5 Tools to Help You with Your Social Media

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I am often overjoyed and overwhelmed with all the social media platforms that are now part of my everyday life. I want my posts to be strategic, but I also want to be well, social -- to share information and to promote other authors. It can take up a lot of time, and it can get out of control if not managed.

Here are some tools I've found that can help. Some are free, and others are subscription-based.

1. I use Tweepi (a paid subscription) to manage Twitter followers. I've found there are lots of accounts that follow you, and then unfollow you as you reciprocate. I use Tweepi to clean up there and to remove inactive accounts. To me, it's well worth the subscription to keep my followers organized.

2. I downloaded the Followers+ app for my phone. It has a paid upgrade, but right now, I'm using the free version. I use this to clean up Instagram followers. When I post pictures, I pick up quite a few followers, but many disappear after a few days. This app lets you see those who don't follow you and allows you to unfollow them.

3. I love Canva. There are many free options to create graphics for your social media posts and web graphics. Social media posts with graphics/visuals get more attention. I've used it to create logos too. You can purchase backgrounds and specialty items, but the free version usually works for me.

4. I use the free version of Tweetdeck to schedule tweets throughout the week (during work hours and in the wee hours of the morning). With the free version, I can't do a bulk load of tweets, but that's okay. I try not to schedule hundreds for the week. I look at my metrics on Twitter and try to target the times that my readers tend to be active.

5. Bitly is a great tool for reducing URLs. (On Twitter, every character counts.) I can choose my own URL or use a random one they provide. I use this for posts to all my social media sites. If I save the shortened URL, I can see how many clicks its received on the Bitly dashboard.

What other tools would you recommend?

9 Things I Learned about Hosting a Twitter Party

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My author pal, Kristin Kisska, was my partner in crime when we organized and planned a Twitter party for our mystery anthology, 50 Shades of Cabernet. She provided great ideas and insights. I had never attended one before. Here's what I learned...

  1. Agree on a hashtag for your event and include it in all your marketing. Ours was #50SoC. Participants searched for that hashtag and followed along with all our tweets and contests.
  2. You may want to search your hashtag choice to see what others are using it for. Will it fit your brand? Chances are, you won't get a hashtag that's yours alone, but you could get lucky.
  3. For contests, assign everyone who's hosting the party a number. When they ask a question for their give-away, they need to preface their tweet with Q and their number. (Example: If I am number 1, my question tweet would be Q1: What is your favorite....) Anyone who wants to participate in the give-away, tweets A and the correct number. This helps the hosts easily identify the participants.
  4. Choose a couple of hours for your party. Long timespans are hard unless you have lots of folks hosting and tweeting. Make sure to keep time zones in mind when scheduling. We had multiple authors sign up for 30-minute hosting timeslots. It made it easier. And some hung around for the entire event.
  5. Make sure that you have some topics planned for discussion. You'll want to keep the conversation going, and you'll want to have material to fill in the lulls. We were promoting our mystery anthology that was wine-themed. We talked about mysteries, sleuths, wines, and our stories.
  6. Start publicizing your event early. Include the time, time zone, and hashtag. Make sure you market it on multiple social media sites (multiple times).
  7. Be social. Make sure to include as many folks as possible in the conversation.
  8. If you're doing give-aways, decide on the rules up front (e.g. who picks the winner? how do you pick a winner?) We let each author who gave away a gift decide how he/she wanted to choose the lucky person.
  9. If you're doing give-aways, choose prizes that are easy (and inexpensive) to mail. I get a lot of my give-away on Etsy.  I've found cute bookish wine charms, stickers, and buttons there.

When you see an interesting Twitter party, stop in and visit. The conversation is good, and you may even win a prize. Happy Tweeting!

 

 

20 Things I Learned about Specialized Law Enforcement in Virginia

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Recently, Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia hosted a specialized law enforcement panel with officers from CSX Railroad, the Virginia Alcohol Beverage and Control Board, and the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries. Their jobs and jurisdictions are unique, and I picked up some good information for future mysteries. Here are a few things I learned.

  1. The railroad police began with the Pinkerton guards. Allan Pinkerton was also the Father of the Secret Service.
  2. All of these law enforcement agencies work closely with other local, state, and federal groups. They are often involved in special task force efforts.
  3. Railroad tracks are on private property. If you're on them, you're already trespassing.
  4. A lot of modern shipping (retail, HAZMAT, and military) goes by rail.
  5. Train riders (stow-aways) often tag the railroad cars to leave messages for others in their community. Hopping trains is illegal. If caught, you could receive a ticket or be arrested.
  6. If you have an issue or an emergency at a railroad crossing, look for the blue sign at the gate. It has a contact number. If you're stuck on the tracks, notify the railroad authorities on that sign. They can notify any oncoming trains.
  7. Technology helps with safety (e.g. camera on trains and sensors on the tracks).
  8. It takes time to stop a train. A train hits a car with the force that a car would hit a soft drink can. If you get stuck on the tracks, get away from the car.
  9. Trains are quieter now (except for the whistle). If you're on the tracks (and if you have headphones on), you might not hear it.
  10. Virginia prohibition enforcement began in 1934.
  11. Currently there is an exhibit on alcohol and Prohibition at the Library of Virginia. It's called "Teetotalers and Moonshiners." It runs through December 2017.
  12. In the past ABC officers were called revenuers.
  13. If you're interested in the history of moonshine, check out the National Geographic's documentary. A lot of it was set in Virginia.
  14. Game wardens became Conservation Police Officers in 2007 in Virginia.
  15. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries uses science to determine the wildlife populations across the Commonwealth. They decide if hunting/fishing numbers need to be increased or decreased to protect natural populations.
  16. Virginia's Game and Inland Fisheries just celebrated its centennial. For more information, check out its YouTube channel.
  17. Curtilage is the maintained area around a house. This is usually the boundary of where they can search unless there are special circumstances.
  18. Baiting for hunting is illegal in Virginia. Often you will see corn on the ground (deer) or peanut butter on trees (bears) to attract animals.
  19. Blaze pink will be an official safety color in addition to blaze orange.
  20. Coyotes are not native to Virginia, and there are no bag limits on them. If you hunt and fish in Virginia check their publications or website for licensing and restrictions.

50 Book Bloggers to Follow on Twitter

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My 2017 Wine Tour - Stop #3 - The Rosemont Vineyards and Winery in LaCrosse, VA

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The 50 Shades of Cabernet authors signed books yesterday at the Rosemont Vineyards and Winery's Art Festival. The house and grounds are lovely. We met so many new friends, and I bought a bottle of their Virginia Red for Father's Day.

The vendors had so many beautiful arts and crafts. And a lot of the lake people (Lake Gaston, Kerr Damn, and Buggs Island) brought their dogs for a stroll. Add this one to your list.

Here's what I learned on this stop of my summer wine tour. Wine Away (Red Wine Stain Remover) is wonderful. One of the gals spilled wine on her shirt. The stain was gone after she used this. My writer friend, Ellery Adams, said that it has saved her couch cushions before.

I'm enjoying my wine tour this summer, and for a girl who used to buy wine in a box, I'm learning a lot. Some of our writers will be at the Williamsburg Winery next Saturday. Stop in and see them.

7 Things Writers Need to Know about Cybersecurity

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Recently, I attended RVASec, a cybersecurity conference in Richmond, VA. Mikko Hyponnen of F-Secure was the keynote speaker. He is also the curator for the Malware Museum at the Internet Archive. He focused on where we've been and what's next with technology. He also talked about vulnerabilities and things we need to be aware of in this every-changing world.

Here are seven things I learned from his presentation:

  1. We've experienced the Internet revolution. Right now, we're experiencing the Internet of Things (IoT) revolution. There are thousands of smart devices out there, and you need to consider security. He said that the next big revolution will be Artificial Intelligence (AI). I'm not sure I'm ready for the rise of the machine just yet.
  2. The first case of ransomeware happened in 1989. I thought it would be in the late 90s or 2000s. Cybercrimes have been around for a while.
  3. He reiterated this point several times. DO NOT CLICK on the ENABLE content button on websites. He called this the "please infect by PC" button.
  4. "Data is the new oil." You will not be able to avoid smart devices. Soon, anything that plugs in will have some kind of smart of computer component. He gave lots of examples like smart mattresses and smart lightbulbs. And these devices are sending data and analytics about your use of them back to the manufacturer.
  5. Appliances and other smart devices (that we don't think of as computers) will come with software licensing agreements and configuration instructions. Anything that runs on electricity will eventually be connected to the Net.
  6. Your smart devices (cameras, lightbulbs, thermostats, etc.) are vulnerable. If you take it out of the box and plug it in without reading the instructions and checking the security settings, you could be susceptible to hacks or attacks. (If you can turn a camera on or unlock a door with your phone, so can a hacker.)
  7. Make sure that you set strong passwords on your devices. Things that are easy to remember are also easy to hack.

I love new technology and gadgets, but I think it's also good to have a healthy awareness of some of the dangers of lax security. What's your favorite smart device?

Selecting Book Appearances - It's Not All ROI

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I have a writer friend who chooses all of her appearances, conferences, and events by how many books she thinks she'll sell. She calculates her transportation costs and expenses, and then makes her decision on whether or not to attend. I admire her attention to detail - down to her mileage spreadsheets.

Writing/publishing is a business, and authors need to treat their time, resources, and expenses in those terms, but a strict return on investment (ROI) may overlook some tangential or long-term benefits. I've done some smaller events or events where we didn't sell that many books, but I did gainother benefits and opportunities. Here are some examples:

At a small, independent book store, I met two women who later invited me to be on a panel at their group's writing conference.

At a school-sponsored book fair, I met several folks who had an interest in mysteries and joined our local chapter of Sisters in Crime. Both are active members now in our organization.

At an outdoor festival, we met a local DJ who asked us to do interviews for his radio station.

I also collect email addresses and contacts at every event. This expands my audience for newsletters and announcements.

I love to talk to school groups and colleges. These don't usually lead to direct sales, but every kid gets a bookmark. It's important to encourage others, especially young talent. And as a student, I had authors who took the time to visit my schools.

I try a lot of events. I like opportunities to network and talk about my book. I am very fortunate that I'm part of several writing groups and anthology groups. We're often asked to provide panels, workshops, and authors for special events. And we partner at events and book signings. There is nothing worse than sitting in a book store all by yourself.

My guidelines for choosing events are:

  1. I don't have to do every event that comes along.
  2. I should enjoy the events I choose to attend. If I don't, I can skip it next year.
  3. Do I have the availability? I need to make sure that I have time to write the next book. My free time is limited, and I can't be on the road every weekend.

What advice to you have for choosing book marketing events?

100 Writerly Bookish Types You Need to Follow on Twitter

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Twitter is an amazing site for research and building relationships. And there are so many great writers, editors, agents, and book bloggers out there. Here is my list of 100 tweeters that you need to check out. Happy tweeting!

  1. Alan Orloff
  2. Ally Shields
  3. Annie Acorn
  4. Art Taylor
  5. Barb Goffman
  6. Bill Crider
  7. Bits About Books
  8. BOLO Books
  9. Book Blogger April
  10. Book Bloggers Intn.
  11. Book Celebration
  12. Book Reviews Geek
  13. Book Swag
  14. Books and Spoons
  15. Carole Colbert
  16. Celebrate with a Book
  17. Colleen
  18. Cozy Chicks
  19. Creatures 'n Crooks
  20. Cynthia Kuhn
  21. Cyrus Webb
  22. Deborah Coonts
  23. Diane Vallere
  24. Dru
  25. Edith Maxwell
  26. Elaine Viets
  27. Eleanor Cawood Jones
  28. Ellen Byron
  29. Ellery Adams
  30. Enrique Gonzales
  31. Fiona Quinn
  32. G. M. Malliet
  33. Gigi Pandian
  34. Halli Ephron
  35. Hank Phillipi Ryan
  36. James River Writers
  37. Jeanne Adams
  38. Jenny Milchman
  39. Jim Jackson
  40. Judging More Than the Cover
  41. Julie Valerie
  42. Jungle Reds
  43. Kait Carson
  44. Kat Stiles
  45. Kris Spisak
  46. Krista Davis
  47. Kristi Tuck Austin
  48. Kristin Kisska
  49. Kristin Wright
  50. Larissa Reinhart
  51. Leah St. James
  52. Lelia G
  53. Linda Hill
  54. Lisa Haselton
  55. Liz Gavin
  56. Lori Caswell
  57. Lori Rader-Day
  58. Lyn Brittan
  59. LynDee Walker
  60. Maggie King
  61. Mary Behre
  62. Mary Burton
  63. Mary Feliz
  64. Mary Miley
  65. Midsummer Reads
  66. Mollie Cox Bryan
  67. Mrs. Blogg's Books
  68. Mysteristas
  69. Nancy Cohen
  70. Nancy Naigle
  71. Pat Concodora
  72. Pizzazz Book Promo
  73. Promocave
  74. Rachel Thompson
  75. Rachelle Gardner
  76. Read Your Writes
  77. Readers Gazette
  78. Reading Sanctuary
  79. Rhys Bowen
  80. Rosemary Shomaker
  81. Rosemary Stevens
  82. Sacha Black
  83. Shawna C
  84. Sherry Harris
  85. Sisters in Crime
  86. Sparkle Abbey
  87. Stacy Juba
  88. Stephen Bentley
  89. Susan M. Boyer
  90. Suze Lavender
  91. Suzie81Blog
  92. Terry Tyler
  93. The Bookshelf Café
  94. The Wicked Cozy
  95. Thrill Writing
  96. Tina Glasneck
  97. Truth about Books
  98. Vivian Lawry
  99. Whispering Stories
  100. And me... (Heather Weidner) I'd love to see what you're tweeting...