Writing & Marketing Cozy Mysteries

Welcome! Perhaps you've always wanted to write a fun, quirky mystery... or maybe Cozies have only recently caught your eye. Maybe you're already writing--and selling!--them.

Whatever the case, this course has you covered.

We'll discuss everything from plotting and planning all the way to testing to make sure you have the right blurb and cover and running ads to bolster your book. The live Facebook group means you can bring your questions and ideas and even request specific lessons.

How do I know so much about Cozies? Because I write them too! My first book, written as Molly Fitz, catapulted to #67 on the USA Today bestselling books list. I call KITTY CONFIDENTIAL my "beautiful little juggernaut", because it keeps selling and hooking new readers with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Oh, and book #2 in the series also made a showing on the USA Today bestsellers list one month later--and book #3 a month after that!

In this course I'll tell you exactly what I did, what I've learned, and help you work toward the same. Nothing is held back. You’ll know exactly what I’ve spent, where, and whether I thought it was worth it. Although I tend to launch books with large ad budgets, you don’t have to in order to gain something valuable from this course. Each marketing method will be discussed, providing “Low or No Budget” options and the “Whoa, Big Spender!” option.

Are you ready?

What this course is:

• A practical, in-depth guide with real-life examples and cold, hard data
• A tour of multiple marketing techniques so that you can choose those that best fit your abilities and your budget

What this course is not:

• A get-rich quick scheme that promises a formula to success

Who will benefit from this course?

• Authors already writing in the Cozy genre who would like a fresh perspective on marketing
• Authors preparing to launch their first Cozy Mystery who aren’t sure where to start
• Experienced authors from other genres who have caught the Cozy bug and would like to do some research before deciding whether to take the leap

What we’ll cover in the writing unit:

• The importance of outlining
• Using the overlapping drafts method to write faster
• An exploration of popular genre tropes
• Choosing your voice (first, third, past, present, etc.) and tone (funny, whimsical, etc.)
• Developing characters readers will want to revisit again and again
• Making the most of your mystery
• Planning for a successful series
• A guest panel of authors to discuss their best tips for writing a satisfying Cozy Mystery
• A guest panel of readers to discuss what they love about the genre and what they look for in new-to-them authors

What we’ll cover in the marketing unit:

• Testing your blurb before you even launch
• Principles of great Cozy cover design with Mariah Sinclair
• Building and engaging your newsletter
• Building and managing your review team
• Where, how, and whether to social media
• Running Facebook ads for Cozy Mysteries
• Running Amazon ads for Cozy Mysteries
• Running BookBub ads for Cozy Mysteries
• Other ad sites that provide great results for Cozies
• Out-of-the-box marketing techniques like apps and messenger bots
• Planning your next big series

Who am I?

I’m still relatively new to the Cozy genre—perhaps you are, too. What I’m not new to is writing fiction, launching books successfully, and distilling what I’ve learned into courses that I can then share with others.

I finished writing my first book in 2009. I began offering services for authors in 2011.

These days, I have 18 novels and 11 novellas under my belt in the Romance/ Women’s Fiction genre. I only have 2 published Cozy Mysteries so far, but have absolutely fallen in love and plan to release many more soon!

You may already be familiar with me through one of my businesses—LitRing, Sweet Promise Press, Novel Publicity, TheAuthorSite, or YourAuthorEngine—or you may be hearing about me for the very first time. Whatever the case, questions are always welcome. If you’re still trying to decide if this course is a good choice for you, please reach out via [email protected].

Want to learn, but not excited about the video format? Not to worry! Each video is accompanied by detailed notes, which you can either read in place of watching the videos or go through in order to brush up on the lessons a second time.

"I have used LitRing (Melissa Storm) for several years for various marketing things, and I've always been impressed with the quality of service and the results.