How do you get a star to read your script? You get their agent to send it to them. Everyone has told me that sending emails would be horrible for my image - and I'd look like an amateur. For me, that was great news! An amateur is someone who pursues an activity for pleasure rather than for money. The word "amateur" comes from the French word for "lover," indicating a person who loves doing something for its own sake. I recently read Cynthia Erivo's book, Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They’re Too Much. That's me! I always do "too much!"

    I don't mean to date myself, but I was an early adopter of email. In the 1980s, while in college, there was a bulletin board system that enabled my classmates, especially those of us taking programming classes, to communicate. In the late 80s, I used Prodigy and CompuServe, and then the one I still have today, AOL. Don't laugh! Keith and I have had our shared email of sandikeith@aol.com for over 30 years! I'm a loyal person; been married to the same guy for over 50 years, still have my two best friends from before my teens. As long as something "works," I stick with it.

Sure, we get about a thousand emails a month, including one from my high school civics teacher after I send him a monthly update of my writing.  Yes, I treasure those who helped make me who I am today, and I have a long memory! Like I said, I'm loyal to those who are kind.

I was originally going to title this blog - email is dead because for many, this has gone the way of fax machines and landlines - but I was wrong when I sent out 30 experimental emails to agents. Two things happened: I got instant responses from agents! Yes, one was within a day, sending me release forms, and another was a phone call - a few hours after I sent the email! Both plan on sending my project to their A-list talent. It makes sense; a star would expect their agent to send them scripts to read. Sure, the proper procedure is to first get a producer, then investors and development funds - and then pay a star to read your script - but think about it - many stars have their own production companies and they NEED great scripts; scripts that are written by a writer who is eager! A writer who is "too much!"

Nobody can tell me that email doesn't work, or that my enthusiastic emails are "unprofessional" for a writer. I was able to build a multi-million-dollar tech company that today operates in dozens of countries - via email. While building my company, I didn't take on any debt. I had a 15,000+ email list from my years as a consultant. I used it first to attract attendees to my workshops so I could stop traveling over 200,000 miles a year and stay home to program. 

 When we started installing the systems, I needed to stop all travel and workshops to support those systems 24/7. I used that email list to sell my training guides and books, and keep us out of debt. Eventually, I needed employees, hosting and expensive certification. I used my email list to attract investors. It was one of those emails that alerted one of my earliest investors that I should consider merging with a bigger company - and we worked out all the details for the next few years -  everything happened via email! 

    

When I started down this path to becoming a professional screenwriter, Keith and I wrote software to handle emails and queries to producers, agents, and managers, SmilingPitch. We are still perfecting the software, and I'm the only user. Sure, we might be building another tech company, but in the meantime, we have someone lined up to take over the company if we both get hit by a bus. For now, my hubby and I are handling all the programming, testing, and modifications. Why? Because it works and it is a blast!

    

When will SmilingPitch be ready? You'll know when you get an email! We're still testing it and sending more emails. Be sure to visit my website, click the Free Stuff Link, and enter your email address. You'll also get my free e-book, Writing is Life!

I've named March Marketing March Madness. I'm learning how to market my books. I've spent the past few years writing and writing - and now I have lots of books, but now it is time to get the word out. My strategy is simple; I've picked 3 books, and for each, I'm doing a different plan and my budget? Less than $300 for all 3 books!

1.  Blood Moon Wolf – This is my latest book release and the first in my Cherokee heroes series. I'm going "wide," posting trailers, and focusing on my Amazon Author page. My A+ content (formerly Enhanced Brand Content) and Editorial Material were approved and uploaded by Amazon today. I also published this book everywhere - from Apple to Nook. No cost yet, but I might try a few Amazon promos.

1. Wilma Wallaby Series – I'm a Platinum member of Written Word Media, which sends out hundreds of thousands of emails. I'm running stacked "promos" and pricing the first in the series at "free." One went out a few days ago and tripled my sales for the month - and my big 3 promo goes out on March 10th - for 4 - only $189.

1. Kira and Henry Series – Targeted Social Media – writer’s groups, because it was a semifinalist in the Kindle book review, and I have book #4 being released in March. I'm building a mailing list by offering free downloads on my SandraJerome.com website. I've already made friends with a new producer who downloaded a free example of my script pitching tools. I'm looking at Reedy Discovery too.

What works? Stay tuned, and I'll give you the results - yup, via emailed newsletter!

Writing a Book Series

 

Why Readers (and Writers) Are All In

When I began writing the Kira and Henry series, I didn't fully grasp the scope of what I was getting into. Now, as I finish the third book (Dangerous Treaty) and the second (Lost in the Enchanted Forest) gains momentum with readers, I understand something fundamental about modern storytelling: we're living in the age of the binge.

COVID-19 had a huge impact on how audiences consume stories. The pandemic didn't create binge culture, but it accelerated and normalized it. Viewers discovered they could watch entire seasons in weekends. Readers found comfort in knowing that more books were waiting for them when they finished one. This shift fundamentally changed audience expectations.

Today's readers approach books differently from previous generations. They're not just investing time in a single story; they're auditioning an entire fictional universe. Before committing, many readers want to know: Is there more after the last page?

Why Series Work: The Reader's Perspective

Readers who connect with your characters don't want to say goodbye after 100 or 300 pages. Series allow them to develop deeper relationships with fictional people who feel like friends. With my Kira and Henry, readers watch these characters grow, face new challenges, and evolve across multiple adventures. That investment becomes more valuable with each installment.

I'm a huge Stone Barrington (Stuart Woods) fan, and Lindsay Boxer is my alter ego. I've read every Women's Murder Club book by James Patterson. In an era of overwhelming content choices, series reduce the exhausting task of finding something new to read. If readers loved book one, they know exactly what they're getting with book two. This trust is powerful. The familiar becomes comforting rather than boring. 

There's genuine excitement in waiting for the next installment. Readers discuss theories, predict outcomes, and stay engaged with your fictional world between books. This ongoing relationship keeps your work alive in their minds far longer than standalone novels. Following Stuart Woods' death in 2022, the Stone Barrington series has been continued by other authors, such as Brett Battles.

Series allow for richer, more complex fictional worlds that standalone books simply cannot achieve. With my multiple series, Kira and Henry, Wilma Wallaby, and Carmen and Cypher I try to add layers to the universe, making it feel more real and lived-in. I also try to send a message to teens; "it will get better." If you've read my previous blogs, I didn't have an easy time with a bully of a big brother and I share that in my Wilma character. I thought I could fly and that I was fearless - but like Kira, I was afraid of failure. How about Carmen? Like me, she's learning to live with AI - embracing it and understanding how it can enrich our lives.

Why Series Work: The Writer's Perspective

For me, writing a series creates forward motion for my characters. As I enter my 3rd act of life, I can live it all over again through my characters. With each book, my characters' voices become clearer, world-building details accumulate naturally, and the story develops a life beyond initial planning. I know Kira and Henry so intimately now that their reactions to situations come automatically.

Each new book markets the previous ones. Readers who discover book three often purchase the earlier installments. Series create superfans who eagerly await each release, leave reviews, recommend books to friends, and engage with your author platform. These dedicated readers become your marketing team. Multiple books provide multiple revenue streams and more opportunities for discovery. Retailers often promote series by discounting early books, introducing new readers to your work.

The Modern Challenge: Visual Consistency

Working with my cover designer, Nilesh, I'm facing an interesting challenge that previous generations of series writers never encountered: how to age characters visually across books using AI tools.

Nilesh researched consistent character generation using AI; a crucial consideration for anyone thinking about animation or visual adaptations, including book covers. The technology relies on creating comprehensive data sets featuring characters in various poses, expressions, and environments. This custom-trained model then generates consistent imagery across different contexts.

As Nilesh explained, standard online AI platforms struggle with the frame-by-frame consistency professional animation requires. Training custom models is the solution, allowing us to generate varied content while maintaining character recognition across the series.

Why does this matter? Modern readers expect visual consistency. Book covers should show character growth while maintaining recognizable features. If Kira looks completely different on each cover, it breaks the series identity.  I plan to move into animation, so this is fantastic that he is thinking ahead. I'm all in!

Benefits of Series for Authors

Writing a series allows you to test the market with book one before making a full commitment. If readers respond enthusiastically, you continue. If not, you can pivot without having written an entire series that doesn't resonate. I read every review that I get, take note of any suggestions and learn before I start the next book. I've received a 1-star review before, but it had no comments. I think it is a special type of person that gives a book a 1-star. I didn't think I had enemies because I avoid conflict at all cost (think of the Gorgonites in Small Soldiers),  but this person wasn't even a "verified purchase." Their 1-star was intentional and might have been done by one of the hundreds of "influencers" who want my money to write a review.

Anything other than a 5-star devastates me, but this 4-star review was priceless.

 "I went in expecting polite castles and maybe a sword fight or two. What I got was a princess accused of treason, hiking into a death zone with her best friend, while pretending she doesn’t have claws. Literally. We meet trolls debating recipes for human, a mountain with mood issues, and a bridge that tries to kill you before you can cross it. But the weirdest part? Those things aren’t even the big problem. The big problem is Kira—because if her people see what’s under her skin, they’ll fear her more than anything she’s fighting. This isn’t a fairy tale. It’s a slow-burn panic attack in a crown, and I loved every nerve-wracking page." 

I  wondered why I didn't get 5 stars, but this review made my day!

Yes, series authors develop more engaged reader communities. These readers leave more reviews (fodder for our egos), participate in discussions, and feel personally invested in your success because they want more books. In addition, writing multiple books in the same universe hones your craft. You learn from each installment, improving pacing, dialogue, and plotting with every book. You don't need the entire series plotted before starting. Many successful series evolved organically as authors discovered what worked and what readers wanted more of.

Is a Series Right for You?

So, do readers want assurance of more content after the last page before investing their time? Absolutely! But it's not just about quantity—it's about the promise of a satisfying journey. Readers want to know that their emotional investment will be respected, that character arcs will develop meaningfully, and that the fictional world will continue to surprise and engage them.

A series signals that you, as the author, are committed to these characters and this world. You're not offering a one-night stand; you're proposing a long-term relationship. Writing a series isn't easier than standalone novels—if anything, it's more challenging because consistency matters enormously. But in today's binge-conditioned market, series offer unique advantages for both readers and writers.

Whether it's Kira and Henry navigating their next adventure, Wilma Wallaby solving mysteries, or Carmen and Cypher using AI to understand this world, series storytelling matches how modern audiences want to consume fiction: deeply, repeatedly, and with the comfort of knowing there's always another chapter and story waiting. The journey doesn't end with one book anymore. Today's readers want to know there's a whole spectrum of stories stretching into the future. And honestly? As a writer and reader (I have had an Amazon library since 1998 and own 2087 titles), I always want more! Onward!

I Can Fly

I grew up thinking I could fly. I was a skinny and energetic kid, running instead of walking and constantly fidgeting. I grew up on an avocado and citrus ranch. Every year, the commercial pickers would come and harvest the fruit, but after they left, my mom would have me climb up to the top of the trees to get the ones they missed. I'd toss them into the thick pile of leaves and then jump (or fly, as I thought) down to a soft landing.  After I grew up and became a computer programmer and consultant, I got to work in Australia and went diving on the Great Barrier Reef. That was the closest I've been to flying again - a wonderful feeling.

I liked to make up stories to tell kids and one of my favorites was of Kira - a fearless princess who had trained her whole life to rule, but then her father remarried, and a male heir was born. I wrote it while working with a large dealership group, Lithia - in Medford, Oregon. Their head of IT was Kyra, and loved that name. Today, Lithia has 290 dealerships, including 40 in the UK. My favorite movie then was Princess Bride, so I wrote Princess Quest as my first project after graduating from UCLA's Advanced Screenwriting Program.

I shelved it until last year when I wanted to enter as many scripts as possible into The Austin Film Festival. I completed the Native American Media Alliance Fellowship and learned more about screenwriting. I rewrote the original Princess Quest script and renamed it Kira and Henry to make it more the story of both characters and appeal to teen boys and girls. I wanted Kira to have a secret - so I added that she could fly, but had to hide that because raptors are banished because of their mutation. I had learned how to write TV pilots in my fellowship, so I wrote it as TV series. I made over a thousand changes and then wrote the young adult novel Kira and Henry using what I learned by taking classes through Good Story. This time, is was published by SmilingEagle Press - specializing in books written by Native Americans and older folks. I hit both marks of their target market!

Kira and Henry did well at The Austin Film Festival, enabling me to get a coveted 2nd Rounder Badge and here are the reader's notes, "This is a solid script that showcases the writer’s creativity and knack for world-building. It sets the stage for an abundance of storylines while, at its heart, drawing the reader into Kira’s character development and her relationship with Henry." I also got these notes from my entry into Final Draft's Big Break, "The reader enjoyed KIRA AND HENRY, which held their attention cover to cover through successive reads. It is a classic GAME OF THRONES style of tale, albeit in the animation format that will likely appeal to a younger demographic rather than adults." 

Next up is entering it into SeriesFest, and if I get accepted to pitch in Denver in May, I will be soaring and truly believing that I can fly!

You can order Kira and Henry on Amazon -https://www.amazon.com/Kira-Henry-Young-Fantasy-Forbidden-ebook/dp/B0CPYY7Q5C

Here's my pitch deck of the TV pilot.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFvpYX2w74/IfD4mFgVynLq6uBNhpV7nA/edit?utm_content=DAFvpYX2w74&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton