Instagram for Authors: A Beginner’s Guide to Banners, Bios, Links, Stories, and Highlights

From Edie: Samantha Tschritter shares Instagram basics for authors with this beginner-friendly guide to creating banners, improving bios, adding links, and using Stories and Highlights.

Instagram for Authors: A Beginner’s Guide to Banners, Bios, Links, Stories, and Highlights

by Samantha Tschritter @SETschritter

For this tutorial, I am writing to someone who is unfamiliar with both Canva and Instagram. Some of these steps might seem silly to you, but there is zero point to writing a tutorial that does not tutor everyone. 

3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Self-Publishing My First Book

From Edie: Miriah Taverna shares three important lessons one author wishes she’d known before self-publishing her first book, from editing and timelines to marketing after launch.

3 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Self-Publishing My First Book

by Miriah Taverna

This blog post could honestly be its own book! What I wish I knew? That’s a good question. The list is extensive because when I first decided to write a book, I didn’t really think about the “publishing” side of things. All I knew was that God had put it on my heart to write a book, and so I was going to write one.

I realize now that the writing part is step one of many.

How Christian Authors Can Expand Their Reach: 5 Opportunities to Market Your Book and Build Your Platform

From Edie: Susan U. Neal helps writers discover five opportunities for Christian authors to market their books, build their platforms, expand their reach, and connect with more readers.

How Christian Authors Can Expand Their Reach: 5 Opportunities to Market Your Book and Build Your Platform

by Susan U. Neal @SusanNealYoga

Someone needs the encouragement, instruction, or biblical truth God gave you to share. When you intentionally market your book, you help that message travel beyond your immediate circle and into the lives of people you may never meet. So ask God to direct your steps, choose the opportunities below that fit your calling, and then move forward in faith.

The benefits of author associations include access to opportunities that can increase your visibility, build your platform, and expand the reach of your book. Look at some of the excellent opportunities below as you prayerfully consider where God may be leading you next.

How Christian Writers Can Finish the Year Strong: 5 Ways for Writers to Refocus and Move Forward

From Edie: Dr. Kennita Williams shares five ways Christian writers can refocus, release distractions, overcome perfectionism, and faithfully finish the year strong.

How Christian Writers Can Finish the Year Strong: 5 Ways for Writers to Refocus and Move Forward

by Dr. Kennita (Kay) Williams

September always feels like an interesting month to me.

We are far enough into the year to know which New Year’s resolutions did not make it past February, but there’s still enough year left to do something meaningful.

The calendar begins filling again. Fall schedules start moving. Conferences, ministry commitments, family responsibilities, writing deadlines, speaking engagements, and end-of-year goals all start competing for our attention.

When Writing Stops Being Fun: How to Rediscover the Joy of Writing

From Edie: Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes helps writers the joy of writing when deadlines, publishing, and pressure steal the fun. Learn how to reconnect with creativity and enjoy writing again.

When Writing Stops Being Fun: How to Rediscover the Joy of Writing

by Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes @KHutch0767

Not long ago, I sat down at my piano for the first time in what felt like forever. There was no special occasion on the calendar, no audience waiting, and no piece of music I had promised to perform. I wasn’t preparing for anything at all. I just sat down, opened some music, placed my hands on the keys, and started playing. I was rusty, and there were moments when my fingers seemed to have forgotten things I was certain they once knew. But after a while, I realized I was enjoying myself in a way I hadn’t experienced at the piano in years.

11 Things Writers Should Stop Doing in 2026

From Edie: Discover 11 things writers should stop doing in 2026, from chasing trends and comparing careers to letting fear, numbers, and distractions take control.

11 Things Writers Should Stop Doing in 2026

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I spend a lot of time telling writers what they need to do—from learning the craft to building relationships. I remind writers it’s important to develop an online presence, attend conferences, and write consistently. And that’s just what I suggest. If we do a search for things writers should do the list gets much longer.

While I agree that all of those things are important, I think we can get overwhelmed and end up spinning our wheels. So lately I’ve taken a slightly different approach and asked myself what are some things I shouldn’t do in my writing life. 

Now all these things are subjective. Some will make sense for you and some won’t. My point is to give you a jumping off point and permission (if you need it) to NOT try to do everything!

How to Write a Great Hook: 4 Ways to Grab Readers from the Very Beginning

From Edie: Martin Wiles shares how to write a great hook with four practical strategies that grab readers from the beginning and keep them turning pages.

How to Write a Great Hook: 4 Ways to Grab Readers from the Very Beginning

by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod

She wasn’t a writer or an editor, but her hooks hooked. 

My maternal grandmother loved to fish. Yes, she did all the typical things most women of her generation did—cooked, cleaned, had and cared for children, washed clothes—but she fished in her spare time and sold those fish to neighbors. 

Grandmammy was not a fancy fisher. She sported a wooden (later aluminum) boat, a small motor, and cane poles (a large one for catfish and a small one for bream).