lot of local attention and had local events here for my books and started traveling to book signings and then 2020 happened.
Suzie Webster: And, yeah, I mean, but the big thing was, is that I realized when I started doing book signing. Personally, and as a new author, that there really was very little out there for a new romance author. most of the bigger book signings you had to already be established or have a best, best seller, or be invited those sorts of things.
Suzie Webster: So I felt like there was a great opportunity, especially here in the Southeast to put something together that was not only would. [00:09:00] Newer authors in front of new readers, but also help them in their journey of self or indie publishing. because I didn’t really have anybody to help me.
Suzie Webster: So it was just kind of a light bulb moment for me after going to one or two events and realizing, wow, this is like a great way to build my audience and build super fans is to meet them in person, but there’s not a lot of opportunity to do that.
Suzie Webster: So mm-hmm, how can I change that? with my experiences and an event planner and my marketing experience, what can I do and help these authors. And then of course it becomes. Trying to reach out to establish authors and convince them also to come to your event because you want them to bring their readers for your new authors.
Michael Evans: How did you go about that? Because , you were approaching all this during a global pandemic, Maybe like to a lot of people, even myself included, a very scary time to even be thinking about doing an event. [00:10:00] And you approached this, you started contacting people about it.
Michael Evans: So what made you feel like. This was a passion that you felt so strongly about it. How were you able to take this risk?
Suzie Webster: I knew having done events, I’ve done events of all sizes, but primarily the events I’ve done have been really pretty large scale, which is a much bigger risk.
Suzie Webster: And I knew we started planning it. Really right before the pandemic, honestly, and that, but for 2021. And so I was like, well, that’ll all be over by then. It’ll be fine. , this is just a short term problem, but I think it kind of worked a little bit to my advantage because. Authors weren’t traveling and they weren’t doing book signings.
Suzie Webster: So they were around and available to kind of talk to, and I just basically just hit the ground as a reader too. I’m an avid avid reader. So I probably read, well, last year I read about 200 books. I haven’t read as many this year, but, I mean, I would say I read probably 150 plus [00:11:00] books a year. and now primarily romance.
Suzie Webster: since I started writing romance, Pretty much all I read. So I just started reaching out to some of my favorite authors and, saying, Hey, look, I love your book books. I’m planning an event in the Southeast, in Charleston. I’d love for you to come and just kind of trying to figure out ways that I could entice them to, to come to my event and be a part of it.
Suzie Webster: I got a couple. Good responses. I had actually a lot more interest for 2021, but then we pushed it to 20 22. So when we reached back out for 2022, we lost a couple people that we thought we had secured, but we still had a good handful of established authors that were willing to come to Charleston and be a part of it.
Suzie Webster: and the big thing too, was trying to find people that could also contribute something for our newer authors, not just in the way of just being there physically for a book signing and bringing in their readers. But. Who are the authors that can share their experience in a way that [00:12:00] will help, our newbies kind of grow.
Suzie Webster: And so that was the other thing is that I wanted to find a variety of authors that could offer different. Experiences. And so for example Jennifer Hartman is a newer author, but she’s having a really great kind of organic success right now. She’s really good on social media. , how can she tell her story and share what she does?
Suzie Webster: she has a rabid rabid fan base of readers that love her kind of emotional stories. Kind of bringing her in to kind of share what she did. Cuz her first book was published in 2020 two years after mine. She’s a lot more successful than I am. So what what is she doing that is making her stand out?
Suzie Webster: both as a writer and also on the marketing side. , Jen Sterling is a more, has been around longer started out in a more, a little more traditional way and has done tra more traditional publishing versus self-publishing. So kind of bringing her in to talk about [00:13:00] that. Emilia Rose, who’s doing the subscription based so different kinds of stories that we could share as well.
Suzie Webster: industry professionals, like I haven’t had an editor come in. I invited some publishers to come in those sorts of things, so that you’d have kind of a variety for these authors to learn from. and then I just kind of started growing it from there. Just calling. Calling , Michael, just calling people, talking to people introducing yourself, and just networking, which I’ve always been good at.
Suzie Webster: And it’s important. I mean, that was one of the kind of things I wanted to leave with the authors is that the most important thing about being a new author is to find your tribe and build your tribe. Like I’m building my tribe of other authors that have maybe started out around, around the same time as me.
Suzie Webster: The ones that are hustlers, that I see are doing all the things that you should do, and I wanna support them and I want them to support me. So that’s my tribe. so that was kind of my big takeaway too. And if you look at some of the more successful authors that have been around seven, 10 years, [00:14:00] since 50 shades of gray, those people all came up in around the same time and they all support each other.
Suzie Webster: So that’s a big thing. I mean, authors are readers. And so if you can get some big readers that are also authors to kind of say, Hey, I read Suzie’s books, they’re great. , and to share it on their page. That’s so, so huge. I mean, it’s the most, the best free advertising you could possibly ask for.
Suzie Webster: Right. So that was my big thing too, is how can I connect with these more established authors that are also somewhat new? with someones that are struggling, but you can tell that they’re, that they’re doing the right things and their books are great. , how can I connect all those people together?
Michael Evans: Yeah, no, that that’s huge. And from that, because , when talking about a community of authors, Kind of think about the Facebook groups that exist some of the podcasts and communities built that that are very like broad. And I love a lot of them. , there saw publishing formula there’s 20 books.
Michael Evans: I mean, we [00:15:00] could go down a list of, I think, some pretty cool places for authors and. You though, weren’t trying to just build a community for any author and specifically not even any romance author, you focused on steamy romance. And I have a question for both Emilia and Suzie, which is how have you felt both being steamy romance authors about the community that exists for authors
Suzie Webster: I have tended to focus more on the romance community in general. I’ve been to book signings and book events that were more all kinds of genres, but, as you probably found Emilia to those, those there’s tends to be a large group of romance authors in within that anyway. and I feel like in the last 10 years, I think there has been kind of a rising up of just embracing more the spicy romance because you’re finding it.
Suzie Webster: It’s just more prevalent in the books and it’s just becoming more and more accepted. And I mean, I’m shocked to see. [00:16:00] I’m shocked to have a lot of male fans as well. so, I mean, honestly, I’m always surprised by that. And even my husband reads all my books. He’s my number one beta reader so I’ll find some books like that in the romance genre that I think that my Lee child’s a Jack Reacher Jack car loving husband will. , swallow because I want him to kind of also stay on top of what I’m doing. And so when he reads my books, he’s a little bit in tune with what other authors are writing and what the levels of, creativity are there.
Suzie Webster: Of course, then he is like, well, why can’t you write a book like that? , or people are killing people. And I’m like, well, that’s not really my thing, but. It’s just kind of interesting. Cause I do think there’s just so many more people entering into the writing of romance novels. And so the talent level has risen so much
Suzie Webster: so I think that people are starting to realize that there is some amazing talent, also lots of money to be made in the [00:17:00] romance genre. So you are seeing a lot more people. And I’ve noticed even, and even my husband has mention. Like reading his kind of guy books as you, if you will, even, those are kind of upping the spice factor and he’s seeing more like sex scenes in his yeah.
Suzie Webster: In his thrillers. So David Baldacci probably on the side somewhere like reading romance novel so he can get the tips on how to write those scenes. I don’t know. I’m just, I’m just speculating here. Sorry. I don’t know you personally, David, but I’m just. That that’s probably happening.
Suzie Webster: And I’m the kind of personality too, that I’m just like, I laugh it off. I’m like, if someone calls my stuff smut and I’m like, yeah, it’s smut.
Suzie Webster: And it’s smut that your wife is reading every day. So why is she reading? Why, why is she reading all that? I’m just wonder.
Emilia Rose: I’ve feel like in the past few years, I just like, I’m mostly just in the steamy romance community. I don’t really drift far from it. but people are becoming a lot more open [00:18:00] with what they like.
Emilia Rose: And like, what’s like, they’re, they’re fine talking about like, Hey, I like this like really, really dark romance, like type of romance and people are accepting of it a lot more. Like, I wouldn’t say a hundred percent, everyone is accepting of it, but a lot more compared to like where we were like five years ago.
Suzie Webster: Social media is a huge factor in that. I mean, you have these book, reading groups like smut hood and dark and taboo romance group and all of these groups that are, I mean, these people, I mean, some of the stuff that they are. Are sharing that they are trying to find.
Suzie Webster: I’m like, what? Like there’s a book out there about that. I don’t even know if I wanna read that. Like, I don’t know. But then you’re amazed when you see like a hundred comments of all the people going. Yeah. I’d like to read that too. And I’m like, oh my gosh. So I think that, that there is that acceptance because there is the communities are out there to, to be a part of where there’s kind of no judgment
Michael Evans: that’s really awesome. I definitely would agree that from a reader [00:19:00] perspective, even authors, that that a lot has changed, but I do hear stories that are like that more than just anecdotal of whether it’s band books on Amazon, right. Whether it’s, this different now, I guess, platforms, right.
Michael Evans: Who kind of control us rather than publishers. And I’m curious how. Both of you have experienced that. And then also for, for you Suzie, when thinking about this community, you’re building, how you’ve actually made it a safe space, because it’s one thing to say we are a place in which we can all come and share our passion and, and read our story judgment free.
Michael Evans: That also takes like action to do.
Suzie Webster: One of the first I started my, Facebook group, which is lust low country. And when I started it, I said, this is gonna be a platform only for women, because I wanted it to be a safe space where women could talk about whatever they wanted to talk about.
Suzie Webster: And initially it wasn’t even just book, book related. It was anything related kids, family, whatever. It’s kind of turned more into a little more of a [00:20:00] book community just because so many of my fans and other author friends are joining it. So now it’s becoming more, more so about books, but also just like when your kids are making you crazy or like I haven’t had.
Suzie Webster: Been able to have sex with my husband cuz , the kids are in the room next door and they’re just not going to bed like they should or whatever it is, it’s frustrating. , people can kind of share or their funny memes or whatever it is and having that kind of space that people can do that and know that there’s not gonna be anyone.
Suzie Webster: Judging them. And, and I think that there’s some really great other groups that do the same on Facebook. I feel like Facebook’s kind of a good place. I know a lot of people are on Twitter, but I feel like my audience that reads my books are mostly on Facebook. I don’t know. It just seems to be the case.
Suzie Webster: but I kinda like that. I think that people out there say and TikTok, I mean, even like people out there saying on TikTok, like, yeah, I love when two stepbrothers are getting it on or whatever, then that makes people [00:21:00] go well, I like that too. And then more and more people will.
Suzie Webster: Hear about your book and it kind of gets out there and it, then it suddenly becomes mainstream. And that’s amazing to me, cuz I just am just like some of this stuff that now, I mean, nowadays it almost seems like it’s a badge of honor. If you get your book banned. I wanna read that book because that was banned by Amazon.
Suzie Webster: It is kind of interesting to see how how things are evolving and changing. But I think the most important thing to remember as an author is to kind of stick with what you do best and to stay true to yourself and not to try to jump on whatever that fad is. So like, oh wow.
Suzie Webster: Everybody’s writing all these taboo books. So I’m gonna do that. I only write taboo subject matter. That is something that I would wanna read and is of interest to me. So I don’t try to go into, a genre or a realm, that even if I’ve read it, but I just know that it’s just not something I would be good at writing.
Suzie Webster: Cause I’m just not that holy into it. like I couldn’t write like a shapeshifter [00:22:00] book romance because I just know nothing about that. so it would be foolish for me to try to do that. So I think that’s part of part of growing and being successful is kind of really sticking and being true to you and like what you do well and not letting.
Suzie Webster: The fads or the momentary things kind of distract you from sticking with what you are passionate about writing. Don’t let your husband try to convince you to write a book that have lots of guns and shooting and killing, because that’s what you, I’m not good at that I don’t know about all the guns
Suzie Webster: I like to write about things that I feel really comfortable and know a lot. Like if mm-hmm I feel like if I’m having to do three years of research to write a book, then I’m gonna lose interest. That’s just me. Yeah. I’m the same one. I mean, Diana Galbadon, I love you. Like God bless you, but I read those books and I’m like, oh, no wonder, takes her five years to write one.
Michael Evans: I’m the same way myself too. I like to, [00:23:00] although I don’t mind researching. I think it’s, it’s best to write what’s authentic to you because especially when thinking about building a community. Yeah. I mean, like it’s almost, you would almost have to be like living a lie in a way. Yeah. To like actually interact in a community that like isn’t
Michael Evans: about what you are about, because then it’s like the people who you’re going to track to you are gonna be the people who like your stories and you kind of get caught in this I think really problematic situation as an author. I understand how people can get caught in that, but it’s not very sustainable, like you were saying.
Michael Evans: And I think you have awesome insight. And for you, when thinking about building your own platform, Your own future as a writer.
Suzie Webster: I have this year gotten away from writing a little bit, more than I would’ve liked, to work on this event.
Suzie Webster: And I think right now I’m in that kind of struggle of trying to find that balance and figure out like what it is I wanna focus on. I mean, do I wanna focus on the brand? Suzie Webster. Do [00:24:00] I wanna focus on the books for Suzie Webster or do I wanna focus on the community of less in the low country, low country?
Suzie Webster: I mean, what is my priority? And that’s kind of, honestly, I’m at a crossroad right now where I’m just trying to kind of figure that out and, which is kind of crazy to be 52 and having asking these questions of yourself. But I think it’s a beautiful thing. I mean, I think it’s a beautiful thing to be able to be 52 and go, well, I have these choices and I like them all.
Suzie Webster: Maybe I’ll do them. But there is a little bit of kind of being the, Jack of all trades in the master of none. So do I want to be that or do I wanna try to master one thing? And, and I’ve always been one that prefers to have like a couple balls in the air. It’s just more fun for me that way.
Suzie Webster: so just trying to figure out what can I get, how many books a year can I get out if I also do this? And what other things can I do to help these authors that in this community that I’m growing? Yeah. That’s not [00:25:00] gonna take away too much from me also writing books. So that’s a big thing too.
Suzie Webster: A lot of it is just time management and, and, and I’ve never been great at that. I’m terrible at time management. I’m like, wait a second. It’s almost one o’clock right now. What have I done today? , so I did go on the row mission today, so
Emilia Rose: nice.
Michael Evans: That’s an accomplishment. I totally understand that.
Michael Evans: I think that when, when we record podcasts like this and when we just share interesting conversations with interesting people, especially like when we think about subscriptions, because , it, it almost feels like an extra thing and it it’s hard. Authors to understand who are maybe thinking about really investing their community and trying to generate an income from their readers in that close relationship.
Michael Evans: It’s tough to, to know like when is the right time for things and if, and how I should do it. And I know Emilia you’ve juggled a lot of balls in the air almost since the day you started. So, speaking to Suzie, what would be your advice to someone?
Emilia Rose: I would say, do the [00:26:00] one that makes you the happiest. I know that’s like sounds so cliche, but if you like focus on the one that like, makes you really feel really good, I think you’re going to just like, be more positive in every other aspect. And you’re gonna be more motivated to do those like little like side projects that you might have.
Emilia Rose: Yeah. That’s what that’s what I’ve done at least in the past. And I found it very, very useful.
Suzie Webster: The hard thing is too, as an author writing is a very solitary experience, and I’m a very extroverted person. So it’s doing the lit low country event was awesome for me because I was really.
Suzie Webster: Utilizing all my skills, but also I was able to do something that fed the kind of extroverted side of me. So it is trying to find that balance because I do love writing and I love the result of finishing a book is like such a great feeling. I love to read my own books Even the ones that even the ones that I think aren’t [00:27:00] that great.
Suzie Webster: And I’m like, yeah, I know there’s better writing out there, but I’m like, yeah, I wrote this. It’s still good. mm-hmm and so I love that satisfaction of that, but I think it’s kind of nice to have this kind of author community and to try to build this as. A, almost like a side benefit. Like this is a great side benefit.
Suzie Webster: So that’s what I’m trying to work on is like, how can I do put the writing in there every week doing so many words a week, but then also moving forward on continuing to build the community. And that’s really important, I think for everyone, because I think in today’s world of publishing, you have to be that
Suzie Webster: you have to be willing to put yourself out there. If you want to grow your fan base, especially as a self-published author.
Emilia Rose: Yeah, I do agree. and it’s, it is really hard because I consider myself more of an introvert too, and I’m fairly shy. So it is really hard as an author who is [00:28:00] like that, to like go out there and like make TikTok videos. Or go out there and respond to like all the comments on Facebook or whatever. But it’s something that at least responding, like doing, doing like small things over like a long period of time, you become a lot more comfortable with it.
Emilia Rose: And it’s something that you do look forward to. Like you look forward to seeing all these comments and seeing how people respond to your, your novel. I would say just like, take it little by little, especially if you’re an introvert, you don’t have to do all the things at one time
Suzie Webster: It’s definitely gonna overwhelm you.
Suzie Webster: People do notice when you respond and people really like it. Yeah. And people fans, I mean, I hear that about Jennifer Hartman. She’s really good about that. I don’t know how she freaking does it, but like she responds to everybody. And so, I mean, that’s amazing. I know. And people comment on that.
Suzie Webster: Like I see people commenting on how like generous she is by even if it’s just a little heart emoji, whatever she does do that. And I think especially in the early years starting out, I think she should always try to do [00:29:00] that, but I think that makes such a difference to fans. They, I mean, they are fan.
Suzie Webster: Girling out over you, even though you think that’s weird, cuz you’re like, how, why? Like why are you fangirling out? Yeah. But they are just get such a thrill, like just to meet you in person. And I am always still amazed by that when people are like, oh my gosh, they know everything about, I mean, everybody knows everything about me.
Suzie Webster: It’s all out there, but they’re like, I know so much about you and oh my gosh, how was your vacation in Maine? And I’m like, oh my gosh, like it’s it’s you set yourself up for that.
Emilia Rose: It’s literally so crazy. I had my mom, my mom is friends with somebody, and her daughter just had a baby and they like named the baby Emilia.
Emilia Rose: And I was like, oh my gosh. Like, because of, because of me and I was like, that’s crazy. Yeah. Like, oh my God.
Suzie Webster: When people start getting, when people start getting tattoos about your books, I mean, then you’ve made you’ve made it, I know one, your Kate Stewart. And they have like Raven hood tattoos all over their body.
Suzie Webster: I’m like, what is freaking happening? Right.
Emilia Rose: That’s [00:30:00] amazing though, as like an author to like see that. Yeah. You’re just like,
Suzie Webster: wow. And I’m like, well, I did consider getting a Harry Potter tattoo once. So I guess I
Michael Evans: get it. One thing I do wanna say though, because when we talk about social platforms and everything a lot of times, especially like in the age of TikTok, we think gotta put our face on camera.
Michael Evans: especially for office who operate under Penn names, At least to what I’ve found, especially common in the romance community. People might not want their family, their employer to know what they’re doing. And that’s like still a very serious problem. And one thing I’m curious for both of your insights on is let’s say you don’t wanna have people know about your personal life.
Michael Evans: Let’s say you don’t wanna have people see your face because you have a right as an author to do that. How do you build a community when. That is your situation.
Suzie Webster: I feel like the, probably the best thing would be to lean into it almost like, AKA that, musician sia or whatever her name was.
Suzie Webster: Remember when she would wear the. Cover her face. So [00:31:00] you didn’t know what she really looked like. Yeah. And wear the wigs maybe you lean into it. I mean, maybe you just are like everything, all your communications, you have an avatar for yourself, whatever is, and you’re just using kind of almost like a fake persona and you let your readers know that’s what you’re doing.
Suzie Webster: Someone.
Emilia Rose: Does this very well, not in the book community, but, his name’s Corps’ husband. I think that’s his like online profile. He has millions of followers. He’s never shown his face. People just freak out when they get, like, when they get like a hand picture of like his
Suzie Webster: hand, they like go, I that’s what I would freaking do.
Suzie Webster: I mean, I would just like lean into it and go listen, like. My family members are like high profile and I just can’t have it out there. I mean, I would, I would make it a thing. I mean, unfortunately I think unless you are just, your writing is so extraordinary that it’s blowing away a traditional publisher and they buy your book and give you a huge advance any other person who’s trying to grow themselves [00:32:00] via self-publishing or indie publishing, you have to be prepared to share whether you’re sharing.
Suzie Webster: Secretly or you’re sharing publicly, you’ve gotta be prepared to interact and share yourself with your readers. I mean, I think, I think readers love that.
Michael Evans: I have a different perspective. I agree readers love that, but I have a slightly different perspective because I think what’s actually happening is something deeper, which, if people wanna look into very deeply, cuz there’s lots of studies done in this.
Michael Evans: A key psychological element that this is all playing on, which is parasocial relationships. And I think that authors specifically fiction authors have an insane advantage when it comes to this. And you can build a parasocial relationship between you and your reader as you being the person they’re having the relationship with the author.
Michael Evans: But in reality, like you don’t actually have to approach it that way because you’re creating a story in which you’re actually getting attached to these main characters oftentimes, and you could almost portray [00:33:00] yourself as the main character. Like, like what if you got a newsletter written by the main character?
Michael Evans: I mean, authors don’t do this, this isn’t the traditional approach, but if you wanna be just as open and just as communicative with your readers yeah. You can take a, a different approach where. You’re actually hearing from the main character every day. And, and that to me as a reader as well, if I already like that story, Because a lot of readers, like don’t care about the author’s life.
Michael Evans: Like some people really do, and they wanna be in this case, but every reader who likes your book wants to know about the character’s life. So I think if you can lean into that, You can be good. And when you actually think about these social platforms yep. I encourage people to look up this phenomenon of V YouTubers.
Michael Evans: It all, it takes place mainly in anime, where you have an anime character who is now on Twitch is now on TikTok and they’re using, I guess basically you hire a digital artist and you get some software to overlay the image over you where you’re on camera, but it’s not, it doesn’t look like you it’s this actual character and no author that I know of has done this yet.
Michael Evans: V YouTubers are, are massive. They’re playing video [00:34:00] games with these communities. Yeah. They’re doing all these interesting things and it people know it’s a character, that’s the entire idea, but they wanna be closer to that charact. So you could even as an author, hire someone to do that.
Michael Evans: If you’re like at scale down the line, like you could have four or five worlds and four or five characters that you’re hiring down line. Such a great that’re all doing that. so in the beginning though, that sounds like, okay.
Michael Evans: Yeah. If I had four or five series and four or five people that I can help hire out into these things, but in the beginning, I would recommend starting, starting small with what you’re good at. If you’re comfortable with writing. Right. , you can start a newsletter, you can start a blog, she can start posting things on booth book about this, this character that you wanna share.
Michael Evans: And you don’t have to share your own life if that’s not what you’re comfortable with. Yeah. But if you’re comfortable with it, I personally am. Suzie is Emilia. Seems like, it seems like we all are. That’s something we have a comfort level for. It can really work. That’s something that more authors, have done up to this point.
Michael Evans: The future of publishing is in our hands. So if you hear the ways that [00:35:00] other people are doing things and don’t find something that feels comfortable for you, I would just say like, look at the principles that are working for them and, and keep it going. And, and what’s really happening is just a relationship being built.
Suzie Webster: I think they, your readers would probably like that even more than hearing about what time you brush your teeth this morning and how many minutes you were on your rowing machine.
Suzie Webster: But my 45th year old ladies, like to know that I’m out there doing it, I guess.
Michael Evans: My approach is, is different. and I think that for a lot of people, they. Resonate more with this approach. Cause I’m not doing like a VTU approach or let me build a world around my character. I might one day.
Michael Evans: I mean, it sounds interesting, but I’m just sharing an idea. But how I take my approach is I write books about technology. I write books about where the future is going. So if I can share, My own insights on where the future is going, startups technology, futurist kind of things. Yeah. And just share content like that in like a newsletter in effect, I’m becoming a creator, who is creating content that could [00:36:00] exist as a business unto itself.
Michael Evans: And that’s a top of funnel. Into my stories and ultimately into my community. And that, that’s how I personally view it. And if you’re not writing sci-fi you could anyone who’s writing anything connected to business. Like if you’re doing anything in technology space, it’s very, kind of easy to take that approach.
Michael Evans: But if you wanna talk about like, if you’re a romance writer and you wanna talk about like, you can create content for in, in Suzie’s case middle-aged women who are maybe going, finding their second love second marriage type of a deal. I mean, that’s a lot of people who need insights.
Michael Evans: It’s a blog. It’s people don’t even need to know like your personal story in that, but you’re sharing information and know ultimately bringing people to your books and you could probably do something similar for most genres. I mean, fantasy, right? Like there’s, it’s harder for me to imagine some genres and how you would take that model.
Michael Evans: You all are authors. You’re very creative. It’s just an idea. And there’s some authors who’ve done it very, very successfully. And if you use that model, you don’t have to make money just doing books. [00:37:00] It can be consulting that you do for people.
Suzie Webster: For sure.
Michael Evans: And for you going forward, where do you envision your business going? And we’re kind of in a time now where you can think about selling direct, you can think about subscriptions. You can think about all these kind of different business models.
Suzie Webster: Continuing to grow the community and helping authors by offering my myself as a conduit, for readers and authors to connect. So whether it be a newsletter where I’m recommending books, whether it be a subscription book box.
Suzie Webster: Yeah. Different sorts of things where, newer authors can kind of get their voice heard through my platform of readers and kind of again, giving, authors a kind of a little jumping off point when their books are great, like AKA like a Jennifer Hartman.
Suzie Webster: When I read. One of her first books. I was like, wow, this girl has really got something special here to be able to have that platform where I could share her book with a [00:38:00] big, big, big audience and give her the opportunity for other people to discover her. I mean, that’s what I would love, love to be doing on a more kind of social way.
Suzie Webster: I don’t wanna be like a publisher. Yeah. I don’t wanna be a marketing company for, for authors. I just wanna do something where it’s more, organic and sharing and that’s what cuz that’s what I like. I mean, that’s what I like to be a part of. So that’s what I wanna have for, readers to be a part of with me, I guess if that makes sense.
Michael Evans: I can think of a few people who’ve started off, doing that. exclusively like Sasha Alsberg is she had. Big best selling series called Zenith. so I think the first book and she was a book tuber who basically reviewed books and talked about them online.
Michael Evans: She got several hundred thousand subscribers on YouTube and then for her, with traditional publishing path and, and that kind of deal, and there’s a few more authors who’ve. Are now authors who write, kind of started off as like a reading creator, if you will. And, that’s something that a lot of authors can think about as well.
Michael Evans: You can build [00:39:00] a relationship and build a community around just, yeah. What books you love to read, because I mean, if anything’s going to bring readers in, it’s talking about books, that’s definitely something that’s, that’s not too much challenge and people love this. And obviously this is a lot of what book talk is.
Michael Evans: and if you go on to book, talk and explore that, that’s kinda like the hot new area that people are sharing things about books, but you don’t have to do it like on book talk, you can do it on Facebook. You can do it on medium. I there’s all these different sites. maybe book talks, what’s hot now for a good reason, but that doesn’t mean if you don’t want to go on TikTok that you can’t still build a community.
Michael Evans: Instagram reels, as we talked about before. So yeah, this is a lot of great stuff and I wanted to end it off asking you. What your advice would be to someone who’s just starting out and wants to build a community?
Suzie Webster: Any time you can get yourself in a book signing situation where there’s going to be other authors. I mean, some of the first [00:40:00] authors that I met early, early in my career, when barn and no noble did like a local book signing day, and I was there with. like nine other authors and and some of those authors, I’m still friends with today and are still reading my books and I’m still reading theirs.
Suzie Webster: And I mean, just trying to find places where you can meet, because there’s nothing to me there’s nothing more valuable than meeting people in person. I mean, the, the best. The best super fans. I have the best relationships I’ve built are the ones that I’ve where I’ve met people at a book signing or in person.
Suzie Webster: So, and that’s why I’m kind of passionate about having book signings where newer authors can be a part of it, because it’s just such a great way to start. so just finding, finding your people
Michael Evans: that’s lovely. And most authors, we don’t bite. We tend to be very nice people.
Michael Evans: And one place you can go to meet new authors, especially if you are a steamy romance author is the romance con lust in and low country community. I’m gonna link down [00:41:00] to Suzie’s website and the Facebook group. So you can check that. Otherwise, I hope everyone had an amazing time listening to this.
Michael Evans: Thank you so much for being here. You can also check out our Facebook group. It’s the community welcomes all authors who are interested in pursuing a subscription model. As you can tell on this podcast, we focus a lot on talking about community and talking about how you can not only find your tribe of authors, but find your tribe of readers who can hopefully.
Michael Evans: Build a sustainable business around. So Suzie, thank you so much. You gave so much incredible insight, I hope everyone has an amazing rest of the day. Thank you for listening.