Wednesday Writerly Way ~ A to Z Blogging Challenge- Why Do It?

This week I have been talking about the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I hear you, "Come on, Jo. It's over it ended yesterday and you didn't even participate!"

Nope, I didn't participate in it. I just couldn't fit it into my schedule of what I wanted to talk about this month. That doesn't mean I don't think it's a worthwhile endeavor. If you are a new blogger, an indie author, or wanna-be author...the point is you need exposure. All right. Put the rain coats back in the closet. I see you out there!

One of the hardest things about self-publishing is getting people to know you exist. Sure you might have local notoriety but on a global scale? That's what a blog or website does. It exposes you to the world. Scared? Don't be. It is probably the easiest thing to do and not be recognized. Sure your blog might garner some attention, readers of books may stop by to see what's up or find out more about you, and you can promote your works without leaving home.

Many of us are introverts at heart. That's why forums, social media, and blogs are a sizzling, hot trend. It empowers the writer to reach out to the world all from the confines of our little desks and computers. Okay so my desk isn't so little. My desk is 11 1/2 feet long with two 3-foot extensions at both ends that come off the ends forming an elongated "U" or cockeyed "C." But from this monster desk, I operated two careers and for my personal entertainment. I'm still, for the most part, an introvert.

How do you draw readers to your books or even your blog for that matter? Sure you can write a dynamite blog/book, but if no one reads it, what good is it doing? Personal enrichment, a place to shout out your opinions, or a chance to stretch your writing talents. All are great ideas in the beginning, but you want to sell your books too.

Blog hops are a way to reach new readers. Commenting on other people's blogs is another.

I hear you, "You only have 62 followers on Google and 20 plus on Networked Blogs. So and so has thousands." Yep that's true. That's the only two I mentioned. Now add in the 2,000 plus twitter contacts, the 200+ on LinkedIn, the 200+ Facebook, the 1,000 myspace, and my Google+ circles of followers, not to mention those readers of my books, keyword searchers, and a host of other hit makers. You get the picture.

When something comes along that challenges you as a writer to think outside the normal, and way to promote you as a writer that you don't have to spend hour promoting yourself in a one-on-one case, wouldn't you want to take the opportunity as a time saving method of advertising? That's what a blog hop does. It's a chance to shine and get readers. Wouldn't you jump at the chance as a literal (in both senses of the word) unknown? Yes, you can give away tens of thousands copies of your book, but if you don't make the sales afterwards, what good did it do? If you don't get people to read even your blog, how do you expect them to read a whole book you've written?

So far this year, I've joined three blog hops. Nick Wilford's Overcoming Adversity, the Indelibles' blog hop to promote writers, and the newest is DL Hammons' Blog Blitz. All of them had/has their own timelines and fall in line with what I blog about normally.

No stress, or strain on my part, but added to my readers thus exposure. The Indelibles blog hop is monthly for 2013, Nick Wilford's was a one time deal that is still getting me readers, DL Hammons' is a tag-your-it kind of hop. I still have the option to join more hops as the year progresses, if I want to.

Now on top of this, I've developed relationships with several book reviewers here. They'll run blog hops, read-a-thons, and assorted other promotions and interviews. I'll donate a copy or two of my books for giveaways or prizes. It's free or almost free promotion with very little work on my part.

The results are telling everyone that reads my blog...I write books and sell them. I'm proud to be an indie author. Not because I have to be but want to be. So why have I been talking this week about the A to Z Blog Challenge especially since it's now over for a year? Because it will help you along the road to your success.

Have you participated in any blog hops? Will you?
Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Wednesday Writerly Way ~ Online is Easy

Marketing online is easy with social media, right? I mean there are tons of sites that you can promote your books as an author. Is there such a thing as being online too much? How do you know you are reaching your target audience?

I'm on MySpace, GoodReads, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, SheWrites, belong to a large number of writerly sites for authors and readers alike, and follow blogs when written. If I spent any number of hours on these sites I'd never get any writing done on any WIP. Besides there are tons of indie and traditional authors doing the same thing...get to know me, howdy, I wrote a book, buy my book blurbs in 140 characters or less, and websites and blogs. It's a disorganized mess out there with tons of competition. So what's my angle?

I've been accused a time or two of having Montezuma's Revenge of the mouth...talking too much. My blog isn't any different. While most blogging experts say to keep blogs short and sweet, I do just the opposite. My blogs are meaty chunks of succulent details that you can't help but sink your teeth into and come back for seconds. The only thing short about me is my stature, but then only if I'm not riled up because I can get ten feet tall and in your face if the circumstances warrant it. I've made full grown, good old boys cower in fear. My blog is my perfect platform for my condition and it works for me.

Those other places, I check in weekly unless there is an event going on. I get weekly digests of who said what and when that happened while I was away. I do spent quite a bit of time, several times a day, in emails. There may be a three week backlog in my answering you back.  I'm there but not there. They are my silent salesmen working 24/7 just like this blog does. My Amazon author space and Smashwords is updated automatically as I publish. My blogs and twitter comments are posted on several site usually within twenty-four hours of posting them...I'm all about double or triple duty uses with one effort. That's because I have a life too, don't we all?

Be it tenacity or pure mule headed stubbornness, however you cut it. We as indie authors face the same challenges without a Big 6 publisher holding our hand or offering support. We have our own support and hand holding network of friends and authors...like Indelibles and a host of other sites.

So how much of an online presence do you need? A lot, but if you can find options that allow double duty for the same action, grab it and run. I'm averaging 5,000 to 10,000 hits a month on this blog so for me its exposure. If everyone that stopped by bought even one of my books, I'd be rolling in money. I realize the more likely number from sales is 10% of that. I spend a lot of time doing the analytics thing. I analyze what is the best use for my money and time is money. Although the experts say that blogging doesn't relate to book sales I beg to differ...mine does. In each of my books there is a section in the about author that I add contact information. Yep, this website is listed. It works for me. I can see the numbers.

I did something really smart or very stupid during the Smashwords "Read an e-book" promotion. I set all my books for free except one. Over 100 books flew into people's e-reader formats. But Jo, that's money out of your pocket. Yes, it is. I advertised the sale everywhere listed above, but only 100 books were downloaded. That's good news and bad by my calculations. I really expected the number to be higher on the bad side of the scale considering it was five titles. Conversely, my sales to B&N and Apple accounted for 200 books paid for tipping the scales the other way. So I lost some money during the promotion but made twice as much in sales in other areas...go figure. It was a gambled risk that worked out. Sometimes an author just wants to see what happens and to get books into readers' hands.

Seeing how I advertised the sale everywhere along with quite a few other authors the numbers of downloads didn't sway the numbers too much. So the question I pose is why spend hours upon hours promoting a book online? Use your time and resources wisely. I know I do.

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Monday Mailbox ~ Why Would You...

It's Monday and time to answer your questions.

Why would you stop being a traditionally published author and just do self-publishing? Isn't it cutting off your nose to spite your face? CM

My response was this and I've said it over and over again in this blog...

Dear CM,

For years my husband has been terminal with cancer. He's outlived every projected time frame for his demise. At the time I had a tentative contract with a subsidiary of a Big 6 publisher. I had a job in my own consulting firm, teaching culinary arts part-time, part time as a traveling minister, and writing. It was old hat to me, my writing life had always been a thing I wanted to do because I enjoyed it. Yeah I've always been an type-A overachiever.

I'd always dreamed of writing fact based fiction and dabbled at it in between contracts for nonfiction. In short after my husband had two heart attacks and a stroke in six months, and two months later was diagnosed with cancer, I ended up returning my partial advance and canceling my contract with the publisher. I just couldn't do a book written at this time in my life. There was just too much turmoil. I ended up telling my partners in my firm to buy me out of the business. See I'm an overachiever that recognizes my limitations.

After a seven year hiatus from publishing, I toyed with the idea of publishing again. During my hiatus I wrote four novels. I contacted my agents and was told that they didn't handle what I wrote. I'd have to search for another agent.

I searched for three years getting rejection letter after rejection letter. I'd been away from the business for seven years and things had changed in the business like author promotion except for reviews was now handled by the author and you needed a platform. I was also breaking into a new field of writing...fiction which is a harder sell. Although I had a proven record of sales in nonfiction, I was basically as the bottom of the slush piles of agents. It was a position I had no experience in. So I didn't really rejected my agents or publishers. They rejected me.

I also knew I couldn't leave my husband to traipse off hither and yon to go to this or that book signing, conference, or television show. I was stuck. At the time email and snail mail were big for promotion. MySpace was in its infancy but gaining ground. Self publishing was losing its vanity press stigma. E-books was still a new thing with a 10% of the reading market. I let the fact that I couldn't sell my fiction stew and fester. I decided to continue learning the craft of fiction writing. I'm still learning.

Enter FaceBook, twitter, and Google + to open up new avenues to promote self published fiction. They were to tools I needed to put myself out there without leaving home. I already was blogging and had a website which was the very basic tools I needed. I took college course that were up to date on web enhanced promotion and marketing. I read everything written on the subjects of web marketing and platform building.

Yes, I still plan on continuing a hybrid relationship between self publishing and traditional. Why cut off my nose to spite my face. I can have both butter and jam on my bread if I want to. The market is changing again from the big market to novellas and shorts versus saga type reads. Indie authors are making the best sellers lists by the handfuls, and the distinction between traditionally published versus indie published are crumbling. And no, I do not think traditional publishing is dying. It's just going through an identity crisis, and slowly listening to authors and readers. But the fact is, my husband is still living and I am still his caregiver. That is my priority.

Why would you pass up traditional publishing your manuscript?

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Wednesday Writerly Ways ~ Taking up the Gauntlet

This week on my blogs I've been talking about challenges, in case you hadn't notice. On Tuesday, I used the word challenge and compared it to Don Quixote tilting at windmills. Taking up the challenge to be an author and what it takes.

Imagine if you will, you are a medieval knight on a crusade to conquer the dragon, a fierce, fire breathing beast set on burning or devouring anything its path. That's you sitting astride the horse in heavy armor, lance in your hand and sword at your side.

Your crusade

• to write
• to edit
• to find an agent
• to get a publisher

Your goal is to protect hearth and home. Knowing they are secure by your actions. Seems pretty lofty and daunting doesn't it?

The challenges or obstacles:

To Write
There are several things you need to write before you even start your story.

• The kernel- the basic idea of the story whether it be an idea or question that needs to be answered. For my current WIP (work in progress)- What if you looked at the things you do during recovery as humor instead of woe for abilities you've lost?
• The talent and creativity- knowledge of how to get the words to play well with each  other to support the kernel. This can be the hardest part even with extensive knowledge of the subject. It is also one of the things that I love about writing and one of the most challenging.
• Figuring out the beginning, middle, and the end.
• The time to get it all on paper or in your computer. Stolen moments where you work towards your dreams or goals. IMHO (in my humble opinion) If you aren't working towards your dreams or goals, you are just taking up space. You will be forever discontented. 
• It takes a lot of words to carry your point across and complete your manuscript. Is your kernel strong enough? In my case, forty short stories and growing.

To Edit
Perchance to publish.

• This gets tricky because it based on your knowledge and your knowledge may NOT be correct.
• Having other eyes to catch mistakes be it a critique group or hire an editor.
• It has to perfect or nearly perfect to get an agent or publisher. They get millions of submissions a year. Yours has GOT to stand out.
• Don't be in a life long commitment to what you wrote the way you wrote it. You may love it and others hate it.
• Can your take constructive criticism? Have you got a thick enough skin? Better at this stage than when the public gives it. The readers are your livelihood. They put the margarine on your bread and ask for more.

Getting an agent and publisher are mute points if you plan on indie publishing as I did. But, to go indie the first two points need to be spot on. The readers of indie published books hold the writer to a higher standard than traditionally published authors. After all, there is no middle man to blame.

Are you ready to gird your armor, face the dragon, and take up the gauntlet?

Keep writing and loving the Lord.