Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 133

Do You Consider Writing To Be Working?

I don’t know if you are anything like me, but sometimes I find it hard to get people to take me seriously. Not because of my childlike wonder at the world or giddy sense of humour but because when I describe my job as a freelance writer and author, people seem to think I don’t actually work.

Having asked around a few of my writing comrades, it seems that my problem is not uncommon. Anyone from my parents, my partner and friends to people I meet at dinner parties and, I swear even sometimes my dog (she gives me withering looks when I am still on the sofa in my pyjamas at 10 am) seem to think that because I enjoy my job, and don’t have to squeeze into a starchy business suit, grab my briefcase and head out to a stuffy office each morning, that I am living some sort of charmed existence.

Just because you love your job doesn’t mean it isn’t work

Truth be told I don’t really help myself out. I love my job, and I tell people so. In moments of happy delirium I sometimes even say things like ‘you know, it doesn’t really feel like I’m working at all!’ This, to some extent, probably makes me quite annoying, but those people who don’t like their jobs refuse to believe it. The idea that you could work hard and be happy at the same time is astonishing and ridiculous, so they pat me on the head and assume mum and dad are paying for my rent so I can follow my silly little dreams.

But writing is hard

The thing is, writing is pretty tough. It’s a competitive industry to work in; payment rates vary hugely, and you have to constantly think about where your work is coming from. If projects are about to end, what you can do to make sure you have enough money to pay the bills? How to manage your time, what deadlines are coming up, what your backup plan is if it all goes horribly wrong – and, did I mention the constant threat of rejection and failure that looms over your head even on the very sunniest of days?

Writing is not just about writing there are lots of less exciting bits too. Pitching ideas, following up leads, managing finances, the dreaded tax return…these are all part of one’s job as a writer. It’s not all sitting in a sun-dappled room at an oaken desk with your trusty typewriter in front of you, a breeze in your hair and a view of rolling hills and pine forests as far as the eye can see (I often think this is how people imagine writers work).

Writers work all the time

Reading is working, making notes on a bus is working, research is working (if your new book happens to be about a girl who likes to drink a lot of wine and go to spa weekends then it still counts, right?). Seriously, though, when I actually total all the hours I spend writing it ends up being way more than your average 9-5 job. I write first thing in the morning, the last thing at night, I write on long journeys, on the weekends, when I go on holiday – you get the picture.

Just because you don’t work set days doesn’t mean you can drop everything to take an impromptu trip to the seaside. But if you do decide to have a day off, or head into town to do your weekly shop mid-morning on a Thursday it’s probably because you got up at 6 am to write three articles before you came out. Of course, that will be the time that you bump into smug Sandra who says something like ‘Shopping again?’ with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile and then proceeds to tell you how she is rushing in between meetings because her job is, like, soooooooo stressful.

Just because you don’t get paid loads (or at all) doesn’t mean it is not a job. Sometimes writers work for free. Every time I sit down and write my book, that’s exactly what I am doing, and sometimes it is agonising and challenging. So when people treat it as a hobby or a fun pastime, it can feel like you are being kicked in the shins. Trust me, it’s not like I don’t WANT people to pay me to write my book – really, that would be lovely.

Writing for me is a dream job. So when my writing is going well it doesn’t feel much like work, it makes me feel electrified and excited, and all wide eyed and grinny about the possibilities of what could come next. But that doesn’t mean I don’t put the hours in, and that doesn’t mean there aren’t boring bits or days (or months) where I have had to take on jobs so dull they’d make your eyes water just to make ends meet. Or struggle through times where I have felt like I am not getting anywhere and have thought about packing it all in dusting off that suit and joining the glaze-eyed masses to make my life easier.

So is writing work? It certainly is.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

Do You Consider Writing To Be Working? – Writer’s Life.org

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5 Goals Every Content Marketer Should Have

To be a successful content writer you need to set yourself some goals. If you continuously work towards these, then you will always be learning, striving for more and ultimately improving your business. All the little bits and pieces of work you do need to come together to create a bigger picture, and if you are clear on which direction you want to take and what you want to achieve you’ll feel like you are always making headway.

So just what should your content marketing goals be? Well, of course, everyone has different ideals in mind of what they would like to achieve to be successful. But if you are struggling on how to define your goals, why not take a look at the below to see if it can help?

Here are five great goals every content marketer should have.

1 Connect with your audience

This should be a priority at all times. Every time you plan and write a new piece of content make sure you have thought about your readers. You content needs to be valuable to them, and it can be valuable in many different ways. You could be answering a question, solving a problem, introducing a new concept or idea, or simply entertaining them. Whatever it is, there is nothing more important than making sure you understand your audience, and writing with them in mind.

2 Paint a picture

Remarkable content appeals to the reader on an emotional level and helps them to visualise what you are telling them through cleverly selected words. You content should always demonstrate how it can solve your reader’s problem, and do so in a creative and imaginative way. They want to feel the experience, the luxury, the wonder of whatever it is you are trying to sell them, and they want to understand the stress, the pain, and the horror of how their lives will be if they don’t buy it now! Make sure you write in a way that captures their interest and makes their hearts sing!

3 Reassure and resolve

Writing content that demonstrates it can solve your reader’s problems or be of value to them is all well and good, but you are still likely to find that readers will try to object. They’ll find a way to put off buying your product, signing up for your newsletter, sharing your article or whatever it is you have asked them to do. That is, unless you overcome their objections, preempt what they might take issue with and have the solution already there, contained within the same piece of writing. Will they think your product is too expensive? If so tell why it’s fantastic value. Will they worry that if they subscribe to your newsletter, they will get bombarded with emails? If so explain to them they can control how frequently they hear from you. Understanding what objections your reader might have, and finding solutions to these will make them so much more likely to do whatever you request in your call to action.

4 Create loyalty

Getting attention from potential customers is one thing, keeping them is another. If you can build up a loyal customer base through your content marketing, then your business will continue to flourish. Make sure you are always striving to improve your communication with your customers – listen to them and adjust so that you contact them in exactly the way they want to be contacted with exactly the information that they need. Reward loyal customers with deals and discounts, if you treat them like royalty, they’ll want to go nowhere else.

5 Always strive for more

A great content marketer will always be thinking ahead, looking for new ideas and experimenting with new types of copy. Successful businesses need to continually evolve so make sure you stay ahead of the game and continue to push yourself. Experimenting with content is a great way to try out new ideas at very low risk – use content as a way of communicating new ideas and possibilities to your customers and see which ones get them excited and which ones leave them cold.

Having firm goals when it comes to content marketing is so important. Do you agree with these goals? What are yours?

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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Copywriting: How To Get Ahead Of The Game

If you are a copywriter, you will no doubt be aware of just how much competition you are up against. Every time you sit down to write a new piece of content, or when you release it into the big bad world, you know that if it is not the most original, interesting, eye-catching piece of work, then it is likely to get lost in the ‘giant content stew of doom’ (that’s what we’re calling it nowadays), never to be seen again.

Content should have a purpose, when a reader finishes reading your content they should be motivated to do something afterwards. Is it to sign up to your newsletter, is it to buy your product, to register with your business? Whatever it is, if they are not doing it, then what you are doing simply isn’t working.

So what are these coveted copywriting secrets that will make your content not only stand out from the crowd but also influence your readers and motivate them to do exactly what you want them to do?

Well, it is far easier than you think.

Ask them

Firstly why not ask them? Yes, it may sound crazy but have you thought to ask your readers what you would like them to do? There is no magic formula. You don’t have to try to trick them into it either. Just ask them, and they just might do it. Be persuasive, make it obvious and tell them exactly what they have to do.

You’d be so surprised at how much copy doesn’t do this.

Be clear and precise

Don’t mince your words, don’t beat about the bush, and don’t shroud yourself in mystery. If you tell you reader step by step what you want them to do, you may feel as though you are patronising them. However, this level of detail provides comfort to the reader, if you make your process too complicated or don’t explain it properly, they are going to have a hard time figuring it out and will most likely abandon the process altogether.

Readers are distracted by a million different things, they don’t want to have to spend more time on something than they need to, and you can lose their interest at any moment, so by over complicating things or not explaining your requirements clearly you could easily lose out.

Be interesting

Being clear and precise doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be creative and engaging with your copy. Readers won’t get to the end of the content if you haven’t held their attention. There is no excuse for writing poor copy, and if you do, no amount of clear direction will help you to motivate your customers into action. Make sure that each time you write a piece you have thought about your audience answered their problems and given them something of value.

Getting ahead of the game in copywriting is so much easier than you think. Write well, decide what action you want your readers to take, and ask them to do it clearly, directly and succinctly. Voila!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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When You should Turn A Publishing Deal Down

It is every author’s dream to land themselves a publishing deal, and many authors spend years trying to secure one. The publishing business is hugely competitive, now perhaps more so than ever, and so if you do get that letter or phone call from a publisher saying that they would like to represent you, it can feel like you have won the lottery!

However, believe it or not, there are some instances where authors need to be wary. Understanding what exactly is being offered to you and whether your offer is genuine, in your best interests and from a reputable publisher can make all the difference, and can stop your dream deal turning into a nightmare situation.

To ensure that you don’t get fooled by a publisher offering something that seems too good to be true, take a look at these common traps that every author should know to look out for.

How to know when your publisher is trying to scam you

It is a horrible thought, but there are publishers out there that will try to scam you into parting with your money in exchange for a book deal. While there is nothing illegal with this, if you were hoping to secure a traditional publishing deal, you would never be asked to pay something upfront for their services. If a publisher believes in your book they will think they will make money from it, and so will be willing to invest their time and money into it in return for lucrative rewards when the book goes on to sell.

If a publisher is asking you to pay expenses or insists you buy a certain number of copies of your book, proceed with extreme caution. They may well sell themselves to you as a reputable publisher who can do loads to market your book, and even may make it sound like they are selective in who they deal with, but the truth is they make their money from you, the author, not through the books that they sell.

How to understand your contract

Publishing contracts can be complicated to understand, and if you are offered one it is always advisable to seek the opinion and expertise of a legal professional. If your publishing contract binds you to terms you are uncomfortable with, is completely different to a standard publishing contract (you’ll be able to find examples of one online), or the publisher point blank refuses to negotiate on any terms, you are probably right to feel suspicious. Professional assistance when it comes to contract negotiations is strongly advisable, that way you can rest assured you are not being cheated out of anything, and that the terms of your contract are reasonable and fair.

Do they have experience?

There is nothing wrong with signing a deal with a brand new publisher but you need to understand what this means. If your publisher doesn’t have the experience, connections or capacity to properly market and distribute your book you can’t assume it will sell. You should be able to ask your publisher what their marketing and distribution plans are for your book. While a larger publisher has far greater budgets, smaller houses can offer you more personalised attention, so it depends on what you feel is the appropriate route for your book.

Is it the best deal for you?

Publishers tend to take a significant cut of any book sales made. So if your book is in demand, you need to think carefully about whether or not going down the traditional publishing route it right for you? Publishers can are brilliant at promoting and marketing your book. However, it could be that self-publishing is a better option for you. Before accepting a deal make sure you weigh up all the possibilities and be sure that your publisher can do a better job for you than the one you could do for yourself!

At then end of the day walking away from a publishing deal is not a decision any author should take lightly. However, there is nothing worse than signing on that dotted line and coming to regret it. So whatever you do, make sure that you have done your research, and are acutely aware of what signing your contract means, before you make it official.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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Hybrid Publishing – What Is It All About?

It wasn’t so long ago that as an author they only way for your work to see the light of day was to try and land yourself a publishing deal. This made it extremely challenging and daunting for little-known authors to get a look in, and undoubtedly put many off before that had even begun.

Of course, self-publishing is actually nothing new, with authors as early as 1930 deciding to go down the self-publishing route. However, advances in technology have meant that it is now much easier for them to do so, and there are far more opportunities regarding marketing to boost popularity and increase sales.

Hybrid publishing, however, is a relatively new phenomenon, one that has only recently emerged. Hybrid publishing is also known as co-publishing, partnership publishing, and independent publishing, among others, and encapsulates any publishing that is not a traditional publishing deal nor a straightforward self-publishing route.

So how does Hybrid publishing work exactly?

The truth is there are a number of different models, and while Hybrid publishing might sound exciting, particularly for new and emerging authors, it is important to understand the differences between each model and learn exactly what it means for your work before deciding that Hybrid publishing is right for you.

Let’s take a look at the main kinds.

Traditional publishers who also offer Hybrid publishing as well.

This kind of deal from a publisher would be where an author is presented with a more traditional publishing deal i.e. the publishing house would be responsible for editing and marketing the book. However, instead of offering the author an advance they would ask the author to cover the costs of this up front. This way there is less risk for the publishing house, but in return, the author would negotiate a higher commission rate if their book was to take off.

Self-publishers who offer Hybrid publishing as well

There are many self-publishing businesses out there who are willing to edit your book, design your book cover and manage the printing of your book for a fee. Authors would pay for this service, but then keep all the profit made from book sales (minus the printing costs). In fact, my own novel ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’ was published in such a manner!

However, there are some self-publishers looking to move into a more traditional publishing route who will offer to edit and design a professional book cover free of charge. However, in doing so they will ask for a commission on every book sold. They will usually only do this if they believe a book has commercial promise to be sure they will recoup any investment paid out to design and edit the book.

Agent-assisted publishing

Many agents have also realised that publishing, if done right, can be a lucrative business. Traditional agents take on authors whose work they think they can sell to publishing houses in exchange for a commission. However, if they feel strongly enough about a piece of work it simply makes sense to cut out the middle man altogether. Agents could therefore offer you a straightforward publishing deal for your book. Advantages of this is that you would receive more of a personalised service, and have an agent who believes in you and will work hard for you, (as they will only make money if you do!). Disadvantages are that agents are unlikely have the same distribution methods as traditional publishing houses do.

If you do decide to try Hybrid publishing, it is important to understand exactly what it means for your book and career. Doing extensive research will help. Find out what connections they have, whether they intend to take control of marketing your book and how they would do so, what kind of commission you will receive for selling you work, what rights you will have, exactly what costs you might have to pay upfront and so on.

There is nothing more important than being informed and prepared so make sure you know what you are getting into before you sign on the dotted line!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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How To Write A Children’s Book

Writing for children is entirely different to any other kinds of writing, and comes with its own set of rules, trials and tribulations too!

While you might be fooled into thinking it’s easier (after all, with all your worldly wisdom and experience, you can surely impress a bunch of kids right?) writing a children’s book, or rather, writing a successful children’s book, is a tough old task indeed.

Children are complex and demanding creatures and to have them wide-eyed and full of wonder you have got to understand what they want. Times are a changin’ and what children are exposed to now is very different to a decade ago, and a decade before that and so on – so what children once found exciting and interesting, they may do no longer.

If you are writing a children’s novel, there are some things you might want to bear in mind that will hopefully save you time and that pulling-your-hair-out feeling when you begin!

Don’t be patronising

One thing that will not go down with the youth of today is an author who tries to baby them. Think back to when you were a kid. What did you want more than anything? To be a grown-up!

Talking down to your reader, being too sweet and nice, and explaining things exactly-as-they-happen-in-painful-detail – these will all put your audience off. Children want action and adventure; they want mystery, they want to be challenged, scared, amused and horrified. If in doubt look to the greats – some of Roald Dahl’s characters are genuinely menacing and utterly repellent, yet children squeal and rub their grubby little hands in delight when they hear these stories. Don’t underestimate how smart and tough they are. They can take it.

Be imaginative and compelling

The great thing about children is that they still believe in magic, they don’t have to ‘suspend their disbelief’ they already believe it! Writing a children’s book gives you an amazing opportunity where you can let your imagination run wild. If you can create wonderful, lovable, exciting characters, they can be just about anything. Think outside the box, create a world where anything can happen. Children still live in a world where people can be who they want to be, and achieve amazing things and overcome impossible obstacles – so make it so with your stories – children will love you for it.

Don’t try too hard

Do be careful. Children are pretty scary critics and sometimes it’s easy for authors to be so desperate to please they go way overboard. Not every single character has to be utterly unique – by this I mean it’s OK (if you want to) to write about fairies and goblins and wizards and witches and dragons and spells – just think of new and exciting ways of doing so.

Watch the pop culture references

There is nothing more cringe-worthy than reading a children’s book littered with enthusiastic pop culture references that they think children will relate to. Unless something is totally crucial to your story, it’s always better to leave these out as they make the author sound a little desperate, and they’ll quickly become outdated anyway.

Characters will make or break your book

Children need to care about your characters and to care about them, they have to be able to relate to them in some way. Most successful children’s books have a hero or heroine who is a child themselves. If you main protagonist is a 49-year-old man with two divorces under his belt and an alcohol problem, children are going to have a tough time finding anything in common with them, and therefore won’t be able to connect with the characters or the journey that they find themselves on.

Attempting to write a children’s story is never going to be a walk in the park. However, if you do your research, read as many children’s books as you can, and trust your reader then you’ll make life so much easier for yourself, and stand half a chance of producing a great book too!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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Indie Authors – Don’t Make These Mistakes!

Being an independent author takes courage and determination, and the rise of Indie Author  has been truly spectacular by putting the power back in the writer’s hands.

Where before you had to be a heady combination of exceptional and lucky to get published, now good old fashioned hard graft just might do it. If you are willing to put the time and work in and give your all to your book publishing project, you may just get the results you’ve been dreaming of.

However, let’s face it, most of us are pretty new to the whole publishing world, and are pretty clueless when it comes to the do’s and don’t’s of taking control of our work.

It’s fair to say that most independent authors, when they first start out on their self-publishing journey do end up making a fair few mistakes.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Mistakes are just lessons learned and the more you make, the more you’ll understand about the whole process. However, saying that there are lots of things to consider and some rules and values that are a good idea to set for yourself in order to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Let’s take a look at some of them.

Forgetting to research you reader, your genre, and stay true to yourself

Self-publishing has given authors a fantastic opportunity to get their work out there into the world for all to see. There are so many rules around the way one ‘should’ write, the restrictions of the genres we write in, and the expectations of our readers. It is good to understand them as much as possible.

For example, if you have written a romance novel, research your audience, find out what they want and what they expect from you. That’s not to say you shouldn’t give them any credit however. We are sometimes led to believe that if we dare think outside the box in terms of genre or try breaking some of the rules, our readers will run screaming into the night.

Believe it or not, sometimes change is embraced, celebrated even.

If you truly believe in your story and changing it will feel like you are selling out, then don’t do it. Be true to yourself – that’s the most important thing.

Thiking you can do it all by yourself

If you don’t get a professional editor and designer to help you, chances are your book is going to look pretty shabby against the competition. You wouldn’t buy a dress with a hole in it, so why should your readers buy your book if it is full of glaring mistakes and inconsistencies?

If you care about your book and want to be build up a fanbase, then get the cover designed by someone who knows what they are doing, and get an editor to, at the very least, weed out any spelling mistakes and inconsistencies.

Printing loads of copies of your book without a distribution deal in place.

If you are an unknown author chances are you aren’t going to be living in a castle and eating caviar for breakfast (pardon me if I am wrong). So don’t pour every last penny into buying thousands of copies of your book if you haven’t got anyone lined up to buy them. You’ll just end up with no money, low self-esteem and a lot less space in your house. Order a handful of copies to give out, but that’s it. Remember, while bulk printing runs may seem cheaper you’ll probably lose out in the long run,

Giving up after your first book

Did you know that most authors find much greater success on releasing their second novel? Well, it’s true. Think about it this way. So many people dream of writing a book and yet most people don’t. If you already have done, you are already miles ahead of those would-be authors who simply can’t find the time or energy to write their stories. Now think about all those writers who stop after their first novel, especially if it doesn’t do very well? Let me tell you; it’s a lot. If you persevere, you are constantly knocking out the competition, and you’ll only get better with time too. Just keep writing, keep focusing on your dreams and you will get there. So don’t give up.

The are some of the most common mistakes new Indie Authors can make, what other advice can you share? We’d love to hear from you!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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Why Falling In Love With The English Language Will Make You A Better Writer

Writers love words, right? Of course, we do! If you think about it, the essence of what we do is simply carefully selecting words to go next to one another to communicate thoughts, feelings, actions, drama, and everything else that goes into a piece of writing-  in an intelligent and entertaining way.

Sometimes, however, language, particularly the English language, can be tricky. We have a weird and wonderful vocabulary, strange spellings, bizarre catchphrases and grammar that sometimes seems to be completely and utterly illogical.

What’s not to like, right?!

But without words, we are nothing, so if you want to be a writer you need to embrace language, fall in love with it and make it work for you. When you have a good relationship with language it will excite you and amaze you. The joy that is captured in a perfect sentence, the way a particular line flows rhythmically and perfectly from the page, the powerful combination of words that make you truly understand exactly what the writer is trying to say – these all happen because of language – its beauty and its power.

How To Fall in Love with Language

Read

Think about the greatest books you have ever read? Or a poem that moved you to tears? Or a catchy line on a poster that made you smile? Language made all those things possible. If you can find a way to express yourself through language and writing, then you have the potential to change people’s lives, to give them hope, to make them laugh, to solve their problems. This is a beautiful thing, and therefore the power of language should never be underestimated. Think back to what inspired you to become a writer? Chances are it was something that you read.

Words got you to where you are today – you have a lot to thank them for.

If you haven’t fallen in love with language yet, never fear! The best way to do this is to read as much as you possibly can. Don’t just stick to a particular genre – be brave and read everything you can get your hands on. Soon you will be overwhelmed with the incredible diversity and ingenuity of language; you’ll find sentences which just sing out to you.

As Francine Prose wisely said ‘The well-made sentence transcends time and genre. A beautiful sentence is a beautiful sentence’.

Get a dictionary

Ever read a book and been totally impressed with the author’s range of vocabulary? The way they have put words together in a way that you would have never thought of? Well, you can do it too! Get a dictionary and start to go through it, or buy a book such as ‘A Word A Day’ which teaches you a word you probably haven’t heard of every single day. Learning about new words, their meaning and their heritage is pretty fascinating and will help you when it comes to writing your own book.

Do writing exercises.

If you feel as though you aren’t experimental enough with your language why not try some writing exercises where you write down as many adjectives and nouns as you can think of and cut them up into strips of paper, then play around by putting them next to one another and see what works?

Loving language will make you a better writer. The more words you know, the more you understand about language and the more you appreciate and respect it, the more you will be able to manipulate it and make it work for you, so what are you waiting for? Fall in love with language today!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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How Do You Define Your Writing Success?

Are you a successful writer? Have you ever actually stopped to ask yourself that question?

What does success mean to you?

Would you consider yourself successful if you finished your first novel? If you got a publishing deal? If you self-published and 50 people bought your book, and you got 20 positive reviews, or would it have to hit the Amazon top 100 bestsellers list and propel you to author stardom before you would even consider giving yourself a pat on the back?

As writers, we each have our own definition of what successful means, and this undoubtedly changes over time. I remember when the very idea of someone, even a dear friend, reading my work would bring me out in a cold sweat. I thought that if someone, just one person who I believed knew what they were talking about, told me I had even an ounce of writing talent; I would feel like I had achieved something great!

Of course, when that happened, and I began to write more, to practice and to share my work more widely, my writing goals became different, and they continue to adapt and grow as I do as a writer.

This is both a great thing and a rather dangerous one.

While always pushing oneself and striving to achieve more is a beautiful thing, there is also the danger that in doing so we will keep nudging those goalposts ever further away, so we are never really satisfied with our success, and, despite achieving remarkable things, will always want that little bit more.

The best thing for any author to do is to try and set some firm goals for every piece of work they start. Write these goals down and make sure you acknowledge and reward yourself each time you reach one.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

What is your idea of success for this particular piece of work?

How will you measure your success and keep track of your progress?

Once you have achieved a particular goal, or level of success, what is the next step, what do you intend to do with it?

Is there a bigger picture this piece of work feeds into?

If you feel at a loss why not take a look at some of these common writing goals and see if they resonate with you?

I want to write something I feel proud of.

I want to see my book for sale in a bookstore.

I want to change people’s lives with my writing.

I want to get published.

I want to sell X amount of books.

I want to write every day.

I want to finish by book by X date.

I want to win a literary prize.

I want to become famous for my writing.

I want to quit my day job and write full-time.

Any of these sound familiar?

Try to make your writing goals specific, try to make them time bound, and try to combine little wins with your loftiest ambitions.

Once you have written down the goals that you believe will make you a successful writer, take the time to look at each of them one by one.

If you will only consider yourself successful if you become the next J.K.Rowling then try to understand what your motivations are. There is no harm in striving for fame and fortune, but if that is all you want and nothing else will satisfy you, you may be in for a very tough ride!

What are your writing ambitions? And how do you define your writing success? Let us know!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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What’s So Good About Goodreads?

As an author, trying to get book exposure on as many different platforms as possible is important.

Of course, Amazon is a great platform for book sales and generating feedback, and any online bookstores such as Waterstones or Barnes and Noble give your book authority and credibility.

Then there are the other sites, the sites such as Goodreads where it’s not so much about selling your book as it is about connecting and communicating with your readers.

Goodreads is a hugely powerful platform. Bought by Amazon in 2013, Goodreads is an important place to post your book as here you can build up its recommendations and your reputation and, if you are successful on Goodreads, this can really make a difference to how well your book does overall.

Goodreads is actually quite similar to Facebook regarding its opportunities to make connections and share information, apart form it is all focused on writing and books – which makes it perfect for authors to explore! Goodreads is custom built so that self-publishing and indie authors can use it to promote their work and build up a following.

On Goodreads, you can create a kickass author profile which will help you connect with readers and engage your audience. You can also link to your blog and upload and videos associated with your book or even your very own book trailer!

Goodreads is a fantastic platform enabling readers to easily read and review your book. Trust me, your ratings on Goodreads count, so trying to encourage as many readers as possible to check out your work is paramount. You can also set up Goodreads giveaways where you can give free copies of your print books to readers and hope to receive reviews on Goodreads and Amazon if those readers enjoy your work.

Not sure how to promote your book? Well by using Goodreads events you can set up your own mini book launch and giveaway copies of eBooks too. Here you can let your readers know all the details of your upcoming events and create some buzz about them to get as many people interested as possible.

Another great thing about Goodreads is its Feature Groups. Here you can connect and communicate with readers. Joining a featured group means you get together with other authors and answer agreed questions about your books over a given period. In return for doing so, Goodreads will promote your stuff.

Being a Goodreads author really does give you lots of tools to play with, all of which can help you to market your book and build up a following of fans. So whether you have just launched a self-published book, or already have several on there, make sure you take advantage of all its features to really make the most out of marketing your book.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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