Salmon and Fields: A Journey in Mixed Metaphors by Jim Hart

It’s writer’s conference season, and soon there will be multitudes of writers coming home to start blogging as if their lives depended on it. It makes me think about salmon swimming upstream to spawn. All of these writers are in the same stream, struggling towards the same destination. And now the stream of the world-wide-web is full of authors who are building their platform, and are struggling to reach the same readers as all of the other authors in the same stream who are building their platform.

Rob Eagar’s marketing blog recently addressed something similar to this in what he calls ‘preventing sales burnout.’ He cited “publishers who try to sell more books to the same readers” as an example of sales burnout.  He says “modern-day farmers know that trying to harvest too many crops out of the same field creates negative consequences. Over-farming can extract too many nutrients from of the soil, eventually leaving a field barren and useless. To maintain a good harvest, farmers will rotate crops, let fields rest, or expand their acreage to prevent one area from burning out.”

So it may time for you to ask yourself if you're wearing out your current network, and how can you expand outside of your current network?

Blogging is still a great way to build, and maintain your platform, especially when used to collect subscriber’s e-mail addresses. But it has to be more than that if you want to engage those readers on a regular basis. You’ve got to offer not only something of value to your intended audience, but also something unique that blog readers may not be able to find elsewhere. If all you do is write about writing, and post it on Facebook, well – you run the risk of just being another salmon swimming upstream.

Here are two things to consider:

1) Blog in another field. Is there a hobby or skill that you are competent in, beyond writing books, in which you could write about? What have you learned, or experienced in some other area of your life that could be of real value, and a service? There could be an untapped community just waiting to hear from someone like you. Look for opportunities to be part of a new community and that will naturally add to your platform. 

Writers spend so much time in research - what interesting things have you uncovered that could be shared in a blog or other social media post?

Some other ideas would be: devotions, healthy living tips, recipes, crafts, social concerns, raising a family, vacation tips, life hacks, banjo lessons - tell your readers how-to, where-to and why-to.

2) Let the field rest. Try another different social media platform. If you’re starting to get burned out on Twitter and Facebook (can I get an “amen”), don’t give up on them or forsake them, but try something different like Pinterest, Goodreads, YouTube, or even pod-casting.

Or get out from behind the keyboard and take part in, or host, public events at your library, church, bookstore, or coffee house. The key is to have content or a presentation of value. This is a great way to connect on a personal level. Don’t worry that this could be just be local exposure, because someone in attendance could go home and post about the event on their Facebook page, gaining you exposure that you would not have gotten on your own.

So here's where we really mix our metaphors: Salmon can live in both salt water and fresh water. If they couldn't make the transition from the sea to the stream, there wouldn't be any more salmon. Learn to naturally navigate through different platforms and media. But like the salmon, and the farmers, you have to have a plan and a schedule.

You want new people (readers) to find you naturally without forcing them to wade through post after post on Facebook and Twitter encouraging them to “buy my new book”.  There definitely is a time and place for announcing your new title, or if your e-book is on sale for the next 48 hours, but that can’t be all you post, or you risk burning out your audience.

So work to increase your audience with people who discover you by reading something totally unrelated to your new book, or WIP. The beauty of this is now you’ve created an opportunity to hook a reader, and down the line, when you do need to announce your new book to the world, you can set the hook and reel ‘em in.

What have you done to expand you current on-line reach? Have you enjoyed blogging about topics unrelated to your writing endeavors?

Catch 23, Because Catch 22 is Already Taken by Linda S. Glaz

So, let’s talk social media and networking and its importance to our writing.

“Get the numbers up. Show growth!”

“Build that platform!”

“We’d love to take on this new author, but they need to have a stronger platform!”

“Platform’s pretty good, but he might want to work on editing a tad more.”

“How about having her showcase her work at conferences, workshops, libraries, and the like.”

What’s a person to do?

As writers, let’s face it, we wanna write. But we’re also being pulled in dozens of different directions. Everyone, mom included, loves the story. And when I say everyone, I mean local readers, readers I’ve met at conferences, other editors, agents, agents’ assistants, and even a librarian or two. So what’s the problem? And we all know the answer: the writer needs to build his or her platform and present a flawless work.

Time is precious. We all know that. Particularly those would be contracted authors who also much hold down a day job. “Don’t quit your day job! You have a family to care for.” And whether that means the CEO of a company, or a mom raising 3 or 4 adorable little rugrats who have a right to her attention…as well as the housework. We all have outside responsibilities, even if our true love is the computer and the stories dancing in our heads like sugarplums.

And now…the added pressure of social media. So how do we plan our writing time?

First and foremost is story. It simply has to be, because all of the rest means nothing if there isn’t a wonderfully well-told story to peddle.

Second is social media. Yes! I said second. Focus. Target. You need to decide what aspects of social media that you’ll use and go for it.

Do you enjoy spending those precious five extra minutes a day playing on Pinterest? Then make Pinterest your work as well. Decide how much time each day and then go for it. Put everything you have in connecting on Pinterest and developing your book as you go along. Get your literary foot in the door, and make it fun.

How about FB? Enjoy the banter? Be sure you aren’t wandering on FB. Decide on a short daily presentation that will benefit others, either writing, or giving to the common good. Have fun with it, but reach as many as possible.

Do you have wonderful little daily tidbits of wisdom that you’d like to share? How about Twitter? Again, make it fun, and focus your efforts.

The most important thing to remember is to focus. Don’t get sidetracked with others’ rants, playing games, or deciding who will best rule the world in 2090!!! Connect with readers, other writers, and those who might be willing to swap help along the way.

And even though story trumps everything else, you can still give yourself a time allowance for social media each day, even if it’s just fifteen minutes. Target that time to the place where you find the most interaction for yourself, and make the comments and time spent be focused. On point. Always on point.

One: choose your extra media

B: focus your time

Four: don’t get distracted

XI: story trumps all

Five: You can do this!

Planting My Seeds by Andy Scheer

“I need to buy seeds.” As my wife drove us to church, I remembered the garden. My time at a writers conference, plus a week of rain, had kept me from planting.

If I wanted a crop, I needed to plant something—and that meant seeds.

Last fall I’d composed the garden with a layer of shredded leaves. After the snow melted, I’d twice turned over the soil. With a final raking, it would be ready to plant. If only I had some seeds.

At a garden center, I selected packets of green beans, peas, lettuce and carrots. My wife found sunflower and columbine seeds.

But for the past few days, as rains continued, the seeds have sat in the garage.

That’s a shame. The photos on the packets look good enough to eat. Even the varieties’ names sound enticing: Prizehead, Black-Seeded Simpson, Blue Lake Stringless, Landreth’s Stringless Green Pod, Danvers 126 Half-Long, Burpeeana Early.

I almost want to keep the packages inside. Maybe put them in a shadowbox.

That’s not what seeds are for. I need to tear open those packets, place the seeds in rows, and cover them with soil. I need to relinquish control and bury them.

I think of the writers conference. For four days, people attended classes, listened to panels, and had appointments. Now they have notebooks filled with information, minds filled with ideas.

There’s another package of seeds in my garage. The box of “Wildflower Mix” contains seeds for “17 beautiful varieties,” enough to cover one-hundred square feet.

There’s just one problem. The box says the seeds were packed for 2005. Someday I’ll get around to planting them. Maybe after I revisit that manuscript I started a few years ago.

 New Things by Jim Hart

We like new things. Mostly. As a musician there's a certain fascination with certain vintage instruments. I buy a new computer to digitally record my songs, and then try various tricks and software to obtain a vintage sound. It's a shifting paradigm. We like new, but still maintain a connection to the old.

Many of us see the New Year as a mark in time to start over again. New resolutions vs. old habits. New goals that are not that dissimilar to the goals of the previous year. Most of our new goals and resolutions for 2015 contain pieces of the things that we didn't complete in 2014.

As an introvert, according to Myers-Briggs, I get excited about starting a new project. But sometimes that excitement begins to fade, and a new idea presents itself and the old project, even if it's nearing completion, is paused. And the new thing is begun with new fervor! Even though I know that's not always the most productive way to get things done. The incomplete pile grows and grows. And now the old things of 2014 are about to make way for the new stuff of 2015.

Part of my personal goal setting process includes keeping several small notebooks that are titled with specific project ideas. When new inspiration bursts onto my horizon while I'm working on another project, I stop long enough to write down the new idea in the appropriate notebook. And I use a simple note taking app on my tablet for the same purpose. I can revisit those ideas at a later date.

In 2015 let's take out something old and make it new. Open up that file and bring out that unfinished project - a poem, a novel, an outline, a blog - and finish it. If the squirrel of a new notion should scamper into view, jot it down, and return to work on finishing what you've begun.

When I sign a new author client I ask them "what else you got?" For one of my clients a previous manuscript that they hadn't done anything with is the manuscript that got them their first publishing contract.

Our Father in heaven excels in making old things new. Most of us are familiar with the promise in 2 Corinthians 5:17. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." He is able to take our old unfinished life, and make it new.

In Jeremiah 18 the prophet writes "I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do." This is a wonderful picture of God's sovereign prerogative to recreate the old into something new. Jesus has promised that He will finish the work that He started in your life. (Philippians 1:6)

In 2015 keep your life - all of your goals and dreams - in the hands of the Potter. Remember that the Faithful One is still forming us into the vessel that best suites His wonderful purpose. And then, as He works on you, reach deep into your drawer of incomplete projects and ask Him to help breathe new life into one of them.

Agent Confession by Diana Flegal

I do not know many in this business that are not freelancing to supplement their income.

Writers have down time in between deadlines and write articles for extra income.

Agents edit for publishers.

Ex-editorial agents that live in the 'downsized' zone, are freelancing, and agenting, and writing.

It can be a juggling act of great proportion.

All for the love of words.

In a frenzy of preparation for an upcoming conference, the result of a freelance job, and having just moved all while knowing I had a stack of things waiting to be read from clients and people from previous conferences, I was losing it. Quietly, privately, only letting family and friends know- certainly not my clients.They need to know I'm hot on the chase for their publisher or mid read in their 'hard to put down' manuscript. Right? And I usually am dear reader. But I was exhausted and had run out of gas.

And in my cry of desperation to the shepherd of my life- he led me to a 'green pasture' and gave me a day off. This is what it looked like yesterday and why I am just now writing this blog and posting it so late.

A drive across the state of North Carolina. Mountains rising against sun and clouds doing a graceful dance. On the way to a clients house to pick up some paper work I had forgotten the day before- a three hour round trip I had not planned. That's when I got permission to take a day off.

So I stopped by Lake James. Kicked my sandals off, rolled my pant legs up and walked in the 'warm as bath water' lake. 

Slowly. 

Picked up some lake glass. Gazed at the beauty around me, spoke to strangers and smiled at children gleefully enjoying their day off school. (not sure why no school). And on my way home, refreshed and thankful, a friend and her husband called and invited me out to dinner.

After all of this, I made it in time to keep my scheduled hair appointment. (I am now a redheaded pixi). Way too short! Oh well, not worth fretting over, right?

Getting ready last night for bed, I realized I was looking forward to the next day of work, and my upcoming conference.

Folks, we need to play once in a while. It makes us better at our jobs. And since I will be working this Saturday, my day off fell in the middle of the week. Who knew! #bestdayinalongtime #unscheduledjoy

Give yourself permission to play. Schedule it. #lifeistooshortafterall

BTW: Here is a great blog about 'burnout'. 



  

A Word Fitly Spoken or Written by Diana L. Flegal

Many of us have heard or read something that redirected the steps of our lives. We were perfectly positioned for a word in season. It is usually when we have exhausted all our effort, say 'uncle' and allow God to speak.


God delights in orchestrating our lives. Similar to the conductor of an orchestra, who gathers many skilled musicians and brings them into a harmonious tune, He gathers us together for the purpose of drawing out of us the skills we posses, for the glory of His name.


 I am a curious seeker of truth. Throughout my life, words I have heard or read have redirected my life's path.


A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Proverbs 25:11


A small word, like a rudder can steer a huge ship or can change the course of our lives. Might that be why God cautions us to let our words be few, and seasoned with salt? (a little salt goes a long way in bringing out the best)


I have read nonfiction and fiction titles and received encouragement. Sometimes the word on a coffee mug sent to me by a friend or coming across a quote I wrote down a long while back, is just what I need to be reminded of. Receiving a note in the mail from a friend saying simply, I was thinking of you today.


Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Proverbs 18:21


Chose wisely what you say and write; socially and in your WIP. (Work in progress).


Short or long, speak and write life.

Late-Night Writing by Andy Scheer

I hadn't planned to work on my novel's opening chapter between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m.

But I woke up, my mind filled with questions about the story's maguffin – the item my characters would pursue.

I'd thought everything was in place. But yesterday evening I began re-reading one of my favorite mysteries: Curses! by Edgar Award-winning novelist Aaron Elkins. Early in the story Elkins makes sure readers grasp the rarity of a pre-conquest Mayan codex.

No lights flashed as I read that chapter, but my subconscious mind took note. At 3:30 I woke up and began considering what my Professor Hastings had packed into his Gladstone bag. For readers to understand why two criminal syndicates were after the bag, I had some to do some explaining.

And that means further research into two obscure subjects. Then I'll simply have to figure out a way to convey that information without intruding into the story.

Maybe that will come at 3:30 next Saturday morning.

Who Is Your Sounding Board? by Andy Scheer

Do you have someone off whom you can bounce your writing ideas? Even better, someone who feels free to bounce their ideas off you?

The value of such a relationship struck me this weekend as Wayne and Cristie came for the weekend. They live two hours away, with a metropolitan area in between, so months often pass between when we see each other. When we do, we try to make up for lost time.

This Saturday as we drove to an event, Wayne asked me about his latest book idea. He didn't detail the approach, so I imagined a different slant and responded accordingly. Turns out he likes some aspects of what I suggested and will begin his research accordingly.

That evening he asked if I'd speak at the next meeting of a group to which we belong. The topic he named was nowhere near what I was going to ask about teaching—but a much better fit.

But the process wasn't finished. I named three aspects I thought I should cover. He reigned me in and suggested I focus on the one facet he thought would most interest the group. Again he was right.

We didn't limit our conversations to writing. We shared our experiences with our adult children, discussed their upcoming trip to Israel, and traded tips on gardening and couponing (mostly Carol and Cristie did that). And we browsed used book stores and pointed out finds to one another.

At the end of the weekend we all came away with treasures we otherwise would have overlooked.

Take a Break by Andy Scheer

Sometimes the best technique when you’re stuck in a writing project is to step away from the keyboard.

I spent much of last month performing a heavy edit on a large nonfiction project destined for self-publishing. The content was deep and theological — often supporting positions I didn’t. Worse, the writer was not a polished communicator.

Most days I found I could track the writing for only a half-hour before I stopped being able to disentangle his prose.

So I applied the strategy I’ve learned with jigsaw puzzles. When I can no longer make sense of a particular part, I get up, stretch, and switch to another side of the table.

Not all of that works with a writing project. If you’re stuck in chapter 7, it’s hard to skip to 17. But it sure helps to get up, stretch, and allow your mind to attend briefly to something else.

One of my techniques involves music. Not only do I play instrumentals to help me concentrate, I play it in a format that forces me to get up often.

While the LP in LP records stands for long-playing, they usually provide no more than 25 minutes on a side. Perfect timing for getting up, walking to the record player, and flipping to side two or putting the album away and deciding which to listen to next.

A minute or two later I’m back at the keyboard — and the solution to the next sentence seems obvious.

Don’t have a turntable? Then keep a cup of your favorite hot beverage next to your screen and force fluids. You’ll have to get up often, and the ideas will also flow.

Don't Rush It by Andy Scheer

With the deadline approaching, I drew a blank. More troubling, I didn't know why.

For the past year as a columnist for the magazine, I've been able to count on a topic occurring in time.

But Monday, three days before the deadline, my mental cupboard was still bare. And other commitments for the next two days would keep me away from the keyboard. So I threw myself on the mercy of the editor and asked for a week's extension.

No problem, she said.

Even with the deadline pressure relieved, nothing came to mind. I told myself I'd write it the next Saturday, and I turned my mind to other projects.

Thursday the topic arrived in my email in-box—twice. Two distinct news items converged to illustrate a development of interest to the column's readers. I knew what I'd write about on Saturday.

But I forgot to tell my subconscious. About 2 a.m. Friday I awoke, my brain racing with ideas for how I'd develop the article. If I wanted to get back to sleep, I had to record those thoughts. I took a sheet from a page-a-day calendar into the bathroom, turned on the light, and filled a page.

Saturday morning the notes on the back of the Dilbert page still made sense, and the column's text fell into place.

Next time the ideas don't come, maybe I'll trust that I simply need to wait.

Honoring the Life and Writing of Brennan Manning by Diana Flegal

Saturday April 13th I was in Hamilton Ohio presenting at the Mad Anthony Writers Conference. Just prior to lunch, I was checking my inbox via my phone when I saw this FB post from David C. Cook Publishers:

ANNOUNCEMENT: Author and Friend Brennan Manning went to be with Jesus yesterday. As Brennan challenged us time and time again "Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.” Brennan was a true Ragamuffin in Christ and is now celebrating with the Beloved. Our prayers are with Brennan's family.

When I read this, I wanted to go off in a corner and sob rather than eat lunch and chat about writing. I had lost a wonderful friend. Brennan had held my hand and spoke words of love and grace to me the last six years of my life, six difficult years. I never met Brennan face to face. But I knew him. Very well. A friend had introduced us. She was downsizing her library and moving into assisted living. She told me to help myself to her extensive personal library. I didn't want to be piggish, but I was salivating. She mentioned Brennan Manning as a favorite of hers and I came home with copies of his Ruthless Trust and Ragamuffin Gospel. At a later date, I added The Signature of Jesus, The Importance of Being Foolish and Souvenirs of Solitude when I came upon a collection at Half-Price Books. I was rich.

In Brennan's memoir, All is Grace- Philip Yancey said in the introduction:  and yet by different routes we had both stumbled upon an artesian well of grace and have been gulping its waters ever since. 

Yes,  I too gulped Grace along with Brennan. 

Brennan is a master of the art of piercing the soul with a gentle scalpel... John Ortberg 

Brennan writes with unvarnished honesty, and profound spiritual insight...Gary W. Moom

I found deep comfort in realizing Jesus loves even me, a ragamuffin, just as I am. Michael Card

Brennan does a masterful job of blowing the dust off shopworn theology and allowing God's grace to do what only God's grace can do--Amaze. Max Lucado

In the forward of the Ragamuffin Gospel, Michael W. Smith said, "Here was the purest picture I'd ever seen of God's relentless pursuit of His raggedy creation. Not that I could sin more so Grace could abound (Romans 6:15), but grace abounded more because I could find it in the darkness as much as in the light. God wanted me just as I am. I am loved. Brennan took every cliche' I had ever spouted or had spouted at me and turned it into gold". 

Authors, never doubt the power of your words. Words produce life or death in your reader. Choose them wisely, for they will outlive you.

Thank you Brennan.  I look forward to meeting you face to face. In the meantime, may I share the love of Christ with others as you have shown it to me by your life.

Diana

Ragamuffin