So; Marketing.
I just wrote an immense post about how busy this week was and how little I got done; how supportive and lovely my bloke is and how frustrating it was that I was spending time on social networking that I should be spending either on my edits or with him - but that was a boring whingy post so I deleted it and, in the interests of having something interesting for you passing weekend readers to peruse if you dropped by, I shall now write something less dull.
Hopefully.
But it is now nearly 2am and given my bedtime these days is 9pm (yes, I know how to live!!) I'm not promising anything.
Anyway, given that a lot of my blog-traffic seems to be Twitter-driven, I thought it might be interesting to talk a little about Twitter, how it seems to a newbie and ask if anyone has anything to add on the subject; so that's what I'll do!
It seems to me that for many indie writers the big issue is publicity. You can write the best book in the world but if no-one but your Mum knows it's out there, you're not going to sell a million! So how do we do this?
From what I've read it seems that the jargon they use for creating interest is to talk about "setting up a platform". By platform they are referring to readers who are interested in the author as a brand - because, ladies and gents, that's what we are. To sell our books we now have to engage with the digital age and sell the BrandYou - or in my case, JAClement. How do we do this? By means of digital media.
We'll start with Twitter. I'm still very much a beginner at this, so you may all be laughing like drains at my ingenuity by now - for instance, I'm not sure that "meme" means what I think it means - any thoughts? On the other hand, this blog may be useful to people who are considering setting up an account but who are a bit put off by the Twitspeke and general jargon, so if you're already a member of the Twitterati and know it inside out, please give us any tips you think of via the comments box!
So, what I have discovered by my own trial and error is as follows:
There are all sorts of ways of finding new people to follow you on Twitter. Many add you if you add them; some want verification you're not a Spambot, and some won't add you at all. You can search by keyword in author and Tweets and there is a tool to suggest people you might be interested in following. For me the thing I have to remember is that I'm not just looking at any people, but specifically people who are interested in books and ebooks; I don't want to spam people with information about books and writers if it's not something they're interested in as that's a sure-fire way to vex them.
I've started with the authors I know from the forums and expanded from there. So far I appear to have hit 300+ followers, some of whom are spam, some reviewers, some interesting people but a large majority of whom are authors. On the one hand this would appear to be preaching to the converted, but most authors are voracious readers as well - and people interested in what one author has to say seem to be up for finding out what another author is on about as well. Add this to the fact that if the author likes your book, they may retweet it to their own following, and that's a useful tool.
There are also Twitter traditions that are useful. Some "Tweeps" do MentionMondays, some do WritersWednesdays, there is a widespread tendency towards FollowFridays, and the correct use of hashtags can be quite powerful. Possibly the most useful of these for you as a writer is SampleSunday, whereby you post a sample of your book on your blog or website or wherever, and then Tweet the link. Accepted practice seems to be to reTweet (RT) other people's samples to your own audience, and quite a few Tweeps have subsequently posted on the Monday to say that they've just found a book they like from one of the previous day's samples, so kudos to all involved!
ReTweeting anything, whether sample or random quote, can bring you to the notice of the original poster (and will often get a thank you) and people don't seem to cavil if you reply to something they said despite having never spoken to them before in your life! When they reply it shows on their feed so their followers will see your name - a few may be interested enough to investigate your page but remember that if you are inept enough to cause offence, any irate replies will also be there for the viewing by however many followers that person has and like many areas of the internet, things can get tribal VERY fast.
Twitter is useful in conjunction with other media, though, because snappy banter and links are all very well but if you want to sell your style as a writer (another major part of BrandYou) you need to show your fans something longer than 140 characters. At the moment I'm in a Facebook Group that facilitates mutual help between authors but mostly you're looking at forums for conversation and help, blogs for samples and general musings, and Facebook is good for status updates, photos, and video-sharing.
However, in the short-term, Twitter's a pretty good place to start and though you have to be careful not to get bogged down in it, it veers from the facile to the fascinating sometimes in the space of subsequent Tweets. The Holy Grail of Twitter marketing is to "go viral" - but there is no way of predicting just what will achieve that heady status.
So - that's what I've found out so far. What have I missed?If you have useful techie knowledge or hints and tips for using Twitter, please tell!
Have you had a successful marketing ploy or noticed a trend in what works and what doesn't? If you're a reader, have you ever bought a book after reading a SampleSunday quote, or followed an author because of a comment they made elsewhere? What are your opinions? I'd be really interested to know.
Right, I'm off to bed now because it's getting on for time to get up. If there are any typos or I'm talking nonsense, that'll be why... Will come back tomorrow (er, later today) and see what you guys can tell me (which I'm actually really looking forward to finding out).
And in the meantime, have a great weekend!
...zzzZZZzzz...
Catch you later, guys;
JAC
Update:
http://ping.fm/kAZEh is a useful blog re amwriting hashtag
http://ping.fm/bSRCb explains a bit about what hashtags are and how you can search by them
http://ping.fm/19Zlq explains how to manage Twitter a bit better when it's getting mad (and has a great video at the end)
More as I find them!
Saturday, 19 February 2011
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Some useful tips /links - and thanks
Wotcha peeps:
Further to last week's excerpt, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who took the time to read it and give feedback, whether here, on the forums or by email; your feedback is much appreciated!
For anyone that is interested in improving their own writing style, here are some of the useful bits of information and style-hints that I've collated from all your answers. Hope you find them interesting and / or useful - and if you have any other tips to add, please do - you know where the comment box is.
1) Take out as many uses of was/had etc as possible. Apparently a typical beginner’s error is to use them too much, ie "was waiting" instead of "waited" or "had eaten" instead of "ate". Though there are small differences of meaning between the different uses of the verb, the point is that when you use “was waiting” the reader is reading a description of what the character is doing (thus adding a layer of distance between reader and action) whereas when you say “waited” the reader has to imagine the action happening, and because there is no layer of description getting in the way, it makes it all a lot more immediate and gripping. (Show don't tell, remember?) Same with other “layers” that aren’t necessary, like “seemed to” “became aware of” etc.
Example: He had waited in the shadows, hiding until he became aware that she was walking round the corner. He had snatched the hat she was wearing and was running away as she yelled “Stop” and lobbed a small donkey at him.
Should be: He waited in the shadows, hiding until she walked round the corner. He snatched the hat she wore and ran away as she yelled [etc]
2) “He said / she remarked / they commented / it mused” etc etc. These are used too often and slow down the text unnecessarily - either transfer what they thought into reported speech or leave out attributions where poss. If you know there are two people having a conversation it is fairly obvious who is speaking once you’re into it.
Example:
“Why did you throw a donkey at me?” he asked.
“Why did you nick my hat?” she countered.
“Because it’s a nice colour and it would suit me” he told her, amazed that she could not see this.
“You’re a nutter!” she muttered, and left, hat in hand.
Should be:
“Why did you throw a donkey at me?” he asked.
“Why did you nick my hat?”
“Because it’s a nice colour and it would suit me.” Surely this was obvious?
“You’re a nutter!” Hat in hand, she left.
Useful websites:
Ray Rhamey - Flogging the Quill
April L Hamilton - Indie Author
I'm sure there'll be others so I'll try to add any more sites to my Links page as I find them.
As a newbie, it's been really useful to have my bad habits pointed out, because it's very difficult to see that sort of thing for yourself (obviously, or you'd have stopped it by now!). Also I've been sent in the direction of a variety of websites that have interesting or insightful points on them - always good to have a read and see what tips you can get from writers of really snappy prose.
I've been going through my story and have done a quick edit based on the feedback I received. Reading through it afterwards, I think the amount of difference made by a couple of small stylistic tips has been tremendous. I'm about to send it off to my second editor and proof-reader, and he seems to be quite excited at the altered first chapter (though he hasn't seen the rewritten bits yet) so I figure I can't have gone far wrong with it so far.
The other thing I wanted to say was that I've been really impressed by the constructiveness and the positivity of the comments I've had in all three arenas, and from feeling really fed-up and a bit lost in it all, your feedback has completely re-enthused me about my editing. Yes - you read that correctly, folks - I am actually really enjoying the process again! You should all be impressed by the power of your words and positivity, and if - WHEN - "On Dark Shores" finally does hit Kindle, you should all know that each of you has had a hand in getting it there...
My thanks to all!
JAC
Further to last week's excerpt, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who took the time to read it and give feedback, whether here, on the forums or by email; your feedback is much appreciated!
For anyone that is interested in improving their own writing style, here are some of the useful bits of information and style-hints that I've collated from all your answers. Hope you find them interesting and / or useful - and if you have any other tips to add, please do - you know where the comment box is.
1) Take out as many uses of was/had etc as possible. Apparently a typical beginner’s error is to use them too much, ie "was waiting" instead of "waited" or "had eaten" instead of "ate". Though there are small differences of meaning between the different uses of the verb, the point is that when you use “was waiting” the reader is reading a description of what the character is doing (thus adding a layer of distance between reader and action) whereas when you say “waited” the reader has to imagine the action happening, and because there is no layer of description getting in the way, it makes it all a lot more immediate and gripping. (Show don't tell, remember?) Same with other “layers” that aren’t necessary, like “seemed to” “became aware of” etc.
Example: He had waited in the shadows, hiding until he became aware that she was walking round the corner. He had snatched the hat she was wearing and was running away as she yelled “Stop” and lobbed a small donkey at him.
Should be: He waited in the shadows, hiding until she walked round the corner. He snatched the hat she wore and ran away as she yelled [etc]
2) “He said / she remarked / they commented / it mused” etc etc. These are used too often and slow down the text unnecessarily - either transfer what they thought into reported speech or leave out attributions where poss. If you know there are two people having a conversation it is fairly obvious who is speaking once you’re into it.
Example:
“Why did you throw a donkey at me?” he asked.
“Why did you nick my hat?” she countered.
“Because it’s a nice colour and it would suit me” he told her, amazed that she could not see this.
“You’re a nutter!” she muttered, and left, hat in hand.
Should be:
“Why did you throw a donkey at me?” he asked.
“Why did you nick my hat?”
“Because it’s a nice colour and it would suit me.” Surely this was obvious?
“You’re a nutter!” Hat in hand, she left.
Useful websites:
Ray Rhamey - Flogging the Quill
April L Hamilton - Indie Author
I'm sure there'll be others so I'll try to add any more sites to my Links page as I find them.
As a newbie, it's been really useful to have my bad habits pointed out, because it's very difficult to see that sort of thing for yourself (obviously, or you'd have stopped it by now!). Also I've been sent in the direction of a variety of websites that have interesting or insightful points on them - always good to have a read and see what tips you can get from writers of really snappy prose.
I've been going through my story and have done a quick edit based on the feedback I received. Reading through it afterwards, I think the amount of difference made by a couple of small stylistic tips has been tremendous. I'm about to send it off to my second editor and proof-reader, and he seems to be quite excited at the altered first chapter (though he hasn't seen the rewritten bits yet) so I figure I can't have gone far wrong with it so far.
The other thing I wanted to say was that I've been really impressed by the constructiveness and the positivity of the comments I've had in all three arenas, and from feeling really fed-up and a bit lost in it all, your feedback has completely re-enthused me about my editing. Yes - you read that correctly, folks - I am actually really enjoying the process again! You should all be impressed by the power of your words and positivity, and if - WHEN - "On Dark Shores" finally does hit Kindle, you should all know that each of you has had a hand in getting it there...
My thanks to all!
JAC
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Fave Hobbit quote:"reading the cast members I realized this is going to be fluff version. Hell why not throw in Thor and Spiderman?" http://ping.fm/FFTSN
Intro Excerpt - Feedback, anyone?
Wotcha peeps.
I'm working on a interest-catcher to start Chapter 1 with as my beta-readers have said it starts a bit slowly. I thought I'd post it here and see if anyone had any thoughts - if you read this would it spark your interest enough to read past a slow-ish start?
The book is On Dark Shores Part 1: The Lady.
Most of you know what the cover is like (there's a link in the first post on the homepage of www.weaselgreenpress.co.uk if you haven't).
After this excerpt it talks about Eliset and her mother for a while before cutting back to Scarlock.
There's quite a lot of conversation before anything dramatic happens, so the question is, having read this, would you have a chapter and a half's worth of patience before thinking it was too dull?
All feedback gratefully received; text follows.
=====
It was a time of dark dreams. They washed in like flotsam on the night tide, slipping beneath doorways and window latches, rising through the streets and hills; and the little fishing-town of Scarlock foundered deep.
The moneylender dreamed of the woman they said was his mother. The fury of her fit over, she subsided on the dirty straw of the madhouse, seemingly unmoved by the stench and the noise. She made no sign of recognising her boy; he was glad. He wanted nothing to do with her. Then the twitching began. His heart began to hammer as he realized that it was happening again. Like the mad woman, his muscles convulsed, and he jerked and raved like a puppet on its strings until he was gripped in the clutch of the padded shackles, pulling him in to share the cell with the drooling wreck of his mother.
The bodyguard dreamt of his final boxing match; the crowd chasing him, the broken shoulder that ended his career, and the brandy he laced with Angel Feathers to dull the pain. He wanted to give up the drug, but everywhere the Angel Feathers touched him a sore blossomed, gaping open like a hungry mouth, while he moaned with bitter pleasure.
The thief dreamt of the storm in which her parents had drowned. Dark waves thundered, smashing onto the reef where the ship's bones lay broken. The wind-whipped surf lashed up and fell like salt rain. Somewhere in the voracious waters the thief's memories were dissolving, but she could do nothing; she had to hide. It was not so much for herself, but the young girl whose beauty shone out, burning through the tattered cloak that the thief held up to cover them.
And further out across the sea and high up into the mountains the dreams insinuated themselves, even into the heavily-guarded sleep of the Mother of the Shantari….
…the old woman awoke in tears, full of the piercing sorrow which never left her. The time was close, so near that the echoes of it haunted her dreams, and of all her people, the most terrible sacrifice had been demanded of her. She wanted to rail against it, but this was the price of being guard and guide to her people; the women of her line were gifted, but the balance had to be paid in the blood of their own.
With an effort, she hauled herself out of the bed and crossed the room to open the heavy green shutters and then the window itself. She looked out over the harsh craggy slopes that fell steeply to the dark green of the tree line. Up here on the shoulders of the mountain it should have been bitterly cold at this time of year, but the hare was still wearing his summer coat and the waters of the stream were running freely.
The signs were everywhere. She grimaced; she was deceiving herself like a silly old woman, hoping against hope that she was wrong when in her bones she knew the truth.
“Mother?” Eliset paused in the doorway. “I dreamt it again, the same vision as before; about her.”
“The Lady?”
“Yes. She was walking along the pale beach, and behind her the sun rose over the Dark Seas. What does it mean?” Eliset hesitated, looking keenly at the older woman. “Mother? Your dreams walked a different path, again...”
“It was Absalom....” Her mother’s voice was barely a whisper. “It is always Absalom. I cannot see beyond his death. I cannot see anything but his death. I cannot see any way for it to end that could possibly make his death anything but wasteful. And I cannot forgive myself for setting his feet on a path that can only lead him to death and the Dark Waters.”
======
So: thoughts, guys? Reading this, would you want to read a bit more or have got a bit bored yet?
All comments gratefully received...
Thanks;
JAC
I'm working on a interest-catcher to start Chapter 1 with as my beta-readers have said it starts a bit slowly. I thought I'd post it here and see if anyone had any thoughts - if you read this would it spark your interest enough to read past a slow-ish start?
The book is On Dark Shores Part 1: The Lady.
Most of you know what the cover is like (there's a link in the first post on the homepage of www.weaselgreenpress.co.uk if you haven't).
After this excerpt it talks about Eliset and her mother for a while before cutting back to Scarlock.
There's quite a lot of conversation before anything dramatic happens, so the question is, having read this, would you have a chapter and a half's worth of patience before thinking it was too dull?
All feedback gratefully received; text follows.
=====
It was a time of dark dreams. They washed in like flotsam on the night tide, slipping beneath doorways and window latches, rising through the streets and hills; and the little fishing-town of Scarlock foundered deep.
The moneylender dreamed of the woman they said was his mother. The fury of her fit over, she subsided on the dirty straw of the madhouse, seemingly unmoved by the stench and the noise. She made no sign of recognising her boy; he was glad. He wanted nothing to do with her. Then the twitching began. His heart began to hammer as he realized that it was happening again. Like the mad woman, his muscles convulsed, and he jerked and raved like a puppet on its strings until he was gripped in the clutch of the padded shackles, pulling him in to share the cell with the drooling wreck of his mother.
The bodyguard dreamt of his final boxing match; the crowd chasing him, the broken shoulder that ended his career, and the brandy he laced with Angel Feathers to dull the pain. He wanted to give up the drug, but everywhere the Angel Feathers touched him a sore blossomed, gaping open like a hungry mouth, while he moaned with bitter pleasure.
The thief dreamt of the storm in which her parents had drowned. Dark waves thundered, smashing onto the reef where the ship's bones lay broken. The wind-whipped surf lashed up and fell like salt rain. Somewhere in the voracious waters the thief's memories were dissolving, but she could do nothing; she had to hide. It was not so much for herself, but the young girl whose beauty shone out, burning through the tattered cloak that the thief held up to cover them.
And further out across the sea and high up into the mountains the dreams insinuated themselves, even into the heavily-guarded sleep of the Mother of the Shantari….
…the old woman awoke in tears, full of the piercing sorrow which never left her. The time was close, so near that the echoes of it haunted her dreams, and of all her people, the most terrible sacrifice had been demanded of her. She wanted to rail against it, but this was the price of being guard and guide to her people; the women of her line were gifted, but the balance had to be paid in the blood of their own.
With an effort, she hauled herself out of the bed and crossed the room to open the heavy green shutters and then the window itself. She looked out over the harsh craggy slopes that fell steeply to the dark green of the tree line. Up here on the shoulders of the mountain it should have been bitterly cold at this time of year, but the hare was still wearing his summer coat and the waters of the stream were running freely.
The signs were everywhere. She grimaced; she was deceiving herself like a silly old woman, hoping against hope that she was wrong when in her bones she knew the truth.
“Mother?” Eliset paused in the doorway. “I dreamt it again, the same vision as before; about her.”
“The Lady?”
“Yes. She was walking along the pale beach, and behind her the sun rose over the Dark Seas. What does it mean?” Eliset hesitated, looking keenly at the older woman. “Mother? Your dreams walked a different path, again...”
“It was Absalom....” Her mother’s voice was barely a whisper. “It is always Absalom. I cannot see beyond his death. I cannot see anything but his death. I cannot see any way for it to end that could possibly make his death anything but wasteful. And I cannot forgive myself for setting his feet on a path that can only lead him to death and the Dark Waters.”
======
So: thoughts, guys? Reading this, would you want to read a bit more or have got a bit bored yet?
All comments gratefully received...
Thanks;
JAC
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