Your Voice Is the Revolution: Why Women’s Books Matter More Than Ever in 2026

Your Voice Is the Revolution: Why Women’s Books Matter More Than Ever in 2026

by | Jul 8, 2026

Your Voice Is the Revolution: Why Women’s Books Matter More Than Ever in 2026

By Alexa Bigwarfe | Alexa’s Publishing Chat

Some podcast episodes are carefully planned. This one wasn’t. On July 8th, 2026, after seeing a friend’s raw, honest Facebook post about the fear she’s carrying as a Black mother in America right now, I sat down and hit record. No script. No outline. Just the truth that I needed to say out loud.

And if you’ve been feeling the weight of everything happening in the world lately — feeling both overwhelmed and strangely more called than ever — this one is for you.

Why I Started Women in Publishing Summit (And Why I Thought We’d Be Done by Now)

When I founded Women in Publishing Summit in 2017, I had a simple hope: that by amplifying women’s voices and diverse perspectives in publishing, the industry — and the world — would shift. I genuinely thought we might work ourselves out of a job in a few years.

It’s 2026. We haven’t.

In fact, we find ourselves in a moment where the conversation has moved backward. Book bans are targeting Black history, LGBTQ+ stories, and any narrative that challenges a narrow status quo. Women’s rights are contracting. And the voices calling loudest for that contraction are doing so from behind masks, in the halls of power, and in school board meetings across the country.

That is not the world I imagined. But it is the world I’m in. And I believe with everything in me that this is exactly why our work matters.

Every Book Is an Act of Revolution

A year or so ago, I was at an entrepreneurship intensive surrounded by veterans doing genuinely life-altering work with their businesses. I had a moment of self-doubt — all I do is help people publish books — and said as much to one of the men in the room.

He looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“In today’s climate,” he said, “publishing a book IS revolutionary.” And then he pointed out that every single speaker at the program had either handed us a book or directed us to one that had fundamentally changed their life or business.

I knew that. But in that moment, I really knew it.

Whether you are writing a children’s picture book with characters who look like the children in your community, a novel that puts a human face on an experience others have never lived, a memoir that shows someone they’re not alone, or a nonfiction book that teaches a skill or shifts a mindset — your book matters. The act of writing it and getting it into the world is powerful. Full stop.

Book Bans Are a Signal, Not a Stop Sign

I want to speak plainly about book bans for a moment. The books being removed from shelves and pulled from school libraries are not random. They overwhelmingly cover Black history, LGBTQ+ experiences, and stories that don’t fit a very specific, very narrow narrative. That is not an accident.

And the response to that cannot be silence. The response has to be more books. More stories. More diverse voices publishing, more readers finding those books, more communities having those conversations.

Telling us we can’t read something is, historically, one of the clearest signals that what’s in that book is exactly what people need to read.

Watching My Daughter Find Her Voice

This episode was also shaped by something personal and beautiful that happened the same day I recorded it: I watched my youngest daughter — a filmmaker and screenwriter — be interviewed on the local news about her program’s film premiere.Watching her director coach those young women from their first run-through to the live cameras rolling was striking. These young women had to learn not just the craft of filmmaking, but the confidence to talk about it in public. To step outside their comfort zones. To show up fully.

That’s the same journey we’re on as authors and publishing professionals. The craft is just part of it. Learning to speak, to be interviewed, to get on stages, to advocate for our own work — that’s the other half. And it’s learnable. At any age.

That’s a big part of what Stages and Pages (October 2026, San Antonio) is designed for — helping authors and speakers learn to use both their written and spoken voices to reach more people. If you have a message and want both a book and a stage, I’d love to see you there at stagesandpages.com.

Ain’t Nobody Coming to Save Us

I said it in this episode and I’ll say it here: ain’t nobody coming to save us. We have to save ourselves. And we do that by showing up, by using our platforms, by writing the books that need to be written, by speaking the truths that need to be spoken, by building the businesses that sustain us so we can keep doing that work.Which is exactly why the WIP Business Bootcamp on August 21–22, 2026 is on my heart right now. Because here’s what I’ve learned after years of doing this work: I cannot make the kind of impact I want to make without a financially healthy business. I want to make more money. You should too. Money is what lets us keep showing up, keep creating, keep serving.

The Business Bootcamp isn’t about selling more books. It’s about taxes, accounting, legal foundations, financial development, and building wealth as women entrepreneurs in publishing. Two days, entirely virtual, and entirely worth it.

Grab your spot at womeninpublishingsummit.com/businessbc.

Your Words Matter. You Matter.

I don’t know exactly where things go from here. Some days I genuinely just want to lie down and sleep through it. But we can’t afford to check out. Not when there are stories that need telling. Not when there are readers who need to find those stories. Not when there are young women watching us to see how we show up.

So keep writing. Keep publishing. Keep speaking. Come join us in the WIP Society community at mywipsociety.com — a space built for women authors and publishing professionals who believe, like I do, that we are so much better together.

Your voice is not extra. Your voice is the point.

Q: Why do women’s voices in publishing matter so much right now? A: In 2026, book bans, shrinking representation, and political pressure on diverse stories make it more urgent than ever for women — and especially women from marginalized communities — to publish their work, speak their truth, and build platforms that can’t be silenced.

Q: What is the WIP Business Bootcamp and who is it for? A: The WIP Business Bootcamp is a two-day virtual event on August 21–22, 2026, designed for women authors and publishing professionals who want to build a legally sound, financially healthy publishing business. It covers taxes, accounting, legal basics, and financial development — not just book sales. Register at mywipsociety.com.

Q: How can an author learn to speak about their book in public? A: Many authors find public speaking, media interviews, and live stages intimidating — but these skills are learnable. The Stages and Pages Conference (San Antonio, October 2026) is specifically designed to help authors and speakers develop both their written and spoken voices for maximum impact.

Q: What is the WIP Society and how does it support women in publishing? A: WIP Society is a membership community for women authors and publishing professionals. Members get access to virtual bootcamps, monthly training, Q&A sessions, networking, and a supportive community of peers. Learn more at mywipsociety.com.

Alexa Bigwarfe

Alexa Bigwarfe

Founder & CEO of WritePublishSell & the Women in Publishing Summit

 

Alexa Bigwarfe is a publishing strategist and creator of Book Launch in a Box, where she helps authors simplify their marketing and build launches that actually work. She specializes in turning books into platforms for visibility, partnerships, and revenue through proven, scalable strategies.

Your Voice Is the Revolution: Why Women’s Books Matter More Than Ever in 2026

The Truth About Hiring a Publishing Company — What Joel Pitney of Launch My Book Wants Every Author to Know

by | Jul 3, 2026

​The Truth About Hiring a Publishing Company — What Joel Pitney of Launch My Book Wants Every Author to Know

If you’ve spent any time in indie author spaces, you’ve probably seen both ends of the spectrum: people swearing you should never pay anyone to help you publish, and flashy companies promising to make you a bestseller for $1,700 if you act before midnight.

Neither of those is a useful guide for making one of the most important decisions in your publishing journey.

That’s exactly why Alexa sat down (again) with Joel Pitney, founder and president of Launch My Book, Inc., for one of the most candid conversations we’ve had on Alexa’s Book Marketing & Publishing Chat. Joel’s previous episode on the myths of self-publishing became one of our most downloaded of all time — and this one may top it.

Here’s what they covered.

The Self-Publishing Landscape Is the Wild West — And That’s a Problem

When you decide not to pursue a traditional publishing deal, you’re stepping into a vast and largely unregulated marketplace. There are individual freelancers, DIY platforms, software tools, hybrid presses, self-publishing assist companies, and everything in between. No one is enforcing standards. Anyone can call themselves a publisher.

That’s why Joel’s first piece of advice is to look for independent verification. The Independent Book Publishers of America (IBPA) and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) both vet companies and can help you identify those operating with integrity. ALLi even maintains a Writer Beware resource specifically designed to flag problematic players.

Red Flags That Should Make You Run

Joel wrote a widely-read article for Jane Friedman’s website outlining seven red flags to watch for when hiring a publishing company. Here are the ones that came up in this conversation:

Hypiness. This is Joel’s number one warning sign. If a company is using language like “hire our bestseller package today” or promising results before they’ve even looked at your book — run. Legitimate companies don’t make guarantees. Even traditional publishers with far more resources and control would never promise a bestseller.

Too-good-to-be-true pricing. “Usually $4,000 — but if you sign today, $1,700.” There is no cheap way to publish well. Discount prices deliver discount results. If you’re seeing furniture-sale-style pricing on something as serious as your book, treat it accordingly.

Unsolicited outreach. As Joel puts it: if you haven’t already sold millions of copies, publishing companies aren’t coming to you. Cold outreach promising to “invest in your book” is a manipulation tactic, not a compliment.

Pressure sales tactics. If anyone tells you that you have to decide today, the deal expires tomorrow, or you’ll lose your spot — that’s not urgency, that’s a predator.

 

Should You Hire a Company or Build Your Own Team?

Once you’ve decided to go the indie route, your first real decision is whether to hire a single company to handle everything or assemble your own team of freelancers.Joel’s honest answer: both can work, and the right choice depends on your situation.

Build your own team if:

  • You’re planning to publish multiple books over time
  • You’re willing to invest in learning the process
  • You’re comfortable project-managing a team of 2–7 people
  • Saving 30–40% on overhead costs justifies that investment
Hire a company if:
  • This is your first book, or you’re publishing one book
  • You want to skip the learning curve and not become a self-publishing expert
  • You value time savings and having someone own the process when things go wrong
  • You want your first book to be done right, even if it costs more

As Alexa noted in the conversation: seeing your book produced professionally — even if you’re not running the process yourself — is an education money can’t easily replace. The mistakes people make when DIYing their first book often cost far more than the money they saved.

 

What Genre and Format Have to Do with It

Not all books are equally complex to produce. Here’s Joel’s general spectrum:
  • Easiest: Straight fiction novels with basic chapter headers
  • More complex: Nonfiction with section breaks, exercises, pull quotes, tables, or charts
  • Most complex: Children’s picture books, cookbooks, and any book heavy on images or custom layout

Ebook formatting is also more involved than most people realize. Converting a print file to EPUB requires actual coding to make fonts adjustable and chapters navigable — and the wrong file type can leave readers unable to customize their reading experience at all.

 

The ROI Conversation Nobody Wants to Have

Here’s the truth Joel shares with every potential client: you probably won’t make your money back on Book One.
This isn’t pessimism — it’s context. Even 80% of traditionally published books don’t earn back their advance. Traditional publishers have enormous resources, years of audience development, and a rigorous vetting process — and they still don’t guarantee results. Indie authors, without those systems in place, should expect a longer runway.
The authors who build financial sustainability in indie publishing usually fall into one of two camps:
  • Fiction authors who write multiple books in a series, allowing earlier books to sell later ones. Joel has heard from authors on their 15th book just starting to break even.
  • Nonfiction authors who use their book as a calling card for speaking, consulting, courses, or other services that generate revenue well beyond royalties.

The authors Joel won’t work with are those banking on their book to fund their retirement after one launch. The ones he loves working with are those who come in with clear eyes — treating their writing career like the business it is.

 

About Those “Six-Figure Author” Promises

You’ve seen them. The YouTube videos, the courses, the emails promising you can write a book in a weekend and sell $40,000 in copies the next week. Joel and Alexa had some thoughts.
As Joel put it: if someone is running a successful indie author business making the kind of money they claim, why are they selling courses about how to do it? The course is almost always the business — not the books.

That doesn’t mean success isn’t possible. There are indie authors making real money from their work. But they’re entrepreneurs running multi-stream businesses with deep backlists, not people who hit publish once and watched the money roll in.

 

What Working with a Good Company Actually Looks Like

Joel shared two client stories that illustrate the full spectrum of why people publish:One man’s children pooled resources to publish their 80-year-old father’s lifelong dream of writing a novel as a birthday gift. He didn’t sell beyond friends and family — and for that family, every dollar was worth it.
Another client — a consultant writing a book about transitioning from college to corporate — hadn’t even published yet when colleges started reaching out for speaking engagements. The book was already doing its job.

Both outcomes are valid. The difference is knowing which one you’re aiming for before you write the check.

 

How to Learn More and Get in Touch with Joel

Joel’s resources are available at launchmybook.com, including his blog, video content, and an easy way to schedule a call. He promises to give you as much honest guidance as he can — including telling you when he’s not the right fit.You can also check out:
And if you’re ready to treat your publishing journey like the real business it is, the WIP Business Bootcamp on August 21–22, 2026 was made for you. This two-day virtual event dives deep into the business foundations every author and publishing professional needs — from systems and strategy to the real numbers behind a sustainable publishing career. Learn more and register at mywipsociety.com.

Q: What is a self-publishing assist company? A: A self-publishing assist company handles the full production of your book — including editing, cover design, interior formatting, and distribution setup — for a fee. Unlike traditional publishing, you retain your rights and pay the costs upfront. Unlike DIY publishing, you have a professional team managing the process.

Q: How do I know if a publishing company is legitimate? A: Look for membership in the Independent Book Publishers of America (IBPA) or vetting by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), which maintains a Writer Beware list. Red flags include guaranteed bestseller promises, high-pressure sales tactics, unsolicited outreach, and pricing that seems too good to be true.

Q: Should I hire a publishing company or build my own freelance team? A: If you’re publishing one book or want to skip the learning curve, a reputable company may save you time and costly mistakes. If you’re planning multiple books and want to reduce overhead over time, assembling your own vetted freelance team can be more cost-effective — but requires you to become a capable project manager.

Q: Will I make my money back from publishing a book? A: Most authors do not recoup their publishing investment from royalties alone — even 80% of traditionally published books don’t earn back their advance. Fiction authors typically need a series of books; nonfiction authors need additional revenue streams like speaking, consulting, or courses to achieve financial sustainability.

Q: What are the red flags of a predatory publishing company? A: Key red flags include hype-heavy language (“guaranteed bestseller”), discount pricing that seems unrealistically low, unsolicited outreach from companies who haven’t seen your book, and pressure tactics like “sign today” deadlines. If a company hasn’t read your manuscript and is already promising results, walk away.

Alexa Bigwarfe

Alexa Bigwarfe

Founder & CEO of WritePublishSell & the Women in Publishing Summit

 

Alexa Bigwarfe is a publishing strategist and creator of Book Launch in a Box, where she helps authors simplify their marketing and build launches that actually work. She specializes in turning books into platforms for visibility, partnerships, and revenue through proven, scalable strategies.

WIP Society Community Feature and July Better Self Book Club Pick: Shake Yourself Free

WIP Society Community Feature and July Better Self Book Club Pick: Shake Yourself Free

by | Jul 1, 2026

I still remember what it feels like to be in that literal fog of grief. The kind where you can’t hardly function, where even small things feel overwhelming.

That’s exactly why I chose Shake Yourself Free: 81 Somatic Practices to Let Go of Limitation for our July Better Self Book Club pick.

Because the people who need this book the most are often the ones with the least capacity to take on one more big, heavy thing. And this book meets you right there.

The short version:

  • Shake Yourself Free: 81 Somatic Practices to Let Go of Limitation by Melanie Smithson is the July 2026 Better Self Book Club pick.
  • It offers 81 short, body-based practices, most a half page or less, for releasing stored emotions and letting go of limitation.
  • Because Melanie is a member of our WIP Society community, the book club membership is free for the month of July.

Meet Melanie Smithson

If you’ve spent any time in the WIP Community, Melanie may already feel like one of ours. Because she is.

Melanie Smithson is a licensed somatic psychotherapist, a business owner, a certified spiritual integration hypnotherapist, and the award-winning author of Stress Free in 30 Seconds and her newest book, Shake Yourself Free. She’s been a student in our courses, and she led a somatic session at our most recent Women in Publishing Summit that people are still talking about. She shows up for this community and she pours into it, which is a big part of why I wanted to put her work in front of you.

Her whole premise is something I wish I’d understood years ago. We hold our unprocessed emotions in the body, and the body has wisdom to share with us once we learn to listen to it.

As Melanie puts it, “Feelings are designed to move. The word emotion is energy in motion.”

Why this book found me

A couple of years ago, I had never even heard the word somatic. Now I think everyone should understand it.

My own road here ran through complex PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a whole lot of hard. What I learned along the way is how much movement can shift all of it. After my daughter Kathryn died, I threw myself into service and work and staying busy, and it took me a long time to realize I was doing it so that I wouldn’t feel.

And if our feelings are never moved they wait in the body.

What I love about Melanie’s approach is that she doesn’t ask you to relive everything or sit in it for hours. She reminds us that we cannot let go of who we are. We can only let go of what we’ve accumulated, the beliefs and the heaviness we picked up along the way that were never really ours to carry.

And she makes it doable. The practices in Shake Yourself Free are short, most of them half a page or less. You can pick the book up the moment a feeling hits and find something to actually do with it. It works like a guide in real time, not a textbook you have to study.

It also teaches something a lot of us were never taught. If you’ve ever had a therapist ask, “Where do you feel that in your body?” and had no idea how to answer, you are not alone. I’ve been there. Melanie walks you through how to start listening, gently, one small step at a time.

A practice you can try right now

Here is one from the book that I will be using on repeat.

Picture every single thing you’re carrying as its own spinning plate. The business. The book. Parenting. The dog. The inbox. Each one up on a stick, spinning, spinning, spinning, and you racing between them so none of them crash.

Now, in your mind’s eye, let them all fall. Let every plate drop and shatter on the floor.

Notice what happens in your body when you do. That release is the whole point. As Melanie says, where the body goes, the mind will follow.

What is the Better Self Book Club?

Every month, I take one book and really sit with it in my Better Self Book Club. I read it, I break it down, I analyze it, and I share the stories and ideas inside it and connect them to real life. So if you have time to read along with me, wonderful. And if you don’t, I’ll do the heavy lifting and bring the book to you.

July’s book is Shake Yourself Free.

I decided to do something special with this passion project of mine. When the book of the month is written by an author from our own community, I will open the membership up for free for that month. It’s just another way to celebrate our people and show them off to all of you.

Come join us

This is what better together looks like. One of our own writing a book that can genuinely help, and all of us gathering around it.

Grab your free month of the Better Self Book Club here: https://womeninpublishingsummit.com/shake

We’ll also have a Q&A with Melanie inside the club, so you can bring your questions and learn these practices straight from her.

And if you want your own copy to mark up and return to, you can find Shake Yourself Free on Amazon here.

Your wellbeing matters to us. I can’t wait to move through this one with you.

Frequently asked questions

What is Shake Yourself Free about?

Shake Yourself Free: 81 Somatic Practices to Let Go of Limitation is a book by licensed somatic psychotherapist Melanie Smithson. It offers 81 short, practical somatic exercises, most a half page or less, that help you release emotions stored in the body and let go of beliefs and limitations you have accumulated over time.

What are somatic practices?

Somatic practices are body-based techniques that use movement, breath, and physical awareness to process and release emotions. The core idea is that we hold unprocessed emotions in the body, and gentle movement helps that energy move and complete instead of staying stuck.

Who is Shake Yourself Free for?

The book is written for anyone carrying stress, grief, or overwhelm, and it is especially useful for authors and creatives who spend long hours at a desk. Melanie also designed it with therapists and coaches in mind, since the practices work well to use alongside clients.

What is the Better Self Book Club?

The Better Self Book Club is Alexa Bigwarfe’s monthly book club focused on personal growth. Each month features one book that Alexa reads, breaks down, and discusses, so you can read along or simply let her bring the key ideas to you.

How do I join the Better Self Book Club for free in July?

July’s membership is free because Melanie Smithson is a member of the WIP Society community. You can claim your free month at womeninpublishingsummit.com/shake

Where can I buy Shake Yourself Free?

You can find Shake Yourself Free by Melanie Smithson on Amazon here.

This post contains an affiliate link, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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Pinterest for Authors: How to Use Pinterest to Sell More Books (Expert Q&A)

Pinterest for Authors: How to Use Pinterest to Sell More Books (Expert Q&A)

by | Jun 22, 2026

Last updated: June 17, 2026 | Featuring Pinterest expert Heather Farris

Quick answer: Yes, authors should use Pinterest if their readers search there, which is common for fiction aimed at midlife and menopausal women. Pinterest works as a search engine, not a social feed, so authors can batch content once a month instead of posting daily. The fundamentals are simple: create niche-specific boards built around your genre and reader search terms (not boards named after yourself), write keyword-rich pin titles up to 100 characters and descriptions up to 800 characters, and link every pin to a page you own. Treat Pinterest as a slow-burn, evergreen strategy: give it a 90-day trial, let the data guide you, and expect pins to keep driving discovery for years.

That's the short version. Below is the full Q&A with Pinterest marketing expert Heather Farris, who answered the questions our author community sent in during a recent WIP Summit social media intensive.

Who is Heather Farris?

Heather Farris is a Pinterest marketing expert with nearly ten years of experience. She manages Pinterest accounts for clients, teaches hundreds of students inside a low-cost membership, publishes Pinterest strategy on YouTube, and has spoken at author conferences about Pinterest specifically. Her work focuses on Pinterest data and analytics rather than graphics, which means her advice is grounded in what actually drives traffic and saves.

This Q&A was hosted by Raewyn Sangari, WIP Creative Director and social media expert inside the WIP Society community, as part of the Women in Publishing Summit's ongoing author education. Collaboration over competition is the heart of how we do things here, so when our research showed that many of our authors' readers were on Pinterest, bringing in the right expert was the obvious move.

Why did we find that authors' readers are on Pinterest?

During a recent social media intensive for authors, we researched which platform each author should focus on based on their target reader. The finding that surprised people most: for many authors, especially those writing for midlife and menopausal women, the audience is actively searching on Pinterest, not scrolling Instagram or TikTok.

That single insight is why this conversation matters. If your readers are searching Pinterest and you're not there, you're invisible at the exact moment they're looking for their next book.

Are Pinterest boards and group boards still relevant in 2026?

Yes. Pinterest boards are still essential for reach and for getting your pins indexed properly. According to Heather, the fundamentals of Pinterest have not changed: keyword strategy, boards, and pins remain the foundation.

The mistake authors make is naming boards after themselves or their book titles. Start with niche-specific boards instead, built around your genre, setting, and book category:

  • Writing romantasy? Create a set of boards around romantasy keywords your readers search for.
  • Writing for midlife women in perimenopause? "Midlife women in perimenopause" becomes an actual board title.

Then backfill each board with pins linking to your book, your Substack articles, or your website blog posts.

Group boards still exist and still work, but be selective. Only join group boards relevant to your niche. An author writing midlife women's fiction has no reason to join a board about biking.

Do authors have to pin other people's content?

No. Authors can start by pinning only their own content and staying on topic. You can curate boards on adjacent themes that support your book, like home libraries or reading life. But if you write romance, you don't need to pin perimenopause health articles just because your characters are in that life stage. Focus on your own work first and expand later once you're confident.

What kind of content works for authors on Pinterest?

The content that works on Pinterest is the same world-building content that works everywhere else: it invites readers in rather than shouting "buy my book." Social media is about being social, and Pinterest is no exception.

High-performing author content on Pinterest includes:

  • Behind-the-scenes looks at your writing process
  • Character development and character introduction content
  • Book cover reveals and screen-share moments
  • B-roll of your books: lighting a candle beside your novel, signing copies, setting up at an event

Heather notes that much of the behind-the-scenes content authors already make for BookTok is a natural fit for Pinterest. For introverted authors who don't want to be on camera, or anyone writing under a pen name, B-roll is the easiest entry point. She has also seen authors drive traffic with free chapters that lead into a book funnel, and creative campaigns like handwritten letters that give readers a new way in.

What is the difference between traffic pins and save pins?

Traffic pins are designed for an immediate click, and save pins are designed to be bookmarked for later. Authors need both.

  • Traffic pins show your book with "read this book" energy and link straight to a purchase or book page. They drive action now.
  • Save pins feature character arcs, upcoming books in a series, TBR (to-be-read) collages, shop-the-collection pins, and gift-guide pins like "gifts for romance readers." Readers save these to revisit, and each save signals Pinterest to show your content to more people.

Because so many readers keep a TBR list, save pins meet them exactly where they're already collecting their next reads.

How should authors optimize their pins?

Authors optimize pins through keyword-rich titles, descriptions, and matching landing pages. Here are Heather's specifics:

  1. Pin titles: Use up to 100 characters. Include at least one keyword phrase that's three to five words long, and write a natural title around it. A two-part title with a colon works well.
  2. Pin descriptions: Use up to 800 characters. Aim for one keyword per sentence. Eight sentences equals eight keywords; if you're long-winded and fit four, that's fine.
  3. Match your link: The pin topic and the landing page topic must align. Don't link a romantasy pin to a dark thriller page.
  4. Link to a page you own: At minimum, have a books page on your own website that links out to Amazon or your retailer. You can also link to your Amazon author page or storefront.
  5. Claim your website: Even a one-page Canva site counts. You claim it through your domain host; Heather has a free walkthrough article on her site.

Why this matters in 2026: Owning your website and driving traffic to it is more important than ever because of generative engine optimization (GEO), the shift toward AI-powered search reducing clicks to websites. Diversifying where readers can discover you, through Pinterest, email, and your own site, is the new job description. Alexa Bigwarfe is a leading expert on the GEO topic for authors. She led a session on it at a recent Marketing Bootcamp that gave attendees tools to make their books visible again on Amazon. Check out this post for a taste of what Alexa is sharing.

How often do authors need to post on Pinterest?

Authors do not need to post on Pinterest every day. Because Pinterest is a search engine rather than a social feed, you can batch your pins once a month, schedule them, and step away. Heather only works on client accounts a couple of times a month, mostly inside a scheduling tool.

When people ask how many pins per day, Heather flips the question: how many quality pins can you realistically create? One quality pin a day is better than none. Consistency beats intensity every time.

How do authors get their pins seen on Pinterest?

Authors get pins seen through keyword research and patience. Heather's recommended free keyword research order:

  1. Pinterest Trends tool (start here)
  2. Pinterest ads manager (second)
  3. Pinterest search bar autofill (third)
  4. Tailwind's free keyword planner, which connects to Pinterest's API and shows real search volume

Do not pay for third-party Pinterest keyword tools. The free options above cover everything. From there, map what your readers search for around each book and build boards and pins around those terms. Over time you create hundreds of entry points into a single book. One established author Heather worked with had a twelve book series, each sold as a collection and as individual titles, creating a nearly endless set of pin opportunities.

Should authors re-pin the same pin to multiple boards?

No, re-pinning the same pin to many boards is largely outdated. Instead, create a set of fresh pin templates, for example fifty designs. That gives you fifty unique pin opportunities for every URL in your ecosystem. Pair each template with its own title and description, schedule them out, then repeat with your next URL. Fresh pins outperform re-pins.

How long does Pinterest take to work for authors?

Pinterest is a long-game, slow-burn platform, so authors should plan for a 90-day trial minimum before judging results. You may not see real traction until the second 90 days, and that's normal. Let the data tell you what to keep doing rather than quitting after a week.

As Heather put it during the Q&A: "If you set it up right and you start with a really solid Pinterest SEO foundation, over time it's just going to grow."

The payoff is durability. Heather still manages accounts she set up five years ago that remain her best performers. A keyword-rich Pinterest foundation keeps working for years, which is exactly the kind of evergreen strategy that pairs beautifully with a diversified book marketing plan.

Pinterest for Authors: Frequently Asked Questions

Should authors use Pinterest?

Authors should use Pinterest if their readers search there, which is especially common for fiction written for midlife and menopausal women. Pinterest functions as a search engine, so it rewards keyword-rich, evergreen content and doesn't demand daily posting.

Is Pinterest good for selling books?

Yes. Pinterest can drive book sales when authors create traffic pins that link to a purchase page and save pins that build long-term discovery. Because pins are evergreen, a single book can collect hundreds of entry points over time.

How many pins should an author post per day?

There is no fixed number. One quality pin per day is better than none, and consistency matters more than volume. Many authors succeed by batching pins once a month and scheduling them in advance.

What should authors pin on Pinterest?

Authors should pin behind-the-scenes content, character development, book cover reveals, B-roll of their books, TBR collages, and links to their books or freebies. Start with your own content before curating adjacent topics.

Do authors need their own website for Pinterest?

Yes, at minimum a one-page website with a books page that links to retailers. Claiming your website on Pinterest improves your results, and owning your site matters more as AI search reduces traffic to unverified pages.

What is the best free Pinterest keyword tool?

Tailwind's free keyword planner is the recommended free option because it connects directly to Pinterest's API and shows real search volume. The Pinterest Trends tool, ads manager, and search bar autofill are also free and effective.

Your next steps:

Your readers are already searching. Let's make sure your books are what they find.

  • Explore Heather Farris's free Pinterest resources and support here: http://heatherfarris.com/

  • And if you want to learn the website and traffic strategy behind all of this, join us inside the WIP Society communityJoin for $49/mo!
    • Raewyn Sangari

    Raewyn Sangari

    Creative Director & Social Media Expert

    As Creative Director for the Women in Publishing Summit, Raewyn makes marketing feel approachable, creative, and community-driven. She leads the content strategy behind the brand’s workshops, events, and social presence, helping authors and book professionals grow their visibility with confidence. Raewyn’s mission is simple: to make showing up and connecting with readers feel less overwhelming and a lot more fun.

    Social Media Marketing World 2026: The Takeaways Powering Our Next Social Media Intensive

    Social Media Marketing World 2026: The Takeaways Powering Our Next Social Media Intensive

    by | May 4, 2026

    By Raewyn Sangari | Creative Director, Women in Publishing

    Most social media marketing advice was never written for authors.

    It’s written for influencers, extroverts, and big brand businesses. Authors are sold the idea that they have to perform and play the algorithm game. That’s not how most authors work, so that’s why social media marketing for authors feels so hard.

    So when a friend offered me her all-access badge to Social Media Marketing World 2026, I said yes immediately. Tickets were almost $2,000 and the conference was built for big-brand marketers. I walked in as the Creative Director of the Women in Publishing Summit with one mission: find what actually serves authors in book marketing and translate it from there.

    Because that’s the gap. There’s no shortage of social media marketing advice. There’s a shortage of advice that’s been translated for the way authors actually live and work.

    These are the top takeaways I came home with for you, and the foundation of our next Social Media Intensive.

    So what’s changing in the social media marketing world? In short, the way people search and discover things online is shifting. AI is eroding trust online, which actually creates an opportunity for authors. Real voices, real stories, and real humans cut through in a way AI-generated content never will. The algorithms are content-driven, not follower-driven; so everyone has a chance at getting their content seen. This is the best moment in years for an indie or hybrid author with a story and a voice to be discovered.

    The 5 Takeaways I’m Bringing Back to the Women in Publishing Community

    Takeaway 1: Connection is an Algorithm Strategy

    It was strangely validating to hear this from global marketing agencies and social media experts. Connection is at the heart of social media and selling books. Your readers want to connect with your book and then with you. But how do they find you?

    This is social discovery. 1 in 4 users are searching within the first 30 seconds of opening an app. We have to shift away from the know-like-trust mindset and into what Judi Fox calls the Trust Matrix: find-remember-trust.

    Find-remember-trust means: be discoverable, be memorable, and be trusted. The order matters, and connection is what powers all three.

    The number one thing we’ve discovered is that social media is always going to be a place focused on the social connection. It’s important to understand how social media marketing works, while holding onto that social mindset.

    Translation: Your content on social media needs to be find-able, which we’ll talk more about in the next takeaway. It needs to connect with them, evoking emotions. Behind-the-scenes and process posts will build their trust in you.

    Takeaway 2: Your First Frame Is the Whole Game

    Oysterly Media talked about Feed Engine Optimization that would stop the scroll. The algorithms are advanced enough that they can read the on-screen text, the audio, the metadata of the graphics and videos.

    The formula she gave for Feed Engine Optimization stressed the first-frame of your video or graphic, billboard style text, pattern interruptions, subtitles on videos, and a sharp ending. If that sounds like a lot, here’s what actually matters: have movement in the first frame, large strategically placed text as a title for the first 3 seconds, and on videos, a sharp ending so that the video restarts.

    Translation: Your opening line on a video or carousel matters as much as the opening of your book for discoverability.

    Takeaway 3: Bring Emotion to Your Posts

    The posts that readers watch, share, and comment on the most are the ones that evoke an emotion in them. That’s Advertising 101. Judi Fox shared this Emotional Wheel on her LinkedIn, suggesting we pick one emotion per post to drive the reaction you want. This particular strategy is LinkedIn or Facebook specific, but you still want to lead with emotions for your Instagram and TikTok posts, as that encourages watch time and shares.

    Authors literally craft scenes for emotional impact. You already know how to do this. The mistake we make is leaving that skill at the page when we open Instagram. Bring the same emotional intentionality to your captions, your hooks, and your slide-by-slide carousels. You’re not learning a new skill. You’re transferring one you already have.

    Translation: This is a natural part of writing as an author, but often one we can forget when we’re sharing our books.

    Takeaway 4: Social Media is the Starting Point, Not the Selling Point

    Your social media marketing strategy is not your sales strategy. You might get sales from your content by bringing awareness and excitement for your books; but this shouldn’t be your expectation. When you lead with connection, you’re able to bring your audience off of social media to make the sale.

    Michelle Gifford, Creative Brand Strategist, introduced her content strategy framework focusing on taking the social media user from viewing your post, commenting, receiving a direct message and converting to a subscriber or purchaser. Her advice was tailored to business owners, including her Bio Roast technique. The good news? Cayce and I have been adapting bio rewrites specifically for authors in our WIP social media sessions for years. We know exactly how to translate this for the way readers actually find books.

    Translation: Make sure you have a clear path from social media to nurture or conversation to the sale or newsletter. You need to take your readers on a journey, so they can trust you.

    Takeaway 5: You Have to Analyze the Data

    Honestly? This is my biggest struggle as a Creative Director. I love chasing trends and infusing content with personality. The data? The conversion tracking? That’s where I have room to grow, and I’m sharing that openly because many of you are in the same boat.

    Tracking what we create is SO important, and probably the biggest personal practice I will be implementing from the conference. In fact, Michelle Gifford even had some Analytics Affirmations, that I now have on a sticky note on my laptop.

    If you’re running ads of any sort, tracking the data is very important. In addition to tracking the data, spend some time learning WHY it happened. Nick Theriot gave very specific examples of how to track and what to track for Facebook Ads.

    Translation: Numbers aren’t always our favorite thing, but it’s information, not a reflection of your efforts. Make sure to look at ad information for 10 minutes (max), and ask yourself what went right, what went wrong, and what can be improved.

    What This Means for Our Next Social Media Intensive

    Some of these takeaways are the foundation of what we’re tackling in our upcoming Social Media Intensive. I say tackling instead of teaching because the majority of our time together will be real-time application. This is where we do the translation work together.

    This intensive is for you if:

    You know you should be on social media.

    You’ve tried. You’ve stopped. You’ve told yourself you’ll start again Monday.

    You feel like an imposter every time you open the app.

    The problem isn’t you. Nobody ever showed you how to make it feel like you.

    Here’s what you’ll walk away with:

    Clarity. The relief of finally knowing exactly what to do, where to do it, and how to sound like yourself doing it. No more guessing. No more guilt. No more starting over every Monday.

    Here’s who you get to be after one day with us:

    An author who shows up with confidence. A platform that fits. A bio that works. And content that actually sounds like you.

    You don’t need to become someone else online. You need a framework that channels who you already are.

    You’re not a writer trying to be a marketer. Your story IS your strategy.

    Inside the 4-Hour Intensive

    The Truth Drop: What social media for authors actually is (and what it isn’t).

    Mindset Switches for Relatability: Because the biggest thing blocking you online isn’t time. It’s the story you’re telling yourself about who gets to take up space.

    Find Your Platform: Stop trying to be everywhere. We’ll find the one that matches how you naturally communicate AND where your readers actually live.

    Bio Optimization Hot Seats: Your bio is your handshake, your hook, and your CTA all in one line. We’re fixing them live.

    Content That Sounds Like You: A handful of content buckets that make showing up feel sustainable, not stressful.

    Live Profile Audits: Real-time feedback on what’s working and the one change that moves the needle.

     

    Just because advice exists doesn’t mean it’s for you. But when you finally find the advice that fits the way you live, write, and connect? That’s when social media stops feeling like a performance and starts feeling like an extension of your work as an author.

    Join us for this 4-hour workshop for authors

    Register for $47!
    Raewyn Sangari

    Raewyn Sangari

    Creative Director of Women in Publishing Summit

    Raewyn Sangari makes marketing feel approachable, creative, and community-driven. She leads the design and content strategy behind the brands’ workshops, events, and social presence, helping authors and book professionals grow their visibility with confidence. Whether she’s crafting graphics, building launch campaigns, or fostering engagement in the WIP Society, Raewyn’s mission is simple: to make showing up and connecting with readers feel less overwhelming—and a lot more fun.

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