I'm New to Twitter - What Should I Tweet?

Okay, so you created your Twitter account. Now what? Social media is for sharing information and building relationships. But what should I tweet about?

Tweet about the things you’re doing (e.g. things you’ve seen, movies you’ve watched, or books you’ve read). Include pictures to build interest.

Include appropriate hashtags (#) (e.g. #writingtips, #dogs #writingjourney), so others searching for that hashtag can see your post. Search hashtags of things you’re interested in. When you type a hashtag in your tweet, you’ll see a drop-down list of related ones.

Retweet others’ posts to share with your followers. You can just retweet or you can comment on it. (If you’re sharing news or pop culture information, I’d make sure the source is reliable.)

Share others’ celebrations. Retweet about your friends’ good news.

If you attend a book signing, conference, or workshop, take a picture and tweet it. Many events will have their own hashtag and that will promote your tweet to other attendees.

If you attend events with others, add a short video or a picture and tag them. (Type the @ sign and their Twitter handle e.g. @HeatherWeidner1 to tag someone.) People like to be recognized.

Twitter is a great platform for research, connecting with others, and building relationships. The number of followers you have almost never translates into direct book sales. Use the site to promote your books and events, but don’t make that the only thing you tweet about. Remember the 80/20 rule. Only about 20% of your posts should be “buy my book.”

If you blog, tweet a link to your blog post and add the appropriate hashtags. This will drive Twitter traffic to your blog/website.

Twitter has a direct message (DM) feature. This is a conversation between the two parties, and it’s not a tweet that everyone can see. I would use this feature sparingly with people I need to communicate with. Some people set up an automatic direct message to new followers with an ad or promotional information. This is often annoying if it’s unsolicited.

The goal is to get your tweet noticed (liked, retweeted, or commented on). Each interaction spreads your reach on the site. Look at your past tweets. If they’re not getting attention, I’d change my content. Certain tweets will generate more interaction than others.

You can mute or block others if you need to. Sometimes, there are unpleasant folks or bots that troll others. A block keeps them from contacting you or commenting on your posts. Mute removes them from your feed. You can also report accounts to Twitter.

Have fun with the site. I do a lot of research on Twitter. Sometimes, I’ll have a specific question, and there are so many kind people who will share their knowledge and experiences. For example, I ruptured my Achilles a while back, and so many people where helpful with advice about recovery and physical therapy. I also got an InstantPot recently, and Twitter has been great for sharing recipes.

If you want to start a conversation, ask a question and include hashtags. You’ll be surprised at the responses you’ll get.

Remember the social part. You need to reply to others’ conversations promptly. It looks weird if you comment on something months later.

What else would you add to my list? See you on Twitter!

@HeatherWeidner1

Where Do I Start with Social Media Platforms? Tips for Authors

There are so many forms of social media out there. Where and when do I start as an author? It can be overwhelming.

I say start before you launch your first book. Start building your presence. I would pick a few sites and add others later. You can share information, links to blogs, book reviews, and other interesting information before your book is published.

Before you begin, you’ll need a professional photograph and a short biography. Make sure you have the links to your blog. As you set up your new accounts, remember that you can always go back and add or change information later.

I use Canva to create the artwork for headers (page banners) and posts. They have the templates already sized to fit all the major sites. This way you can customize your look and feel and make it match across all your sites.

Some authors struggle with whether to create a separate website/social media sites for each book. My recommendation is to create one for your author brand (either your name or your pen name). You, as author, are the focus, and your site should highlight your books. Now, many authors who write under different pen names often have separate sites for each identity.

Here are some other things you need to think about…

• Make sure you have a website with a blog. Your website’s URL should be your name or your pen name. Make sure that you have a site that you (or someone you pay) can keep updated. Nobody wants to see your information from 2004. (The reason most people have a blog on their website is to have a way to add new content regularly to the site. Readers and followers don’t revisit sites where the content is outdated.)

• Create an author Facebook page. After you gain followers, you’ll have access to analytics/metrics. The analytics show how many people interacted with your posts. On author pages, you can schedule posts. Some people use their personal Facebook page. Personal pages do have a cap on the number of friends you can have, and the algorithms limit the number of people who see certain types of posts.

• Create an Amazon author page and connect all of your books to it. I also connected my blog, so followers can see recent posts.

• Many social media sites can be connected. If you post to your author Facebook page, you can have it automatically tweet on Twitter. Decide if you want the same post on multiple sites. It can be a time-saver. But one draw back is that a post formatted for one social media site, may not fit or appear the same way on another. An example is if you auto-Tweet a Facebook post, it puts a link in the tweet to the Facebook post. Your followers on Twitter have to click the link to see what it is. (There’s often no picture.) Some people avoid these types of post, and you’re not getting action on that post.

• There are other tools (free or for a fee) that will help you monitor and schedule posts on social media sites. As you gain experience, you may want to look at some of these to help you be efficient with your time. (I use a free version of TweetDeck to schedule my Twitter posts. I pay for Tweepi to help me manage followers. I also use a free mobile app called Followers to manage my Instagram account.)

• Find the social media sites that you like and build your following there. You are more apt to visit those sites frequently and stay active on them. My go-to sites are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

• Balance your writing and social media marketing time. It’s all important, but you need to be writing your next book.

Why Authors Should Have a Newsletter/Email List...

As an author, it’s important that you have a mailing list (for emails). Platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, where you build your following, own the contact and make/change the rules. If your account is suspended or the site goes down, you no longer have access/contact information for your fans and followers. It’s a good idea to have a sign up sheet where you can collect names and email addresses. This is your list and you maintain it.

I use MailChimp to create my newsletters and maintain my contact list. If folks subscribe or unsubscribe, the application takes care of it. (You are required to unsubscribe those who request it.) The services vary, and you should choose one based on what you need, how often you publish, and how many emails are on your list. With these sites, you can also export your list to keep it as a backup.

Many authors offer something free (a short story or character information that’s not available anywhere else) to new newsletter subscribers. Sometimes, that’s a good hook to get people interested.

I have a page on my website for my newsletter. I also have a sign up form on the main page.

The list of email addresses belongs to you, so you should spend time cultivating it. I keep signup sheets and clipboard in my bag for events. This list is valuable. You know they are readers who are interested in your work.

Does Your Website Need a Health Check?

People often create a website and update it only occasionally. Authors need to periodically check their sites to make sure they’re current (and interesting). New material (and your author blog), keep readers coming back to your site. Here’s my checklist for author websites.

1. Make sure your photo (author headshot) and biography are current. Your photo should be recent and professional.

2. Include a list of events (including online ones like Facebook parties) on your site. Make sure that you keep the list up to date. No one wants to see your events from 2010.

3. Check all of your links on your site to make sure that they still work. Make sure that you can move from page to page and your pages appear as you want them to look.

4. Fill out your “contact me” form and verify that you get the email notification.

5. Make sure that your newsletter signup form works correctly. You don’t want to miss people who are interested in your work.

6. Include all of your publications with buy-links. I have a page for books, novellas, and short stories. Put your most current book first or at the top. When you do links, include multiple outlets to share the love among book retailers.

7. Make sure you have a media page that has several biographies of different lengths (100, 250, and 500 words). Many authors include photos and book covers here. If you’re asked to do a presentation or someone’s doing an article or blog post on you, they’ll use the material on this page.

8. Make sure that you have links to all your other social media sites. Verify that they work.

9. Include your blog on your website (if you blog regularly). Again, people don’t want to stop by and see that your last post was in 2005. Pick a blogging schedule that works for you and try to stick to it. This is a great way to have fresh content on your site and to keep readers returning.

10. Remove any web pages that are no longer useful. Many of your web applications will let you deactivate or archive them in case you want to use parts of them later.

11. It is great to have someone create your site for you, but you either need a personal assistant or publicist to keep it current, or you need to maintain it yourself. Content from the last decade does not inspire readers to return to your site.

12. If you’re looking for new ideas for your site, visit other authors’ pages that are in your genre. Look at the color choices, layouts, and content. Look at the order of their pages (links or tabs at the top).

13. Look at your webpage on a computer, tablet, and cell phone. Most web services create pages that are “mobile friendly” and adapt to the screen on the device. But there are still some that don’t. Make sure your site looks professional on a variety of devices.

Social Media Sites Need Care and Feeding

Social media is all about networking, connecting, and relationships. Some authors create their sites to build their platforms and then ignore them. It’s important to have a presence in a lot of different places, and it’s time-consuming to keep them up to date and active. You need to be able to respond to comments and conversations. You also need time to like, share, and comment on others’ posts.

Here are some tips that help me balance writing, the social media monster, book marketing, and all the other things that life throws at me.

• Create a routine of when you check your sites. I check during breakfast, at lunch, and at the end of the day. in the evenings, I multitask and check on my social media sites during TV time.

• Schedule posts on your sites. This helps you to get ahead and have regular posts even when I’m not online. I schedule tweets after midnight for time zones other than the U.S.

• Create posts that stimulate comments or conversations. Ask your followers what they’re reading or what book they’d recommend. Talk about favorite characters, sleuths, and movies. Conversations and shares help expand your reach.

• Share information that is helpful to your followers.

• Make sure that you like, comment, and share others’ posts. Some authors forget that it’s not all about them.

• People love to be recognized. If you’re at an event or with others, make sure to take a picture and tag them. And look at the photo before you post it. Make sure that it’s flattering. No one wants to be the one with the goofy-look on her face.

• On a lot of social media sites, there are bots posing as followers. When you follow them back, they often drop you. There are applications (some free and some that have a cost) that help you see who is no longer following you. I go in and clean up my Twitter and Instagram followers about once a month.

• Look at your posts. They shouldn’t be all “buy my book.”

• Make sure that you’re not posting the exact same post on all your sites.

• Every quarter, check your biography on your sites and make sure it's current. The artwork, photo, and color/font schemes should be similar. This is your brand, and you want it to be cohesive. Make sure that you have a photo, banner, biography, and link to your website on all your social media sites.

Share the Love and Pay it Forward

I owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to my fellow Sisters in Crime authors who are so generous with their time and advice. This is an incredible gift (especially when I first started my writing journey). They offered great advice on anything from where to get a great headshot to which book events were best for mystery authors.

Here are some thoughts on how you can give or receive help from other authors.

1. If you read someone’s book, leave a review. It doesn’t have to be a dissertation. You can just say something brief like, “I liked this book.” Review numbers do matter in marketing.

2. Recommend your favorite author to your library. Many take book suggestions and add new books to their collection.

3. Like, share, or comment on authors’ social media posts. This helps with marketing and search results.

4. If you’re an author, look for other authors or bloggers who will let you be a guest in their newsletter or on their blog. This spreads your information to a whole new group of readers.

   I have a blog, Pens, Paws, and Claws, and I do #WriterWednesday author interviews about writers and their pets. If you’re interested in a slot, message me.

5. Buy a book for yourself or as a gift. One of my author friends goes to book signings, and she gives the signed book away on her site. There’s a sale involved and some social media publicity. When I buy a book, I usually take a picture of it and post it on social media and tag the author and/or the book store. Indie bookstores need your love and support too!

6. Tell your friends and family about books and authors you like. Word of mouth recommendations are great.

7. Recommend an author’s book to your book club. Many authors will visit or Skype if you ask. I love talking to book groups.

8. Start a “what are you reading today” post on Facebook or Twitter. Tag the author. You’ll be surprised how many people will comment. You’ll get good recommendations, and a lot of social media action.

What else would you add to my list? Happy reading (and don’t forget to leave a review).

Getting Yourself Out There - Where Do I Start?

Not only do you write, but you have a lot to say. How do you find opportunities for author panels, workshops, and other speaking engagements? Note these are often an investment of your time, energy, and money, and you may not get to sell books at every event. But you are meeting people and talking about your work. A lot of times, I see my ebook sales spike after an event. People may not have bought a book at the event, but they did later. Here is what has worked for me.

1. Join a writers’ group. I’m a member of two groups that keep a database of volunteers who will speak to schools, colleges, libraries, and other groups.

2. Offer to speak at book clubs. Get the word out on your website and newsletter that you’ll visit or Skype with book groups. Tell all your reader friends. Contact your library and local book stores to see if they have book groups that would be interested in writer visits.

3. Get to know your librarians. Many are looking for programming ideas, and they need speakers or people to lead workshops. Our mystery group writes a murder script each year for our local library’s fundraiser. They have an event where the audience tries to solve the mystery, and the authors discuss and sign their books.

4. I speak to school groups and English classes because I want to encourage young writers. Usually, this isn’t an opportunity to sell books, but I always have bookmarks, pencils, or swag for each kid.

5. Connect with other writers in your area to see where they do appearances. See what they recommend. This gives you insight into venues, how the events do publicity, and the audience that you can expect.

6. Connect with other writing groups. They often need speakers or instructors for workshops and conferences.

7. If you attend a conference that has panelist opportunities, sign up. I love meeting fellow authors and talking about books. These usually have book signing opportunities too.

8. Google writing events or conferences to see what is offered in your area.

9. Be creative. I’m in several themed anthologies, and we did signings at wineries and wine shows or the book that was wine-themed. We have some pet expo signings lined up for our dog-themed anthology this year.

10. Talk to your friends who are in clubs and organizations. Many of these are looking for speakers for their monthly programming.

If there is a fee to register or a cost to rent a table, you need to weigh the cost and your investment of time. Think about sharing a table with another author to keep the cost down. Also, when I do handouts for workshops and speaking engagements, I always make sure my website, newsletter, and social media links are listed.

Reading is Research

I have always loved books and reading. Yes, this is my first library card from 1972. It opened hundreds of worlds to me. I’m always sad when people say that they don’t like to read. Reading is entertainment, an escape, a journey to new places, a portal to new worlds, and research. Writers must read.

Stephen King said it best, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” By reading other authors, you learn vocabulary, literary techniques, and genre conventions. Look at the way the words flow in a work that you like. The author creates the story and moves the plot along. It’s not a play-by-play of every detail that happened in someone’s ordinary day. Look at the dialogue. It’s not mundane chitchat. Good authors don’t tell their readers things. They show them. They are artists who paint a verbal picture.

Stephen King’s On Writing is one of the best “how to” books for writers. When I started writing, I read every book about writing that I could get my hands on. I spent more time reading those than I did writing. Over the years, I kept a few. On Writing is one of those. It’s good to learn new things about mechanics, but I think reading books in your genre teaches you more about the conventions (e.g. cozy mysteries don’t usually have graphic scenes or language; mysteries usually have a dead body in the first chapter). You learn how to use language, describe things, and which point of view to write from.

I love receiving books as gifts. This year for Christmas, I received two books about books, and I can’t wait to read them. I still have gift cards left, so I’m not done with the book shopping.

Are you on Goodreads? I like the annual book challenge. I need to think about my goal for 2019. I usually go with 26 (one for every two weeks of the year), but maybe this year, I’ll set a stretch goal. I like how the site keeps track of my totals for me and helps me to remember to leave a review. Plus, at the end of the year, I liked seeing all the year’s books.

What are you reading right now?