Frances Caballo's Blog: 10 Twitter Tips Writers Need to Know, page 33

Sometimes You Have to Break the Rules on Social Media

In the past, I’ve recommended strict rules about social media use.

Don’t argue politics. Stick to neutral topics. Be aware of your readers’ differing opinions.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I’ve not only broken my own rules, I’ve shattered them. Yes, you heard me correctly.

You see, during the worst fire in California’s history, which occurred in my community, a lot changed around here.

For one, the way I kept in touch with the majority of friends during this time was through Facebook.

How could I, in the face of many friends’ tremendous losses, post empty quotes and information about my blog posts? It wouldn’t have made any sense.

So I got down and dirty, so to speak.

I expressed my sorrow for their tremendous loss. I shared my feelings. I expressed gratitude for my giving community. I posted about needs in my community. Through social media, I helped someone find her lost cat.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, it was during this period that I joined the #MeToo crusade on Facebook, exposing formerly tightly held secrets.

All of this ran against my self-imposed rules and inhibitions.

Safety for Me Was Being Milquetoast

You see, until that fateful week, I was pretty milquetoast online. It was safer for me to be that way.

On Twitter, I had delved into some social issues over the loss of too many black men at the hands of white cops, but even my foray into that controversy was pretty safe.

I merely liked some posts and shared one or two of them.

Recently, however, I completely let loose.

I even posted a comic that stated, “My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.”

I related that comic to how I feel in the morning when there’s more news about what Trump is doing to this country.

Under normal circumstances, I never would have posted that comic or a negative word about Trump. Mind you; I would never call a Trump supporter a moron (like one of my friends has) or use any other derogatory term.

But I’d had it. I’d had it with the fires, with the loss, with everything around me turning to ashes. So I dipped a toe into politics and received 31 Likes and many comments.

I didn’t post the comic to win any likeability contest. I’d just had it with my world in every sense.

What did I learn? Well, the lesson that the more personal you are on Facebook, the more engagement you’ll have proved to be true. Engagement was high on my posts.

And I learned something about my friends I hadn’t known before. One friend merely commented with #MeToo. She didn’t elaborate and didn’t need to. I understood. Others elaborated more.

Above all else, people want to get to know you on Facebook. They don’t just want to read inspirational quotes. They want to know how you’re feeling.

In my case, they wanted to know whether I lost my house. Was I okay?

When I went to the gym today, people asked me, “Are you okay?” They used to just say hi. Now everyone wants to know “how you’re doing” meaning did your house catch on fire.

So you see, life’s not the same around here, and my life on Facebook has changed too.

5 Social Media Lessons During Times of Crisis

From my own experience, I offer these lessons:

During times of crisis, stop marketing your books and blog posts and share what you’re going through.
Relate to other people, especially those worse off than you.
Don’t be afraid to reveal how you’re really feeling.
Give as generously as you can, both online and offline.
Forget about the usual rules about using social media. Just be real.

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

 

Amy Collins is the President of New Shelves Books, one of the largest book sales and marketing content providers in the US. Join us for a webinar on November 15 at 2 pm PST / 5 pm EST. Amy will talk about Amazon rules, tips, and sales successes.

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Indie Author Weekly Update – November 2, 2017

This week’s Indie Author Weekly Update covers a lot of topics and all but one focus on some aspect of selling your books. I hope you enjoy these posts.

Indie Author Updates

Book Reviews for Self-Published Authors: A Primer by Joel Friedlander: “It’s never been a better time to be a self-published author, and there have never been more book reviewers available to the writer who decides to go indie. Book reviewers help spread the message about your book by publishing a review to their own network. But if you’re new to publishing, you have to figure out how to get those book reviews that can bring you more readers.”

Prepare to Present with Confidence from Writer Unboxed: “As authors, we need to be in the public eye. Often this includes presenting at conferences, being a guest author at conventions, giving school assemblies, doing group author events, and more. Saying YES to these opportunities will force you to get over your public speaking fear. You may even come to enjoy it! Doing public events can also open many new opportunities for you as an author.”

Opinion: Why Writing and Self-Publishing Books Fast is a Good Thing for This Indie Author from The Alliance of Independent Authors: “In communities where writers congregate, you will find opinions ranging from ‘books should take years to write, and go through dozens of rewrites, to be a “good book”’ to “readers aren’t that fussy, just get it out there.”

5 Ways a Professional Cover Design Can Boost Book Sales  from BookBubPartners by Ricardo Fayet: “One of the biggest fallacies still held by some in the publishing world is that cover design doesn’t really matter. In other words, a great book will still thrive even if it has a terrible cover. But in the absence of overwhelming word of mouth or a gangbusters publicity tour, a book’s marketing efforts will rely heavily on its cover.”

Here’s Your Go-To Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet from HubSpot: “When you’re selecting cover photos, shared images, and other social media assets, knowing the basic image dimensions might not cut it. What if you want to make sure a certain part of your cover photo isn’t obstructed by your profile photo? And what’s the difference between shared link thumbnails, or in-stream photos — are the dimensions different for those?”

Quote of the Week

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Join me for a webinar with the talented Amy Collins on November 15 at 2 pm PST / 5 pm EST. We’ll be talking about Amazon rules, tips, and sales successes.

 

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The post Indie Author Weekly Update – November 2, 2017 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Are You a Social Media Cynic?

So, are you a social media cynic? You sort of need to figure that out.

This past week, someone in my community hired me for some one-on-one tutoring. She asked the questions and I answered them.

Because people new to social media sometimes don’t know what to ask, I also filled in gaps with what I thought she might need to know.

At one point, I wanted to say to her, as lovingly as possible, that she needed to admit that she was a social media cynic.

Why lovingly? Because the fires that ripped through Northern California devastated my community. One thing I learned from this experience is that we all need to be as kind as possible, especially now.

Anyway, I was saying that you need to figure out where you stand in relation to social media. It’s what alcoholics do, right? If they want to get better, they need to first admit the disease.

Not that being a social media cynic is a disease or that there is anything wrong with being one. Well, not unless you want to use social media to promote your books.

It seems incongruous to say you want to use social media and then be reluctant to use it in a manner that would serve you best for promoting your books.

I don’t mean to be snide or sarcastic or mean. I really don’t. But for some people the roadblocks they experience when trying to embrace social media are those that they create.

Many – if not most – writers are introverts. So self-revealing can be a scary prospect. I get it. And self-reflecting before self-revealing is an excellent practice that I teach parents of teens.

But as authors, most of us need to let go more.

In her example, she felt that posting once a day on her Facebook author page (not her profile) was too much. In reality, we all need to post twice a day.

We don’t need to worry that others will think we’re posting too frequently on Facebook. Know why? Because of Facebook’s darn algorithm that doesn’t allow the majority of our status updates to penetrate our fans’ newsfeeds.

In other words, most people won’t see our two posts every day. (This is the crux of my love/hate relationship with Facebook, by the way.)

Soul Searching over #MeToo

Last week I had to make a deeply personal decision. I usually post superfluous items on my Facebook profile. You know, sweet pictures of pups (I’m allergic to cats) and lots of quotes.

Then the fires happened in Sonoma County. Suddenly, all I could talk about was how sad, anxious, and even sick I felt. As I read personal accounts of friends escaping the inferno with just a car or a nightgown covering their naked bodies, how could I not respond personally?

In the midst of this fire was the continued story about Harvey Weinstein followed by Alyssa Milano’s call that women who had been raped, assaulted, or sexually harassed use the #MeToo hashtag.

I thought, “Do I really want to tell people my secrets?” Then I thought, “Why the hell not?! I’m not to blame for what those men did to me.”

So I joined the chorus of women on Facebook. Mind you, I don’t easily self-reveal on social media so this was a difficult decision. Then again, what did I have to hide?

Shouldn’t women who have been disgraced in this manner tell the truth to the world? Then, and only then, will people (mostly men) realize how prevalent the problem is.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you go from being an introvert to telling the world about your rape experience. But you need to let go a little.

The truth about Facebook – and let’s get honest here – is that the more personal you are, the more engagement you have. You need comments, likes, and shares for your posts to rise in Facebook’s algorithm and the more personal you are, the more “viral” your posts become.

That’s the way it works and I didn’t make up the rules.

The Fires Changed Me

Getting accustomed to social media as an introvert isn’t easy. Like I said earlier, typically I post uplifting quotes and pictures of dogs. Anything to keep the spotlight away from me.

It was difficult for me to embrace social media, truth be told. I especially had a hard time with Twitter, the social platform that’s become my favorite. So I come from a place of understanding when it comes to social media cynicism. Believe me when I say that.

But something inside me changed. It was the fires. And realizing how short life is and how things can change in a flash. One moment you’re sleeping and the next your nightgown is on fire.

And it was the charred hillsides and all the horrible stories I read every morning in our newspaper.

Why waste my time posting superfluous items just because they’re neutral? What am I afraid of?

So I had a bit of soul searching to do.

Indeed, what are you afraid of? All of you who are reading this post who are also social media cynics, what are you waiting for?

Social Media Isn’t a Vacuum

Do you want to promote your books? That can’t happen in a vacuum.

As much as you want people to learn about your books, your readers want to learn about you. They want to know you. They want to know where you write, when you write, how you began your career.

You can’t live in a vacuum in the virtual world. You need to demonstrate your humanity online.

One day on Facebook I wrote in reference to the fires: “The uncertainty of all of this makes me want to vomit. Harsh truth, folks.”

A few days earlier I wrote: “Am deciding what I will and won’t post on Facebook in the future. Superfluous items are out. Important shit and dog pics are in.” (What can I say? I love dogs.)

On October 17th I joined the chorus of #MeToo and admitted to being raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually harassed. As of my last count, thirty-seven people responded to that post. The majority of them left comments.

The more personal you are on social media, the more engagement you’ll have because people want to get to know you. Yeah, it’s scary.

If you want to sell books, let people know who you are. They don’t need to know that you were raped or that you are so anxious you could vomit.

They definitely don’t need to know what you ate for breakfast or lunch. But they want to hear from you during good times and bad times.

Your readers want to feel touched by your humanity. Demonstrate your humanity in all of its shades.

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Want to save time on social media without comprising effectiveness? Get the book that explains how. You’ll find Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Smashwords for FREE.

Photo Credit: Beth Solano/Unsplash.com

 

 

 

 

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Indie Author Weekly Update – October 27, 2017

This week’s Indie Author Update includes posts from Joanna Penn, Neil Patel, and David Gaughran and covers a wide range of topics from author websites to Twitter lists.

Indie Author Updates

3 Original Ways to Get More People Sharing Your Content on Social Media from Neil Patel: “When it comes to marketing, exposure is the name of the game. Having high-quality content is great, but it means nothing if there’s no one actually reading it. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that brands and businesses from all over the world are doing everything in their power to increase their exposure on social media. At this point, there are a variety of ways that you can do this.”

The Essentials Of Your Author Website by Joanna Penn: “Your site portrays your author brand and gives a sense of your personality as well as your professionalism. It’s how people judge you online. It’s the first place a journalist, publisher or agent will look if they are interested in you. They will click away if it’s not what they’re looking for.”

How To Create Twitter Lists from The SITS Girls: “Have you ever logged onto Twitter only to feel like logging off the second you saw your stream? Twitter lists are a great way to organize yourself on Twitter, and help you to find more of the tweets you want to see. Lists are one of Twitter’s best features, but they are underused.”

A Tale of Two Marketing Systems by David Gaughran: “Lots of people right now are asking themselves whether they should leave Kindle Unlimited. I’m generally agnostic on it, and I think writers should do what is best for them and their books, but there’s no doubt this is the big question of the moment.”

Quote of the Week

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

 

Amy Collins

Amy Collins is the President of New Shelves Books, one of the largest book sales and marketing content providers in the US. Join us for a webinar on November 15 at 2 pm PST / 5 pm EST. Amy will talk about Amazon rules, tips, and sales successes.

 

 

 

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Top 10 Tips to Stay Motivated During NaNoWriMo

With National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) fast approaching, now is the time to prepare for the marathon writing season.

You’ve heard of NaNoWriMo of course. It’s that time of year when many authors tries to write an entire novel – yes an entire novel – in the space of 30 days. Is it possible? I know people who have written a novel during November so, yes, it is possible.

But you have to be organized, prepared and know how to persevere. NaNoWriMo isn’t an effort for wusses. It’s hard work trying to write 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30. Damn hard work.

Plan for #NaNoWriMo in October Click To Tweet

I once tried but gave up. (Confession: It was really a nonfiction book.) So there, I admit it. But you know what? I didn’t prepare and wasn’t clear on my objective. So from my experience and those whom I know, I offer the following advice.

Plan for November: In October, pick a novel idea (note the play on words). Then try to write an outline and some character sketches. If you aren’t accustomed to writing outlines, jot down ideas on Post-Its and arrange them according to how your story will advance. Now is the time to register with NaNoWriMo.org too. And if you write historical fiction, do your research during October.
Select your partners: Believe me when I tell you that you will need writing partners. When you sit down to write with people, you will feel a level of energy that you won’t have writing alone in your office or at your dinner table. Plus, if you have writing partners and as a group you agree to meet at certain places on certain days of the week, you’ll stick to your plan. On the days when you don’t meet, find places to write where there will be other NaNoWriMo writers. You’ll find these groups on the NaNoWriMo.org website.
Don’t edit: Do not edit during the month of November. If you’re anything like me, this will be difficult. (I like to make corrections as I write. Horrible and senseless habit.) If you try to revise during November, you won’t reach your goal of 50,000 words. So forget about punctuation and bad grammar and poor spelling. Just write!
Carefully organize your work: To reach your goal, you’ll need to write 1,667 words every day. Of course, some days you may write more and others less so make sure that if you don’t write 1,667 words on Monday, for example, that on Tuesday you write even more. 1,667 words a day is the average you need to write.
Start each day with a plan: Before ending each writing session, write the first sentence that you’ll start with the following day. Let this sentence act as a writing prompt. You don’t really have to use that sentence if the next day you decide that you hate it. Just end each day with a prompt or starting place for the next.
Use social media: Now you may think that social media would be one colossal waste of time during this period. But it isn’t as long as you use it strategically. Use the #NaNoWriMo hashtag on Twitter to report in how many words you’ve written. Find virtual writing partners to keep yourself going and committed and for virtual support. Use the hashtag #WritingBlitz to report in if you wrote 2,667 words or more in one sitting. Use the hashtag #WritePrompt to get you going on those days when you don’t know how to start. In effect, use social media for support. It’s okay to brag about your accomplishments once in a while too. After all, NaNoWriMo is kind of a big deal.
Stay motivated: It’s very easy to give up. I know this from personal experience. Do everything you possibly can to stay motivated. Talk with other authors. Try new writing spaces. Eat chocolate. Treat yourself to a great glass of wine when you reach a new milestone. Think of the end product.
Write extra words: Admit it now. You probably won’t be writing on Thanksgiving day if you live in the U.S. and have to cook. So on some days, write a little more or even a lot more. Prepare for times when you’ll have a cold and feel so miserable that all you’ll want to do is watch a romantic comedy and drink honey and tea or brandy and milk. Just allow for days when the thought of being in NaNoWriMo makes you want to cry. So anticipate days when you won’t feel like writing and in fact, won’t write. One friend of mine planned to finish early and for that easy wrote more than 1,667 words a day.
Consider a routine: We all have routines in our lives, right? We get up and then drink our coffee. We eat and then brush our teeth and floss. Then we go to the gym. Whatever. Maybe you meditate every morning or do yoga every day. Now’s the time to develop a writing habit. Without one you may not successfully get through NaNoWriMo. So create a routine and then stick to it. Who knows? This may become your writing routine for life. Wouldn’t that be cool?
Writing block: November isn’t the time for a writing block. What can you do if one strikes? Take a hike – literally. Or attend a yoga class at your gym. I find that walking outdoors is the best tonic to get my creative juices flowing. The fresh air, green trees – ah – it’s like magic.
Bonus tip: Don’t forget to relax from time to time. Book a massage. Go to Costco and sit in one of their massage chairs. Do something to relax and give yourself a treat. When you reach your milestones, whatever they might be, treat yourself to a great bottle of wine or champagne or whiskey. Or flowers. And be extra kind to yourself. You’ll get through this!

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Want to save time on social media without comprising effectiveness? Get the book that explains how. You’ll find Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Smashwords for FREE.

 

 

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Indie Author Weekly Update – October 20, 2017

This week’s Indie Author Update touches on blogging, Twitter, Amazon advertising, and book review sites. They are all topics important to you as an indie author if you want to sell books.

Top 10 Ways to Use Twitter Without Losing Your Soul by G.G. Andrew: “Though it may seem old-fashioned, I prefer to think of Twitter as the online equivalent of a giant cocktail party, and act accordingly (by which I mean practicing kindness and maybe also drinking things with umbrellas).”

Attention Bloggers: The Future of Book Publishing Has Arrived by Joel Friedlander: “Oh sure, we bloggers think we’re the most up-to-date, leading-edge, tech-savvy people on the planet. But one of the biggest changes in the long history of content creation is taking place right under your feet, and I’m afraid it may be passing you by.”

Book Review Sites To Help You Get Into Libraries & Stores – BookWorks from BookWorks by Amy Collins: “The number one way to impress librarians is reviews from established book review sites and periodicals. When we start working with new authors, they are (rightfully) focused on getting Amazon reviews. While that is a necessary and valid endeavor, don’t forget the OTHER kind of reviews necessary for the success of your book.”

AMS Rules Roundup | Self-Publishing Advice Center from Alliance of Independent Authors: “Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) is one of this year’s hottest venues for book advertising, but to take advantage of the program you’ll need to know the rules. For your convenience, we’ve categorized Amazon’s guidelines and prohibitions for AMS ads into this handy list.”

Awards News

George Saunders Wins the Man Booker Prize for Fiction for Lincoln in the Bardo by Porter Anderson: “The second American in as many years to win the UK’s coveted Man Booker Prize for Fiction, George Saunders takes the £50,000 purse for his ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ published by Random House in the States, by Bloomsbury in the UK.”

Quote of the Week

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Want to save time on social media without comprising effectiveness? Get the book that explains how. You’ll find Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Smashwords for FREE.

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The post Indie Author Weekly Update – October 20, 2017 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Platform Building & Media Relations for Indie Authors

Chris Well recently joined me on a Conversations with Frances broadcast. Hear what he had to say about media relations and platform building for indie authors.

Chris started young in the media; by college he was writing for national magazines. Later, he worked in radio and worked as an editor with a magazine. Over the years, he has accumulated 25 years in the media working with a number of brands. This is what he had to say:

The right email to the right reporter will get you coverage. That said, any author can find media coverage.

How could a romance author get publicity?  Your pitch wouldn’t be that you’re a romance author. You would pitch a nonfiction topic and look for the right decision maker. Who you talk to will change from place to place. Maybe the decision maker would be a beat reporter or a local columnist. When in doubt, ask the front desk.

Press releases aren’t helpful that often. Press releases can be a part of a larger package, such as your press kit, etc. But a press release isn’t part of your pitch.

The way that he describes an author’s platform is in four parts: (1) your central hub is your home base (website); (2) your authority content is content you create (blog, videos, books, etc.); (3) community outreach; (4) publicity is taking the best step and contacting a person who has an audience and built equity with their/his/her audience (the “Oprah effect”).

Publicity introduces you to a new audience to build your platform.

When people dismiss the idea of media coverage they are thinking too narrowly, such as The Today Show. Don’t put all your energy into the big media. You’re way more likely to get in front of the right people when you “go local.”

Chris has been interviewed on radio, TV, for webinars, and on podcasts. On his website, you can see a list of where he’s spoken. Every media opportunity leads to more so don’t disregard an opportunity because you think it’s “too small.” You never know who will be in the audience who might further your reach to another audience.

Media kits make it easier for people to learn what they need to know about you. If the media is thinking of interviewing you, they need this information to determine how good you’ll be or to determine if they should proceed and interview you. You need information about yourself as an author, a picture of yourself with space around your head so that it can be cropped, and a picture of your book cover (flat cover, not 3D or one with a halo effect). This way the reporter can simply go to your website to get what they need. Don’t include information about your pets or from where you graduated.

It helps to have a press area on your website. Who you are, key points, suggested interview areas, bio, pictures, and where you’ve appeared in the media before.

Don’t focus on yourself or your book when looking for media coverage. Publishing a book isn’t usually newsworthy. Instead, pitch a topic that’s of interest to the media’s audience. For example, a celebrity who’s appearing in a new movie won’t be interviewed about the movie but on another topic that’s intriguing.

Chris said so much more on this topic and he explained related issues so well. Be sure to watch the entire video of the webinar.

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Want to save time on social media without comprising effectiveness? Get the book that explains how. You’ll find Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Smashwords for FREE.

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Indie Author Weekly Update October 13, 2017

This week’s Indie Author Weekly Update is about content, whether its podcasting, blogging, or publishing, it’s all content.

I chose this week’s photo due to the sky I lived under this week. I live in the Tubbs Fire area, more specifically Sonoma County. It’s been a surreal week for me because the conflagration is near me yet I am spared by it. Please pray for my neighbors.

Indie Author Update

10 Reasons Podcast Guesting is the #1 Killer Content Marketing Tactic of All via Duct Tape Marketing: “This is a bold statement, but hear me out. I have been earning a living from search engine optimization for over 12 years and I’ve tried every tactic at one time or another. Ever since Google started dropping algorithmic bombs around 2011 (think Panda, Penguin, and so on), SEO industry behavior has changed. Most SEO services have moved back onshore and “real” SEO is now an integrated part of holistic marketing.”

What Authors Need to Know About Crowdfunding Their Book: A Case Study by the Numbers from Jane Friedman by James Haight: “Crowdfunding a book is challenging, time consuming, and requires an author to expend a tremendous amount of social capital. Authors should not take this decision lightly. I found this out first-hand when I set out to crowdfund my debut novel Jack & Coke. It was a grueling process. Thankfully, by the time it was all said and done, I had exceeded my expectations. As an unknown author, I was able to pre-sell 334 copies of my book, raise $6,475, and bring my book to market. The outcome thrilled me, but it certainly wasn’t easy.”

How to Profit from Ebook Self-Publishing from Sabrina Ricci: “Not too long ago, first-time novelists had to send their printed manuscripts to multiple publishers before getting published—if at all. If they play their cards right, today’s novelists can skip the publishing houses and agents and earn money through self-publishing. Ebook fiction, in particular, does extremely well. A number of authors have earned incredible sums with their popular ebooks, like Michael J. Sullivan, Lisa Genova, and Hugh Howey. While you may experience insta-fame from your experience, there are ways to improve your profits.”

How to Improve Your Social Media Content With Psychology Principles from Jeff Bullas: “Succeeding in social media sometimes feels like taking a wild stab in the dark. Though you’re working with data, numbers and words on a screen, it’s people you’re ultimately trying to win over. And people are unpredictable – just because you ‘build it’, doesn’t mean they’ll come. I mean, who really knows why audiences respond to some posts while completely ignoring others that, to all intents and purposes, seem to be identical?”

How Indie Authors Can Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Book Marketing by Belinda Griffin: “I don’t know how, don’t have time, don’t have a budget and I don’t want to be salesy or spammy. I have heard all these excuses and more and they all mean the same thing: I don’t want to market my book. That’s a shame, because if you don’t do it, no one else is going to do it for you, and your book will remain invisible, meaning no one can buy it or read it.”

See how to perfect your profile to get more followers and clicks on Twitter!  from Social Quaint: “Strategically crafting your Twitter profile page is a huge factor in growing your following. It’s as simple as that. If you’re active on Twitter, people are coming to your profile page.”

Quote of the Week

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Want to save time on social media without comprising effectiveness? Get the book that explains how. You’ll find Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Smashwords for FREE.

 

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The post Indie Author Weekly Update October 13, 2017 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

How to Crush It on Social Media as an Introvert

Are You an Introvert? Here’s Your Dilemma

Selfies, bad grammar, cryptic status updates (“some people don’t deserve my time…”) and verbal diarrhea. Ugh. What is the obsession with social media? How can anyone enjoy this drivel?

And who has time for it? With everyone competing for attention no one is going to pay any attention to you, right?

Why would you put yourself ‘out there’ only to be ignored, or worse, ridiculed?

Using social media for book marketing can be an intimidating prospect for any author, but especially a self-published introvert. Fortunately, you can learn how to make it work for you.

Using social media for book marketing can be an intimidating for introvertsClick To Tweet

The “Problem” with Social Media

As an introvert, I’ve been more than a little baffled by the rise of social media. Sure, on the one hand, it can mean we don’t have to spend as much time socializing with real people (exhausting), but on the other, it seems we have to be always on, permanently connected to the rest of humanity and unable to switch off.

For us introverts, downtime is hugely important, even necessary. But let’s get one thing straight right away. Introverts are not necessarily shy, and we don’t hate talking to people.

We just don’t care much for small talk.

And for a good percentage of the time, that’s what social media streams have.

What your partner’s boss ate for dinner, how much laundry your neighbor has piled up, and photos of children … so, so many photos of other people’s children.

Don’t get me wrong; I love food, reassurances that I’m not the only inefficient housewife and pictures of cute babies. But I have my limit.

The good news is that social media may be like this for individuals, but it doesn’t have to be like this when using it for business. And yes, I mean your book marketing is a business.

All those things you hate about social media; the oversharing, the incessant noise, the shallow conversations and the political statements that make you feel uncomfortable as you discover one of your closest friends has radically different views to you, those things don’t have to be a part of your book marketing.

Introverts Can Shine on Social Media

If you’re an introvert, you’re most likely to prefer meaningful one-to-one conversations over small-talk and enjoy structured social activities, such as a class or club, more than a loud party or gathering.

Social media can be as draining as a noisy get-together for many introverts. And as introverts can also be highly sensitive, it can feel like a dangerous and exposed place to hang out.

Social media can be as draining as a noisy get-together for many introvertsClick To Tweet

But here’s the thing. Introverts can be incredibly confident and interesting to talk to when they have something to say that they care about. They also tend to write better than they speak and be good listeners. These qualities can help introverts to shine on social media.

Social media feeds often give the impression that everyone is shouting, trying to be heard over everyone else, and no one is listening. If you do stop and listen, however, you’ll learn so much more about the needs and wants of others and can tailor your messages to help them.

Any book marketing expert will tell you not to shout ‘buy my book’ on social networks, but to engage with potential readers instead. Engaging can be hard at first but should start with listening.

As you listen, you will find that people tell you what they want to hear.

Sensitive introverts can also worry about how many ‘friends,’ ‘fans’ and ‘followers’ they have. When someone unfriends us, or if no one ‘likes’ a post, we introverts can take it personally. Even more terrifying is the thought of someone responding negatively to our posts. It can feel safer to simply not participate at all.

When I was first in charge of social media for the magazine I worked for, I resisted ever asking questions online – something that is needed to encourage engagement among your followers. Openly asking for a response and not getting one, and the whole world able to see your epic failure was a terrifying thought. It would be like making a joke at a party and no one laughing, but worse.

The reality is, when no one likes or comments on a social media post, it very quickly disappears, and it’s highly unlikely to be personal. It’s far more probable that the network’s algorithms didn’t serve your post to many people in the first place. Take it as a lesson learned and try something else instead. If you’re listening to what others are saying, you’ll soon get a feel for what your followers are most likely to engage with.

Plan What You Will Say

Once you know what your followers need to hear and have given some thought to what you want to say, you can take your time to write the perfect post.

That’s not to say you should overthink this part (something else introverts can be prone to doing) or spend too long on it, but the beauty of social media is you don’t have to think on your feet as quickly as when having a face-to-face conversation.

Social networks can be terrifying places for introverts who don’t like to draw too much attention to themselves, but no one can see you and no one needs to know you’re an introvert! By planning what you want to say, and even scheduling when to say it, you can keep control and draw attention to yourself in the right way.

Make Your Social Media Activity Meaningful

Many authors say they don’t have time for social media. I would argue that what they really mean is they don’t have time to waste on shallow conversations and inauthentic relationships.

That’s a valid point. The answer is to ensure that what you do on social media is meaningful and rewarding for both you and your followers.

Think about your social strategyClick To Tweet

Here are seven strategies to help make social media easier to manage as an introvert:

Develop a persona. On social media, no one knows you’re an introvert, so you can choose not to be if you like. As a writer, you’re probably good at inventing characters, so invent one for yourself. Don’t stray too far from the real you – you still want to be genuine – but fake the confidence if you need to.
Think about your social strategy. What goals will you set and what can you post to help you reach them? A steady, well-considered plan will serve you better than sharing photos of your dinner any day unless you’ve written a cook book perhaps.
Schedule posts. Plan what you want to say and schedule it ahead of time so you can then switch off. Have set times for checking your social networks, responding to comments, and finding content to share, but otherwise, leave it alone, so it doesn’t zap your energy. There are numerous tools and apps you can use to help manage your social accounts.
Forget the numbers. In marketing, it’s common practice to develop a customer persona to tailor your messages to, but it’s also helpful to focus on just one person to avoid overwhelm online. Don’t fret about the number of likes or followers you have, focus instead on having a meaningful conversation with one person who needs to hear what you have to say. Think about it, what’s more important, 100 followers who truly engage with what you stand for, or 1,000 who like the funny meme you shared but are never going to check out your books?
Follow fewer people. It’s absolutely not possible to follow hundreds of people and keep up with everything they’re saying, not if you also want a life. You can be more selective about who you follow, and organize those you do follow into lists. There may be some writer friends you want to add to one list, book marketing experts to another, and people who are useful for research to another. You can check in with each of these lists whenever you want an update.
Take a break. Allow yourself downtime. Most introverts recognize that having spent a certain amount of time socializing they need to rest and retreat for a while. We need time alone to re-energize. Social media can be just as draining as in-person events. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and it doesn’t mean you can’t use social media. Acknowledge your feelings and give yourself the timeout when you need it.
Be genuine. Authenticity always wins on social and being your true self will pay off. The schmoozers may be most popular at a party, but online people are more drawn to those who have something genuine to say. It may appear that those who shout the loudest and most often are the most successful on social media but spend a little time searching and you will find that those with the most engaged followings post useful and shareable content, not pouting selfies. Unless you’re one of the Kardashians, focus on being helpful above all else.

Selfies Not Needed

As a self-published author, book marketing is an essential part of your book’s success. Whether you choose to promote your book at in-person events or online, being an introvert can make this challenging. However, it doesn’t have to be impossible.

Social media is likely to play a big part in your book marketing and author platform, so you will need to learn how to make it work for you. I hope the tips given here will help. Just remember, pouting selfies are most definitely not necessary.

Author of this Post: Belinda Griffin is a book marketing coach helping indie authors achieve greater book exposure and sales without experiencing overwhelm or burnout. A former journalist, content marketer, and freelance writer, Belinda now runs SmartAuthorsLab where she helps self-published authors learn about book marketing, build their author platforms, and make their books more visible, so readers can find them, buy them, and read them. Grab her FREE guide Are you making these 10 book marketing mistakes to check your book marketing is on track. Follow her on Twitter @SmartAuthors.

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Want to save time on social media without comprising effectiveness? Get the book that explains how. You’ll find Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Smashwords for FREE.

 

The post How to Crush It on Social Media as an Introvert appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.

Indie Author Weekly Update October 6, 2017

This week’s Indie Author Update contains every topic from Pinterest hashtags to selling books when you don’t have an audience. How? Keep reading to find out!

Go Local: Marketing Books to Targeted Communities by Jane Friedman: “When I hear professional publicists and PR people offer advice to authors, one theme that comes up again and again is: start where you are. Use the power of your community—and the people you know—to gain momentum.”

Pinterest Hashtags: How To Create A Smart Strategy by Peg Fitzpatrick: “Pinterest hashtags?!? OMG, Pinterest is using hashtags now. I honestly didn’t think I’d be writing this article. But, yup, you can now add hashtags to your Pinterest descriptions. Let’s look at what we know and how to create a smart strategy for your hashtags.”

How to Create and Use Instagram Collections from Social Media Examiner: “Do you save Instagram posts? Looking for a way to organize your saved posts? In this article, you’ll learn how to create private Instagram collections to organize saved posts you want to refer to later.”

20 Secrets for Savvy Search Engine Optimization by Penny Sansevieri: “If you’ve ever built a website, you know that it can take a lot of time, effort and planning. And that’s before you get the SEO rolling. And with Google and other search engines constantly changing the way they crawl through sites, SEO rules change frequently as well. It can be hard to keep track of what’s really going to get Google to notice you.”

: “Should you use different pen names if you write in different genres? Do you need to write under a pseudonym because people at work might find out you write steamy romances? Is it easier to write freely if you hide your real identity behind a fake name? Should you use a different pen name for each genre you write in?”

How to Stay Relevant as a Writer in the Visual Age by Joe Griffin: “According to a report by Cisco, total internet video traffic (business and consumer, combined) will be 79 percent of all Internet traffic by 2020, up from 63 percent in 2015. But the data points to a larger issue, and one that is scaring one of the longest standing crafts of all time: writing.”

How to Sell Thousands of Books When You Don’t Have an Audience by Positive Writers: “Do you have a book inside you that needs to be shared with the world? I know how you feel. You should write it and sell it, even if you don’t have an audience yet… I started writing books 4 years ago. It all started with a series of leadership articles I wrote for my client to give to his customers. As he read them, he told me time and again, “You need to make this into a book!” I said, “You know. That’s a great idea!” After the third time he told me, I knew he meant it.”

Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – October 2017  by Amy Collins from TheBookDesigner.com: “Over the last month I’ve spoken with several authors who have all asked the same question: “Why don’t I have more Amazon reviews with all of my friends telling me they loved my book?” This month’s edition of Do This Not That is all based on one of my most important don’ts.”

Awards

U.S. National Book Award’s 20 Finalists Are Names: Four Categories via Porter Anderson: “Continuing its busy season of prize news releases, the United States’ National Book Award Foundation has released its National Book Awards shortlists. The program’s terminology for this is “finalists,” rather than shortlists. The news today (October 4) comprises finalist announcements in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people’s literature.”

Quote of the Week

 

Author of this blog: Frances Caballo is an author and social media strategist and manager for writers. She’s a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writers Conference. In addition, she’s a contributing writer at TheBookDesigner.com, and blogger and Social Media Expert for BookWorks. She’s written several social media books including the 2nd edition of Social Media Just for Writers and The Author’s Guide to Goodreads. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online, building their platform, finding new readers, and selling more books. Her clients include authors of every genre and writers’ conferences. Not sure how you’re doing online? Sign up for my free email course.

Practical tips for marketing your books on the social web

Want to save time on social media without comprising effectiveness? Get the book that explains how. You’ll find Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Smashwords for FREE.

 

Photo above from Visual Hunt

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The post Indie Author Weekly Update October 6, 2017 appeared first on Social Media Just for Writers.