Discover 4 Ways Readers Like to Organize their Bookshelves

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You have the BEST collection of books in your bookshelf. Some have been given to you as gifts by loved ones. You’ve purchased some of these books yourself, after a glowing recommendation from a friend. Others have been signed by your favorite authors. So, how is your bookshelf organized?

Here are some different ways readers like to organize their bookshelf:

  • Genre
  • Color
  • Size
  • Alphabetically

By genre? Many readers enjoy this method. This way, when they’re in the mood for that romantic read or that mysterious novel, they know exactly where to go.

Or is it organized by color? Color is powerful. So, why not use it to organize your reading selection? Colors can also be organized in special ways.  Think of the color wheel. Colors have different families, such as warm, cool, primary and secondary. Maybe even organizing your books in the order of the rainbow, or any pattern that pleases your eye.

What about size? Wouldn’t that be the easiest, really? Just layout all your books from small to big and be done with it! Just kidding, the idea gives me a headache, but I’m sure that there are some readers out there who may enjoy this.

What’s the most important thing to remember?

No matter your style, the most important thing to remember when organizing your bookshelf is to do it the way that works for you, or you’ll never find that special book.

I like to sort my books by genre, then color, and lastly by size. That works for me!

 

~Isabelle

 

Isabelle Hardesty is a Miami native who uses her creative work to share her experiences growing up in South Florida. She is committed to creating rich and strong female characters in her books. Hardesty wants young people and women of color to see themselves in her novels and know they are a meaningful part of the world they’re in.

Hardesty received her BFA from Pratt Institute and has worked in NYC as an assistant fashion designer. Her rich and textured life experiences allow her to create characters and plots that engage readers. One common thread in all of her professional experiences is that storytelling is always king.

Isabelle Hardesty’s first published work was a short story that was published in an anthology. This short story grew into The Delacourt Shapeshifter Trilogy.

Hardesty wove her love of magic and nature into her most recent novel, Midnight in Belle Fleur. Her book tells the story of Juliette, an Afro-Latina teen telenovela actress turned witch. This book is the second book in the Destroyer Witch Chronicles.

Her book, The Witch of Belle Fleur, placed on ScreenCraft’s Cinematic Book Competition 2022 and is on the REDLIST. In 2022, she is the Young Adult category winner for the SPF Foundation 2022. This year, Isabelle will be returning to Dragon Con where she will discuss books, creativity, evil fae and more!

Isabelle Hardesty lives with her husband and son in the Pacific Northwest.

How to Use Twitter as an Amazing Resource for Writers by Isabelle Hardesty

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Your manuscript is finished, now what?

It’s edited and polished… don’t let it gather dust. 

This is for writers who want to get their manuscript in the hands of agents or publishers.

No one wants their beloved manuscript to sit in a literary agent or publisher’s Inbox, gathering cobwebs.  Twitter pitch events are an excellent way to have agents see your work in a timely manner.

I will cover:
  • What a Twitter Pitch party is
  • How any author can take part
  • What an author should do after receiving their first like from an agent or publisher

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So you’ve finally done it. Great job, writer! You have finished your novel despite all the obstacles and distractions of everyday life. Now take a deep breath and take the plunge into the querying world.

jump

Before you jump in, be sure to edit and polish your manuscript! 

While working on my first novel, I  found some tweets about hashtags like #PitMad,  and #SFFpit. I ignored the tweets at first, not knowing what they were and thinking they must target experienced writers or some sect of elite authors I was obviously not a part of yet.

One day I went down the rabbit hole of #PitMad and came up with a huge carrot! This is a free and relevant event helpful to writers who are looking for agent representation or looking to work directly with a publisher.

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For Writers: How do these Twitter Pitch Events work?

  1. Authors create a short pitch that fits into the 280 character max. covering main character, conflict and stakes.
  2. Include #PitMad or whatever hashtag needed for your contest.
  3. Include a category.   Click here for more info on categories and genres. Brenda Drake, the creator of PitMad, has useful resources and information on her website.
  4.  If you will be at work or unable to tweet the day of the event, use Hootsuite or Tweetdeck and schedule your tweets. Check each Twitter Pitch Party site to learn their rules!

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More information…

  1. When you receive a like from an agent or publisher, click on their Twitter account. Scroll through until you see their tweet which says something like the image below.
  2.  Do your research! If you want to work with this agent or publisher, send the requested submission to them. If you don’t like them, do not submit to them.
  3.  Hopefully, your pitch attracts several likes.  Create a list of who is interested and what they would like from you. Some agents want 5 pages, while others want 50 pages. Do your homework and submit.

 

#PitMad

 #PitMad happens quarterly. Rules are important and keep agents from getting overwhelmed. For more information and rules, click here. Read about success stories from PitMad here.

#SFFpit

I also discovered #SFFpit. This Twitter Pitch Party focuses on writers with unpublished, edited and polished manuscripts which are Science Fiction or Fantasy for any age group.  Click here to find out the specifics of this Twitter Pitch Party.

 

#DVpit

#DVpit is aimed at helping marginalized voices.  For more information, visit http://www.bethphelan.com/dvpit

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Interested in finding out about even more Twitter Pitch Parties?
Literary Agent Carly Watters shares important information about Twitter Pitch Parties and how to write a pitch. Click here

Want more information? Click Sub It Club here.

Some people may prefer bypassing Twitter Pitch Parties, but it may be a great way to jump in and see what agents and publishers are looking for. If it’s not your thing, then you may prefer querying directly to agents or publishers.

 

Isabelle Hardesty

Fantasy Writer

Isabelle Hardesty is a writer of young adult fantasy. She enjoys writing about characters who are like people you know and people you want to know.

Isabelle lives in Seattle with her husband and son. She loves being with her family, eating chocolate, and connecting with readers. When she is not writing, you can find her either researching for her next book or painting.

 

 

 

 

So much to be Thankful for

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by Isabelle Hardesty

This Thanksgiving I am so thankful for my wonderful family.  It’s humbling to have so much to be thankful for.

This year, I am also thankful for the writing community who are so generous and helpful. I was able to finally get published this year, thanks to Gilded Dragonfly Books. My short story, Jade’s Awakening was featured in Legends of the Dragon, Vol. 

I have attended several years of Dragon Con with my husband and sisters and found myself attending most of the writers’ workshops. I enjoyed the other panels which featured actors, however, I was fascinated and inspired by the people who created the worlds in which the actors worked.

This year I also found the benefit of Twitter as a learning platform. I’ve mined Twitter for knowledge and learned about #Pitmad  #Pitchmas  #Mockpit #MSWL  #NANOWriMo

I look forward to learning so much more as I continue my magical journey as a writer.

 

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Isabelle Hardesty

Fantasy Writer

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Isabelle Hardesty is a writer of young adult fantasy. She enjoys writing about characters who are like people you know and people you want to know.

Isabelle lives in Seattle with her husband and son. She loves being with her family, eating chocolate, and connecting with readers. When she is not writing, you can find her either researching for her next book or painting.

Stay connected:

Isabelle Hardesty’s Website

Twitter

Instagram