Writers, are you a fan of checklists? I am. You can tell because every chapter of Tips for Authors ends with a handy-dandy checklist.
Anywho, I’m guesting blogging over at Wordplay today and I think you’ll like my post. As always, quick and easy reading.
Tuesday’s Tip is about engaging your readers. Engagement is the buzz word this week at the Digital Book World Conference & Expo in New York City. If you’re like many authors you’re probably wondering how to measure your engagement with your readers.
One really quick way is to look at your Facebook Page. I don’t mean your profile. I mean the Like/Fan page you created to promote yourself. (Don’t tell me you haven’t done this yet. Shame, shame.)
In the left column under your picture you’ll see how many people “like” your page. Beneath that you’ll see another number. It indicates how many people are “talking about” your page. “Talking about” includes comments on the page, likes, and shares. That’s the easiest way to look at it. The higher the number, the more engagement.
How to you increase that number:
A few authors that I think do a great job of interacting with their readers are Susan Mallery, Selena Blake and Eloisa James. I’ve included a screenshot of Susan’s FB Page to the right.
As usual, at least for me, I’m looking for ways to reduce clutter in my life. I don’t know about you, but clutter isn’t just physical. It can be mental…or digital.
So here are my three quick and sure ways to start reducing clutter in your digital life. These are starting off points and would likely serve you well throughout the year.
1. Empty out your inbox.
Depending on how you file your email, consider creating a folder for last year’s mail and file anything from before January 1, 2012 in it. This way you automatically get rid of old email. If you haven’t gone back for an email in 6 months you likely don’t need it. Delete the folder. Or, if it’s important to you to keep records, keep it. But at least those messages aren’t cluttering your inbox. While you’re in there, check out the folders you have currently. Do you use them all? Do you need new ones? Take some time to think through your day to day needs. Do you need a folder for tax documents (Royalty statements, purchases, or expenses?) How about a folder to keep track of your online registrations?
2. Delete yahoogroups you no longer use.
If you own a yahoogroup that you no longer use, delete it. If you’re a member of a group that you’re no longer interested in (a good sign is if you delete every email from the group for more than a month) go ahead and unsubscribe. You could carry this over to Facebook groups and Goodreads groups for that matter. Remember, we’re getting rid of digital clutter. One way to reduce email clutter is to limit the sources of potential email – like groups!
3. Weed through your bookmarks.
Do you have bookmarks saved in your browser? Do you use a thirdparty service like Delicious or StumbleUpon? Scan your list and see if there are any links you can delete.
Remember, reduce digital clutter! This will leave only the most important emails, groups, and bookmarks on your computer which will save you time all year long.
On the bulletin board in my office, I have a list of 8 tips for writers. I glance at them often, trying to decide if I’ve followed them well. Here’s on tip that helps me remember to give my characters goals and create conflict:
“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” Read Kurt Vonnegut’s complete list on LifeHacker.
Submitting a manuscript can be a little intimidating. And if you take the time to read the guidelines you’re probably the type of writer who wants to get your submission just right.
Problem is, each publisher wants something different.
Some publishers don’t want you to use tabs to indent paragraphs. So what do you do if you used tabs in your WIP? If you’re lucky enough to have Word 2007, it’s easy to get rid of tabs.
I was SO excited when I found this option. Note: I’m not sure if older versions or other software (like OpenOffice) has something similar, so if you know, please report back. Thanks.
How to do it:
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Have you ever heard the saying “inch by inch anything’s a cinch?”
I’ll admit that I have a problem with making slow, steady progress. I’m more of a “burst” person myself. Meaning I’ll write five blog posts in a day and then not write anything for weeks. Or I’ll write five thousand words on my novel one day and nothing for a week.
This is not how I want to be. It’s just how I am. Everything is fixable, right?
According to this article on LifeHacker, Jerry Seinfeld has a method for making slow steady progress. Basically he uses a yearly calendar and marks a red X over each day that he writes a new joke. The point is to not break the chain.
Obviously, I’m not so good with this (my Happiness Project is a case in point.) But hey, I’m willing to give it a try.
And best of all, there’s a website dedicated to this concept (if you’re trying to go paperless.) I’ve probably mentioned it before, but it’s worth repeating. dontbreakthechain.com/ Take a look. See if it’ll work for you.
Photo by: Travis Stansbury
What color gummy bear is your character? Angry red? Green with envy? Yellow with optimism?
Often when I’m creating a character that hasn’t come to me fully formed I try to figure out just who they are and what traits they have before I begin writing. Sometimes I’ll imagine them in certain situations and see how they react. Are they patient? Forceful? Aggressive? Submissive? Shy?
One thing that’s helped me in casting these characters was coming up with a list of character traits. And the easiest way I know to do that is think of people I’ve met.
For instance, my mom is the sweetest person you’d ever meet. She’s generous and caring and patient. It takes a lot to get her temper going but when it blows, it’s explosive, short, and things calm down pretty quickly.
I, on the other hand, will get riled up quickly, the fuss will burn down quickly and all is well.
These are just two different types of people. Each one is valid. Each one could be woven into a character.
So think of people you know or have met. What makes them who they are?
Was the guy behind you at the stoplight this morning impatient? Did he wave his hands wildly and lean on the horn?
Was the barista at Starbucks extra courtious, asking about your morning, wishing you a good day?
The lady who takes our breakfast order at Chick-Fil-A is the perkiest, happiest person ever. Hearing her voice over the speaker box is like a ray of bright yellow sunshine on an otherwise gloomy, gray day. How she can be so warm and welcoming while I’m still waking up is beyond me. But I adore her. Her name is Stephanie. (And I think she deserves a big fat raise!)
So cull through the people in your life, past and present, and come up with your list. Keep it handy. Reflect on it often. Now, go forth, and create brilliant characters.
I mentioned in this post about the service called tweet-u-later that will let you schedule a tweet to appear at a later date. Think of it like post dating a check.
Hootsuite and other Twitter apps also allow you to schedule a tweet.
But when is it a good idea to schedule your tweets?
1. As I mentioned before, when you’re going on vacation. Now you can schedule a few tweets to post while you’re away. Perhaps you’ll post a tip or link to an article each day while you’re gone. Or perhaps share a memory from past vacations each day.
2. If you have a super busy schedule it might be easier for you to schedule tweets in advance. Sit down for an hour and schedule links to your most popular blog posts.
3. Create a series. Much like you might write a series of articles you can use a series of tweets to boost your brand. Create a hashtag and write a series of tweets on a subject.
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1. Add personality to your twitter profile by including a photo of yourself or your book cover. Say buh-bye to the standard twitter theme and pick on of the other options available. Fill out your 160 character bio and make it good. Let us get to know you. While you’re at it, include a link to your website. Don’t have a website? Link to your facebook or myspace profile. Also, give us a location, even if it’s just a country. These steps go a long way toward letting us get to know you and prove that your a human. Spambots need not apply.
2. Follow people you admire and respect. Talk to them and retweet some of their best tweets. Strike up a conversation. Not only will this help you learn but it will raise your karma. But don’t be all stalker-ish, okay?
3. Use a service like www.tweet-u-later.com/ to write a tweet and have it publish at a later time. This is a great option if you’re going on vacation. You can schedule a tweet or two a day so you won’t disappear from the twittersphere while you’re soaking up some sun at the beach. Use this sparingly though. Too many scheduled tweets can become obvious and stale.
4. Use an app like Hootsuite to make your life easier. Hootsuite lets you see and do more, plus it’s free and there are mobile versions. (Stay tuned on a Hootsuite for Authors article. Sign up for my newsletter or my RSS feed so you won’t miss it.) Alternatives include Tweetdeck and Seesmic.
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