This post is part of a weekly series on YWP, aptly titled The Writers 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 its not all work and no play!)
Happy Mother’s Day!
“Mother’s hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.”
~ Author Unknown
If you’re a Mom, take some time for yourself today or enjoy the day with your children; if you’re not a Mom, make some time to appreciate the ones you know!
Featured Articles
50+ Things to Blog About When You Have Writer’s Block by Caitlin Muir at Author Media.
A little stuck and not sure what to blog about? Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, Caitlin has some ideas to get the creative juices flowing.
SPP054 Exploding Your Growth with Author CJ Lyons with Johnny, Sean and Dave at The Self Publishing Podcast.
Fun and informative podcast with bestselling author CJ Lyons. If you’re like me, and want to watch rather than listen, scroll to the bottom of the post for the video version of the episode.
You Have Permission by Joanna Penn at The Creative Penn.
A great and passionate article on empowering authors and reminding us that waiting for consent or approval is not required.
Rooted Marketing: Preplanning Your Marketing as You Write Your Novel by Dineen Miller at Live Write Thrive.
Dineen shares some insights on how novelists can use some techniques non-fiction authors use to build interest in their book before it’s published.
Social Media is Not About Followers, It Is About Getting Read – Lessons From Susan Orlean by Dan Blank at We Grow Media.
Dan provides a video of a presentation by Susan Orlean (author and staff writer for The New Yorker), where she discusses how she grew her audience of more than 230,000 followers and why taking the time to connect with your audience is a powerful opportunity, not an inconvenient burden.
Become a Highly Paid Writer: Avoid These 7 Habits by Marcie Hill at Write To Done.
A what-not-to-do article on how to avoid the starving writer story and become the highly paid writer you deserve to be.
Self-Publishing Basics: The Copyright Page by Joel Friedlander at The Book Designer.
In this article, Joel outlines the must haves of your Copyright page and defines each important item. Very helpful if you’re self-publishing for the first time.
Gut Check: How Bad Do You Want It? (Publishing Success, That Is!) by Toni (the geek) at Self Publishing Team.
Great article that asks you to look hard at what you’re doing as a writer, and evaluate if your putting the effort in and if you’re focusing on the right things to move forward in your career.
Stop Wasting Money: How To Get the Most Out of Your Blogging Education by Kristi Hines at Kikolani.
I’m pretty sure that Kristi is referring to me directly, however in case you also struggle with maximizing the benefits from the courses, guides and books you purchase, read this post.
12 Most Ridiculous Pieces of Advice People Give Artists, Musicians and Other Creatives by Leanne Regalla at 12Most.com.
Here’s a list of bad advice from people who don’t know what it takes to make great art and carve out a living from it. Leanne’s advice: smile and nod but don’t take it to heart.
Building Author Platform By Pitching Yourself to the Media by Nina Amir at Write Non Fiction Now.
Nina includes three ways to access the needs and wants of reporters, and how best to capitalize on pitching yourself and your expertise.
The Indie Author’s Guide to Facebook Fan Pages by Wise Ink at Wise Ink.
A helpful guide to using a Facebook Page for your writing and branding, rather than your Personal Facebook profile.
Why I’m Totally Okay With Giving My Book Away Free by Dana Sitar at 30 Day Books.
Dana gives her reasons and experience as to the benefits of giving a book away for free.
Use Video Interviews to Bring Outside Expertise to Your Tribe [Video] by Michael Hyatt at MichaelHyatt.com.
Learn how to build your credibility quickly with Michael’s video tutorial on making great video interviews.
The Secret Recipe for Writing a Perfect Pitch by Marcy Kennedy at Kristen Lamb’s Blog.
In her post, Marcy gives us the recipe for succinctly wrapping or 50,000+ word novel into a small, perfect package for an agent pitch, query letter, Amazon description, or back cover copy.
Just For Fun
Here’s an adorable video of animal Mom’s and their babes…
Can’t see the video? Go here.
Again, Happy Mother’s Day! And please share your questions, comments or kudos below!
Photo by clarita