NEW YORK FRIDAYS: TRAIN ART

Art is everywhere, and thanks to the MTA art is also on subway platforms everywhere.  I found these the other day and just love them.  The mosaic artist did an excellent job.  Happy Friday!--m

 

 

 

ART IS EVERYWHERE!

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK FRIDAYS: Farmer's Markets

I love Farmer's Markets.  The smells, the colors, the variety of fruits and vegetables; Plus, assorted jams and jellies, breads, meats, wines, etc.

Farmer's Markets are also great places to take photographs.  Here's my vegetable photo of the day -- onions.  I love their long lines and the jolly way they are leaning over each other, like someone told a good joke and they all fell over laughing.   (The writer in me sees stories everywhere!)

Happy Friday! ---m

 

 

 

WHAT TO BLOG ABOUT

  
Blogging is a great way to get name recognition, build an audience and promote yourself.  Here are some suggestions of what to blog about on your site:

1)      Your writing process.  Blog about where you got the inspiration for the story; your research; locations where you’ve set your story.  Blog about your characters; do interviews with them.  Blog about writer’s conferences/ workshops you attend.

2)      Showcase your writing.  Post scenes, dialogue, excerpts.  It wets the reader’s appetite for more of your work.  For example, author Diana Gabaldon used to post her work on the internet for readers to critique.  By the time her book was published, she had hundreds of people waiting for it.

3)      Use pictures.  All your blog posts should contain photos.  But photos can be blogs in and of themselves.  A picture is truly worth a 1000 words so share away.  For example, flowers, dogs/cats, locations, dresses, landmarks, oceans, et al.  Put up photos of what your characters look like; photos of locations/cities where you’ve set your book.  Your readers will love it.

4)      Do interviews.  Interview other authors, editors, agents, other bloggers, librarians, booksellers.  You can also interview people that are in the same profession as your characters.  These can be great learning experiences for you and other writers and readers.

5)      Hobbies/Pets.  Yes, hobbies and pets make good blog fodder.  They are fun ways to connect with readers.  For example, author K.M. Jackson has a great blog (www.kwanawrites.com) and she always adds snippets about her dog Jack.  Readers often ask about him, and keep going back to her to hear about the dog’s antics.  Another example, author Nalini Singh (www.nalinisingh.com) writes a leopards and wolves series.  She also posts photos of cubs and pubs on her blog, and now her readers are sending her photos for her blog.  That engagement with your readers is priceless, and is what all writers want to achieve.

6)      Tie-ins topics.  These are topics that touch upon the themes in your book.  For example, if you are writing a cop thriller, blog about cops, guns, bounty hunters, etc.  If you are writing paranormals, blog about zombies, vampires, shape shifters, ghosts, angels that are in your books.  If your main character is a baseball player, blog about baseball.  Etc. Etc.  You get the idea.

7)      Blog for others.  Volunteer to blog for other authors and other writer sites.  This will expose you to other readers and help build your brand.

 

 

Happy Blogging!

 

NEW YORK FRIDAYS: They're back!

The good thing about winter and all the snow was that someone took away the City Bikes.  But, now that the sun is out, they're back.  Yikes!

Yes, they are good for your health.  Yes, they make the city money.  But, they also cause me heartburn when I see bikers without helmets playing cat and mouse with oncoming traffic.

Happy Riding.  Happy Friday.--m

 

 

 

REASONS TO BLOG

 

Writing is a business.

 

Today, the publishing world is going social and digital, and writers need to do the same.  Editors are looking a writer’s social numbers – that’s the number of people who follow your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.  Publicity and marketing is up to the author, and a cheap way to do both is through a blog.

 

 

REASONS TO BLOG

 

1)      Name recognition, also known as brand recognition.  YOU are the brand.   New writers –just as much as published writers -- need to make connections with readers, booksellers, book reviewers, editors, agents, et al.  

 

2)      Build an audience.  Family and friends help, but writers need a wider, far-reaching readership.  It takes time to find readers, and the sooner a writer starts the better.  This is especially true for unpublished writers.  Get your name out there now.

 

3)      Promotion.  Your blog is one of the few places where you can self-promote again and again without being obnoxious.   Post a countdown to your publication date.  Have the links to all the places your book is available for sale, et al.


Happy Blogging!
 

NEW YORK FRIDAYS: Spring IS really here!

Yes, it's true Spring is here.

 

The snow is gone. The sun is out, and the flowers are bursting forth. 

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

 

SELF-PUBLISHING IS NOT FOR THE LAZY

Writers Write.

 

Publishers do everything else, or at least they used to.

 

Today’s populace is seduced by the millions authors such as Sylvia Day have made on their self-published novels. But we must remember that those books were not mega sellers until they were bought by traditional publishing houses and distributed worldwide instead of just word of mouth.

 

Savvy authors doing their research know that the mad rush by editors to buy up self-published books is now grinding down to a halt. Unless a self-published author comes with at least 5000 followers, editors are wary. Don’t get me wrong, editors are buying self-published but they are looking hard at the author’s social numbers.

The big question for any author considering self-publishing is do you have the time, the cash, and the support system in place to get the job done well?

A self-published author has to be her own editor, designer, typesetter, proofreader, and printer. I am not going to mention marketer because all authors, whether published by traditional publishers or self published, have to do their own marketing.

So how many hats can you wear well?! Well being the operative word.

Of course, you can pay for others to do the editing, cover design, typesetting, et al. And, yes, there are small outfits that will help you self-published your book, even some agents are getting into the action, but the fees are hefty. Do you have enough money to pay someone else and will your investment be worth it?

Self published authors have to be prepared to do it all. You can’t be lazy.

If you publish with a traditional house, you have their expertise and all their connections immediately at your fingers tips. Self published authors may have to wait months, if not years, before making those kinds of con­tacts. But there are a few indie published author networks that are good sources of support and information.

However, none of that is going to help you if you are not writing. And, if you are not writing, there is noth­ing to sell to either a traditional publisher or to self publish.

My advice is for authors to be flexible. Research the market. Know your strengths. Manage your time. And, write, write, write.

Most experts will tell you that the best authors today are the hybrid authors – ones that are selling to tradi­tional houses and doing their own self publishing on the side. It’s all part of being a smart business person, and writing is a business. At the end of the day, you are the boss, whatever hat you want, but remember that your most important hat is that of writer.♥