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The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #26)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #26) | www.YourWriterPlatform.comThis 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!)

Engineer Your Best Year Ever

I’ve just recently returned from an amazing 5 day stay in Vegas for the New Media Expo conference and WOW!

What a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the company–and experience the charisma–of some of the top bloggers, podcasters and new media experts killing it online today.

And although the conference boasted some pretty big names, the majority of the energy and inspiration could be felt in the halls, between presentations, from the teeming masses of average Joe’s, bursting with excitement at the possibilities–the potential that awaits for those of us just getting started.

If you’ve experienced a conference, you probably know what I mean. It is immensely motivating to surround yourself with a group of like-minded, passionate and intentional people. People who speak your language. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #25)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #25) | YourWriterPlatform.comThis 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!)

Write. Publish. Repeat.

Can you imagine publishing more than a dozen novels, totalling close to two million words?

Can you imagine doing it in a single year?

If you thought NaNoWriMo was painful, imagine the schedule that previously pro-bloggers, Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant keep. Because in 2013, they did just that.

I’m a big fan of the Self-Publishing Podcast (I’ve even included it in a list of my favourites in Wrap-Up Issue #21), which features the writing duo and is a fantastic resource for writers.

But their new book, Write. Publish. Repeat. (The No-Luck-Required Guide to Self-Publishing Success), is the bee’s knees.

It’s an über informative guidebook as well as a motivational “get-your-head-on-straight” pep talk for authors who are willing to put in the work to develop their writing careers. [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #23)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #23) - Holiday Book Sales | YourWriterPlatform.comThis 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!)

Simple Book Marketing Tips for the Holidays

Regardless of whether we are feeling merry and bright, jolly or joyous, the holiday season is swiftly approaching.

And with it’s advance comes the warm and fuzzy, guerrilla marketing tactics we’ve grown accustomed to associating with ‘holiday spirit’.

Promotional efforts get hardcore this time of year, with every business from Amazon to Zappos vying for gift buyers’ attention.

So if you haven’t felt ‘dirty’ enough hocking your book on your shiny new website or on 20+ social media platforms, it’s time to get really indecent!

I mean, how else are you going to get noticed in all the clamouring and arm waving if you don’t go all ‘Black Friday’ on your holiday book marketing efforts?

Right? 😉 [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #22)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #22) - Habit | YourWriterPlatform.comThis 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!)

Find Your Motivation, Then Develop a Habit

I often like to use a ‘learning to drive’ analogy when giving authors hope that things will get easier as they embark on their book marketing and platform building journey.

You may have to reach back a bit (as I do), but I think most of you can recall your experience, excitement–and trepidation–when first learning to master the skills necessary to safely handle a 3500 lbs automobile.

At first, the number of things to know and apply is utterly overwhelming, and you wonder how you’ll ever manage to make a left turn in rush hour traffic, or successfully merge onto a freeway before your lane runs out.

Locate the controls.

Adjust your mirrors.

Shoulder check.

Hands at ten and two.

Adjust speed to road conditions.

Try not to kill yourself or the person who recklessly agreed to help you learn to drive… [Read more…]

The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #21)

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The Writer's Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #21) - Favourite Podcasts | YourWriterPlatform.comThis 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!)

Prime Podcasts

Moving from the ‘early adopter’ crowd to more mainstream listeners, podcasting is fast becoming an indispensable tool for many content producers.

And it’s easy to see why.

With the tremendous popularity of smart phones and other mobile devices, podcast audiences have begun to grow significantly.

You can download a podcast episode at anytime, on any device and listen to it anywhere: on your daily commute, while working out, or–my personal favourite–while walking the dog!

For those of you who have desperately asked, “How can I learn all this marketing stuff, and still find time to write?”

Podcasts just may be the answer. [Read more…]

Authors with Platforms Sell Books.

It’s that simple.

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