12 Things I learned About Writing Books at MIC
September is the time for the Military Influencer Conference. While I can’t make it this year, I thought it’d be a good time to share what I learned last year from book publishers.
The Military Influencer Conference (MIC) is a gathering of service members, veterans, spouses, or anyone who works in a business/nonprofit/organization that supports the military in some way. MIC started in 2017 and has grown ever since. I first attended last year (2025) in Atlanta, Georgia, along with an estimated 2,400 attendees. (This year it’s in Tampa, Florida.) I gained knowledge from the sessions and speakers, met a lot of great people, and even caught up with one of my former battalion commanders from the army, which I wasn’t expecting! (See photo below.)
While the conference holds sessions on numerous and wide-ranging topics, one of the sessions I attended was “From Idea to Impact: Navigating the Journey from Book Idea to Publishing a Book that Sells.”
The speakers were: JuLee Brand: publisher and founder of W. Brand Publishing; Julie Tully: author marketing specialist and award-winning author; and Brunella Costagliola: editor, ghostwriter, and founder of The Military Editor® Agency.
They each shared words of wisdom for the aspiring author, and I took notes. Here’s what they said:
JuLee Brand:
- Ask yourself: What is the goal for my book? What is the takeaway for my story?
- When working with a hybrid publisher or service provider, get confirmation in writing that you own the copyright to your book!
- A true hybrid publisher will stay with you through the whole publishing process. A service provider won’t.
- Kickstarter is a great way to raise money for your book project.
Julie Tully:
- Covers do actually sell books! Make sure yours is done by a professional.
- Market in your comfort zone.
- Hire a publicist to help sell your book (and to do what’s not in your comfort zone).
- Treat being an author like a business—because it is.
Brunella Costagliola:
- Writing is lonely, so surround yourself with champions and professionals. Talk to authors who have been successful. Hire a book coach.
- Editors should elevate your voice, not delete it.
- Vulnerability is your best friend—that’s what readers want.
- Writers and authors (and editors and publishers) are not in the business of selling books. We’re in the business of selling emotions.
Powerful advice!
If you’re a part of the military community, maybe I’ll see you at MIC in 2027?
Me at the conference with a blast from my past—one of my former battalion commanders!
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