Tag Archives: marketing

Nothing is set in stone

When talking about a writer's platform, there is one thing that I say over and over.

Nothing is set in stone.

A writer's platform changes with the times. It changes and grows as a writer changes and grows. As the technology changes, so too do our online activities.

And the past few months have seen so many changes within my own platform that I wanted to take the time and highlight how we have to be prepared to just go with the flow.

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Your book is in Barnes & Noble, and you’re complaining?

It was a random post that came across my feeds about how the science fiction and fantasy author Fonda Lee was complaining that she was competing against dead authors. I will grant you that it was an old post, dating back to 2019, but it was one that struck up a bit of negative emotions in me.

In her local Barnes & Noble bookstore, she had discovered that J. R. R. Tolkien and Robert Jordan were taking up roughly four shelves of space. She went on to complain about how there was only one copy of one of her own book on the shelves.

While I understand what it is she's complaining about, what she's trying to highlight to the world at large, my initial reaction was: "Get over it!" As I read through the article, my reaction started to include a level of irritation aimed at Fonda Lee and other writers like her who are complaining about not seeing their books in brick-and-mortar bookstores.

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Time to become prosperous with your creation

Every so often, a writer needs to take a step back and reassess their writing habits, their productivity, and their motivations for writing. This is particularly important when struck down by a bout of self-doubt.

No writer is immune to the self-doubt monster. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is deluding themselves. But how you deal with that self-doubt is the difference between a writer who gives up and a writer who has turned their writing into a career.

It was during my recent reevaluation that I encountered the book Prosperous Creation by Monica Leonelle. The book discusses the various steps universal to every writing career, starting with the mindset and craft through to marketing tactics. But it's not a book with magic answers. Instead, it's a roadmap that forces you to ask yourself the hard questions.

The hardest question: Am I ready for the next step?

It doesn't matter how good of a marketer you are, your sales will be short-lived if you don't have the craft skills necessary to generate a high-quality product. But generating a high-quality product takes more than just the ability to write. It is also important to understand who is part of your publishing team. And with how often writers suffer from self-doubt, a vital, foundation step includes having the right mindset and building a strong support network.

Prosperous Creation has exercises to help you every step along the way.

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When Newsletters and Blogs Find the Trash

I subscribed to a range of blogs and newsletters from a variety of sources. Recently, because of the sheer number of subscriptions that I have, I've starting clearing out these emails using my smartphone. There has been a trend to my behavior, and it is formulaic.

For some emails, I just hit delete, never getting past the subject line. Other emails, I skim through to the end, and still hit delete. There are a few that I'll actually click the links and read more.

Everyone will have their own criteria for hitting the delete button, and it really can be as simple as a mood factor. However, there appears to be some things that I honestly believe are person-independent.

Maybe it's time to break this right down.

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15 Seconds an Email

Recently, I decided to run a little experiment, and recorded the results. I recorded how I reacted to certain newsletters and blog subscriptions that were delivered to my inbox.

It might sound boring, but trust me, you might find it enlightening.

17 minutes to go through 66 emails. That's an average 15 seconds an email. Of those 66 emails, only 11 survived in my inbox to be looked at later. 3 were marked as share with others, and 2 were flagged to look at in more detail. But of 66 emails, only 1 was actually read while checking emails (off screen, of course). That's not good odds for the carefully constructed message that found its way into my inbox. However, what you might find surprising is that majority of the deleted emails found the trash because the distribution list provider sent the emails in a format that I couldn't read on my iPhone.

Take a look at the sped up footage. I'm willing to bet that you go through your emails just as fast, if not faster.

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Internet

Author Interviews on Radio – Guest Blog from Jessie Sanders

Writing takes a community, sharing ideas, and supporting one another. So, when we get approached with an article that shares hard-earned knowledge, we eagerly pass that information onto others.

Today's post is written by Jessica Sanders — host of Jessie's Coffee Shop on KLRNRadio.

Radio Interviews with Kitty and Fido

Hi, let me introduce myself. My name is Jessica or Jessie for short. I host an internet radio show (podcast) where I invite authors to talk — yes, verbally talk — about their books and writing style. I give each author 50 minutes, more or less, to discuss their book.
Now, what do I feel makes an interview?

  1. Have your book blurb handy. You'd be amazed how many authors can't tell me their book blurb off the top of their heads.
  2. Have your social media contact information printed out and ready to reference.
  3. RELAX! Most author interviews aren't hard hitting and filled with gotcha questions (at least mine aren't).
  4. Have a bottle of water next to you.
  5. Listen to an episode of the show you've been invited to participate in.
  6. Yes, it's your episode, but leave room for comment from the host, so listeners don't wonder if the host fell asleep at the microphone.
  7. Be in a quiet environment. I can work with many things, but you sitting in the local cafe at lunch time won't make for good audio.

Now to elaborate...

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What is a Platform?

The whole concept of building a following can be overwhelming at times, and there really isn’t much solid advice out there. However, a writer’s platform is not the complicated concept that many turn it into.

A writer’s platform is NOT marketing, promotion, or publicity. It’s not just a website or social media — for that matter, it’s not just your books. A writer’s platform is everything that you do to connect with readers.

It’s your local writers’ group that you attend once a month, or more frequently, as the case may be. It’s those conferences and book festivals that you save your pennies for so you can afford the registration. It’s your participation in special events that have nothing to do with writing and your books.

Yes, a writer’s platform includes your books, website, and social medial, and yes, this online component in today’s market is important, but it’s not everything.

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