Getting a Handle on Twitter

by Patricia Bradley

I don’t know about you, but Twitter intimidated me when I first started out. Then I discovered this awesome program—Hootsuite. And it made my Twitter life easier. And then I discovered another program—Social Jukebox. And that really made my Twitter life easier. So, which is best? BOTH. Let me explain.

But first a little background on Hootsuite. It’s a platform to help you manage your Twitter account. You create streams, and since Edie Melson explains this so much better than I can, check out her blog on setting up an account,creating streams and setting up a schedule and much more. She has pictures and everything. 😊 I also use Hootsuite to shorten my links. You know, the ones that are three lines long?

Read More

Do You Want Friends? Or Fans?

by James L. Rubart

"Do you prefer to follow an author's fan page to keep up with the latest, or would you rather become a "friend" and see what they're up to personally?"

When a long time publishing veteran posted that question on Facebook it immediately caught my attention. Since I have both a profile (Jim Rubart) and a page (James L. Rubart) I was curious what the response would be. 

Before I tell you how people answered, what would you say?

• Rather be a friend: ____
• Rather be a fan: ____

You'd rather be friends with a favorite author than a fan?

Me too. 

Same thing with 100% of the Facebook responses. (One author said she'd rather see what authors are doing in their careers, not their personal life, but I'm guessing that's one professional to another, not the perspective of a fan to an author.)

This wasn't a big shock to me. Exactly what I expected. You probably feel the same.

Maybe that's why an extremely small percentage of friends will "like" an author's page when invited to do so.

People don't want to be a fan (which is why Facebook changed fans to likes) that is kept on the outside, they want to be a friend let into the inner circle.

So what does an author do if they want to have a profile where it's close friends and family only? I don't have an answer, I'm truly asking the question because it was a dilemma I had to figure out for myself.
What I Did

About five years ago I transferred all my friends over to a Page (James L. Rubart).

Then created a new Profile (Jim Rubart).

For a long time I only accepted friend requests from family and very close friends. I made my profile as private as possible.

But I bet you can guess what happened. Requests started coming in from acquaintances or folks I didn't know yet. I felt I had two choices:

1. Send a message to all those requests saying something I've seen other authors do: "Hey! Thanks for the friend request, but it's pretty quiet here on my profile, I'm not here much, the REAL action is happening over on my author page, so how 'bout you like it!"

But people would have still seen me commenting on friends of friends profiles, and I'm not real big on the lying thing. So I looked at option # 2

2. Ignore the friend requests. Hmmmm. Not working for me either. Just doesn't sit right.

In the end, I had to answer the question that's the title of my post. Do I want friends or fans? I want friends. Having "fans" has always felt strange to me and probably always will. Frankly, I feel incredibly blessed that a few people are reading my novels and I want to be right there if someone wants to be my friend.

Once I hit 5,000 friends, I'll have to re-think things again. But heck, maybe by that time Facebook will have done so much of their constantly changing the rules thing that all of us will dump them (my sons and their friends are already have) and jump to the next Social Media craze.

If you're an author, do you have both a profile and a page? Do you try to keep your profile lean and mean?

If you're a reader, would you rather be a friend or a fan? Are some of you both friends with an author and also part of their Page?

The Long Journey to Jake Palmer 

- Publishers Weekly starred review

- Library Journal starred review

- RT Book Reviews- 4 1/2 stars and a TOP PICK!

What if there was a place where everything wrong in your life could be fixed?

Corporate trainer Jake Palmer coaches people to see deeper into themselves—yet he barely knows himself anymore. Recently divorced and weary of the business life, Jake reluctantly agrees to a lake-house vacation with friends, hoping to escape for ten days. When he arrives, Jake hears the legend of Willow Lake—about a lost corridor that leads to a place where one’s deepest longings will be fulfilled. Jake scoffs at the idea, but can’t shake a sliver of hope that the corridor is real. And when he meets a man who mutters cryptic speculations about the corridor, Jake is determined to find the path, find himself, and fix his crumbling life. But the journey will become more treacherous with each step Jake takes.

James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man's body. He thinks he's still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons, and loves to send readers on journeys they'll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He's the best-selling, Christy, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of eight novels as well as a professional speaker. During the day he runs his branding and marketing company which helps businesses, authors, and publishers make much more coin of the realm. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in eastern Washington. More at www.jameslrubart.com

Read More

Staying in Touch with Readers: A Word About Newsletters

I've been doing a newsletter for my readers for years and have seen many, many writers and authors ask such things as:

• Do I need to do a newsletter?
• Why is it important?
• What would I put in it?
• How do I do it?

Each of these topics could easily fill a post, so I'll answer two in this post and two next month. But don't take my advice as gospel truth, or the whole truth--I can only share what I've learned and I certainly haven't learned everything; moreover, some authors might be so dang successful (or have  additional experience) that, for them, it precludes the need or desire to have a newsletter. Most authors can benefit from offering one, however, and it is to them I address the following.

Do I Need a Newsletter?

If you want to keep in touch with readers in a way that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  and other social media aren't conducive to, yes. In other words, if you want to reliably share more with readers than what you can fit into a short post, a Tweet, or other interfaces. (Blogs can fit more and, in some cases, may substitute for a newsletter, but they have one major drawback, which I'll address in a moment.)

Why Is It Important?

None of us control Facebook and Twitter. They could choose to erase your account (it has happened to some!) have a glitch and lose your "following," or decide one day not to allow fan pages--who knows? Even more to the point, you can't message all your Facebook contacts at once, and if you're smart you wouldn't  want to. Most "friends" aren't your target audience.  Even those who join your fan page may not ever see your latest post.  Facebook isn't set up to help you reach the masses. (Advertising is different.)

The same is true for Twitter followers. Don't spend enormous amounts of energy trying to grow a following. Twitter has its place in a good marketing plan, but most followers are not targeted. Like Facebook, most of them aren't particularly interested in your books or what you have to say. When you send a marketing tweet out there, it's like casting a line into the ocean. Sure, you might snag a fish or two--I've done it. But it's a heck of a lot easier to get bites in a pond you've stocked yourself. Essentially, your mailing list is a stocked pond.  (Hash tags try to get your Tweet into Twitter's stocked pond, but it's still ocean-sized.)  

I have a blog. Isn't that good enough?

An example from one of my past issues.

You just can't fit all this stuff in a post.

(Don't worry--I like things pretty,

but your newsletter can be single column, text only!)

 Blogs are great to reach more people, but here's the drawback for authors. Like with FB and Twitter, you don't control the platform. You can't see who your readers are; you can't reach them individually or set them up into sub-groups (such as, Influencers, Launch Team, etc.).

When you have your own mailing list, you can see who is subscribed. You can send to all of them or to any sub-set of them whenever you need to. You can tailor your content to include much more than what is appropriate for a single blog post, too. Finally, (and this may be available on some blog platforms) you can track every click each mailing gets. Want to know how many took you up on your free offer? Any good  service provider will track that. How many clicked through to your book page on Amazon? It's in the stats. You can even see who opened your mailing--and who didn't.

All of that information is helpful. It teaches you what works, and what doesn't.

There are strong reasons to be involved in Facebook, on Twitter and other social media. Each "tool" in your marketing plan has its use. But having your own mailing list is something that stays with you over time--no one else can shut it down but you. Another key difference is that everyone on your list has given you permission to contact them. You're not just throwing  a line into the ocean. To put it another way, social media works best as a "one-to-one" reach, whereas a mailing list is a mass strategy.

Next month: What Would I Put in a Newsletter? And, How Do I Do It?

Post Scriptum for those interested: My newsletter archive isn't complete, but you can see actual examples of past illustrated issues HERE--without subscribing.  

Linore Rose Burkard wrote a trilogy of genuine regency romances for the Christian market before there were any regencies for the Christian market. Published with Harvest House, her books opened up the genre for the CBA. She also writes YA Suspense/Apocalyptic fiction as L.R. Burkard. Married with five children, she home-schools her youngest daughter, preferably with coffee in one hand and iPad in the other. Her latest  PULSE EFFEX SERIES, takes readers into a "chilling possible future for America."

    

   

Read More

Netiquette Tips

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-plus years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life homeschooling four children and loving two dogs in Northern Virginia. Author and speaker, Ronie loves engaging readers through her Rapid-Fire Fiction.

Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction), Twitter (@roniekendig), and Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Twenty years ago, writers didn’t have to worry about Facebooking, Tweeting, messaging, texting, or anyone of the other seemingly hundreds of other social media colloquial. They wrote stories and communicated with readers (mostly) through their publishers. Our culture today is quite different, and so is the publishing world. If you’ve blinked lately, you might have missed some things—like internet etiquette in this rapidly changing world.

In the last almost three years since my first title released, I’ve been watching the leaders, the movers and shakers among writers. Admittedly, this whole writing and participating in social media gig overwhelmed me at first, and some days, it still does. Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way.

1.  Balance – It’s important to find a balance. We’re writers, so we need to WRITE! However, the industry is such that we also have to engage readers, who “demand” that interaction and are less understanding of those who don’t take the time to get to know them. Personally, I find Facebook much more integrated (despite its annoyances and ever-changing privacy issues) and easier to engage with readers. Some prefer Twitter. Find what works for you and then. . .WORK IT! Establish yourself there.
2. Dirty Laundry – One of my books contained a scene that I knew some readers would take issue with. And they did. A few raked me over the coals, gave me bad reviews, called my faith/integrity into question. It hurt—bad. And I made the mistake of commenting about it on Facebook. Big mistake. Big. Huge! Your readers are watching and if you end up whining a lot or complaining, they’ll find other authors to spend time with. Keep your focus on your faithful readers, not on the small percentage of negative people. In essence, show your fans you appreciate them. Think about it—we all prefer to be around people who can see the sunshine on a cloudy day. As they say, iron sharpens iron. *That* is the influence I want to have—to challenge others to be better. We do this through our fiction, but now we have the opportunity in social media to apply it to our everyday lives.
3. Be Authentic - Readers definitely want to know about your books. After all, that’s how they probably discovered you in the first place. But it gets old if all you do is talk about how great your books are. Show readers glimpses of the real YOU. Be authentic. (Be cautious at the same time—see point #4), while remembering to keep things positive and upbeat. I’m not saying be fake—but it’s easy to be grumpy and complain. Did you get ripped by a reviewer? Well, get on Facebook and thank a reviewer who encouraged you. Turn that negativity on its ear!
4. Guard Your Privacy – if you’re going out of town, don’t announce that publicly. Also, if you have small children, experts generally advise that you not use their real names. Our family endured some drama when a woman ingratiated herself through my page on a social media outlet, then friended my then-14 year old daughter. Next thing we knew, this supposed woman had my daughter’s full name, phone number, address, and had put my daughter in contact with two older men. She then offered to “come and get” my daughter. It happens, so just be alert and smart with information provided publicly. 
5.  It’s Not About You – When readers claim a favorite author or favorite book, it’s generally because there is something in the story that resonated with them, something they could relate to. That’s what this entire gig is about—relating. If authors monopolize time with discussions about THEM, readers will lose interest. I know I sure do. Engage your readers with questions like “what do you. . .?” or “what is your favorite. . .” The amazing marketing guru, the Great Rudini (aka: James L. Rubart) once told me that the reason people will buy books is because they like you.” Relationships have to be built, and building requires engaging. So, talk to your readers. Find out what’s happening in their lives. Go to their pages and see what they’re up to. I realize many of us are insanely busy outside of writing. I homeschool all day, then have to write at night, but I take a moment here/there to pop in on Facebook and see what’s happening.
6. Have fun!! Don’t we all want to be where there’s laughter and smiles? Then create some of your own. Have fun with those who are willing toe engage and the “party” will become contagious and draw others. I was told at one of my first signings to have people (family) gather around my table because it would draw others to find out what’s going on “over there.” Draw your crowd to your social media preferred site by creating a stir! Some like controversial stirs, some like comedic stirs, others like relational stirs. Find what works, and WORK IT!

Do you have a Netiquette tip you'd like to add?
Please comment below!! 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Four years after a tragic mission decimated his career and his team, Cole "Tox" Russell is persona non grata to the United States. And that's fine--he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action.

Partnered with FBI agent Kasey Cortes, Tox has to pull together a team to begin a globe-spanning search for answers--and a cure. As their quest leads them from continent to continent, it slowly becomes clear they're not just fighting a plague--but battling against an ancient secret society whose true goals remain hidden.

With time running out and opposition growing on every side, the key to everything may rest in an antique codex, the Crown of Jerusalem--but will Tox and his team be able to trust each other enough to break this century-spanning conspiracy of silence?

Read More

Suffocation by Social Media

Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of Rapid-Fire Fiction. After twenty-five years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their children, a Maltese Menace, and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. She can be found at:
     Website: www.roniekendig.com
     Facebook: www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction
     Twitter: @roniekendig
     Goodreads: goodreads.com/RonieK
     Instagram: @kendigronie
     Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/roniek/

Reviewers call Ronie's newest release, EMBERS, "Simply amazing!" 

* * * * * * * * * 

I have a confession: I'm easily overwhelmed...with social media. Sometimes, it feels like I'm being pulled in a thousand different directions by just as many platforms. While I *love* people, sometimes, it starts to feel like Suffocation by Social Media. And all I want is...OUT! 

VVolt N629 (ret)

The publishing industry has changed, and it's now expected of an author to "on stage" and performing to the crowds, so to speak. Some authors thrive on this demand for in-person engagement. Some of us feel like we're drowning. Don't get me wrong--I ADORE getting to know people, hearing their stories, learning about them. But I also have a family and children to homeschool, a retired military working dog that I can't shut up about, and--oh yes, I need to write. :-)

So, how can we not only survive, but thrive in this digital world? I scrounged up some tips to help. 

• Be There! - Today's readers demand interaction with their favorite authors. Most have come to feel its disingenuous for authors not to engage with readers, and while I agree to a point, we must also guard our time and energy for writing. So to avoid Suffocation by Social Media, schedule time to be online and choose one  (or two?) forms of social media that works for you, and Be There! 

•  Be A Champion! – We all had help in one way or another getting to whatever point we're at. Be that to someone else. Find an author or aspiring writer, and champion their journey. Be there for them. We all had help climbing the ladder, so reach back and help someone else climb. Not with critiques or whatever. Just cheer them on. I've been determined about this for the last couple of years. It feels so empowering and fulfilling to help others, to Be A Champion!  

• Be Authentic - Readers definitely want to know about your books--after all, that's how they probably discovered you in the first place. Because our readers want to engage with us, they love learning about you, about your life. Everyone needs to be careful what you share, but when you are smart about what you share, it creates an atmosphere of friendship and fun. Show readers glimpses of the real YOU. Be Authentic. 

• Be Protective! – Our family endured a frightening incident a few years ago when a woman ingratiated herself into my writing world through one of my social media accounts. She then friended my then-14 year old daughter. Next thing we knew, this supposed fan had my daughter’s full name, phone number, our address, and had put my daughter in contact with two older men.She then offered to “come and get” my daughter, if she wanted to leave home. What?!?!?! It happens, so be alert. Be smart. While it's important to engage, we also must be careful and remember that we have no obligation to share private information. So, be there, but Be Protective! 

• Be You! –  The amazing marketing guru, the Great Rudini (aka: James L. Rubart, author of the new The Five Times I Met Myself) once told me, "Ronie, the reason people will buy books is because they like you.” The last "you" could be replaced with "the author." The point: Relationships have to be built, and building requires engaging. So, talk to your readers. Find out what’s happening in their lives. Engage readers with questions like “what do you. . .?” or “what is your favorite. . .” This is an invitation for readers to not only get to know you, but for you to get to know them. And it's so much fun--just Be You!

• Be fun!! Don’t we all want to be there’s laughter and smiles? Then create some of your own. Have fun with those who are willing toe engage and the “party” will become contagious and draw others. Find what works. Be fun!!  

• Be Short and Sweet! - We live in a fast-paced world that demands information in tidbits, short and sweet. Remember, they're the same people upset when the drive-thru takes longer than 5 minutes. Messages longer than, oh say...140 characters, make their eyes bleed. Engage, but let's Be Short and Sweet! 

So there you have it. Being an author is hard work, but if you break it down into some bite-size pieces, it'll be manageable--and fun--and you'll practice good netiquette at the same time! 

Do you have a favorite tip to avoid Suffocation by Social Media?

Let us know in the comments, please!

* * * * *

"Simply Amazing!" 

Ronie's most recent release, Embers, is an epic fantasy adventure that  is wowing readers! 

HE'S COMING FOR THEM. AND THE KINGDOM.

Haegan and Kaelyria Celahar are heirs of the Nine Kingdoms, but he is crippled. What chance does he have against Poired Dyrth, the greatest enemy the Nine has ever faced, who wields fire with a power none can match?

Their only hope is forbidden: Kaelyria must transfer her fire-wielding ability to her brother. When she does, it comes at a terrible price and arouses their father-king's wrath. 

Haegan flees alone with two impossible tasks: Find a cure for his sister and stop the coming war with the omnipotent Poired Dyrth. 

BUY EMBERS NOW!

Read More

Platform ~ It Isn't a Dirty Word

by +AneMulligan  @AneMulligan

Everyone hates the word platform. But stay with me here. If you're a writer, you need one. These days, only the top 10% or less of writers have people who do all the marketing for them. Let's face it, the rest of us have to market. And you have to have a sphere of influence to market to. So here are some things you can do. 

7 Proven Tips for Building a Platform Before You're Published

1. Plan to spend an hour each day on building a platform. Think of it as

pre-published marketing. You may as well get used to it; once you do get a contract, you'll be spending hours marketing. That's in addition to writing the next book.

Editors will look for your online presence. Besides your website or blog, you want them to find a large Internet presence. Spend time web surfing and commenting on blogs. Each time you leave a comment or publish a blog entry, you leave a Google stamp of your name.

2. Find something no one else is doing. When I first started writing, not much was online about how author's got published. Most interviews were in print magazines, and no one blogged about their writing journey. In 2005, Gina Holmes, decided to chronicle her first novel journey. She soon realized for all the work it demanded, there were three readers, and I was two of them. We talked about it and she decided to interview some authors. Novel Journey (now Novel Rocket) was born. She soon brought me and Jessica Dotta, on board so we had fresh articles every day. The rest is history.

3. What can you do to make yours unique? Combine interviews with a favorite hobby, or charity. Have you wanted to fund a home for retired cloggers? Perhaps you love Olympic curling. Find novels that have athletes in them and interview the author. Do you raise bees? Feature a video from The Sting. The point is to integrate your hobby, other job, and/or passion into your blog to draw another segment of the market. You'll have a built-in fan base when your debut novel releases.

4. Set how often you'll blog and keep to it. Best is every day, but if that won't happen go for once a week or partner with a few other writers. Find authors in your genre and start a genre blog, like Kill Zone where some great thriller authors blog.

Author Michelle Griep does short blog posts Monday through Thursday. On Friday she does a vlog (video blog post). Her blog, Writer off theLeash, is informative and her wry humor shines through.

5. If you can join with other writers, it splits the workload. We split the work between three of us when we started Novel Journey. We posted new interviews each day. Then, we added teaching posts by authors we had previously interviewed but who had new novels to promote. Now, we have a regular crew of 29 and our own writing contest.

5. Follow other blogs. Another way to build your Internet presence is commenting on blogs. Lots of them. One very clever author, Bonnie Calhoun, realized the potential for marketing through blog tours. She amassed a large contingency of bloggers and contacted a number of publishers, who supplied the books for reviews posted. Most of these bloggers are writers and building platforms for themselves.

6. Network and trade links with other writers. Join a professional writers organization like ACFW or RWA. Offer to swap posts with other members, do guest posts, and even ask what they'd like to see on your blog. The more links to your blog, the higher your Google ranking.

7. Social Media. Choose two or three and be active. There are several great sites for writers. One of my favorite social media sites is unique. Started by Nora St. Laurent, who isn't even a writer, it's called The Book Club Network (TBCN). Most of the members are book club leaders. TBCN connects them with authors. She has them share what works and doesn't in their book club. Besides offering a tremendous resource for book clubs, one of these days, she'll write a book and will already have a platform in place.

So get creative and get busy so when your book is completed, you'll have your marketing platform in place. 

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, bestselling novelist Ane Mulligan has worn many: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, Ane resides in Suwanee, GA, with her artist husband, her chef son, and two dogs of Biblical proportion. You can find Ane on her Southern-fried Fictionwebsite, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Read More