Do Authors Hijack Current Events to Sell Books, or Just Use a Unique Selling Point to Their Advantage?
What's an author gotta do to sell books?
This week, I had the pleasure of reading an article by LindaAnn LoSchiavo at Beyond Craft:
After I read the piece, I commented that my GHOST Group series is tied in to a monthly holiday. There are 12 stories in the series for each holiday. (Currently, there are only 6 stories published so far, and my publisher has the seventh story and she has been VERY PATIENTLY been waiting for the 8th story so that she can get them out!) LindaAnn responded that this is one angle an author can use to promote the book. I thought so too, when I first started writing this series.
But, unfortunately, that has not been the case. Yes, I promoted stories 1-6 for New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, April Fool’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but have I seen sales of these books/ebooks? Nope.
Still, I keep promoting them, because that’s what authors do!
Even so, this whole discussion made me think of the many times I have read posts online where someone was talking about a topic that affected them personally and an author comes along and posts about their book that is on This Very Topic and just might be helpful to the OP, so why not buy a copy? Such a post is usually responded to with anger from the OP over that author hijacking their post.
Which begs the question: When is it acceptable for an author to promote their book on a topic that relates to their book? I think it either depends on the topic or the situation where the topic is brought up (for example, if it’s someone posting on Facebook about how they are grieving the loss of a loved one, it would be poor form if an author posted a comment about their book that helps people who are grieving).
In my case, I think it depends on the topic.
September 10 was World Suicide Prevention Day. This is something I can relate to personally, because not only have I attempted suicide once, but I have also taken the time to talk with other people who were talking about ending their lives. I am grateful these people are still here (and I am not sure whether or not my talk with them helped).
And I actually talk about my experience living with suicidal ideation as well as overcoming it in one of my poetry books: 3 A.M. Poetry.
Did I promote this book on that day? Of course! Not because I wanted to run around screaming “BUY MY BOOK BECAUSE IT RELATES TO THIS DAY!” but because I was hoping that the one poem at the end of this book that also talks about my overcoming suicidal ideation would help someone else living with it. I overcame that beast and I want others to overcome it too! If that one poem helps one person, then it means more to me than any sale ever would.
On the other hand, we also had 9/11 this week. I don’t have any books that would relate to 9/11, but I DO have a poem. It was a poem that was selected to be read at a park in New York, where they dedicated a bench to the victims of 9/11. Even so, I didn’t share my poem on 9/11. Instead, like many others, I shared my own “where were you when it happened?” story. I just felt that THIS was more appropriate than my poem. (And if you’re curious about the poem, you can read it here.)
Of course, deciding what to share and promote during current events is entirely a personal choice. I won’t fault an author who is promoting their book that includes a fictional 9.11 story in it on 9/11, because as an author myself, I get it. We have to do what we can to promote our books, even if that means stealing a bit of the spotlight for something that typically doesn’t get much of it if it weren’t for that particular day or event.
Book Reviews
I recently reviewed the horror anthology HOWL: A Shapeshifting Anthology at Dawn Reviews Books
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!
Week of Terrors Anthology series
Twisted Dreams Press is now accepting submissions for a new anthology series! It is seven books with ten stories in each book.
The first anthology will be published in June. The others will follow in the subsequent months. Submissions of stories for all anthologies opens the beginning of April.
Open until each anthology has ten stories. We will announce when an anthology is no longer accepting submissions.
Series Name: A Week of Terrors!
Here are the themes:
Monster Monday: Creature Horror Stories
Terrifying Tuesday: Evil Clowns
Werewolf Wednesday
Thriller Thursday: Zombies
Frightening Friday: Mix of horror subgenres: psychological horror, eco-horror, cyberpunk horror, erotic horror, etc.
Slasher Saturday: Slasher horror
Spooky Sunday: Ghost stories
Payment: One print and digital copy.
Submit your stories today!
Length: 3K-10K words
Reprints welcome! Simultaneous submissions welcome but please let us know if your story is accepted elsewhere.
Email your stories as a Word .doc or .docx file. Google Docs are okay as long as you grant Dawn permission for access.
No PDF submissions, please.
Stories written with AI will NOT be accepted!
When you submit your story, please put the following in the subject line:
Submission: WOT Anthology, (Title), (Day of the week your story is for)
Please include in your email if the story is a reprint as well as your bio.
Please send your stories to Dawn at submissions@twisteddreamspress.com
We look forward to reading your story!
(Curious about what’s in the first anthology? Go here to check out Monster Monday to read some awesome monster stories!)
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
Friday the 13th Summer Camp Horror Anthology
It's that time of year again! Time for writers everywhere to start writing some summer camp horror!
At Twisted Dreams Press, however, we horror fanatics just can't get enough of Friday the 13th!
We are announcing a call for summer camp horror stories that take place on a Friday the 13th for our anthology: Friday the 13th Summer Camp Horror! This anthology is scheduled for publication on Friday, March 13, 2026!
Start submitting your summer camp horror stories now!
The deadline is December 5, 2025. Which gives you plenty of time to cook up a story that will knock our socks off!
Check out the graphic above to get the deets! Send us your Friday the 13th summer camp horror stories to get in on this!
NOTE: A tie-in to the movie is not required. No fan fiction, please.
BONUS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Roses & Wildflowers Spring 2026
Theme: "Speculative and Mythopoeia Fiction and Poetry"
Read the general guidelines here.
"After the solar, lunar, annular, or penumbral eclipse… anywhere in time and space or the Other Realms of Faery and Dreams.
The moment has passed when the moon, covered by shadow, turns red or darkness enveloped the sun revealing the cosmos beyond. The planetary shadow is gone and the orb is revealed once again. The day resumes and the people look once again upon the world. They pack up their belongings and slowly, the chatter of conversations are taken up where they left off.
Tomorrow the ordinary day after the eclipse begins…
Or is it?"
"We want stories that include the aftermath of an eclipse. That cosmic event that fills us with awe and wonder, be it lunar, solar, annular, penumbral or totality in all its glory."
Length:
Fiction: 1000-7,500 words
Poetry: 40 lines max
Payment: $20 per story and $15 per poem
Deadline: September 19, 2025
"Stories to Take To Your Grave: Tattoo Edition"
Undertaker Books
Theme: Horror Stories of all subgenres that involve tattoos.
"Undertaker Books is putting out the call for horror tales about tattoos. From traditional and own voices stories to modern misadventures, we're looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
We encourage authors of all backgrounds to participate in this anthology, and if you are comfortable sharing your background, we’d love to know more about you as an author."
Original works only. No translations. Simultaneous submissions allowed.
Length: 2000-4000 words
Payment: $25 and a print copy of the anthology
Deadline: September 30, 2025
"TRUNK: stories that took the long way"
Metaphorosis Books
"Concept: SFF Stories that met with many rejections before being published. This can include both reprint or original stories. In either case, short stories (<7,500 words) must have been rejected at least 20 times (before any acceptance). Novelettes (7,500-17,500) must have been rejected at least 10 times. Submissions are on the honor system, but as the anthology develops, it may be fun to have lists of submissions for each story, so do make sure you have some sort of record you can check, not just “I think I’ve sent it out a lot”. The rejections must have come before any acceptance (i.e., not a story that sold on first submission but was rejected 20 times as a reprint)."
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Original works and reprints welcome.
Length: Between 1000-17,500 words
Payment: "Original stories will be paid at a rate of $.01/word. Reprints will be paid a flat rate of $20/story."
Deadline: September 30, 2025
In the Words of a Flower Anthology
Inked in Gray Press (In collaboration with the Chyina Powell and Women of Color Writers’ Circle)
Theme:All stories should incorporate an aspect of floriography, the language of flowers.
"Flowers mean different things in different cultures and some flowers carry a message that inspires hope, recognizes loss, and carries a warning. Through the fantasy-based anthology In the Words of a Flower, we hope to showcase the versatility of flower language."
They are interested in fantasy stories for upper YA and adults. No AI. "Please give us diversity! Mental health rep! Fat rep! Visible and invisible disabilities! Anything and everything!"
Simultaneous submissions welcome. No reprints.
Length: 2000-7000 words
Payment: $50 per accepted story
Deadline: September 30, 2025
Bad Dog Books
Theme: Women In Power
"The F/F erotic furry anthology returns, rejoining the ROAR and FANG anthologies. CLAW! seeks to showcase the sapphic works of women and nonbinary authors, and is fully trans-inclusive."
No simultaneous submissions. Reprints allowed.
Length: 4000-10,000 words
Payment: "1/2 cent per word (at whichever is higher between submitted and edited word count), and one (1) contributor’s copy."
Deadline: April 30, 2026
This Week’s Book Promo
I promoted my latest poetry book, 3 A.M. Poetry, this week on social media. I know I promoted this book when it first came out, but here it is again because of World Suicide Prevention Day (which was on September 10).
This time, here’s a different poem from this book. Enjoy!
Copyright © 2025 by Dawn Colclasure
“Alone Now” Copyright © 2025 by Dawn Colclasure Alone now In this darkened room With none to set me free. Alone now And beyond the point Where anyone can save me. Alone now In all my madness, All the monsters from my past. Alone now And losing hope, Losing strength so fast. Alone now And embracing the shadows, Feeling them closer with each breath. Alone now And giving in to my pain, Falling into the embrace of death.
Thanks for reading! See you next weekend!
Using a news peg to promote your own writing - - whether it's 1 poem or an entire book - - also requires an ability to "read the room," so to speak. There's a way to handle it with finesse, which involves subtlety, awareness, and timing. And there's a way to be clumsy, in your face, and obnoxious. We all recognize the clumsy methods; these faux pas will stand out by giving us "the ick," and making us cringe. * * * However, we FAIL TO NOTICE when it's handled with finesse. * * * . . . Because that's the artistry of doing it so well that it has the right effect on people. (smile)