Epiphany, the Church – Guest Post by Molly Noble Bull
February 7, 2012 by Lillie
We home church now. But I attended Epiphany Episcopal Church in Kingsville, Texas, from birth until the age of six. Then we moved to nearby Corpus Christi, and I would like to share something that happened in Corpus Christi at about the age of eight. I think you will find it interesting.
It was around 1942, and World War II raged on. Gasoline, sugar, meat, shoes, and other products were rationed. Few toys for children were being manufactured, and rubber products and nylon stockings were not available at all.
I dreamed about owning a rubber ball and a yellow, rubber balloon on a string.
We lived near the six points shopping area and attended Church of the Good Shepherd every Sunday morning, and since gasoline was rationed, we made Sunday a special day. We drove downtown to church in the family car or caught a bus at Six Points. After church, we had a fish dinner at a café on the bay, went to an afternoon movie downtown— either the Ritz or the Center Theater, and came home.
I remember how big and fancy-looking Good Shepherd was compared to my little wooden Church of the Epiphany. The altar and choir area was set apart from the rest of the church building by a filigreed partition made of black iron that you could see through. Half the choir sat on one side of the altar, and the other half sat facing them with an aisle down the center going up to the altar. The podium where the pastor stood when giving his weekly sermons was on the congregation side of that see-through partition.
I never understood a word the pastor said in those sermons. He used big words that I didn’t know the meaning of at that time.
During the sermon, I would start on the far left side of that black iron filigree, and slowly, I would allow my eyes to travel over every inch of it. When I finally got to the far right of the partition, the sermon would be over.
I knew the pastor was saying something important, but I had no idea what he was talking about. However, I prayed during or after my slow inspection of the black filigree. I remember telling God that though I didn’t understand what the pastor was saying, someday I would understand, and that prayer was answered because today I understand sermons given by pastors.
God is good.
When I was in the fourth grade we moved back to Kingsville and attended Church of the Epiphany again. One of the things I remember most about services in that little church was that the Hebrew blessing, found in the Book of Numbers chapter six and verses 23 to 27, was given often—perhaps every Sunday. At the time, I knew it was important. Now, I know just how important it is to hear that blessing, and I try to put my hands on the heads of my loved ones and friends often while saying that blessing aloud. I heard that the Rabbis say when you bless someone using the blessing in Numbers chapter six, God is blessing you, too.
Here it is:
May the Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
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You can learn more about me and my writing at my website: Molly Noble Bull and Lillie’s recent interview with me.
I have a new book out that I wrote with four other published novelists. The book is titled The Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities by Ginny Aiken, Margaret Daley, Jane Myers Perrine, Ruth Scofield and me, Molly Noble Bull.
Yep, I’m dyslexic.
The book tells about growing up in Kingsville with a learning disability and overcoming, but only with God’s help.
If you might be interested in reading The Overcomers and/or telling others about it, click below. The Overcomers is the book with the yellow cover and available in paperback and as an e-book.
Should Authors be Salespeople? Guest Post by Joel Friedlander
October 14, 2011 by Lillie
I talk to writers every day who are thinking about publishing their own books. Some have friends who have self-published, so they know it can be done. Or they’ve read the blogs of writers who are doing well in the Kindle store. Or they are just tired of waiting for the agent, the editor, the publisher to get back to them.
Whatever the reason, there’s one objection I hear more than any other from these writers:
“I just want to write, I’m not a salesman.”
And that’s too bad. I think this attitude represents a real misunderstanding on the part of authors. Here’s why.
It’s About Marketing, Not Sales
Think about the difference between marketing and sales.
Marketing means promoting your book to people who are likely to be interested in it. The main activity of marketing is communicating to these likely purchasers.
Sales, on the other hand, is completely different. It’s the process of making transactions, the exchange of money for books, in this example.
You can’t sell a book to someone who’s not interested in it or who doesn’t want to buy it.
Marketing your book, on the other hand, is something similar to what you are probably doing already when you talk about your book to friends, family, or other writers.
You are communicating the passion you have for your subject, your fascination with your characters, your total involvement in the subjects of your writing.
In its simplest form, that’s what marketing is. Going where people who might be interested in your book hang out and communicating with them about the subject of your book.
It’s not asking people to buy your book, and it’s certainly not trying to “sell” them your book.
It’s like when you start blogging. You don’t want to blog about your book, you want to blog about the subject of your book, its themes, lessons, or news, events, or developments that touch on your subject.
Same with marketing your book. If you communicate your feelings for your subject, if you let people know just why you wrote the book and how it can help people, if you show your enthusiasm and expertise in the area, you are doing some pretty powerful book marketing.
And what author doesn’t want to talk about their book or the subject that moved them to write it?
What I suggest to these authors is that they learn to market their books, with everything that implies. If you can do that well enough, and widely enough, and often enough, the sales part of the equation will take care of itself.
So go out and connect with people. Find the places where people are talking about your subject, whatever it is. Participating in those conversations will lead you to interesting places and opportunities to tell even more people about you and what makes you tick. That, in itself, will likely interest people in your books.
Congratulations, you are now a marketer.
Joel Friedlander is the proprietor of Marin Bookworks in San Rafael, California, a publishing services company where he’s helped launch many self-published authors. He blogs about book design, writing and self-publishing at www.TheBookDesigner.com. Joel is also the author of the recently published A Self-Publisher’s Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish.
Read Lillie’s review of A Self-Publisher’s Companion.
Guest Post from Danny Ashton: Five Gadgets Every Freelancer Needs
September 27, 2011 by Lillie
Note from Lillie: The recommendations in this post come from the guest poster, Danny Ashton. I am not familiar with these gadgets and have no opinion of their usefulness.
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Being a freelancer is a great way to earn a living. However, there are a number of little gadgets that can help make your freelancing career go a bit smoother. Below is a list of five computer gadgets that you can use right away.
1. LessTimeSpent.com
They say that time is money, and that is certainly true for the freelancer. It is important to accurately keep track of your time, because minor mistakes with your time tracking could end up costing you quite lot in unpaid money by the end of the year. LessTimeSpent.com is a great way to accurately keep track of your time and the tasks you have completed.
Price: Free
2. SimplyBill.com
As well as keeping track of your time, you need to be able to invoice your clients for the work you have done. You don’t want to waste time getting bogged down with software that is too complicated or time-consuming to use. SimplyBill.com enables you to easily send out attractive invoices to your clients with minimal fuss. Let SimplyBill.com take the time and hassle out of your invoicing.
Price: Free Version (3 invoices, 15 quotes and 10 client max) – full details
3. BackPackIt.com
If you are working on team projects, it is important to be able to easily share documents and information with your team members. BackPackIt.com enables you to keep all your project’s documents in one central location all the time. So, no matter where you are, you can access the relevant documents with just a few clicks. No more having to shuffle through pieces of paper from your briefcase.
Price: Basic = $24/month
4. RememberTheMilk.com
One of the most important things when you work freelance is being able to organize your day. But if you are juggling many different tasks throughout your day, it’s not good enough just to have loads of post-it notes or scraps of paper lying about. RememberTheMilk.com is a central online location where you can easily organize your tasks, and makes the whole process an enjoyable experience.
Price: Free
5. Scirocco Take a Break
If you work as a freelancer, you don’t have the structure of set hours and routines that you would have if you were working in a standard office. While most freelancers work on a computer, spending too long in front of a computer can be bad for your health. Take a Break is a little program which prompts you every hour to take a 10-minute break away from your computer. This prevents you from spending hours and hours hunched in the same position, which can lead to back and neck pain and also eye strain.
Price: Free
Conclusion
These five gadgets/websites won’t make freelancing a walk in the park, but they can help to make your day that little bit easier. I would suggest trying just one of these gadgets at a time and testing it to see if it improves your work day. Not every one of these gadget will work for everyone or every situation, but it’s worth giving them a go. I hope this list will open your eyes to the possibility of gadgets that can take away the strain of being a freelancer.
About the Author
This guest post was written by Danny Ashton who writes about Android Tablets on his blog: www.androidtabletfanatic.com (if you want to ask him any gadget questions, feel free to email: androidtabletfanatic@gmail.com)
Disclaimer: The author contacted me to write a guest post. The opinions expressed are his; none of the links are affiliate links.
Guest Post from Randall Davidson: Ten Proofreading Tips You Cannot Afford to Ignore
August 9, 2011 by Lillie
No matter how skilled of a writer you are, it is easy to submit work that is filled with errors. Even the best writers often miss the mark when it comes to proofreading. However, correcting errors in your work can give you the edge over the competition, making the following 10 proofreading tips of the utmost importance:
- Use fresh eyes. Proofreading after a break from writing can help you see your work with fresh eyes and catch things that need to be fixed. Try proofreading all the work completed in one day the next morning. If time is of the essence, read something else before returning to your own composition.
- Know your weaknesses. Most writers have errors that frequently pop up in their work. Keep a list of the common errors that you are prone to and check specifically for those items when proofreading.
- Watch for little things. Small words that are misspelled or misused are commonly missed when proofreading. For example, keep a close eye on words like “it” and “is.”
- Know the style. Different publications and editors adhere to different style guides. Decide which style you prefer and adjust your writing to meet those guidelines. AP style, for example, may support different punctuation and grammar preferences than the Chicago Manual of Style.
- Vocalize your work. Read your piece out loud to yourself. Hearing your writing vocalized can help you access different areas of your brain than writing and reading, making it easier to pick up on the mistakes.
- Find a friend. A fresh set of eyes is often one of the best ways to ensure error-free writing. Have someone read the work and point out the errors that they notice. A new reader may also be able to offer new proofreading tips.
- Split the tasks. There are numerous types of errors that can be present in your writing. Focus separately on each type of mistake. Use one read-through to look for spelling issues and a separate proofreading session for things like grammar and style mistakes.
- Change it up. Reading the text in a way that is not intended can make errors more obvious. For example, read your work from bottom to top or from right to left. This separates each word from the larger context and makes it easier to spot errors.
- Watch the lighting. Subtle nuances can impact your success at finding and correcting errors. For example, fluorescent lights make it harder to see small mistakes in your work. It is better to proofread under natural lighting.
- Check the obvious. Don’t assume that you are infallible to mistakes in any particular area. Overconfidence can hurt your finished product. Double-check headings and boilerplate text, and regularly review grammar rules that you are unsure about.
Using these proofreading tips can improve your writing and help you accomplish your goals as an author.
About the author: Randall Davidson is a cofounder of ProofreadingServices.Us, a proofreading service that offers book proofreading. Randall enjoys discussing proofreading and editing tips and best practices with other writers.
Guest Post from Mariana Ashley: Freelancer Etiquette When It Comes to Criticism
April 14, 2011 by Lillie
Like it or not, criticism is a part of the freelancing profession. Every freelance writer will come across someone who is not happy with their work at least once during the span of their career, though knowing that it is inevitable does not make the situation any easier to stomach. This is why all freelancers should have an idea of how to properly handle criticism, whether it is given from an anonymous reader or from a client.
Knowing the fundamentals of freelancer etiquette when it comes to criticism can make the entire episode much easier to manage, and it can also showcase to others including possible future clients that the freelancer is mature and respectful, and therefore someone worth working with.
Do not take criticism too personally.
It is easy to see why criticism can be so hurtful, as many freelance writers exert a tremendous amount of effort into putting together well-researched and well-written pieces. However, keep in mind to not take any criticism too personally, even if you do feel attached to the piece you have written. After all, when you work with clients such as individuals or publications, you are essentially writing a piece for them and not solely for yourself. This means that the client does have a right to look over your work and offer their opinion on it, whether it is a positive one or not. Likewise, whenever you publish anything, there is bound to be someone who does not like it due to the sheer number of differences between readers. Do not become too caught up in what some people have to say about your work and let it get under your skin.
Vent your frustrations privately.
When you do feel frustrated by criticism, release your frustrations privately. Talk about it with your close friends and family, but never attack your client or air your grievances to the public. After all, a future client could be watching or reading what you have to say, so you want to present yourself as someone who is professional, not bitter. If you behave unprofessionally online or through another public forum, you risk losing future project opportunities.
If you do address your critics, do so in a calm and collected manner.
There is nothing wrong with reaching out to your critics. In fact, it could even be a great learning experience if they have notes on what they think could have improved your writing. Just make sure that if you do send a message to your critics to do so politely and calmly. It may even be a good idea to wait for a day before responding to allow yourself sufficient time to detach emotionally from the criticism. Remain professional, and address your concerns in a rational manner without resorting to personal attacks or foul language. Perhaps you feel that a client unjustly mistreated your piece, or that a reader missed the entire point of one of your articles, but you should still take the higher ground. Chances are that if you approach a critic respectfully, you will receive a respectful response in return. Even if you do not receive a respectful response, you will have the advantage of remaining professional while the critic is cast in a negative light for reacting poorly.
Do not draw unnecessary attention to pointless criticism or blatant disrespect.
Hopefully, no freelancer will ever have to work for a client who is insulting, but if you do find yourself in that situation, do not add fuel to the fire. Respectfully thank the client for their time, retract the article if you need to, and disengage yourself from that individual or publication. If you feel that your case was particularly mistreated, it could be a good idea to report the critic’s behavior to the publication’s human resources department so that they may handle the situation. On the other hand, if you notice a particularly unfounded and disrespectful insult from a reader in your e-mail inbox or on a website, simply ignore it. You do not need to draw any more attention to that individual, as he or she has nothing of value to offer and is only interested in making you aggravated.
It is undoubtedly difficult to deal with criticism, but if you focus only on what is being said and not how it is being said, you could gain valuable insight into what makes your writing work and what holds it back. In addition, it is imperative to remain professional no matter what and to ignore those who just want to get a few personal jabs at you. This way, your readers and future clients will know that you handle criticism and praise respectfully and admirably, making you a better candidate for future freelance writing projects.
By-line:
Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online college. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.
Other posts you might enjoy:
Every “No” Is Just One Step Closer to a “Yes”
Rejected? You’re in Good Company
Rejection: Keep Looking for the Right Address
Rejection: Your baby is ugly!
What I Learned from Rejection
Guest Post at Getting It Write for You
March 24, 2011 by Lillie
Lisa Vella at Getting It Write for You has been publishing a series on publishing options. Today I have contributed a guest post: Subsidy Publishing? Self-Publishing? It’s All Beginning to Blur.
If you are a writer wanting to better understand your publishing options, visit Lisa’s blog and read the entire series. They are all linked from my post.
In my Self-Publishing Primer, I differentiate between subsidy publishing and self-publishing, but recently the distinctions between the two are beginning to blur. Find out in the latest in my guest post.
Guest Post from Tara Miller: Three Techniques of Journalism That Could Improve Your Blog Writing
March 17, 2011 by Lillie
Great writing is essential to running a successful blog. When a blog’s posts are consistently well-written, readers will be more compelled to return for new posts as well as to look over old ones. Unfortunately, good writing is not something that comes easily to everyone. Writing well can be difficult and confusing, but bloggers who are struggling with their writing skills can adopt some time-tested journalism techniques for guidance on how to create informative and gripping blog posts.
1. The Inverted Pyramid
Writing using the inverted pyramid means that your post should start off with the most important information first and then gradually narrow down to less important details. In journalism, this ensures that the reader gets as much of the important information as possible early on so that even if the reader drops the news story halfway through, they will still have the basic gist of the news piece. In blogging, you can use the same approach by introducing each post with the most important information first and delivering the more unimportant information further down the post. This way, your readers will get a good idea of where your post is headed so that your ideas are more clearly understood.
To successfully create an inverted pyramid style of writing, your first paragraph will have to pack in a lot of information. Strive to answer as many as the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions as comfortably possible within the first two paragraphs. This will give your readers a firm grasp on your post topic. Following that paragraph, you can write on something less essential, such as using that paragraph to set a scene or further explain the post topic. You would end your post with a tidbit that may be entertaining or helpful, but not necessarily essential. Using this model will help you to hone your ideas so that you are more effectively communicating information in each of your posts.
2. Show and Not Tell
Vivid writing can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Journalists often must pack life into their news stories to elevate them from a dull collection of facts to a real news story. One way they turn boring news reports into entertaining reads is by showing and not telling the reader about all of the events that took place. As a blogger, you can use the same writing style to make your posts much more exciting.
Showing and not telling a reader about events means that rather than outright saying that someone was feeling something or doing something, you simply describe exactly how they are behaving so that the reader can see that feeling or action. For example, rather than saying, “Bobby felt guilty about eating all the cookies,” you could show your readers Bobby’s guilt by saying, “Bobby looked down sullenly and silently wiped the remaining cookie crumbs off his mouth.” This way, readers will have a more compelling picture of Bobby’s feelings and your piece will be much livelier.
3. Break Up Your Posts
It is difficult for readers to trudge through long blocks of texts, whether it is online of offline. For this reason, most journalists make sure that all of their paragraphs are only a few sentences long before breaking into a new paragraph. Online, bloggers can do the same thing and make their posts easier on the eyes by writing shorter paragraphs and including other visual elements like bulleted lists wherever necessary. A picture or graphic is also a great way to break up text-heavy posts, as it will give readers something else to look at before they return to the text of your post. This retains the reader’s visual interest and encourages them to continue reading.
Byline:
This guest post is contributed by Tara Miller, who particularly enjoys writing about psychology degree. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: miller.tara23@gmail.com.
Beating Time at Its Own Game: Life Begins at Sixty – Guest Post by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
July 28, 2010 by Lillie
Sometimes the big barriers in life aren’t abject poverty, dreaded disease, or death. Sometimes it’s the subtle ones set upon us by time and place. The ones that can’t be seen and can’t be acknowledged because we don’t know they are there. They creep up silently on padded feet and, if we sense them at all, we choose not to turn and face them. The decade of the 50s was a time when barriers like these faced those with dark skin, those who lived in closed religious communities, and those who were female.
When I applied for a job as a writer for Good Housekeeping (Hearst Corporation) in New York in 1961, I was required to take a typing test. I was piqued because I wasn’t applying for the typing-pool, I was applying for a post as an editorial assistant.
I was told, “No typing test, no interview.” I took the test and was offered a job in the ranks of those who could do 70-in-a-minute. I had to insist upon the interview I had been promised. I was only twenty and had no real skills in assertiveness. I am amazed I had the wherewithal to insist on anything.
The essentials of this anecdote lie in the fact that I was put out for the wrong reasons. My irritation was a reflection of hubris. However, that pride was probably what goaded me into speaking up so I guess pride is not always a bad thing to have.
It never occurred to me that this typing requirement was one that applied only to women, much less that I should be angry for the sake of my entire gender. Prejudice is sometimes like traveling on well-worn treads; you have no idea you’re in danger. It also feeds on the ignorance of its victims. They benignly accept their lot because they know no better.
Something similar was at work when I married and had children. I happily took a new direction to accommodate my husband’s career and the life the winds of the times presented to me. The two of us (often with our children’s help!) opened an art gallery and it grew into a chain of gift shops, so I left my writing with hardly a backward look. Back then—in the days before women had been made aware—the possibilities were not an open book to be denied or accepted. I just did what was expected by the entire culture.
As a shop owner, I was often surprised—even after it happened many times—when suppliers wouldn’t talk to me. They insisted on talking to the “decision maker,” presumably someone with a masculine voice. Once I met disbelief when I told the person on the other end of the line that I was it.
Things are so much better now. I don’t think women younger than their mid-fifties have any idea of how ignorant most women were to their own possibilities. That there was a time when we didn’t even know we had choices is not fiction.
I had always wanted to sit in a forest or an office or a newsroom with a pencil in my hand. I dreamed writing, lived writing, and loved writing. I wanted to write the next Gone with the Wind, only set in Utah instead of the South. (I figured enough had been written about the South and hardly anyone knew anything about the unique culture I was raised in.) That was my plan, but it was soon gone with the wind.
My dream was a victim of the status quo. It never occurred to me to just strike out in my own direction when my husband and children needed me. The pain was there. I just didn’t recognize it so I could hardly address it and fix it.
My husband and I built a business. We raised a lawyer and a mathematician, grew in joy with a grandson, lived through floods and moves, enjoyed travel. For forty years I didn’t write and, during that time, there were changes. Women had more choices but more than that they had become more aware. The equipment, gears, and pulleys were in place for a different view on life. In midlife I became aware that there was an empty hole where my children had been but also that the hole was more vast than the space vacated by them. I knew I not only would be able to write, I would need to write.
Then I read that, if those who live until they are fifty in these times may very likely see their hundredth year. That meant that I might have another entire lifetime before me—plenty of time to do whatever I wanted. In fact, it’s my belief that women in their 50s might have more time for their second life because they won’t have to spend the first twenty years preparing for adulthood.
One day I sat down and began to write the “Great Utah Novel.” I thought it would be a lot easier than it was. I had majored in English Lit. Writing a novel should be pretty much second nature.
Since then I’ve written books of poetry, a series of HowToDoItFrugally books for writers, and a series for retailers. The nonfiction books are the result of many of those experiences, the wafting and ebbing of life. They wouldn’t have been possible had I not been led off track. I guess that realization is a form of the wisdom people say we get as we age.
I am proud of my novel and poetry. I’m glad that I waited until I was sixty. I believe that forty years brought insight to the story in terms of the obstacles that women faced in those days and a gentler perspective of the culture in Utah. But I’m also proud of my nonfiction books, my efforts to share what I learned through all of my careers. Each was valuable.
But mostly I like being proof that a new life can start late—or that it is never too late to revive a dream.
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Be sure to return Friday for a review of Carolyn’s latest book: Frugal and Focused Tweeting for Retailers:Tweaking Your Tweets and Other Tips for Integrating Your Social Media. And don’t think this book doesn’t apply to you because you’re not a retailer. The information can be used by authors or anyone trying to promote a product or service.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This Is the Place, and her creative nonfiction, Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, are both award-winners. Her fiction, nonfiction, and poems have appeared in national magazines, anthologies, and review journals. She speaks on culture, tolerance, writing, and promotion and has appeared on TV and hundreds of radio stations nationwide. She is an instructor for UCLA Extension’s Writers’ Program and has shared her expertise at venues like San Diego State’s world renowned Writers’ Conference and Call to Arts! EXPO. She was recently awarded Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment by the California Legislature and her city’s Ethics award for her work on promoting tolerance. Her nitty-gritty how-to book, The Frugal Book Promoter won USA Book News’ Best Professional Book award and the Irwin Award and her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success was also a USA News winner and a Reader Views Literary Award winner. Her chapbook of poetry, Tracings, won the Award of Excellence from the Military Writers’ Society of America and was a Compulsive Reader Best Read. She loves to travel and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom, UK; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, RU; and Charles University in Prague.
Guest Post at Visual Arts Junction
February 13, 2010 by Lillie
In my recent interview with Aggie Villanueva, Aggie shared a little about her experiences in self-publishing. Now she’s writing a series on self-publishing at Visual Arts Junction.
I’m honored that Aggie asked me to write a guest post on finding the right editor. Even though the article is geared for self-publishing authors, writers who are seeking an editor to polish their manuscript before submitting to traditional publishers will also find helpful tips. I hope you’ll stop by and say hell0.
Read How to Find a Good Self-Publishing Editor at Visual Arts Junction.
Guest Post: 9 Ways to Promote Your Book Using Social Media by Beth Morrow
July 8, 2009 by Lillie
Recently, Beth Morrow at Writer-in-Progress interviewed me for her feature Story Behind the Story She agreed to reciprocate with a guest post here, and I jumped at the chance. Let’s welcome Beth and get ready to learn about promoting books through social media.
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In the big scheme of things, I’ve noticed two types of social media impact writers more than any others: blogging and social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. You can bet I was thrilled when Lillie picked social networking for the topic of this post—I’ve been messing with social media in all its forms for years and enjoy the challenge of integrating it into my writing career. First, I want to remind you of the most important element of social networking:
The human element.
Finding new ways to connect with old friends and make new ones, including new readers, is exciting. The possibilities of what you can do and how the world sees you as a creative writer increases tenfold. Never lose sight of the fact that people want to connect with you as a person first, a writer second. Just as people in the world want to connect with you on a personal level, those folks linking with you via social media want the same. Be a person first, a promoter second.
Now, for the good stuff…
Each social media form has a purpose. Discovering what works for you in each venue is a process of trial and error. Here are my thoughts and observations on how many authors use social networking to promote their works.
Blogging
1. Post Regularly to Your Blog
Sounds ridiculously simple, doesn’t it? After all, there are so many free blog hosts (WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, LiveJournal), you can’t use the excuse of expense. Blogs require input and regular posting to keep readers coming back. There’s something about the author’s mind that fascinates the general public, so if you’re short on ideas, go with that. Your blog is also a great place to answer reader questions, start a book discussion or share updates on your current work-in-progress for readers anxious for your next release.
2. Use Your Blog as a Promotional Tool
The number of ways to promo your book on your blog are practically endless. Keep a running list of your book signings, links to your work on Amazon or other online venues, links to your reviews and mentions of your work on other websites. Host a contest to win one of your back titles, and don’t forget to mention when and where you’ll have upcoming interviews and public appearances. Give readers a way they can contact you via email and snail mail. If you‘re able, offer excerpts of your work. Remember to promote your blog through email signatures and on business cards. Getting all this information into your blog is work upfront but in the long run, directing new readers to your site requires nothing more than sharing your link.
3. Use Your Blog To Socially Interact With Other Authors
Some of the best comments and emails I’ve received from readers of my blog are from writers who appreciate the interviews of other writers I host on my blog. I enjoy interacting with other authors willing to respond to my interviews because my questions all center around the process of creative writing. Ask other writers with whom you’ve established a basic writing relationship, either online or in real life, if they’d be willing to write a guest post for your blog. You can give them the topic, suggest one or mutually choose one. In return, offer to guest blog for them and allow them to post links to their website, blog and published works as part of their bio. If they don’t have time or aren’t interested, politely thank them, don’t hound them.
4. Create a Fan Page for Yourself and/or Your Book(s)
Fan pages allow people who like your work to keep up on your releases with one click. While I’ve seen some authors create their individual page as a fan page, most choose to create a fan page for their books. Creating a fan page makes contacting folks who follow your books as simple as posting a message to your fan page. Facebook does all the legwork of getting it to the members. Can’t beat that for efficiency!
5. Link Your Blog to Facebook
With the Networked Blogs application at Facebook, you can make your blog posts do double duty as Facebook status updates. You can also link your blog with those of other friends and writers. Do a search at Facebook for the “Networked Blogs” application. It will walk you through linking your blog and inviting friends and fans as readers.
6. Announce Release Dates via Events
Using the Events program within Facebook, add your book releases, book signings and upcoming appearances to the calendar. When the day of your event arrives, all of your Facebook friends will receive a reminder. Likewise, you can send a message via the Inbox to all your friends, but this gets annoying if you regularly clutter your friends’ inboxes.
7. Get Involved
Twitter is overwhelming at first. The best way to get comfortable is to jump in and reply to the tweets of others. Build a few meaningful relationships then branch out as you gain confidence. It’s very easy to watch the Twitter world blip by so don’t waste time: tweet back!
8. Link to Your Work
Again with the cross-promotion. Retweet your blog posts (just a title and link is the norm), mention where you’re guest blogging (again with a link), announce releases and post excerpts (do this sparingly. Remember, people want you to come through on Twitter, not a publicity-seeking bot). In your Twitter profile, list your Facebook name, website and blog URLs. The more traffic you get to your webpage and your work, the more sales you’ll have.
9. Find Author Gigs
I’ve seen numerous tweets from people seeking guest speakers for their organization, other authors and journalists looking for interview subjects, PR folks looking for contacts on short notice. I’ve even heard of magazine editors seeking authors to write articles on content from their books. Your position as a published author will open doors in other areas you may never have considered. Always be willing to put yourself out there in the name of promoting your work.
The onslaught of social media is both a blessing and a curse. It’s hard enough finding the time to sit down and write some days–who wants to spend that precious time on a computer? On the other hand, social networking is free, effective and targeted to readers. Reaching new readers from the comfort of your couch—what could be easier?
About the Author
Beth Morrow is a freelance author, writing workshop presenter and social media junkie. Visit her blog for writers at: www.writer-in-progress.com, join her at Face book (Beth Frazee Morrow) and follow her at Twitter (@Buckeye_BethM). She loves questions on social media, so don’t be shy. 
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I know you’ll have questions for Beth, and she’ll be glad to answer questions left in comments. However, because of family illness, there may be a delay in her response.
photo credit: Tech Writer Boy.
