Writers On The Move

Conflating Promotion, Children's Lit and Promotion

Article Children’s Promo

Formula for a Long-Lasting Promotion

E-Book + E-Gift + Cross Promotion = Great FREE Promotion for Children’s Books

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson,
Author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers

The 4^th of July seems like a good time to talk about children’s books, to celebrate children's book, to give author of children's literature a little support. In a discussion I had with one of the longtime subscribers to my SharingwithWriters newsletter, Wanda Luthmam, author of The Lilac Princess, she said, “Of course the thing that is different for children's authors is that the product is for children yet the purchaser is an adult.”

Because Wanda is absolutely right, one of the best kinds of promotion is one where children’s authors cross promote. That means partnering with other others, sharing lists. Forming groups where you cross-tweet one another’s tweets that point out benefits of each children’s book to the parents cause kids won’t be on Twitter, not yet at least.

One of my favorite promotions—the one that lasted longer and was more “keepable” than any other I’ve done—utilized cross promotion. Here is a case study of that promotion straight from my multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter. I have adapted it slightly to be more meaningful for children’s authors.

The anatomy of a free e-book might be just what you need to make one work for you. The free e-book I published as a cross promotion with other authors was one of best, most long-lasting promotions I’ve done. Let’s call it the new math for free publicity. It is: E-book + E-gift = Promotion. Oops. Error. Make the answer FREE promotion. However, it would be better if we slotted in another element: + Cross Promotion.

I met Kathleen Walls in an online group. She asked more than two dozen authors from several countries to contribute to an e-book that would be given away. Her idea, Cooking by the Book could be used as a gift of appreciation to the support teams it takes to edit and market a book and to the legions of readers who cook but had never read any of our other books. Children’s authors could use exactly the same idea (or adapt the basic steps to another theme). Here’s why.

Authors who had at least one kitchen scene in their books (children’s authors might have a household cooking scene or just something foody going on in the plot like lollipops, ice cream cones—even apple trees!) were invited to contribute to Cooking. Each author’s segment begins with an excerpt from that scene. The recipe comes next, and then a short blurb about the author with links so the reader can learn more about the authors and their books. When children’s authors adapt the them, they might adapt the recipe segment to something else that would appeal to parents like the psychological benefit their child will get from reading the book.

This e-tool was a cross-pollinator. Contributing authors publicized it any way they chose as long as they gave it away. Here are some of the ways we used to distribute Cooking by the Book:

Some offered a free e-book as part of a promotion and let people e-mail them for a copy. This is the least techy approach and it allows personal contact with readers. It also allowed us to collect and categorize our readers’ e-mails to use in later promotions.

Some set up an autoresponder that sent our e-book directly to our readers’ e-mail boxes when they sent requests to an address we provided. This automated approach requires little but promotion from you after you’ve once set up the responder. I sent the first chapter of my novel using SendFree.com, but it could as easily been a full e-book.
Some contributors sent readers to their Web sites where they found a link to download a .pdf file of our free e-book. E-books distributed like this are more effective if they include an offer or call-to-action—perhaps a discount on a series of your books—within its pages. If I did a promotion like this again, I’d include a contributor page in the backmatter that listed each contributor, her book’s title, and a direct link to an Amazon Kindle edition. The side-benefit for this is that traffic to your site soars and that helps your search engine optimization (SEO).
ome contributors let others distribute our e-book as a gift to their clients, subscribers, or Web site visitors—either with a purchase or as an outright gift. When you use this method, you get to set the guidelines for its distribution because you provide the free e-book.
If we were doing this promotion today, we could offer our free e-book through Smashwords.com. To make free e-book editions work for you, your book must include ads, links in the text, or both to entice readers to your Web site or to buy your other books.
You may find other ways to distribute your e-book or alter these processes to meet your needs. You could even give out business cards or bookmarks at children’s bookfairs that give the links to the free e-book you are offering.

Contributors to our Cooking by the Book benefited from their efforts and from contacts with other authors. It turned out that we had some superior promoters among us:

Most of us set up a promotional page for the cookbook on our Web sites.
One promoted it in her newsletter.
Mary Emma Allen writes novels, but she also featured the cookbook in the columns she writes for New Hampshire dailies The Citizen and The Union Leader.
David Leonhardt incorporated the cookbook into a Happiness Game Show speech he delivered over a dozen times.
We all gave away coupons offering this gift at book signings. Because e-books cost nothing to produce, they can be given to everyone, not just those who purchase a book. Some made bookmarks featuring this offer.
I put an “e-gift” offer for Cookbook on the back of my business cards.
If we were doing this promotion today, we’d all blog about it and use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other social networks.
We treated the promotional book like a real book. We got blurbs and reviews. Reviewer JayCe Crawford said, “For a foodie-cum-fiction-freak like me, this cookbook is a dream come true.” That review popped up in places we didn’t know existed.
We used them as e-gifts to thank editors, producers, or others online.

Our most startling successes came from sources we had no connection to at all. The idea for using a promotional e-book like this was featured in Joan Stewart’s The Publicity Hound, in Writer’s Weekly, in the iUniverse newsletter and more. They probably found it especially newsworthy because it worked so well for writers of fiction. Your book themed for the parents of children might appeal to popular psychology Web sites or others—depending on the theme.

When I queried radio stations for interviews with angles related to this cookbook, I had the highest rate of response I’d ever had, and that was in competition with a pitch for my novel This Is the Place just before the Salt Lake City 2002 games and an intolerance angle on the same novel right after 9/11.

Each year Mother’s Day beckons us to repeat our publicity blitzes, because, if you haven’t noticed, mothers tend to do lots of cooking. Almost any e-book that appeals to mothers of young children could also benefit from Mother’s Day promotions.

Hint: I love services like Createspace.com and Bookbaby.com for publishing both e-books and paperbacks, whether or not they are to be used as promotions. You can probably do everything yourself and absolutely free except for the copies you buy and the extra services, if you prefer to have that help. I also like that you can put your own publishing company’s name on the book—in other words, develop your own imprint. There are even templates for covers there. If this feels kind of publishing feels scary at first, I can coach you through the first one and you’ll be set forever more. Contact me through the contact page on my Web site.

Special E-Book Offer: I offer a free e-book for subscribing to my Sharing with Writers newsletter. Find the offer on most pages of my HowToDoItFrugally Web site, upper right corner. Everyone is your cross-promotion pool could do the same thing.

Here’s another idea from Wanda. She says “At my events, I invite children to my table to make a free craft that is book-theme related. While they are working, I talk to the parent about the benefits of the book and reading.”

-----

Today's blogger, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, will soon have a children's picture book ready to submit to her agent. It's about the feisty squirrel who is bent stealing tangerines from her tree.

Carolyn is not known for writing children's literature. She brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. All her books for writers are multi award winners including both the first and second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and her multi award-winning The Frugal Editor won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award.

Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature’s Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community’s Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly’s list of “Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen” and was given her community’s Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts.

The author loves to travel. She has visited eighty-nine countries and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She admits to carrying a pen and journal wherever she goes. Her Web site is www.howtodoitfrugally.com

Writers on the Move Knows Why Blogging is Essential and is Looking for Members

By Karen Cioffi

In case you’re not familiar with Writers on the Move, we’re a writing and book marketing group utilizing content marketing to broaden our visibility and authority, and boost sales.

We have experienced writers and our content marketing strategy of choice is blogging.

The reason why we use blogging?

The marketing game is always changing, because of this, it’s important to keep up with marketing trends. One useful tool for this is Technorati’s Yearly Digital Influence Report.

According to their latest report, which is based on “over 6,000 influencers, 1,200 consumers, and 150 top brand marketers,” blogs are now heavy hitters with consumers. Blogs are regarded as trustworthy, they are popular, and they wield influence over consumer buying decision making.”

Another important finding of this study is that over 50 percent of consumers feel that smaller communities offer more influence. Even new sites were trusted over social networks.

From this study it would seem that people like connecting with other people, not crowds. They like the personal relationship, the kind of one-on-one relationship of the blogger that social networks don’t necessarily offer.

Why blog with Writers on the Move (WOTM)?

Anyone can blog, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get the visibility and traffic needed to get positive results. Well, WOTM has been around since 2008 and we’ve continued to grow and thrive for 8 years now.

The reason?

We keep track of current marketing trends and use them in our marketing strategies.

Doing this has given us a steady stream of monthly visitors and engagement. We often get notifications from AddThis and StumbleUpon that ‘we’ve got a spike in our website traffic.’ As a blogger, this is one of the results you want to see happen.

The purpose of this article?

We have three openings for new members in our group.

Each member in the group posts one article, once a month on an assigned day to the WOTM website. The posting day remains the same each month.

The benefits to members?

Visibility, authority, and being part of a group with seasoned writers and marketers.

So, if you’re a new writer or seasoned writer and want to take advantage of this opportunity, please let me know.

You can email me at:
kcioffiventrice –at—gmail--.com

Please put “WOTM Member” in the Subject box.

MORE ON WRITING AND BOOK MARKETING

10 Goals for Your Blog
5 Tips for Creating a Powerful Bio
Tips on Polishing Your Novel
How to Catch an Acquisition Editor's Attention

Your Email Welcome Message - 4 Hot Tips

By Karen Cioffi

You know, many don't realize that email marketing is a huge part of book marketing. And, publishers are realizing this also.

It's the subscribers to your email list who are a ready made audience.

And, the very first email that you will send to your new subscriber is the Welcome Message.

A while ago, I listened to a number of five minute podcasts from marketing experts. This setup was an ‘ethical bribe’ to sign up to the campaign of the day. But, that’s another story.

One of the podcasts discussed the effective use of your Welcome or Thank You message when someone opts onto your mailing list.

I’ve written on this topic before, on how to optimize your welcome message. But, this podcast reminded me of a couple of strategies that are well worth passing along.

Information that should be included in your Thank You message:

A Reminder

The first bit of information, aside from thanking the person for signing up, should be a reminder about what they signed up for. You’d think this wouldn’t be necessary, but people are overwhelmed with all the information they get in their inbox that it’s easy for them to forget why they opted-in in the first place. So, give them a reminder.

I start my Welcome/Thank You message with:

Welcome to The Writing World and thanks so much for subscribing.

Here’s the gift promised. I hope you find it helpful:
Title of Gift
URL to download

This is also the place to let the subscriber know what to do. Does she need to click on a confirmation link to join? You might add: “There’s one more step. Please confirm.” Also, you might explain how to download the gift: “To get your gift, simply click on the URL and download The Title to your computer.

Make everything easy.

Let the Subscriber Know What She’ll Be Getting

You will also want to let the subscriber know that along with receiving the gift (ethical bribe), he’ll also be getting daily, weekly, monthly, or other scheduled emails with lots of helpful information. Here you’ll want to give a brief description of what he can look forward to. Maybe you’ll be providing writing tips, health tips, fitness tips, information on your books, great offers, or other information. Let him know exactly what to expect.

Unsubscribe Ability

Another important bit of information to include is to let the subscriber know he can easily unsubscribe to the emails. Email services, such as GetResponse, AWeber, and iContact, provide this content. You can tweak it if you like or leave their wording. This takes the pressure off the subscriber, knowing he can easily unsubscribe reduces anxiety.

Security

One more strategy to reduce anxiety is to let the subscriber know that his email address is safe and secure. Email services provide this content also.

Your Welcome message is a key email marketing element and should be part of your book marketing strategy. It affords lots of opportunity to build relationships with your readers and subscribers and to make ‘one time only’ offers. Take advantage of all you can do with the opportunities, but remember, the main goal of the Welcome/Thank You message is to do just that - genuinely thank the subscriber for giving you his valuable email address and being a part of your online world.

If you need to get your email marketing going, the first think you need is an opt-in box. I use Get Response. The have the best opt-ins and you can design them to meet your needs. I'm love them so much, I'm an affiliate for them. So, if you need to get your LIST started, get on board with GET RESPONSE!

MORE ON WRITING AND MARKETING

5 Tips for Creating a Powerful Bio

10 Goals for Your Blog

A Critical Skill for Every Writer

A Writer's Bucket and Mop List

Do you have as much time as you want to write? I don't.

The first thing I want to do when I get up in the morning is write. But there are so many other things to do. Often I don't sit down to do it until nighttime when the dishes are done and the house is quiet.

Throughout my day I dream of having (in order of preference):

a nanny (if I still had kids at home)
a maid
a cook
a secretary
a research assistant
a dedicated media specialist
an errand runner
a personal trainer
a gardener
a dog walker

In other words, I wish I had a wife. Wait, I am a wife!

Make Your Life Your Inspiration

An excellent humorist writer friend of mine once told me about challenges her husband faced at his job. About what was going on with each of her three sons. About her own life and lack of time to get everything done.

But, she said, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. If it weren't for the angst in my family I wouldn't have anything to write about.

I've never forgotten her insight. It's a lesson I cherish every day. If I had too much time to write, my need wouldn't be as urgent. I may not be as motivated. I may not have those few hours of pure bliss to look forward to each day.

Once I did nothing but write. My life became so narrow, it sapped any energy I had once had for my writing projects and soon I ran out of ideas. My page was as blank as my life. Create a proper balance in your life and this effort will take care of everything. What if balance isn't possible? Lopsided is good. As long as you take time out each week to work on your writing projects. Though it sometimes seems impossible, eventually you will finish and go after publishing your work.

Gains and Losses

Since recently finishing my first book, I realize I am teetering on the brink of publishing and marketing it and jumping into my next writing project(s) with both feet. Here is the short version of what has happened to my time while writing the book and a scenario that is sure to continue as I endeavor to reach my future writing goals.

Gains:

The many friends and acquaintances I've made that will surely remain a part of my future.
The sharpening of my skills.
Learning many new things every day.
Staying up late and still getting up early.
Enjoying the feeling of joy inside at all that writing has given me.
The fun it is to share with others.
The feeling of accomplishment at completing such a challenging task as writing a book.
Looking forward to writing more books, articles and stories.
Keeping a few other interests alive to strive for less lopsidedness and more balance, especially spending time with my family.
How much I've grown from reading and learning about different people and subjects and then the growth that has taken place from writing about them.
Emotionally I feel I've grown, too, for it seems that understanding our own emotions and others' emotions is part of writing.
Being an entertainer.
The sheer fun of having an audience!

Losses:

No more time for sewing or photoscrapbooking.
Little time for socializing; having to say no to invitations to join clubs, play bridge, loll around the pool, meet a group of ladies for lunch.
Miniscule free time to simply curl up with a good book or watch TV, or do nothing.
Everything I do has to have a purpose in order to squeak out time to write.

Live a Life of Gratitude

The list of gains is long, losses is short. Good! Like my humorist friend, I wouldn't trade this life for anything. Let us be grateful for the lives we've been given, which have brought us so willingly to the page over and over again.

I hope you will leave a comment and let us know how you manage to fit writing into your life.

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 100 articles for adults and children, and six short stories for children. Recently, she completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction courses, picture book course and mystery and suspense course. She has currently finished her first book, a mystery/ghost story for 8-12 year-olds, and is in the process of publishing it. Follow Linda on Facebook.

Tips for New Writers; U - Z

U is for unique.

You have a unique voice and writing style. I cannot emphasize this enough.

It is overwhelming to take the first step in the writing world. One click on the internet and you know what I mean. There are hundreds of thousands of writers out there; everything from personal blogs to authors. Are there readers who want what you have to offer? Yes!

Believe in yourself and build on that foundation. There is room for everyone.

V is for voice.

Your writer's voice is your fingerprint; your distinctive writing style. This includes how you arrange your words and sentences, your use of punctuation, character development, and more.

Teacher and journalist Donald Murray defines voice:

"It is what attracts the reader and communicates to the reader ... voice carries the writer's intensity and glues together the information that the reader needs to know. It is the music in writing that makes the meaning clear."

Once you find your voice you will know it. The words will flow and come naturally and will guide you to the kind of writing you will be successful with.

W is for work.

The old adage, "it's not what you know, it's who you know" wasn't necessarily true for mystery writer, Hester Young.

An email query landed her a three-book deal with G.P. Putnam & Sons in 1 month. But it took her 15 years after writing the book to be published.

In Becoming a Novelist: Five Principles to Success, (Writer's Digest; June 2016) Young says:

"What truly helped me get an agent and a deal were my actions over that fifteen year period."

Wow.

Technology has made life quicker and easier in many ways. It's important to remember some things take time and work. When you keep this in your sight, you will not be tempted to give up.

X, Y, Z is for "insert your content here".

What will be the mark you leave on the writing world?

It's up to you!

Image above is courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

~~~

Kathy is a K - 12 subsitute teacher and enjoys writing for magazines. Recently, her story, "One of a Kind", was published in The Kids' Ark. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com

Five Simple Actions to Expand Your Writing World

By W. Terry Whalin

Writers are isolated and just keeping our fingers on the keyboard and producing words is a solitary action that we do alone. I know because even though I'm an editor for a New York publisher, for many years I've written books and magazine articles.

I'm going to detail five simple actions every writer can take to expand their writing world, reach more people and get more of your writing into the hands of others.

First, join a writer's organization. If you write novels, then look for a fiction organization in your genre. If you write nonfiction, then seek a local writer's group. Do more than attend their meetings but volunteer to help them and get connected to other writers. Do they have critique groups? If so, join the group and if not, start one. For many years, I've been active in the American Society of Journalists and Authors. I've been on the board of this group but also I've been the chairman of a committee. During the member meeting one year in New York City, I had the opportunity to give former President Jimmy Carter a copy of my latest book. While I have no idea if he read the book, I know it was the only book President Carter carried out of the room that day. I would not have had such an opportunity without being a member of the ASJA.

Second, get to a writer's conference. I love attending (and teaching) at conferences. I meet other writers and industry professionals. We exchange business cards and connect with each other on the phone or email after the event. I've received magazine assignments and book deals from these conference connections. Plan to attend a conference, bring plenty of business cards, then follow-up with the people you meet. It will propel your writing life to new levels.

Third, write for print magazines. I understand many writers want to write books yet print magazine editors need your stories. Writing for magazines is great exposure for your writing. It's one of the tried and true ways that editors and literary agents find excellent writers. It can not happen if you aren't writing for magazines. Make a point to pitch magazine editors (query) and read different magazines with an eye to write for the publication. These articles are shorter than books and will reach many more readers than a typical book. With an article, it is easy to reach 100,000 readers where a book might sell 5,000 copies during the lifetime of the book. Also you can practice your storytelling craft on a shorter form than a 50,000 or 100,000 word book project.

Fourth, join an online writers' group. While the face to face contact of a local group is terrific, you can get huge help from a national online group as well. There are writer's forums or groups on places like Goodreads to learn from others as well. With any online group, it is wise to start as a lurker and read the conversations before jumping into the fray. For many years, I've participated in several of these online groups as a writer. I learn a great deal and I'm able to help others through these groups.

Fifth, read how-to write books to keep growing in the craft. Whether you buy these books (and I have purchase many of them) or check them out from your local library, this training is inexpensive. If you take action, you can expand your writing world and propel your career ahead.

Not one of these five actions are complicated or time-consuming. Every writer can take these simple steps. Many will not take action but if you move forward, then you will be ahead of others and succeed in this amazing business.

W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing (a New York publisher). His writing has appeared in more than 50 magazines and he has written more than 60 books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams, Insider Secrets to Skyrocket Your Success. He has over 178,000 twitter followers and his blog on The Writing Life has over 1,300 searchable entries.

Tweetable:

Take 5 Simple Actions to Expand Your Writing World (ClickToTweet)

The Best Advice: 9 Writing Tips

Over my writing career I've received a lot of advice. Some of it good and some, well, less valuable. Here are the tips that I find myself sharing with others along the way:

Writing: Just start. However you can, whenever you can, just do it. You will not be alone in seeing the blank page and panicking. We've all been there, done that. The first and most important action you can take is to sit down and begin.
Writers' Block: Okay, this tags onto number 1. When you don't know what to write - write about that. I'm not sure where to begin. I could begin with the beginning, but I think it will take too long to then get to the action. Perhaps I should begin with the action like start with a really exciting sword fight. . . Suddenly you will find yourself writing. Put pen to paper, fingers to the keyboard and get started.
Writing What You Know: I heard that a lot when I was first writing, but I really wanted to also write about things I wanted to learn about. A writing friend of mine learned how to harvest wheat by working on a farm in order to add that element to her story. Write what you know and/or what you want to know more about. Your interest and passion for your topic will transfer to the writing and, most importantly, to the reader.
Show Don't Tell: This advice was another I heard often. So the difference between showing and telling? Telling: He was embarrassed. Showing: His ears turned red.
Dialog: Go to the mall, the nearest coffee shop or stand in line and listen to conversations. People talk in short sentences. Conversation is a give and take. It should be no different in your story or novel.
Characters: Everyone is flawed and complex so each of your characters should be as well. Yes, that includes the heroine, the hero and the villain. The heroine and hero will have flaws and the villain may have a gentle side. That is what makes them interesting.
Surprise the Reader: Every page should contain a surprise for the reader. Okay, what does that mean? Well, a word choice that is a bit different, a decision the reader won't see coming, a plot twist or a metaphor or simile that makes your reader smile. Something that will keep the reader turning the page.
Read out loud: One of the best ways to edit and find errors is through reading your work out loud. Find a quiet place and go for it. This will also help you to find areas where the dialog sounds stilted, where you've used the same word too close together or used words with the same sounds too close. (Using the same words or sounds is not bad in and of itself, only when it's done because of laziness.)
Read, Read, Read: Writers should also be readers.

Now what are you waiting for? Get to it.

_______________________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, Solem was released February 2016.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole, and Perception, and the co-author of The Exodus Series: The Water Planet: Book 1 and House of Glass: Book 2. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her on Facebook.

Charging Competitively for Your Work Takes Confidence and Preparation

If you're a freelance writer – or trying to become a freelance writer – how do you know when you're ready to start charging competitively for your work or add specialized writing services to your list of offerings to potential clients?

As a writing coach, I'm asked that question quite often.

Usually my answer is this.

When you start to feel comfortable and confident about the writing you're producing, then you're probably ready to start charging competitively for it.

So how do you become comfortable and confident about your writing?

You read, read, read the kind of writing you wish to do.

Then you practice, practice, practice.

That is, you try to produce some of this same type of work.

It also helps to take at least a few courses in the type of writing you wish to do.

Screenwriting, copywriting, and writing for children, for example, are all specialized forms of writing.

Don't assume you can produce these types of work simply because you like to read sales letters, or you've read dozens of children's books to your own kids, or you love to go to movies.

You need to learn the "tricks of the trade" of each of these types of writing before you'll really know what you're doing.

Some people might even need a grammar refresher course.

I can't tell you the number of times I see writing where a person is referred to as "that" instead of "who" (as in, "She is the person that will take the job" – instead of – "She is the person who will take the job") and these kinds of mistakes stand out, labeling the writer as someone who needs additional training.

You can't know every single thing there is to know about writing before you start charging.

If that were the case, no one would ever get started as a freelance writer.

Still, you can educate yourself to become an expert in the particular genre you wish to write, and you can brush up on your grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills.

It takes time, practice, and study to become good at anything.

Why should writing be any different?

Take the time to study the type of writing you wish to do, then practice, practice, practice.

One day you'll feel confident and comfortable about your work, and you'll just know you're ready to add certain types of specialized writing to your list of offerings.

Try it!

As the Working Writer's Coach, Suzanne Lieurance helps people turn their passion for writing into a lucrative career.

She is founder and Director of the Working Writer's Club (membership is free) and offers tips, articles, and additional resources to other writers every weekday morning in The Morning Nudge (which is also free).

5 Ways to Find a New Idea

I previously shared 5 pursuits to inspire creativity, as well as ways to get unstuck. While you can use activity to find inspiration and breathe life into your projects, sometimes what you really need is a new idea.

Whether you are writing blog posts, prose, or long-form fiction or non-fiction, sometimes you need to go back to basics and find a kernel of an idea to get you started.

Here are 5 places to find ideas, as well as how to use them for non-fiction or fiction.

1. Explore Social media. See what's up on your favorite social media pages and groups.

Non-Fiction: Check out which newbies are doing what in your field. Then, reach out to some of these up-and-comers, and see if they would be interested in being interviewed This could turn out to be a profile for your blog, an article to pitch, or a feature that includes several people doing interesting things in your field.

Fiction: Social media is a great place to seek out character traits, including descriptions, hobbies, and even jobs. Sometimes a great character is all you need for a fabulous story.

2. Read Books. Writers should be readers.

Non-Fiction: Write a list post of books to recommend your readers. Lump books together on a certain theme or topic. Start with ideas that interest you, because, if you get excited about a topic, it's likely your readers will too.

Fiction: Pick a page, a paragraph, and a line in a random book on your shelf. Or go to a library and pick something new. That line is the start of your next story or novel. Okay, this may not work for a long-form project, but when you give yourself the mandate to write at least a few pages about any random thing, it will certainly rev up your creativity.

3. Watch Videos. Dive into someone else's world.

Non-Fiction: Take a topic you've always been curious about or find a person who seems interesting, do a search, and watch some videos. Something within this exploration will make a good topic.

Fiction: This is a great place to people-watch (and find character traits) without leaving the comfort of home. Since this is a visual medium, pay close attention to the way people interact. Look at body language and listen for dialects.

4. Have a Conversation. Pick up the phone and call someone you haven't spoken to in a while. Or else, strike up a conversation with someone while waiting in line.

Non-Fiction: You never know what you can discover about someone unless you really pay attention when they speak. This person may have a great lead for a post idea ...or this person may be that great idea!

Fiction: Take someone's story and fictionalize it: minimize or exaggerate it! Have fun with this one.

5. Make a List. Write a list of anything that has ever piqued your curiosity.

Non-Fiction: Pick something at random to learn and then write about it. If it's a long-term project, write a monthly update on your progress.

Fiction: Challenge yourself to write a story incorporating no fewer than 20 items on the list. Feeling gutsy? Go for 50.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The more you seek them out, you will see that ideas are everywhere.

Where do you go to find ideas, especially when ideas elude you? Share your recommendations in the comments.

* * *

Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of Guided Goals and Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group.

She is the host of the Guided Goals Podcast and author of Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages.

Debra is an editor at Social Media Examiner and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Is "I Just Like Them" a Good Reason to Use Ampersands?

Ampersands: Pretty Is as Pretty Does

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

I added a new section to the second edition of my The Frugal Editor because ampersands seem to be so popular these days. It’s especially important for editors and those who publish books to both know a little about their history, how to use them, and how Lynn Truss’s of the world might view them. So, I thought I’d share this excerpt today.

AMPERSANDS: PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

The ampersand is a real pretty little dude but it isn’t a letter nor even a word. It’s a logogram that represents a word. Its history goes back to classical antiquity, but interesting history and being cute are no reason to overuse it in the interest of trying to separate one’s writing from the pack. Better writers should concentrate on the techniques that make a difference rather than gimmicks that distract. Here are some legitimate uses for the ampersand.

The Writers Guild of America uses the ampersand to indicate a closer collaboration than and, in other words, to indicate a closer partnership rather than a situation in which one writer is brought in to rewrite or fix the work of another. For those in the know it is a convenient way to subtly indicate that one writer has not been brought in to rewrite of fix the work of another.
Newspapers, journals and other choose to use it when they are citing sources. That’s their style choice, not a grammar rule.
In similar citing, academia asks that the word and be spelled out.
Occasionally the term etc. is abbreviated to &c, though I can see no reason for confusing a reader with this. Etc. is already an abbreviation of et cetera and the ampersand version saves but one letter and isn’t commonly recognized.
Ampersands are sometimes used instead of and to distinguish the and is part of a name rather than the typical conjunction used when naming a series of items, though here, too, it feels like a stretch and more confusing than helpful. Wikipedia gives this example: “Rock, pop, rhythm & blues and hip hop.” This also seems like an unnecessary affectation if we would but use the traditional serial comma like this: “Rock, pop, rhythm and blues, and hip hop.”

For a little style guide from the point of view of academia go to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/. To see a graphic artist’s creative use of the ampersand, one based on the authenticity of its simply being visually attractive, and go to the back of multi award-winning The Frugal Editor for a free offer for the readers of that book. It's a gift from Chaz Desimone.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension’s world-renown Writers’ Program. All her books for writers are multi award winners including both the first and second editions of The Frugal Book Promoter and her multi award-winning The Frugal Editor won awards from USA Book News, Readers’ Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award. Her next book in the HowToDoItFrugally series for writers will be Getting Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically.