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Social Media for Authors: Quick Tips to Get It Right

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Social Media for Authors_ Quick Tips to Get It Right _ YourWriterPlatform.com

No matter how difficult it proves to be to get your ideas and stories down on paper, it’s more often the promotional aspects of “being a writer” that become the biggest obstacles for today’s author. In the following post, professional writer, Jessica Fender, shares a bit of her struggle in “getting the book out there”, as well as her suggestions on how to effectively use social media channels to engage readers and build relationships you’ll leverage for this, and every book you write.

Have you managed to finish your book and are you publishing independently? Great! Now, for the hard part – getting people to read it. ‘The hard part?’ you mumble. ‘Do you know how difficult it is to write a book?’

Yeah, I do. It’s difficult. Unfortunately, the marketing and social media plan can be pretty tough as well. In part, that’s down to the idea that you feel you’ve finished it. That’s certainly how I felt. I really didn’t want to go out there and sell it to people.

Actually, that’s not exactly how it went. First, I assumed the book would sell itself. People would read it. They would like it and tell other people about it. And so it would grow. If that was your plan as well then here’s my advice: Get another plan.

Books don’t sell themselves. Marketing sells books. So, if you really want to get your baby out there and read and you don’t have (or want) a publisher, you’re going to have to do that part as well!

Now, the good news

That sounds depressing? It is a little bit, I’ll freely admit. At the same time, there is a silver lining to this marketing cloud. Today it has become easier than ever to actually get your book out there in front of people. Mainly because of social media. If you know how to implement social platforms into your marketing strategy correctly, you can get some serious traction without having to spend some serious dough. In fact, there are plenty of authors who managed to do so. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up: Does Your Elevator Pitch Stand Out? (Issue #30)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up _ YourWriterPlatform.com

This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

The featured articles cover topics on book marketing and promotion, blogging, social media and self-publishing. (I may even throw in a few inspirational and fun posts, just so that it’s not all work and no play!)

Crafting the Perfect Elevator Pitch

“So, what’s your book about?”

Umm…

Distilling the essence of your book, your author brand, or even your freelance services down into just a few sentences has mentally defeated many a writer.

But, it’s inevitable–and desirable–that people will want to know (briefly) what your work is about, and why they should care.

To help you overcome the stuttering, rambling, discombobulated answer you may be currently giving to the above question, here are a few pointers for creating an elevator pitch that stands out:

Tip #1 Be Succinct

The beauty of having to create a brief, but compelling, elevator pitch is that it requires you to dig deep for the true essence of your book, your brand or your service. In order to concisely share it, you’ll first need to know it yourself. Think sentences, not paragraphs, and keep fine-tuning until you’re certain you’ve captured the heart of your work. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up: The Definition of Marketing (Issue #28)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up #28 _ YourWriterPlatform.com

This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

The featured articles cover topics on book marketing and promotion, blogging, social media and self-publishing. (I may even throw in a few inspirational and fun posts, just so that it’s not all work and no play!)

Marketing May Have to Change Its Name

Marketing is simply the process and activities involved in creating awareness for a product or service, typically aimed at a specific group.

And, although there can be many definitions and variations on the theme (based on the intentions and the values of the one actually doing the marketing), the core concept itself isn’t especially unfavourable.

Intuitively it makes sense that there be a mechanism for connecting what you have to offer, to the group you’d like to offer it to.

The issue that arises for many authors is the suspicion and negativity associated with marketing that has evolved over time: smarmy undertones, cheesy or self-serving tactics, and the in-your-face aggressiveness of mediocre marketing strategies gone bad.

But, I think ‘marketing’ has gotten a bad rap.

The theory is sound, it’s the application that is–in many cases–somewhat less than stellar.

But, marketing your work as an author is a must, so if it still makes you feel dirty, just think of it this way: [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #27)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up #28 _ YourWriterPlatform.com

This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled “The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up”.

Each Sunday, I will endeavour to provide you with a curated list of the best articles I have seen throughout the week that relate to building your platform.

The featured articles cover topics on book marketing and promotion, blogging, social media and self-publishing. (I may even throw in a few inspirational and fun posts, just so that it’s not all work and no play!)

A Picture is Worth a Thousand “Likes”

Image based content is becoming more and more relevant in driving social media engagement.

Photos, infographics, image quotes and other forms of graphics often receive significantly more interaction than their text-based counterparts.

And, whether you are active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ or Pinterest (or all of the above), the skillful use of images can give you an edge when it comes to capturing the attention of your audience.

To benefit from this trend, consider doing the following:

  • Share excerpts or quotes from your book, speaking engagements or reviews.
  • Create throat-grabbing blog post images, helpful infographics or fun collages.
  • Design image quotes that are entertaining, inspirational or even a series of quick tips.

Use your creativity (or get inspired by somebody else’s) and start developing some truly share-worthy images for your social media accounts. [Read more…]

5 Surprising Reasons Why Email Trumps Social Media

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5 Surprising Reasons Why Email Trumps Social Media _ YourWriterPlatform.com (1)

Good old fashioned email. Definitely not the new kid on the block when it comes to communicating with your readership. Can it really compete with all the newfangled alternatives? Guest author, Jason Kong shares how email not only holds its own, but surpasses social media as a powerful communication channel.

Establishing your writer platform requires several important decisions. One of those is how you choose to keep in touch with those who care about your work.

Thanks to the explosion of social media, there’s no shortage of online options. Everyone has heard of Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. Pinterest is becoming more popular, and blogs remain so.

And then there’s email.

It’s a simple tool that hasn’t changed much since its inception. Still around, but hardly cutting edge. Is there a place for a technology that predates today’s social media?

The answer is yes, because an email list is one of the best ways to ensure your long-term success as an author. When powered by a service such as Aweber, email has some distinct and significant advantages over its social media counterparts.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits. [Read more…]

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