"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go..."
E.L. Doctorow
Words so true! I thought for this post I'd try to give a boost to my #writer friends and share a few #writing resources I (and others) have recently found useful to explore and utilize. I've seen quite a bit of frustration and gloom in tweets this past week on Twitter, ranging from the #Goodreads sudden deletion of #bookreviews (luckily it looks like most reviews have been restored) to people wondering what they're even doing on social media (lack of #book sales being the most touted frustration).
Now I can't completely solve the #bookreview or #sales issues, but since summertime is the perfect season to #refresh and #reboot, it may an ideal time to take an inventory of your marketing, promo, platform, processes, and social media content to help ease any angst you might be experiencing and perhaps give you a breakthrough. If you have ideas/platforms/resources you have found helpful, I'd love to hear from you and spread the word!
I follow branding/social media expert Rachel Thompson (@BadRedheadMedia) on Twitter. She has a treasure trove of ideas and resources for #writers to up their marketing game. Just in the past few weeks she has tweeted links on the following topics that I have found to have great info:
"Blogging is part of your writing and marketing platform, so if you are want to connect with readers, if you want Google to find you, then you need to blog." @BadRedheadMedia
"With reasonable expectations, writers can find more success." @BadRedheadMedia via @WritersDigest, article by Marissa DeCuir Creating an Author Success Map: Why Reasonable Expectations Can Help Grow Your Author Brand - Writer's Digest (writersdigest.com)
"Some of these book promotion ideas can help you drive preorders, while others can help build the buzz and brand awareness for future sales. Check out this FANTASTIC guide on how to launch and promote a new book." @BadRedheadMedia via @BookBubPartners Book Promotion 101: How to Launch a New Book (bookbub.com)
I've recently started following on Twitter self-publishing, global book distribution & education resource Ingram Spark (@IngramSpark). I've found this link to be very informative:
"What Social Media Should Authors Use?" https://www.ingramspark.com/blog/what-social-media-should-authors-use
I encourage you to check out @IngramSpark's Twitter timeline--loads of helpful info...
One resource that has been highly recommended (thank you, Amy Reade and Bibiana Krall) is digital marketing expert David Gaughran (@DavidGaughran). Here is a very helpful link on "Best Book Promo Sites": Best Book Promotion Sites [2021] • David Gaughran
David has a 'Let's Get Publishing' series of books on Amazon that I recently acquired (Let's Get Digital; Strangers to Superfans; BookBub Ads Expert; Amazon Decoded) I've heard these books have insights to the 'secret sauce' to selling your books--I can't wait to read! : Let's Get Publishing (4 book series) Kindle Edition (amazon.com)
#Writers, I hope you find these recent (at least to me) experts, links and book finds helpful. I know it's been a frustrating time--but on the bright side, I don't know many folks in recent times that have had the challenge of socializing and selling books during a global pandemic! Don't be so hard on yourself--you're not alone...
I will be using the next few months to dive into these resources to find areas that I can improve (I'm sure there will be a motherload, LOL). I'll be sharing what I find out and the areas that will be getting a re-do. Keep your chin up and pens flowing--it's Wednesday, time for #DearDiary:
Do you visualize what your characters look like?
Now that I'm in the midst of #writing the Christmas Bizarre holiday tales, I've found it extremely helpful to visualize what the different characters look like. For me, having a picture or drawing of the character helps me to get into their psyche and behavior--useful knowledge all writer's need! I've found iStock by Getty Images to be a great #WriterResource for photos and graphics to use for #BookCovers, ads and marketing content. You can pay by the image or go on one of their subscription packages. I love the one above--it's my Rikkhe St. Claire looking hauntingly beautiful...
Accusations fly this week from the writers of Twitter...
Author Cynthia Raleigh, Summoning the Winds: The Lanthorne Ordinary Witches, 5⭐
For eighteen year-old Yarrow Pickering, running the Lanthorne Ordinary eatery and meeting rooms and taking care of her younger sister, Tansy involves a schedule of non-stop chores. As proprietor of the Ordinary, her days are filled with cooking, cleaning and helping to keep her neighboring villager's fed at her establishment and provided with healing herbs and remedies to ease their pains and illnesses. Since her parent's tragic death, it has been up to her to eek out a living to provide for Tansy and herself. It's a harsh life at times, but Yarrow is determined to carry on.
When a young girl in the village becomes ill, Yarrow goes to the home to drop off remedies that may ease her pains. When she learns a pot of jam secretly consumed is causing the distress, she feels certain the girl will recover. The father however is not convinced, exploding in a tirade of wild accusations as to the cause of his daughter's illness, including a charge of witchcraft against a widow who will not sell him land. As the rumors fly, the respected elder is brought into the Ordinary for questioning. Yarrow has seen this vile spread of lies and hysteria before in the village they left to come to this new land. Will this evil re-emerge?
Anger and revenge bring out the worst of people as the accused is charged. Dark secrets emerge, pitting the villagers against one another as Yarrow and her friend, Jude strive to get to the truth. Will they succeed before the village is torn apart? Author Raleigh weaves an inspiring tale of a young woman's courage to risk everything in a quest for truth and decency amongst her neighbors. A bittersweet read, highly recommended!
Next up in the #reading queue:
Don't forget to check-out the shows on the #BOOKEM YouTube channel!
The clip above is from my show #5 Let's Give Them Somethin' to Talk About. In this clip, I review #author D.B. Carter's story, The Wild Roses. If you're looking for #SummerReads, #Marketing and #WriterTips, there's loads of content here to peruse. #HappySummer!
Crowns and Kisses,
Veronica
P.S. I've included a number of pictures of the ceramic tiles we've found over at Catalina Island in today's post. I love the colors and scenes of summer. We'll be returning for another fabulous stay in a few months, but in the meantime, enjoy! Gemma and Rikkhe approve 💖👑
