O'Cyrus - How to Find Your Book's True Message (And Why It Matters More Than Genre)

O'Cyrus Ink is a multi-genre author and publisher who specializes in poetry, children's fiction, young adult horror, and middle grade horror. Currently serving in the military while building his publishing career, he founded O'Cyrus Ink Publishing to help authors, particularly teenagers and young adults, navigate the publishing world. His approach focuses on finding the core message behind every story and helping authors connect authentically with their target audience. He also hosts "The Authors Lounge" podcast, dedicated to educating younger generations of writers and creators.

In this episode:

• Balancing military service with a growing publishing career
• Why he chose not to wait 20 years to pursue his publishing dreams
• Writing across multiple genres: poetry, children's books, and horror
• The importance of having a specific message and target audience
• How his first book "Sacred" taught him valuable marketing lessons
• A powerful personal story behind his poetry about saving his son's life
• Research strategies for different genres and demographics
• Working with authors to develop authentic stories and illustrations
• The book award submission process and how awards open doors
• Building a publishing business focused on helping younger authors
• Using social media algorithms to research your genre and audience

Resources mentioned:

• Book Award Pro: https://bookawardpro.com/
• Amazon KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/
• Dale Roberts' YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SelfPublishingwithDale
• The Authors Lounge podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-authors-lounge-with-ocyrus/id1798844577

Book Recommendations:

• Works by Stephen King
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman: https://www.amazon.com/Coraline-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0380807343
• Five Nights at Freddy's series

Connect with O'Cyrus Ink:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livewithocyrus/#
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/o-cyrus-
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCchV83duiL1DlTeJf562IOw
• Podcast: The Authors Lounge

Connect with Teddy Smith:

• @teddyagsmith
• Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
• Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
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• Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
• Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/

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