Edie Melson's Blog, page 431

Social Media Monday—Linking Your Social Media Accounts and Other Major Blogging and Social Media No-Nos

by Edie Melson
Successful social media is something of an art form—with lots of gray areas. Building a successful online presence takes a good amount of flexibility and a little bit of experimentation. But even though I encourage people to find their sweet spots, there are a few things you want to avoid. Today I’d to weigh in on linking your social media accounts and other major blogging and social media no-nos.
No-no Number OneDo not link your blog with social media. What I mean by that is you don’t want your blog o send a notification of your newest blog post to Facebook or Twitter or any other social network. On the surface it seems that would be a great shortcut for those (almost all of us) who find ourselves in a constant time crush. But it’s not. Here’s why: You run the risk of spamming your friends and followers. Computers make mistakes, and especially if you have Facebook and Twitter linked, you can get repeat messages. This is unintentional spamming.People today are smart, savvy and cynical. We can tell when something posted on social media is computer generated and we won’t bite. So you’re not getting any traffic this way.Finally, you need to control the way your social media updates go out and how they’re worded. Different platforms may need slightly different wording. You also want the opportunity to add relevant hashtags and mentions.
No-no Number TwoDo not link your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Like I said above, you’ll probably end up with duplicate posts and irritate your followers and friends in the process.
No-no Number ThreeDon’t use the auto-scheduler option on your scheduling program. For example, on Hootsuite, I can turn on the auto-scheduler and it will compute when the majority of my contacts are online and schedule my updates to go out then. Again, on the surface this reads like a time saving measure. It’s NOT. Here’s why:If the program computes that the majority of your contacts are online between ten am and noon, it will schedule all your updates then. You may have a higher concentration then, but you’re missing out on some valuable exposure by ignoring the rest of the day.The program doesn’t take into account those who will find you through hashtags or by referral.
Now, I can hear the question from here. “What about Hootsuite? Isn’t that an auto-scheduler?”
No, not really. Hootsuite (as well as Buffer and Tweetdeck) are SCHEDULING programs. They have the option of auto-scheduling. But utilized correctly, there’s nothing automatic about them. 

I compose the update. I choose the social media platform.I dictate the time it goes out.Now it’s your turn. What questions do you have about social media dos and don’ts? Leave them in the comments section below. Also be sure to share if you've gotten in a fix by letting a computer manage your social media life!
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,
Edie
Why linking your social media accounts isn't a wise or even efficient thing to do (Click to Tweet)
Think you're saving time by having your blog auto post to Facebook? Think again (Click to Tweet)
Major social media and blogging no-nos you want to avoid! (Click to Tweet)

Weekend Worship—The Headless Horseman

The heart is more deceitful than anything else,
and incurable—who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
Faith is based on facts NOT feelings.
As I write that sentence I have to stop and—even though I know it’s true—I stare at it and consider it yet again. I have to admit I struggle with the truth of that statement. I truly am a product of my generation.Do what feels good.Follow your heart.Get in touch with your feelings.
All of those statements have a certain validity—for specific situations. But they are NOT things on which to base your life. Because, ultimately, they are in direct conflict with Scripture.
God is a God of concrete factsGod is a God of concrete facts. And THAT’S the strong foundation I'm choosing to build my life on.
Fact OneGod is ALWAYS true to His word.
MythI don’t always feel the assurance that it’s true. Some days I stumble, I make wrong choices. I’m overwhelmed with guilt. I don’t feel like I’m part of the family.
TruthGod’s promise of salvation doesn’t rest in me. It’s predicated by HIS goodness and mercy.
Fact TwoGod loves me . . . no matter what.
At times I'm unloveable and prickly.MythI’m often unlovable. Don’t believe me? Just ask my family. I’m not perfect and I seem intent in proving that on a daily—sometimes hourly—basis.
TruthGod’s love isn’t dependent on my actions. He loves me for reasons I can’t quite comprehend. Because He created me, because He knows my potential, because He has named me, because He loves me.
Fact ThreeGod works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose.
MythJust look around. The world is in a mess. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people.
TruthNarrow your focus. Taken case by case we can see hints of this truth. But the ultimate truth is that the end isn’t here yet. We can’t know how God ties up all the threads and finishes off the tapestry.

Faith is based on fact, not feelings.So again I say, Faith is based on fact not feelings. This time the words come with confidence and with gratitude. I am a woman swayed by emotion—often lured down the wrong path by following my deceitful heart.
I can end up like the headless horseman, cutting down people on all sides as I flounder through life blinded by following my heart without the knowledge of Christ.
God is solid beyond the momentary whims of feelings. His truth is certain, enduring for eternity.

What feelings are leading you astray? Join me as I return to the facts of faith.

Social Media Image—The Courage of Others

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago when our youngest son, John, was home from college. He spent the day with us in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I'm constantly challenged and inspired by all three of our sons. Their courage has given me the strength to accomplish much more than I ever thought possible.

So, I'd love to know, who has shared some courage with you?


Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.
Robert Louis StevensonShare your stories 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

Genre Talk—The Difference Between Science Fiction and Fantasy

We interrupt the usual Life Lessons Friday post. Reba is en route to Salt Lake City and will resume posting next Friday. (Don’t worry, I’m not letting her leave us!)
The Difference Between Science Fiction and Fantasy During our last Genre Talk discussion, I gave you the basics on the general category of Speculative Fiction. Today I’m going to deliver on my promise to give you some insight into the difference between Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Often times readers and writers will lump science fiction and fantasy together without realizing the difference. And in an attempt to differentiate, they’ll often come up with arbitrary rules about what makes something fantasy or scifi. Truthfully, there are very few books that mix the two.
Here are some of the myths you may have heard:If it has dragons, it’s fantasy.Science fiction only deals with hard science.Epics are always fantasy.Science fiction deals with space wars.
These are just a few of the ones I’ve been told.
The truth is they’re all wrong…and they’re all right. And none of them gives an accurately complete picture of the sub-genres.
The definitions aren’t as difficult as I may have led you to believe. But they both are determined by the world built by the author.
Science fiction depends on a universe that is based in science. For instance, if the author has built a world where dragons have evolved or been genetically engineered, that is science fiction. A classic example of this is the Dragons of Pernseries by the late Anne McCaffrey. Her books are populated by dragons, fire lizards and the like. BUT, and this is an important distinction, these animals were genetically engineered. They do possess the ability to mind-link with their rides and breath fire. But it is all explained through science.
Fantasy has the one additional element of magic. The classic example of this is the Narniabooks from C.S. Lewis. The worlds he built have dark magic and light magic. And things happen WITHOUT a scientific reason.
Both book series have dragons and creatures that we'd consider other-worldly. But one is explained by science and the other through the supernatural.
Now, I have a quiz for you all. I challenge you to name one science fiction story (or movie) and/or book, as well as one fantasy story (or movie) and/or book. AND to support your answers with these definitions.
If you disagree with my parameters, I’d love to hear from you, too. All in all, today should prove to be a spirited discussion and we’ll all learn something, as well as get some new books to put on our to-be-read lists!
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
TweetablesDo you know the difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy? (Click to Tweet)
Genre Talk—#ScienceFiction and Fantasy are two different genres. (Click to Tweet) 

Don't Miss Writers Advance! Boot Camp

It seems like three quarters of the advice we hear as writers has to do with marketing, sales and platform. The reasons for this are myriad, but the biggest is that most of us struggle in this area. It tends to be way outside our comfort zone. But all this focus on social networking can also lead us astray, in time management and priorities.
It’s critical that we recognize the need to grow in our craft…to learn to write better!
So how do we do that? One of the best ways is to attend a writing conference. But with all the choices out there, how do we choose the one that best fits our circumstances?
I have my favorites, of course. And one I highly recommend is Writers Advance! Boot Camp. This is a smaller, regional conference. But it is specifically mirrored after the larger conferences to give attendees the chance to learn in a less intimidating environment. And a big conference can be intimidating, especially to a writer just starting out.
I’m sharing about Boot Camp today because last year this event sold out early, and I want to make sure you have the opportunity to take advantage of this great conference. It’s not a long one, but director Cindy Sproles makes certain there’s not a minute wasted.
Add to that it’s location—at The Cove, The Billy Graham Training Center, smack dab in the Blue Ridge Mountains and you have the makings of an amazing change to forward your career.
Cindy has enlisted top-notch faculty, with keynotes from Steven James and Mike Dellosso. There will be also be editors and agents present for you to meet with and take classes from. I’ll be there too, giving you the latest on social media.
Don’t let the name fool you, Writers Advance isn’t an experience level, it’s a battle cry. So whatever your experience, this could be the conference you’re looking for.
Here are the details:
Date: February 21-23, 2014Cost: $175—this is the ALL INCLUSIVE price, including lodging, meals, and conference fee.
I would never recommend a conference that I didn't feel offered the highest standard of faculty and facilities. I personally attended this conference as a conferee well before I came on board as a part of the faculty.
If you've had the opportunity to attend Boot Camp, I'd love to hear from you. Leave your thoughts in the comments section.
Don't forget to join the conversation,Blessings,Edie

Google’s New Hummingbird Algorithm Update—Good News or Bad?

Is Google's Hummingbird Update Good News or Bad?It's happened again, Google has rolled out yet another SEO update. People are wary when Google announces a new change in their search engine algorithm. Many have gotten caught in the Panda and Penguin updates with disastrous results. But with Google’s new hummingbird algorithm update we get some good news for a change!

If you’re a little behind and not sure what I’m talking about, here’s a blog post that explains SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and What Google Has Done. Now, back to Hummingbird.
Let me give you a little background information. In the past, since the invention of search engines, we’ve been trained about how to phrase our queries. For instance, this would be something I’d type in if I wanted to know about Hummingbird:
Google's Hummingbird Update Google's Hummingbird UpdateThat’s all well and good, if I’m at the computer with a reasonable keyboard. But more and more I’m trying to type in queries on an infinitesimal mobile keyboard. The answer to that has been Siri (on iPhone) and other voice query software on Android.
That has changed how we search for things on Google.
When I speak to Siri, I can’t help but ask a question, instead of making a statement. Here’s what my request for the same information looks like when I speak it out loud:
What can you tell me about Google's Hummingbird Update? What can you tell me about Google’s Hummingbird Update?That, in a nutshell is what the Hummingbird update addresses. It changes the search parameters so that someone can speak a request for information, and still get valuable responses.

How does that affect you as a blogger? Assuming you compose reasonable headlines that reflect informative blog posts, this is a VERY good thing. So for once, an update doesn’t mean you need to change what you’re doing, just keep doing it.
Now I’d like to open the floor (or in this case, comments section) for any SEO question you may have. Leave your questions below and remember all comments are moderated so I’ll be approving comments as quick as I can.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie
Tweetables:
Is Google's Hummingbird Update Good News or Bad? (click to tweet)
Hummingbird—Should I be worried about Googles Newest SEO Update?

Social Media Monday—Find Your Blog’s Subscriber List and Schedule Email Notifications with Feedburner

This post is a recap on how to find your blog's subscriber list and schedule email notifications. The instructions here ONLY apply if you have a Feedburner account. If you have a Blogger blog (blogspot) you have Feedburner. You may have it if you have a WordPress blog, but probably not.
A lot of people don’t realize they have a valuable service attached to their blogs. It’s Feedburner and it’s most commonly used feature is as a gadget to let people sign up to follow your blog through email. But there’s so much more to Feedburner and today I want to give you a guided tour.
In Blogger, Feedburner is default service for email subscriptions, since both are owned by Google. But it’s frequently used with other blogging platforms like WordPress and Typepad. 
Normally, when you want information about your blog, you begin by going to your dashboard. 
NOT this time. 
To access your Feedburner account you either start on the front side of your blog, or go directly to www.feedburner.google.com. The front side of your blog is what visitors see. This is also where you can access your Feedburner stats. Go to the Sign Up With Email gadget and click on the words, FEEDBURNER. 
Some blogger sites don't have a clickable link here, but that's okay. Just type in www.feedburner.google.com and sign in with your Google account. 
Either way will take you to the Feedburner site. Once there, you’ll see all your blogs listed. Click on the one you want to work with. This will take you to a page with lots of different menus--some at the top and some down the side. 
Across the top is:ANALYZEOPTIMIZEPUBLICIZEMONETIZETROUBLESHOOTIZE (I think they got a little carried away here) 
Most of the things you’ll want to do will be accessed from the PUBLICIZE tab. Click on that and you’ll see a new menu appear on the left side of the screen. Click on Email Subscriptions first. 
NOTE: if you want your subscriber details, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on SUBSCRIBER DETAILS.
Now you’ll see even more options appear. Before you click on one, look at the bottom center of the screen and you’ll see the number of email subscribers you currently have for your blog. This is also where you’ll see the HTML codes to plug into websites and blogs (if you don’t use Blogger). 
A lot of people ask me if it’s possible to set the time when their blog is emailed to people. It definitely is and this is the menu that allows you to do that. Look back on the left side of the screen and click on Delivery Options. 
The first thing you’ll want to do here is select your timezone. After that, you can schedule email delivery of your blog updates. Your options are in two hour increments. This is good to know about if you ever happen to post your blog a couple of hours late. You can come here, change your delivery time and then change it back after your subscribers have been notified. Just be sure to click SAVEafter you’ve made any changes. 
I recommend you take some time and get acquainted with all the different things you can do through Feedburner. Also be sre to post any questions or comments you have in the comments section below.
Don't forget to join the conversation!Blessings,Edie

Weekend Worship—Guilt or Grace?

So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty. Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free from the law that brings sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

It had happened…again. I’d sworn it wouldn’t happen, but it had. And I’d made the promise just last week. I’d cried out to God during my morning prayers, promising to do better, to be more careful. This wasn’t the first time I’d confessed this weakness. I’d wrestled with this temptation again and again.
What kind of a person was I that I’d fall so easily back into the middle of temptation? My repeated lapses made me wonder if I was even a believer.
Those were dark days. But coming through them has given me confidence.
Not in myself…never in me. But in God.
He was always there to pick me up when I fell, always waiting to extend grace and give me another go. I was the one who struggled with shame and condemnation. And that condemnation NEVER came from Him.
Oh don’t get me wrong. I know it hurt Him when I gave in to sin. But He didn’t return that hurt with punishment. He returned it with patience, grace, and love. I discovered I couldn’t out-sin His mercy.
Do I still struggle? You better believe it. But I’m quicker to admit my failings, and less willing to listen to the false guilt that comes for my enemy.
Satan lashes my soul with guilt, but God extends infinite grace.

Social Media Image—How Do Living and Writing Intersect in Your World?

Writing is a filter for my life, probably yours as well. That's why this quote from Thoreau resonated with me. So how do living and writing intersect in your world?

How vain is it to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live... Henry David ThoreauShare your answers 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

Life Lessons—You Decide!

by Reba J Hoffman, Ph.D
As many of you know, I was in Illinois on the Road to Freedom Tour on my bicycle when I tore a ligament in my knee. An MRI revealed a full tear of the medial collateral ligament (the inner supporting ligament).
I was told by experts that my tour was over. My heart told me something else. So I began brainstorming ways I could keep the Road to Freedom going in a way other than the bike.
I packed up Dakota (my custom built Waterford touring bike), and shipped it to Florida. I flew to Florida after attending the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Conference(ACFW) in Indianapolis.
Something very interesting happened. My knee stopped hurting. It stopped aching. When I removed the brace, it felt vulnerable, but not injured. So, I decided to test it. I began walking everywhere I went. Ten miles to the store. Fifteen miles to church.
I didn’t have even a twinge of pain. So, I did the unthinkable. I hitched a ride to the friend who was storing my bike, took it out of the box and reassembled it, then rode it forty miles home.
Guess what happened? Nothing. I've ridden completely pain free since then. I took a five-day mini-tour to central Florida. One day I wound up riding 97 straight miles, fully loaded with fifty pounds of gear.
In two days, I’ll resume the Road to Freedom Tour… ON MY BIKE.
So why am I telling you this? Because in your writing career, you MUST know it’s not over ‘til you say it is! You decide!
Has your critique partner told you to find a new hobby? Get a new one (critique partner, that is).
Did the editor you met with at a writer’s conference tell you their third grader strings words together better? Even if it’s true, commit to maturing in your craft.
Can you wallpaper your walls with rejection letters? Okay, why not do that? It will make quite the conversation piece when you’re a New York Times Bestselling Author!
The point is, they don’t decide when your writing tour ends. Only YOU do. They can’t tell you to stop. They might spout the words, but it’s you who gives them power in your life.
I think of all the women I would not be able to help if the Road to Freedom Tour ended. It would be tragic. Almost as tragic if those books you have inside you don’t get written because you let someone else decide your writing career was over.
You decide!
Has someone—or a circumstance—made you think your writing career is over? What did you do about it? Share it here!
Reba J. Hoffman is the founder and president of Magellan Life Coaching (www.magellanlifecoaching.com). She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Counseling and is a natural encourager. She serves as Member Care Coach for My Book Therapy and is the author of Dare to Dream, A Writer’s Journal. You can connect with Reba through her motivational blog, Finding True North, or by email at reba@magellanlifecoaching.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at @MagellanCoach.