by Scott Lorenz | Blog, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing, Book Title Generator
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing
Book Title Generator is the one book every author should read before publishing their book.
There’s an old saying that fisherman use—“You have to hook ‘em before you can cook ‘em.” The same holds true for book titles! Picture yourself walking through a bookstore where book spines resemble wallpaper or scrolling through endless titles on Amazon or other bookselling websites. All too often those few words in a book title are the difference between further interest, and a sale, or getting left out in the cold.
That’s why I wrote a book laying out a proven strategy for crafting a buyer grabbing title. Book Title Generator makes sure the painstaking work writing a book will get that all-important final touch, a winning title worthy of publication. I created a multi-prong strategy by urging the use of high-tech tools, researching bestsellers by genre and choosing the vital “title keywords” which get a book ranked on search engines and Amazon.
Having seen and experienced the pitfalls of book marketing, I wanted Book Title Generator to usher one through the reality maze of numbers, alliterations, idioms, keywords and everything else I know must be considered in your quest for the perfect book title. I chronicled how a number of famous books began with poor titles and how, with a new title, they rose to prominence.
As a student and lover of book titles with three decades of book marketing experience, I wanted to impress on the reader the vital aspects of shepherding your book towards bestseller status. I designed Book Title Generator for authors and publishers as a surefire method to uncover that coveted, memorable, and winning book title!
Book Title Generator
http://www.BookTitleGenerator.net Watch the book trailer here: https://bit.ly/BookTitleGeneratorTrailer
“Book Title Generator is an indispensable, first-rate adjunct to the art of writing—and selling—your book.” —Dr. Grady Harp, Amazon Top 50 Hall of Fame Reviewer, 5 Stars
“I get HUNDREDS of books a year from hopeful authors. The title has to catch my attention or I pass. If I were an author I’d read Book Title Generator.” —Chris Cordani, Executive Producer, Money Matters on WABC-AM, New York, 5 Stars
“Authors owe it to themselves to ‘turn-every-stone’ to make sure they have the best possible book title. It’s critical to the success of any book… unless you are already famous… then it doesn’t matter.” —Mike Ball, Erma Bombeck Award-Winning Author, 5 Stars
The Bottom Line: Do not name your book before studying Book Title Generator.” Take advantage of my hard-won knowledge by knowing all the rules in what is now a high-tech game. Get one over on the competition by starting out ahead.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing, Pen Names
Having a difficult time selecting a pen name? Try these random name generators. You may get some inspiration from some of these and its fun to see what they come up with.
By: Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing
Do you need a pen name? A rich tradition has existed for hundreds of years for fiction writers to use pen names. You may be surprised to learn that some authors have more than 10 pen names. Here’s why pen names have been and continue to be widely used: Many authors believe that their name can affect how their audience sees them and even affect their book sales.
One of the most famous pen names, of course, was Samuel Clemens who wrote under the name Mark Twain. Another well-known one is Lewis Carroll, which was used by Alice in Wonderland’s author, Charles Dodgdon. He gained a considerable reputation as a mathematician and didn’t want to create confusion by writing fiction under his real name.
In 1992, Putnam Publishers asked Nora Roberts to come up with a second pen name because they could not keep up with the prolific writer’s romance novels let alone the genre of romance suspense novels she wanted to write. So she took the initials J.D. from sons Jason and Dan and shortened Roberts to Robb. She has also written under the pen names Jill March and Sarah Hardesty.
New York Times Best Selling author Nora Roberts is a pen name used by Eleanor Marie Robertson. Nora Roberts’ name has regularly appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List since 1999. Since her first best seller in 1991, Nora’s books have spent 1,045 weeks on the Best Seller List. Believe it or not, that’s equivalent to 20 consecutive years of weekly bestsellers.
In 1992, Putnam Publishers asked Nora Roberts to come up with a second pen name because they could not keep up with the prolific writer’s romance novels let alone the new genre of romance suspense novels she wanted to write. So, she took the initials J.D. from sons Jason and Dan and shortened Roberts to Robb. She also has written under the pen names Jill March and Sara Hardesty.
Whether you call it a pen name, pseudonym, non de plume, alias or AKA, you are creating a new persona that’ll need care and feeding! Scott Lorenz, Book Publicist
One of my book marketing clients served as a Navy Seal in the Iraq War and then returned to write a book about his war experiences. To protect his personal safety and maintain security for his family, he used the pen name Chuck Bravedy. The author was concerned that extremists living in America would be offended and angered by his controversial book and come after him or his family.
The fact that Chuck Bravedy was not listed as a Navy Seal caused The Pentagon to call me. They explained they wanted to keep phonies from impersonating military officials. I gladly connected them both!
Another client was a former CIA station chief. He was concerned about the impact a pen name would have on promoting his book. After discussing the pros and cons he decided to use his real name. (The CIA has to clear any books written by former high-level staff to make sure they do not reveal secrets).
I’ve represented two Medical Doctors who both wrote serious erotica. Neither wanted their hospitals to know about their ‘other’ life so they both chose pen names and donned disguises for their headshots.
From a marketing standpoint if your real-life identity is associated with a business and you want the book to promote your business, or vice versa, then no need for a pen name. But if you have success, and don’t want that success threatened by pursuing an avocation of writing, then a pen name would be in order. Pen names may create marketing challenges, most of which can be overcome, and so the marketing implications need to be examined before publishing.
Since the publishers of JK Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, were unsure if the preteen boys that she was targeting would accept wizard stories that were written by a woman, they encouraged her to use her initials instead of her real name, which is Joanne Rowling. The “K’ in JK came from her grandmother’s name Kathleen and she’s been known as JK Rowling ever since.
Known as one of the most famous comic book writers in the world, Stan Lee’s real name is Stanley Martin Lieber. He initially decided to publish under Stan Lee because he thought he would eventually transition to more serious work and wanted to use his real name when and if that time came. Once he realized that he was destined to stay a comic book writer, he legally changed his name to Stan Lee.
If you’ve ever read the popular children’s series, A Series of Unfortunate Events and All the Wrong Questions, you probably know that the author is Lemony Snicket. Believe it or not, his real name is Daniel Handler. He decided to go with Lemony Snicket because he wanted to anonymously contact right-wing organizations. Handler first came up with the Lemony Snicket pen name while doing research for his first novel, The Basic Eight. He needed to contact right-wing organizations for the book, but he didn’t want to give them his real name. So, he called himself “Lemony Snicket,” and the moniker stuck.
Reasons for using a pen name include:
- To avoid embarrassment
- For personal safety or security
- If you write under more than one genre
- If your name is hard to pronounce or spell
- If your name is not marketable
- If your name conflicts with the name of another author
- To hide gender (a male writing in the predominantly female genre)
- To avoid confusing readers if you are well known in another field.
Reasons to use your real name:
If you want to hide from the public and from people you work with or worked with, etc., then a pen name is fine. But, if it’s not important, why bother? So, my vote is to use your own name. Here are just a few points to ponder.
- If you are not trying to hide from anyone.
- To brand yourself and promote your name for speaking gigs or consulting assignments.
- If you are planning to write a series of books.
- So people can find your published works.
- Your face behind your name builds trust and confidence with readers.
Here’s some interesting information I’ve obtained from librarians and employees at bookstores. Is there a popular author whose work is similar to yours? Why not select a pen name beginning with the same letter as that author’s name? Since most books are filed by genre and then the author’s last name, selecting a pen name with the same letter puts you in close proximity to their books.
Someone searching for that author could ‘stumble’ upon your book and decide to take a look. Radio stations have done it for years by selecting their location on the ‘dial’ nearby other highly rated stations so they could benefit from the proximity of that popular station. Crafty? Perhaps but do you want to sell books or not?
Having a difficult time selecting a pen name? Try these random name generators. You may get some inspiration from some of these and it’s fun to see what they come up with.
1. https://chucklehound.com/generator/
2. https://businessnameguide.com/
3. https://www.dotomator.com/
4. https://naming.net/
5. https://www.shopify.com/tools/business-name-generator
6. https://namestation.com/
7. https://www.businessnamegenerator.net/
8. https://businessnamegenerator.com/
9. https://www.netsubstance.com/
10. https://looka.com/business-name-generator/
11. https://namelix.com/
12. https://www.wix.com/tools/business-name-generator
13. https://logo.com/business-name-generator
14. https://www.oberlo.com/tools/business-name-generator
15. https://blog.reedsy.com/pen-name-generator/
16. https://www.name-generator.org.uk/pen-name/
17. https://www.dcode.fr/pseudonym-generator
18. https://www.invaluable.com/blog/pen-name-generator/
19. https://www.namegenerator.biz/pseudonym-generator.php
20. https://bookbird.io/tools/pen-name-generator/
21. https://www.fakenamegenerator.com/
22. https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/victorian-names.php
23. https://www.namegeneratorfun.com/cool
24. https://www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=evilnamer
25. https://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/12465#.XG11qegzbIU
26. https://www.namegenerator.co/fantasy/pen-name-generator
27. https://www.namesnerd.com/people/pen-name-generator/
28. https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/1172-the-ultimate-romance-pen-name-generator
29. https://domainwheel.com/pen-name-generator/
30. https://bookraid.com/ai/pen-name-generator
31. https://www.duplichecker.com/name-generator.php
32. https://anytexteditor.com/pen-name-generator
33. https://www.behindthename.com/
34. https://www.fantasynamegen.com/
35. https://www.orrt.org/literary/names.php
36. https://thestoryshack.com/tools/pen-name-generator/
37. https://coda.io/@hales/fake-name-generator
38. https://www.selfpublishingtitans.com/tools/Pen-Name-Generator
39. https://www.brandroot.com/business-name-generator
40. https://randomnamegenerators.com/various-name-generators/pen-name-generator/
41. https://www.renderforest.com/business-name-generator
The Bottom Line: A Pen Name is an author’s useful tool for the right reasons.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, Book Publishing, Book-TV, Marketing a Book, Television
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing
Authors seeking to become a TV talk show guest must learn to master the fine art of using sound bites. Local and national television thrives on sound bites, those brief, quotable remarks that will be repeated again and again on television news and talk shows. Sound bites are the pearls that flow out of our mouths into the ears of TV producers and onto the airways.
If you want to be quoted, you must convert the message points in your book into sound bites. To do this remember that analogies, bold action words, emotions and personal examples, attacks and absolutes make good quotes and sound bites. The highly personal, classic sound bite has action, emotion, and attacks; all of these elements will work to make reporters swoon.
My experience as a book publicist and book marketing expert has taught me to compare an author’s book with something else that is better known. For example, one of my clients’ books is a time travel, sci-fi. Here’s the sound bite: “BAD LOVE STRIKES is like Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Goonies.” See how that paints a picture? Another client’s book is about sci-fi alien romance. So we came up with, “If you like the movies ‘Shape of Water’ and ‘Avatar’ you’ll love KAIRN, Mates of the Alliance.”
The sound bite serves the purpose of telling a long story in a few words.
You can tell people who the book is for. “This book is for recent college graduates looking for a job in TECH.” Or, “This is the perfect book for people who want to know all they can about ChatGPT and AI.”
What about YOU? Are you skilled enough in producing sound bites to earn an interview on local or national TV? If you’ve not had media training, believe me it’s too late once you get the call. You may have to get in a car or on a plane within an hour’s notice. That’s why you need to be prepared before you get the call. When my clients agree to media coaching, my first choice for them is Jess Todtfeld.
Jess is one of the leading authorities on media training in the world. With more than 25 years of media training experience, Todtfeld has trained thousands of CEOs, authors, and experts, including leading government officials in the United States and members of the United Nations.
Another well-known media trainer, TJ Walker came up with several good sound bite creation techniques he’s shared:
- Create sound bites that are 10, 15 and 30 seconds.
- Work an example into the sound bite.
- Use Clichés. Reporters can’t write clichés, but they love quoting other people using them.
- Humor can be memorable but only if you are not talking about a serious topic.
- One great way to get your message quoted by reporters is to state your ideas in the form of a rhetorical question.
- Opposition quotes make good quotes and sound bites. Opposition quotes remain a favorite of reporters but use them only if and when they are appropriate to your message.
- Absolutes are absolutely quote worthy. If I say “We will be the next champions!” That has a better chance of landing in the story than “We are hoping to win.” Saying “Our company is the top performer in this field” would be another example.
- Recycle your quotes. If one worked well with another media interview in the past, use it again.
- Use pop culture references in your quotes.
- Put analogies in your answers, use bold, action-oriented words, let your emotions flow freely, and attack your way to the headlines.
A sound bite is only one aspect of a successful television appearance. You must also be concerned about your total message, the knowledge you display, and the self-confidence you demonstrate.
As a book publicist I’ll prepare questions for our clients ahead of time and include those in our press kits sent to the host. Often the interviewer will read those questions right in order. Other times they refer to our questions and include some of them. That’ll help you because you’ll know what to expect and you can respond with the sound bites you’ve already developed.
The Bottom Line: Prepare some snappy sound bites ahead of time, rehearse them every day and you’ll sound like a pro turning your TV appearance into a huge success.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Book Marketing at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else? Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Blog, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Publicity, BookTok, Marketing a Book, Promoting a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
The social media platform TikTok made its debut in 2016. It allows users to create and share short-form video content and slideshows, ranging anywhere from comedy to life advice to product reviews and much more. Today, the social media platform is available in over 150 countries and has over 1 billion users.
BookTok is a community on TikTok where readers discuss their favorite books, series, and authors. Users can create reviews, share their favorite books, show off their book collections, and even promote their own creations. Authors can learn what their readers love, find new fans, and answer questions from both readers and fellow authors.
“#BookTok is an honest and authentic community of readers, authors, and industry professionals who love to talk about and learn about books, writing and all things book related. BookTok is more than just social media word of mouth, it’s a tight community of book lovers where an author can find out in real-time what readers want to read,” says Sheila English, award-winning author of Adam Frankenstein: Dog Fight.
If you’re an author, it’s a good idea to explore BookTok as it can help you grow your audience and share with fans via text and video. It just might give you the type of exposure you need to get published and sell your work, as many users, especially the younger generations, are drawn to organic promotions directly from their source rather than traditional advertising. It gives the readers control over what becomes popular. Users can also form connections with their favorite authors or find books and communities for specific niches.
Publishers and bookstores have also begun to engage with BookTok. Walk into any Barnes and Noble and you will surely see a display with popular BookTok books. The company reported a 14% increase in sales after #booktok launched. Even some shopping websites, such as Books-A-Million and Target, have a category for books that gained popularity through BookTok!
Simon & Schuster marketing and publicity manager Olivia Horrox is quoted in The Guardian, stating, “There’s something about the fact that it is under a minute. People who are consuming this content want stuff that’s quicker and snappier all the time – you watch a 32-second video and someone’s like: ‘This book has LGBTQ romance, it’s really heartbreaking, it’s speculative fiction.’ And then the viewers think: ‘Oh, ok, those are all things that I’m interested in. I’ll go buy it.”
For both established authors and new authors, BookTok allows for organic exposure and a chance to build effective connections with your audience.
How to Get Started on BookTok
If you are an author looking to establish yourself on BookTok, follow these steps.
1. Download the App and Create an Account
You can link to Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail and download the app. Once you do, choose a catchy username to sign up.
2. Create Your Profile
Add your picture and a short description that explains the type of author you are and what books you write. Prove that you are authentic and passionate about your books!
3. Follow BookTokers
Go to the home page and follow some BookTokers by searching the hashtag #BookTok. This will ensure the TikTok algorithm displays book-related content in your feed. You can also keep up with current trends by paying attention to who and what is popular.
4. Make Your First Video
Now, the fun part begins! It’s time to get noticed by other BookTok users. Hit the + sign at the bottom of the screen, add a sound at the top, and press the red button to record yourself. You can talk about anything related to your books or you as an author. Then, hit next and add the #BookTok hashtag as well as a few others that relate to your genre and target your readers. Additionally, take some time to observe what other authors like you are doing. TikTok thrives on trends, so keeping your content catchy and relevant is key!
As you begin your journey as an author on BookTok, be careful about what kind of engagement you create. You don’t want to start arguments with negative reviewers or be too overbearing. Don’t force yourself on other users; let them come to you. Remember, BookTok is about the readers!
BookTok may seem daunting at first, but practice makes perfect! Just make more videos, engage with others in the community, and remain enthusiastic about your books!
Successful Authors on BookTok
Here are a few of the many authors who have decided to harness the power of BookTok and found success in doing so.
Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover AKA CoHo is a romance and thriller author that has published more than 20 novels and used BookTok to find loyal fans and readers. As a result of her efforts on BookTok, she gained 1.1 million followers and 14.8 million likes. This helped some of her books, including It Ends With Us earn a spot on the New York Times best seller list. Check out CoHo’s profile here.
Victoria Aveyard
Victoria Aveyard is best known for her novel series The Red Queen and is a popular content creator on BookTok. She frequently gains fans through her posts on upcoming new books, publishing, and general lifestyle content. Check out Victoria’s profile here for advice on writing.
Aiden Thomas
Aiden Thomas, who writes folkloric fantasies such as Lost in the Neverwoods and New York Times best seller Cemetery Boys, jumped on the BookTok bandwagon in 2021. He shares promo videos for his book and memes about being a Trans Latinx fantasy writer. Check out his profile here.
Ayana Gray
Ayana Gray used BookTok to promote the launch of her first book, Beasts of Pray. She shares updates that share her enthusiasm for the process and gives other aspiring authors some inspiration. Check out Ayana’s profile here.
Jennifer Millikin
Through BookTok, Jennifer Millikin creates teasers for her books, such as Our Finest Hour and The Patriot. in an effort to generate excitement. During each teaser, she pretends to be the main character in the book. Check out Jennifer’s profile here.
Fiona Lucas
If you go to Fiona Lucas’ BookTok, you’ll find videos of her that walk you through her process of publishing her first book, The Last Goodbye. Check out Fiona’s profile here.
There are hundreds of authors who have found success through BookTok, and reading their stories is sure to inspire anyone to follow in their footsteps. Caseen Gaines, author of Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way, decided to engage with BookTok. “My first video [about Black suffragettes, Aug. 18, 2021] had over 3,000 views. Once I got that immediate gratification, I was off to the races,” he says.
David Alan Arnold (@davidalanarnold), author of Help From Above, has 1.8 million followers on TikTok. He’s also helicopter cameraman for the Deadliest Catch, Survivor and numerous others shows and newscasts. David started a Facebook Group called How to Grow on TikTok. He offers free advice on the topic. This is a treasure trove of information for authors.
The Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a fresh yet effective way to promote your work as an author, you owe it to yourself to explore BookTok.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book.
He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
Would you like help promoting your book?
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else? Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice, Blog, Book Title Generator, Books to Movies, Hollywood, Television, Writing a Book
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
Whether you’re a new or seasoned author, you could always learn something from other authors. You can visit author websites. Or you may watch certain movies. There are a number of movies about authors that are sure to teach you a thing or two and maybe even inspire you.
Here’s a list of my favorite movies about authors that I believe every author should see.
1. My Salinger Year
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2222052/)
My Salinger Year tells a story of an aspiring writer named Joanna who becomes an assistant to J.D. Salinger’s literary agent. When she’s put in charge of responding to fan mail, she abandons the agency’s form letter and writes her own responses. I love that it highlights her journey to find her own voice and use it.
2. Genius
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1703957/)
Genius revolves around Maxwell Perkins, a renowned editor who develops a friendship with an author named Thomas Wolfe while he works on his manuscripts. I think this is a great movie as it shows that while every writer has their own challenges, an editor can come in and help them deliver a stellar manuscript.
3. Colette
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5437928/)
Colette is based on a French novelist named Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. I was inspired by her creativity throughout the movie. When she couldn’t earn money from Claudine books because they were published under her ex-husband’s pen name, she got creative and performed at music halls in France to support herself.
4. Julie & Julia
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/)
Julie & Julia features two main characters: Julia Child, a world-renowned chef, author, and teacher as well as Julie Powell, Julia Child’s fan and struggling writer. Julie started a blog that didn’t receive any views. Despite this, she kept it up and eventually began to attract visitors who turned into loyal readers. I think her consistency is a great lesson for all writers.
5. Adaption
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268126/)
Adaption is about Charlie Kaufman who is hired to adapt “The Orchid Thief,” Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book for the screen. It includes his struggle with writer’s block, which I’m sure we can all relate to and learn from.
6. Midnight in Paris
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605783/)
In Midnight in Paris, a Hollywood writer named Gil Pender attempts to write his first novel while on vacation in Paris with his family. In Paris, he meets other writers, painters, and musicians who he learns many lessons from, reinforcing the importance of networking.
7. Finding Forrester
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181536/) 
Finding Forrester tells a story of Jamal Wallace, an inner-city teenager who befriends William Forrester, an author who helps him grow as a writer. I am all about new writers connecting with more experienced writers that are willing to mentor them.
8. Almost Famous
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181875/)
In Almost Famous, 15-year-old William Miller lands his dream gig of writing a story for Rolling Stone magazine. His determination to write the story and get it published no matter what an inspiration to other writers is, especially those who are young and new. Drive and ambition can take you far.
9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401383/)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly revolves around a journalist who suffers from a severe stroke and gets diagnosed with locked-in syndrome. Despite his struggles, he uses his imagination to succeed.
10. Miss Potter
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482546/)
Miss Potter is based on Beatrix Potter, a 20th-century author and creator of Peter Rabbit. She goes against her parents’ desire for her to get married and writes about animals she’s loved since she was little. She struggles to find a publisher, but a small firm takes her work and turns her into a literacy star. This movie shows it only takes one to take your writing career to the next level.
11. The Ghost Writer
(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139328/) 
Ewan McGregor, a talented ghostwriter is hired to write memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang. The plot twists and he discover secrets that put his life in jeopardy. You’ll love this film’s suspense and realize that no matter who you are, things can happen when you least expect them.
The Bottom Line: Writers are a special breed of humans. The creative minds depicted on film underscore one common theme, and that is to keep going and never give up!
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers.
His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net
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