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Tag Archives: Building an online presence for writers
Using SFWA Effectively for Book Publicity
People sometimes ask whether or not the membership fee for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America is worth it. I think it is, but mileage will vary. That mileage is certainly dependent on how effectively you use it. … Continue reading
Notes from the Internet Presence for Writers Panel
This is from the panel on Internet Presence for Writers from Norwescon a few weeks ago. Participants were K.G Anderson, K. Tempest Bradford (moderator), Chimedum Ohaegbu, and myself. Panel description: We’ve all heard the warnings, “Be careful what you put … Continue reading
Nattering Social Justice Cook: Defending Yourself
Monday, in the wee and terrible hours of the morning, I’m dragging myself off to the first of twelve women’s self-defense classes, which meet three times a week for the next month.
While I’m not fond of the circumstances pushing the need for something like this, it’s something I’d thought about for decades, so probably it’s good to be going ahead and doing it before I get so creaky that I worry about breaking a hip. As it is I know I’ll be collecting some bruises.
It coincides with a gun class halfway through, since I figured as long as I’m living in a house with guns, I might as well know how to pick one up and shoot it in the case of a zombie apocalypse. (This is an interesting year! So far I’ve added the following skills, all at 1st level, to my character sheet: scuba, lockpicking, coffee roasting. Basic CPR is another I want to add before year’s end.)
Mainly this will be interesting because it’s a big change in mindset. The last time I hit a human being with my fist was, I think, second or third grade. While I’ve played sports, they’ve never been rough and tumble ones; softball, golf, or tennis are more my style. Maybe bowling. I did fence briefly in high school and have always regretted not sticking with it.
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The One Twitter List You Should Be Keeping
Are you a writer on Twitter because you’ve been told you need to be on there? Are you trying to establish “a social media presence” while not quite sure what that involves? One useful tool for making the most of Twitter is the list feature.
Twitter lists are great. I’ve got a few set up for industry professionals, close friends on Twitter, members of various writing groups and organizations, former students, and people in a variety of fields. But there’s one that is more important than any of the others.
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Twitter Basics and Best Practices for Writers
This year I switched the focus of my social media efforts to Twitter, because it seemed to me Facebook was an increasingly ineffectual way to reach fans. Because of that, I’ve been spending a lot more time looking at the people following me on there as well as thinking about Twitter, its philosophy, and its uses overall.
Why does a writer want to be on Twitter? The reason is more than just “sell books”. It’s often a way to network with existing fans (who will buy more books in the future), cultivate new fans, connect with peers and other industry professionals, to find out industry and writing news and yes, of course, to procrastinate in a thousand different ways.
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Creating an Online Presence Now Available on Amazon!
Huzzah! The Kindle version of Creating an Online Presence is now available on Amazon. There will be Nook, PDF, and hard-copy version, but not until December. If you don’t have a Kindle, remember that you can download the Kindle reader for your computer or tablet.
I’m very pleased with how the book turned out. Among the things it covers: the minimum web presence a writer needs, social networks and the different approaches they require, how to find communities of readers on the Internet, how to make the most of book giveaways and listings, free tools available to help create and maintain your online presence, and how to keep all of this from swallowing up too much precious writing time.
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Do Writers Need to Blog? No.
I keep reading articles that say blogging is mandatory for writers nowadays. That agents and editors won’t take you on if you don’t already have a platform. This is hooey.
Let me repeat that. Hooey.
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Building an Online Presence for Writers: Outline for the Book
More on the e-book that contains all the class info and then some. Here’s the working outline:
Upcoming: Building an Online Presence for Writers E-book
I’m putting together many of my notes from the Building an Online Presence for Writers class as well as the various blog posts I have done about online promotion and notes from the Near + Far book launch campaign in an e-book by the same name that I hope to release at the end of August, along with another e-book, Podcasting for Speculative Fiction Writers, written with Folly Blaine.
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Posted in publications
Tagged building a fan base, Building an online presence for writers, facebook, free web tools for writers, g+, how to measure your success, how to use social networks o publicize your books, how to write a press release for your book, mailchimp, maintaining multiple identities on the Internet, maintaining your privacy, pinterest, podcasting, publicity for writers, twitter, videocasting, what to blog about
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