Tag Archives: inspirational success

Author Success - In the media, awards, reviews

March Success Stories from Tellwell Authors

We’re setting sail on a literary adventure filled with inspiration!

Let’s raise a toast to celebrate our Tellwell authors making waves in the literary world with their inspiring narratives who have turned their dreams into reality!

Publicity

Elaine Alec, named BC’s Woman of the Year in 2023, recently shared an update on her upcoming literary endeavours with Tellwell. In her post, she reflected on her journey as an author and discussed the anticipation surrounding her forthcoming publication.

Elaine sold 16,000 copies of her first book, Calling My Spirit Back.

Today I had my first call with my editor at @tellwellpublishing for my second book, Coming of Age.

I am self-published. And I’ve really considered the traditional publishing route, but I’m not just a writer, I’m an entrepreneur. Do I want to make $1 per book in royalties, or $5-$7/book?

This book has been sitting with me for two winters and I’m happy to finally take this next step . . . Editing and rewriting isn’t always the most exciting but it’s really rewarding knowing that it brings you one step closer to getting your book out there.

-Elaine Alec in her Instagram Post

Tellwell author Karen Harmon recently appeared on CFJC MIDDAY! In an exclusive interview, Karen delves into the details of her latest book, her fourth: Class of ’78.

Karen has published all four of her books with Tellwell: Looking for Normal, Where Is My Happy Ending?, Fat and Beautiful, and Class of ’78.

Awards

Glenda Toews earned a Silver Award in Non-Fiction in the Reader Views Literary Awards with her book, Spinning on a Barstool.

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Author of the Month Guest Post

“The passion for wanting to make a difference is stronger than my desire to stay comfortable” – Kimberley Parkinson shares her publishing journey

Like many Tellwell authors, Kimberley Parkinson took a huge step outside of her comfort zone when she decided to publish her first book. When her children’s book What Can You Do? was publishedParkinson realized it was time to get the word out about her book, and that she was going to be the driving force behind that. While marketing seemed daunting initially, her efforts were greeted with success and gratification. Now, she shares some of her early marketing experiences to encourage other authors to push themselves when they take the leap, and publish their writing.

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Kimberley Parkinson’s take on book marketing:

A smile appears upon your face. There it is, nestled proudly within your hands, the first copy of your published book. You take a moment to reflect on all the hours spent from the initial thought to the finished product. You have worked so hard and deserve to relish in satisfaction.

Then the next part of your journey beckons…marketing! A mix of excitement and nervousness takes over. What is the best route to take first? Who should I contact, what should I do, where should I go? This is when you take the time to address your strengths and weaknesses. I know with myself, I would rather sit back quietly and let the book sell itself as I am quite shy with this sort of thing. I am not a fan of social media outlets and the thought of trying to sell my book in person to stores or reading my book in front of others at events made me want to throw up! My comfort zone was very comfy, and it didn’t like to feel threatened. However, I knew that for my own growth I had to push myself beyond those comfortable limitations.

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I appreciated the knowledgeable advice and strategic outline that was given to me through Tellwell and needed to implement some of their suggestions. I had to at least try because I have always believed that there is no failure if I try. I wasn’t ready to do the social media thing yet, so I decided to go the good old-fashioned way. I travelled to locations that were within a reasonable distance and made sure to have copies of my book with me, along with props such as bookmarks, posters, etc. It was also important to have all my contact and book details ready as you don’t want to be fumbling around when asked.

Do your homework. Find out who the manager is, contact them directly, and most importantly, mind your manners. Be polite, be gracious for any opportunities that present themselves and be respectful to the ones that don’t. Unknown self-published authors tend to make some store owners apprehensive to take a chance on you and that is okay. Thank them for their time and walk out with your head held high. There will inevitably be some doors that close but if you believe in your book and most importantly yourself, you will start to see doors open. Patience and persistence is key.

Get your feet wet with smaller events at first if needed. I started with an intimate book signing/reading at my local library. It was a comfortable setting that helped me get over my nervousness. Have friends and family there for support. I felt much more at ease with their smiling faces around me.  Advertise your book in local papers, make calls, get your name out there. After you have experienced one event, the next ones won’t seem so daunting. This is all still very new to me too, and I am learning as I go.

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