A Note from S.J. Francis:
You've probably heard
it more than once. If you’re a writer, you need to have an online presence in order to succeed.
Even when you don’t want to dabble in social marketing, it’s a necessity. Some like
to refer to it as a necessary evil. I enjoy being on-line, to a point. When it interferes with my writing, then I also consider it a necessary evil. As a writer, my writing must come first. My online presence must come second. Want to make the most of your online presence? Here's an article from Book Daily to help you out.
Until next month. Stay safe. Be happy.
Cheers!
S.J. Francis
Building
a space online for readers to find you isn't easy. Social Media helps but it
can be overwhelming too. Well, here are some tips to get started.
Step 1:
Build A Website
This is
easier than you may think. There are several web hosting sites that make it as
easy as writing on Wattpad. Plus, many combine the ideas of a website with a
blog. The site I chose to host my site is Wordpress.com. It's an easy format,
with ways to build your blog into an active website. I have different pages
with these categories: Books, Current Projects, Reviews and Interviews, Review
Copy Request, Affiliates. I came up with these categories by looking at other
author websites.
Wordpress
makes it easy by giving you options to choose for backgrounds/themes to design
your website. The best thing to do is to have something up before you release
your first book, and then you'll have some people already interested for your
first book launch. If you'd like to see what I've done, check it out here: http://marilynvix.com.
Step 2:
Social Media
You
need this if you're going to be a successful novelist. The important thing to
remember is that you don't always want to flood your file with tons of comments
only about your books. So, pick social media that you will enjoy commenting and
interacting on. You may already have one you prefer such as Facebook or
Twitter. You can create an account for your pen name with another email
account. Besides, sometimes it's helpful to set up a separate account for your
pen name to keep your personal social media separate from your author presence.
I have
accounts on Facebook and Twitter. I found two is about what I can handle. I've
never really been into Instagram. I try to send out comments on what I'm doing
in real life to make a connection with people.
For
example, I love Grumpy Cat, and cats in general. I was watching the Grumpy Cat
Christmas Movie and was really bored just watching the movie alone. So, I got
on-line and chatted with other people watching the movie on Twitter. It turned
out I found the movie was being repeated all day, and there were some people
watching it for hours. I started commenting and came up with some funny, truth
filled posts.
Later,
I found People Magazine had used one of my tweets in reporting the reaction to
the movie on-line. Here's what I said: "#WorstChristmasEver Truth: Cat
people really do talk to their cats. Yes, they usually don't talk back, but we
wish they did. #catpeople".
People
Magazine’s On-Line Mag picked it up. Other press picked it up too, reporting on
what People Magazine had found. So, you just never know what will happen. Just
tweet or post on Facebook on things you are interested in, and people will want
to hear more of what you have to say. Here's the link if you want to check out
the article on-line: http://www.people.com/article/grumpy-cat-worst-christmas-ever-twitter-reactions.
Step 3:
Post for Advice on Writing Boards
The
last step to get you in a position to put out more info about yourself is
commenting and posting about your writing journey. Sometimes as writers, you
feel alone in your endeavor. But there are tons of us out there. We all meet on
writing boards, hashing out ideas and resolving problems. My favorite writing
hangout on-line is a writing board called Writer's Cafe on Kboards.com.
I've
been on this board for several years. I've found my cover designer, editor,
beta readers and tons of advice on advertising and marketing through posts with
questions and threads of advice. It's the best place to find info that I've
found on the Internet. There are a lot of other places to go, but I know this
one is safe for newbies. Lots of people are helpful with advice, and love to
welcome newbies. Here is the link: http://www.kboards.com/
That's
about it! These tips should help you get started in creating an Internet
presence that will build a following for your future books. Meanwhile, get back
to writing. You won't be able to promote a book unless it's done. Happy
writing!
About
the Author:
Marilyn Vix is a paranormal romance novelist. She enjoys the characters that just don't fit in. From witches to time traveling researchers, she is letting her imagination soar to explore new worlds and write all the details down. Marilyn has traveled to Paris, London, Sydney, and Munich. She loves to include these in her settings as much as can allow. Best of all is letting her reader enjoy them through the perspective of a character. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and cat. The cat, of course, is the center of attention.
Marilyn Vix is a paranormal romance novelist. She enjoys the characters that just don't fit in. From witches to time traveling researchers, she is letting her imagination soar to explore new worlds and write all the details down. Marilyn has traveled to Paris, London, Sydney, and Munich. She loves to include these in her settings as much as can allow. Best of all is letting her reader enjoy them through the perspective of a character. She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and cat. The cat, of course, is the center of attention.
Thank you all for visiting with us. It’s always a pleasure to meet readers and authors. Until next month, every one please stay safe. Smile. Be happy. Show compassion. Be nice to others. Put a little love into your heart. Please speak up for those without a voice, whether it be a dog, cat, elephant or monkey. One person, one voice can make a difference. Read a book and pass it on. Leave a review. Reviews are important for authors. Believe me. I know. Thank you!
Regards,
S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world.
Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers.
Shattered Lies is a Finalist in the 2016 Writing Shelf Book Awards.
Regards,
S. J. Francis, Writing is my passion, but animals are my world.
Advocate for the underdog, and cat, and supporting writers, et al.
In Shattered Lies: "It's All About Family." Available now from Black Opal Books and for sale at all on-line retailers and independent booksellers.
Shattered Lies is a Finalist in the 2016 Writing Shelf Book Awards.
Shattered Lies is a winner in the Fall 2016 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Book Awards for Women's Fiction.
Shattered Lies is a runner-up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Indie Best Book Award Competition.
Shattered Lies is a 2016 Reader's Favorite Honorable Mention in the Fiction - Women’s category.
Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 10th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards.
Shattered Lies was chosen as General Fiction Official Selection in the 2015 New Apple Book Awards.
The 2nd, new book cover design for Shattered Lies was a Finalist in the 2016 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.
The first, original book cover design for Shattered Lies was a semi-finalist in the 2015 Authors dB Best Cover Contest.
A Book
Review 4 U: http://abookreview4u.blogspot.com
A Consumer's View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com
One for the Animals: http://onefortheanimals.blogspot.com
A Consumer's View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com
One for the Animals: http://onefortheanimals.blogspot.com
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33550975-s-j
Yes, the necessity of promotion. I'm not writing anything right now due to some big changes at my job & more work than I can handle. Visiting blogposts doesn't take much time and I enjoy stopping by and visiting. The tips Marilyn Vix offers here are tried and true. How really neat for her to find a quote from a Tweet of hers in People Magazine. It's amazing how small a world can be when you have an online presence.
ReplyDeleteAlways great to hear from you, Linda. Thanks again for taking time out to stop by and add your opinions. Good or bad, I love when others react to a post. Stay sane and safe. I shall, too.
DeleteCheers! S.J. Francis
Always great to hear from you, Linda. Thanks again for taking time out to stop by and add your opinions. Good or bad, I love when others react to a post. Stay sane and safe. I shall, too.
DeleteCheers! S.J. Francis
Happy to come by. I'm dropping by a few tonight. Not a lot of time, but I enjoy visiting friends blogs.
Delete