Joey Paul's Blog, page 25

The Many Different Ways Of Social Media

THE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a massive beast and it's something you, as a writer/author, have to slay in your own way. I've been someone who's pretty much on all the social media I can be. Mostly because I'm old enough to have joined when they were first launched and then gone from there, but I want to be clear that you do not have to do this! You can have one, two, more, or absolutely none and that is okay. You have to do what is best for you, and no one should be demanding you do differently.

The one thing I learned early about social media is that every platform has a different audience. Like Twitter, before it went the way it did, and one I have since gladly left, was all about short form. Instagram was photos and long form. Tumblr is a mixture of the two. Facebook is more about links and memes, and YouTube is videos and some short form video content. There's more, like Blue Sky and Threads, both of which I use and am active on, though more so on Threads, that are still finding their way, and both are more about replacing the Twitter hole left from that app going seriously downhill.

But my point is that you need to know more about what goes into each one before really deciding where to set yourself up and how to work it to your advantage. I won't claim to be a social media expert, because I'm not, but I will say I have found things that've worked for me, and things that have not. I personally find it pretty easy to manage my time on all the ones I'm part of, but I completely understand how daunting it can be to come into the writer/author space and not know the first place to start.

So here are my big tips when it comes to social media and being active on many, or any!

#1 GO WHERE YOUR AUDIENCE IS
This should be simple and easy, but it's not because the demographic changes from time to time. Like I know that Instagram and Threads are more bookish spaces, and YA too, depending on the hashtags you use. I also know that Facebook very much is not, but I do have followers there who've been with me for a long time, and none of the other social sites seem to have as good a handle on groups as Facebook does, so for that you're kinda stuck.

But if, say, you're writing romance for adults, then you're gonna wanna be in a space where you know you'll how to bring your readers to you. There is little point trying to attract attention from an audience when the ideal people, your target audience are not even present. You need to do a whole lot of research and know what you're trying to do, and who you're trying to attract.

#2 TAILOR YOUR CONTENT TO THE SPACE
This is something where I made this mistake when I was first starting out. I posted the same thing absolutely everywhere. It doesn't work like that. While there are something I'll cross post, the way I go about doing that matters. Tumblr is better to have the actual posts rather than just links. Instagram wants photos that are eye catching and links in stories rather than the posts themselves. YouTube needs videos, and it should be content that's more unique to that space.

My point is that while there is, and can be, some cross over - like posting your reels to YouTube as shorts, or on Threads as a link - it shouldn't only be that. There should be some content that is unique to that platform. People engaging with you will be fine with a little cross-over but if it's all the same, and it's things that wouldn't normally be on that platform, it's going to have the opposite impact and annoy people.

#3 BALANCE THINGS
By this I simply mean that just because you can be on all platforms, doesn't mean you have to be. Like I said at the start, I am on a lot of them because I was around at the start, but that doesn't mean I'm exceptionally active on all of them at all times. I've grown my own routine and schedule, and it works for me, but that doesn't mean that someone just starting out has to do the same. You need to choose your battles wisely, as social media takes a whole chunk of time, and you still have to be writing your book after all.

So be careful, and balance the way you do things and when you do them. Work out what gets you to the right readers and go from there. Don't overextend yourself and end up in burnout. No one wants that!

So those are my tips, and I hope they're helpful to you! Good luck!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Review of Never Will I Ever by Kimberly King

 Matt Harper was the worst. Once Rosie Palmer’s childhood friend, he grew to become her number one enemy, throwing spitballs and slamming her locker shut every time he passed. But what could possibly be worse than enduring two entire years of torture? Getting set up on a blind date with him when he returns to Honeyville several years later.

Everyone is sure Matt has grown out of his antics and is the perfect guy for Rosie, but when the nicknames and the locker slamming start up again, she knows she's in for another rough year. So why does he insist on spending so much time with her when he constantly reminds her he's not interested?

Sparks fly when two people perfect for each other finally come together, until an unforgivable truth comes out that just might keep them apart forever. Amazon 
My Review: 5 STARS
I read the other books in this series and would’ve said before this one that they were a hard act to beat, but King blew me away with how sweet, romantic and amazing this book was. I adored Matt and Rosie, I loved their relationship, their shared past and the way they both came together, the misunderstandings, and the hurt from the past just made the book all the more sweet and romantic when everything came together at the end. This was beautifully written and I adored it, if there are more books in this series later down the line, I’m gonna read them all. Very much recommended for all those who love sweet romance!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Different Ways To Do NaNo [CC]

 Talking about all the different ways you can do NaNo! #Authortube
 
*This video was recorded and uploaded before NaNo did their whole AI stance. I've chosen to still post it as the information can be used to apply to any kind of writing challenge that's popping up to fill the NaNo space*
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#TeaserTuesday

Of course her luck means she runs into Tyra in the corridors...
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[ID: An orange background with the title CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE THIRD ACHE at the top and coming October 15th 2024 just below the title The except reads:

I knew my mistake before I turned to see who I'd rolled over. I could feel her pain radiating through me. Sure enough, Tyra was there, face like thunder, eyes showing both the anger and the twinge of pain. If anything, my whole body hurt more than it had yesterday.
She was stood with Cassie and Lynn. Just my luck they were all in the same tutor group. Tyra grabbed hold of my chair, and spun me around, leaning over me and putting her hands on my arms, making the same impressions she had the day before. I won't lie, it bloody hurt, but I kept my pain to myself, or at least tried to.
“You did that on purpose,” she spat, eyes locked on mine. “You wanna know actual pain, snowflake?”

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite review seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Knowing How You Write - The Creative Process

KNOWING HOW YOU WRITE

As someone who has been writing for more than half my life, I think it's a good idea for any writer to know how they work, to know what their way of doing things is. I've always been someone who mostly doesn't plan. I have a minimal plan, always have, otherwise I get lost along the way, but I rarely follow it to the letter. I allow for a lot of discovery along the way and to be honest, I don't think I'd have written half the books I have if I tried to plot and outline them the way other writers do. No shade, you gotta do what works for you, and that's completely valid.

But if you're new to writing, or you're trying to find a new way of working, I think it's important to have some idea of how you write. I started writing when I was 19, though I had written 'books' before then, they weren't very good and they haven't ever been looked at since. I knew that I had this idea brewing in the back of my mind for the past five or so years and I was desperate to get it onto the page. And I did, ten days later, I had a novel.

The point there is not to try and toot my own horn, but to lay the groundwork for what I'm about to say: I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how I personally worked, and it showed. It showed when it came time to revise and edit and eventually publish that novel. I thought that I would always write books in days, but nope. My second book took me about three years to get out because I'd not put together any kind of plan. I didn't know how I worked, I didn't think about all the steps I should take, I just put pen to paper and got writing thinking that it would all sort itself out.

Spoiler, it did not. I wrote myself into a corner because I didn't have a chapter plan. I was just taking one character and having them go through the whole thing discovering the information. Some of it was vaguely in the back of my mind, but because it took me three years, and I didn't write half of it down, I forgot a whole lot of it. Because of that, I struggled to even finish, let alone revise and edit!

One of the big things I learnt from that was you have to know how you personally write. Whether that means trying all the different outlining methods you can find, or trying to pants, or even just doing a mix of the two like I do, it's so important that you work that out. While yes, it can change from project to project. Like for me it's been mostly the same, but I do outline extensively when I revise, the core components will guide you along your path and allow you to find a way to both get the book written, but also set yourself up for success when it comes to future projects.

I started writing before the internet was as big as it is now, before things like google (yes I'm old) and before social media, so there weren't as many resources around for me to try and learn, but there are now and that's very much a good thing. It means you can watch things like Authortube, and you can find blogs like mine, and you can work out what works for you, because it's the biggest hurdle, to me at least, to finishing your book.

I did, eventually, fix the issue with that second book. I worked out what needed to be done, and then when it came to writing the next one, I did my minimal outline because I had learned from my mistakes. Of course that book took me about the same amount of time - years - because I was still struggling to work out how to plan my time, but that's a story for another day.

Take the time to find out how you write, to find out what works best for you, you will thank yourself later! And good luck!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Review of Tell Me You Love Me by Gracie Graham

 

Brynn Nichols is an enigma wrapped up in a riddle I can’t decipher.

She’s my best friend’s twin sister, the only girl immune to my charms. Far too wholesome for a player like me.

Getting under her skin is my favorite pastime. And it’s not hard to do considering how much she hates me.

But when football and summer classes take us to the same college, her brother makes me promise to watch over her. Keep an eye on her since he can’t.

I try to resist her, I really do.

She’s off-limits.

Too good for me.

There are a million reasons acting on my attraction toward her is wrong.

But her biting remarks and constant scowls aren’t enough to keep me at bay. Especially when her psycho roommate leaves her in need of a place to stay.

Inviting her to bunk with me for the summer is the worst possible idea.

But I never said I was smart.

Several kisses and one heated encounter later, I’m in over my head.

If her brother finds out about us, he’ll kill me.

So, we agree to keep it quiet.

But there are demons lurking behind her smooth skin, soft lips, and long blonde hair. Reasons for her ire I don’t know about. And when I discover the truth, the lines between loyalty, love, and friendship are drawn.

Now I’m so far away from the line, I can’t even see it anymore.

And with the way I’m feeling, I’m not sure I want to. Amazon  My Review:  5 STARS

Having read all the other books in this series, I was itching to get into this next one. There were a few parts that had me a little apprehensive about how they’d be handled, and I have to say that Graham nailed it. The characters were engaging, and relatable, and it was just a beautifully told story that allowed you to sit along with the two of them, cheering them on and hoping for that perfect happy ending for them both. I adored Brynn and Jace, and I loved the way they came together. Their backstories, their history and just all of it was done to a tee. Highly recommended for all those who love a good romance, even with the harder hitting topics involved! 

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here

Your Writing Why [CC]

Talking about your writing why, and why it can help you! #Authortube
 
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#TeaserTuesday

Jessie doesn't know what's causing Tyra pain, but she's not sure she wants to help...PRE-ORDER NOW: http://www.books2read.com/ACHE03PRE-ORDER SWAG:  https://forms.gle/gBMs7QyGpSq2apLr6

[ID: An orange background with the title CRAMPING CHRONICLES: THE THIRD ACHE at the top and coming October 15th 2024 just below the title The except reads:

Of course, I wasn't sure if Tyra was actually hurting because of a medical condition. Maybe she got into a fight and wanted to hide that from her parents. Maybe she'd had a fall or something. I wasn't a doctor, I couldn't diagnose her. Yes, I could feel that the pain wasn't fake, but I didn't know the actual cause.
On top of that, there was a part of me that thought: fuck it. She'd threatened me. She'd gone out of her way to attack me. She'd knowingly hurt me. This wasn't like with Meera, who had been a bit of a bitch when we first met. This was active bullying.

At the bottom is Joey Paul and just below that the website www.joeypaulonline.com, in the bottom left corner is the Readers' Favorite review seal, and in the bottom right corner is the logo for Bug Books. END ID]

 

Why Self-Care Can Help - The Creative Process

WHY SELF-CARE CAN HELP

Last week I talked about taking care of your writer self (found here) and this week I thought I would touch on why it's a good idea to do so. For those who may not realise, I'm chronically ill and disabled and have been writing since I was 19, and published since I was 23, I'm 42 now. I have almost 22 books out, with the 22nd coming in October, and I've also drafted nearly 50 books. I don't tell you all of that to brag or to score points, but to give you an idea of where I'm coming from, when I tell you that self-care is a massive help to keeping on track, and also managing to write full stop.

I have always been a big advocate for taking breaks, even when you don't think you've 'earned' them, which to me is not true, because we're all human and we all need a chance to recharge and regroup before going back to work. Being creative is a drain on your body, and I don't mean that negatively, but just that it takes a lot of energy and time to get to the point where you have something that works. It's a lot of work being an author, being a writer, being any kind of creative, and a lot of the time, people don't realise just how much of it happens behind the scenes.

But self-care, while it may be a buzzword, is also a massive part of being successful at writing, at publishing, at any kind of creative pursuit, because if you don't look after yourself, then you're going to end up in burnout and that is hell and harder to get out of. I've not always been someone who did take the breaks I should have. I didn't always set aside time off, and I bought into the idea that you had to earn your days off, that if you didn't meet this deadline, then oh well, just work harder. It's not the way it should be, because that is not sustainable, and if you want this to be your job, whether full time or not, then you have to be able to sustain that level of creativity.

I have been lucky enough that being an author is my full-time job. For transparency I'll be clear it doesn't pay me full-time, but I don't have any other job that I need to be doing to manage. I've also been very lucky in that I have tools at my fingertips that help me manage to create, to keep on top of things, and to also stay on target. But again, even if you aren't on deadline, you still need those breaks!

So why and how does self-care help? I'm gonna break down a few points and ways to give you an idea about why you should be adding it to your routine.

#1 YOU CREATE BETTER WITH REST
Have you ever been really stressed and trying to think up something? I have, and maybe it's just me, but I always find I have my worst ideas while trying to think while stressed and anxious and struggling to put one foot in the front of the other. When I've had some rest, and I've not pushed my body to breaking point, then I find it a whole lot easier to come up with things on the fly. Our brains work better when we're not pushing them to their limits, and because of that, it will help you write and create, if you're able to give your body the downtime you need.

While yes, I know deadlines happen, that doesn't mean that you should skip out on sleeping or recharging however you may do so, because of said deadline. Things will happen that make your working time stressful, been there, done that, but I've also found, like I said, that I do better in those stressed times when I'm not also working on a sleep debt, or having overdone it.

#2 RECHARGING CAN LEAD TO THE BEST IDEAS
You know that a lot of the time creatives will have their best idea about a plot hole or issue while in the shower? There's a reason for that. It's because your body is finally having a break, and is turning the problem over without all the pressure of needing to go go go. So it comes up with an idea, or a way to fix things, and that stress is instantly eased because now you know where to go and what to do, and you also have some idea of how to bring about the outcome you want.

I've always found when that happens that the next time I sit down to work, it all flows so much better because I've disconnected for a time, and my mind has been turning it over without me applying all different kinds of pressure. It's allowed me to sit back and really think about it, which is how I've solved a lot of my plot holes when they've been bugging me for a while.

#3 FUN THINGS CAN LEAD TO NEW IDEAS
I've found that while doing my wheelchair walks, something I do for a variety of reasons, one of which being it gives me a chance to relax, I will have ideas about how to fix things. I've also had ideas about new books, about series, about what to do about this issue I'm having. My point is that switching off can also bring about new book ideas. It can give you a chance to really delve into your subconscious and come out with a whole series of books that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

Fun things, whether they be self-care, or a day out with the family allow you to relax and switch off, and in doing that, those creative juices get flowing and you're soon able to find this plot and this character and boom, you're off with something brand new!

So there we go, some ways that self-care can help you as a creative. I really have found that it's a big tool for me in getting through the work, and I hope these help you too!

Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!

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Review of Summer Kisses And Boy Bands by Kimberly King

 Want to date a celebrity? Just don't lose your heart.

Val Hartman can hardly believe it when dreamy Zac Miller, lead singer of the Spud Rockets, is in town for the summer. Even more shocking is when they hit it off and he asks her out. But dating a rockstar has its own set of rules, and she’ll have to follow them to stay in the game.
It doesn’t take long to discover that nothing is fair when dating a celebrity, and when a secret is exposed, all that they’ve built falls apart. Add in a troubling phone call that takes Val out of town in a hurry, and everything important in her life is about to be lost for good.
The only way to make things right again will have to be something huge, but it will be the last thing Val ever expects.

 Amazon

My Review: 5 STARS

King is a new author to me and I’ve so far read three of her books and I adore them! I love the quirky characters, but how real they feel, how normal, how relatable and everything else that goes with it. This book was no different in that it had so many twists and turns, a hint of mystery through it. I adored the romance, and how things all came together at the end. I’m so glad there are always solid friendships in her book too, even with their own angst and twists. Just a delightful read and one that I only stopped reading because sleep isn’t optional! Very much recommended for all those who love a sweet romance! 

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here