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Life (And Other Obstacles to Writing Your Novel)

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Despite my vow to blog three times a week, I’ve already skipped a couple of days. It’s almost the end of January, and I haven’t done much writing either. I have some pretty good excuses for falling behind (horrific dental work, broken laptop charger, kids, life, etc). There’s always something that gets in the way of writing. There always will be. Since this whole week has been a total loss, I planned to wallow in Advil and skip writing altogether. But, then…I got inspired! I read two really cool blog posts today that made me decide to cast aside my sorry excuses and start writing again. Thank you, John Lucas Hargis and Kristen Lamb for your wonderful (and timely) posts.

Let’s take a look at the Obstacles to Writing and how to overcome them:

Life: Kids, day jobs, Cub Scout meetings, parent-teacher conferences, etc.  There are only twenty-four hours in a day. Sleep, showering, eating, and all the other things we have to do in order to pay our bills and keep ourselves (and those who depend on us) alive can chip away at those precious twenty-four hours until there is nothing left. We can’t stop eating and showing and caring for our children, so how do we carve out time for our writing? We have to make it a priority. We have to put writing time on our schedules.

pouncerSurprises: So, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out (you worked out a writing schedule, you’ve met your daily word count goal every day for the past month), your writing comes to an abrupt halt. Your kids get the flu, your mom has surgery, you have to have a root canal, and your car breaks down, shattering your focus and making a mockery of your carefully scheduled writing time. Not all surprises are good. Illness, dental work (ouch), car problems, sick parents or children–these are issues that crop up from time to time. If you have four kids, there’s ALWAYS something going on that demands immediate attention. Things happen. You don’t always know what is lurking around the corner waiting to pounce, but you can still plan ahead for those inevitable days (or weeks) when the writing train might be derailed. Allow for surprises.

Marketing and Promotion: Yeah! Your first book has been released and you’re anxious to finish the second, but you haven’t had time to write in weeks. You’re so busy promoting Book One (interviews, giveaways, responding to fans, requesting reviews) you can’t seem to get as much writing done as you did before. Before my first book was published, I wrote five books in a eighteen month period of time. In the last year, I wrote one. Why? Because edits, revisions, promotion, marketing, platform building–all the things that make writing a business–took up a great deal of time. In order to finally finish a book, I had to reduce the time I spent on marketing. It takes practice to learn to balance marketing and writing. If you want your first book to be the only book you ever publish, then market away.  Devote every available moment to promoting your book. But, if you want to make writing a career, you have to find time to write. Remember: you have to write to be a Writer.

Distraction: Facebook, Twitter, The Voice, Grumpy Cat. There are so many, many, many things that can distract you. If you’re in Marketing and Promotion mode, you have to spend some time on Facebook and Twitter. It’s easy to just hang out there, talking to other authors, sharing Grumpy Cat pictures (guilty), or playing games. When the writing gets tough and the words don’t flow easily, I have a sudden ‘need’ to check my email or my messages on Facebook. Before I know it, I’ve allowed Facebook to hijack my whole day. When I have a writing goal I’m trying to reach, I force myself to write in spurts. For every twenty minutes I write, I allow myself ten minutes of Facebook/Twitter time. Childish, perhaps, but it works. Do what works for you. Defeat distraction and write!

Disappointment: Depression, frustration, and disappointment can erode your will to write. It isn’t easy being a Writer. Rejection letters, bad reviews, sluggish sales–we all face one (or all) of these at some point. It’s tough when you send your manuscript out on submission and receive a rejection form letter. It’s tough when someone leaves a bad review, or when your newly released book doesn’t take the world by storm. There are days you’ll wonder why you’re wasting your time. There are days when you’ll want to give up. If you wrote your book  for the sole purpose of making a huge amount of money, you’re writing for the wrong reason.

I’ll be honest. When I first started writing, I harbored a fantasy about landing an agent and a gazillion dollar publishing contract, complete with a movie deal and action figures. This has not materialized (yet). I could have given up after the first book, or the second, or the sixth. I’ve written six full-length novels and I am not (yet) a gazillionaire. But, I love writing. That’s why I write. That’s what makes me a Writer. The gazillion dollars would be icing on the cake, but if it never materializes, I still have the satisfaction of knowing I am a Writer. No one can take that away from me.

How you handle your Writing Obstacles will determine the course of your Writing Career. You can complain that you never have time to do anything for yourself–or you can turn off the television and write. You can lament all the bad luck that’s come your way–or you can write. You can give up after the first rejection letter and sit around whining about why the publishing industry isn’t fair and how you have to know somebody to make it in this world. Or, you can push all those negative feelings aside and write because you love it. Your choice. Me? I’m writing.

Categories: Advice for New Authors, author platform, book promotion, facebook, Favorites, life, promotion, twitter, Writerly Posts, writing, writing & publishing tips, writing resolutions | Tags: , , , , | 10 Comments

The Weird Wonderful World of Social Media

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Tricia Drammeh

Back in the Dark Ages (when I was a kid), we didn’t have cell phones, Facebook, the internet, or even computers. When I explain this to my kids, they ooh and ah and look at me like I’m a species from another planet. I’m sure they feel sorry for me that I grew up in such a deprived environment. Kids seem to soak up technology, absorbing complex instructions for the latest device by osmosis. Need to figure out how to use your new Smart Phone? Ask a ten-year-old. They’ll figure it out in five minutes. Having a difficult time understanding the complexities of Facebook? Ask a teenager. Not only can they set up your profile page in thirty seconds flat, they might even Friend you, but only if you promise not to ‘thirst up’ their Timeline by commenting on and liking their statuses. (Learned that the hard way.)

Up until two years ago, I didn’t have a Facebook account. Though I’d often heard of Twitter and Tweeting, I really didn’t understand what it was used for. Oh, how times have changed. I crawled out of Dark Ages and abandoned my cave drawings in favor of Social Media. (Yeah, my kids had to help me with Facebook, but I figured out Twitter on my own!)

There were times I muttered at my Facebook account, frustrated by the difficulties of uploading photos. There were month-long stretches where I didn’t log on to Twitter at all. But I’m past all that now. After patient (and not-so-patient) coaching by my teenagers, and about a million kitten pictures later, I’ve finally come to fully understand what Social Media is all about:

Procrastination!!!

Gone are the days when I’d fill those empty hours with cleaning and laundry. Now, I can’t possibly redirect my attention from my computer to the mound of towels waiting to be folded. I’m BUSY. You see, in my Dark Age mindset, computers equal work. Long ago, when computers were first introduced, they were only found in the workplace. I was twelve the first time I saw a computer. Our teacher wheeled one into our classroom on a big metal cart. It was huge and weird-looking, and while a few eager kids lined up, anxious to be one of the first to use it, I stayed in my desk. I was certain computers would never become mainstream. It was a passing fad. (Yes, I was a visionary. What can I say?) Back then, normal people didn’t have computers at home unless they were extravagantly wealthy. Even when PCs began to make their way into homes across America, a computer was a MAJOR purchase. Though millions of people spent time in chat rooms, I rarely touched the computer unless I had to. For me, computers equaled work.

  • Computer + Me = Work
  • Work = I’m Busy

I use these simple mathematical formulas to justify the dishes in the sink long past dinner time. In my mind, if my computer is on my lap, I’m working, which means I’m Busy. Right? Not so much. Sometimes, I’m writing or editing, in which case I’m actually working. Other times, I’m merely using the computer as a buffer between me and all the other things I should be doing. I’m hanging out on Twitter and Facebook and using Social Media as a way to procrastinate.

Let’s look at a few complex mathematical formulas, shall we?

  • Me + Social Media = Procrastination
  • Procrastination = Unwashed Dishes + Unfolded Laundry + Unmade Dinner + (4) Unfinished Works-in-Progress
  • (4) Unfinished Works-in-Progress = Self Loathing
  • Unmade Dinner = Unhappy Husband

Complicated, isn’t it? That’s why I never excelled in mathematics. By the way, my husband has a minor in Math, so he understands these equations perfectly (especially the last formula).

We all have to develop our own formulas when it comes to Social Media. For Writers, we have to make sure Social Media doesn’t get in the way of our work.

What’s your perfect formula? Do you limit the time you spend on Social Media?

 

 

 

 

Categories: author, blogging, computers, facebook, internet, social media, tricia drammeh, twitter, write about wednesday, writing | Tags: , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Best Marketing Advice Ever

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Tricia Drammeh

Over the past few months, I’ve stumbled upon some brilliant marketing advice thanks to the talented and incomparable Kristen Lamb. If you are a writer (published or aspiring) you must subscribe to her blog. If you’re looking for marketing advice, Kristen’s blog is the place to go. But, if you’re looking for a list of  loathsome marketing habits to avoid, well, I’ve got just what you’re looking for.

Before we go over the list, let me just remind you that I am not a marketing expert. I’ve never taken a single marketing class. But, I am a reader and a person who utilizes social media. I’ve seen some things – bad things. Things you should never, ever do unless your goal is to alienate potential readers. So, what are these bad, but easily avoidable marketing mistakes? Let take a look…

How To Alienate Potential Readers (and everyone else):

1. Blow Up My Facebook News Feed with Amazon Links: Facebook is an important part of any social media platform. It’s also a good place to find cute kitten pictures and useful links. Over the past two years, I’ve learned to update my status, comment on posts, and share links. Guess what else I learned to do? I’ve learned to avoid stuff I don’t want to see by unsubscribing. I’ve unsubscribed from friends, pages, and even groups. (Notice I didn’t say ‘unfriend’ or ‘unfollow.’ Unsubscribing is different because the person has no idea you’re no longer receiving their crap posts. It’s kinder than unfriending, but the end result is pretty much the same.)

Why the unsubscribing spree? Because sifting through the vast amount of spam I receive is exhausting. By the time I get to the good stuff, I’m ready for a nap. I’ll be honest. Compared to others I know, I don’t have a huge amount of Facebook friends. The number is well under three-hundred and only about half of those folks are authors. So, why am I receiving so much spam?

Here’s the scenario: You’re an author with a book (or several) to sell. You belong to about twenty-five indie-author groups, promo groups, or spamtastic link-blast groups thinly disguised as ‘book clubs.’ OMG, I belong to all those groups too! So, once a week, or once a day, or several times a day, you find it necessary to post your Amazon links to all twenty-five of these groups that we both belong to. Guess what? I just received twenty-five posts with your book links. Guess what else? I’m in a crabby mood, so I just hit the ‘unsubscribe’ button. Now I won’t have to endure the overwhelming deluge of links that keep blowing up my News Feed. The next time you publish a book, I’ll have no idea it even exists! It sucks, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take in order to de-clutter my News Feed.

Right now, you might be wondering: Is it me? Am I one of the author/friends she blocked? I have no idea. Because I’ve unsubscribed to so many people and pages lately, I have no clue who I’ve cut from my News Feed. But I can tell you this: my News Feed is way less overwhelming and I don’t have to wade through a filthy puddle of links in order to get to those beloved kitten pics. Which is great for me. Unfortunately, it’s not so great for you because you might know me as a fellow author, but I’m also a reader. A reader whom you have managed to alienate. And, if you’ve alienated me, you’ve probably alienated a lot of other people too. I’m not the only one who knows about the awesome power of the ‘unsubscribe’ button.

2. Post your buying links directly to my Facebook Timeline. This an offshoot of the previous rule, but definitely worth a mention. I’m happy to provide a platform for authors. That’s why I started the Authors to Watch site where I post interviews and guest posts. I also have an Authors to Watch Facebook group – you are free to post promotional material here. All you have to do is message me on Facebook or send me a friendly email, and I’ll interview you on my site. So, why must you post your Amazon buying links on my personal Facebook page? It isn’t appreciated, nor is it tolerated. Such posts are promptly deleted.

3. Spam Me on Twitter- Yuck. For me, Twitter is a landmine-dotted landscape of annoying links and ‘buy my book’ tweets. It’s okay to tweet links. We all do. I would even venture to say it’s okay to share links a few times a day. Twitter is different from Facebook, so you’ve got a bit more freedom. But, this does not give you permission to auto-spam (ever). It is never okay to automate your Tweets. And, it is never,ever, ever okay to send an automatic message to new followers telling them to buy your book, like your Facebook page, or follow your blog. Because I won’t buy, like, or follow – and neither will anyone else.

Twitter can often feel a bit more anonymous than Facebook. We tend to accumulate lots of followers, often without even trying. Anyone can follow you and you don’t have to follow them back. Twitter is really super cool for lots of reasons. Wanna guess what I like the most about Twitter? It’s easy to ignore. I don’t have to unsubscribe, or unfollow, or block annoying spammers. My eyes just skim right over my Twitter feed until I find someone or something interesting.

How do you avoid being skimmed over and ignored? Post something people want to read. Make friends, talk to people. Don’t treat all your followers as potential customers. No one likes to be treated that way.

Then there are these weird things called hashtags…I know I keep harping on Kristen Lamb, but seriously, she can explain the hashtag thing so much better than I can. To make a long and complicated story short, if you add five hashtags to your shameless pleas to buy your book, anyone who follows those same hashtags will receive the same shameless pleas five times in row. It’s kind of like the Facebook group problem. It’s annoying. And, it’s spam.

4. Substitute Engaging Blog Posts with Shameless Advertising: Blogging is fun. It’s a way to build your fan base without constantly shouting, “Buy my book” into cyberspace. It’s a good way to really connect with your readers by sharing funny stories, true-life embarrassing tales about your kids, recipes, movie reviews – you name it. So, why would you use your blog to spam? It’s okay to use your blog to advertise, but you need to do it in a subtle, less in-your-face way. Ideally, your blog should have buying links and other information about your books. You can add this information in the side column or even on a separate page tab. Some authors choose to add a buying link to the bottom of each post. Do what feels right to you. It’s smart to make sure the reader can easily access your book information if they should choose to do so.

Here’s what is NOT okay: Using your blog posts as advertising links. This blasts spam directly into your email subscribers’ in-boxes. It is only okay to do this under the following circumstances:

  • Your book was just released (I mean today or this week – if your book released six months ago and you’re still sending new-release posts every week, you should be condemned to the sixth circle of cyber-hell.)
  • Your book is available for free or at a special price for a limited period of time.
  • You are having a giveaway
  • You or your book have been featured in a special interview and you want to give a very public shout-out to the person who hosted your blog tour or reviewed your book.
I’m not telling you to avoid talking about your book. That would be silly. Your book is part of you and since it is your personal blog, of course your book is going to be a topic of conversation. Maybe you’d like to post an amusing excerpt from your novel. Or, you’d like to do a character interview. But if your blog is devoid of any other content, you won’t attract many readers. And, if post after post is nothing but a book blurb and a buying link, you can probably kiss your email subscribers goodbye.

5. Don’t Proofread Anything:  Put your best foot forward on Facebook, Twitter, your website/blog, and anywhere else readers might have an opportunity to sample your command of the written word. If your Facebook updates are riddled with spelling errors, your Tweets are unintelligible, or your blog posts would make an English teacher jump to her death, I probably won’t want to invest my time or money in your book. I’m not going to have confidence in your ability to tell a good story if you can’t manage to write a three paragraph blog post.

Note to smartphone owners: I don’t have a smartphone. I refuse to replace my craptastic phone that  is being held together with duct tape. But, it seems that nearly every day, I encounter some poor Facebook friend who has just posted a rather unfortunate update because their smartphone likes to autocorrect as they write. If you’re my friend, I know you can write. I know you didn’t mean to replace the word “feature” with “feces.” But, what about the potential reader who recently subscribed to your author page? How well do they know you? Will they want to continue to get to know you if you’re unwilling to take the time to double-check that status update before you hit ‘Post?’

Note to Website Owners: The other day, I stumbled across a link to an interesting article on Facebook. It claimed to offer marketing tips. I clicked on it and only read the first paragraph before my eyes traveled to the top of the screen and noticed the name of a page was misspelled. Not a word in the body of the post, but the actual page tab! As a reader, I’m willing to overlook an occasional missing word or misused semicolon in a post. Everyone is human. Heck, I make errors. I probably made some here in this very post. But, if you have a serious spelling error in your STATIC CONTENT, what message are you sending to your readers? That you’re too important to double-check your content for errors? Or, that your readers aren’t important enough for you offer them the best product possible?

6. Don’t take no for an answer. It’s fair to expect that some of our friends and family members will buy our newly released books. But, some won’t. I wish I could buy every book that appears on my Facebook News Feed, but I can’t. Sometimes it’s because I can’t afford to shop for books. Sometimes I’m afraid my husband will kill me if I purchase anything else from Amazon. Sometimes, your book just doesn’t appeal to me. Sorry. It isn’t because I don’t like you or because I don’t think you have amazing talent. But, there aren’t enough hours in the day to sleep, eat, take care of kids, work, write, and find time to read all the great new books available.

Not everyone will buy your book. That’s just how it is. No matter how many times a day you post a link to your book, some people still won’t be interested. Eventually, your links become annoying. Everyone knows you wrote a book. They know where to buy it. Now, it’s time to let it go.

Let’s look at our face-to-face behavior. Do you turn family reunions into sales opportunities? Have you ever asked a friend, “So, what did you think of my book? Did you buy it yet?” Please, please, please tell me you’ve never done these things. Despite my utter lack of marketing savvy, I’ve never pressured someone to buy my book. It’s tacky, it’s inappropriate, and it’s a good way to guarantee you’ll be blocked, unfollowed, unfriended, and eventually uninvited to family events.

Personal Note: 

I understand how frustrating it can be when you see everyone else spamming and link-blasting all over various social media platforms. You might begin to wonder if you should do the same. I’ve succumbed to the urge to post multiple links – we all have. I’ve tortured my Twitter followers with agonizing streams of short links. I’m not proud of this, but plan to do better.

Unless I have monumental news about my book, I’m going to keep posts about my book where they belong: on my Book’s Facebook page. I’d like to keep my personal Facebook page, well…personal. I want to have no-strings-attached friendships. I don’t want my friends and family to unsubscribe to my posts in an effort to avoid a non-stop advertising campaign.

As for a proactive marketing plan? Well, that’s a work in progress. My book is in the hands of reviewers. I’m going on a blog tour in January. And, most importantly, I’m writing each day, adding to my work count, honing my skills, and creating something I can be proud of.

Anyone care to join me on my quest to eliminate the plague of indie-author spam? If so, post your comments, suggestions, marketing tips, or crazy rants below.

Categories: blogging, blogs, book promotion, facebook, Favorites, kristen lamb, links, marketing, Marketing & Promotion, paranormal romance, social media, spam, tricia drammeh, twitter, writing, young adult fiction | Tags: , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Ten Deadly Sins of Building Your Author Platform

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Tricia Drammeh

It stands to reason that I’ve been a reader far longer than I’ve been a writer. I began writing two years ago at the age of thirty-nine, so I have way more experience as a consumer of books than I do as a manufacturer. So today, I’d like to approach my writer friends, not as a fellow author, but as a reader with numerous years of experience.

We’re going to discuss platforms and social media as it pertains to attracting readership. Just like me, I’m sure you’ve read loads of articles written by authors experienced in the art of social media, or blogs written by savvy social media consultants interested in gaining new customers.

What makes this article different? I’m lending my opinion as a READER. I do not claim to be an expert at all. As a matter of fact, I confess to committing some of the same sins I’ll be listing below. I’m a self-proclaimed social media slacker, but don’t let this deter you from taking my advice, because as a READER, I know what I look for in a blog or an author’s website. And, to all of you authors who might be squirming in your seats right now, wondering if I’ll name names or site examples, the answer is YES, but I’m only calling myself on the carpet today, so settle back, relax, and make a solemn vow never to commit any of these Social Media and Website Sins ever again:

Sin #1 The Sporadic Blogger—Here today, gone tomorrow, the sporadic blogger blogs twelve times a day at first because blogging is her cool new toy. But, like all children, she eventually tires of her new plaything, or perhaps she just runs out of things to say. Maybe she’s too busy to blog. Whatever the case may be, the sporadic blogger runs the risk of either frightening off readers due to the crushing burden of non-stop emails they’re receiving letting them know their ex-favorite author has blogged yet again, or they risk losing potential readers because their blog has been abandoned for so long, the reader thinks the author has either lost her password, or decided to give up writing to attend clown school.

Solution: Space out your blogs. Plan them ahead of time. If you suddenly find yourself extra wordy, write your blogs, but save them for a period of drought.

Sin #2 The Stagnant Site—You had a pretty good site—two years ago. Since your last update, you’ve moved twice, changed your contact information, switched publishers, and completed three new novels. All your links are broken and no one can get in touch with you. Potential readers believe you are dead, because what other reason would prevent you from updating your website for two years? If I visit your site and I see something that says, “My new novel is scheduled for release in August 2009,” I’m going to assume you’re either lazy or dead. I won’t be back.

Solution: Review your site every once in a while and update as needed.

Sin #3 Facebook Fermentation—I am so, so guilty of this. You started that cool Facebook page and bullied some of your friends to ‘like’ it. Now what? Social media is only useful if you’re social. In other words, be sure to use your Facebook page as a way to reach potential readers.

Solution: Update it often. Make it your own, whether that’s by adding excerpts of your novels every Wednesday, or by recommending other books in similar genre. Be social. (Yeah, I know: takes a slacker to know a slacker.)

Sin #4 The Tireless Tweeter—It took a while for you to warm up to Twitter, but now that you have…watch out followers!!! You tweet about everything, dozens of times a day. Or, worse, you tweet links all day long. Links to your books. Links to other books. Links to articles. Links to everything. Your day is one, long, endless tweet. It’s okay to send out a few links here and there, but you should be using Twitter to foster relationships with potential readers, not to send out an endless supply of shortlinks and drivel.

Solution: Stop the mindless Tweeting and try sending out information you think your readers might enjoy even if it means promoting someone else’s book for a change.

Sin #5 The Promoter from Hell—Your Facebook page and Twitter accounts are used for one purpose—to promote. To hell with friendships, to hell with the people you stepped over to get where you are today, it’s all about promotion. Read my book. Read my blog. Buy my book. Make me rich. Wait? Where did all my followers go?

Solution: Less is more. Stick to one promotional message per day.

Sin #6 The Casino—If things blink and flash at me when I visit your site, I will gape in horror for approximately five seconds before I leave, never to return again. Sure, some readers might like the flashy, casino-like atmosphere you’ve created on your site, but others will not. Do you want to risk alienating a potential reader by driving them away with your blinking lights?

Solution: Save the laser light show for the 4thof July and stop the blinking now!

Sin #7 Redneck Rummage Sale—When I lived in Georgia, I decided to check out a few garage sales. I pulled up in front of one house, only to discover it was not the site of a yard sale, but merely a big cluttered mess. Some garage sales are better than others; some are organized by category with clearly stated prices, while others look like the homeowners simply tossed everything they owned across their lawn in hopes someone would rescue it from the rubble. I’ve seen websites that closely resemble a redneck rummage sale, with badges and gadgets strewn about the home page. There are links and pictures absolutely everywhere, and information is clustered in such a way that it would take a team of archaeologists to sift through it and make any sense of it. In today’s fast paced, busy world, there aren’t many people who will take time to pick through your virtual vomit.

Solution: Clean it up and make it visually appealing.

Sin #8 The Billboard—We’ve all seen it. Darla’s House of Romance and Fried Chicken. Or, Lizzie’s YA Fantasy and Shoe Repair. Okay, so I’m exaggerating just a tad, but
we’ve all visited author sites that display paid advertisements. Maybe you do this. I’ve checked into it—hey, anything to make some extra money so I can quit the dreaded day job. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with it. It’s your site. Do what you want. But, consider the reader and his or her perception of your website or blog. While some readers might see paid advertising as a savvy effort to capitalize on your site, others might see it as a desperate attempt to make a bit of extra money so you can afford to quit the dreaded day job. Writing is a business, so if you want your readers to view you as a cunning businessperson, that is perfectly fine. But, if you want to be viewed as a master of literary fiction and a servant to the power of the written word, you might want to forgo the paid advertisements for businesses unrelated to the craft.

Solution: Decide how you would like to be perceived and go from there. There’s no right or wrong answer here.

Sin #9 The 30-Second Website—If your website is full of misspelled words and grammatical errors, if I click on a page or link and a window pops up that says “page not found,” if your site looks like you threw it together in 30 seconds, why would I want to spend more than 30 seconds visiting it? Chances are I won’t be there that long, nor will I try to follow your broken links to discover how I can buy your book. If you don’t care about your site, neither will your potential reader.

Solution: Take a few extra minutes to proofread your content and check your links.

Sin #10 The More, The Merrier—This one goes for websites, blogs, and Facebook pages. On Facebook, do you have an author page and pages for each one of your books? Some would call this a good marketing strategy, but if you’ve ever found yourself wanting to write a new book just so you could set up yet another Facebook page, you might have a problem. What’s wrong with multiple Facebook pages? So, so much. If you’re constantly asking people to ‘like’ some new page or another, they’re going to resent you. Do you have enough content for all twelve of your pages? Or, are you going to use the same tired update for all twelve pages? If you’ve somehow managed to coerce your friends into liking all twelve pages, guess what? They’ll receive twelve updates on their newsfeed with the exact same thing! See the problem?

Now, onto websites and blogs…Okay, I’ll admit I might have a small addiction to websites. I update my site (sites) too often, changing backgrounds and headers with an alarming frequency that might leave readers wondering if they’re on the right site at all because every time they visit, it looks drastically different. Sometimes I build sites just because I can. (I’m not proud of this.) So, here’s the problem with updating your site too often: it jars the reader if they see shocking changes every time they visit. They’ll think you’re indecisive or crazy or both.

Solution: Stop.

Before everyone attacks me with a list of all my sins against social media, look at your own blog, website, Facebook page, or Twitter habits. Are you without sin? Have you struck the perfect balance between creating an author platform and creating a nuisance of yourself? I know I haven’t. It’s a work in progress. As an author, I’m a novice. But, as a READER, I’m a pro.

Categories: author platform, authors, blogging, blogs, facebook, Favorites, internet, marketing, Marketing & Promotion, sins, tricia drammeh, twitter, websites, work, writing | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

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