Wow! That was one fast month.
For those of you just now checking in this month, Ketchup actually means “catch up.” At the end of every month, I write these posts describing what goes on behind the scenes at ShannonAThompson.com. Some of the topics I cover include my big moments, top blog posts, my top referrer, #1 SEO term, and more in order to show insights that will hopefully help fellow bloggers see what was popular. I also hope it entertains the readers who want “extras” for this website.
Thank you for being a part of my life this May.
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Big Moments:
I finished writing the mysterious manuscript known as D. All I’ve said so far is that it’s a YA portal fantasy that’s 93,000 words. As if life couldn’t get any better, I received my author copies of November Rain in the mail! (I also bought more copies for future giveaways, but in case you missed the giveaways…)
Sign up for the Bad Bloods Thunderclap and win signed swag by emailing me your support to shannonathompson@aol.com and enter this Bad Bloods Goodreads Giveaway.
If you really want to help me out, sign up for the Bad Bloods Book Blitz and keep sharing the teasers as they release every Tuesday! I truly hope you’re enjoying them.
This month, the free Bad Bloods Prequel continued on Wattpad with two more origin stories. Meet Michele and Maggie. In June, you’ll meet Ryne and Violet..and Violet? She’s connected to The Timely Death Trilogy, so look out!
Speaking of The Timely Death Trilogy, I really appreciate you all when you send in fan art, so thank you Devyn T for drawing Jessica with Eric’s headphones.
June is going to be a busy month! For Barnes & Noble’s first-ever national teen book fesitival, I will be signing books and hosting an author panel in TWO KC stores. Come see me on Saturday, June 11th in Overland Park, Kansas, or on Sunday, June 12th in Zona Rosa, KC, MO. More info can be found on my Events page.
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Top Three Blog Posts:
1. The Worst Thing A Reader Ever Said To Me: This was a repost of a popular past article, so I was and was not surprised this post did so well. On one hand, I’m really glad my honesty is helping some of you with your struggles with writing. Writing is hard! Harder than a lot of writers admit. But on another hand, I worry that negative topics are more popular than positive/productive posts. Why do I worry? Because I worry about all the writers who are in pain while writing. I worry that there seems to be more insecurities with writing than confident, happy writers. It’s okay to worry. It is. But enjoy the journey while you write. Remind yourself that it’s a tough journey—and that it’s okay that it’s tough—but ultimately, you love writing, and that’s what matters. All negatives aside, writing is what we love.
2. The Truth Behind an Author’s Instagram: I really want to write articles like this for all my social medias, because it is important for authors (and readers) to remember that social media—while fun—isn’t the whole picture. I know we show our highlight reels every day, and things seem perfect, and everyone’s life appears wonderful, but like I mentioned above, writing is hard. Writing is a career. Writing is more than sitting around and coming up with ideas, and I hope this showed how social media can warp that, even though social media is still a lot of fun.
3. The 90-10 Rule for Marketing and Writing, and How To Love It.
Continuing with the two articles above, writing is hard. It’s a business. I stay organized with my writing-marketing calendar, and I truly believe a lot of writers could help themselves by trying to organize themselves that way. It’s easy to get lost in marketing (and harder to swallow the fact that, yes, you must market, a lot, no matter how you’re published), but you can learn to love it, and you can guarantee you don’t forget to write with a few little reminders.
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Other Blog Posts:
Authors, Add Extras to Books: I LOVE extras. When I read a series and want more, the first thing I do is stalk that author’s social media for extra tidbits, so when I became an author, I knew I wanted to share my extras: my calendars, swag, fanart, character charts, articles, etc. This article outlines how to do it and what to share.
Confessions of a Slow Writer: There’s a lot of pressure in the industry to be a fast writer. This article outlines why it’s more important to just be you.
Tackling Diversity in YA: After my article on diversity last month, many of you asked me how I tackle diversity in my own work. This was a Bad Bloods themed article about how I explored diversity in my latest piece.
What Changes From First Draft to Publication? Spoiler Alert: A lot.
#SATurdate: Captain America, Chunky Monkey, Paperbacks, & Minions: A weekly update on what I’m writing, reading, watching, baking, listening to, and more.
#SATurdate: The Jungle Book, Thunderclap, and Through the Looking Glass: A weekly update on what I’m writing, reading, watching, baking, listening to, and more.
#SATurdate: MWG Conference, The Crown, Allergies, and Silicon Valley: A weekly update on what I’m writing, reading, watching, baking, listening to, and more.
#SATurdate: X-Men Apocalypse, Winter, Money Monster, & Banana Desserts: A weekly update on what I’m writing, reading, watching, baking, listening to, and more.
Website Wonders: A monthly classic.
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Thank you to…
At the end of the month, I also like to take a moment to thank all of the websites who supported me by posting reviews, interviews, and features. If you want to be one of these websites, feel free to join my newsletter or email me at shannonathompson@aol.com. I always love speaking with new bloggers, writers, and readers! I will also share your post on all of my websites.
Reviewers: The Book Forums, Crazy Beautiful Reads
Shannon A. Thompson 
Fabulous!
Glad you enjoyed it!
~SAT