The Writer’s Weekly Wrap-Up (Issue #11)

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!)

Give More Than You Get

Some authors equate book marketing with dodgy used car sales techniques and not only refuse to take part, but feel dirty just thinking about it.

Others wholly embrace aggressive, guerrilla-style marketing, and feel that the more noise and blinking neon signs the better.

Still others recognize that there may be a third option, but are overwhelmed at the time, effort and attention that may be required to build a quality ‘platform’ while trying to squeeze precious writing time into an already packed schedule.

So here’s what you need to do:

• Don’t fear marketing; if it feels bad, you’re not doing it right.

• Pull, don’t push. Draw people to you; don’t pop out of the bushes and hit them over the head with a club (a.k.a your book).

• Stay calm and ease into it. Building your writing career isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, so expect to put in a lot of work before you reap the benefits.

The best tip is to spend your time giving, long before you begin to ask for something in return. Give more than you get, add unmistakeable value and develop relationships that are as advantageous to the other person as they are to you.

Marketing is really just creating an environment that makes you, and what you have to offer, irresistible to those who won’t resist.

In the spirit of giving freely, here are the best articles I’ve found this week to help you on your platform building journey:

Featured Articles

The Secret to a Successful Virtual Book Tour by Pandora Poikilos at Bad Red Head Media

Finally a comprehensive post on the ins and outs of virtual book tours, common mistakes authors make and how to ensure yours is successful.

Why You Should Care About Gmails’s New Tabs as a Blogger, Marketer, Freelancer and A User by Kristi Hines at Kikolani

If you use Gmail, this is a must read. An extremely important (and useful) post that highlights the problems with the recent changes to Gmail, and how you can fix them.

Discover and Build Your Author Brand by Kimberley Grabas at Your Writer Platform

In case you’ve missed it, this is a pillar article on the process of discovering your core philosophy or point of difference and consciously developing an author brand that will strengthen and grow your writing career.

7 Lessons Learned From Self-Publishing A Book That Was Previously Traditionally Published by Lorna Fergusson at The Creative Penn

Great guest post by Lorna discussing the things she learned by self-publishing her backlist book after she had been traditionally published.

10 Ways Proven to Draw Readers to Your Novel’s Website by Thomas Umstattd at Author Media

In his article, Thomas uses the ‘DVD approach’ to inspire authors to create the content for their author website that draws visitors in (and encourages them to share).

Smashwords Introduces Preorder Distribution to Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo by Mark Coker at Smashwords

Smashwords has launched a public beta of their new preorder feature, which allows a book to be distributed to Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo in advance of the official onsale date. Mark also notes preorder benefits and some ‘quick start’ tips for authors.

by Mark Edwards at Catherine, Caffeinated

The blurb that appears on your Amazon page is a vital marketing tool. Find out the must have elements to help your book sell like gangbusters!

9 Persuasion Lessons from a 4-Year-Old by Jarom Adair at Copyblogger

Having three young boys, I can relate to this post! Jarom uncovers the secrets of persuasion, with Elijah.

CommentLuv Premium: The “Behind the Scenes” Scoop by Ana Hoffman at Traffic Generation Cafe

If you are even remotely considering the CommentLuv Premium plugin for your site, then check out Ana’s in-depth review and how she uses it on her own site.

The Power of a Small Tribe by Paul Angone at Jeff Goins, Writer

Love this article by Paul on dealing with rejection. “A true writer is someone who has consistently carried bucket after bucket of water to fill up a well. People celebrate you the moment it all spills over without realizing the 10,000 buckets you carried to make it happen.” So true.

The 10 Rules of Submitting to Literary Magazines by Chris Robley at The BookBaby Blog

Chris summarizes Lynne Barrett’s article, What Editors Want, and outlines some valuable submission tips.

3 Cheers For Twitter Hashtags! Or Not? by Molly Greene at Molly Greene, Writer

Find out the why’s, how’s and what for’s of using (or not using) hashtags with your Tweets.

7 Inspirational Quotes that Could Change Your Life by Bryan Hutchinson at Positive Writer

My favourite? “Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.” ~John Wooden. Check out Bryan’s article for more inspiration.

Just For Fun

Thanks for reading! Please share and add your comments or thoughts below!

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Original top photo by lisasolonynko