Your Blog's Little Black Book

So you’ve been active on the social media sites and worked darn hard to get the traffic flowing to your blog. Luring them in took time and effort, so don’t let your visitors sample your wares and then just slip away. You deserve more than that.

You deserve a commitment.

In your case, commitment is adding their contact information into the modern-day version of the little black book -- your mailing list.

Every time I say “mailing list,” I hear groans. Trust me, I hate spam as much as you do. This is not about you becoming a spammer. This is about you being able to reach out to your fans, the people who love your work, and send then a reminder each time you have a book coming out. It is not some random mailing list. Your list will contain people who signed up to hear from you.

The second reason writers groan when I say mailing list, is that they envision doing a lot of work to build that list. If you don’t want (or don’t have time) to put together contests, newsletters or short stories to entice people out of their email addresses, then here are a few lazy ways to build it:

The easiest option is to have them sign-up to receive a summary of your weekly blog posts by e-mail. Several of the mailing list companies can do this for you automatically. That makes it the perfect low maintenance approach to building a mailing list.
Another option is to have a sign-up for special announcements. Let people know that they will not receive weekly, monthly or regular contact from you, but will only hear from you when you are announcing new books, release dates, public appearances, virtual book tours or other important events. That way people know that they are signing up for periodic advertisements from you about your books. Provide them with a one-time valuable item, like an ebook, podcast or videocast.

Don’t feel like you have to choose just one of these. Mix and match as you like. Just promise me you won’t let them sneak off after partaking of your goods.

Posted by Tamela Buhrke

Are You a Twitter Pied Piper?

Recently, I taught an “Introduction to Twitter” class and was amazed at how quickly students, who initially thought of Twitter as a marketing burden, were urging me to show them how to build a huge group of followers. They were caught up in a frenzy of building numbers before they even understood what to do with them.

As an avid Twitter user, my philosophy is quality over quantity. There are plenty of programs and gurus offering schemes to build your following into the tens of thousands overnight. Some of them even work. But does having a huge following mean success for your book sales? Not necessarily.

This frantic numbers game overlooks the purpose of using Twitter in the first place -- building your readership. You don’t just want a following. You want a following of readers who are interested in your genre or style of writing. What you really want is people who love your work enough to plunk down some cash.

For that, you can't just buy a list, you will need to earn those reader's respect and trust.

So let’s go over some ways you can populate your Twitter followers with qualified readers who could potentially become book buyers.

Create Your Plan

If you've read my previous posts, you know that I’m always harping on creating a plan. Interestingly, a recent study showed that 60% of companies don’t know if their social media campaign is working. Any guesses on the percentage of companies who began their social media campaigns without a plan? Yep, the same 60% Coincidence? I think not.

The truth is that most people don’t have a plan when they tweet. They post random thoughts about their day or interesting posts they find online. That is a drain on productivity. In my humble opinion, the best way to build a quality following is to have a plan for your tweeting. That plan should consist of three components:

1. Your message
2. Tweeting to reinforce or enhance your message
3. Building relationships around your message.

I know what you are thinking -- yawn.

This may sound like dry marketing drivel, but bear with me for a moment. The reason it won’t be boring is because your message will come from the themes in your writing. When you build your message, you choose topics from your books and stories that you are passionate about. Revolve your entire twitter campaign around those topics and you will build a Twitter following who loves them too. It is just like writing a novel. Great novels have a strong position and voice. So too do great Twitter campaigns.

Of course, some of your tweets will be general conversation. That’s fine. However, if you stick to your plan, the majority of the tweets you send out will offer interesting information drawn from the themes in your novels or other writing. You will educate, entertain and thrill your audience with your wicked wit or emotional appeal. It is that passion that will attract people who are interested in you and your message.

As you build a base of followers who are interested in the same topics, you use your common interests to build relationships. You may have a follower that lives on the opposite sides of the world but you both love forensic science or space exploration or haiku. Whatever the topic, you chat about the things you love and have in common. Then that follower tells their friends how inspirational you are on this topic. You get more followers that are dedicated to that message.

You are the Pied Piper, creating a beautiful music that attracts the right kind of follower. That’s what will make your Twitter time more productive and more attractive. It may build slower but it will be a more dedicated and adoring group. One that will be waiting anxiously for your upcoming book.

Still need more? For those of you still itching for the "how to's" of getting followers, next week we’ll go into greater specifics on where to find your followers and how to woo them.

From the Desk of Tamela Buhrke

They’ve Seen The Light! 3 Successful Fiction Bloggers

From the wandering mind of Tamela Buhrke

For the past several weeks I’ve been pretty brutal about the dark side of of author blogging -- where blogs go wrong and how bloggers go wrong. Maybe it’s the spirit of Christmas making me a bit jolly this week, but I’ve decided that today we will look at three fiction bloggers that have gotten it right and found success.

Hometown Pie in the Kitchen Goodness

I have lived in large cities like Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and now Denver. I love city living, but I will admit that a part of me longs for a small town. I dream of a place where Aunt Bea has pie cooling in the kitchen and Floyd the Barber is sitting outside his store swapping stories. It’s a place where life is slower and we can feel safe and sheltered. Americana at it’s finest.

If any author has captured that place, both in her fiction novels and on her blog, it is Gail Fraser. Her novels are set in a fictional small town called Lumby, nestled in the foothills of the Rockies. Visiting her blog is like entering that world. The blog has maps and drawings of the town and surrounding hills. You can find regular updates about Lumby’s weather, local gossip and local animal antics. There is even a cartoon moose that lumbers its way across the page.

Her blog has become so popular, that not only has it helped her to reach her niche market of Americana lovers, but it is creating something of a tourist attraction at her real farm in upstate New York. There she sells t-shirts, mugs and other swag to support her writing.

Thinking Outside the Binding

What do Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alexandre Dumas have in common? They all wrote their most famous novels as serials. This art form is finding a revival in the age of blogs and smart phones. It provides people who don’t have the time to sit down with a novel the experience of enjoying a story each day on their smart phone while riding the bus or at their office computer while nibbling on their lunch.

Today you can find one of the most successful serial bloggers right here in Denver -- our own Claudia Hall Christian. She is the author of the Denver Cereal and the Alex the Fey serials. They have become a world-wide success, with readers as far as Bangladesh. The serials are offered for free on her blogs. At the end of each story line, the serial is put together into a book. Some are given away and some sold. Her blog is supported by some advertising and the sale of the books or ebooks. Christian has formed her own publishing company, giving her complete control over the process. Her stories have become so successful that she has recently had requests for a serial with a national news outlet.

Serial blogging is a great way to build your writing skills and gain exposure. However, it is not for the faint of heart. Christian is proud that she has never missed her weekly deadline in three years of blogging. She warns that, unlike writing a novel, there is no going back to correct earlier mistakes or change facts. You must be able to write consistently and keep the story progressing forward, while keeping the reader engaged each week.

Special Populations

As you probably read in my post last week, I believe that blogging should benefit your reader. With that in mind, this last author came to me as a recommendation from the queen of author platforming (yes, I turned it into a verb) Christina Katz. She featured Laurel Snyder (and other fiction authors) in her article The Successful Fiction Platform, written for the December Writer’s Digest.

It’s easy to see why Katz featured her. Snyder writes children’s books and her blog is a treasure trove of information for parents. It offers reviews of children’s books, provides lists of recommended reading and offers her personal experiences of being a working parent.

It is important to note that though her books are for children, her blog is mostly for the parents. She also has a section on her site for teachers and kids. It offers ideas for book clubs, classroom interaction programs such as “Inside the Creepy Classroom” and even poetry workshops. Her blog helps her to reach out to her complete audience, not just the readers, but the teachers and parents. She shows them how her books and her blog adds value to their lives and their children’s lives.

As you can see, there are a number of ways fiction blogging can be successful. The key is getting the right match up of what you offer, what the reader wants and how you present it to them. These authors have found a successful mix for their market. Next week we’ll talk about how to determine what is right for yours.

Stay tuned for next week's post: The Number One Rule of Blogging!

Writer Board of Directors - Overcoming Loner Mentality

From the lap desk of Tamela Buhrke

Poke. Poke. Hey, you. Yes, you. The one who doesn’t need anybody. The writer who can do it all. Write. Publish. Market. How’s that working for you? Are you where you want to be? Published. Wealthy. Worshiped. Conquering the Best Seller’s List?

Yeah. That’s what I thought.

So let’s take a look at this loner mentality. We know it's not working, but why? According to popular author and speaker on achieving your dreams, Barbara Sher, there is one consistent reason why people fail. She says over and over that isolation is the dream killer. Isolation. The very thing most writers crave, is the thing that will take us down.

The reason?

Isolation limits you. There’s no one to bounce ideas off, and no one to give you advice. You are cut off from resources, ideas and situations that can help you build your dream. After awhile, becoming a successful author sounds too difficult. You get disillusioned and give up. That leads to the final reason for why isolation kills dreams... there is no one there to kick you in the butt and get you back on track.

However, if you have a board of directors, then they will motivate you to succeed. According to Sher, they will also provide a key ingredient to success: guilt. Imagine telling a team of people who are dedicated to your success that you will have a book finished by the end of the month. You don't. The disappointed looks on their faces will guilt you into getting it done.

All of this means that you have a choice. You can be the hermit who never gets the job done, or the hero of your own story. For those smart asses who don’t want to be a hero, feel free to be the villain who dominates the world. Either way, it is time to get out, meet people and build your own personal board of directors. Consider me your temporary butt kicker.

Where do you start? Look for people in your life who can act as your cheer leaders, your critique partners, or your butt-kickers. The people you choose should have writing experience and their own writing goals. Put them on a tentative list. If you don’t know any people who would fit the job, then it’s time to join some writing classes, organizations or social networks.

For the time being, just look around your associates for potential board members. Don’t approach them yet. Don't go crazy trying to find new people. Next week we’ll go over specific positions you will need to fill on the board and how to entice great people to be part of the team.

Build Your Writer Board of Directors

by Tamela Buhrke

Are you a loner? Introvert? Most writers tend to prefer their own company more than being in a group. This is great for the quiet act of writing. However, it can harm your writing career if you can't get out there to mix and mingle. Just like any industry, your success can hinge more on who you know than what you know.

Think about it. Even businesses have teams of people to support them in areas where they are weak. It's called a board of directors. Members of the board are chosen because they can support the business in different ways. They fill in the gaps where the business is weak.

No one person is good at everything. This is also true of writers. We are often great at our craft, but often lacking in business areas such marketing and self-promotion. If you are out there trying to do all the business of writing by yourself, then you may soon feel overwhelmed and unhappy.

You need to build a team (or teams) that supports your writing career. I'm not just talking about your critique group, although they could be one in the same. This team can help you with the following:

1. Act as your cheering squad when you are down.
2. Be your beta reader for your books and short stories
3. Be a sounding board for your ideas, pitches and marketing materials.
4. Actively work to promote your work online and to their friends.
5. Write together on blogs or projects.
6. Learn from each other about industry information and trends.
7. Build contacts and network.

In my next few marketing posts, we will look at how to find the right people to fill the gaps in your personal board of directors. We will cover ways that you can use your board effectively to network, market and promote yourself. Finally, we will show you how to make this process fun and productive for all the members of your board.

#Tag, You’re It!

A Writer Marketing Post By Tamela Buhrke

Today is #WW (Writer Wednesday on Twitter) making it a perfect day to cover that crazy Twitter phenomenon called the hashtag. What is it? Why should you care?

Twitter Hashtags are created by putting the # symbol in front of a word or words. They started as a way to organize conversations. For example, a tweet with #writermarketing on the end would indicate that the tweet was part of a conversation about... you guessed it, writer marketing. The hashtag makes it convenient for tweeters to click on the tag and bring up all the people who are tweeting in that conversation. This creates a type of Twitter chat room that is open for public viewing. All those using the tag can communicate with each other, but your followers will also see your tweets, and they can decide whether to join in the conversation.

That is the normal use of a hashtag. You may be perplexed to see hashtags that don’t have groups, such as #notcool or #winning. Hashtags have grown beyond their original usage into a creative way of expressing one's self. If people like the hashtag, think it's funny or clever, then many people will use it. That is called trending. It is fun, but not necessarily useful. #ohmygodbecky

There are three reasons a writer should care about hashtags.

The first reason to use hashtags is that they can help writers connect and learn from each other. Some people even put together weekly meetings, or chats, to discuss particular writing topics, such as getting published, marketing your book, and working with agents. These weekly groups will often have guests such as agents, editors and publicists. That makes hashtag chats a great way to learn and interact with important industry people.

Second, you can use these Twitter tags to meet the right group of readers for your market. If you write horror, then joining a weekly #horror chat will be a perfect way to get attention from people who are fans of your type of writing.

To follow one of these hashtag chats, you simply click on the hashtag, read some of the tweets and jump into the conversation by tweeting about the topic. Be sure to include that hashtag in your tweet.

Third, if you can’t find a hashtag chat that represents the genre or topic of your book, then start one! It’s a great way to promote yourself and build a loyal following. Simply pick a regular date and time. Research who is tweeting about your topic by searching for applicable words or phrases on the Twitter search. Then invite those people to join your Twitter chat.

Here are just a few of the writing and genre specific hashtags:

#amediting - General
#amwriting - Ongoing writer connection tag that is sponsored by amwriting.org
#blackbookchat - 8:30 EST Tues
#bookmarket - Book marketing information 4pm EST Thurs
#fantasychat 8pm EST Sun
#kidlitchat - 9pm EST Tues
#Kindlechat - Learn how to publish to Kindle noon PST Fri
#LitChat - 4pm EST Mon, Wed & Fri
#poetry - 9pm CST Thur
#publishing - General
#pubtip - General tips about publishing
#romancechat - 4pm EST Sat or 9pm GMT Sun
#scifichat - 2pm ET Fri
#scriptchat - 8pm GMT Sun
#selfpub or #selfpublishing or #indiepub - General
#steampunkchat - 9pm EST Fri
#ufchat - Urban fantasy writers 6pm EST Sat
#write, #writers, #writing - General
#writechat - 2pm CST Sun
#yalit - General topics regarding young adult literature.
#yalitchat - 9pm EST Wed

NEW ADDS (people tweeted me with additional writer chats to add to the list):

#editorchat - 8:30-10 pm EST Wed

#followreader - 4pm EST Fri

#mythbeasts 6:30 EST pm Tues

#sffwrtcht - Science fiction & fantasy chat 9 pm EST Wed

#askagent #askeditor #askpub - General tags to ask questions for/about agents, editors, publishers.

#writetip - General tag to provide or ask for writing tips.

#Writersroad 9pm EST Mon - discussing the writer's journey

#Pubwrite - General evening discussions, all areas of writing & writer support

I have not found a #mysterychat, #thrillerchat, or #westernchat. That represents an #opportunityforsomeone.

If you know of a hashtag chat for writers that I may have missed, then please feel free to comment with the hashtag, day and time that they tweet.

Happy tagging!

Does Book Marketing Work?

From the desk of Tamela Buhrke

Okay, time for cold, hard facts. Many of us are out there tweeting, posting, and frantically building a presence in the internet world. So the big question is whether any of it is working? Is it selling books?

As usual, the answers are mixed. If you write a horrible book, you can market the you-know-what out of it, and your results will often (but not always) be tepid. On the other hand, the best book in the world won’t sell if no one knows it's there.

For those with a strong book and a marketing plan, there is good news. Studies show that book marketing will improve sales. According to a study by Wellesley Hills Group, authors who hired a marketing or promotion company to promote their book sold more than twice as many books as those who relied on their publisher’s marketing. The study also showed that the internet was the most successful vehicle for selling books. Getting press in a trade magazine came in second. Book signings were deemed ineffective.

So if internet marketing is the most effective, then which internet tools should we use? I don't know about you, but I sometimes feel like a hamster in a social media ball, rolling from this social network to that. Often, it is hard to know which efforts are paying off. Evidently that is true for most authors. A study by FSB Associates, which tracked the Twitter chatter of 20 authors then compared it to their Amazon sales, found mixed results. Sometimes the Twitter chatter created buzz, and the book sales soared, but just as often it didn’t work. However, there were some consistent benefits. The use of Twitter increased all the author’s website rankings on Google and often created a much stronger brand for the author. Additional research will be needed to determine why some social chatter created more sales than others.

What about online advertisements? Mashable recently did an interesting study of Facebook ads. They found that folks between 40 - 65 were the age bracket most likely to click on the ads, so if you are targeting a younger or older audience then ads might be less effective for you. Though overall, ads with products that were considered “fun” did better. So fiction would have an easier time over nonfiction.

The whole field of internet marketing is so new. It will be awhile before we have concrete answers on what techniques work best. However, studies show that, overall, internet marketing is working for authors. Use the social networks to get your name and your books into the public eye and then monitor what networks are best for your particular circumstance.

Most of all, be patient. Seth Godin, the Grand Poobah of marketing, said that "the best time to start promoting your book is three years before it comes out." Marketing takes time. If you are in this for the long-haul, then the time will be worth the effort.

Sources:

“Book Marketing Statistics” Author Insider. 2006
“Study: Twitter Chatter Sells Books, Sometimes.” The Huffington Post August 11, 2010
“Do Facebook Ads Sell Books?” Book Cover Designer. March 09, 2011
"Advice for authors" Seth Godin. August 02, 2006

Where's the Buzz?

Posted by Pat Stoltey

The Big Buzz is All About Amanda Hocking

This young lady (age 26) self-published in ebooks and then caught the wave. Everyone is talking about her, including Nathan Bransford at his blog with yesterday’s “Amanda Hocking and the 99-Cent Kindle Millionaires.”

Amanda has a blog called (believe it or not) Amanda Hocking’s Blog. Check out her March 3rd post called “Some Things That Need to Be Said.”


The A to Z April Blog Challenge 2011

If you have a blog, and if you want to build your following and make new friends while bringing a little discipline to your blogging schedule, I dare you to participate in the A to Z Challenge during the month of April. This challenge was created in 2010 by Arlee Bird of tossing it out blog. When he decided to do it again this year, he added blogger helpers to spread the word. To read how I feel about last year’s experience, check this post at Alex J. Cavanaugh’s blog.

You can register at any of the helper blogs, including Alex’s, but the original explanation and blog challenge sign-up is at tossing it out.

Double dare you.


More About Twitter and Those Who Resist

Honestly, writers, Twitter is one of the best tools you’ll ever find to get the word out about your website, blog posts, book giveaways, new releases, and to poll your followers about how to cook a rutabaga.

Author, blogger, and social media guru Alexis Grant (The Traveling Writer) posted “How social media helps us make our own luck” on her blog yesterday. She in turn links to a blog post by Miriam Salpeter called “Why You Should Use Twitter.”

After those two articles, you’ll want to go forth and tweet. I just know it. And while you're on the Twitter site, be sure to follow us at @Chiseledinrock


And finally, a Writer’s Favorite Topics of Conversation

On finding the time to write. For this one, see A. Victoria Mixon, Editor’s blog for the post “9 Ways to Find the Time to Write.”

On procrastination. See The Blood-Red Pencil, one of the best writing/editing blogs on the web, post by Heidi M. Thomas: "How do I Procrastinate?"

Catch That Twitter Love!

It’s February and hearts have turned to thoughts of... Twitter? Okay, maybe that’s a stretch. However, gaining a Twitter following can be a lot like dating -- it's fun, frustrating and often confusing. So let’s look at how you

can use your magical Mojo to attract some Twitter love.

Yeah, baby...

Lesson #1 You Got to Give Love to Get Love.

One of the best ways to grow your list of followers is by following others. In particular, you want to follow people who have the same message or genre as you. Start conversations with them. Tell them how much you liked their last tweet or last book. Retweet their tweets and add a fun comment.

Just like in the real world, if you truly like and respect these people, then it will show in your tweets and they will respond by following you back. So don’t just advertise your blog posts or tweet about personal moments. Instead, earn respect from others through informative and entertaining tweets that revolve around the topics you write about. This is your time to shine as a writer. Use your words. Intrigue. Inspire. Connect.

Note: Some people have a huge number of followers but don’t follow very many people back. If it is someone you truly want to follow, then go ahead and follow them, but know that they may never follow you back. When you are trying to build a following, it works better to follow those who follow others back.

Lesson #2 Get List Fever.

The next step after building a few twitter friendships is to get a peek at their lists. Lists help to focus the Twitter experience. People create lists to follow the tweets of particular groups, tweeps or topics. Explore those lists to see if there are any other people with similar interests who you can follow. Pick out a few and strike up a conversation with them. Let them know that you found them on a friend’s list and you have common interests. Start lists of your own and send out tweets letting people know how to join your lists. A good rule of thumb is to tell people to follow your list and you'll follow them back.

Lesson #3 The Bigger The “Listed” The Better The Love.

As you could see from Lesson #2, it is good to be on lists. So how do you get added to people’s lists? Start by following people who have created lists about your genre or topic. Say you write mysteries about a chef in the deep South. You’d want to follow people who create lists of Southern food, Southern writers or mystery writers. Tweet with the owners of these lists about those topics and pretty soon you’ll find your way on to their list.

How do you find lists? One way is to use Listorious.com. They are the yellow pages of Twitter Lists. Another way is to look up someone famous who writes about similar topics. Click on their “Listed” number. You’ll see a list of all the people who listed that person in one of their lists.

Lesson #4 Enjoy Twitter Matchmaking Services.

Recently, Twitter has become much more helpful in finding people to follow. They now have a button called “Who to Follow.” It uses an algorithm based on the people you’ve already followed and produces a list of people who are similar. Go through that list, and follow all the people who are a good fit for you and who appear to readily follow back.

Lesson #5 Spread The Love Around.

One of the best ways to endear yourself to your followers, and gain new followers, is to spread the love during Follow Friday or #FF. You just put #FF in your tweets and then list tweeps that you think are wonderful. You will find that after a few weeks of recommending people, many of them will return the favor and recommend you to their followers. (Hint: you can #FF people who aren’t following you yet.)

Lesson #6 The BEST Way to Build a Following -- Give Good Tweet!

By far the best way to build a following is to write interesting tweets and connect with your followers. They will recommend you to friends and that is what social networking is all about.

The above steps will not get you a following overnight. However, it will build a following that will be much more interested in you and what you have to say and be more willing to re-tweet your information and recommend you to others.

Next week we’ll look at how to funnel people from your social networks to your blog.

Posted by Tamela Buhrke

Facebook for Writers

I think we all know by now that Facebook is taking over the planet. It has captured a whopping ten percent of the world’s population. So it should come as no surprise that Facebook is a great way for writers to connect with and build a readership.

One of the things I like best about Facebook is that it is less serious and more fun than other styles of promotion. The key is getting your Facebook friends involved, talking about, and commenting on you, your blog, your stories and upcoming books. Here are some tips on how to drum up a bunch of excitement:

• Pictures and videos -- Create or find interesting or funny pictures and video clips that are relevant to your writing and post them on your wall. Invite people to comment and be sure to post your own comments on how this relates to your writing.
• Contests -- My favorite mystery writer, Carolyn Haines, had a marvelous series of contests leading up to the launch of her most recent book. She posted hilarious pictures and invited her friends to submit captions or short stories. The best captions received a copy of her book. Not only was it a lot of fun but people encouraged their friends to join the contest so that they could win one of Carolyn’s books.
• Networked blogs -- This free Facebook application will automatically take the title and an image from your latest blog posting and post it on your Facebook wall. That way every time you post to your blog you won’t have to remember to tell your friends about it, they’ll already see it on your wall. All you need to do is post comments to get the conversation started. Here’s a link to the Networked Blogs app: http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/index.php?ref=ts
• Special events -- Facebook has a wonderful event tool that writers don’t use often enough. Use the event tool to announce upcoming blog tours, book signings, book launch parties, and more. You can send out personal invitations to all of your facebook friends. They can sign up to attend and get any comments or updates to your event.
• Polls & voting -- get your readers involved by having them vote on book covers, potential titles, and even suggestions for you should play your character if it were to become a movie. Readers love giving input and feeling like they are part of writing experience. You can get them to vote by simply by asking folks to post comments or you can get snazzy by using one of the Facebook voting applications such as Polls. You can find it here: http://apps.facebook.com/opinionpolls/ .

These tools get your friends involved and talking about your writing. You can easily connect them to your blog and upcoming events. Most importantly, you make them feel that they are important... and who doesn’t like to feel important?

Next week we’ll start looking at techniques to build your following on Twitter.

From Tamela Buhrke

Twitter Bird Sandwiches

Twitter. Do you love it? Hate it? Some people don't see the value. They find it overwhelming, or a waste of time. Writers who use Twitter are mystified by this attitude. Why? Because those who use it know how valuable it can be to our blog traffic, our creativity and even our sanity.
I think of Twitter like grabbing a sandwich. On a busy day, it fills you up and gets you on your way. With Twitter you can pop in and grab a nibble or stay awhile and anjoy time with friends. Bottom-line, it can be a delicious part of a balanced social networking diet.
Here are some ways writers can benefit from grabbing a Twitter bird sandwich:
1. Commiserating with other writers. We are, by nature and profession, a rather solitary lot. Twitter gives us the opportunity to connect, talk shop and learn from each other. It gets us out of our shells and mingling with other creative people.
2. Get industry gossip. There are a huge number of agents, editors and book marketing professionals chatting on Twitter. It is a great way to pick up industry information and get a feel for an agent's likes and dislikes.
3. Meet your readers. Reach out and create adoring fans. What fan wouldn't be thrilled to get a tweet from an author they love? With Twitter, you can connect with readers, get feedback on ideas and create excitement over upcoming projects.
4. Get unstuck. Last month I started a mermaid story. I posed a question to my Twitter friends and asked for opinions about how mermaids cry when living in salty water. Within moments I received a bunch of ideas that took my writing in a new direction.
5. Build a following. Twitter is a great way to reach out and meet potential or future fans. Tweet links to your blog posts, book reviews and blog tours. Connect and capture the attention of new readers.

So if you haven't tried Twitter, I highly recommend checking it out. Join me at @tamelabuhrke. I'm collecting folks for our new Chiseled in Rock Twitter account that will be up in a couple of weeks.

Next week: Facebook for Writers

Posted by Tamela Buhrke

A Writer’s Social Media Resolution

Last year I transitioned from using social media for my business to using it for writing. As with any new toy, I was very excited about it for the first month or two. Then life got very busy. I knew that in order to be effective, social media needed to be done regularly. But it was hard to keep up with it when life got hectic. How could I be consistent?

Well, my efforts resembled a seven-year-old on his first trampoline. Weee! Some days were up and I was tweeting like a mad woman, posting on Facebook and meeting new friends. Unfortunately, other days were down and it was all I could do to open a browser window. Sadly, for a little while I bounced right off and the days turned into weeks. Did a month really go by without a tweet? Yep, and the numbers at my blog reflected it.

It was the old song and dance. I was too busy, writing and overworking myself. It's true, but isn’t it true for all of us? Yet, some people are out there every day. How do they do it?

I’m putting my bet on planning. Doesn’t it always revolves around that?

So this year my resolution is to be more consistent in my social media efforts. In order to do that, I’ve decided on a few strategies:

1. I will write a few extra tweets each week and gather interesting links. These extra tweeks will not be posted right away but saved for the days when things get hectic.
2. I will schedule a few automated tweets to go out every day (more about this later).
3. I will plan out a series of facebook topics for the year.

Using these methods, my social media campaign should be consistent even on the days when I am not.

I know what you are thinking, social media is about authenticity. You hate those people who automate their tweets and facebook posts. This is not about about abusing the automation. I still plan to make regular appearances. It will just help to write some of them when I have more time.

Plus, automation is not my daily strategy. It is just to fill in those days when tweeting just can’t be on the agenda. For me, knowing that a scheduled tweet is going out will actually motivate me to get on my social media accounts, even if I’m overwhelmed or tired. Because, basically, I’m like a kid passing a note in school. I just can’t help but want to see how people respond. So this little cheat with the automation will actually motivate me to get online to see who made comments. It will make me more consistent and prevent the days from turning into weeks.

That is my New Years resolution.

How about you? This month I will be exploring using social media for writers. I’d love to hear from you about what has worked and what has bombed and what frustrates the hell out of you.

Next Wednesday I’ll be serving up fried Twitter Bird sandwiches. It's the new white meat.

Posted by Tamela Buhrke

The 3 Rules of Blogging: Readers, Readers, Readers

As the final post in my series about blogs, we will look at the most essential part of blogging - readers. Your readers are the reason you blog. The three most important rules of blogging revolve around how well you know your readers, how well you cater to them and how you capture them.

Rule #1 Readers - Know Them So You Can Find Them

Who is your reader? I like to tell my coaching clients to pretend that their reader is a character in a novel. This character likes your writing. They have specific reasons for liking it. What are those reasons? Do they like your sassy style? Do they need a laugh for the day? Build a strong image of your reader in your mind the way you would a character. The more you know about them the better you will be at finding them and giving them what they want on your blog.

Once you have a strong idea of who your reader is, then you can put yourself in front of them at the venues they frequent. Think about what other blogs they'd like to read or what social media they are using. This helps you to focus your marketing -- saving you time.

Rule #2 Readers - Cater To Your Reader

I talked about this in a previous post, but I can never say it too much. Cater to your reader! Take the time to know who they are and what they want, then make your blog the most inviting place for them. This is where content is king. Though here’s the tricky part: you can write the most wonderful post with perfect grammar and intelligent prose, but if it’s not what your reader wants from you then you might as well have not written it. Readers are fickle folk. Many are short on time and they come to your blog with a “what have you done for me lately” mentality. So make sure that you are thinking of them when you write.

Provide the content they want, also provide the experience they want. Help them out with useful links or tips. Find out what they want. How? Ask them. There is no harm is writing a post that asks your readers what they’d like to see on your blog.

Rule #3 Readers - Capture Them

Once you have them coming to your site, you’ll want to create ways of capturing them... or at least their contact information. Put together a sign up area and something special that can be sent to them regularly. Hey now, wait a minute, I can hear you groaning out there. Many writers I meet don’t want to send out weekly newsletters or be perceived as a spammer. Frankly, I would never ask you to do that. Still, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for you to gather the information of your readers. Imagine the boost in sales your next book will get if you can send an announcement of its launch to a large list of people who love your writing.

So here are a few ways to capture contact information without feeling like a spammer.

1. Offer to send your blog posts to their inbox. People who love your writing will love to have it sent to them when it is posted. Best of all, some contact management companies offer this automatically. They send your feed to your list. Check out contact management companies such as aWeber and Constant Contact.
2. Do a monthly newsletter with links to specific posts from your blog and add in contests where your readers can win books from similar writers. They’ll appreciate the chance to win and your fellow writers will appreciate the nod (hint: let your fellow writers know you are doing this and maybe they’ll return the favor)
3. Come up with a short but consistent item you can send. For example, a sign up for the quote of the day, word of the week or story of the month. My books deal with the paranormal so I’m starting a weekly horrorscope (spelling intentional) delivered to their inbox.
4. If you don't want to send out anything consistently, then have an occasional contest with a prize. Readers must sign up with name and email to be entered into the drawing.

Always remember that your blog has a purpose, to attract and keep your readers so that you can sell more books.

This is my last post in the series on blogging. Stay tuned each Wednesday in January as I look at social media -- the good, the bad and the ugly.

Authors Gone Wild! 5 Ways to Get Your Blog on Track.

You may not believe me, but blogging is very much like writing a novel. Some people know what they want to write and they just dig right into it. Others see a stretch of blank page and feel overwhelmed or don’t know where to start. In either case, blogging eventually gets out of control. It becomes like the middle section of a novel. You know that area where you just want to give up because the plot no longer makes sense and it seems easier to just start over.

We've all been there.

Unfortunately, most bloggers live there permanently. Probably because bloggers don't treat blogs like a novel, but as a weekly regurgitation of their thoughts and experiences. That is perfectly understandable, since blogs started out as online diaries.

Unfortunately, these unfocused ramblings do little to inspire fiction fans. If we want to turn readers into fans then our blogs need to be less self-absorbed and more thoughtful, planned and reader-driven.

So let's look at how the tools of novel writing can help get your blog back on track.

#1 Identify your reader - Stop for a moment and think about who your readers are. If you are already published, you should have a good sense of who likes your work. If you are not published, then look at similar authors and see who their readers are. Are they primarily male or female? Do they like humor or serious work? Optimists or pessimists?

A great way to really know your reader is to turn them into a character in your mind. They are the main character in the novel that is your blog. Your blog is the adventure. A clearly defined character will drive the adventure.

#2 Determine what your reader wants - Now that you know who your readers are, next you’ll want to determine what they want. If they are reading your work, or similar books, then they are getting a need met by this type of writing. What is that need? Is it escape? Adrenaline rush? Intrigue?

If you are not sure what they are getting out of it, then here’s a hint: ask yourself why you write it. What do you get out of it? What jazzed you about writing this particular story? Think about ways you can give your reader a taste of that experience. For example, many fantasy lovers are into swords and costumes. Blogging about swords is fine, but what the reader really wants is the experience of being the dashing hero. So when you blog about swords, make them feel like they are holding it in their hand. Tell them what they can do with it and how much power they'd have wielding it. Put them in the experience.

#3 Re-evaluate your posts - Now that you know who your reader is and what they want, take a look at your blog. Are you giving them that experience? For example, if your books are filled with suspense and intrigue but your posts are about your frustration with the publishing industry, then there is a disconnect for your readers. If your novel is a romance and you review romance novels, that is helpful but see if you can bring your type of romance directly into their lives. When readers go to your blog, it's because they are thrilled by something in your writing. They want that feeling to continue. Find a way to keep that going for them. Get creative.

#4 Take a stand - Even the most frivolous novel has stance. It looks at the world through a certain set of goggles. Anyone who likes your work will have similar goggles. So don't be afraid to take a stand on your views. Be controversial. For example, I write vampire books. But my female characters will never date vampires. Is it because I’m a vampire racist? Hell, yes! Vampires are predators. I don’t want to encourage women to lust after predators. That’s my stance. The sparkly-romance vampire people will disagree. Fine. They are not my readers. Taking a stance will ensure that your blog readers are true fans.

#5 Build Tension - Once you have all four of the above, you can create a plan that grows your readership, rewards your fans and keeps them coming back. How? If we go back to the idea that a blog is like a novel, then remember that building tension, suspense or intrigue should be your primary goal. Create tension between posts. Give them a taste of what is coming next. Get your readers (aka your character) involved. Stir up controversy. Build your blog like a novel with peaks and lulls and comic relief, and when your reach your climactic ending.... start over on the next line of topics and do it all again.

Next week -- Blogs That Have Seen The Light

We will look at authors who get it right. You’ll get concrete examples of how fiction writers create successful blogs.

See you then!

Posted by: Tamela Buhrke