Writers With Wrinkles

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Hosts Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid cut through the noise of book marketing advice to spotlight what genuinely moves books: word of mouth. Nearly half of readers (47–48%) choose books based on personal recommendations — outperforming social media, platforms, and AI discovery tools combined. Beth and Lisa share three low-cost, actionable strategies to spark that word of mouth before and after your launch.
3 Strategies to Spark Word of Mouth

1. Build a Street Team
•       Recruit 20–30 trusted readers (writers, friends, community members) and give them an advance copy — digital or print
•       Provide a short, clear list of 3 specific asks: post on social media, share with friends, leave a review
•       One voice becomes 25 — and those 25 can each reach 10 more, creating exponential amplification with minimal effort from you
2. Engage Bookstagrammers & BookTok Creators — Early
•       Identify creators who read books in your genre months before your launch — not the week of
•       Comment, share, and engage with their content authentically to build a genuine relationship first
•       Pay it forward with fellow authors — share their books freely, and don't be afraid to ask directly when your book drops
3. Attend Local Book Festivals
•       Book festivals are abundant, often within driving distance, and free to apply for as an author — no flights or hotel rooms required
•       Having a new or recent release significantly improves your chances of acceptance; apply before your launch
•       In-person connection creates lasting amplifiers — readers who meet you, enjoy your book, and tell 10 friends
 Key Takeaway: Stop spending hours on content nobody sees. Invest that time in real relationships — book groups, communities, and fellow authors. Marketing doesn't have to be expensive or high-tech to work.
Have a marketing tip that's worked for you? Beth and Lisa want to hear it.
•       Beth: beth@writerswithwrinkles.net
•       Lisa: lisa@writerswithwrinkles.net

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Joel Brigham runs Brigham Editorial (developmental edits, manuscript critiques, query help), teaches high school English in Illinois, and is an editor for RevPit — a community that gives away free developmental edits each spring.
REVPIT
•    Free developmental editing contest — editors (not authors) mentor selected writers through full drafts
•    Applications open April, winners announced early May; ~14–15 editors participate
•    Year-round mini-event: 10 Queries — public feedback on first 5 pages + query letters
THE FIRST DRAFT
•    One goal: words on the page. Momentum beats perfection — always
•    Psychology backs this up: Goal Gradient Effect, Zeigarnik Effect, and Commitment Principle all support just keeping going
•    Comparing your messy first draft to your last polished book is a trap — every published book started the same way
5 DRAFTING HINDRANCES
•    Starting slow — avoid waking-up scenes, mirror descriptions, dream openers. Try dropping into the middle of something (*in medias res*)
•    Perfectionism — editing as you go wastes time on scenes that may not survive. Grammar is the last step
•    Weak character foundation — know their goal, fear, flaw, and wound as early as possible
•    No tension — even “everyday life” chapters before the inciting incident need friction, stakes, or a ticking clock
•    Info dumping — no backstory or flashbacks in chapters 1–2. Backstory is a breadcrumb, not a full loaf
FOR DISCOVERY / PANTSER WRITERS
•    Check in every 15–20k words — assess without forcing rigid plot beats
•    By 20k: your character should have a clear want and be on the book’s core journey
•    Made a change mid-draft? Drop a note and keep writing forward as if it’s always been that way — don’t stop to rewrite
LINKS
Joel’s services: brighameditorial.com  •  RevPit: reviseresub.com  •  Show notes: writerswithwrinkles.net

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Beth and Lisa talk with literary agent Nikki Carrero, from The Rights Factory, to break down the querying process from the agent’s side — what gets you noticed, what gets a pass, and how to make the most of The Call.
 
Highlights
•       Nikki runs monthly pitch parties on Threads — currently her only open submission path since she’s closed to general queries.
•       Biggest query red flags: word count outside genre norms, miscategorized genre, and sending to agents who don’t rep your category.
•       Personalization? Just use her name. “Dear Agent” won’t auto-reject you, but do double-check pronouns.
•       Multiple passes don’t always mean bad writing — it may be wrong agents, weak hook, or pacing issues in the opening pages.
•       Nikki is an editorial agent: developmental notes, line edits, and reader reactions all in the margins.
•       Watch your social media. Agents notice public venting in the query trenches — keep it in private group chats.
 
Questions to Ask on The Call (with prospective agent!)
•       How editorial are you, and what does your revision process look like?
•       Will I see the pitch letter and submission list?
•       What happens if the book doesn’t sell — do you stay with me?
•       Always ask for a boilerplate contract before signing.
 
Nikki’s Parting Advice
Patience and persistence. Self-publishing is not a fallback. Keep writing new books — voice and craft develop over time, and the writers who stick with it are the ones who break through.
 Nikki Carerro Substack
Nikki Carerro Threads

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We tackle a publishing debate, draw writing wisdom from Taylor Swift, and dig into one of the most common craft problems in fiction — weak stakes and missing tension. Plus a community book shout-out.
THE HARDBACK DEBATE
Beth shares a Guardian article arguing hardbacks are outdated — too expensive, they kill buzz before the paperback drops, and lead with the least accessible format. Beth and Lisa push back: libraries and schools depend on durable formats, sprayed-edge editions have made hardcovers a Gen Z collector's item, and paperbacks consistently outsell. Lisa made hardcover a deal-breaker when negotiating Heart and Souls to protect library access.
Read the article here.
TAYLOR SWIFT AS A WRITING TEACHER
Swift is a master of show-don't-tell — capturing massive emotion in a single precise phrase without ever stating it outright. Beth recommends the New York Times in-depth interview on her songwriting process as required reading for any fiction writer.
CRAFT DEEP DIVE: STAKES, TENSION & CONSEQUENCES
Every story lives or dies on what is at risk. There are always two levels and you need both — external stakes (plot consequences) and internal stakes (identity, belief, sense of self). They must be connected or the story falls flat.
Beth's "So What?" Stress Test — apply to any scene or chapter:
State what is happening in one plain sentence.
Ask: So what? Readers ask this unconsciously on every page.
Answer with a specific consequence — not "things get harder" but something like "she'll spend the rest of her life wondering if he ever really knew her."
Ask "so what?" once more. What does this cost the character in terms of who they ARE? That second layer is where the real stakes live.
The Index Card Method: Write one sentence per chapter, lay the cards out, and ask what the stakes are in each. Any blank card is a dead zone — and dead zones lose readers.
COMMUNITY BOOK SHOUT-OUT
Double Crossed by Rebecca Barone — out April 28th. Middle grade narrative nonfiction about Operation Bodyguard, the Allied WWII mission to fool the Nazis about the true location of D-Day. Reads like a spy thriller. Every word is true.
Buy it here.
Join The Waiting Room, our private Facebook community for writers, to connect with authors like Rebecca and get your upcoming release featured in a future shout-out.
NEXT EPISODE: Agent Nikki Carrero from The Rights Factory joins us May 25th!

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First Page Feedback: Charlotte's Hunt for Glory
Beth and Lisa critique the opening page of a middle grade fantasy submission and pull out craft lessons for any writer working on those critical first pages.

The Submission
Charlotte's Hunt for Glory follows 12-year-old Charlotte through a morning routine steeped in grief for her late grandmother and sibling envy — anchored by a rich exploration of hair as identity.
What's Working
A strong, warm first-person voice with real overall potential
Efficient emotional layering: grief, envy, and identity all on page one
Small character moments (sticking her tongue out at the mirror) that do big work
What to Work On
No fantasy signal. MG fantasy readers expect an early hint of the fantastical — even one small touch. It needs to appear quickly.
The "why now" test. Nothing distinguishes this morning from any other. Signal that this day changes everything (or something).
Too much telling. The sister and family dynamics can be revealed through action and dialogue rather than description.
Watch the clichés. Cascading down her back and stab of envy undercut an otherwise fresh voice.

Craft Takeaways
Every sentence in your opening must earn its place — if it's not doing work, cut it.
Most writers warm up in their first chapter. In revision, the real story usually starts later than you think.
Don't delete cut material — save it. It may fit somewhere else (and if it doesn't, that's okay too).
Next episode: Ask Beth and Lisa — send in your questions!
Writers with Wrinkles is hosted by Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid.

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