I met Shaen probably four or five years ago. I was just working on Birds Alive! and we were in an ACFW critique group together. (I actually had to ask her how we met because I couldn’t remember!) Recently, we reconnected when she started creating social media content for me, and I wanted her on my blog to tell about what she does.

Just so you know – she’s amazing!

Jen – Shaen, it’s so good to have you on my blog! Tell us a little about yourself. 

Shaen – I write cozy mysteries for Guideposts from my home in the Midwest. I just turned in my thirteenth book to my editors last month. This spring, I also began providing novel editing and social media content creation services to authors.   

Social media content creation

Jen – Shaen, what is social media content creation?  

Shaen – Agents and publishers prefer for an author to have an established presence on social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on. I work with authors to create custom graphics, captions, and hashtags that they can paste directly to their social media pages. I can also create book launch graphics to help authors promote a new release. All an author has to do is interact with readers in the comments. 

Shaen Layle’s bio:

Shaen is a USA Today Bestselling author and a Carol Award semi-finalist who writes inspirational cozy mysteries from her home in the Midwest, where she lives with her family and their shelter pup, Violet. Trained as a literary novelist and with a decade of librarianship under her belt, Shaen loves discussing all things bookish with her readers on her website and on social media. 

Website and Social Media Links:  

Website: www.shaenlayle.com 

Newsletter Signup: www.shaenlayle.com/newsletter/ 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorShaenLayle 

Twitter: www.twitter.com/shaenlayle 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/shaen_layle 

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/shaenlayle 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18846878.Shaen_Layle

Spark Social Media

Jen – Why did you start social media content creation as a business? 

Shaen – Spark Social Media was born out of a need that I saw within my own writing circle. The number one complaint that I heard authors make (myself included!) was, I don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done. Or, I’d love it if I could just focus on writing. Some friends asked me to create some social media graphics for them, and I found out that I really enjoyed it. That’s when I started offering social media content creation services to a larger audience and haven’t looked back since! 

When to hire a content creator

Jen – Why should an author hire out social media marketing? 

Shaen – To better focus on the main thing—writing. I talk to so many authors who are overwhelmed by the many hats they have to wear. Not only do they write, but they’re also expected to edit, post on social media, send out newsletters, grow a readership, create book launches…and the list goes on. It’s enough to make you grab another cup of coffee. By outsourcing a necessary but repetitive task like social media marketing, an author can gain back valuable time of up to 156 hours a year! (To put this into perspective, think about it this way. If you write at an average speed of 500 words per hour, you could use that recouped time to draft another book!) 

Social media content creation is one piece of an author’s overall marketing efforts. ~ Shaen Layle

Jen – Does every author need a social media presence? 

Shaen – Truthfully, no. It all depends on what your goals are as a creative. From my experience, social media isn’t a quick fix to sell tons of books for the average author. If you’re interested in creating a loyal tribe of readers, however, social media can help with that. Engaging regularly online will help an author create an unshakable connection with that readership base, as well as with other authors.  

Jen’s testimonial:

Jen – I started having Shaen do my s.m. graphics a couple of months ago. I cannot tell you how much that has helped! It’s incredibly easy – simply copy/paste, and it saves me a lot of time. Plus, she “gets” me. She understands my goals and preferences. She sticks to my brand and creates amazing graphics!

The next step to work with Shaen Layle

Jen – What happens after someone fills out an interest form for Spark Social Media? 

Shaen – I start by doing a discovery call or email with a potential client. We talk about who they are as a person, their branding, and their specific goals. If they decide to book my services, I create a custom social media schedule for them each week, which is delivered by email. All they have to do is paste-and-go!  

Thanks!

Thank you for being on the blog, Shaen Layle, and sharing with us all about you and your services!

For more information about Spark Social Media and to work with Shaen, click on one of the buttons below: Editing Services Social Media Services

Read Monthly Themed Reading List: Clean Women’s Fiction, and then follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with news about my book and any special offers!

Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 39 years, have 5 amazing kids, and have 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children and used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.

Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – released Feb. 27, 2024, and the 2nd in the series, Where’s the Quetzal? released Feb. 25, 2025! My romantic suspense novella, SeaBreeze Obsession in Trinity Sands Beach Club, released June 17, 2025!

When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)

The post Meet author, editor, & social media content creator, Shaen Layle appeared first on Jen Dodrill Writes.