The day my agent sold my newest novel for middle school readers, I sat down with a giant piece of paper and my daughter’s colored markers. I created a bubble graph of the topics and themes in the story and how I might explore them in nonfiction articles for newspapers and magazines.

Though having been a journalist and author for over two decades, I took almost that long to realize that if I didn’t put significant time and energy into publicizing my books, sales would tank. Writing and publishing short pieces related to my books has proven to be a brilliant way to build a fan base and earn paychecks. It’s a strategy any author can employ, to include for backlist books, as well. Here’s how I did it.

Daisy Woodworm Changes the World tells the story of a 13-year-old amateur entomologist and track star who gets a school assignment to change the world. She decides to help her brother Sorrel—who has Down syndrome and adores Special Olympics and men’s fashion—to fulfill his dream of becoming a social media influencer. The trouble is that their overprotective parents, struggling with financial catastrophe, have forbidden Sorrel to appear on social media.

Sorrel is based on my brother who has Down syndrome, and I wanted to write a piece pegged for World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. I ended up interviewing and writing about three accomplished young adults with this genetic condition for The Washington Post. In my research, I came across two entrepreneurs with Down syndrome and wrote this profile of a dog-treat baker for The Wildest, and this profile of a triathlete who launched her own makeup and athletic wear line for Byrdie Beauty.

I shared links to these publications on social media and tagged national support groups for people with Down syndrome and their families. Because of this outreach, I received back-cover blurbs for Daisy Woodworm Changes the World from an executive director at Special Olympics and from the National Down Syndrome Society.

One of my main characters in Daisy grows up with two mothers, as I did in the 1980s. I pitched and wrote a reading list titled “Families Like Ours: A Reading List for the Children of Queer Parents” for Longreads. In researching for that piece, I came across the PFLAG #ReadwithLove project, and the director hooked me up with video producers at CNN who ran this piece about how I fight book bans by filling Little Free Libraries with diverse kids’ books while wearing an inflatable T-rex costume. (No joke.)

If you find my approach inspiring, consider making a list of all the topics in your newest book (in the case of Daisy: insects, Special Olympics, running, and young adult entrepreneurs with Down syndrome) and themes (for Daisy: inclusivity, teen empowerment, parental job loss, and friendship). Ask yourself how you might approach one or more of these topics and themes for a particular section of a newspaper, for a lifestyle magazine, a travel magazine, a niche publication (there’s a magazine for every interest and hobby!), or a magazine for writers.

Speaking of the latter, I designed my own writing retreat while working on an early draft of my novel, and I found it to be much too lonely. So I researched and wrote this article on seven group writing retreats for The Writer Magazine, including the weeklong North Carolina event Writers Who Run. (I can’t wait to sign up and write about the experience for a running or travel magazine.)

By the time Daisy Woodworm Changes the World appeared in stores last month, I’d built up a fan base of readers interested in at least one of the topics and themes in the novel. Plus, I’d earned thousands of dollars for my nonfiction articles. I’ve enjoyed the process so much that I may just keep going another year!

BIO: Melissa Hart is the author, most recently, of Daisy Woodworm Changes the World. Find her at www.melissahart.com and on Twitter/Instagram/TikTok @WildMelissaHart.