Edie Melson's Blog, page 393

Social Media Monday—Tips for Managing Social Media Along With a Full-time Job

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Social media choices for those who don't have time to spare.Last week I shared How to Do Social Media in 30 Minutes aDay. In the comments for that post, several of you mentioned that, in addition to writing, you also work full-time. First, let me say you have my respect and admiration! As my grandmother would say, that’s a tough row to hoe.
Today’s post is for those who—either by choice or necessity—don’t write on a full-time basis. I salute you and hope you find this helpful.Tips for Managing Social Media along with a Full-time Job
While writing IS your priority, small (even tiny) consistent steps with social media can grow an impressive online presence.
The majority of your audience will be checking social media during the day and into evening. Because of this, it’s important to utilize a scheduling program to send out updates while you’re at work during the day.
Use evenings to schedule updates.Use Your Evening to Schedule Updates I know many of you don’t have the time to schedule your updates in the morning before work. The way to get around this is to schedule your social media in the evening. I even do a little of this myself. Here’s an example of what I do. I usually check my social media once before bed. If I happen to see something I’d like to share, instead of sending it out right then, I schedule it to go out the next day. Sure I’m a day late, but if the information is relevant, a day or two isn’t going to make a difference. You could schedule all your updates that way.
Watch the clock!Watch the ClockMany of you mentioned you only have an hour or two to write in the evenings. If you take a full half-hour to work on social media, you’ve used up to half your writing time. That’s unacceptable. If that’s the case, then limit yourself to no more than 15 minutes of social media scheduling.
Schedule Updates for the Entire Week at One TimeAnother way to work around your time-crunch issues is to devote one single evening to all your social media updates for the week. There have been times, when I was on a trip, that I’ve had to do this. Here’s how it’s done.
I chose Friday to schedule everything for the following week. For me, it was easier and here’s why. Starting the Monday previous, everything that came into my inbox that I thought would be valuable to share, I put into a document. I named the document by the date of the Monday I started collecting—1/27/13, Social Media Updates. Then I saved the document on my desktop, so I’d have easy access. Every time I found something valuable, I clicked on the link to the specific post. I then copied the URL of that specific post and, along with the title or something that would help me remember why I thought that post was valuable, pasted that info into the document.
I did this Monday through Friday (remember, I’m scheduling this in the evening, so I’ll have info from Friday to include) and plenty to share for the coming week. You could chose any day, even a weekend time to do this, and it would work just as well.
Limit your social media networksLimit Your Social Media Networks With less time to devote to your writing, you have to make sure the time you spend on social media is well spent. You’ll have to discipline yourself to make the most of the time you have. This includes the time you spend interacting on different platforms. I recommend you read and comment on no more than 4 – 6 updates per social media network. AND I recommend you limit yourself to no more than 3 networks. Trying to do too much will result in less visibility.
For example, it’s much better to have a strong presence on 2 networks by sharing 4 or 5 updates several days a week and commenting on 4 or 5 updates several days a week, than only 1 or 2 updates and comments over a 5 or 6 networks. If you choose the latter, you have a much less likelihood of being seen.
Choose the Most Valuable NetworksBy limiting your social media networks to no more than three, you’ll have to decide which 3 make the most sense for you. I still stand by my recommendation of Facebook and Twitter as numbers 1 and 2. After that, I’d choose between Pinterest, Instagram, Google Pus and YouTube. If you’re not sure how to evaluate these networks, I recommend a post I wrote about Social MediaPlatforms and How They’re Used.
Do What’s Best for YOUAll of these tips are just that, tips. Ultimately, you know what time you have and what priorities make the most sense for you. Take what works and toss the rest. The most important thing is to have a plan. In the past, stumbling along—doing the best I could—has set me back years with my writing goals.
These are my tips, now it’s time for you to chime in. Help each other—and me—by sharing what has and hasn’t worked for you.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TWEETABLESAre you short on #writing time & even shorter on #socialmedia time? @EdieMelson shares some tips to help (Click to Tweet)
Tips for Managing #SocialMedia along a Full-time Job andLimited #Writing Time – via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Weekend Worship—The Freedom of Transparency

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30
The past few years I’ve been doing a good bit of public speaking. Since I'm a writer, you might assume that's a good thing. It probably should be, except for one thing—it’s way out of my comfort zone. As a matter of fact, if I wasn’t certain God was asking me to share what He’s doing in my life, I wouldn’t be doing it.
Even the knowledge that I'm being obedient doesn't help a lot. I’m just not comfortable with the spotlight shining on me. It feels wrong—like I’m calling attention to myself rather than to God.
The only way I’ve found to mitigate this feeling is by drawing a clear contrast between the mess God has to work through (that would be me); and the results of His miraculous effort.  But for this strategy to be effective I have to be willing to show myself honestly—with all my flaws.
At first that was as scary as the whole up-on-stage bit.
But after a time or two of letting people see through the me I wished I was (and tried to pretend to be) and directly at who I actually was, I discovered something. 
There truly is an amazing freedom in just being yourself. 
I no longer had to keep up the pretense of being spiritual, or an expert, or anything else. Instead, I could just relax and be —resting in whatever God wanted to bring out.  
This transparency also took the pressure off those who were watching me. They weren't misled into believing they had to be something they weren't. They didn’t have to start out already good enough to qualify to get better. They could start right were they were. 
And in the midst of all this, I realized I had the ability to achieve one of my deepest desires, to be invisible.
Because through this God has taught me that transparent is just another word for invisible. 
When I’m truly transparent, God can shine through in all His glory. There are no smudges of me to get in the way.

So my question to you is this. What smudges are you holding onto? Take a chance and join me in the freedom of transparency.

Do you REALLY believe you can?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

We're coming to the end of the year, and with that a lot of us begin to evaluate how we've done. If you're like me, you'll tend to wait the failures heavier than the successes. When I do that, two things happen:
I get a lopsided view of the past year.I get discouraged because I'm not where I expected to be.Neither of these helps me enter the new year on an optimistic note. So before we get caught up in the things that didn't go well, I'd like to pose a question. 

Where are you headed, and how much closer to your goal are you than this time next year? 
Believe you can, and you're halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt



















Yes, you still have a hill to climb. But chances are, you're partway up. Don't beat yourself us because you haven't crested it yet. Take joy in what you have accomplished and adjust your goals accordingly.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

I also invite you to use this image any way you like online. Post it to your blog, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, anywhere you'd like. All I ask is that you keep it intact, with my website watermark visible.
Don't forget to join the conversation!Blessings,
Edie
TWEETABLE
Do you REALLY believe you'll succeed as a writer? Belief matters more than you think - @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

4 Secrets Writers Won’t Tell You About Themselves

by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2

Writers have a reputation for being a little odd. Kind friends call us “eccentric.” Unkind friends . . . well . . .  we won’t dwell on them. When writers get together, however, we often find that our unique quirks and habits aren’t as unique as we thought. We discover that some of our quirks are simply shared characteristics of gifted word painters.
Today I’d like to share four secrets writers won’t tell you about themselves:
We have a secret food stash. Like squirrels and chipmunks, we hide food in strategic places, usually in close proximity to our favorite writing spots. These stashes often mean the difference between life or death, because when the muse strikes, all sense of self-preservation flies out the window. Bound like slaves to our keyboards, we pound out paragraph after paragraph while the fickle muse master whispers (or shouts) ideas into our brains. Terrified that if we stop to eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom, the mighty muse will get angry and punish us with the silent treatment, we work for hours without stopping. If it wasn’t for our food stashes, our families would come home to find a skeleton, still typing away, seated in our writing chairs.
We sometimes write in bed. Long after our patient spouses have fallen asleep beside us, because our brains just won’t shut off, we sometimes pull our laptops into bed and write. Some of us even have special pillows to prop ourselves up with. We keep a pen and paper or our iPhones with the notebook app open on our bedside table to record partially-formed ideas. We’ve learned that these bursts of brilliance will vanish from our brains like last week’s grocery list if we don’t capture them immediately.
We secretly covet other writers’ well-turned phrases or colorful metaphors. Forget eyeing someone’s Dooney and Burke handbag in the mall, we writers are more likely to confess and repent of our lust for someone else’s exquisite use of parallelism or masterful ability to show and not tell. Take this example from my mentor and friend, the late Sue Duffy’s novel, Fatal Loyalty: “"Far at sea, they (high-speed racer boats) would suckle from a mother ship engorged with drugs, then race to the mainland to, in turn, feed their own flocks of dealers." Yup, I had to confess and repent over wishing this one was mine.
We shamefully stalk cover design ideas and pirate the best ones. We’re not above taking a covert iPhone photo of an engaging cover design that would suit our next book perfectly. We drool over book images on Amazon like most people drool over ice cream sundaes. We submit design suggestions like we’re ordering a banana split. I want it in that color, with that stylish new font, with a half-inch bleed at the edges. Hold the tagline.
Writers are quirky people, and only other writers truly understand us. Next month I’ll add a few more idiosyncrasies to the list, but why not join the conversation? What is one secret about yourself you’d never tell your non-writing friends?
TWEETABLESSome writerly quirks are simply shared characteristics of gifted word painters - via @LoriHatcher2 (Click to Tweet)
4 Secrets Writers Won't Tell Non-writers About Themselves - via @LoriHatcher2 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of two devotional books. Her second, Hungry for God…Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is available for preorder and will release soon. A blogger, writing instructor, and women’s ministry speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God…Starving for Time . Connect with her on Twitter at @LoriHatcher2 or on Facebook - Hungry for God, Starving for Time.

15 Things Successful Writers NEVER Say

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Writers are an odd lot.
I can say that, because I am one. So I speak from experience, not judgment. Like all creative people, we tend to feel things more deeply, reacting poorly to criticism.
We also have no perspective at all when it comes to our own creations. Because a lot of us begin writing as a hobby, we also seem to have a lop-sided view of the publishing industry.
So today, I’d like to clear up some common misconceptions and share some things that successful writers never say.
1. Uh…I guess…uh…I write. So…I suppose that makes me a writer…sometimes. CUT. IT. OUT. If you are serious about writing, even if you don’t get paid, you can call yourself a writer. So repeat after me. “I am a writer.”
2. I’m a much better writer than the majority of the published writers out there. This is for the small percentage who don’t have trouble telling everyone, “I am a writer.” Some of you believe you know more than everyone else. I hate to break it to you, but you don’t.
3. Sure, I don’t need to write today. I’ll go to lunch with you. Successful writers make spending time putting words on paper (or a screen) a priority. If we want to be taken seriously and have our time respected, we must set the example.
4. I don’t need to read books. I’m a writer, not a reader. Besides, I don’t have time to read. I am not kidding. I’ve actually had writers tell me this. We need to spend time reading, and reading widely. Read outside your genre and learn what works and what doesn’t.
5. I don’t need an editor. I have a sharp eye and can catch anything I need to in my writing. Yes, many of us do have an editor’s eye. That’s a good thing. But that is NO substitute for an editor. We are blind when it comes to our writing. We see what is supposed to be on the page, not what is.
6. I can’t afford to attend conferences. I know conferences are expensive, but they’re also vital to moving forward in your writing career. There are a lot of ways to fund a conference—from asking for money from family and friends instead of gifts for holidays, to writing small articles for pay and saving that money. Conferences do three MAJOR things for writers:
They provide a place to learn the latest industry standards and techniques.They provide a place to network and talk to writing professionals, like editors, agents and published writers.They provide a place to network with other writer. 7. I decided to self-publish because traditional publishing just takes too long. I’m glad to say that self-publishing—when done with professionalism—is now a respected option. Beyond that, there are a lot of good reasons to self-publish. But using self-publishing as a short cut is NOT a good reason.
8. I don’t have a target audience, everyone loves what I write. Every book has a primary audience. Yes, there are books that a lot of people enjoy. But if you write to a specific audience, you’ll have a much better finished product. Not to mention the fact that book stores will know where to shelve your book.
9. The rules don’t apply to me. Yes, I’ll be the first one to agree that there are exceptions to almost every single rule you ever hear about writing and/or publishing. BUT we can’t look at ourselves as that exception. Follow the rules and let the exceptions be a wonderful surprise if and when they happen.
10. The first part of my book is just information the reader needs, the story starts on page 70 (40, 60, 90, etc.). I really have lost track of the number of times I’ve had an author say this to me. Here is my response. If the story starts on page 70, that’s where your book needs to start. Trust your reader, and trust yourself, and skip the background information.
11. I’m not a marketer, I’m a writer. If this really is true and you absolutely refuse to market your work, then be prepared to pay. You’ll have to hire someone to market your book because marketing is a joint partnership between the publisher and the writer. That’s just the way publishing works today.
12. The publishing industry is dying. No, not really. It’s definitely changing, but it’s not dying. There’s a difference. Learn to adapt with the changes, but realize books and people who write them aren’t going anywhere.
13. I already have a book contract, I don’t need a literary agent. Now you need one more than ever. There are those who will argue this point, but here are my thoughts. Because of the rapid changes in publishing, contracts are brutal. You need someone in your corner, advocating for you. After the contract, you still need someone to help with possible (really probable) hiccups in the publishing process. If you don’t like your cover, or the copy editor isn’t doing a good job, your agent can be the bad guy and go to bat for you. This makes it possible for you to stay on good working relations with the publisher.
14. I don’t need to work on social media until after I have a contract. This is another that makes me cringe. Editors and agents award book contracts based on a lot of things. Now days, one of those things is whether or not an author has solid online presence. The lack of a presence may not always keep you from getting a contract, but it will affect the way you’re viewed by prospective buyers. Smart writers build an online presence while they’re working on a book, so everything is in place when they begin pitching.
15. Published authors don’t need to take classes or read books on writing. Successful writers know there’s never a point when you’ve arrived. Lifelong learning isn’t just a buzzword, it’s vital to stay current in the publishing industry.
Even though I slanted a lot of the points toward books, all are equally applicable to writers of shorter works. These are things that I believe you’ll never hear a successful writer say. I’d love to know what you’d add to this list. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TWEETABLESAre you on the right track with writing – 15 thing successful writers NEVER say – via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
15 Things successful writers NEVER say. A list from author @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

A Writer’s Guide to Thanksgiving

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

For some people, Thanksgiving is about the food. For others, the holiday is about spending time with family and friends. Some can’t wait to finish the meal to tune into the football games. Then there are writers. Oh, we love the food, family, and friends, but what about the inevitable questions that shake the foundation of our self-confidence? I’m talking about the statements that cause us to wonder who the real turkey is.

Comments like:
Let me introduce you to our family writer. He/she hasn’t sold anything, but writing is a nice hobby.How many hours do you spend on your computer?Aren’t you neglecting your family with that pipe dream?Aren’t there meds for OCD people like you?Making any money yet?I heard a writer has to be on drugs or drunk to sell stuff that sells. Which are you? I could go on about our loving family and friends who really do mean well, but they often take a vicious stab at our hearts at a time when we should be concentrating on Thanksgiving. Instead of sinking our hurt feelings into another generous piece of pumpkin pie, why not memorize a list of all the writer blessings received during the year?  Creativity! We have the artist touch of communicating through the written word. We see the world in unexpected beauty and share our adventures.Opportunity! We have so many ways to share our gift. All a writer has to do is find a need and write it.Joy! Writers love what they do. We can’t wait to hit the computer keys. How sad to spend hours on a craft we don’t enjoy.Imagination! The unique personalities sitting around the table allow our characters to have those special quirks. Don’t be a turkey and explain to critical people where we find our impressive characters.Fruitfulness! When everyone is watching football or napping after Thanksgiving,  dinner, we plot our next story.Preparation! This is my favorite. A writer who prepares the Thanksgiving feast can imagine all of her characters are coming to dinner—what they’d like to eat and of course the conversation.Black Friday! While everyone else hits the 5:00 a.m. shopping malls and fighting crowds, writers waken early to sip on coffee and in the quiet hours, their stories come alive.As the year comes to a close, we writers can learn from our past victories and challenges, update our bios, dust off our proposals, commit to learning more about our craft, explore new publishing trends, and seek a serious writer to mentor. Writers enhance the world so we can be a blessing to others—even those special family members and friends.
TWEETABLESDiscover the Writer’s Guide to Thanksgiving with @diannmills on @EdieMelson #amwriting (Click to Tweet)
Don’t be a turkey this Thanksgiving. Know the writer’s blessings @diannmills #writers (Click to Tweet)


DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She currently has more than sixty books published. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2014 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a craftsman mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. Visit her website at www.diannmills.com and connect with her onTwitter: https://twitter.com/diannmillsFacebook: www.facebook.com/DiAnnMillsPinterest: www.pinterest.com/DiAnnMillsGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/DiAnnMillsGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DiAnnMillsExpectAnAdventure/posts

Indie Tuesday—Using the Kindle App to Edit

Jessica @AuthorKeller here: A few weeks ago I shared  Easy Ways to Reach Word Count  and part of that is "stealing time" where you write and edit in short chunks of free time. One thing I mentioned was that there are ways to do that even if you don't want to lug around a computer. I invited my friend Dawn Crandall to stop by today to share how she edits her work using the Kindle App (on a Kindle, IPad, or even on a phone).

Using the Kindle App to Editby Dawn Crandall @DawnWritesFirst Did you know there’s a way to self-edit your WIP without using ink or paper? 
I didn’t think so. Not that I invented this or anything, but I did discover this on my own over a year ago. I just wasn’t sure how it was going to work out and thought I’d run an entire book through the process before spouting off about it. 

At the time, I had a Kindle with a keyboard. Probably the coolest thing I found out about my Kindle after purchasing it was that I could send my own documents to it. Cool, right? Well, who of us can actually just read our own work? Not me. I found that as I read my WIP on my Kindle, I would find things I wanted to change... things I’d never noticed while looking at it on my computer. Real quick, I want to mention something. 

I heard once that when you do all of your self-editing, critiquing and such on a computer screen, you miss about 30% of the mistakes and changes you would otherwise have caught by either printing it out or reading it on a device in which you couldn’t simply make an easy fix. I don’t know where this info came from originally, but I have found it to be 100% true. 

Okay, back to what I was saying... I went ahead and began using my Kindle to read through my chapters as I wrote them. Before I write a book, I make a pretty extensive outline made up of scenes I already have in mind with characters I’ve been thinking of and getting to know for at least a few weeks and then a three-page synopsis. Once that’s finished, I begin writing chapter one. However, before moving on to chapter two, I go about editing my chapter between five and ten times on my Kindle, or however many times it takes to get to the point that I don’t want to change anything. 

After writing about a third of the novel, I send it to my critique partner to read. After I get it back and administer her edits, I read through the chunk of chapters again on my Kindle. Only then would I move on to write the second third of the book, and so on.    

I followed this process through most of my second book, which I finished last fall. Sadly, I was beginning to notice that my poor little Kindle just couldn’t keep up with all the notes and highlights I wanted to add and would become bogged down. 

Easy fix—I had the Kindle app on my iPhone. Haha, that didn’t last long. I really liked the compact size of my Kindle and thought that a regular-sized iPad with the FREE Kindle app was just too big for me. Fortunately, just as I needed it, Apple came out with the iPad mini... which is the exact same size as my Kindle keyboard.  As you can see from the photo to the left, this is what this article looks like in the Kindle app on my iPad mini. You have the option of highlighting in four different colors, as well as taking any number of notes. The notes can be as longs as you want, they just cannot be copied and pasted into another app on the iPad. 

Okay, so now that I have your attention, would you like to know how this all happens? Good, because I'm going to be the one to tell you.
1) Set up your Kindle or Kindle app with your Amazon account. Amazon will make an email for your kindle. It will most likely use your standard email account’s name but change the handle to @kindle.com. You can look up what the email is both on your device and online at your Amazon.com account. 


2) You’ll need to go to your Amazon.com My Kindle account. Under the “Digital Content” section you’ll need to click on Manage Your Kindle . 

3) Along the left side of the screen will be a list of options, and you’ll need to click Personal Document Settings . 

4) Scroll down to the end of the website to where it says Approved Personal Document Email List and add the personal email that you’ll send the document from on your computer. Remember, if you plan to have any of your friends or critique partners email you their documents, you’ll need to add their email to this list as well.

5) TO SEND: Go to your email account. Type in your Kindle email address, attach the document file you want to read or edit and push send. Easy. :)I’ve never considered myself a very technologically-advanced person, but once I realized the possibilities of what the Kindle could do to help with my writing career, I worked hard until I figured it out. I live by this one-chapter-at-a-time process of editing from my iPad now and use it to edit and polish through every book I write.     

What methods do you use to edit your manuscripts? With 30% of error being missed on the computer screen, what extra steps do you use to catch those while self editing? Have you ever used the Kindle App as an editing tool?

Tweetables
Edit your manuscript using the #Kindle App. @DawnWritesFirst shares how. -via @authorkeller #editing #amwriting (Click to Tweet)

Save time #editing on the go with your smartphone, kindle, or tablet like @dawnwritesfirst does. #publishing (Click to Tweet)

Author of The Hesitant Heiress , The Bound Heart and the soon to be released, The Captive Imposter (The Everstone Chronicles series) from Whitaker House, Dawn Crandall didn’t begin writing until her husband found out about her long-buried dream of writing a book. Without a doubt about someday becoming traditionally published, he encouraged her to quit her job in 2010 in order to focus on writing her first book, The Hesitant Heiress. It didn’t take her long to realize that writing books was what she was made to do. Dawn is represented by Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary.

Apart from writing books, Dawn is also a first-time mom to a precious little boy (born March 2014) and also serves with her husband in a pre-marriage mentor program at their local church in Northeast Indiana. Dawn is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, secretary for the Indiana ACFW Chapter (Hoosier Ink), and associate member of the Great Lakes ACFW Chapter.

The Everstone Chronicles is Dawn’s first series with Whitaker House. All three books composing the series were semifinalists in ACFW’s prestigious Genesis Writing Contest, the third book going on to become a finalist in 2013. 

Social Media Monday—Successful Social Media in 30 Minutes a Day

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

You can look at this digital age we live in as a blessing or a curse—and there are merits to each viewpoint. Since I’m a glass half full type girl, I happen to take the positive approach. I like the connectedness of this time and place. I like connecting in person and online—especially through Facebook and Twitter.
A word of warning here, it’s possible to let these tools (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) eat into your writing time. For myself, the way I combat that temptation is to schedule my networking time.
Many of you have asked how I schedule my day so now is as good a time as any to share it with you. Now, please know that I am NOT an organized person, but this loose arrangement of my day helps me to stay sane in the insane world of freelance writing.My Daily Schedule  8 – 9: I answer email (I have two accounts), and I use Hootsuite to schedule my main social media for the entire day. I use this hour to get connected.9 – 11:30: I use this time as my creative writing time, because it’s the time when I’m most creative.11:30 – 12: I answer any emails and phone calls that have come in and again check FB, Twitter and my blog.12-1: lunch.1-3 I: work on things that have a deadline and once a week write all my blog posts during this time.3:30 – 4: I again check email, phone messages, FB, Twitter and my blog. Then, before I go to bed I again check email, FB, Twitter and my blog.Also, about once an hour I get up and walk around to relieve my back and when I sit back down, I check Hootsuite. That way, if anyone has mentioned me or retweeted something I can reply. It’s important to keep the conversation going throughout the day and this is how I do it. BUT, I only allow myself 5-10 minutes each hour or two.
Some days the times vary, especially if I have a big deadline, but this is my basic schedule. 
Final Tip to Stay on Track: I try not to be subject to emails or even the telephone. Funny thing, I discovered that people are fine about having to leave messages, IF they know I’ll actually call them back. This allows me to accomplish what I need most days and still stay sane.
I’d love to know how you schedule your social media time. Share your tips, and your struggles in the comments section below. Remember, we’re all better together!
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings
Edie
TWEETABLES
Don't let #SocialMedia take over your #writing life - learn to do it in 30 minutes a day - via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Successful Social Media in 30 Minutes a Day? #SocialMedia Mentor @EdieMelson shares how it's done (Click to Tweet)

Weekend Worship—Confidence vs. Arrogance

by Sarah Van Diest
“For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught” Proverbs 3:26.
Where does confidence cross over into arrogance?
To be confident that the Word of God is truth is one thing, but to presume that my understanding of it is truth is another. Yes?
I know very little when I look at the whole of what I know in an honest light. I have very little I can stand on, but that which I stand on is enough. I don’t need much to keep my feet above the lies running hotly all around me. I only need space enough to stand.When I feel fearful of the surrounding tide then I try to build my platform larger so I can ensure the sturdiness of my position…so I won’t fall off; so the bubbling, molten untruths below won’t scorch me. But I wonder what it is I create. When I pull what I call truth up close to me and attach it to what I know is truth, am I making a larger foundation that remains as firm as the original? Or am I creating a trap that if I were to step out onto the new additions to my flooring that they would collapse, leaving me to fall into the hot mess below?
Arrogance, I suppose then, is building that platform on my own and stepping out onto it. It may hold for a while, but if what I have made isn’t firm, isn’t truth, it will eventually give way.
How can I be sure about the veracity of my understandings? I test them with what I believe I know about God and His Word. Yes. I take them before wise and trusted Christ followers and ask them to analyze them. Yes.
But in the end, what is it that I stand on?
In the end, the only firm foundation I have is Christ. Truth depends not on my comprehension of it; truth is God Himself. I cannot create a platform sturdy enough to hold me, nor can my understanding of who God is be counted complete enough for me to stand on. The only way I can stand above the lies and in the truth is that God holds me there. It’s not my ability to grasp truth that makes my feet secure; it’s God’s ability and willingness to make my feet secure that ensures my footing.
I can only do what I can do. I can only judge truth from untruth as much as I am able. And that is all my Father asks of me. It is not on my judgment that He asks me to rely, it is on Him.
In the Garden, when Adam and Eve covered themselves to hide their nakedness, they judged poorly. Though God had declared them “good” unclothed, they looked at the information they had and made a different judgment call: “bad”. They covered up what God had made thinking their way was good. They chose their understanding of “truth” instead of God’s. Had they kept their Father’s description of good intact, the story would likely have ended differently. They could have walked toward restoring their broken relationship with Him instead of choosing to walk in their own understanding.
Had they chosen to rely on God’s judgment and not their own, the entire story may have been different.
So, what is the difference between confidence and arrogance? I think it must be a very simple answer: it’s an allegiance. Confidence, in the sense I am describing, is when we stand in faith that God is who He says He is; whereas arrogance is where we stand on our understanding of it all. Confidence is humbly being held up by Christ; arrogance is standing on our own two feet. Allegiance to God or allegiance to self seems to be the pivot point.
How often I stand alone! How often I rely on me! How deluded! And, yes, how arrogant! And how often I walk around in fear wondering if I am believing, doing, saying, thinking, etc. the “right” thing. But thanks be to my patient, loving Father who holds me up even when my arrogance would have me sink. That says everything about Him and who He is, and nothing about me and my great wisdom (or lack thereof).
There is peace in this understanding. There is rest here. I don’t have to walk this life with the burden on my shoulders that demands I understand it all. It frees me to submit and to surrender, to trust and to enjoy Him, to align myself with the truth instead of make certain I possess it. I will continue to study and be zealous in my search for wisdom, but my motivation won’t be fear. My motivation is a desire to know Him.  
“But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” Psalm 86:15.

“Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy if from God” II Cor. 3:4, 5.
Sarah has worked in Christian publishing since 2005 as both and editor and an agent. 
Currently, she works with her husband, David, in their agency, the Van Diest Literary Agency. Writing is a growing passion for her as she hopes to bring hope to hurting hearts.

The Balance Between Sharing Life and Experiencing Its Sweetness—A Social Media Image

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

There's a lot of emphasis on capturing moments. We grab them through images and video on cell phones and mobile devices. We share them on social media. And while I think it's good to connect with others through things that touch our hearts, it can be overdone. 

"That it never comes again is what makes life so sweet." Emily DickinsonIt's easy to get so carried away with sharing that the experience of the moment is lost. And with that we lose the sweetness that is life.

No mistake, I see the irony here. I'm sharing an image to use on social media and whining about too much sharing. When I took this image, I was totally present in the moment. One of my closest friends, Mary Denman, and I had gone out that day to enjoy the snow and take photographs. 

We didn't share anything on social media. We just spent time together, enjoying the beauty of a rare South Carolina snow.
How do you draw the line between sharing life and experiencing its sweetness?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

I also invite you to use this image any way you like online. Post it to your blog, share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, anywhere you'd like. All I ask is that you keep it intact, with my website watermark visible.
Don't forget to join the conversation!Blessings,

Edie
TWEETABLEFinding the balance between sharing life & experiencing its sweetness - via @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)