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How to Get the Most Out of Your Author Facebook Fan Page

July 1, 2011 by 2 Comments
Facebook's homepage features a login form on t...

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In case you don’t know, Facebook has a fan page feature that allows you to communicate with your readers. How well you communicate with your ‘fans’ could determine how successful you and your book will be. Most authors (public figures) are creating Facebook fan pages for their ‘fans’ and aren’t really participating in the conversations that are taking place on the page. This could work against you.

There’s no doubt that a Facebook fan page is a fast and easy marketing tool. You can post your latest YouTube video, links to your latest book, teleseminars and webinars events; radio and television appearances, book signing events; hold a contest, and provide other pertinent information for your ‘fans’ to share with their friends. It’s an easy way to generate income. However, if you’re constantly selling and selling, and not giving your fans anything else, they could leave you and your fan page high and dry.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Author Facebook Fan Page

1. Take an interest in your fans. Let’s face it, without your fans (consumers) your book won’t be #1 on the New York Times Best-Sellers list. Unless, of course, Harry Potter comes along and waves his magic wand to make it happen. Take an interest in your fans. A “thank you” here and there will go a long way.

2. Post relevant information besides your own. It’s all right to post other links besides your own. Who knows, you could end up with a great business partnership because of it.

3. Engage in conversations. What do your fans want? What do they like about your latest book? What don’t they like about it? Be transparent and become a part of the conversation.

4. Stop posting ‘automated’ content on your fan page. If you don’t have time to post thoughtful comments or information, hire an intern or part-time person to do it for you. Fans may not appreciate the ‘coldness’ of your fan page.

5. Be active on your Facebook fan page. How active are you on your fan page? When you create your writing schedule, make sure to include time for social media. You don’t have to spend hours each day — 15 minutes per day will do. Of course, if you’re a social butterfly, be as active as you want to.

Rebecca

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Freelance Writers Have More Free Time Thanks to Social Bookmarking Software

June 29, 2011 by 1 Comment
Social Media: Changing Business

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How much time do you spend on social bookmarking for your freelance writing and other websites? Have you considered purchasing a social bookmarking software program? It could be worth the money if it generates a ton of traffic and sales. The best part is you’ll more free time to do whatever it is you want to do. That’s a sweet deal!

Social bookmarking drives traffic to your freelance writing website. This means you can earn revenue from selling your own materials such as books, eBooks, apps, teleseminars, webinars, workshops, web designs (for authors and writers) or promote products and services of others that resonate with your website. You can easily increase your page rank and web presence.

According to We Build Your Blog, “Social bookmarking is a way of leaving a trail of breadcrumbs online. You might have the best product in the world, but if you can’t generate the traffic you’ve just got a nice website on your hands with no customers.”

How much time do you spend creating backlinks by posting thoughtful comments on blogs and forums? If a social bookmarking software can do some of the work for you, it could be a worthy investment. The alternative is to hire a part-time intern (paid or unpaid) or hire a part-time member of your staff. However, the reason you probably became a freelance writer is to be work from the comfort of your own home and without any co-workers. Purchasing a social bookmarking program may be the best route for you.

Social bookmarking tips

1. Get over your fear of internet marketing.

2. Provide quality and relevant information.

3. Use keywords and phrases tailored to your freelance writing website.

4. Make sure readers can easily share your content.

5. Don’t blatantly sell to people — this is a turn-off.

6. Interact with visitors to your websites.

Blogging complemented with social bookmarking will increase web traffic to your freelance writing website.  Make sure you continue to provide well written, informative articles and blog posts. Don’t oversell visitors because this could deter them from visiting your website. Remember, a freelance writing business is about marketing and solving problems. The latter is very important.

Rebecca


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Writing without the Use of Your Five Senses

June 20, 2011 by 1 Comment
Senses Working Overtime

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I read a compelling blog post by Steff Metal about writing without color. Steff is legally blind and doesn’t have the luxury of sight that most writers have. Sight is one of the five senses. The others are hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Would you continue to be a writer if you lost one or all five of your senses? How much do you rely on your five senses? How much do you take them for granted? For one day, put yourself into the writing shoes of a blind or color blind person and write a blog post and article. Track how long it takes you to write the post or article. Write down how difficult it was for you. Finally, be grateful for your eyesight and can easily write, “The corner house was painted mint green; it had white plantation shutters” instead of having to reach beyond your sight. Then again, reaching beyond what your sight can see could improve your writing.

Sometimes a writer can rely too much on their five senses. Some ‘spiritual gurus’ believe we have six, seven, or even more senses than are basic five senses. However, you must be open or sensitive to this. Meditating for at least 15 minutes per day can open and expand your senses. Think about what it will do for your writing. Ideas may come into your mind that would not have before. If you don’t feel like working on your novel, you can meditate and release any negative energy surrounding it. Let go and float down the river of creativity. You may be surprised at what you find.

Before you sit down at your laptop, computer, or pad of paper to write, think about the writer who can’t see, smell, taste, touch, or hear. How would they approach a writing project? Keep the dictionary and or thesaurus close by or use an online reference guide. It’s time to harness the power of your mind and push beyond your writing comfort zone. It’s time to stop churning out boring and generic writing that doesn’t have any depth to it. Go beyond your five senses, you’ll like what you find.

Rebecca

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How to Become an Ego-Free, Successful Ghostwriter

June 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Ghost Writer

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When I lived in Chandler, Arizona, I volunteered for Changing Hands Bookstore. In my opinion, it’s one of the best independent bookstores in the U.S. Volunteering had its perks such as receiving a gift card which allowed me to get books or gifts for my families and to meet well known authors and celebrities. There’s nothing like meeting people like Ozzy Osbourne, James Van Praagh, Barbara Park (author of the Junie B. Jones children’s series), Maureen McCormick aka Marcia Brady, and many others. To her credit, Maureen McCormick admitted to collaborating (she had her notes with her) with a ghostwriter on her autobiography Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. I can’t remember the ghostwriter’s name, but I remember thinking to myself, “Kudos to you for admitting you worked with a ghostwriter.” She didn’t have to mention the ghostwriter but chose to do so. If you’re comfortable with not receiving recognition, you could make $10,000 or more ghostwriting books. Not too shabby!

How to become a ghostwriter

1. Get your ego out of the way.  Most ghostwriters also write their material. You can see your name ‘in lights’ by writing your own material.

2. Set your rates. Some ghostwriters earn $20,000 for 60,000 words and some may earn $30,000 for 60,000 words. It’s up to you to ‘set your rates’ and stick to them. No one can tell you what to charge — that’s up to you. If you have no idea what to charge, research the ‘going rate’ for ghostwriting projects.

3. How do you like working in teams? Believe it or not, ghostwriters do work in teams. You may work with one or two ghostwriters on a project. Not only will you work with the client, but you could work their manager and publicist. If you’re more comfortable with the solitary life of a writer, ghostwriting may not be for you. But, if you enjoy and are familiar with the collaborative process, ghostwriting will be a fun opportunity.

4. You are not the client. A client may welcome your ideas, but the direction of the book is up to them. The client always has the final say.

5. Assess your management skills. When you collaborate on ghostwriting projects, you may be assigned to interview people or conduct extensive research. Put on your ‘Project Manager‘ hat and create a schedule to ensure the project stays on time. Check and recheck your deadlines. Adjust timelines where necessary and always keep the client in the loop.

6. Set parameters. Does the client have pages and pages already written? Do you write the book based on two pages of notes? Will you conduct in-depth interviews with the client? Are you being paid per word, per page, or a set fee? What is the timeline for each chapter? Get all of these and other details in writing (contract) before you begin a project.

7. Track all changes. Most writers are familiar with the ‘track changes’ feature in Word. It’s a great way for the client and you to insert comments and changes.

8. Ghostwriting includes developing relationships. Cultivate a ‘trusting’ relationship with your client. They need to know you won’t blab information to your family, friends, and the press. In fact, they could sue you if you do because there’s probably clause after clause about this in the contract. While it’s exciting to ghostwrite books for celebrities and other public figures, remember they are people too. They are husbands, wives, sons, daughters, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Treat them with the utmost respect; you’ll cultivate good karma.

To break into ghostwriting, visit the following websites:

1. JournalismJobs.com

2. Freelancedaily.net

3. Craigslist.org (be careful with this one because some postings could be scams)

Becoming a ghostwriter means you take your ego out of the equation. It’s a known fact that most celebrities and some political figures use ghostwriters. Sometimes writers receive credit and sometimes they don’t. Personally, if I received credit or not is irrelevant to me. My main concerns are writing quality material and receiving payment for my work. Being a ghostwriter can be a rewarding career if you like to meet new people and learn new information. If this resonates with you then ghostwriting is for you.

Rebecca

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Select the Right Artwork for Your Book

June 6, 2011 by 2 Comments
Contemporary Graphic Design (Taschen)

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I always loved art; art class was one of my favorite classes. A few years ago, I pursued a graphic design certification and worked as a graphic artist. I loved it and learned a lot about design. The graphic designer in me looks book covers with an ‘eagle’ eye. In fact, the artwork can dissuade me from buying a book if it ‘freaks’ me out. That may seem odd but it’s true. For example, the cover of Tina Fey‘s book Bossypants grosses me out. When I saw it in the bookstore, I had to quickly walk away. That’s how ‘freaked out’ I was by it. I’ll probably read the book but will have to take the cover off first!

Writing your book is half the battle. The next phase is designing the book cover (interior and exterior). If you self-publish, you can work with one of their graphic designer’s or use your own. Choose a graphic designer that listens to you and understands your needs and wants. Make sure you review samples of work and ask questions such as:

1. What was your last project? What did you like about it? What didn’t you like about it?
2. What’s your favorite book project?
3. What’s your least favorite project?
4. What do you enjoy about graphic design?
5. How long will the design take?
6. Do you provide a ‘mock’ up?

You can ‘test’ out your book cover by asking for feedback from your writer’s group, family, friends, co-workers, etc. Make sure you receive ‘genuine’ feedback. You don’t want people to tell you the cover looks good when they secretly think it’s not very good. Ask for constructive and honest feedback.

I appreciate various forms of art from graffiti to paintings; from drawings to pottery; from graphic design to dance; and everything in between.

I’m glad I have a graphic design certification because I could design my own book cover, but I probably won’t. I choose to concentrate on writing. After you finish your book, step back and think about the artwork for your book. Make sure it will appeal to your target audience. It may ‘turn-off’ some of your readers but a hand full won’t make a difference. Or, like me, they can remove the book cover and read your book!

Rebecca

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