Here’s a summary of all our author services, presented by Crystal Lake CEO, Joe Mynhardt.
I make it my mission to offer authors affordable and targeted programs, wherever you might be in your writing career, whatever your needs may be. Be sure to save this handy link to our LinkTree page, which we always keep updated. Before I give you a quick summary of each one, take note that Crystal Lake Publishing is opening for subs in August, including all our imprints: Torrid Waters (hardcore and pulp horror), Sinister Smile Press, Crystal Cove (YA), and Crystal Lake Kids. We are not opening for comic book and board game pitches, though. If you are interested in writing comic books, our upcoming Kickstarter for Darkest Depths will open for subs once we hit the target.
Now let’s dive into each one, and feel free to reply if you have any questions:
Heartbeat:
A free forum for authors to meet and chat (away from Facebook and outside distractions). You can share news, ask for help, form beta-reading groups, and share expertise. It’s also where we host all our workshops, so you’ll have to first sign up, anyway. Here’s the link.
Mailing list:
The best place to be if you’re a Shadows & Ink author is right here.
Patreon:
I launched the Crystal Lake Patreon page back in 2016, and soon realized that most of our members were authors. It’s a great place study your peers and compete in monthly flash contests, with members actively commenting on stories. The basic author tier is $5 a month (which comes with a bunch of other Crystal Lake perks). The $10-a-month author tier gives you the opportunity to send me a 4k word excerpt or story every month for feedback (along with other perks, like a free eBook, access to all posts, including the monthly flash finalists). All Patreon members can also submit to our Open Submission window two weeks before we actually open for subs. Here’s the link.
Story Coaching:
Previous Author’s Journey members will tell you how beneficial it is to talk to a story coach before you even start writing, be it a short story or a novel. For only $20, we’ll do an hour-long Zoom chat dissecting every aspect of your plot and work on your characters and their backstories. I’ve done over 100 of these in just the last 14 months, and highly recommend it. You can sign up here.
Branding and Marketing workshop:
This course takes an average of three months, but can go as long as you need. It includes one-on-one sessions and a complete breakdown of your online presence and brand. Without a strong foundation and brand, it’s impossible to stand out. It only costs $65, and you can sign up here.
Mastermind:
Also hosted on Heartbeat and mostly done via Zoom, we’re about 50 authors, editors, and publishers who meet online every two weeks. We share expertise and have regular guest presenter sessions. This is where I share every bit of knowledge I have, and we all support each other in both writing and in our personal lives. You can sign up here. It costs $150 per year. There is also a payment option of $50 per month over three months.
Publisher Rocket Keyword course:
This is a free course we recommend on keywords. Whether you’re a publisher or author, it helps knowing how these things work and how Amazon sees your book (or potential target readers). We are affiliate members of Publisher Rocket, so if you do purchase the program, we get a small cut. But the course itself is still free. Just click here.
Shadows & Ink podcast:
Where Crystal Lake staff member Anita Stewart interviews authors and industry professionals. Subscribe and listen here.
My Shadows & Ink series:
I wrote two Shadows & Ink books for authors of horror, but it doesn’t matter which genre you focus on. There’s something for everyone. It covers history, tropes, writing techniques, marketing, branding, etc. There’s even a workbook. I’m actually done with the next installment: The Psychology of Horror Fiction. It’s currently being edited, so should be out in a few months. Here’s the series page.
Shadows & Ink Authors!
