What I Learned about Book Promotion from Jane Friedman

If you have not heard of Jane Friedman, you need to visit her website and blog. She is a wealth of information on book promotion and the publishing industry (traditional and indie). I recently had the pleasure of hearing her speak at the Virginia Romance Writers' meeting in Central Virginia.

Here's what I learned from  her about book promotion.

1. Your book cover is key. It must fit your genre. If you're writing a series, the books need to look like they're in the same family.

2. Check out the BookBub blog. It contains a lot of good information for authors.

3. The description of your book on the book cover should be your hook. It should be short with multiple paragraphs. Make it easy to read.

4. Look at your book's description on Amazon. Your key information should be above the "read more" link.

5. If you're looking for keywords in your genre, find a similar book to yours on Goodreads. Select the book. Then look over on the right for the See Top Shelves link. This shows you the search words that people used for this work.

6. Make sure you have a biography and headshot for your Amazon author account (and that they are current). Claim all of your books, link all of your social media, and attach your blog to this account.

7. When you're coming up with your description and keywords, think like a reader. She gave an example of an author who described her books in a unique way. But the terminology wasn't standard, and her books weren't appearing in searches. Friedman recommended to Google the term to see if it comes back in a standard search.

8. There are two types of Amazon ads, sponsored products and product displays. Read Amazon's advertising information for details of each and to see what best fits your marketing campaign.

Check out Friedman's blog and newsletters. The information is invaluable to authors.

What I Learned from Jane Friedman about Author Platforms

I attended a presentation by Jane Friedman at the Virginia Romance Writers' meeting. Friedman is a wealth of knowledge about book marketing and the publishing industry. Check out her website, blog, and newsletters. It's well worth your time.

Here's what I learned about author platforms.

1. As a writer, your platform grows out of your body of work. Your website and blog should be the center of this. Also, your website and blog should be on the same website.

2. Use your website, blog, newsletter, and your social media sites to build readership. Your platform is not just your social media sites.

3. Know who your readers are. It shouldn't be "the whole world." You need to be narrow and focused (e.g. cozy mystery readers, romantic suspense, etc.). She described this with a funnel diagram. It's wide at the opening, but you want to narrow it down at the bottom to your specific readers. Those are the folks you need to focus on.

4. Identify authors who are similar to you. Look at their websites, blogs, and Amazon author pages. See how they brand themselves.

5. The key is to build your audience. Readers like interaction and engagement.

6. Plan your give-aways strategically. These should be lead magnets (to generate new leads and new readers). Afterwards, look back to see how successful the contest was.

7. Be patient. It takes a while to grow an audience. Keep writing.

8. Check out Wattpad and Instapoets on Instagram. These are two interesting ways to promote writing.

9. Make sure your posts and newsletters reflect you and your personality. Talk to your readers on a personal level.

10. Make sure your name, tagline, and brand are clear on all your sites. Make sure that your website is linked to all of your social media sites.

11. Friedman suggested that you have a separate page on your website for each book to optimize your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Make sure you include buy buttons for all key retailers.

12. Make sure your website has a clean presentation. The most important thing should be the biggest and be first. All things on your front page shouldn't be of equal size/importance.

13. It takes time to find the right approach for you. This is a continual process that you'll refine over time.

14. Show up every day and be engaged.

15. Build your body of work. 

l to r: Lee Wells, Me, Cynthia Price, Maggie King, Jane Friedman, Frances Aylor, Fiona Quinn, and Tina Glasneck

Twitter 101 for Writers

I am grateful for my writer friends who helped me get started with Twitter many years ago. (Thank you, Krista Davis!)  In the beginning it was a bit confusing, and frankly, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Here are my Twitter 101 notes for people who are thinking about venturing out into the Twittersphere.

1. This is a social media platform, and conversations are encouraged. The goal isn't to post a few things and leave. Interaction is key. If you can't stay glued to it for hours, check back in occasionally and respond to conversations.

2. Tweets with pictures tend to get more attention that those that are just text.

3. Make sure to include a link to other content (e.g. websites, Facebook, blogs, etc.) to publicize your content or events. Use sites like Bitly or Ow.ly to shorten long URLs before you post them. (Sites like these allow you to post a large URL or path, and it will shorten it for you, so it won't take up all your space in a tweet.)

4. Use meaningful hashtags (e.g. #, pound sign, number sign). This allows people to follow specific hashtags to find your content. If I have a blog post on writing tips, I look for hashtags that would apply. Type # and then word, and Twitter will provide a list of commonly used ones. Make sure that you don't space between words (e.g. #WriterWednesday, #WritingTips #BookMarketing).

5. Remember the 80/20 rule when you do your book publicity. Twenty percent or fewer of your tweets should be "buy my book." Twitter is a social media platform for information sharing and conversations.

6. Celebrate others' successes and promote others with "likes" and "retweets." Retweets help spread the word.

7. Comment (reply) to others' tweets. This increases the engagement.

8. If you tweet about someone, tag them in a tweet. Type @ and their Twitter name. Type the @ and their name (no spaces), and Twitter will provide a list for you to choose from. For example, I'm @HeatherWeidner1. They will get a notification that you tagged them in a tweet. This provides them an easy way to reply or retweet.

9. If you see tweets with "Q" or "A" at the beginning, this is a Twitter party or Twitter chat. The moderator posts a question that's usually numbered (e.g. Q1, Q2, etc.). Then those who reply, type A and the corresponding number to keep the conversations organized. For example: Q1: What kind of dog to you have? A1: Two crazy Jack Russell Terriers. #dogs #JackRussells.

10. If you have an event that you're marketing, you may want to create your own hashtag. For example, I'm part of the Virginia is for Mysteries anthology series, and we use #VIFM in our tweets. When I want to see related tweets, I search for #VIFM, and I see anything that uses that hashtag. Note: You're not the only one using these hashtags. I always search for a hashtag before I use it to see what kind of posts are already there.

11. If you look at your Twitter analytics, you'll see numbers of impressions for weeks and months. Impressions are engagements on tweets that you send. This includes all interactions and replies. It's showing you how effective you are at reaching others.

12. Use Twitter analytics to see what kinds of interactions your tweets are generating. This shows number of likes, retweets, interactions, and link clicks within a certain amount of time. If you look at this periodically, you can see what types of tweets are getting the most attention.

13. Find accounts for people with interesting tweets. See who they follow and who follow them. You can follow their followers to add their tweets to your newsfeed.

14. I use TweetDeck (free version) to schedule tweets throughout the day. There are lots of schedulers. If you tweet regularly, see what works for you. I schedule things during the day and in the early morning hours. This helps me reach folks in different time zones.

15. I use Tweepi (paid version) to help me manage my followers. Sometimes, people follow you, and then they drop you after you've followed them back. Tweepi allows me to see accounts that aren't active and other metrics. It also suggests people to follow based on my interactions.

16. You can block others from your account if there's a need. You can also report issues to Twitter. 

17. You can send direct messages to others. These are private messages that don't appear on newsfeeds publicly. If needed, you can delete these messages. A lot of accounts send direct messages when you follow them. I don't send automated messages because I tend to ignore them unless it's someone trying to get in touch with me.

18. Some accounts use tools like TrueTwit to validate followers. If you follow them, you may get a direct message from the application. If you don't validate, then you're not following that person. 

19. Accounts with a tiny blue circle/checkmark by the name are Twitter validated accounts. It tells readers that they have the real account. There are a lot of fan and made up accounts out there. So unless there's this symbol by the account name, chances are the royal family really isn't following you.

20. You will get a lot of comments (replys) to what you post (good, bad, and ugly). Here's my two cents. You, as an author, are your brand. And posts on the Internet live forever (even if you delete them). If I find myself getting agitated or angry, I step back and take a minute or two to reread my response before I fire it off. I've always been told by social media experts to remind yourself, "Are you okay if this post is read in court?" and "Would you be okay to see this post on the front page of the paper?"

21. My newsfeed is cluttered with so many posts, that I don't always see folks that I'm interested in. I make Lists. When you add someone to your list, he/she gets a notification. (You can elect to remove yourself from a list if you' don't like the content.) You can make lists private or public. When I want to see posts from those people, I click on the list. You can also join others' public lists. I have different lists of authors who I follow.

22. When you go to classes or conferences, they often have a hashtag for the event for live tweeting, sharing of ideas, and pictures. This is a great way to meet speakers and other attendees. (Live tweeting is tweeting during an event. Sometimes, someone is assigned this task to tweet about the event as it's going on.)

23. I use Twitter for research (a lot). I'll post a question with some relevant hashtags, and you'd be surprised at all the help you get. Writers, this is a great way to find experts in certain areas. People are usually very willing to help and to answer questions.

24. Be polite. Thank and recognize people who help you or retweet you. 

What else would you add to the list? What was foreign to you when you started tweeting?

Avoiding the Distractions - Tips for Writers

There are so many distractions these days. A recent article by NBC News reported that students feel they need to check their phones about every two minutes. Like it or not, we're in a world where we are bombarded with data, alerts, pictures, and emails. It happens all the time. I grab my phone or tablet to check something, and I find myself an hour later cruising the Internet and looking at funny pet videos. Between work and home, I get about 500 emails a day. Your productivity is affected by the distractions and interruptions. Here are some ideas to help you focus on your writing.

1. I heard an interview recently with Woodward and Bernstein, and they declare an Internet Sabbath from time to time to get their writing done. They'll pick a block of time where they turn off the distractions and write.

2. Set aside a specific time for checking email and social media feeds. When that time is up, shut it down and get back to your writing.

3. Writing, editing, and proofreading are hard work, and you do need to get up and move around from time to time. Just don't let the breaks take over the work time. I have a writer friend who uses an egg timer to alert her when physical and Internet breaks are over.

4. Look at all the applications and websites that notify you of something. Pare them down and turn off unnecessary alerts and notifications. 

5. Clean up your email box. Create folders and rules for notifications that you don't need to read immediately. Keep your email box organized and tamed. It takes more time to go in and review/delete hundreds of emails. Unsubscribe to unnecessary feeds that clutter your inbox.

6. Turn off your phone or leave it in another room for a set period of writing time. If it's not there, you're tempted less.

7. Keep your physical writing space organized. If you can find the things you need, you spend less time cleaning up, organizing, or searching for that one important sticky note.

8. I have never tried any of the applications, but there are quite a few out there that will monitor your Internet time and let you know how much you're spending on what sites. There are also other applications that will limit or block you from websites. If you've tried them, let me know how they work.

What else works for you? I'd love to hear from you.

Pets in My Stories

Pets are family, and they play a huge part in our lives. My husband and I share our home with two crazy Jack Russell Terriers, Disney (the brunette) and her brother Riley. They hang out in the office when I write. They also listen when I plot story lines or read dialog aloud. So it's quite natural that they'd be a part of my stories.

Margaret the Bulldog is the sidekick to my sleuth's partner. She has a starring role in Secret Lives and Private Eyes and The Tulip Shirt Murders. Margaret is a brown and white log with legs. She's not much security around the office, but she's good company. She's also the slobber queen, and her two favs are snacking and napping. Margaret is Duncan Reynold's constant shadow, and she likes riding shotgun in his Tweetybird yellow Camaro. (Secret Lives and Private Eyes also features a pair of Alpacas, Joe and Myrtle.)

I'm working on a novella called, Moving on. It should be out later this year. This cozy features a little Jack Russell named Darby who uncovers the murder. She's based on my JRT Disney. Darby is a bundle of energy who likes walks, games of rope tug, snuggles, and lots of treats. I have another novel in progress, and it has a JRT named Bijou. Disney was also the model for her. Riley's feeling a little slighted, so I'll have to base the next dog on him.

My short stories also have dogs and cats. They're such an integral part of our world. If you like books with pets, check out the blog, Pens, Paws, and Claws. I blog with nine other talented, pet-loving authors. Stop by to see their latest adventures.

What type of pets do you like to read about?

How Social Media Analytics Can Help Authors

Analytics and numbers are important. They can tell you a story about your social media footprint and what your readers are seeing (or not seeing). Sometimes, as an author, we get too wrapped up in writing and marketing that we don't watch our metrics and see what they are telling us.

Blog/Websites - I look at my website/blog analytics at least daily. This tells whether or not the site is getting active traffic. My website has a new geographic feature that shows me on a world map where my visitors are coming from. That helps when I want to target ads to my readers. Plus, it's really cool and humbling to see all the readers from different countries.

These numbers will tell you if your blog promotions are working. You can see the date/time when users hit your site. This also gives you a clue for days/times that are best for your posts. Most of my North American readers are active between 7:00 and 10:00 PM. My European readers are active between 12:00 AM and 2:00 AM (my time). 

Over time (and that's the key; you need to build up several months' worth of information), the popular content metrics will tell you what posts and pages draw the most viewers (and which do not). Keep this in mind when you revamp your site. You can also see which types of blog posts are more popular too. Do more of what gets attention. Cut out what's being ignored.

Facebook - As you increase your page likes on Facebook, you get access to more analytics on your fan/author page. Click Insights to see the information. You can see traffic and how many people your posts reached. In the middle of the page, you can see your most recent posts and the number of people you reached organically (without advertising) and through paid ads or boosts. I typically check these analytics before, during, and after an ad campaign or a post boost. 

Twitter - To see your Twitter analytics, click the Tweet Activity link on your home page. It shows the number of tweets (Tweet Count) and your impressions. An impression is a tweet that generates interactions/replies. Change the date range to see information for different time periods.

There are smaller graphs on the site that depict your number of interactions, link clicks, retweets, likes, and replies. This information shows you what type of content is generating interaction. And this can help you reconfigure your content to subjects that create more activity. You will see whether tweets with pictures/videos or specific hashtags generate more activity.

Numbers tell a story, and I think they're important. I just don't recommend you spend excessive time fretting over them. (You have your next book to write.) You will lose and gain followers. It happens. You'll post something that you think is brilliant and get no responses. Then other times, you'll post something benign, and it goes viral.  I look at posts that generate a lot of traffic and try to craft future posts like them. I also at my posts to ensure that they are not all "buy my book." "Social" is the key to social media. Authors who are successful on their social media sites know how to interact, comment, share information, and share others' celebrations.

Happy posting. Look me up on social media.

What I Learned from "Defining Your Personal Brand"

I recently attended a workshop about "Defining Your Personal Brand." The focus was your brand in the physical and digital worlds. And it's great advice for authors. Here's what I learned:

1. You need to be authentic in how you present yourself and with all your posts.

2. Be aware of your appearance, your communications, and your nonverbal communications because that's how people perceive you.

3. The goal is to connect with others. Make people feel comfortable around you. Your non-verbal cues have a lot to do with this. Are you friendly? Are you approachable? Are you confident?

4. A lot of body language is subconscious. Often the person doesn't know he/she is projecting cues. One example is facing the door when you're ready to leave. 

5. When you smile, you appear confident to others.

6. Keep a mirror by your phone. People can tell by your voice if you're smiling.

7. Smiling and laughing are good for the heart.

8. People tend to frown when they are thinking or concentrating on something. Be aware. Others see it as a frown.

9. It is important to call people by name.

10. When you make eye contact, you appear trustworthy.

11. Everyone has a digital footprint. You need to have a presence on the internet, so you can be aware and control the message about you.

12. Control what you can control.

13. Ninety-four percent of job recruiters use the internet/social media when recruiting and interviewing. What does your presence say about you?

14. Don't get caught up in heated or passionate conversations online. You don't have to respond to everything. Pause before responding.

15. Once you post something, you can't take it back. If you don't want it read aloud in court or see it on the front page of the newspaper, then don't hit send.

16. Don't let the speed of technology get in the way of good judgement.

17. Always be honest and accurate. If you make a mistake, make an effort to correct it.

18. Don't ever assume anonymity in the digital world.

Many thanks to Dr. Vincent Magnini and Ilsa Loeser for a great presentation. And thanks for the review of my digital footprint!

Playlist for THE TULIP SHIRT MURDERS

I love music. It has always been a huge part of my life, and I have playlists for reading, writing, editing, and revising. Music is always on at home or work. I love all kinds of genres, but I seem to gravitate back to songs from the Big ‘80s. Songs from my high school and college days will always be my favorites. And that era plays a huge role in the first novel in my series, Secret Lives and Private Eyes.

Private investigator Delanie Fitzgerald, and her computer hacker partner, Duncan Reynolds, are back for more sleuthing in The Tulip Shirt Murders. When a local music producer hires the duo to find out who is bootlegging his artists’ CDs, Delanie uncovers more than just copyright thieves. And if chasing bootleggers isn’t bad enough, local strip club owner and resident sleaze, Chaz Smith, pops back into Delanie’s life with more requests. The police have their man in a gruesome murder, but the loud-mouthed strip club owner thinks there is more to the open and shut case. Delanie and Duncan link a series of killings with no common threads. And they must put the rest of the missing pieces together before someone else is murdered.

So here's my playlist for The Tulip Shirt Murders. These songs make me think of Delanie, her sassy spirit, her nose for trouble, and of course, her beloved Mustang.

1.       Adam Ant's “Goody Two Shoes”

2.       Robbin Thompson’s “Candy Apple Red”

3.       Kelly Pickler’s “Red High Heels”

4.       Robbin Thompson's “Sweet Virginia Breeze”

5.       Bon Jovi's “Wanted Dead or Alive”

6.       Rachel Platten's “Fight Song”

7.       Cyndi Bruce Springsteen's “Dancing in the Dark”

8.       Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night”

9.       Keith Urban’s “Jeans on”

10.   Cyndi Lauper's “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”

11.   The Beach Boys' “Fun, Fun, Fun”

12.   Wilson Pickett's “Mustang Sally”

13.   Chuck Berry’s “My Mustang Ford”

14.   Jason Aldean’s “Tattoos on This Town”

15.   Toby Keith’s “Whiskey Girl”

16.   Rascal Flatts’ “Fast Cars and Freedom”

17.   Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise”

18.   Rascal Flatts’ “Life is a Highway”

19.  Jim Croce’s “Roller Derby Queen”

20.  George Jones’ “White Lightnin’”

21.  Brad Paisley’s “Moonshine in the Trunk”

22.   Mark Wills' “Nineteen Something”

23.   Bowling for Soup’s “1985”

24.   And Hall and Oates' “Private Eyes”

Music is such a big part of our lives. We remember lyrics from songs that were popular ages ago, and it invokes a variety of emotions. This list makes me think of my sassy character and the adventures she has as she tries to track down bootleggers and a serial killer.