“You have to start a TikTok account.”
I looked at my wife with a kind of loving disdain. I didn’t want to start a TikTok. I was already pumping as much energy into writing my actual books as I could. On top of that, I was working Twitter as much as I could. Yes, it was called Twitter back then and not “X(Formerly Twitter).
“But I don’t know if I have the energy to do that, too.” I was pouting. I knew that I was pouting. But I didn’t care at this point.
My wife, to her credit, is a chronic optimist. For the next half-hour, we discussed ways that I could integrate my current social media presence and time management skills (or lack thereof). When Elon took over Twitter and then it became “X”, it turned into an echo chamber for strange perspectives and engagement dropped to nearly zero. I decided that my time could be spent better by investing it into TikTok and engaging directly with other authors and readers.
“Okay,” I said with a bit of resignation. “Where do I start?”
Most of my early tiktoks didn’t have any direction, didn’t have a purpose, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted my schtick to be. After a few months on the app, and after connecting with other authors and seeing what works and what doesn’t, I changed my handle from “dad_in_a_hat” to “TyCarlsonAuthor”. That’s seemed to be a little clearer on my purpose. From then on, I stuck exclusively to building my brand. I read books about it, too. Building your Storybrand by Donald Miller (yes the same that wrote Blue Like Jazz) was a great way to understand more or less what I wanted others to see.
Over the next months and year, I went from a few dozen followers to now almost 2100. Not anything to write home about, but significant enough that when I saw people with 2000 followers, I thought, “Man, they’re doing something right.”
I post on Twitter (Currently X) occasionally and still keep up with some of my writing friends over there. I’ve begun an author profile on facebook for all the old people (like me) who use that as their main avenue for keeping up with stuff (the spam bots, though, are despicably common) and that posts over to Instagram. So I have this kind of tiktok—>facebook—>instagram thing going, which helps with the time management.
So why should you care, what does it matter to you? You and I are little more than a consumers of social media, right? Well I’m gonna tell you.
it’s not going away.
That’s right. As much as I hate it, as much as I love avoiding looking at the tiny screen of information, it’s necessary. How do you get your news? Watch TV? Ha! don’t make me laugh. it’s twitter or tiktok or insta or, at the very worst, a website. How do you know current trends? You got it, social media. Will it change? Absolutely. That’s something you can actually count on. But it matters because all of us get our recipes, our movie recs, our book recs (insert shameless plug for myself here) from social media. You are a consumer. I am a provider of that which you consume. It’s one of those, what do you call it, symbiotic relationships?
So what’s the next great thing, then? If you’re reading this, then you’re already part of my newsletter crew. You probably have seen me or already follow me on tiktok. If you’d like to subscribe (read: pay money for more content) to the newsletter, I set that up, too. But now, I’m offering something completely new.
I’ve been toying with the idea of how to connect to readers and other authors more easily. Tiktok has by far been the easiest method, at least until this point.
Some of you have probably heard of Discord. I’ve been a discord junkie for a decade. I love it. Lots of my friends love it. And lots of people who consume social media love it. So I’ve decided to create a discord server where YOU can interact DIRECTLY with ME.
That’s right. You can chat with me directly, see my tiktoks from there (amazing, right?) and even get sneak peeks at upcoming projects, commissioned art, or cover reveals before anyone else. Paid Subscribers to this newsletter can also get EXCLUSIVE content and direct access to a channel with other paid subscribers and ME! You can ask me a question on Tuesday morning and I’ll answer it after a few minutes. You can ask me my opinion on the recent surge in spicy books, and I’ll tell you, unfiltered, what I think about all of that.
If you’re interested, I’ve put an invitation to the server down in the list of socials. It’s an app on your phone but also accessible from a computer through the world wide web (gotta include the boomer jargon, too, I’m an inclusionist, after all).
So if you don’t follow me on any socials, you can find them listed below. I try to have a healthy mix of author/book information, fun interactive stuff, and normal every day life. And you’ll be supporting me, which means I can sell more books, make more money to support all of my many children (there’s 5, think of the children!), and continue honing my craft to release more and more books that you’ll undoubtedly love.
WEBSITE (under construction)
Thanks for all the support so far, and please continue supporting your friends, family, and strangers that are trying to do things they love and make a job out of it. They’re doing all they can to juggle life, health, family, and whatever hustle they’ve chosen.
The cool thing about being on social media, though, is that you also meet some amazing people. I have had the pleasure of talking with Fantasy author Brady Hunsaker (@bradyhunsaker). I asked him a few questions about being an author and this is what he had to say:
1. Have you always wanted to write books? –ever since I was 11!
2. What was your favorite book as a child? – Eragon
3. What motivated you to write your series? – the setting! The concept of a fantasy story on a tidally locked planet had a chokehold on me.
4. What would you tell someone who wanted to write something similar? – make the setting play into the plot. It’s so fun to intertwine things together
5. What’s one piece of advice that you continue to follow? – FINISH THE BOOK. There are too many times where I feel like giving up, but I know I have to finish, so that gets me across. Even then, I still want to throw it away sometimes when I get to revisions, but when I commit to finish, I won’t let up.
6. Do you write for yourself? Or do you write for another purpose? – both—I enjoy writing so much, so it’s definitely for me, but at the same time, I also committed myself to creating CLEAN books for the world, and I want more new stories out there particularly for both boys AND girls, because so much stuff these days is targeted to girls (granted, they DO read way more than boys do, but I still want stuff out there that represents both boys and girls really well)
7. Do you see yourself writing for the next 20 years or just until you finish a certain story? – I will be writing until I die probably haha
Brady is a really great author and has just released a kickstarter for his Omnibus of his Ringdweller series. It’s an incredible story of a world where half the planet is covered in ice and the other half is beautiful. A story of intrigue, assassins, and shamanistic magic. And it’s clean, too, so you don’t have to worry about blushing when you read it! Go check out his kickstarter HERE. You can also get a FREE ebook when you subscribe to his newsletter, you can do that here.
There are exciting things on the horizon for me, as well. I have a signing February 29th at Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas from 6pm-8pm. I’ll be co-hosting a reading and signing with another local author, Raymond Niblock. I’m excited, and you should absolutely come out and support indie authors.
I’ve submitted Eden Vertex, which is the first in a new Sci-Fi trilogy called The Dominos Trilogy, to my editor. Ii should get the edits back sometime in the summer and it will release later this year. I’m working on the second installment of the same trilogy. Book two is called Shinar Ellipse. In fact, last night, Littleton and I worked out a lot of the story and let me tell you, it’s a wild ride. I’m looking forward to everyone’s opinions on it.
I’ve also got a website that will have some additional options aside from “signed books” for purchase. I mentioned the Funko Pop last month, and that’s still a thing you can order. Or you can order it and a signed book for a lil discount. And finally, you’ll be able to order a book inside a box of goodies, called a “PR Box”. It’ll come with some cool vinyl stickers with quotes or pictures of things in the book you choose, a signed copy, some local coffee (from Onyx, yum!), and some other surprises that I think you’ll enjoy.
I’ll leave you with a review for my most recent book, Convergence of Gods. This reader is unapologetically honest when it comes to the books. She rated it 4 stars (which is a pretty amazing rating if you ask me!) and had this to say about it:
Me: 4 stars, what did you think?
Her: I’ve been processing. Each story was a ride for sure. Jonas- so right off the bat I’m like… hmmm he’s missing his life/people before his car wreck. Then I’m dragged into his survival story. Your unreliable/“in the dark” narrator stories have been so good (The Bench- both are very Sixth Sense to me). I didn’t see the end coming even though I questioned his life before at the beginning (I have a touch of adhd 😂). So while Jonas was a lot of 🤔 for me, the ending completely gutted me. I had chills. I want to reread his now that I know what I know.
Ramon’s story really poured out. I found his inner faith turmoil fascinating and here’s where I kind of forgot I was reading a sci fi/fantasy/dystopian. I pictured him as my favorite pastor, Father Correnti, from St Joseph’s in Tontitown, which put a really strange lens on the whole thing for me personally 😂
So my favorite was Mick. So much time and detail on the workings of the planes and demons. It was a rollicking good time. Very Men In Black/Stranger Things vibes. The witty dialogue and humor. Loved the witches and wanted more.
You really have a gift for character creation and showing the relatability and humanity in them. The stories have all the parts to make an epic series, and sometimes I feel like I’m missing something. A flow in a section of the story. A connecting piece, more details… and maybe it’s mysteriously mystical on purpose. I’m a why and how person. What makes it all tick?? 😂
But in the case of Mick, Arjesh and Rashik, I just wanted more. Tying it back to Keller – I’m super excited about that. Are we getting more Dadirri? I need to know more about these new Avengers. Ok, I’ve been thinking and adding thoughts throughout the day. If any of this doesn’t make sense, listen, I don’t make sense to myself most of the time. I have not checked your book club discussion questions yet. Those might help me.
A glowing review, and it left me smiling like an idiot for most of the day.
Follow me on all the social medias because it helps me, which in turn helps you. Thanks for the support in advance. Circle of life, baby.