U.M. Hiram's Blog: Why I Love to Write, page 3

Indie Author Weekly Tip - Keep Writing

Happy Wednesday! Today's Indie Author Weekly Tip is keep writing.

Write, Write, Write! You have to keep writing and push through everything in order to meet your desired goals. I know that life sometimes that change the course of our plans but don't ever let that stop you from writing. Especially when you are serious about completing a book project. It could be a few words a night, every couple of nights or even a specified weekly goal - just keep writing.

​Until next time ... Happy Writing! 

Indie Author Weekly Tip - Embrace Social Media Platforms

Photo Courtesy of line25.com Happy Tuesday! Today’s indie author weekly tip is about embracing social media platforms.
 
As technology has evolved, societal communication has changed tremendously. The human interaction of picking up a telephone and talking has turned into Facebook Messaging or Skyping – just to name two of many 21st century modes of communicating with others.
 
Why is it important to embrace social media platforms as an indie author?
 
Simply, you have to reach your readers. The traditional means of communication has changed; therefore, you should be willing to adjust accordingly. Most of society have their electronic devices with them 24/7 thus they are using some type of social media application. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Periscope are just five of many that are being utilized consistently.
 
These applications have proven to be effective in reaching out to a variety and huge number of folks. For an indie author, this means that you have to be open to embracing the positive impact of using social media. Those impacts include but are not limited to increasing your number of readers or more importantly increasing the exposure and sales volume of your book(s).
 
According to the June 2017 statistics from the National Archives website, Facebook has 10,743,699 impressions with a monthly reach of 3,452,351. Now that’s pretty impressive for a social media application especially when you are able to connect with people outside of your immediate geographical area.
 
Three tips that I can share with you about using social media platforms are as follows:Be active and consistent – Someone is always watching! Remain diligent with posting on your social media platforms. Whether posting about your book, blogging, sharing quotes, retweeting or sharing posts, you should be consistent in doing so. Actively participate in relevant discussions because that shows people that you are engaged.Show your personality * Go Live! – Have you heard that saying “nobody is perfect?” Well, it’s true and once you come to grips with that then you can jump out of your comfort zone and start making live videos. One thing I’ve learned is that when you allow people to connect with you by going live on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Periscope then you can gain a following that way. Yes, you may have to ward off some Internet trolls but for the most part there are some great people who are looking to connect with an authentic person. Will that be you?Join Groups (i.e. Facebook) – Find a few groups (be selective) that you can become a member of where you are able to interact with other authors, book reviewers or genre readers. You will be surprised how many great relationships can come out of opening yourself up to meet new people virtually. Look at it like this – you can meet a stranger on the street and still have to get to know them so what’s really the difference with meeting them virtually?   
Until next time … Happy Writing! 

Indie Author Weekly Tip - Networking

Photo Courtesy of www.publicdomainpictures.net Today's Indie Author Weekly Tip - Networking

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, networking is defined “as the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions.”
 
I've learned over the years that it's important to be open to networking with other professionals in your chosen industry – corporate, entrepreneurship or whatever that may be for you.

Why? 
 
In this case, we are going to focus on writing because that’s what this blog is all about and helpful tips that will help you along this journey.
 
When you are actively networking with other writers, there are a number of advantages to doing so. Two of the most advantageous that I would like to highlight include but are not limited to the following:
 
Accountability Partner  – This individual helps to keep you motivated while you’re working towards the desired goals that you’ve set for yourself. For example, if you have set a weekly writing goal of 3,000 words then your accountability partner can help to keep you motivated. Some of the things that he or she may do is send a message to check on your progress, post a motivating quote or simply cheer you on while you're pushing towards reaching that goal you’ve set for yourself. Although writing is an individual venture, It is my opinion that it's great to have an individual that can help you through those challenging moments and assist in keeping you accountable through the writing process. 

Information and Resource Sharing – This is a huge advantage because you can learn a lot about writing software, best practices or get leads on services such as editing, marketing, and etc. As technology evolves, it’s extremely helpful to be part of a group that may have information to share about a new product or resource that could make your writing life a little more manageable. Additionally, there are many writing events that you may have not heard of and can get a lead about when you are networking.
 
Until next time … Happy Writing!

Indie Author Weekly Tip

Photo Courtesy of www.publicdomainpictures.net Today's Indie Author Weekly Tip - Networking

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, networking is defined “as the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions.”
 
I've learned over the years that it's important to be open to networking with other professionals in your chosen industry – corporate, entrepreneurship or whatever that may be for you.

Why? 
 
In this case, we are going to focus on writing because that’s what this blog is all about and helpful tips that will help you along this journey.
 
When you are actively networking with other writers, there are a number of advantages to doing so. Two of the most advantageous that I would like to highlight include but are not limited to the following:
 
Accountability Partner  – This individual helps to keep you motivated while you’re working towards the desired goals that you’ve set for yourself. For example, if you have set a weekly writing goal of 3,000 words then your accountability partner can help to keep you motivated. Some of the things that he or she may do is send a message to check on your progress, post a motivating quote or simply cheer you on while you're pushing towards reaching that goal you’ve set for yourself. Although writing is an individual venture, It is my opinion that it's great to have an individual that can help you through those challenging moments and assist in keeping you accountable through the writing process. 

Information and Resource Sharing – This is a huge advantage because you can learn a lot about writing software, best practices or get leads on services such as editing, marketing, and etc. As technology evolves, it’s extremely helpful to be part of a group that may have information to share about a new product or resource that could make your writing life a little more manageable. Additionally, there are many writing events that you may have not heard of and can get a lead about when you are networking.
 
Until next time … Happy Writing!

Indie Author Weekly Tip

Photo Courtesy of http://www.clker.com/clipart-hand-wri... When you decide to follow your dream of becoming a published author, there are a lot of things to be learned along the way especially when you proceed along the indie route. It can be prove to be challenging, overwhelming yet fulfilling - all at the same time.

It's a lot of work but well worth the sacrifices in the end. 

One of the things that I've decided to do on my blog is share an indie author weekly tip from my personal experiences. It is my hope that these tips will help you to navigate more efficiently in your journey as an indie author. 

Today's Indie Author Weekly Tip - Be Consistent in Your Writing Goals

It's important to set writing goals - whether daily, weekly or monthly - for yourself so that you can remain diligent and consistent in reaching them. Most writers have a day job, families and everything in between called life; therefore, it's vitally important that you hold yourself accountable by setting SMART writing goals. 

For those who may be unfamiliar with that business acronym it means the following; specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-based.

This method is a proven winner because it causes you to be more accountable with your time as you work towards your goal of a finished novel. The simplest way to calculate how many words would be a realistic goal to obtain on a daily, weekly or monthly basis is to do the following: 

Determine your overall word count (60,000)Timeframe to attain that word count goal (6 months)Divide the overall word count by the established timeframe (60,000 / 6) = 10,000 words per monthIf you want to calculate how many words need to be obtained on a weekly basis, then divide the words per month (10,000) by four (4) that represents the standard number of weeks in a month = 2,500 words per week
​You can always utilize different variations to calculate what your writing goal should be based on your specific timeframe. The bottom line is that you need to stay consistent once you set those goals until you cross that writing finish line. 

Until next time ... Happy Writing! 

Believe In Yourself

Have you ever been told that you shouldn’t dream big? You need to play things safe? You’re not good enough? You can’t do that? You are too old? You are wasting your time? 
 
Sound familiar?
 
There have been times that I’ve heard a few of those statements over the course of my lifetime. Someone or a selection of folks constantly giving unsolicited advice about what his or her thoughts was concerning my life. At a young age, that gave me a complex and I allowed it to follow me for a long time throughout the years.
 
How?
 
By always second guessing myself over and over again. That became as natural as breathing each day.
 
As I matured and began to deal with life’s unpredictable journey, the light switch flipped on and my path became clearer. No longer did I allow anyone to dictate what I should or should not be doing with my life. No longer did I allow people, which included family or friends, to provide pressure about what they thought was the best decision for me.
 
Good, bad or indifferent – the decisions and choices were going to be mine.
 
I began to believe in myself. I felt more confident in my own decisions. I embraced the woman that I was becoming.
 
Guess what happened?
 
Opportunities began to present themselves and one door opened another. Dreams and goals that I’ve had became a reality and there’s so much more to come.
 
Bottom Line - it’s always important that you believe in yourself and trust in your God-given gifts and talents. NEVER allow anyone to stifle your growth or tell you what he or she thinks you can’t achieve.
 
Keep pressing, keep pushing and moving forward towards your endeavors.
 
Until next time … 

FINALLY Book Trailer

Wednesday Writer's Quote

Each week, starting this month, I will be posting a Wednesday Writer's Quote. Please feel free to share and let's start a movement of encouraging our fellow #writers. 

Happy Wednesday! 

Self-Publishing, It's Not Easy But So Worth The Effort

Photo Credit: www.clker.com Self-publishing is not an easy venture to embark on, but it can be fulfilling especially for a writer who wants to become a published author. Honestly, when I initially started writing it was always my dream to be chosen by one of the publishing powerhouses such as Random House or Simon & Schuster.
 
As things in my life changed and technology evolved, a number of ways to self-publish books became available so I decided to take the plunge. Of course this decision came after having my first poetry book published through a small publishing house, some extensive research and networking with other authors who'd already decided to take this journey. 

Three main tips that I can share with you about deciding whether or not to self-publish your books when they are complete are: Research and Read Books in Your Chosen Genre - Why? This will help you to get an idea about what readers are looking for courtesy of the book reviews as well as the quality of story. Granted, everyone may not like your book; however, this will give you an idea about what has attracted readers. The book cover and synopsis are the first things that they are looking at when deciding whether or not to purchase your book. If you can work it in your budget to have a graphic artist create a personalized book cover then I would highly recommend that.  Decide On and Budget for A Book Advertising and Marketing Campaign - This is important because as an independent author you will play several roles until you are able to contract out services with someone else or choose to sign with a publishing house. One of those primary roles is that of advertising and marketing professional. The great thing about Amazon and Facebook is that you can set up advertising and marketing campaigns based on your budget. I have personally run campaigns on both platforms, which have resulted in more exposure for my newly released book as well as a few sales and new readers.  Network, Network and Network - The network of independent authors comprises of a large group of fantastic writers that you can learn as well as receive encouragement and support from throughout your journey. You can receive advice such as what organizations or groups might be beneficial to join, marketing strategies and tips as well as developing great personal and professional relationships. 
Other tips include: Make sure that your book is edited. Self-edit (after writing your initial draft) and either contract out for additional editing services or ask someone that you trust explicitly to do this for you. Be prepared to give out a limited number of ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) prior to your book release so that you can get a feel for what the readers think about your book. Also, be persistent with asking for book reviews because those are extremely important.Support fellow authors through encouragement and even purchasing their book if it interests you.MOST IMPORTANT - KEEP WRITING! 
Self-publishing is definitely not an easy journey but it is so worth the effort. 

Until next time ... Happy Writing! 

FINALLY (PROLOGUE)

“Forgiving is not about forgetting. It is letting go of the hurt.” – Mary McLeod Bethune

As the rain lightly tapped against the bay window, Michelle sat down on her beige chaise, wrapped up in her comfy lilac throw sipping on a glass of her favorite Italian Moscato.  Her mind wandered back to the previous evening she spent with Lance.
Chiseled, sculpted mocha colored body with a six-pack out of this world, Lance was the perfect gentleman who showed extreme patience and persistence in finally breaking
down the walls she’d encased herself in after being hurt by ex-fiancé Michael.

Michelle closed her eyes and could still feel the strong, muscular arms enclosed around her average height, athletic built frame.

Lance gently stroked her hair and whispered “Baby you feel so good in my arms and I just want to keep you encircled here forever. I never want to let you go.”

Their eyes met, lips touched gently and then with pure hunger. Lance expertly immersed Michelle with unadulterated passion letting her know it was finally okay to let go and be loved again – the right way in which she deserved and expected.

Her vivid memories were not only of a night of pure passion but shear intimacy – something she had lacked by wasting four years of her life expecting Michael to change.

Michelle waited patiently for him to become the man she knew he could be but refused to try to become because of his selfishness and deceit. She finally freed herself from the long time drama and got the opportunity to meet someone who was deserving of her love wholeheartedly.

She found the one who was willing to stick things out through thick and thin, not leaving her hanging to fend for herself.  Lance had become her true knight in shining armor compared to the lying, manipulative person of her past.
​
As her thoughts did a scan of the past year, she felt like she was on cloud nine due her newfound happiness – FINALLY.

Order your copy today on Amazon http://amzn.to/2n9hA9l ... Happy Reading!