How Writers Organize their Social Media

It is always important how writers organize their social media. Writers of today are busier than they ever were, and if you know anything about social media, then you know how demanding it can be. Most every writer has an established goal, is creating a brand, and knows what type of reader that they attract. The very best way to manage your writing career is use your supreme organizational skills in managing your social media accounts.

It is also a good idea to always be on the lookout for better way to employ social media. There are always more effective and more efficient ways out there. You really need to get your social media activities down to a finite amount of time each day. Some writers may devote 30 minutes or even an hour each and then get back to their real job – writing.

Let us check out some ways make your social media activities more manageable—and perhaps even more enjoyable too.

Set Up a Social Media Calendar

I have found just a normal desk organizer to work great for social media activities. This is a great way to manage things like blog post and guest blog postings. This is also where you keep track of personal things like vacations and holidays —so that you will not miss any important social media appointment – they are very important because they are part of your brand.

Take Advantage of a Social Media Scheduler like Hootsuite or Buffer

There are several great tools out there, so we would be foolish not to take advantage of them. Many people I know will often sit down and schedule an entire month of tweets or fanpage posts in one sitting. Wouldn’t it be nice to have it all done for a whole month ahead of time?

Know the Places to Find Good Content

One of the best things you can do is set up a feed reader like Feedly and follow the good writing blogs and writers who have helped your writing career. Do not be afraid to share and comment about tools and techniques that have proven to be very valuable to you. These are the very best things to share on your social media.

Always ask yourself about the things your readers are most concerned about. What are the kinds of things that they would value and share with their friends? You will never go wrong from sharing content this way. It will almost always connect with your followers on social media.

Establish a Solid Social Media File

This is the sort of place that you store your ideas about social media. Do not forget that images and videos are a big part of the social world. In fact, several studies have shown that they are even more popular than text on social media. So feel free to use them liberally.

But whenever you get new ideas about what you would like to share, get in the habit of placing your notes somewhere for later. Personally, I like using a spreadsheet to keep my ideas. I know lots of people who use Notepad or Evernote for this purpose.

Create a Spreadsheet to Keep your Plan on Track

Spreadsheets are something I like to use for everything. I treat it like a big notebook to organize all of my plans and ideas. So I can recommend them enough. I like to treat each spreadsheet as a “project” and then use the tabs within the spreadsheet as different elements of that project.

The great thing is today everyone has access to free spreadsheet usage simply by signing up for a Gmail account. I urge you to take advantage of this if you haven’t already.

As hopefully you have seen from this article that it is important how writers organize their social media.

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5 Wonderful Suggestions on How to Start a Story

Did you ever struggle with exactly how to start a story? Most of us have. Many experts believe the beginning of a story is by far the most vital part of creative writing. Of course, it is obviously the very first thing in which your reader will be digesting when they encounter your book or story. That fact alone makes it pretty important.

So now that we understand how important the beginning really is, that brings us back to the very first question on how to start a story. What exactly is a perfect opening?

A beginning really does need to wow your readers. So let us look at 5 ways to begin our stories

Essential Aspects on How to Start a Story

Although you really have to consider every single element of your story, there are indeed 5 specific ways to make your book shine at the beginning.

Craft the Very First Line

Spend more time than usual on that very first line. Don’t let this tip encourage writer’s block – yes, you just need to start writing. But when you come back to edit, be sure you really put some effort into your first sentence – make it pop – because you remember what they say about first impressions.

Forget About the Prologue

Everyone likes to debate about whether or not to include a prologue. Even professionals like seasoned authors and agents will put out different advice about them.

You have to realize that when many readers decide to try out your book, they most likely picked yours from a stack of others. If your book doesn’t quickly hook them, they will be reading the next book on the stack – so don’t delay beginning your story with prologue – which is what prologues often do.

Begin your Story in the Middle of Things

If you can throw your protagonist into an exciting scene, not only will it serve to excite and interest your reader, it will tickle their sense of curiosity too. Because when you start in the middle, you have bypassed many things about the characters. And if the reader really likes any of the characters, then they will hang around to find out more about them.

Do not Over Explain

All readers are guilty of doing this – especially rookie writers. Because we want our readers to fully understand what is going on – we tend to give them lots of details – but too many details will kill the story. When we over explain, it is hard not to sound like we are lecturing to our reader and they will not like that.

Get in the habit of teasing your reader a little bit by revealing information here and there throughout your book.

Always Conclude your First Chapter with a Cliffhanger

This should not be very hard to do if you started in the middle of things like we suggested earlier. The great thing would be to do this with every chapter, but you must do with the first chapter.

Not only will this keep your reader interested, but he and she will feel good about selecting a good book to read. Remember, they are most likely still trying out your book. And you also gave them a reason to tell their friends that they are “reading a really good book” – which is something people love to tell one another. And the good thing is once they have told another person this; it is almost a guarantee that they will finish your book – in case their friend asks them about the book later.

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To Self-Publish or Not To Self-Publish

Many of us writers are struggling as to whether or not to self-publish. Most of us already know many of the pitfalls that comes with traditional publishing, but we have gotten mixed messages with regards to self-publishing.

Pro and Cons Of Self Publishing

We hear the good things about authors who self-publish that have gone on to sell thousands of books. They liked being able to make all the decisions and having control of how their books get published. They like being able to keep their fingers directly on the pulse of the process. In fact, many of them find this experience to be very rewarding.

On the other hand, we hear from other authors who have many negative things to say about self-publishing. To these writers, they felt somewhat lost and had trouble making many of the required decisions. Basically, what they felt was missing was the guided hand of experience that you get from an established book publisher.

So with these concerns in mind, we sought out some great information from those who have experience self-publishing first hand. Here is some of their input and advice to anyone who is considering the path of self-publishing.

Why Pursue Traditional Publishing? (Are There Enough Good Reasons?)

I’ve self-published before. My first novel, Pretty Much True, received agent praise but no takers. As it was explained over the phone by one praising, but non-taking, agent—and by another who said essentially the same thing in a very nice email—the book was literary and I was an unknown. “So hard to market in this climate,” they said. It was because of the agents’ praise that I felt safe to self-publish.

How to Sell 25,000 Self-Published Books: Interview with Frank McKinley

Frank McKinley is a Tribe Writer and he recently let slip that he has sold 25,000 of his self-published books. He’s here today to talk about how this incredible feat, including valuable lessons on writing, publishing and failure. Frank’s journey as a writer began when he was very young, in fact he says he has been writing for as long as he can remember! Writing helped him deal with the world when he was a teenager, it was therapeutic for him.

Make Your Own Self-Publisher’s Survival Kit

Just like survivalist “preppers” we can prepare ourselves for the arduous journey to come. And what we’ll need is our own “Self-Publisher’s Survival Kit” with our own purification system, nourishment for the long days ahead, and shelter from the circling hyenas looking for an easy meal. ou might think this is a fanciful exercise, but I assure you it’s not. You’ll want to be prepared. Here’s a good start for your own survival kit …

Hopefully, by reviewing these articles, you are able to make the very best decision for you as to whether or not to self-publish your own book. We realize that this is not an easy decision, but there is also the option of doing parts of both traditional and non-traditional publishing. This way, you could do the things you are good at, and hire other experienced people to do the things you are not so good at doing.

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7 Ways to Quit Writing Boring Blog Posts

Many of us would love to learn some ways to quit writing boring blog posts. If we are not getting much engagement or interaction from our blog content, then we are either not getting enough traffic or our content is just boring. Or maybe we have both of those problems.

So with that said, let us look at 7 ways to quit writing boring blog posts.

Don’t be Afraid to Be Personal

So when you sit down and write a personal letter to someone, you never make it generic, do you? You usually have a certain person in mind and you tailor you words for them. And your words are very casual – just like having a conversation with a friend or a family member.

So why not use this approach when writing your blog posts? Have a close friend in mind and pretend that you are talking to them. This method allows you to sound more authentic and sincere. And your words will be more readable and hopefully enjoyable.

Tell a Story

We humans love stories. Just look at the movie industries, the television industries, and the book industries – all of them are profitable and thriving from telling stories. So this approach has been proven time and time again for centuries. So don’t you think that your readers might like stories? There’s a very good chance of that.

Share a personal experience with them that has a story to it. This would let you get personal and allow you to tell a story. How could you lose with this approach?

Make a Splash

The cold hard truth for us bloggers is that the competition is beyond fierce. We are competing with millions of other blogs for the attention of a limited numbers of people who are interested in our chosen niches.

The fact is we have to give them a compelling reason to spend some of their limited time on our blog or website. So you must do something to stand out.

Try to Woo Them A Little

When readers decide to read your content, then you need to reward them somehow and tell them how special they are. They must feel good about read your blog post. Give them something to feel good about it and promise them there will be more goodies for them in the future.

Make Them Laugh

Everyone loves to laugh – this is why funny stuff often goes viral on the internet. We see funny videos with millions of views every single day online. Why not let it be one of your videos or blog posts?

If you have a good sense of humor, then feel free to use it often – it will pay dividends for you in the long run. Yeah, some of it will fall flat, but you only need one or two of them to go viral and your blog will prosper.

Keep them Reading

Another thing that is challenging for bloggers today is getting your readers to read the blog to the end. The internet has cultivated a generation is skimmers – in other words, many of us have developed the habit of skimming content instead of reading it.

Therefore, your blog posts need to have engaging content from start to finish.

Use Words that are Emotional

The fact is that buying decisions are always decisions of emotions and not logic. Therefore, if we want to make an impact on our readers, then we need to use more emotional words.

The best way to persuade readers is to make them feel certain ways and our words must guide them to those feelings. So become aware of the emotions that your blog posts may or may not be sparking in your readers.

So start using some of the ways to quit writing boring blog posts.

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5 Things You Must Do For Your First Book Launch

You have worked hard getting your first look finished, so let us look at some things you must do for your first book launch. Yes, writing about was very important and it required a lot of effort, but now you are facing another big task.

The fact is it doesn’t really matter how good your book is, if no one knows about it then it will not get read. This is the cold hard truth of book publishing. Now that we understand this basic fact about promoting their book, let us look at the five things that we have to do for her first book launch.

Take Time to Enjoy this Moment

Just take a minute and enjoy what you have accomplished. Take a moment to realize that you are giving back to the world in the form of your writing skills. You know that your book is good, otherwise you wouldn’t be publishing it. Yes, there are a lot more work to be done. But do not overlook what has already been accomplished thus far.

Perfect your Manuscript

Take a moment to acknowledge all the individuals who have helped you do this. We are talking about your editor, your agent, and even your book designer. And there are probably several more that need your acknowledgment. But do not let up at this point. You must have a perfect manuscript.

Treat your Book Launch as if you were Launching a Business

If you tell to any very successful indie writers, they will quickly tell you that you must treat a book launch as if it were a business. You must be prepared to do a lot of your own promotion and marketing – which is exactly what a business would do. And I understand you will have to cough up some of your own money in order to earn money from your sales.

Have a Book Marketing Plan

You have to to do this right away. Do not put this off after your book is released. Do not even start thinking about your next book because no one will know you if your first book isn’t marketed properly. To begin with, there must be a press release, and it must be a high quality press release. If your publisher isn’t doing this, then you need to do it yourself.

You should make a list of all your local media. Set up by local press conference if you can, and then have it double as a book signing event. Invite everyone you can think of to this event.

Make a list of local bookstores and approached him about having a book signing. Call them often until you get the definitive response one way or the other.

Establish yourself on social media channels if you haven’t already. Get very active on those channels and even purchase advertising where appropriate. Also set up a blog and discuss what is happening with you in your book.

Build an e-mailing list

This is not as hard as it seems. In fact, it is quite simple to set up an auto responder so that interested readers can opt in to your online newsletter. You just have to be willing to offer them something of value in exchange for joining your newsletter.

Build your Community and Engage with them

Discover who your readers are and start engaging with them. You will find that your social media channels and your blog will become extremely valuable tools for building your community.

Hopefully, you will get started right away on these 5 things you must do for your first book launch.

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6 Ways to Build your Author Brand

When writers are starting out, they usually have no clue as to how to build your author brand. In fact, they usually are not even considering what to do about branding at all. Another problem with this is that many times you might accidentally build your author brand in a way that is undesirable. Thus, if you do not manage the way your brand is built, then it is going to get built for you. So why not build your brand as a writer in a desirable way?

Here are six ways to begin building an author brand that has purpose and gives you a chance to control the outcome.

Take the steps to identify your reader

Always ask yourself just who are the ones that are reading your books and material? What are their dreams and desires? How old are they and how much money do they earn?

Believe it or not, it is critical to know these things about your fans. You might look at them as an avatar – perhaps a character in your story that seems a little fictional, but is not really.

This is not something you decide to find out in one evening. It takes a bit of time to define your ideal ready in a way that will be worthwhile. You actually need to live in their shoes for a bit – just as you would a character one of your stories.

Cultivate a voice for your brand

Once you know who your brand is trying to speak to, it’s time to look inwardly at yourself.

No, this does not mean you are reinventing yourself into a fictional character that others would like you to be.

This is the process finding the qualities in yourself to enhance and emphasize in public. You find the right tone for your readers and use this tone across your social media accounts and your marketing content. It is not a phony way to communicate; instead it is a consistent way to communicate.

Over time, you blend the values of your readers and your own values into the voice of your brand. It takes time, but become more effective over time.

Figure out your Unique Selling Point

This is very important. You need to be able to tell anyone what your brand offers that no other brand in your genre offers. This is the very reason when your readers buy your books instead of someone else’s books.

Set some Parameters and Standards

This is where you establish more brand consistency, so your readers know what to expect. They need to know when you post a new blog post, when you will post a new video (if you do videos), when you will release new books, etc.

The important thing to note here is it really doesn’t matter what your parameters and standards are, it only matters that you set them and fulfill them religiously. Once they are set, you must never fail to meet them.

Understand what is being branded

This is a very common mistake for authors who have enjoyed a successful book. They forget what they are branding and it is understandable. What happens is they become the brand of this wildly successful book. You have to remember that you will be creating future books and stories – so YOU have to continue to build your author brand

Cultivate a Look for your brand

Instant recognition is a powerful thing, so why not let it work for you when you build your author brand? Find a theme, a style and a set of colors that works best for you and stick with them.

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Extremely Helpful Writing Tips from Great Writers

As we attempt to polish our craft and become better writers, it is always a good thing to get some helpful writing tips – especially from those who are already great creative writers. Sometimes when we write, we come across that one phrase or technique that lets us distinguish between how we are currently writing and how we are capable of writing. These are moments when we move to the next level with our craft. Getting helpful writing tips from great authors allow us to have even more of these wonderful moments.

I came across several great tips recently and have listed them below. There are several of these writing tips that I have saved in my writing journal so that I can apply them to my daily writing routine. I urge you to take the some time to review these tips. There could very well be some potential life changers in there

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8 writing tips from authors who won the Nobel

Writing tips from authors who won the Nobel (such as Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez) are often worth taking to heart. Read 8 of the best pieces of writing advice from acclaimed authors:

1. Don’t use dead language

Toni Morrison won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993. In her Nobel lecture, Morrison contrasts ‘dead language’ that ‘thwarts the intellect, stalls conscience, suppresses human potential’ with language that is used with awareness and care. She classes sexist and racist language as the former, saying that they are ‘the policing languages of mastery, and cannot, do not permit new knowledge or encourage the mutual exchange of ideas.’

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20 Writing Tips from Fiction Authors

Writing success boils down to hard work, imagination and passion—and then some more hard work. iUniverse Publishing fires up your creative spirit with 20 writing tips from 12 bestselling fiction authors.

Use these tips as an inspirational guide—or better yet, print a copy to put on your desk, home office, refrigerator door, or somewhere else noticeable so you can be constantly reminded not to let your story ideas wither away by putting off your writing.

Tip1: “My first rule was given to me by TH White, author of The Sword in the Stone and other Arthurian fantasies and was: Read. Read everything you can lay hands on. I always advise people who want to write a fantasy or science fiction or romance to stop reading everything in those genres and start reading everything else from Bunyan to Byatt.” — Michael Moorcock

Tip 2: “Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everybody away from it, even the people who are most important to you.” — Zadie Smith

Tip 3: “Introduce your main characters and themes in the first third of your novel. If you are writing a plot-driven genre novel make sure all your major themes/plot elements are introduced in the first third, which you can call the introduction. Develop your themes and characters in your second third, the development. Resolve your themes, mysteries and so on in the final third, the resolution.” — Michael Moorcock

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30 Indispensable Writing Tips From Famous Authors

Writing is easy: All you have to do is start writing, finish writing, and make sure it’s good.But here’s some vastly more useful wisdom and advice from people who seriously know what the hell they’re talking about.

 

 

 

 

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