Pinterest 101 for Writers by Dora Hiers

Last month, I introduced you to Pinterest. Have you checked it out yet? What do you think? Love it or leave it?

Today I’ll share some reasons why writers should love it. Lol.

Pinterest is viral. 
Here’s a quick example of the viral effect of Pinterest. Let’s say my sweet friend and fellow SW hostess, Sandy Ardoin pins several “late eighteenth century” gowns to showcase what her heroines might wear in her historical novels. Actually, take a second and check out this real board. Beautiful gowns, but aren’t you thankful that you don’t have to dress like that now? 

Let’s say Carla, a collector of vintage gowns and famous fashion designer, stumbles upon Sandy’s board. If Carla appreciates Sandy’s taste in late eighteenth century clothing, she can “follow” the board. Or, if Carla’s only impressed by a particular pin, she can “like” it using the little heart symbol, comment on it, “repin” it to one of her boards, or even “share” it on another social media site. Cool, huh? 

So Carla repins a gown to one of her boards, and her 20k followers see it in their feed. Also, because Carla’s board is categorized as “women’s fashion,” everybody who searches that category will see the pin. All these people have the same choice as Carla: like, comment, repin, or share. Similar to other social media sites, but more image centric.

You probably already knew all that, right? Here’s something you might not know. 

Pinterest is a popular hangout for females.

Courtesy of 2014 Media Bistro infogram

Out of 70 million total Pinterest users, 80% are women and 9 million connect their Pinterest accounts to Facebook*, doubling the value of a pin.

Surprising, huh? For those of you on the fence, did Pinterest just become a little more interesting?

We’re all writers here, and specifically, I’m a romance writer with a target female audience. Seems like Pinterest is a place I should hang out, right? Browsing Pinterest is something I enjoy in the evenings, more like a hobby than actual work, but I also use it as a marketing tool, which we’ll discuss more in length next month.

Pinterest offers analytics.
Did you know that Pinterest now offers the option of signing up as a business or converting? When I joined, a business account wasn’t an option (that I recall), so I just converted recently. During the conversion, I was also permitted to add “author” to my account name. That means that every time someone sees one of my pins, they will connect my name as a writer.

Also, converting to a business allows you to gather analytics, information such as most “repinned” pins, your audience’s interests, and what businesses they follow, and based on this data, they’ll offer strategic tips to reach more people.

If you’re already on Pinterest and would like to convert, the CONVERT HERE option is directly underneath the red JOIN US AS A BUSINESS button.

https://business.pinterest.com/en-gb

Although I converted, I haven’t uploaded the metatag to verify my website yet. Has anybody tried this already? What do you think? Positives? Negatives?

Make sure you stop by next month for Pinterest 101 for Writers, Take 2, and we’ll finish our Pinterest conversation. Until then, did I change your opinion about Pinterest? Any questions?

Oh, and if you love reading, writing and inspirational pins, check out my boards. Click the RED follow button upper right to follow all of them or the gray follow button under each board. Thanks! :)
*http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/pinterest-stats/#.U-PMpvl3J_8

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Available by subscription

Police Officer Winter Evan and Navy SEAL Tanner Random are wrong for each other. Winter fears the water. Tanner skims through seas for a living. So four years ago, Winter convinced herself she’d be better off not worrying about his months at sea and his increased cajoling for physical intimacy.

But when she walked away, she lost a giant chunk of her heart.

Now Tanner’s back in town to care for his abandoned niece. No longer a SEAL, he’s sticking to the safety of the North Carolina mountains as a paramedic. Should Winter risk losing her heart all over again? Will God help them build what started years ago into something solid and secure? When love triumphs...

Dora Hiers is a multi-published author of Heart Racing, God-Gracing romances. She’s a member of RWA, and her local chapter, CRW. Connect with her on Seriously Write, her personal blog, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Stay True to Your Writing Path in 2015

 

Stay True to Your Writing Path

By Mary Manners 

Many authors struggle with the fact that marketing rarely takes a holiday vacation, and thus tends to devour writing time. Deadlines loom, but at the same time there are book releases that require promotion. Often the worlds of Facebook and Twitter closely resemble black holes that suck writers in and refuse to let go. The question soon arises: How does one maintain a fine balance between marketing and writing? As we head into 2015, I’d like to share a few easy solutions that I have found to be highly effective:

Rock Around the Block:

Schedule daily ‘clean-up’ marketing in short blocks of time. By clean-up marketing, I refer to staying connected with friends who have commented on posts, sent messages, etc. These require a fairly quick response and should not be neglected. An example of blocking technique might be to use three 15 minute session: one first thing in the morning, one mid-day, and a third in the evening, when the day’s writing is complete. Set a timer and limit yourself to fifteen minutes per block. Whatever is not completed during that time should be put off until the next block.

 

Goal for it:

When the black holes beckon, setting a writing goal and sticking to it works well. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. My goal is usually five for five: I must write 500 words before I break for a five-minute trek through the virtual world to see what’s going on. 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 trek through a black hole motivates me to get those words down on paper.

 

Chunk it Out:

When dealing with the bulk of marketing, consider chunking the work into a half-day once a month to schedule tweets and posts. I use Hootesuite to work this in. Hootsuite is a free service and allows Twitter and Facebook scheduling several months in advance. I have found that a half-day provides plenty of time to plan and schedule a month’s worth of information for both of these venues. Additional blocking times throughout the course of a month may be used to work in last-minute posts as well as to retweet and/or 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.

 

Take a Deep Breath and WRITE:

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 New Year and Happy Writing!

 

~~~~~

 

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and daughter Danni, and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus. She loves flavored coffee and Smoky Mountain sunsets.

Mary was named Author of the Year by Book and Trailer Showcase. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone.



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

~~~~~



Kate's Kisses

Broken dreams...shattered hearts...a special recipe... Following the tragic, sudden death of her parents, Kate Spencer broke off her engagement from high school sweetheart Logan Daniels, just weeks before their wedding. She chose, instead, to remain in Mount Ridge, Tennessee to raise her younger sisters and help keep the family together. Now, with her sisters grown, she spends her days at family-owned Sweet Treats Bakery, hiding a wounded heart in the sweet confections she creates. Logan Daniels left town when Kate broke his heart, but now he's come home to claim what he lost four years ago, and he won't stop until he gets what he came for...Kate's kisses.

Romancing the Library by Dora Hiers

Me ~ Dora Hiers

Dora here. Sending a huge thanks to Sandy Ardoin for moderating comments for me over the last couple of weeks while we were away. We enjoyed a fabulous time on our cruise, but it's great to be back!

A couple weeks ago, Myra Johnson shared a great post on what works and what doesn't for library events. If you missed it, you can read it here. Today, I'm following up with Romancing the Library, something I love to do. :) 

When our local library contacted me about speaking right after Journey's End, my first inspirational romance, released, I balked. What would I say? Who would listen? Hubby, an integral part of my writing journey, encouraged me, even offered some basic topics to tackle. 

Thankfully, the library manager allotted me a few months to hammer out a presentation and bolster my confidence. When I stepped to the podium, my knees buckled and my voice trembled. My nerves finally settled, and I actually found that I enjoyed the interaction with readers.

Over breakfast a few weeks later, I mentioned visiting a friend who lived a couple hours away.

“Why don’t you visit the library and donate a copy of Journey’s End?” Hubby asked. “The library gets a new book, and for a minimal investment, you’re getting your book in the hands of readers who may buy future books. The way I see it, it’s a win-win.”

Did I mention how supportive and encouraging my hubby is? His suggestion opened up the door for many library invitations.

Here are some tips on Romancing the Library:

Plan your trips and vacations. Map out your route and check library systems in

York County, VA

advance to make sure they don’t already stock your book. I have a better success rate with smaller-to-mid-sized branch libraries, so I target them as much as possible. If you’ll be vacationing, email the local librarians to let them know the dates you’ll be visiting. A librarian in Virginia invited me to speak while we stayed in the area for a fire conference. -> 

Bring your smile and your one sheet. Your enthusiasm breeds excitement. Smile and introduce yourself, trailing your finger along the book covers on your one sheet as you talk.

Inquire if they are receptive to author events and procure the manager’s email address/contact info. Many library managers complain that their readers aren’t interested in straight book signings, but their eyes light up when you offer information their

Steele Creek Library,
Charlotte, NC

patrons can use. A skeletal presentation can be expanded to cover many topics, depending on the library’s needs. One library director requested a Christian writer expo, so I convinced Myra Johnson and Jennifer Hudson Taylor to join me, and for the last couple of summers, Myra Johnson and I have offered several presentations for our local library system.

Request a tax donation form. This will ensure that you receive credit for your investment at income tax time.

Follow up. Email a few days after your visit, reminding the library manager of your donation and your presentations offering. Specify a target time frame, i.e. fall or early 20xx. Attach your one sheet so they can remember you.

Recognize that library opportunities take time. You may not hear from a library for months, or even a year (which just happened to me!). Don’t get discouraged. Writers know all about waiting, don’t we?

Don’t discount the contacts you’ll make in a library. A newspaper reporter wrote about a library’s summer reading program and mentioned my program. Another presentation prompted an invitation for a radio interview. In another, a patron invited me to speak elsewhere. Our joint library presentations were promoted with a local radio station.

Romancing the Library is a win-win. Hubby was right.

What about you? Does your loved one support and encourage your writing journey? 

Have you considered romancing the library?

Small Town Treasure
Purchase Link

Five years ago, Emily Mannerson escaped small town living and moved to the big city where nobody knew "poor little Emily" and her miserable background. Now an attorney, Emily longs for what she left behind…her adopted mother and high-school sweetheart. Fire captain Matthew Westerly treasures his small town of Journey Creek and values faith, family, and friendships. When he rescues Emily from a horrific car accident, he's determined to win her back and make up for the lost years. Can a big city girl and a small town boy discover their true treasure? Will they trust God to work a miracle?

Writing Great Copy by Jim Rubart

If we want to be successful writers, we need to be involved at some level in marketing our work—whether we like it or not. So during the month of November, our Writer’s Journey Wednesdays have been dedicated to a four part series on the subject. Jim Rubart is an author and professional marketer. Please welcome our friend as he shares his expertise with us.

Marketing Series
Part IV

Writing Great Copy

I get paid to write ad copy: Radio spots, TV spots, Web sites, brochures, back cover copy, proposals, one sheets, etc.

So do you. (Get paid to write copy.)

You think if you’re not in advertising you don’t write copy? And don’t get paid for it? Sorry. EVERYTHING you write is copy.

When I first dove into the world of publishing I figured if someone could write an entertaining, surprising novel, they could certainly write entertaining, surprising Web site copy, or e-mails, or readers letter, or a sales proposal.

Wrong, Jim! Want to play again?

Over time I realized copy writing is a skill that takes time to learn, just like writing a book or article. But you can do it. And it can pay huge dividends.

What’s one of the first rules of writing a novel? Make sure your first line has a hook. Make it surprising. Make in memorable. What are we taught to do at the end of our chapters, be they fiction or non-fiction? Leave our readers with a question. An issue unresolved. A mystery. So they’ll jump to the next chapter. We must think the same way with everything we write.

When you entertain and surprise editors, agents, and other writers with your words, you will be liked. Sorry, not fair, but it is reality. And that leads to opportunities.

Whether it’s an e-mail, a letter, a proposal, a note to your husband, wife, kids, friends it’s copy … and you get paid; poorly if you’re boring people–making them skip over your words–or paid well if you entertain them, or give them pertinent info or inspire them.

How do you start writing better copy? Look for it everywhere. Collect the pieces you like. Study them.

During a layover in Salt Lake City recently I treated myself to a heart-attack-on-a-bun at the airport Burger King. I saved the bag ’cause I liked the copy.

Why?

It stands out in a sea of bland fast food copy. There’s a distinct voice to it, an attitude. Made me smile. And I’ll probably think of Burger King a bit more fondly in the future.

Here’s an actual e-mail I sent to a potential client of mine I’d been trying to reach but hadn’t heard back from:

Hey _____, please choose the appropriate response and send back at your convenience:
___ Jim, sorry, I’ve been slammed! I’ll get back to you after Thanksgiving and we’ll set a time to connect.
___ I’m on the 1st tee at Pebble Beach. Where are you? We can’t wait for you much longer.
___ I heard you ran into my cousin at your writer’s group and she told me the truth about you.
___ I heard you played in the Golf-O-holics with my other cousins Bob and Tim. Anyone who takes part in something making fun of alcoholics is no friend of mine.
___ I’ve joined the PGA tour. No time for the ad game anymore.

Thanks,
Jim

He responded twenty minutes later:

You’re a funny guy! I pick…

___ Jim, so sorry, I’ve been slammed! I’ll get back to you next week and we’ll set a time to connect.

I’m flying out in the morning and will return Monday afternoon. Let’s talk then and set a time.

Be blessed. Weirdo!

Your turn. Love to hear how your copy grabbed someone by the mind and didn’t let go.

Jim Rubart is a professional marketer whose clientele has included ABC, AT&T/Cingular, and Clear Channel Radio. He is also a professional speaker, and writes recurring columns for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. His first novel ROOMS comes out this April from B&H Fiction. http://tinyurl.com/yj7pp2l Jim and his wife and their two teenage sons live just outside Seattle, Washington. You can catch up with him at http://www.jimrubart.com/ and http://www.barefootmarketing.com/

Domain Names: Picking the Right One by Jim Rubart

If we want to be successful writers, we need to be involved at some level in marketing our work—whether we like it or not. So during the month of November, our Writer’s Journey Wednesdays have been dedicated to a four part series on the subject. Jim Rubart is an author and professional marketer. Please welcome our friend as he shares his expertise with us.

Marketing Series
Part III

Domain Names:

Picking the Right One

http://www.ewegottaluvthissightcauseibuiltit4u.com/

Do you know what makes an ad jingle effective?

• It’s short.
• Anyone can sing the melody.
• It’s easy to remember.

The same three criteria apply to picking domain names.

1. Short - The longer your domain name, the harder it is for people to remember—and the greater chance for mistakes when typing. My author domain name is http://www.jimrubart.com/ My marketing domain name is http://www.barefootmarketing.com/ Each are two words. One word is even better. Amazon. Hulu. Nike. Your author domain doesn’t have to be your name, but it if isn’t chose something short.

2. Anyone can say it in the most common vernacular. In other words, it’s easy to spell. “Hike for Hope” works. http://www.hikeforhope.com/ “Hike 4 Hope” doesn’t. http://www.hike4hope.com/ (Both are real domains.) Uncommon spellings are trouble also. Love is fine. Luv isn’t.

3. It’s easy to remember. I can remember “Advanced Fiction Writing.” http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ (Editorial comment- excellent site for fiction writers.) It’s hard to remember http://www.ifyouwant2beagreatadvancedfictionwriter.com/ Also, when people think Web addresses they think .COM. Not .NET, .USA, .ORG, etc. It’s similar to toll free numbers. Even though 888 and 866 have been around for years, people still dial 800, even with 866 or 888 staring them in the face. Same thing with domains. If at all possible get .COM. It’s what people will go to first.

One more tip: if you can, buy every variation of your domain name. My friends know me as Jim. But on my novel coming out this April it says James L., http://www.jameslrubart.com/, .net, org, and http://www.jamesrubart.com/, net, org, which automatically forward to http://www.jimrubart.com/. (I also own http://www.jimrbuart.net/, and .org.)

Bottom line? Make sure your domain name keeps the hoops to a minimum. The more hoops you make people jump through to get to your site—or back to your site—the fewer hits you’ll get. A simple test is to tell friends the name of your new site, then ask them a few minutes later what the name of your site is.

If they remember, odds are the rest of the world will too.

Jim Rubart is a professional marketer whose clientele has included ABC, AT&T/Cingular, and Clear Channel Radio. He is also a professional speaker, and writes recurring columns for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. His first novel ROOMS comes out this April from B&H Fiction. http://tinyurl.com/yj7pp2l Jim and his wife and their two teenage sons live just outside Seattle, Washington. You can catch up with him at http://www.jimrubart.com/ and http://www.barefootmarketing.com/

Risk - Who is Going to Push You? by Jim Rubart

If we want to be successful writers, we need to be involved at some level in marketing our work—whether we like it or not. So during the month of November, our Writer’s Journey Wednesdays are dedicated to a four part series on the subject. Jim Rubart, an author and professional marketer, will be sharing his expertise with us. Please welcome our friend!

Marketing Series
Part II

Risk – Who is Going to Push You?

“You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” Annie Dillard

I didn’t want to hurtle toward the ground face first from 191 feet up, strapped into a roller coaster called Aftershock. The problem was, I did.

As I stood staring up at the two towers of the coaster last week, straddling the fine line between desire and fear, it was my 14-year old son who pushed me over the edge. “C’mon, Dad! Are you a man or a mouse?!” Until his challenge, I was definitely the gray, furry little creature.

Yes, of course I went on it. Twice. What a ride! See, my knees whack together hard when it comes to heights, so anything of an Aftershock nature really gets my adrenaline pumping. (I’m a bit of a thrill seeker and love the rush, which yes, added to my fear of heights makes me a bit schizophrenic.)

My point? I probably wouldn’t have taken the ride without my son pushing me. (And I’m pumped he did.)

The application? You have to find people who will push you in your writing and especially find people who will push you in your marketing.

Marketing is frightening for a majority of writers. (You are definitely not alone.) It’s intimidating. And many don’t know what it is, let alone where to start.

Yes, in one sense marketing is complex, but in another it’s extremely simple. Let’s concentrate on simple.

Marketing: making yourself known and making yourself likeable. If someone is going to buy your proposal, your manuscript, your book … they have to know about you and it will help a great deal if they like you. That’s it.

What do people like? They like being surprised. They like being entertained. They like learning new things. But most authors never try anything risky with their proposals, e-mails, manuscripts, presentations so they sound the same as every other writer.

When I sold radio advertising in the late 80s I did magic as part of my presentations. It was a risk. It was a cliff and sometimes the wings didn’t come together and I crashed. But I won far more times than I lost.

You want to stand out? Get noticed by an editor or agent? Take the risk. In whatever you do, whether it’s writing an e-mail, posting on Facebook, twittering, answering the phone, writing a proposal, try something that will make yourself stand out. Something that’s a little bit risky.

But I mentioned at the beginning of this post, sometimes you need someone to give you a push. Yep. It’s time to go find a friend who will escort you to the edge.

Jim Rubart is a professional marketer whose clientele has included ABC, AT&T/Cingular, and Clear Channel Radio. He is also a professional speaker, and writes recurring columns for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. His first novel ROOMS comes out this April from B&H Fiction. http://tinyurl.com/yj7pp2l Jim and his wife and their two teenage sons live just outside Seattle, Washington. You can catch up with him at http://www.jimrubart.com/ and http://www.barefootmarketing.com/

Who Are You Going To Be? by Jim Rubart

If we want to be successful writers, we need to be involved at some level in marketing our work—whether we like it or not. So during the month of November, our Writer’s Journey Wednesdays are dedicated to a four part-series on the subject. Jim Rubart, an author and professional marketer, will be sharing his expertise with us. Please welcome our friend!

Marketing Series

Part I

Who Are You Going to Be?

In their seminal marketing book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Al Ries and Jack Trout argue against the concept of line extension—trying to introduce new products under an established brand. It’s almost always impossible to make work.

Once you’re in the consumer’s head with one product, it’s hard to get into their head with another.

Example: When Xerox was the god of the copier world, they decided to start selling computers. The “Huh? I don’t remember that,” going through your head right now is testament to the fact they failed miserably. They were known for copiers, but computers? No way. They spent millions trying to establish themselves as a computer manufacturer. Whoops. (By the way, IBM tried to sell copiers; it worked about as well as Xerox’s idea to sell computers.)

Would you buy a DVD player from Nike? Probably not. I know, that’s extreme, but would you buy something closer to their brand, say a soft drink with the swoosh on it? History says no.

Did you know A1-Steak sauce spent $18 million dollars on A1-Poultry sauce? Yeah, I’m not using it on my chicken these days either.

How does this apply to us as writers?

You can’t write both fiction and non-fiction. (See Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, John Grisham, etc. What? You’re not familiar with their non-fiction books?)
You must choose. Fiction? Great, stick with it. Non-fiction? Fine, but know that you’ll always been seen as a non-fiction writer first.

What kind of fiction? Suspense? Speculative? Historical? Once you choose readers will want to see the same type of stories from you every time. (No, even though I think Stephen King is a wonderful writer, I can’t ever see him topping the romance charts.)

This is key: Whatever you’re known for first, will be your identity forever. It’s very difficult to change someone’s mind about a brand once it’s first burned into the brain. Let me prove it to you:

When Orville and Wilbur did their Kitty Hawk thing and proved powered flight was possible they blew people’s minds. No one in America will ever forget them.

You’d think the same thing would happen in Australia, wouldn’t you? Don’t you think Australian’s would remember the first man to fly a plane in their country? They don’t, and here’s why: They remember this man for something else. This man had already burned himself in their brains with another brand, and there wasn’t room for him to be known for anything other than the greatest magician that ever lived, Houdini.

So when you’re trying to decide what you want to be known for, think about what the ancient knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade said to Harrison Ford, and “Choose wisely.”




Jim Rubart is a professional marketer whose clientele has included ABC, AT&T/Cingular, and Clear Channel Radio. He is also a professional speaker, and writes recurring columns for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. His first novel ROOMS comes out this April from B&H Fiction. http://tinyurl.com/yj7pp2l Jim and his wife and their two teenage sons live just outside Seattle, Washington. You can catch up with him at http://www.jimrubart.com/ and http://www.barefootmarketing.com/