Stay True to Your Writing Path by Mary Manners

 

Stay True to Your Writing Path

By Mary Manners 

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time..."

~ Ephesians 5:15 ~

Many authors--count me among them--struggle with the fact that marketing tends to devour writing time. Deadlines loom, but at the same time there are books that require promotion. Often the worlds of Facebook and Twitter closely resemble black holes that suck writers in and refuse to release them. The question soon arises: How does one maintain a fine balance between marketing and writing (and let's not forget a sprinkle of family-time, as well)? Grab a piece of paper and a pen and take notes; here are a few easy solutions that I have found to be highly effective:

Set aside short blocks of time to connect with friends in the virtual world. This supportive network should not be neglected. I like to chunk out three 15 minute sessions: one first thing in the morning, one mid-day, and a third in the evening, when the day’s writing is complete. I have gone so far as to set a timer to limit myself to fifteen minutes per block to keep from being lured into overstaying my welcome. Whatever is not completed during that time can wait until later in the day or even the next morning.

When the black holes beckon, setting a writing goal and sticking to it works well for me and other writers I know. Don’t be afraid to take on a hefty challenge when it comes to getting words onto paper. My goal is usually five for five: I must write 500 words before I break for a five-minute trek through the virtual, a snack or a drink. I set a timer and strictly limit myself to five minutes. This technique works very well to help me tackle and tie up my writing projects as deadlines loom; the promise of a bite to eat or a trek through a black hole motivates me to get those words down.

When dealing with the bulk of marketing tasks, consider chunking the work into a half-day once a month with the help of a free scheduling site. This allows for scheduling several months in advance. I have found that a half-day spent in this arena provides plenty of time to plan and schedule what's needed. Additional blocking times throughout the course of a month may be used to work in last-minute posts as well as to respond to the posts of others. As an aside, it is quite beneficial to have all tweets/posts saved in a document with links already shrunk, which allows for quick cutting and pasting.

So, the next time the virtual world threatens to snatch away writing time, step back, take a deep breath, and then dive back in to WRITE. Remember these simple tips to help stay focused and enjoy the journey. Happy Writing!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~



 Lilies and Lies

Maddie Cutler loathes her status as baby sister to her three brothers. Fearing she may never be considered their equal, she goes out of her way to prove that she's capable of managing the family business. But, her careless accident shuts down Clover Cove's business district and makes Maddie the laughingstock of her family–and Clover Cove.

Gunnar Holt spends weekdays managing his garage and weekends as youth leader for a small church. But Gunnar has a secret...a mistake from the past that nearly stole his future. Not a soul in Clover Cove knows his transgression, and Gunnar plans to keep it that way. Then, Maddie Cutler plows through his garage, nearly demolishing the life he's worked to rebuild--and the wall he's erected around his heart.

As Gunnar falls for Maddie, he must tell her about his past. But, will the secret push Maddie away or pull them closer together?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus.

Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com

Build a Strong Platform by Protecting Your Audience By Edie Melson

As writers, we're expected to develop a platform for selling our books. Among other things, that means building a strong social media presence. Today, author Edie Melson gives her tips on protecting our audience--our readers. -- Sandy

Edie: Did you know it’s your job to protect your social media audience?

I’m not talking about guarding them physically and/or from harmful (and often questionable) content. I’m referring to the job you have of guarding their time.

Your loyal followers have given you a precious gift. They are investing their precious time in reading your blog, your Facebook updates and your tweets.

Do not take this gift lightly.

Just this week I’ve received eleven requests from friends to help them promote their work and/or ministry. As a writer I understand the requests. We all have to market our work. And the best place to start that process is with the people we know. The hard part comes when we have to tell our friends no.

But the truth is this, in these circumstances my first loyalty must always be to my audience.

They have given me their trust. I cannot, in good conscience, betray that trust by promoting every thing I’m exposed to. EVEN if those things are good ones.

So how do I evaluate what I share with my audience? First, by knowing who my audience is and their preferences.

I do this by:

·         Paying attention to the comments and analytics on my blog.

·         Watching my social media and seeing which updates are being shared and which ones create conversations. 

Once I know what my audience wants and expects I use three things as a filter for anything I promote:

1.     Will this information irritate my audience? In other words is it, to them, nothing more than a commercial to be ignored?

2.     Will my audience be interested in this thing/person/ministry I’m introducing them to? I don’t mind broadening my audience’s perspective, but it does have to have at least a small bit of relevance that I can highlight in my promotion.

3.     Will the lives of those who follow me be enriched by the information I’m sharing?

There are times when I share things that don’t pass all three of these filters. I share some personal things on social media, like when I signed with an agent or got a new book contract. I even pass on things that just tickle my funny bone.

The important thing is to make sure these are the EXCEPTIONS in your regular updates, never the rule.

Truthfully I can’t promote everything I’d like to because I’d end up driving away my audience. I always try to explain, and most of the time I’m met with understanding.

I truly don’t mind being asked to share information through my social media channels. Heck it’s a great way for me to be valuable with my audience. But I still have to know when to say no. It’s a ticklish line to walk, but it’s a boundary all of us need to establish if we want to keep the respect of those who follow us.

What do you do to protect those who follow you? What bothers you, as the audience, when it comes to social media posts from others? What have you learned from experience not to do?

~~~

Edie Melson is an author, freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the

Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. She’s the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy, the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine, and the Senior Editor for http://www.NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.