Archive for the ‘Tools’ Category
10 More Common New Writer Mistakes to Avoid
February 12th, 2010 by Mary DeMuthFor those of you who love lists, here’s another list of ten common mistakes I see writers make when they come through The Writing Spa. Check and see if you make these mistakes too. And if you do, choose to make 2010 the year you change the way you write.
1 Starting the story too late. When I wrote my first novel, it took me 90 pages to get to the inciting moment. I believed I needed to tell all the backstory first. Not true. When I rewrote the beginning, I cut the first 90 pages, rewrote the beginning to have the inciting moment first. Then, I shared both beginnings with a critique group and asked which one had more emotional impact. Everyone said the second one. Start your story when it starts.
2 Lack of passion. If you’re not wild about your subject, it shows. Write from your passion and your words will have punch.
3 Overuse of had. When recounting something in the past, use “had” once, then keep the rest in straight past tense. Otherwise, you’ll clutter up your prose, make it gunky.
4 Too many modifiers. Use a better noun instead of a weak one that needs an adjective. Use a stronger verb instead of one that leans on an adverb for help.
5 Misplaced modifier: An adjectival (modifies a noun) or adverbial (modifies a verb) placed in an awkward spot—usually far from the word or phrase it modifies.
Misplaced: I learned how to tie-dye t-shirts on the radio.
Correct: I heard on the radio how to tie-dye t-shirts.
6 Punctuation and Formatting Errors:
- Punctuation within quotes. This is a proper ellipses: . . . (dot space, dot space, dot space)
- Use an em dash in a sentence: Bob ran his business to the ground—right after he alienated his wife and children.
To create the elusive, continuous-line, em dash: Type as usual, but when you want to make the em dash, type two hyphens in a row and simply continue typing the next word. As soon as you hit the “space” key after you complete that next word, the computer automatically turns the two hyphens into the correctly formatted “em dash.” (The funny thing is, the computer can’t NOT do this action automatically.)
Incorrect (but the “old” method on a manual typewriter): I left my favorite baking dish–a wedding present from Aunt Jackie–at the church potluck dinner yesterday evening.
Incorrect (a symbol, actually an “en” dash): I left my favorite baking dish – a wedding present from Aunt Jackie – at the church potluck dinner yesterday evening.
Correct: I left my favorite baking dish—a wedding present from Aunt Jackie—at the church potluck dinner yesterday evening.
- Don’t use ALL CAPS.
- When writing a title, italicize it, don’t underline.
- Don’t hit enter twice when you start a new paragraph.
- It’s no longer five spaces when you indent; use the Tab key instead.
- 11 or 12 point font, preferably Times New Roman.
- One inch margins all around.
- Use exclamation points sparingly. You don’t want to be the writer who cried Wolf!
7 Pronoun/Antecedent Problems. Be sure your pronouns agree with the words they’re replacing. A writer makes a mistake when her pronouns don’t match.
8 No Parallel Structure. When listing things in a series, be sure the structure of the first words in each series are parallel.
Example: The cat dodged the ball, ate a mouse, and is sleeping now.
Correct: The cat dodged the ball, ate a mouse, then fell asleep.
9 Dangling Participles. When you have a participle (-ing word) followed by a comma as a phrase (dependent clause), the word following the comma should be the one the phrase modifies. Example: Crashing outside, I jumped when I heard the thunder. Crashing outside, the thunder made me jump.
10 Purple Speaker Tags. When you attribute dialog to someone, refrain from using purple speaker tags. Said works best most of the time. Or creating the dialog with beats (sentences of action) works better, too.
Example: “Herb, you irritate me!” she exclaimed vehemently.
Solved: She stomped her tiny feet. “Herb, you irritate me!”
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Where Do I Sell My Books? How do I tell the world my message?
December 8th, 2009 by J A Heinlein
Is your Marketing Strategy: New & Improved…Tried & True… or Old & Tired…?
Recently, Christian Retailing featured an article on “Self-publishing”. It outlined new developments and statistics and included highlighting some “big brand name” publishers who have become involved in self-publishing. And, predictably, it quoted some quite overused and outdated arguments against. But, one quote that stood out to me was a quote from a respected industry agent (and friend) regarding sales and distribution,
“I think the chances of those books actually having a very effective distribution channel [into retail bookstores] are very slim.”– RG, Christian Retailing Dec 7, ‘09
First of all, I have to respond by saying, that I highly respect the very essential role of agents in the publishing process. But, that said, it must also be understood that good agents are good at selling books to publishers. But, even good agents don’t generally participate in the actual selling process into the “real marketplace”.
And, that statement also caused to me to reflect on an industry “trend shift” that is not readily perceived and often overlooked.
Books are sold in bookstores right? Well, about half of them are…
“52% of books are not sold in bookstores. They are merchandised [directly] via mail order, online, in discount or warehouse stores, through book clubs, in nontraditional retail outlets, etc.” “The worldwide book market is almost $90 billion, and every year [more than] half of those sales are made in non-bookstore markets such as museums, schools, libraries, warehouse clubs, catalogs, book clubs, book fairs, and to corporations, among many other markets.” – http://BookStatistics.com, Para Publishing – http://bit.ly/14nOAF
Bookstores are now “a sales channel” and, are now not “the only channel” for book sales. And, selling books to the “traditional retail channels” is likely not the most profitable way to sell books – especially for a smaller publisher or new authors. For most, the required “sales hoops” that must be jumped through are simply insurmountable. This includes high discounts, expensive marketing and merchandising programs, and a high percentage of returns. And, all of that is done for a very short “selling window” – usually 3-6 months.
Another whole discussion involves the very definition of “what is a published book?”–it’s many forms and formats that are now available–and the related new emerging sales channels.
So where/how do I sell my books?
The most basic and fundamental objective of marketing is connecting with the right audience–that is introducing a product, solution, or service to those that are most likely to benefit.
Developing a productive author platform that engages and develops relationship with the intended audience is essential.
The good news is that there are now many ways to connect to your best audience – that is to directly access your intended niche market - and common interest affinity groups.
The Online Trend: Building an “Author Brand” with Social Media Marketing
Develop a Social Media/ “Web 2.0″ strategy for building & expanding author platform on established associations, identity, and audience.
- Develop integration process for EVERYTHING – create a sales “funnel”
- Drive target audience to a specific direction/destination – author website and ecommerce page(s).
- Use all web 2.0/social media priority “standards”: Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Youtube, LinkedIn, and bookmarking sites such as Digg.
Purpose Objective: build a following – a “Tribe”
“A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It’s our nature.” “Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. – Seth Godin, Tribes
“If you are an author, your tribe members are your readers—or, at least, that’s potentially true. The only question is whether or not you will become the tribe’s leader and equip them to communicate with you and with one another.” – Michael Hyatt, CEO-Thomas Nelson
Recommended reading:
Beyond the Bookstore: How to Sell More Books Profitably to Non-Bookstore Markets (9781594290022): Brian Jud
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us (9781591842330): Seth Godin
Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust (9780470743089): Chris Brogan, Julien Smith
Related Links
- Are you a trust agent? Do you need to be? (myventurepad.com)
- The Power of Tribes on Blog Talk Radio (theimuniversity.com)
- Julien Smith – Social Capital and the New Tribe (andreavascellari.com)
- Reach Matters – Even In Social Media (socialmediatoday.com)
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Marketing Your Book with Social Media — it’s a conversation
November 10th, 2009 by J A HeinleinWilliam Barrett, Professor of Philosophy, wrote back in 1979:
“…our modes of communication and expression take place within the framework (of an increasingly complex technology) and are increasingly shaped by it … the task … in this situation becomes neither the meaningless rejection of technology nor the equally meaningless affirmation of technology, but to try to see where technical and technological thinking, with no other principle but itself, must lead us; and whether some countervailing mode of thought may not be called for.” —Barrett, William, The Illusion of Technique, (Anchor Books: Garden City, New York, 1979) p. 230″
I was just going through my email — clearing the box — while having coffee at one my favorite local community coffee shops (as is my morning ritual). As I read the message (excerpted below) from a new client, it occurred to me that his request contained something that I have been pondering all last week… how do you really “use” social media?
Well, first of all, to “correct myself”, one doesn’t “use it”… one participates… it is simply a conversation. Use beyond that, can quickly just become annoying noise.
Recently, I have been more than impressed and humbled by being able to participate in personal and direct messages and conversations with the likes of Chris Brogan and Danny Brown. These guys (”guys”… they are figurative “giants” really! -personable, nice, “gentle giants”, but giants nonetheless) …find a way to organize their daily lifestyle, moments… precious time to directly answer and converse on a personal level with many, many people… constantly… every day….
It is after all “Social Media”. They literally have 100’s of thousands of “followers”…but, somehow they find a way to “have the conversation…” And, this is what I find to be most impressive and confounding… and, am observing to be the “Secret” to theirs and others like themselves’ success.
I like many, am still learning and trying to figure it out? I suspect and am also learning… that part of it is just to relaxing into the practice…. that is… one must “just be”… and become a willing and calmly active participant in the happening… In other words, don’t “try” so hard…
One thing that is certain and very obvious… The example and model is there — being personal is not optional!
My email conversation:
“Hi Jay,
I apologize for my confusion….I’m not the “brightest bulb in the box” when it comes to Facebook…or computers!!
Can you give me an idea of exactly what to do with each of the names and addresses you gave me? Once I understand it I will never forget..it’s just….understanding it??
Maybe just take one of the addresses like ______and tell me step by step how to get them on my Facebook?
Sorry for the request… but computers and I have not been very close friends….arrrggghhh!!!
Thanks Jay – For Everything!!
========================================
“J,
-no worries… and, I strongly disagree!
You are refreshingly one of the “brightest bulbs” that I have met in a long time…
I am thankful to be in the company of the likes of you, L, and “Dr. Pat”!
re Facebook
You are naturally very social, so once you get “it”…the learning curve will be short…
Think of “it” as just talking…having a conversation…
-that is the true heart of “social media”…
-there is a lot of “noise” out there as “marketers” try to flatten the learning curve…
-and, many are mistakenly just applying old practices to the new medium (including me…I have been guilty…)
…but, this one… “Social Media” is different…
…and, alas, I blab…
one step at a time…
step 1: simply “join”…ask for a “friendship“, become a “fan”, or join the “group” -whichever applies…
step 2: introduce yourself
step 3: join the conversation…or start one…
step 4: post “helpful links”… items of “mutual interest” and incl your own…
step 5: coming soon…. “Earning the right to ask a favor…”
HAVE FUN!!!
: )
Jay
Some other tips for using Facebook
Of course variations of these can be done on other social media platforms… please comment below and I will respond with more suggested ideas…
Add to your page
- Your bio
- Description of your book
- Include your contact information (website, blog, twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Biznik information)
- Join one of the many groups for writers and authors and be active!
- Include a graphic of your book cover
- Invite friends to review your book and post comments
- Add a Shelfari widget and showcase all of your books or books by other authors you support
- Create a virtual bookshelf with your books
- Post updates about your book to the blogs and comments sections
- Invite other authors to be your friends, build your network
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Elements of a Successful Publishing Project
November 4th, 2009 by J A Heinlein1. You need to know Why You Want to be Published
You must ask yourself and answer the question, “…why do you want to be published?”
Some feel called to educate and inspire, while some want to “entertain” and tell a story, either fiction or non-fiction. And, the different callings and writer desires can combine to accomplish both.
What is the objective of your writing? Who will benefit?
I work with a lot of very successful professional speakers/authors, and over the years, the most common mistake has been for them to want to “rush too quickly to write and get published”… and, without having asked and answered those most fundamental of questions:
What is the reason and purpose for me to be a published author?
- it is my ministry and calling?
- to help expand my brand?
- to provide lasting value and impression?
- to create an additional income?
- to increase my speaker’s fee value?
What will the reader take away as the value from my book?
How will that help my ministry and/or business? How does this book reflect my personal mission and objectives?
And, once answered, how do I get this done?
See Also: How do you write a book or novel
2. You need to be informed
- Do your homework – “flatten” the learning curve as quickly as possible.
- Do the advance work to understand the “basics”– outline your plan for writing, marketing
Basic publishing elements
- Editing/Formatting
- Packaging: Creative Design: Cover, Layout, Illustration
- Production: print options – POD/Digital, offset, ebooks, ebook platforms
- Registrations
- Considerations of Setting-up Small Business
- Pricing, Distribution, Fulfillment
- Promotion, Sales, Market Placement
- Social Media Marketing – Online Network Management
- Online Presence, Search Engine Visibility Development
- Experience: Do’s & Don’ts
Related Links:
- Sell- Marketing yourself and your work, promotion and contests
- Writer’s Digest – 101 Best Websites for Writers
- 100 Free Tools to Write, Publish and Promote Your Own Book
- 5 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
3. You need a platform
“Platform is a big word in publishing. Seriously, it’s a critical component of getting a book sold. It’s so important, in fact, that many experts recommend that you start to build your platform long before you’re ready to submit your book for publication. What is an author’s platform? It’s what helps sell your book. An author’s platform is the way you reach readers. It’s a network, and it’s notoriety. It’s exposure.”
- Lolaness, Build an Author’s Platform: It’s How to Sell Your Book“10 simple steps that will take your visibility from zero to standout in a short time, while also giving you ample opportunities to flex your expertise, carve out your niche topic and connect with your audience.”
Christina Katz, Writer’s Digest – How to Build a Marketing Platform
4. You need a plan
The strategic plan is tailored and built upon the idea of developing a niche strategy focus, from the author’s identified platform and intended audience. Its goal is to direct focused efforts toward the right audience for initial sales and ongoing sell-through.
“…the publishing business is all about marketing, and it’s certainly true that books don’t sell themselves. However, there’s a caveat to the idea that anybody who can market books can start their own publishing house, and it’s that you need a business plan in place that will allow you to make a profit on the books you sell.”
-Morris Rosenthal, Self Publishing: Starting Your Own Publishing House
5. You need help
Fortunately, there is now a “one-stop resource” that you can enlist help from! – The BelieversPress Community.
“BelieversPress is a gathering of Christian authors and an elite team of Christian publishing professionals collaborating to bring the message God has placed in authors’ hearts to touch the lives of millions.”
- If you’re serious about your book, hire a book mentor to coach you and to help in coordination of the publishing process.
- Educate yourself, by engaging and asking a lot of questions, and sharing your own experiences with the group.
- Engage with and enlist help by hiring from the variety of related services of the community.
6. You need to execute your plan
The plan should identify:
- industry professionals and interest “affinity” groups
- spheres of influence, building “word of mouth” viral campaigns
- special sales markets – beyond traditional bookselling/bookseller strategies
- emerging markets to develop new market channel opportunities
- select bookstore markets and current bookseller relationships
The developed plan will detail:
- Focused Research of Audience Demographics & Psychographics,
- Indentified Branding Objectives,
- Writing Schedule,
- Production Deadlines
- Package Planning ,
- Tactics for Promotion & Marketing,
- Sales, Market Placement, and Distribution.
Summary
For independently published authors, there is a lot of advance work that must be done by the author and, their “team” can be of immeasurable value, if they are fortunate to have one as in “the BelieversPress Community.
It is the “same” work and objectives that both traditionally published authors or independently published authors must accomplish.
The traditionally published authors would seem to have an edge as a result of having a “bigger machine” backing them.
-but, based on current sales results, the real effort and scaled back resources of brand name companies are being used to mainly push the “A list” level authors.
Bottom line, whether traditionally published or independently published, authors must take a very active role in promotions of themselves and their work. Those who expect to “just write” and let others “carry the load” will likely not be successful going forward.
Yes, advance planning, and taking part in marketing and promotions can be quite an investment of personal resources…difficult, time consuming… exhausting even… but, the rewards are being able to share your unique message with others, building and enjoying enduring reader relationships, seeing your dreams and passionate objectives become a reality…
…and of course, it is nice to be able to buy groceries…
“… authors who survive will be the ones who find ways to authentically grow their platform and meaningfully reach their readership.” “Communities will decide what books are worthwhile, and communities won’t have ego-filled judgments. Publishers will always be giving their authors one thing that is hard to come by: a measure of instant credibility. (That is: Someone thought this was good enough to take a financial risk on.) In good scenarios, there is also collaboration: to make a good book a great book. But soon, communities will have as much power as publishers to decide what books deserve attention.“
- Jane Freidman, My Big Rant on Self-Publishing, Writer’s Digest
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Bethany Press Launches BelieversPress to Give Author’s Faith a Voice
November 2nd, 2009 by Nick CiskeFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Publishing Model for Authors:
Bethany Press Launches BelieversPress to Give Author’s Faith a Voice
Bloomington, MN – Authors face an enormous challenge; a one in thousands chance of getting their manuscript published by major Christian publishers. Until now, the industry has only offered authors royalty and self-publishing models. Rejected authors are often left to fend for themselves. Some talented authors will give up. Others will try to solo-navigate the shifting currents of self/subsidy publishing and find themselves limited by the one-size-fits-all approach of these services.
BelieversPress, a new venture just launched by Bethany Press, offers multiple publishing tracks for authors where they control the process.
1. Royalty Publishing
In collaboration with ECPA, BelieversPress critiques and edits author proposals prior to posting on the ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com website enabling agents and publishers to sort and filter for high quality submissions. Each of these proposals features a BelieversPress badge.
2. Independent Publishing
At BelieversPress, professional authors who pursue independent publishing can now access
- Coaching and editorial services from Jeff Gerke, (longtime editor for the CBA industry, former editor at NavPress) and Barb Lilland Editorial Services (former senior editor, Bethany House Publishing)
- Cover design from The DesignWorks Group and Dugan Design Group
- Publicity services from B&B Media (clients include Charles Stanley, John C. Maxwell, Chuck Swindoll, Tim LaHaye, Melody Carlson, Bruce Wilkinson)
- Marketing tools from Heinlein Publishing Services (Publishing Professional, 20+ Years: including executive positions with United Methodist Publishing House, Thomas Nelson, and Word Publishing)
- Printing from Bethany Press (producer of almost 30% of the best-selling Christian paperbacks)
- Sales and distribution through STL Distribution (the largest exclusively Christian distributor in North America).
Authors interested in submitting to agents and small publishers can receive mentoring, editorial, and proposal evaluation from D.C. Jacobson (Don Jacobson’s group, former President of Multnomah Publishers) and The Writing Spa (Mary DeMuth) at BelieversPress.
BelieversPress counsels authors that if they cannot sell their books via platforms such as speaking, established ministries, or direct to readers through venues such as blogging, the internet, articles, etc. then they should not self-publish.
Agents and publishers can offer their authors a trustworthy team to help them to publish both their out-of-print books and unpublished manuscripts, further building their readership with the ability to sell directly through the author’s website, the BelieversPress E-store, and to the trade through STL Distribution. Or, they can refer authors needing mentoring and further development to trusted professionals who can help them hone their skill and platform before re-submitting.
BelieversPress authors can:
- Engage an elite team of the best talent in Christian publishing to take their manuscript from good to great!
- Benefit from experienced professionals in marketing, publicity, and sales who help them get their message heard
- Connect with authors who have traveled the path before them
- Take control of your publishing future – there are no packages and no royalty schemes
- Bring unpublished titles and out-of-print books to their readers
- Print with the company that produces 30% of Christian best-sellers
- Make a difference – a portion of their dollars are used to fund ministry
Contact BelieversPress:
6820 West 115th Street • Bloomington, MN 55438
(800) 341-4192 • www.believerspress.com • info@believerspress.com
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Some Great Design Blogs
October 9th, 2009 by Torrey SharpPossible dilemma: You need to hire a book cover designer for your project, but have not been trained in graphic design, have never art directed before and/or are generally not too immersed in the field of graphic design, art or culture. So, how do you become informed in some of these areas? Where do you go?
A helpful first step is to simply jump into this arena and check out what’s going on. It may feel overwhelming and this awareness won’t necessarily make the process of working with a designer go smoother, but it will give you some added perspective and appreciation for the range of style and solutions that come to bear on design related problems. This awareness will enable you to ask more questions and enhance the communication with your designer. The better the communication, the better chance your designer will find the right solution for your book. Here are a few blogs our studio frequents to stay on top of what’ happening. Of course, there are countless others. Some of these are specific to book design and some are more general in nature. Enjoy!
- FFFFound
- Design Observer
- FWIS
- The Book Design Review
- FaceOut Books
- By Henry Sene Yee Design
- David Drummond | Covers
- Books Covered
- Notcot
- Jacket Mechanical
- Ace Jet 170
- Grain Edit
- The DieLine
- Cool Hunting
- David Gee Works on Paper
- Core77
- The Font Feed
- Design You Trust
- Arthur Cherry
- Ideas on Ideas
- Publication Design
- Alltop
- Dwell
- The Daily Discussion
- Visual Culture
- Ellen Lupton Design Writing Research
- Putting People First
- Graphicology
- Netdiver
- Good Is
- Designers Who Blog
- Speak Up
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Determining if an author blog is right for you
October 9th, 2009 by Kimberly BrockAt latest count, there are more than 100 million blogs on the internet today. Traditionally, blogs were web based log or diary entries which included photos, insights and links about what the author found interesting. Today, more and more businesses have also used blogs to send out updates, news feeds and connect directly with consumers. As an author, is creating a blog right for you?
I recently came across a great article titled, “The Author’s Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog” by Claire E. White. In this article Ms. White outlines the different types of blogs, what makes a great author blog and the pros and cons of blogging. The article is a few years old, but the content is still relevant.
This article included a great quote from Jonathan Karp of Warner Twelve:
Writers have to be promoters if they believe in their work. Blogs are a way for authors to communicate directly with readers and establish a personal connection. It’s a way to reach readers who may not attend bookstore events, and it’s more convenient for authors, too. I haven’t met too many writers who were eager to fly to Houston for a day — though I’m sure Houston is lovely this time of year.
Still uncertain whether or not a blog is for you? Here are some points to consider before starting a blog:
1. You must love to write. Blogging requires frequent, interesting entries, responding to posts and leaving feedback on other blogs.
2. You must enjoy surfing the web. Having a successful blog does not end with posting your thoughts. It requires marketing, visiting other blogs, networking with other authors, and staying abreast of news that pertains to your topic.
3. You must have the time to commit to a blog. Having a successful blog requires frequent, meaningful entries that not only capture new readers, but also keeps established readers coming back for more. You must be willing to establish a set schedule for posting and be willing to follow through.
4. You must be transparent. What makes a good author blog is not just providing a platform for a given work, but the insights it provides readers into the author’s day to day struggles and successes. Maybe your dog has been sick and you finally found the right medication to help it? Maybe you struggle with migraines? Maybe you had a dream that inspired your work? Though on the surface, it appears that these topics have nothing to do with selling books, but what it does do is connect you to your readers in a very real and intimate way.
5. You must be fairly comfortable with internet technology or know someone who is. The best author blogs are constantly changing and evolving. Having a blog does require some basic software understanding. Having a blog will require a commitment to growing and learning how to maintain and improve your blog in order to provide the best online environment for your readers.
If you are ready to start a blog, here is an online article with the simplest instructions I have seen as to how to start a blog.
Here, too, is a list of some great author blogs to reference.
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Interpreting the “Response Speak” Agents Use
September 18th, 2009 by Nick CiskeAgent Kristin Nelson helps you interpret the letters you get from agents in response to your query/submission.
Valuable advice on how to read between the lines!
Form response:
Don’t interpret anything. It could mean just about anything under the sun.Form response with personal comment
Submission was interesting enough for the agent to make a comment. Don’t interpret too much. It’s the nature of the comment that is important here. If it’s “I just didn’t fall in love” that could mean anything from concept isn’t right or writing isn’t quite there yet.If comment is something along the lines of “see talent here but not right for me”, well that’s encouraging.
Read the rest of Response Speak at PubRants.
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Twitter Marketing: Joining the Conversation
June 26th, 2009 by Kimberly Brock
Twitter has become one of the newest social media tools to hit the Internet providing marketers, bloggers and Internet users a new means to communicate. Even though I had worked in marketing for many years, I have to admit–I was more than reluctant to explore yet one more shiny new Internet tool. Once I did, my head virtually exploded with the possibilities Twitter offers.
From a simple question, “What are you doing?” Twitter connects you with friends, family, coworkers, colleagues and potential customers. In 140 characters or less, I am able to keep my “followers” (those who subscribe to my Twitter feed) updated on my life. For example, I may post that I am having a business lunch in regards to a new product release. I generally tweet about my life, what I am doing professionally, when I am traveling, links to articles that may interest my followers and join in the general Twitter discussion.
If you have been hesitant to join in the Twitter phenomenon, here are some tips to get your started:
- Go to Twitter.com and sign up for an account. If you are doing this for business, it is advisable to use your real name.
- Create your profile page and post a photo of you. You will also want to write up a small bio. Do also link any other pertinent information such as personal and professional websites, blog, linked-in page and any recent write-ups. I do recommend creating a custom background for your page. The website twitterbackgrounds.com has a great selection of FREE designs to choose from. The more people get to know you as an individual, the more likely they are going to return to you or click through to see what you are working on.
- The next big question is “Who do I follow?” You want to start with friends, family, coworkers, and colleagues [Ed- and @BelieversPress too!]. Then go to wefollow.com. WeFollow is a directory of Twitter subscribers. You want to follow tweeple who have similar interests. Twitter, after all, is a social media tool; finding people with similar interests will help facilitate meaningful conversation. [Ed: Check out the ECPA tag for people in the Christian publishing industry]
- Next, I recommend visiting crazybob.org/twubble. “Twubble” is a service developed by Google software engineer Bob Lee. It recommends new Twitter friends to you based upon whom your friends follow. This is a great means of increasing your Twitter bubble (twubble). I have found many great Twitter feeds to subscribe to from this site. [Ed: Mr. Tweet is another popular service that recommends followers]
- Do enter in the conversation. Do not bombard followers with constant posts about your product. Ensure that the content for which you are posting is relevant, interesting and noteworthy so that your subscribers look forward to your posts. It is incredibly tempting as a marketer to want to get the greatest visibility for my product, but posting spam too frequently will turn off my followers and they will no longer click through.
- Encourage conversation. Twitter is not just a source for content. Try posting a thought provoking question, run a survey, or get honest feedback to an idea you have been kicking around. Ask questions that encourage your followers to engage with you.
- Follow relevant Twitter feeds. If I find someone who consistently posts interesting content, I will comment and let them know. This introduces them to my existence and that builds traffic for my campaign as well.
Still need a little nudge to get started on Twitter?
You may want to check out the June 2009 issue of Time Magazine that features an article titled, “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live.”
Excerpt:
Today the language of advertising is dominated by the notion of impressions: how many times an advertiser can get its brand in front of a potential customer’s eyeballs, whether on a billboard, a Web page or a NASCAR hood. But impressions are fleeting things, especially compared with the enduring relationships of followers. Successful businesses will have millions of Twitter followers (and will pay good money to attract them), and a whole new language of tweet-based customer interaction will evolve to keep those followers engaged: early access to new products or deals, live customer service, customer involvement in brainstorming for new products.
If you would like to follow me, you can find me at @kimberlybrock
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How to get the most out of Twitter and LinkedIn
June 23rd, 2009 by Torrey SharpI am definitely not an expert in social media, SEO, SEM, etc but I’ve realized that I should be making a more deliberate effort to gain knowledge in these areas and explore ways in which to use social media platforms to communicate and relate to clients, peers, friends, and the idustry at large. So, you could say I’m on a quest for enlightenment! And what I’m finding is that I simply cannot afford to remain ignorant in this rapidly changing arena. All these platforms are about communication and broadening the accessibility of communication. In order to stay relevant, stay engaged and continue to meet the needs of an ever changing marketplace, it’s imperative that I remain adequately informed on changing technology and new methods for connecting with the world.
I had the privilege of listening to a seminar by Kent Lewis, president of Anvil Media in Portland, Oregon. He’s on a mission to build Anvil into one of the most respected search engine marketing agencies in the world. Kent believes that Twitter and Linked In are the most powerful of the social media platforms for marketing and reputation management for individuals, executives and companies alike. Here is a great article for all those who want to take your LinkedIn and Twitter profiles to the next level: LinkedIn and Twitter Profile Optimization for Dimwits.
There is plenty more to check out on Anvil’s site as well. I hope you run into some helpful information.
Follow BelieversPress on Twitter, join the group on LinkedIn, or become a fan on Facebook.
Brandilyn Collins has some great posts about Twitter: Ten-Point Twittequette, A Day on Twitter, and Does Twitter Link Authors With New Readers?
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That the arts can be corrupt does not mean that Christians should abandon them. On the contrary, the corruption of the arts means that Christians dare not abandon them any longer.
— , State of the Arts
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