Social Etiquette by Diana Flegal

In the picture to the left are folk crafts made by my Amish relatives.

Skunks.

Lately, on FaceBook, I have seen some authors acting like stinkers.
 
I realize we all have and are entitled to our opinions. I am very opinionated myself. Ask anyone who knows me. :-)  But people, we need to think before we speak (post).

I had a conversation last week with a client about her FB posts being a little too controversial. She defended herself and my only recourse was to say, "Well if you want to insult the editors you are hoping to sell your book to- go ahead. Just realize that an editor will google you and the audience you are trying to sell your book to might not share your political stand". If you write for the general market, doesn't it make sense not to insult your reader?

A FB friend recently posted this: "I realize I will most likely lose many friends by posting this but I really don't care." BAM! Can I say, "This is NOT the way to build a platform"? Or as Dale Carnegie would say, "not the way to win friends and influence people".


Another friend posted a note something like this: "I am leaving Facebook because of some things that happened at my church and the things that have been said to me about it." Yikes. Really people? That made me sad. I apologized for us all, although I hadn't seen what was said and I do not know what happened at his church. 



Unless my job is in the political arena, maybe I need to refrain from posting 'in your face' political remarks? Especially since I use Facebook largely to talk about publishing and connect with writers and editors of publishing houses, general and Christian. 

A sister-in-law of mine disappeared from FB a few years back. When I asked her where she went when I saw her at a family gathering, she said, "I just was not enjoying it".  I was OK with that. She just rode off quietly into the sunset. 

I think we need to be careful. Let's ask ourselves why we are on Facebook and other social media sites. If it is for the purpose of building your platform and connecting with readers, lets show everyone a little love and consideration.

Reasons Why Your Friend Requests & Follows Aren't Reciprocated

I hear it all the time, people complain that they follow others and send friend requests, but few follow back and their friend requests are ignored or rejected. After a while, they begin to feel like this social media thing is just a bunch of hype and isn't working--or at least not working for them.

Here is a perfect example: 
Recently, someone sent me a connection request on LinkedIn. I did not know this person and so I went to their user profile to learn more about them. Nothing. Since this person could have been anyone with any kind of issue--the obvious comes to mind--stalkers, predators, and men pretending to be women so they will be accepted and have access to certain profiles, etc, I rejected the request. Later, I found out this person is new  on one of my email loops. I don't pay attention to this loop due to all the chatter, and I end up deleting most of the posts, therefore, I didn't know about her.

You may be thinking that you are protecting yourself by not filling out your profile, but it can also work against you. Those of us who are trying to promote ourselves and our work will need to find a balance regarding how much information we need to reveal. If you have a hidden profile, it doesn't give people who don't know much information to make an informed decision on whether or not they want to give you access to THEIR lives. The key is balanced caution.

I thought it might be helpful if I gave a checklist of reasons why your friend requests and follows aren't reciprocated so you can take action to make your social media efforts more productive.

• You're profile is empty, hidden or too vague. When people are trying to make a decision if they have something in common with you such as friends, interests, and if you post offensive things, they need to be able to see "something" from your profile. You can post a bio, photo and a few things of interest and what you do without giving away your life's secrets. 
• You use an image of something else besides yourself. When people comment on your posts and connect with you, it helps to feel like they know who they are talking to.
• Too many useless posts that do not inspire, help others, or educate and inform. It's called being too noisy and cluttering people's timelines, especially on Twitter. 
• Too much self promotion. Your announcements and self promotion should range between 15% - 20%  of ALL your posts. Layer in the promotion and try not to make them consecutive. When you're in the midst of a book launch and a special campaign, the percentage may rise to 20% - 25% of your posts, but make sure this is for a limited time.
• Posting spam. Don't repost and retweet without reading what you are sharing. If you start forwarding and sharing spammy posts, you will ruin your credibility with your followers and they will not be able to trust you. Also, don't post your announcements on someone's page.
• You're posts aren't interesting. You need to make sure you target your reader's interest. Why did they start following you? Why are they following your competition? How can you change the angle of what you post to make it more interesting to your readers, where they will "get" the connection to themselves? Don't be repetitive. Spice things up and take advantage of trends and things that happen in a tasteful, not self-serving way. 
• Too much automation. Some automation and scheduling ahead of time is expected and necessary. However, if you do not respond to people who send you direct messages, ask questions, or comment on your posts, it will become obvious that you are not engaged and automating your social media. 
• You automate all your social media. If you post the same message on FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Google+, it's obvious you are on automatic pilot. People don't need to hear/read/see the same message 4-5 times on on the same day. If someone is being loyal enough to follow you on multiple channels, you should be courteous enough to post something different or at least stagger the messages at different times and on various days. 
• You don't know the varying cultures of each social media channel. The kinds of posts that go viral on Twitter do not always have the same effect on FB and Google+ and vise versa. People are willing to tolerate more tweets on Twitter than posts on FB in a given day. Hashtags and @ symbols and abbreviations are used on all social media sites, but understood and used more effectively by Twitter.users.
• People forget to be professional and courteous to others. You have a right to your opinion, but so does everyone else. Being offensive, controversial, argumentative, and unprofessional will make people reject, unfollow and unfriend you faster than any other annoying pet-peeve. 
• Too quiet and inactive. If people see that you haven't posted or tweeted in a couple of years or months, most will unfollow you. Social media is meant to have a measure of socialization. If you fail to keep your end of the bargain then they won't be losing anything when they flush their friend and follow list to streamline their activities. Temporary silence is different, especially if you go on vacation, fast the  Internet, or take breaks for other reasons. Just post that you are taking a break and most people will be forgiving and await your return. 

What other reasons do you unfriend and unfollow that are not listed? Are you guilty of any of these? Are you more tolerant of something on one channel than another?

Authors Shifting from Book Store Signings to Virtual Campaigns by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

We have an interesting conversation going on my  Facebook Author Page. I've asked readers if they ever attend author book signings and why or why not. Most of the comments favor "no" because most book signings are too far away. A few said they would drive a long distance only if they really like and want to meet the author. Then there are the various ideas of what is reasonable distance 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.

On my writing loops, I've "listened" in on a few discussions among authors who are booking fewer and fewer book signings. Most reasons are obvious ranging from the cost of travel and book stores closing to more readers are buying ebooks and no one bothers to show up. Is there any wonder that authors are looking for more ways to reach readers where they hang out in a cost efficient manner that won't break our near nonexistent budgets?

For most, the answer has been building a blogging or podcast platform and feeding it through network connections via social media. When new books come out, authors launch promotion campaigns and go on blog tours ranging from interviews, guests posts to book review spots. Others hire publicists such as Litfuse for Facebook Parties and Upon the Rock Publicist for Twitter Campaigns, and a host of others for blog tours. Some simply post online announcements and hope for the best.

Online bookclubs are becoming a popular way for authors to promote themselves and their books, such as Yahoo Groups, ACFW, Goodreads, and The Bookclub Network.

Of the following online activities, which ones have you tried and would you do them again? What promotion efforts have you done that are not listed or mentioned? Share with your colleagues!

• Online Bookclubs
• Facebook Parties
• Twitter Campaigns
• Blog Tours (book reviews, interviews, guest posts)
• Social Media Announcements 
• Virtual Book Signings

Platform By the Letters: A Beginner's Guide by Lisa Lawmaster Hess

Platform. 

If we writers had a dollar for every time we read or heard that word, the accumulated pile of cash might even be as large as the elusive advance we've been dreaming of. 

So, what is a platform? A wooden contraption? A blog? Social networking? Finally getting to that magic number of hits when you "Google" yourself? 

All of the above. And though you're probably safe without the traditional wooden contraption unless you intend to literally get up on your soapbox, the visual is a good one. Just as that wooden platform allows you to be seen in a crowd, so does a virtual platform, consisting of an online presence in a variety of places. Although the physical world doesn't allow us to be in more than one place at a time, the virtual world has no such limitations. 

And that is exactly what editors and agents are looking for in a publishing world with ever-tightening budgets. Authors (especially first-time, unknown authors) are expected to play a significant role in promoting their books. Consequently, blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and other social media have become integral pieces in the promotion puzzle. 

If you feel overwhelmed (and perhaps a little overexposed) by this whole concept, don't despair. The process doesn't have to be daunting. Read on, and take one letter at a time. In any order. In whatever time frame works best for you. Build at your own pace.
If, of course, you happen to be the lucky writer who has a book deal in hand and whose editor and/or agent is strongly suggesting you wave your flag from your platform, say, yesterday, you may want to build with a bit more alacrity. 

Pick up your hammer (or your mouse) and let's get started! 

Put yourself out there. This is the foundation of your platform. Anything that gets your name in the public eye qualifies. Book signings. Speaking engagements. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In. Like Legos, some building blocks have bigger pay-offs than others, but anything that makes a connection between you and your (potential) readership is a "plank." Online presences are the most universally noticeable, but e-mailing everyone in your contact list about an upcoming book-signing, speaking engagement or published article is a start as well. 

Let go of modesty - professionally speaking. This isn't so much a step in the process as a necessary mindset. You have to believe that there's an audience for your blog, your book, your Twitter posts and your Facebook status. Then, you have to engage that audience. Otherwise, why are you writing these posts in the first place? For writers who are naturally reclusive, this can be the hardest part...until they discover that posting all of their book signings, events and publishing coups online not only sells books, but builds relationships. These posts are also great exercises in writing tight and getting the same point across to different audiences in different ways. Keep your audience and the protocol of the space in mind, though. While an overwhelmed reader can scroll past endless self-promotion posts on Facebook, she may un-follow you if do the same thing on Twitter. 

Access other writers. Your best audience is other people who know what you're going through. This part can be the most fun because you're building relationships and nurturing your creativity through these interactions. The best place to find these folks is in the same online PR improvement stores you're already haunting - social networking sites - which can lead to following one another's blogs and careers, as well as sharing what works and what doesn't. Conferences and online forums are also great places to make connections, build camaraderie and share great ideas. 

Take advantage of free resources. When I first started blogging, I paid a monthly fee to the site that hosted my blog. Later, I discovered that despite my technological inadequacies, I could blog just as easily and look just as professional on a free site. Don't make the same mistake I did, assuming that sites that cost money look more professional than a free site. Check out all your options and choose the one that best fits your needs.
Find a partner in crime. Blogging is so much easier when you do it with friends and colleagues. Ditto book signings. In addition, if you are one of the aforementioned reclusive writers, having a fellow author along takes the edge off and gives you someone to laugh with, as well as potentially drawing a bigger crowd. Take advantage of guest posts - invite people to post on your blog and accept (and pursue) invitations to do the same on other writers' blogs as well. 

Online presence is essential. Google yourself. Go ahead. What do you find? That's exactly what an editor or agent will find when they look you up after reading your query. Are you out in the open, or playing hide and seek? Bear in mind, though, that everything you write online - good or bad - contributes to your public image, so edit all posts in all forums for both quality and professionalism. 

Read widely...and then comment. Read in your genre, not only so you'll know what's out there and who's publishing what, but also so you can speak intelligently about the competition. Read blogs, too, and comment on them. Don't be shy, but do be polite and articulate because once you post, you can't take it back. And, if you get in the habit of commenting on editor and agent pages, these publishing professionals may recognize you when your query crosses their desks, or when you meet them at a conference. In addition, your blog comments will increase the number of hits search engines return when you type in your own name. 

Make sure you don't lose sight of your real goal. We are, after all, supposed to be writing content, not just tweeting and posting status updates. You don't want to find yourself perched atop that platform with no book to wave!
Unless you're in a hurry for some reason (the aforementioned book contract, for example), building a platform can easily be a weekend project - one that you undertake in small pieces over a period of time. Start where you are most comfortable (Facebook, perhaps?) expand from there, and from time to time, step back to review your work and see if it looks the way you want it to. If not, make changes to the content or the aesthetics until you have it looking the way you want it to. As your platform expands and you become more comfortable, seek out other resources on the subject to see where small tweaks can yield big results. 

For a writer, a platform is simply another work-in-progress. And who knows? Maybe you'll even learn to love the possibilities revision brings. 

reprinted with permission from the Institute of Children's Literature

Lisa Lawmaster Hess is a writer and retired school counselor on a constant quest for organization. The author of Acting Assertively and Diverse Divorce, Lisa is currently at work on an ebook as a means of putting off revisions on her novel. She indulges her teaching muse as an instructor for community education classes and classes for retirees. Her blogs are The Porch Swing Chronicles and Six Children and No Theories.

New Features on Google+ by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

If you aren't on Google+ that often, you might be interested in a few new features they have recently added. These features will be beneficial in building your online platform and awareness in your area of expertise.

Google+ Communities
You can either join a community that has already been created on a topic of interest or you could start a new community around a topic that lacks a community or to maintain control around discussions to stay focused. It's similar to the concept of Groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, but with more added benefits for networking and connections through other Google services. Obviously, since the concept allows you to network with others around topics you're passionate about, it's a great way for people to network, establish oneself as an expert in a particular field, and to build platforms for businesses and individuals.

These communities may be public or private, depending on what your group's needs are and how you want to organize it. To get an idea on how Google+ Communities work, do a search for a few topics of interest, see what is already available, and join them to get an idea of how they work. As you network and learn from discussions, you may gain ideas and insights for building your own community and what you could offer that might be a different twist on a similar topic or something totally unique. You will need to engage by commenting and answering questions.

As you listen in on discussions, think about ideas for blogging topics. What are people talking about? What piques their interest? How can you help with relevant content, advice, or insight?

The larger the community, the more updates you are likely to receive. to keep from having your inbox overwhelmed, you can toggle the notifications on or off by clicking on the bell. For instance, I've joined The Writers Community, I've provided an image on where you can find the bell on a Community Page.


Google+ Events
If you aren't using the Events feature on Google+, you could be missing out on a great opportunity to promote your blog tours, book signings, book releases, contests and other great events to your circle of followers, as well as the public. Unlike FB, you can invite friends in your circles, followers who may not be in your circles, and people who are not even on Google+ if you have their email address. They will be sent a link to your page and can view the details. Also, you will be able to see who has viewed your Event by clicking on Actions/Manage Guest List. Only YOU will be able to see who has opened your invitation. You will be given the ability to upload a unique header specifically for your event. You can enable or disable comments, allow others to share your event with their friends and followers, and duplicate an event if you have a club with standard meetings each month.

Have you tried any of these Google+ features? What are your thoughts?

Link Google+ Profile with Blogger Account

This is more than just using the same email login and posting a link on your blog so people can find you on Google+. It includes the option of linking your Google+ profile on Blogger. When people go to your blog and click on the link for more info about you, they will be taken to your Google+ profile. Also, when you set up each blog post, it will now provide the option to auto post your blogs to Google+ without you having to manually copy the link and go to your Google+ account and past the link. By your personal image for your blogger Profile, it will not have a red box with a G+ on it. This is how you can tell which bloggers have integrated their blog to their Google+ profile.

Buying Friends in Bulk by Andy Scheer

“The best things in life are free,” says the old song.

“Money can't buy me love,” the Beatles sang.

But according to a recent email, money can buy you friends. Sort of. They're not real friends, they're the kind on Facebook.

At least they don't cost much. According to the promo, I can buy 500 Facebook fans for $49—less than a dime apiece. And if I want double that number, they cost me only $79, less than eights cents each.

Interested? Here's their pitch:

With so many websites, blogs and social pages out there how can you get noticed? Our Facebook marketeers and affiliate networks can deliver Fans and Likes within a matter of days. Using customized ad campaigns, viral and social promotions, crowd sourcing and social networking we can target potential customers interested in your product, service or brand. With promotional plans starting at $49, kick start your digital marketing and get the exposure you need. Further details available on the web link below.

Give me a break. Do you really want the kind of loyalty only money can buy? When publishers ask for platforms, I don't think they mean the kind built of paper-mache.

Then again, maybe your target audience is people who are easily manipulated. See if the company can give you a price break for larger quantities. You'll get your two cents worth.

Strategies to Create an Effective Blog by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

I've been blogging since 2006, but I didn't get serious or deliberate about it until 2008. During that time, I've noticed some key strategies that helped me build more followers and generate interactions from readers. Below, I've highlighted a few things that your blog should do, and included some things that your blog should not do.

• Content - Know what you want to say and why it will help others. Unless you're a celebrity, people aren't interested in what you had for breakfast. Your blog shouldn't be a place to rant and complain about your personal circumstances or the drama you might be enduring from other people in your life. What expertise can you offer that will benefit others? It doesn't have to be writing-related. It can be parenting, a particular ministry, cooking--something that you enjoy, have an interest in doing or learning, and sharing.


• Schedule - Be consistent so people will know what to expect from you. It isn't necessary to blog every day, but you need to blog at least once a week to a few times each week. Random posts will not lure regular readers. If you post nothing for several weeks or months, why should readers bother coming back to read nothing? If your blog covers a few related topics, it would be a good idea to schedule particular posts on specific days. For instance, Mondays can be for one topic and Wednesdays could be for another related topic. I've said this before, people are creatures of habits, get them in the habit of visiting your blog.


• Design & Layout - It should be appealing and easy to navigate and read. The color of the text should compliment the background, but be enough of a contrast to read without creating sore eyes or making readers squint, which means large enough text and a simple font for those needing reading glasses. Make sure your static web pages are easy to find and the links work. Also, give people the option to share your blog posts on their Social Media accounts. They may not have anything to say, but they might like your post enough to share it with others and this is what you want. Often, I may not have a comment on my blog, but I've had readers share my posts on LinkedIn, Google+ or Twitter and this is important. It's still considered engagement.


• Don't Give Up - If you really want to blog and build an online readership, keep blogging even if it's irregular. Don't get discouraged, if you have trouble keeping a regular blogging schedule for a while, you can always get back into the swing of things. Don't quit and lose the readership you've worked so hard to gain. It's much easier to re-engage readers who still follow your irregular blog posts than to start all over from scratch a year later and try to find them again after they've stopped following your blog or you closed it down. 

I can look at my blogging history and see how much better I did with a consistent blogging schedule in 2009-2010 than I did in 2011-2012. Things will happen to distract you, and sometimes you have to set priorities. For me, I choose to skip a few blog posts when we were experiencing the loss of a loved one, my mom's battle with cancer, an unexpected move, and then the onset of my daughter's epilepsy these past five months, plus book deadlines.

My blog may not have have grown in readership as I would have liked, but I didn't lose any readers. I was honest and transparent in letting them know some of my challenges without allowing my blog to become a public complaint board. When I did post something, it was an update, a praise report, or a request for prayer. I kept these blog posts to quarterly or every couple of months so that my blog didn't become about ME. 

Other ways to grow your readership is to comment on other blogs, host giveaways, and bring in guest bloggers who have a following. What about you? How have you grown your blog?

What to Put in a Newsletter by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Over the past 2 weeks I've discussed reasons you need a newsletter and some services you can use to create and distribute it. Today, I want to talk about what to put in your newsletter.

Your newsletter should not be a repeat of everything you're already offering on your website/blog and/or other social media accounts. It should be an extension of what you're already providing.

For instance, you need to offer your newsletter readers something they won't find anywhere else, and give them a bit of special treatment for subscribing to your newsletter and allowing you to drop info into their personal inbox. Below are some tips in how to do this.

• Save some of your news and announcements for your newsletter. Later, you can post those announcements on your blog and social media sites. Reward your newsletter subscribers by giving them the chance to first hear the news. 


• Offer some contests and giveaways to newsletter subscribers only. For instance, for any new subscribers between one newsletter and the next, automatically go into a drawing for their choice of a free book. This means I give a free book away each quarter. I've also offered free Celtic CDs when my Celtic books were released.


• Connect with readers on a personal level. Share a little of you with them. Share a photo of you and your family enjoying a vacation, an outing, something special that you might not have posted anywhere else. Outside of your writing, what have you been up to lately? You do not have to go into private details, but what info would you share with a friend you might run into at an event? Someone you haven't seen in a while, but you only have 2-3 minutes. This is how you should communicate with your readers. 


• Be real with your readers. Again, you don't have to go into details, but what snippets of challenges have you been facing that you can share as a testimony with them? No one has a perfect life, and people need to know you are real and that you aren't hiding behind your computer status updates. This will help you connect with them better. Are you celebrating 5 years being cancer-free after a battle? Are you recovering from an accident?


• Make news announcements and updates. Post your book covers, video book trailers and new photos. People want to know if you have something new coming out, if you have a short story in between your longer works, if you have an article that was recently published elsewhere, or if you're going to be in town near them. However, don't make this your main news. This info should be as an inclusion. 


• Post at least one new article. Keep it short and relevant. By relevant I mean it should be related to something in one of your books, your research, or a life experience. 

You can always subscribe to a few author newsletters, save them in a file folder in your email, and compare them by taking notes on what you like about them and what you dislike. This will help you form a strategy plan for your own newsletters that will suit you and your readers. 

What prompts you to subscribe to an email newsletter. Is it free giveaways? Interesting content? What prompts you to unsubscribe?

Platform: A Buzz Word You Can't Ignore by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

The problem with buzz words is that we start hearing them so often that we're tempted to ignore them because we think we've gotten the message or we're tired of hearing it . Platform is a buzz word that has been making the rounds in the publishing industry for a few years now and looks like it might become one of those permanent fixtures. 

Agents and editors have blogged about it, and marketing professionals and publicists have taken it to a whole new breakout level. There is now the Marketing Platform, Online Platform, Speaking Platform, Blogging Platform and now the Social Media Platform. It seems that we need a substantial platform in every area of our lives that has the potential to amplify our names and promote our work to increase possible sales. In short, this platform buzz word isn't going away.

A few years ago when the economy began to tank, publishers became more selective than ever in what they accepted for publication. The competition got tough, and as I've always said, in my humble opinion it was already tough.

So what is platform?

My personal definition is that platform is a buildup of readership and/or a following of people who like to read what you write enough to buy and/or promote it. The bigger your platform, the higher your ability to sell your books in large volume and to get your books published through a publisher. 

One reason why some have come to dislike the word platform, is because so many good authors are being rejected due to their lack of platform--or at least that's what they're being told. Their writing is good enough for publication, the concept interesting and applicable to the present, but if the author doesn't have a great platform, it can be rejected based on that alone. In the old days, it was the quality of a writer's work that meant publication. They were told to keep improving their craft and a door would eventually open. 

Times have changed!

Now authors are expected to build a platform before publication while they improve their craft. It wouldn't hurt to have a marketing degree, but if not, writers need to be reading all the marketing and promotion blogs and articles they can find, and implement what they learn. It isn't enough just to store away the information for later use. Somewhere in all this time while learning the craft of writing and platform building, writers must squeeze in a full-time job to pay the bills and have enough left over for writing organization fees, conferences, and workshops.

So the great question for every author is: How do I build a platform? It all boils down to marketing yourself as a writer, promoting what you write, and connecting and networking with people. Those who are great at promoting themselves, speaking in public, and building that public awareness will build a bigger platform and have the edge over writers who don't promote themselves well.

I'd like to point you to some great articles that have been written on this topic:

Need A Platform? by Agent Terry Burns

Fiction Platform by Agent Rachelle Gardner

How Important is an Author's Platform by Michael Hyatt, Board Chair of Thomas Nelson Publishers

What are your thoughts on platform? Are you feeling overwhelmed by this buzz word? Have you been able to implement what you learn? What are your most difficult challenges in building a platform?

Collecting Data-Whoopee by Linda S. Glaz

Terry and I have been collecting data from agents and editors about some of those pet peeves they have concerning submissions. The list is GROWING . . .

Terry’s been very open about how and why he responds, and I find his method caring and encouraging. Although, I realize all agents aren’t the same, so . . .

. . . for the sake of fairness, I’d like to know how authors feel about how their submissions are handled. Authors send out their pride and joy, and how are they treated?

And in telling us how you feel about the way you are treated, what would you like to see? Other than a publishing contract, of course. What can an agent or editor do to lessen the pain of a rejection?

I can totally empathize. I know for a fact, before the wondrous day of email submissions that I spent more than a thousand dollars snail mailing. I won’t begin to tell you what I got as replies, when I got any at all. Those were the days of: really? Another rejection on a slip of TP? Just kidding, but it felt that way more times than not. (of course, a few were flushed nonetheless)

The prize goes to the one who perseveres, but that’s a whole different blog post.

Let’s find out what you all think about rejection, plain and simple.
C’mon. Cough it up. I know you’ve got plenty to say.