Are you a debut author who wants to learn how to create an influencing community of readers and writers for success before your book even comes out?
Ask me the #1 burning question you have about it below!

Teaching a writing session at the Doylestown Bookshop. Photo by Robyn Graham Photography.
Ever since I released my first book five years ago and created my own AMAZING support community of writers, authors, industry professionals, and readers, I’ve been getting a ton of questions from writers with their first novel finished about how I created this community. They want to know how to do just what I did to help them succeed in a new author career.
BUT many are also scared to get out of their comfort zone and do it. I was too!
I would say that I get asked about 99 times a month (give or take one or two) “I have my first book coming out, now what do I do?”
Here are the top 10 frequently asked questions I get:
- I feel so overwhelmed! What’s the timing of all I should be doing as a debut author?
- How do I connect with other debut authors?
- How do I meet authors who can help me with blurbs? And how should I ask them?
- How do I best prepare for a public reading or panel?
- How can I get my book in front of my target readers?
- How do I best use social media?
- How do I even use Twitter?
- How do I run a giveaway and what are the benefits?
- How can I build a support community of writers around me?
- How can I connect with book reviewers?
The list goes on and on! And I love it, because I’m passionate about building community and totally believe we can write alone but we can’t get published alone – or succeed alone.
And I would love to see you all get in a new (community) comfort zone and create your own community of influencers to support you in your new author life. 😊
I’m sooooo excited about sharing what I know that I’ve decided to create an extremely useful course for new authors on how to create an awesome community of writers, authors, industry professionals, and readers before that first book even comes out to help answer all of these questions (and more!).
The new course I’m creating will teach you just how to do this with my exact same steps! These same steps that helped me build an army of supporters to get:
- An agent
- A two-book deal
- Multiple publishers for my books
- Blurbs for my books
- Requests to teach at conferences
- Invited as a guest author to students at schools (my readers!)
- And so much more!
Tell me the #1 thing (or 2!) you’d like to know about creating a support community of readers and writers before your 1st book comes out. And check out my 4 proven steps to connecting with readers right now.
See you in the (community) comfort zone!
xxoo Donna
P.S. Share this post with your writer friends 🙂

What a great way to help new authors! I know I still feel new myself. There is so much to learn all the time. I depend on my author and blogger community all the time and I think it is wonderful that you are setting up a course to help new authors before their books are out there. Wishing you the best! Thanks for all the help you have given to me. 🙂
Stephanie, thanks for the encouraging words! I think no matter how long we’ve been in the publishing world – there are always new things to learn! I appreciate all of your help too 🙂
I took Donna’s short course she offered at the Doylestown Bookshop. It was packed with incredibly useful and actionable advice! As a newly published author, her insightful marketing tips were incredibly helpful and I’m already using several of her ideas to increase the likelihood that my book will get some attention. The information she shares would also be directly applicable to the needs of not-yet-published authors as well. I highly recommend you take any course she offers! ~Author of Create a Culture of Kindness in Middle School
Christa, thanks so much for stopping by and for your lovely comment! So glad the session was helpful. Wishing you success with your new book release. I plan to see you at the Doylestown Bookshop on April 26th for your book launch for Creating a Culture of Kindness in Middle School! http://www.doylestownbookshop.com/event/christa-m-tinari-creating-culture-kindness-middle-school!
Donna, this looks great. You’ve helped me immensely over the last couple of years in building my network, so I’m glad to see your putting out a course that can reach many others. Congrats.
Hi Kristina, it just seems like yesterday that we met! 🙂 I absolutely can say the same about you! You have been such a wonderful connection and so generous with your time and advice. I’m so looking forward to checking out your new course when it launches on structural editing! Folks, check out Kristina’s awesome service coming soon on big picture editing. http://feedbackforfiction.com/
Donna’s classes are amazing, She inspired me in many ways with my writing. Extremely informative.
Looking forward to the next class she has.
Margaret, thank you so much for your lovely note! I’m glad you could take my session at the bookshop recently on The 5 Things To Do Before You Get a Book Deal. I hope your painting and writing are both going well! 🙂