Andrew Toynbee's Blog, page 16
April 17, 2013
Honoured to receive the Dragon’s Loyalty award
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Love that picture!
I was very pleased (not to mention surprised) when Briana Vedsted nominated me for the Dragon’s Loyalty Award!
This was an award I’d not seen before so I was delighted when Briana chose to nominate me and my blog.
The rules for this award are:
1. Display the Award Certificate on your website.
2. Announce your win with a written post and link to whoever presented your award.
3. Present 15 awards to deserving bloggers.
4. Drop them a comment to tip them off after you have liked them in the post.
5. Post 7 interesting things about yourself.
So here goes!
Seven interesting (I hope) things about me:
1. Robin Hobb’s ‘Blood of Dragons’ might be the last paper book I will ever read…
2. Writing has become my anchor in an otherwise chaotic life.
3. I dislike the cold and grey of winter – but I love the snow! How weird (S.A.D.) is that?
4. I have a terrier who may have been an engineer in his former life. He’s the smartest dog I’ve ever seen.
5. I’m fascinated by sunsets and cannot stop taking photos of them.
6. My biggest regret is having not pursued motor racing in my 20′s. I still think I could have made a career out of it.
and…
7. I can find peace and inspiration if I stop to watch running water. Perhaps my Muse is a water-spirit…
And now for my nominees (I’m doing 10 instead of 15):
As it’s a loyalty award, I will nominate those who have been with me, who have encouraged me and stuck with me throughout my (and their) ups and downs…
Ryan Casey - without whom I may not have (self) published
Candace Knoebel - whose adventures have blazed a fiery trail!
Sonya Loveday - for her love, encouragement and inspiration here and on Facebook.
Jon at Jumpingfromcliffs - for keeping me going when things got sticky.
Michelle Proulx - for her zany (and often surreal) humour and for introducing me to the word ‘Woot!’
Pat at patwoodblogging - for her steadfast encouragement even when it snowed.
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…plus a few newer followers with whom I have enjoyed much banter;
Karen Gadient - it seems we share much that is non-corporeal!
Daphnee at AnEvilnymphsblog - who is anything but evil (sorry, didn’t you want that known?).
Nightwolf aka KisaWhipkey - for encouragement via blog and Facebook
Fortyoneteen - thanks for your insight.
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Please pass this award on to those bloggers who are deserving of a loyalty award. We gotta stick together!
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April 14, 2013
How to find more bloggers like you…
If you’re short on followers or don’t have many interesting blog posts appearing in your feed, a simple way to search for others who are writing about your interests is to explore via the bloggers that you already follow.
By commenting on your (I’m assuming here) small circle of bloggers posts, others will see those comments and perhaps be intrigued enough to search for you – especially if your comments are witty and / or informative. The more often you comment, the better your chances.
The flip side of this is that when you see a useful comment on a blog site, you can visit that blogger in one of two ways;
Click on the blogger’s name (beside their gravatar) 
and that should route you directly to their site. You can then browse to see if their content is of interest to you. If it is, ‘follow’ them, ‘like’ their posts (if applicable – if not, why would you follow?) or even leave a nice comment…which might intrigue other visitors to seek you out. See how it works? Caution – if you leave a comment without following too, your comment will most likely be held in a moderation queue pending approval by that blogger. This will not only delay the posting of your comment, but a busy blogger may miss it altogether. I know because I’ve discovered pending comments days after they were posted. 
Another (sometimes less effective way) to find bloggers is to click on their gravatar.
This will route you to the bloggers gravatar page where you can read all about them – assuming they have posted anything. Not everyone does and you can be left staring at nothing more than a larger version of their gravatar.
Note to other bloggers – please put some details on your gravatar! Other bloggers are interested in you.
Here’s mine;
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I’ve tried to include as much relevant information on my own gravatar page so that I can be located on WordPress, Twitter, Goodreads, Twitter and LinkedIn. To find my WordPress site, you’d only need to click on the site name, andrewtoynbee.wordpress.com.
However, even if a blogger that you are desperately keen to follow hasn’t posted any details (and one has to wonder why), the mighty Google can come to the rescue. Simply copy (or memorise it if you’re good) their blogging name, open the mighty Google (other search engines are available if you prefer) and type ‘WordPress’ followed by their name;
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Voila!
You can then click to find the site and ‘follow’, comment or ‘like’ as before. The blogger may be kind enough to follow you in return and hey presto! you have increased your feed and your following in one simple move!
For blog sites that are not hosted by WordPress, you may have to be a little more creative, omitting ‘WordPress’ from the search and perhaps adding spaces in their gravatar name. If you know which host they are using, add that into the search box instead. Then, if you wish to follow their feeds, copy their web address, go to your ‘Blogs I Follow’ page and paste their URL into the box at the top of the page. I’ve covered this in slightly more detail on my How to follow non-Wordpress blogs post.
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Happy blogging!
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April 10, 2013
Writing – finding a healthy balance.
Writing can be frustrating. It can be fun. It can be cathartic and good for the soul. However, as with anything in life, it can also be all-consuming.
Have you ever been unable to sleep because your Muse has been bombarding you with ideas?
Have you wished that the machine that is the human body was more resilient – able to go for longer without food or rest just so that you could spend more of your precious time writing instead of refuelling (eating) or down-timing (sleeping)?
In the twenty-first century, there are so many conflicting demands on our time that writing can be squeezed into a corner by pesky things like sleeping, eating, resupplying the cupboards and interacting with other human beings.
But such things are part of life. They are the small things that can inspire us. They are the minutae that can add delicious detail to our stories and bring our characters to life.
Now, you may think that I preaching to you, dear reader. Not at all – all of the above is a lecture to myself; my own nagging monologue to slow down and try to absorb those small adventures that comprise everyday life – and enjoy them.
So throttle back until the blur that is life slows and becomes visible – then write about it.
April 6, 2013
Blog Exercises: Honor the Moment
Reblogged from Lorelle on WordPress:
In "Okay, Everybody, Group Hug!" the author of True Stitches, Heather, honored the moment of a publishing triumph.
This is my 300th post. An accomplishment of sorts, I guess, although it took me years and years to get here. But along the way I have connected with so many wonderful people, which is the greatest gift the blog has brought me.
I was interested to discover this article by Lorelle which encourages bloggers to celebrate their achievements. Particularly relevant to newer bloggers who are still building their following, I would add that bloggers should always mark their blogging anniversaries, their achieved goals (50 followers, 100 likes etc) to celebrate their hard work and persistence - qualities that mark successful bloggers and authors.
Read and take note!
April 2, 2013
Spread the word – linking your posts to other media
If you have other social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and LinkedIn, it’s a straightforward matter to have your posts automatically repeated on them, saving you time and the hassle of re-posting each time.
If you want to utilise this, first open the appropriate social media page in another tab or window in the background first. Depending on your browser settings, WordPress may auto-fill and save you having to re-type manually.
Stage One;
At the bottom of every post is a link to something clever called ‘Publicize’. Pick a recent post, find the link and click on ‘Settings.’
Stage Two;
A selection of social media will appear in the next window as per the image below. Or…
…if you haven’t any linked sites, you might see a series of social media options;
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Click ‘Add new Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn (use as appropriate) connection.’
This should prompt a permissions box to appear. I’ve shown the LinkedIn one;
This may auto fill as you begin typing, or you may have to complete both boxes, depending on your browser settings. Either way, completing the box should take you to your social media page and allow you to link it to your subsequent WordPress posts.
Beware, though. Using ‘Update’ on any older posts will cause them to be re-posted (as I’ve found to my cost), so use it sparingly, or your followers will be blasted over and over with your wit and wisdom!
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March 30, 2013
End of discussion – period
I was browsing Facebook when I found this link to theworldsgreatestbook.com.
As a child of the 1960′s (I must have been – I don’t remember being there), I was startled by this discussion.
Am I the only person here that still inserts two spaces after the full stop (period)?
:O
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March 29, 2013
Why Amazon's Purchase of Goodreads Is A Good Thing
Reblogged from David Gaughran:
The doom-mongers have been running wild on Twitter with the news that Amazon is to acquire Goodreads. Much of that nonsense is typical (hysterical) Amazon bashing, or reflexive defense of the status quo.
I'm not going to deal with the Chicken Little stuff. I have less and less patience with people who claim that Amazon has or is striving for some kind of evil monopoly that will subjugate authors and readers when all the evidence to date is that they will treat authors better than any publisher and provide readers with cheaper books, a bigger selection, and a better customer experience than any other retailer.
The giant that is the internet shifts in its sleep once again - but what are the likely ramifications for authors? David Gaughran discusses...
Let’s play a little game…
You’ve been tagged!
Carissa of ramblingsofabipolarwoman recently tagged me in a little game, the rules of which are as follows:
Rules:
1. Post these rules. (check)
2. Post a photo of yourself (do I have to?) and eleven random facts about you. (check)
3. Answer the questions given to you in the tagger’s post. (check)
4. Create eleven new questions and tag new people to answer them. (check)
5. Go to their blog/Twitter and let them know they’ve been tagged. (done)
Okay; Here’s a picture of me. It’s not particularly recent, but I rather like the chap who’s standing beside me…I hear he likes Robin Hobb’s dragon stories.
I’ve got plans for a better pic that ties in with the Angel of the North, but that’ll keep for later.
11 facts about me:
1. I have a large collection of silly T-Shirts at home.
2. I have just had to accept the fact that I am ageing – by buying reading glasses!
3. This year I will be 49…but in my mind, 50 is the new 30!
4. If it wasn’t for my current job, I would probably never find the time to write.
5. I cannot concentrate on poetry…my eyes simply skip across it – but I am determined to change.
6. I have never lost the joy of watching falling snow.
7. I enjoy watching chick flicks. Some of them, anyway. My Best Friend’s Wedding was cool.
8. I enjoy making short YouTube videos [add a link?] by matching songs to modern movies.
9. If I was ever to visit the US, I would have absolutely no idea where to begin!
10. My MP3 is filled only with soundtracks and similar music.
11. I only recently discovered The Walking Dead and I am now a huge fan!
Now to answer the questions given to me by Carissa:
1. What is one of your fondest childhood memories?
Sitting beside a Scottish river whilst my parents fished for trout. To this day, I can still find peace beside a river.
2. What town & country were you born in?
I was born in a town called Burnley in Northern England
3. What is something you HATE to eat?
Eggs – in almost any form. It’s taken me years of determination to be able to touch an omlette or the yolk of an egg.
4. What is a talent you wish that you had or that you were better at?
I wish I could master a musical instrument – I love music, but learning the technicalities seems to take all the pleasure out of it.
5. Why did you join WordPress?
To journal my writing progress in 2010. I didn’t post anything until July 2012. Now I love it!
6. What is one of your most favorite dishes to make/eat?
Anything that has a cheese topping. Lasagne and macaroni cheese is at the top of my list.
7. Where is somewhere you haven’t been that you’d like to travel to?
The US…
8. What animal do you think best suits your personality?
I’ve always felt an affinity towards bees. They work from dawn till dusk without complaint, but always manage to stay under the radar.
9. Do you like sports, if so…what is your favorite to watch?
I used to watch motor racing - my favourite sport – but not since the UK’s TV coverage messed up.
10. Have you ever played a musical instrument, if so…what and if not, what you play if you could be taught?
See 4. above. I think it’s best left to the professionals. But if I was suddenly given the ability to play, I would like to be able to play either keyboard or a guitar.
11. What do you think your best qualities are?
Persistence and determination. It’s served me well in my job and in my desire to be an Author.
11 questions that I will ask those I choose to tag…..
1. What was the last book that you read?
2. If you could retire within the next five years, to where would you like to retire?
3. What genre are you writing – and have you attempted any other genres in the past?
4. Fruit or chocolate?
5. What stage is your current WIP at?
6. What colour is your hair – and your eyes?
7. Agent or self-publish? And why?
8. What was the last movie you went to see? With friends or alone?
9. How long have you been with WordPress – and what was your first post about?
10. What can you see beyond your screen? If it’s a wall, what’s immediately behind you?
11. Do you type head-down or head-up?
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Tag along!
Now I’ve got to tag a few people and let them know that they’ve been tagged.
I hope that the following bloggers will join in the fun and pass the game along. That way we can all learn a little more about each other!
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To anyone else reading this, feel free to participate and keep this going!
March 27, 2013
Are you a ‘Secret Identity’ Author?
Do announce the existence of your writing self to the world? Do you tell all and sundry that you are proud to call yourself writer, or author? Or do you hide your writing-ness under a bushel, hoping that sales will continue regardless of your introversion?
Despite being a quiet sort of soul, I tell everyone what (little so far) I’ve achieved.
Many years ago, when I was working within the world of MLM (multi-level marketing), I was taught to declare my presence to everyone with whom I conversed – it could only boost sales.
Now, as an author, I had to decide what was better – to hide in a corner and just hope that my books would quietly sell, or to promote them to everyone I met at the risk of being thought a pest.
Back in November 2012, I produced a healthy number of bookmarks using nothing more than a colour printer, a laminator and a cheap guillotine. The result was a useful ‘hand-out’ version of Ravven’s cover artwork.
Whenever I met someone new, I would simply ask ‘Do you read much?’ If the answer was yes, then I would pass out one, sometimes two bookmarks to promote my work. More often than not, the recipients were happy just to receive something for free. In most cases, they were truly interested and asked all about the novel.
It’s still interesting to see the looks on my colleague’s faces when I tell them that I’ve (self) published a novel. They look at me as if I’d just said ‘That song that’s at Number One..I wrote that.’
*Takes a moment to bask in adulation, then returns to reality*
If you don’t tell people that you have worked your socks off for ten, twenty years, applied your time to editing, reviewing, querying agents, sending out to beta readers before finally, finally, finally seeing your work in print, then why bother publishing in the first place? True, you may not be worried about sales and are content to see your book sell just a few each month. I count myself as a member of that happy group – at least for now. But it cheers me every time I see another sale – it means someone else has downloaded that which I’ve worked so hard to achieve!
On that last point, if you haven’t yet achieved that lofty and seemingly-unattainable goal, don’t ever, ever, ever give up on your dreams. You are so close, and deserve it so much more that those who simply threw in the towel! Don’t just take my word for it – ask anyone who has been published or is self-published.
There’s an old saying; ‘The only guarantee in life is this; If you give up, you will achieve nothing.’
But back to the main point of the post…if you have a book or a short story that is live, let as many people as possible know about it via Twitter, WordPress, LinkedIn, Facebook etc plus word of mouth.
I even invested in a set of magnetic signs for my works van – something that has spurred many people to ask me about them. As soon as that happens – they get a free bookmark! 
Even if they don’t download a copy immediately, the bookmark will linger on a desk, in a drawer or pocket for a time and might remind them at a later date, or be found by a curious family member who could then be intrigued enough to search for the story.
Other authors have produced fridge magnets and keyrings – other items that can last for years and subsequently trigger a sale.
So, don’t be afraid to put your name out there, display your cover and spread the word.
What other items of ‘swag’ have you created as a reminder that your book is ‘out there?’
Place your answers on the side of my fridge, please!
March 26, 2013
Recent Article: 30 famous authors whose works were rejected (repeatedly, and sometimes rudely) by publishers
Reblogged from Schuler Books Weblog:
A Great Article by Michelle Kerns that should give hope to struggling authors everywhere:
The revered sage Frank Sinatra once said, "The best revenge is massive success."
He never spoke a truer word, particularly when it comes to aspiring authors who, after suffering severe smackdowns from publishers, went on to become renowned writers.
Think this has happened to only a select few?
This is a classic article, but it bears repeating because so many people have struggled - and are still struggling to make their work heard. Read this, and remember that many have fought their way past rejection in the past - and successfully published.
