May 09, 2015

More Hashtags for Writers

May 09, 2015/ Heather Weidner

Here are some great hastags for writers. (The hashtag is also known as the octothorp, pound sign, number sign, or tic-tac-toe board for those from other generations.)

For additional exposure and conversations, make sure to include one or two with your tweets. But don't overdo it.

If you don't see your genre, use Twitter's search feature to find thousands more.

#AmEditing
#AmRevising
#AmWriting
#ArchiveDay
#Author
#Author RT (Author Retweet)
#Blog
#BookMarketing
#BookWorm
#Books
#Editing
#GetPublished
#GreatReads
#IndieAuthors
#IndiePub
#Mystery
#Promocave
#PromoTip
#Reading
#ShortStory
#WeekendBlogHop
#WeekendCoffeeShare
#WIP (Work in Progress)
#WordCount
#WriteGoal
#WriteMotivation
#WritingBlitz
#WritingPrompt
#WritingTips
#WWWBlogs

These hashtags are tied to specific days.

#Caturday (For Cat Lovers on Saturdays)
#FlashbackFriday
#FF (Follow Friday)
#FollowFriday
#FridayReads
#IndieTuesday
#IndieThursday
#MondayBlogs
#StoryFriday
#SundayBlogShare
#TeaserTuesday
#TBT (Throwback Thursday)
#ThrowbackThursday
#TipTuesday
#WW (Writer Wednesday)
#WriterWednesday

May 09, 2015

10 Cool Tools for Authors

May 09, 2015/ Heather Weidner

Here are some useful websites that I've used recently. They're great for writers...

Dictionaries and Such

Acronym Finder is great to translate acronyms.
AmosWeb has thousands of definitions for economic terms.
NetLingo will help you stay hip to internet and chat terms.
Computing Fundamentals has a great list of computer, technical, and geek terms.

Research

Bartleby is the site for literary references, author information, and quotes.
Library Spot is a centralized reference center.
IPL is the Internet Public Library.
The Post Office has a Zip Code finder.
The Social Security Administration has a list of the top baby names for each year. This is great for choosing character names.
Adobe's Kuler allows you to choose a color and it provides palettes of color combinations. This is great if you're working on a brochure or website.

May 01, 2015

What I Learned from David Casullo about High-Energy Cultures

May 01, 2015/ Heather Weidner

I read a lot of books on leadership and customer service. David Casullo's Leading the High-Energy Culture is a good reference for new or seasoned managers. But his life lessons also apply to writers. Here's what I learned...

1. "Raise the Bar" should be your rallying cry for yourself and your team.

2. Energize those around you.

3. Communicate clearly and with purpose and passion.

4. Behave consistently with your values and beliefs.

5. Know the lay of the land at your organization and adapt as you need to.

6. A successful leader demonstrates Character, Commitment, Competence, Courage, and Communication.

7. People are fascinated with secrets and mysteries. As a mystery reader and writer, this was my favorite.

8. Focus on face-to-face interactions. Important information should be delivered face-to-face and not through email or texts.

9. Communication is an art and a science.

10. Simple is hard. People don't have time for elaborate explanations. It takes longer to craft your communication for your audience.

11. When people remember your story, they remember the point, and they remember you.

May 01, 2015

What I Learned from Starbucks and Joseph Michelli

May 01, 2015/ Heather Weidner

My niece landed a job recently in a Starbucks, and it was interesting to hear about life as a new barista. Coincidentally, I finished Joseph A. Michelli's Leading the Starbucks Way: 5 Principles for Connecting with your Customers, Your Products, and Your People. Check out his website and blog.

1. Love, Humanity, and Humility should be your performance drivers.

2. If you don't have passion for your product or service, why should your customer?

3. Your customer service behaviors should include anticipating, connecting, personalizing, and owning.

4. You need to cherish and challenge your legacy. It's not just today's sale.

Michelli's book focuses on customer service and leadership, but the advice works for writers who are trying to market their work.

May 01, 2015

It's Batman Day!

May 01, 2015/ Heather Weidner

Grab your utility belt, it's Batman Day! "Gotham" is one of my favorite shows on TV.

April 26, 2015

My First RavenCon...

April 26, 2015/ Heather Weidner

I had the pleasure of presenting "Adding Mystery to Your Writing" with Mary Miley this weekend at RavenCon in Richmond, VA.

This was my first Con. I enjoyed talking to a variety of people about their writing and reading interests. And the vendors had anything you could imagine from the fantasy, science fiction, and horror worlds.

#PoeGirl, Kris Mehigan, did a panel on the Raven Society at the University of Virginia and the Poe Toaster. And afterwards Chris Semtner, from the Poe Museum in Richmond, joined the conversation.

Sadly, I didn't have more time to attend the Klingon party or the costumed event on Saturday evening. It was a lot of fun, and many thanks to the fans who welcomed a group of mystery writers to their event.