Writers On The Move

Getting Unstuck When Writing a Novel

by Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach

As a writing coach, I see it all the time.

Someone decides to write a novel.

They get off to a brilliant start.

Then – about 4 or 5 chapters in – they get stuck.

They don’t know what to write next.

They try to figure out what to do, but most of the time they don’t, so they give up.

They put the manuscript away and start on something new.

Sound familiar?

If it does, then dig out your half-finished novel and take a look at it with the following elements in mind.

Chances are, one or more of these elements is lacking, or not fully developed, in your story and that’s why you’re having trouble moving forward.

Elements of a Novel

1. Compelling and Distinctive Characters

Readers need to care about your characters, right from the start. Otherwise, they have no reason to continue reading past the first few pages.

Readers won’t like or love all of your characters, of course. In fact, they’ll probably hate your protagonist. But, the point is, they need to have strong positive or negative feelings about these characters. They should not feel indifferent about them.

What have you done in your first few chapters to make readers care about your characters?

2. A Compelling Overall Story Problem for the Main Character

Quite often I see writers run into trouble midway through their novels because they haven’t created a BIG enough overall story problem for their main character. When that happens, it’s often difficult to keep readers’ interest. There just isn’t enough at stake for the main character, so readers don’t care whether or not he solves the big problem.

What is the overall problem your main character (your protagonist) is trying to solve? How much is at stake - what will happen if he doesn’t solve this problem?

3. Rising Action – Dramatic Tension

Once there is plenty at stake for the main character, the next step is to create LOTS of conflict, so it isn’t easy for the character to solve this problem. Things should get worse and worse – this creates rising action.

When your story has plenty of conflict or rising action, readers will worry and wonder if the main character will ever be able to solve, or at least resolve, the big problem. They’ll keep reading to find out!

How do things keep getting worse and worse for your main character?

4. Believable and Effective Turning Points

Turning points are those places in your story where things change. They take a different direction, usually because some choice has to be made or there is some sort of dilemma for the main character. An effective turning point means once a choice has been made, or a specific action has been taken, there is no going back for the character(s).

Do you have several turning points in your story? What are they?

5. Vivid Sensory Details

Details make your story come alive for readers, so they feel as if they’re experiencing the story along with the characters and not simply reading about what these characters are doing and what is happening to them.

Appeals to all 5 senses (taste, touch, sound, sight, smell) should be seamlessly woven into the action and dialogue of the story.

Do you have appeals to several senses in each chapter? Could you create more sensory details to enliven your story?

6. Engaging and Cohesive Subplots

Subplots are stories within the main story. But they relate to the main story. When used effectively, they can create additional rising action and conflict related to the overall story problem.

What are the subplots in your story? Can you create an additional subplot to create more rising action?

7. An Effective Climax

This is the most exciting part of your story. It’s when your main character must do something or make some decision that will cause him to solve or resolve the overall story problem. But it can’t be easy for him.

What is the most exciting point of your story? What is decision or dilemma your main character must face at this point?

8. A Satisfying Resolution

The climax of your story leads to the resolution, where everything is tied together or resolved. Usually, readers get some idea of what life will be like for the main character, now that he has solved or resolved the overall story problem.

It’s a good idea to consider how your story will end even BEFORE you start writing the story. This doesn’t mean your ending (and even other things in the story) won’t change by the time you write the ending. But if you know how you want the story to end, it will be easier to keep writing because you know where you’re going.

How did you tie up all the loose ends to complete your story? What is different for your main character(s) now?

Use these elements as a checklist when writing a novel and you'll be less likely to get stuck and never finish writing your novel.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, certified professional life coach and writing coach, speaker and workshop presenter. She has written over two dozen published books and hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines, and other publications.

She can help you write your first or next novel. Find out more about her Quick Start System to Writing Novels at www.writeanovelstarttofinish.com

Let Passion Fuel Your Writing Career

The Four Levels of Engagement & How to Use Them To Fuel Your Work

When you are looking to start a new writing project, here are some things to consider:

Level 1 Engagement: Lack of Enthusiasm: When you find you are lacking enthusiasm for your current writing project, many times this is because you are not following your passion, but that of another person. As a writer, we can all write a variety of things from non-fiction to short stories to novels, and we can choose from a wide range of topics. But when you find yourself writing something that doesn't seem to drive you toward your own goals, this lack of enthusiasm may cause you to stumble. Write what fuels your passion.

Level 2 Engagement: Inspired: Inspiration occurs when an idea manifests. Inspired people are more engaged in their project and may think and speak about the 'great idea' they have. Inspiration is important to fueling your writing, but inspiration alone is not enough. Talking about and thinking about what to write will not get words on a page.

Level 3 Engagement: Motivated: Motivation is an idea you can't put down. It won't let go of you, following you to the grocery store and to bed at night. But its more than just an idea, it's an idea that must, and I mean must, be acted on. Motivation means you will sit down at your desk and write. Being motivated will fuel your writing and provide you with a body of work.

Level 4 Engagement: Passion: Passion is when you have an idea, and it's one that won't let go of you and you writing this particular article or longer piece is part of your destiny, your path. This project will take you where you want to go with your writing career. It is the work you were meant to write to share with the world and it will show in your final product. Let passion fuel your work.

_______________________________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, Flight from the Water Planet, Book 1 of The Exodus Series was written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

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. 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 at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook

NYTs Best Seller's List or Book Club?

In this profession, they say you've made it when you are on the NYTs Best Seller's list, or at least in the top 100 on that list. But what if you were to get your book or books as part of a book club discussion? Do you think that is "making it"?

I recently attended a "Reluctant YA Readers" book club (a group of adults who don't want to admit they read YA but do anyway - lol) at the local library. I really enjoyed the discussion, even though I hadn't read the selected read for the month. After the group left, I spent some time talking with the librarian who heads up the reading clubs. My book, FINALLY HOME, will be either the book selected for the October reading or I may end up on a different day just to have my own book event with the ability of being able to sell my book. The hope is that the second story in the series, THE TIES OF TIME, will be completed and published, so I can sell both books at the same time.

To me, it's not necessarily the NYTs best seller's list, but it means I have finally made it. I'm making a name for myself, starting locally and building a readership and hopefully that will lead to word of mouth sales, which in turn will eventually lead to NYTs Best Seller's list, not that that has really been goal since publishing my first story. It's a nice little perk.

Eight years from the first story being published online after taking a shared 2nd place to the present, putting my book out there for the librarian to put my books out in the face of the public. I've not pushed my books in the last couple of years as much as I did when I first got published, but now I feel it is time to really step it up and put more effort into getting my stories completed and published and maybe shoot for the stars - the NYTs Best Seller's List.

This is an encouragement note, as Heidi's was a couple of days ago. It doesn't matter the route you take to get there, just keep at it and persevere and you will get there. Reach for the top rung!!

Elysabeth Eldering
Author
Finally Home (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery) - available in print, ebook, and as an audiobook
The Ties of Time (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery - coming soon)
Elysabeth's Writing Blog

Turning your poetry dabbling into a marketing tool

Poetry doesn't sell. It's so often said (and validated by poets everywhere), that it has become something of a truism. If you write poetry, you probably do it for the love of it. You may well be supporting your poetry habit with a range of more lucrative types of writing like nonfiction or even working a day job. However,value doesn't always come in the form of cash. There's real value - and ultimately financial value, to be had by using your poetry as a marketing tool. So where do you begin? Here are a few tips to get you going.

Think themed chapbook

Have a look through your existing poetry collection, and see if you can find a recurring theme that you can use. Some examples of themes which immediately suggest a market include (and I’ve used some of these myself) – Mothers, Love (in all forms or a specific aspect of love such as romantic love), Pets, Nature, your locale, a historical period, person or notion, politics, family life, humorous wordplay, or even sports. Some chapbooks that I’ve particularly admired from well known poets include one on phobias, one on romantic love, and one set in the world of Walt Whitman during his period on the battlefield. My own tendency seems to be towards writing scientific poetry – astronomy, physics, the genetic code, evolution. So don’t limit yourself to clichéd themes. If there’s something you tend to gravitate towards, go with it. Another option is to think about what fits your other work - the stuff you want to sell, and theme the book around that - this way you'll be drawing in your target market. And speaking of markets...

Define your market

Identify the market that matches the theme you came up with in the first exercise. Try to make of list of up to three specific markets, and then list another six examples of those. For example, if your market is florists, then come up with six florists you could contact when you go about marketing your work. Having a sense of where you’re planning to market will help you plan and create your book in a much more coherent and effective way. Always keep your market in mind when you’re constructing a book.

Construct Your Book

This might sound like a big thing but it's actually just a simple collation exercise. Start organising your poetry into a Word (or other word processor) file. You can use a Word book template for that - there are quite a few that come as standard with with Word or you can search here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/?CTT=97 A chapbook could have as few as ten and as many as thirty pages of poems. Twenty poems would be about average for a small chapbook. Put them in an order that makes sense and if there are any gaps or areas that require more poems, then write them! Once you've got everything together number your pages, add a table of contents at the front, and voila, you're almost there.

The all important bio

This is the key - your bio. This is where you need to make your book work for a living. Include not only a little bit about yourself, but a link back (with an enticing offer like a free chapter) to your selling page for whatever product - your novel, your nonfiction, your audio series, etc, you want to sell. Also include an attractive photo. Don't rush this. This is what's going to make value for you.

Get someone else to read it for you.

Whatever you do, don't skip this step. Get a fellow writer or eagle eyed reader to read through it for errors, things that don't make sense and the overall ordering. If they like it, get them to give you a quote to use somewhere at the back of the book.

Get it out there

Make sure you've got an enticing title, that the book looks good, and then turn it into a .pdf. If you're using Word 2007 onward, then you can just save as a .pdf. You could sell the book if you want, but you probably won't make much. Using it as a promotional tool, you can upload it to your website or blog and offer it as a gift for anyone who subscribes. This way you not only get more subscribers, more people reading your work, but you also draw in readers and potential customers for your big tickets items.

Writing isn't always about commerce and marketing. Sometimes it's about creating meaning, and that, of course is at the heart of poetry. But there's no reason why you can't create meaning, bring in readers and still sell your work. Using a poetry chapbook is a unique way to gift your work and still benefit financially from it.

Magdalena Ball is the author of the novels Black Cow and Sleep Before Evening, the poetry books Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Sublime Planet, Deeper Into the Pond, Blooming Red, Cherished Pulse, She Wore Emerald Then, and Imagining the Future. She also runs a radio show, The Compulsive Reader Talks. Find out more about Magdalena at www.magdalenaball.com.

The Path to Publication

When I began writing my first novel in 1996, I really did not think I would ever be published. But it was a cathartic experience, and it was something I needed to do to prove to myself that I could write a novel.

I started researching my second book in 1999. After about ten years of rewriting, polishing and collecting rejections, Cowgirl Dreams was published. I’m not telling you this to discourage you, but to encourage you.

That first attempt has yet to be published, and I am so glad it was not then. I did the best I could, but in going back and doing the rewrites (it will be the fourth in my series), I find I’ve learned so much about the craft of writing.

I met both of my publishers at writing conferences hosted by Women Writing the West. Since Cowgirl Dreams was based on my rodeo-riding grandmother, I thought that might be the best place to look, and it was. The first two books in my series were published.

At another WWW conference, where attendees can set up appointments with agents, editors and publishers, I pitched the idea of writing a series of magazine articles about the old-time rodeo cowgirls of Montana. As I was leaving, one of the other editors in the room jumped up from her table and caught me at the door. “I couldn’t help overhearing your pitch,” she said. “Make an appointment with me.”

I did, and Globe-Pequot Press offered me a contract to write a non-fiction book. When my first publisher closed down, I asked if GPP was interested in my third novel. They were and also picked up the first two books to be republished with new covers and new editing.

Dare to Dream was launched this week, the newest novel in the “Dreams” trilogy. The non-fiction book, Cowgirl Up! will come out in September.

My message to aspiring authors is this: do not be in a hurry to get that first book published. Have patience, study and practice the craft of writing, get feedback from critique groups or partners, and get it professionally edited (especially if you are self-publishing). You do not want a book out that is riddled with errors and flaws.

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A native Montanan, Heidi M. Thomas now lives in North-central Arizona where she blogs, teaches writing, and edits. Herfirst novel, Cowgirl Dreams , is based on her grandmother, and the sequel, Follow the Dream, won the national WILLA Award. The next book in the series, Dare to Dream, has just been released. Heidi has a degree in journalism and a certificate in fiction writing.

Create Less Than Perfect Characters

"Create Less than Perfect Characters" by Joan Y. Edwards

In order to create less than perfect characters, each character must have a flaw. It's okay to dream up a character with more than one flaw. Brainstorming your character with different types of flaws may help you decide which one creates the most havoc for him in his particular situation. You could group three primary flaws that are characteristic of one particular gigantic shortcoming for your character. However, you may want one flaw that signals their defining trait.

Flaw, according to the Google dictionary, is a mark, fault, or other imperfection that mars a substance or object. For example: The outlet store sold plates with flaws in them. Synonyms for flaw are defect, blemish, fault, imperfection, deficiency, weakness, weak spot/point/link, inadequacy, shortcoming, limitation, failing, or foible.

In 1993, to focus attention and resources to eliminate accidents and human error, Gordon Dupont, a worker in maintenance for Transport Canada developed the following Dirty Dozen list of causes for human mistakes at work: http://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/The_Human_Factors_%22Dirty_Dozen%22

Lack of communication
Distraction
Lack of Resources
Stress
Complacency - a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, unaware of potential danger, defect, or the like.
Lack of Teamwork
Pressure (of deadline)
Lack of Awareness
Lack of Knowledge
Fatigue
Lack of Assertiveness-don't feel free or not allowed to speak up
Norms-the way you've always done it

These could cause life-changing situations for your characters. But you don't want your characters to get hurt. I understand. About 6 years ago, Pam Zollman told writers you have to hurt your "bunnies" (characters). Oh my goodness! As a writer you may be a "Mother Hen or "Protective Father" and don't want anything to happen to your little ones. However, to have a plot, to have a story at all, means that you must create something bad to happen to your main character. That's bad, spelled and pronounced B-a-a-a-a-d. After the bad experience, watch him meet the challenge. I promise you that your character will meet any challenge you give him. He will make it out of the darkest corner. With your help, how can he fail?

To look at the dark side, the darkest corners of films, watch a few film noir from the 1940's to late 1950's. The Guardian lists the Top 10 Film Noir movies and a summary of each one and why it was good. Film noir was usually in black and white. It may have been an American Detective or crime film that emphasized cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. It seemed to me that no character in a film noir ever reached the good side of human behavior. One person, the detective who solved the mystery, may have been the only one on the right side. According to Fandor, the noir style has expressionism and realism with night scenarios, strong shadows, low-key lighting, dynamic compositions, hard-boiled dialogue, flashbacks, fragmented narratives, and fluid camera movements.

One of the many I've seen on AMC on television is Out of the Past (1947).

A private eye escapes his past to run a gas station in a small town, but his past catches up with him. Now he must return to the big city world of danger, corruption, double crosses and duplicitous dames.

But it could have been one of many. Film Noir present a pretty bleak view of our world. Consider this pitch description of Blackout:

A down-and-out American visits London and meets a beautiful blonde who offers him a fortune to marry her. He quickly agrees but the next day he awakens in an artist's studio covered with blood and his supposed father-in-law's corpse!

Sometimes writers put a funny spin on the foibles of the characters, one such 1955 film is "The Trouble with Harry." Poor Harry gets dug up numerous times during the story. I remember when I saw a 1989 movie Weekend at Bernie's considered a dark comedy. I was so surprised at myself for laughing hysterically at it.

Many times in life, the story behind the story is intriguing and goes to the dark side. For instance, the movie Captain Phillips (2013)

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship hijacked in two hundred years.

Some of the men in the crew with Captain Phillips contend that Captain Phillips shouldn't have taken them there in the first place and have claimed a lawsuit against the real Captain Phillips. Now that would make another good movie.

Reverse the usual for your characters. What if everyone in your story except one person was evil...not just one flaw, they had all flaws except for one good redeeming trait. See what kind of story you get.
For instance, there's a robbery in town. Everyone helps the robber get away. Why? It's sad to think about, but what if the world was that way. What if your character has people believing the best about him and they couldn't believe he did it. He had charisma personified. But one character could see through all the songs and dances and convict the robber.

When you write a story, you get to create a world that might be hard to imagine...a sad, tragic, magic, or joyful world. But it's your story with your main character with many flaws, three flaws, or only one flaw. A flaw is what gets him into trouble. A flaw is what gets him into the deeper depths of despair. Only when your character is brave and wise enough to see things differently is he able to think of a way out of his bottomless pit. You have a choice of a happy ending or an ending that you drape in the perils of tragedy.

I thought by looking at these 12 causes of mistakes and glancing at the dark side might help you decide which flaw is "perfect" for a character in your story to make him memorable.
Here are a few first sentence story-starters or character sketches:

Everyone in his family for generations has been trustworthy. But not, Ned Parker.
A leader needs good communication, but the President of the United States did not have good communication on the day when the people of Zamboo declared war.
Everyone cringed to think that the airplane built by Forever Airlines had not had the suggested maintenance inspections and repairs. Whose fault was it that maintenance orders were not carried out? Who is going to pay for the deaths caused when Flight 513 went down on I-95?
James couldn't focus on his job as a taxi driver. He worried about his grandfather. He worried about his son in school. Most of all, he worried about his bank account. He didn't notice the lady walking out from two parked cars.
Teresa was unaware of the faulty electrical cord she used to turn on her hair dryer. She never checked her surroundings. She took it for granted that everything was going to be fine and that electrical outlets stay good for a lifetime. The day her hair frizzed and the shock went through her body, was the day she became paranoid about safety.

Please leave a comment. Tell me some of your techniques for helping your characters fall deeper in trouble or rise from a b-a-a-a-a-d situation to create a better world for themselves. I'd love to hear what you think.

Celebrate you and your gift of writing,

Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards

I hope you'll buy Flip Flap Floodle to read to your children and grandchildren because even mean ole Mr. Fox can't stop this little duck from playing his song.

Joan’s Elder Care Guide, Release December 2014 by 4RV Publishing

Website/Blog

Twitter/Linked in/Facebook Author Page

Submit to Fiction Magazines with Themes

I love magazines with themes or prompts, because they expose the many, many ways our minds work differently to produce so many stories from one kernel of an idea.

For all you fiction writers out there, if you're having writer's block or if you want to challenge yourself to write something you normally wouldn't, try writing for one of the magazines or e-zines below.

Paying Markets ($10-$50)

THEMA Literary Journal. Each issue is based closely around a specific theme. All genres. Reprints accepted. Current and upcoming themes: "Was that today?" and "We thought he'd never leave." Submission guidelines

The First Line Literary Magazine. Each story must start with the same sentence. All genres. Current and upcoming first lines: "Fifty miles west of Bloomington lies Hillsboro, a monument to middle-class malaise," and "We went as far as the car would take us." Submission Guidelines.

Pantheon. As the name suggests, this magazine's issues center around various gods and goddesses. All genres welcome. Reprints accepted, but unpaid. Current themes: "Ares" and "Gaia." Submission Guidelines.

Infective Ink. All genres. Current and upcoming themes: "The future of dating," "Great friendships." Submission Guidelines.

On the Premises. This is run like a contest, but with no fee. Third to first prizes $100-$180. Honorable mentions, $40. All genres. Current Contest: "Decisions, Decisions." Submission Guidelines.

Long Count Press. E-book anthologies of fantasy fiction. Currently closed to submissions, but check in the future. Last theme: "Mesoamerican Fantasy." Submission Guidelines.

Timeless Tales. Retold fairy tales. Next theme: "Twelve Dancing Princesses." Reprints accepted. Submission Guidelines.

Subterrain. A Canadian magazine that requires paper submissions (and an SASE with an IRC). Upcoming themes: "Pulp Fiction," and "Meat." Submission Guidelines.

Semi-Pro and Pro Markets

Crossed Genres. Science fiction or fantasy only. Current and upcoming themes: "Typical" and "Robots, Androids, and Cyborgs." 5 cents/word. Submission Guidelines.

Unlikely Story. Their two main themes are "entomology" (bugs) and "cryptography" (codes and ciphers). They also have other theme issues, like "cartography" (maps). All genres. 5 cents/word. Reprints accepted at a lower rate. Submission Guidelines.

Crab Orchard Review. Literary. One yearly theme (submissions accepted October). This year's theme: "Stories that covers any of the ways our world and ourselves have changed due to the advancements, setbacks, tragedies, and triumphs of the last twenty years, 1995-2015." $100 minimum. Submission Guidelines.

Penumbra. Speculative fiction only. Upcoming themes: "Pain" and "Lewis Carroll." 5 cents/word. Submission Guidelines.

Cobblestone Publishing's non-fiction magazines for kids 9-14 accept 800-words stories based on specific themes. Your choices: Calliope (world history), Cobblestone (American history), Dig (archeology), Faces (world culture and geography), and Odyssey (science). Check the guidelines for query dates and themes. Very good rates. Submission Guidelines (choose the individual magazine you're interested in).

Guidelines

Fiction magazines these days come and go, so be sure to verify the details before submitting. And, as always, read the submission guidelines, word count requirements, and theme information very closely. Some are so specific you'll pretty much have to write a story with the magazine in mind. Others are looser, so you can match up stories you've already written.

Whatever you do, have fun and keep writing.

Melinda Brasher's first fiction sale was in THEMA, one of the magazines above. She has other stories published in various magazines, including On the Premises. She also loves to travel and is currently writing a budget traveler's guide to cruising Alaska.

4 Book Marketing Strategies That Are Guaranteed to Keep Your Online Platform Moving Forward

By Karen Cioffi

Your author or writer online platform is all about numbers and reach. It’s about how many people are aware of you within your niche and how many of those people think you have authority within your niche. In other words, it’s about how many connections you have. You might equate it to a popularity contest.

Unfortunately, there are millions of contestants in the online platform arena trying, as you are, to get the golden subscriber email address and get the emails they send opened.

Because of the sheer number of marketers, people are bombarded with marketing emails on a daily basis. This in turn has caused a drop in email opt-ins and a drop in marketing email open rates.

So, what can you do to fight the odds and keep moving forward to reach your goals?

There are four strategies you can use to keep you connected to people and keep you on the visibility radar.

1. Connection frequency

You need to connect with your subscribers and target market on a regular basis.

This doesn’t mean adding to the email inbox bombardment, it means to be visible in multiple places. How many times a week are you connecting with your subscribers and your target market?

This matters.

Are you taking advantage of the different venues you can reach people? Are you being active in groups? How about social media, such as Facebook, Linkedin, GooglePlus, Twitter, and Pinterest? Are you offering valuable information on a regular basis?

Each of these connection venues is another layer of visibility and familiarity. This frequency helps establish a relationship and helps it grow.

2. Consistency

Everyone when first starting a platform is determined and motivated. You diligently keep on top of social networks, blogging, article marketing, sending out a newsletter on a regular basis, and so on. But, then, when results aren’t what was expected or don’t come quick enough, the motivation and effort slows down.

Well, being consistent is what will help you reach your goals. In fact, without being consistent you most likely will never reach your goals.

Coleman Cox says it best: "Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he starts."

Create a plan of action steps and stick to them. Be consistent.

3. Authority and Usefulness

According to pro-marketer Travis Greenlee, statistics show that published authors have a 300% higher credibility rating than non-published authors.

That’s quite a difference and gives the published author a big advantage in authority. If you’re not published yet, a quick remedy is to create an ebook and get it out there. With that said, your ebook needs to be a quality product.

But, having an ebook isn’t the cure-all. In addition to this, you need to deliver quality (useful) information to your target market on a regular basis.

The point here is that you need to be perceived as a person of value to your target market. Your actions and offerings need to demonstrate that you can help them with their problem, need, or want.

If you are perceived as having high authority (knowledge and experience) and value (capability and usefulness), people will want to be connected with you.

4. Visibility

Visibility and frequency go hand-in-hand. While you need to make frequent connections, you need to know where and how to make those connections. That’s where visibility comes in.

How many different formats are you using to be visible to your connections and make new connections?

There are a number of marketing formats you can use to generate visibility, including:

•    Blog posting
•   Guest blogging
•    Creating podcasts
•    Creating videos
•    Creating e/books, reports, etc.
•    Sending out newsletters or ezines
•    Offering webinars, teleseminars, or workshops
•    Staying current on social networks, such as Facebook, Linkedin, GooglePlus, and Pinterest

You get the idea. Keep it fresh. Don’t use the same formats to bring information to your subscribers, readers, and visitors.

You need to use all four of these strategies to keep your online platform moving forward.

Karen Cioffi is an author, ghostwriter, and online marketing instructor for authors and writers. Get her weekly newsletter with must-know writing and marketing tips at: http://thewritingworld.com

MORE ON WRITING AND BOOK MARKETING

Goal Setting – It’s Not About Ideas, It’s About Making Ideas Happen
Selling Your Book - 2 Steps Toward Success
26 Reasons a Writer Should Blog (Part 1)

Apps to Help You Find New Tweeps

Guest Post by Frances Caballo

We all know that social media isn’t a numbers game. While we may ooh and ah over a colleague’s 45,000 Twitter followers, we know that what’s most important is whether we have a dedicated following that frequently retweets our messages, buys our books and leaves comments on our blog.

However, if you are thinking of leaving the self-published route behind, a prospective agent or publisher invariably will ask you if you have a marketing platform. Then that person will want to know how many followers and Facebook page Likes you have.

So even though social media is about engagement and not numbers, someone – without fail – will be more interested in your follower count.

If you feel that you have too few followers and you want to boost them before pitching your book to an agent, there are several strategies you can implement to boost your numbers.

Twubs - http://twubs.com/

If you want to grow your following, consider occasionally joining a twitter chat. When you sign up for Twubs, you can use this tool to find a Twitter chat and join one. Joining a chat from Twubs enables you to jump into a discussion and Twubs will take care of adding the chat’s hashtag to your tweet. By joining a chat you will discover like-minded individuals who share your interests and who have great content to share.

Tweepi - http://www.tweepi.com

Tweepi is familiar to many Twitter users. With its free version, you can unfollow anyone who isn’t following you back, assuming that’s an important criterion for you. However, you can also use Tweepi to follow new users based on which Tweeps they follow. In addition, if you especially like industry experts such as Jane Friedman or Joel Friedlander as examples, you can use Tweepi to follow their lists. If you are willing to upgrade to a paid account, you can also search for tweets based on geolocation and the topic of their messages and decide if you want to follow them. Another paid feature would allow you to search for new users according to keywords they used in their bios to describe themselves, such as authors, writers, or bookworm.

ManageFlitter - http://manageflitter.com

ManageFlitter is a helpful tool that will enable you to unfollow Tweeps who haven’t yet personalized their avatar and accounts that are fake. In addition, it will identify Tweeps who rarely use Twitter. It’s paid plan will search through more than 80 million Twitter accounts and find the right people for you to follow. You can also use this app to copy other Twitter account’s followers or accounts they follow.

If you feel as though your follower account is stagnating, it might be a good idea to use one of these apps to boost your count. I’ve noticed that as my follower account grows, my book sales increase. So even if you aren’t thinking about finding a publisher, it might be wise to boost those numbers on occasion as long as you don’t compromise engagement.

What Twitter tools do you use?

About the Author: Frances Caballo (http://socialmediajustforwriters.com) is a social media manager for writers and author of Avoid Social Media Time Suck: A Blueprint for Writers to Create Online Buzz for Their Books and Still Have Time to Write, Social Media Just for Writers: The Best Online Marketing Tips for Selling Your Books and Blogging Just for Writers. Presently, she is the Social Media Manager for the Women’s National Book Association-SF Chapter, the San Francisco Writers Conference, and the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google+.

Book info:

Avoid Social Media Time Suck: A Blueprint for Writers To Create Online Buzz for Their Books and Still Have Time to Write.

Synopsis: Social media is no longer an option for writers--it is a required element of every author’s platform. If you’ve been avoiding Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social networks because you think tweeting and posting will take large chunks of time out of your day and leave you with little time to write, think again. Using social media to market your books doesn’t need to be time-consuming. And with the four-step formula you’ll find in this book, it won’t be.

Whether you’re a seasoned or a newbie social media user, this book will introduce you to posting schedules, timesaving applications and content-rich websites that will help you economize the time you spend using social media to promote your books. You will learn:

•    How to create and perfect your author platform.
•    Where great content exists on the Internet and how you can use it to further your brand within your niche.
•    The importance of being social and applications that make this task easy and fun.
•    Tools that enable you to track and measure your success so you can better understand the return on investment of your valuable time.
•    Which tools prevent you from accessing the Internet when the time comes to sit and write that next book.
•    Exercises for introverted writers to help you feel comfortable on the social web.

Frances Caballo is also hosting a book giveaway for Avoid Social Media Time Suck on Goodreads during the month of April.

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To keep up with writing and marketing information, along with Free webinars, join us in The Writing World (top right top sidebar).

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You Know You're a Writer When . . .

Bloom where you're planted Photo by Linda Wilson

You have a desire to express yourself. It won't go away. Pieces come out in your everyday life. At work. At home. With the people you know and love. With acquaintances and strangers, too. You might trek to the farthest reaches of the earth and sea. Start your own business, a new hobby; begin an exercise program, pick up a musical instrument. Go into politics or find volunteer opportunities. Yet you still want to do more. So, you sit down and write. You become a writer.

As busy as you are with your life, have you ever wondered where this desire to write comes from? You may be a physician/writer, a teacher/writer or a writer/writer. But deep down you know: Writing is your heart and you never want to stop.

The reasons one becomes a writer are as varied as life itself. Some of them are collected here, for you to ponder and perhaps to remind you of your own beginning, when you first noticed that pulse that beat so strong inside that it spilled onto the page and hasn't stopped. It's only grown. And you've grown, too.

You know you're a writer when you . . .

. . . Enjoy looking up words in the dictionary and thesaurus.

Speaking from personal experience, I like nothing better than to look up words. I am now in the market for an electronic dictionary/thesaurus. Any recommendations left as a comment would be appreciated.

. . . Are willing to forgo a social life, belonging to clubs, playing bridge, etc.

Years ago, I read an article where best-selling author Barbara Taylor Bradford (A Woman of Substance, and twenty-nine other books), was quoted as saying that you must choose between having a busy social life or becoming a serious author. In a recent article where Bradford offered writing tips she wrote: "First and foremost, you need to be serious about your desire to become a published author. It takes an extraordinary amount of time, effort and dedication to hone your skills and produce a work worthy of publication. But like anything else, if you possess the talent and the determination, you will likely succeed."

. . . Love the process without concerning yourself with the end result. Your mind is always working on an idea or problem for an article or story.

Newbery medalist and well-loved children's author Betsy Byars described one of the best things about our craft in the reference book, Something About the Author, " . . . creativity. I can't define it, but I have found from experience that the more you use it, the better it works."

. . . Are willing to keep learning your craft and grow.

In the article, "Timeless Advice on Writing from Famous Authors," June 18, 2012 published by Brainpickers, Chilean novelist Isabel Allende is quoted as saying, "Show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up, too."

. . . Keep working and don't give up despite any odds against you, such as rejections, self-doubt and lack of time.

Through the years, I've heard successful writers and editors say that it's sad. Many talented writers give up too soon. They've become discouraged because of the demands that come with being a published author. If they had hung on a little longer, their work would have been ready.

. . . Want to share what you've learned.

A Catholic nun was the first person who encouraged me to write. I had made puppets and a puppet stage and written and adapted puppet plays for the children in our church when my daughters were very young. She told me how my project could help others if I would take the time to share what I had done. The article I wrote and photographs I included became my first published piece. Thanks to her encouragement I learned right from the start the satisfaction that comes from sharing our work.

. . . Have become a good listener, a good observer, a good student of life.

"A writer, early and late, does a lot of listening at doors . . ." Richard Peck, Newbery-medalist

I hope you will take the time to leave a comment about how you got started on your creative path.

Next month: You Know You're a Writer When . . . Part II

Sources:

http://authonomy.com/writing-tips/how-to-write-a-novel-by-author-barbara-taylor-bradford/

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/05/03/advice-on-writing/

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, recently completed Joyce Sweeney's online fiction course. Linda has published over 40 articles for children and adults, six short stories for children, and is in the final editing stages of her first book, a mystery story for 7-10 year olds. Follow her on Facebook.

The Critics

Critics are everywhere.

They will stop us dead in our tracks or make us more determined with our dreams.

Writers bare their soul with words. Our work is an expression of who we are. First drafts of angst or sheer joy flows across the page with unhindered rhythm.

tefocoto / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

But, unfinished symphonies of literary beauty have been lost because of the critic - unless the writer has learned to work through the struggle.

The critic has a place. But you don't want the opinion of someone to crush your creativity.

Be inspired with this video clip, Why Your Critics Aren't The Ones Who Count, by Brené Brown.

Brené is a research professor and nationally renowned speaker on topics such as vulnerability and courage. I met Brené through Christina Katz, author and writing coach, who shared this video with her readers.

I sincerely hope you are inspired as I was.

Let me know what you think!

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After raising and homeschooling her 8 children, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts - http://kathleenmoulton.com

What's Stopping You Writing ?

What stops you writing?

Writer and marketer Jenn Dize asked me that question today in a new 30-day course on web writing--Making Waves as a Web Writer.

And it made me think. I thought I knew--procrastination. But when I analysed why I was procrastinating, I came up with something new

One of my faults is that without a deadline, I write too slowly--not a bad thing in itself provided it equates to better, more thoughtful writing. But when it leads to losing focus, ideas blowing in the wind, and too few projects ever completed, then it is time to tackle the problem.

As freelance writers, our income depends on how much we write--how many reports, articles or books we produce. We need to manage our output without falling victim to burnout.

The assignment was to face the problem and do something about it. I had pinpointed procrastination as a weakness but the realization that writing too slowly was the main factor stopping my writing came as a surprise.

"Do something about it," said Jenn, who is very hands on as a motivator, always at the other end of an email.

How to Write Faster

I searched the Internet and found lots of advice and help. An article by Dany Iny pointed out the importance of planning. I know this but still jump fast into anything which is teetering toward a deadline. The article, of course, also led me to investigate the website, join the newsletter and download the free book.

Yes I know the article says not to do things like that but the book is going to help me finish what I start--honest.

As I am battling to finish a novella by June, I was delighted to find K.M.Weiland's series on character arcs--especially useful for fiction writers.
Knowing what you're doing speeds up working patterns. Having a way of structuring work helps divide it into headed sections and writing content to match headings keeps it from straying too far off the point.

And yes, I investigated the website, joined the newsletter and downloaded the free book all about crafting unforgettable characters. Well, I need to do that, right?

Joanna Penn's podcasts offer 75 hours of writing, marketing and publishing advice. Plenty of potential for procrastination here but liberated by nailing my flaw, I am too enthused at the thought of writing to stop for long. I did however have a little look around the website, signed up for the newsletter and picked up the Author 2.0 Blueprint. After all, I am about to be an author when I finish my book.

And then there was Holly Lisle on pacing dialogue and action scenes--your story at your speed.

At your speed, perhaps. But not mine. My speed is somewhat slower than that of a lackadaisical snail. My story would take a century to unroll if left to itself. But if I don't know about pacing, I risk far too many wasted words and wasted words really do slow the writing down.

I know what you think--and no, I didn't. I already have Holly's newsletter and free book.

I then found myself tempted by How To Publish More Kindle eBooks Faster: How To Write 7,000 Or More Words Every Day by Marc Guberti . It was free on Amazon today. Irresistible. Will it work? I'll let you know--when I can spare the time from writing to read it.

Useful Websites

http://writetodone.com

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com

For the first in the character arcs series:
http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2014/02/character-arcs-1.html

If you change the number after character-arcs- you will find all the articles in the series. The latest so far is number 10

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/

http://hollylisle.com/

For news and reviews of Making Waves as a Web Writer, visit my blog.

Anne Duguid is a freelance content editor with MuseItUp Publishing and she passes on helpful writing,editing and publishing tips from time to time at Slow and Steady Writers

Computer and Internet Safety - Not Just for Writers Part 2

Last month, I wrote about the end of Microsoft’s support of Windows XP. Since then, I found a few additional articles that my readers might find of interest.

Lifehacker provides information on upgrading your old computer. I tried doing that with mine and it did not turn out well. If you wish to keep your old computer, I suggest reading the following article: http://lifehacker.com/how-to-move-on-after-windows-xp-without-giving-up-your-1556573928.

However, I recommend buying a new computer. Clark Howard and Kim Komando offer some advice here

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/technology/get-new-computer-if-youre-running-windows-xp/nfXNP/ and here http://www.komando.com/tips/247613/3-tech-products-on-deep-discount-in-april/2.

If you buy a new computer with Windows 8, you might also need to buy a new router. Check out www.windows.com for recommendations.

What did you decide to do?

Happy writing!

Debbie A. Byrne has a B.S. in Mass Communication with a minor in History. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is working on her first children’s book.

Email Marketing and Free Email Services Warning

By Karen Cioffi

If you’re an email marketer, and you should be, you should be paying attention to what’s going on with the free email services and your subscriber lists.

The first to play havoc on their email customers is Yahoo.

Yahoo recently made a change to its DMARC ((Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) Policy, according to iContact.

What does this mean for you?

Well, maybe nothing. But, if you send your subscriber emails through email services, such as iContact, Yahoo is bouncing the majority of them. They’ve bounced about 80% of my last four subscriber emails.

YIKES!

This in itself is a problem, but add to this that there was NO notification, unless you were looking for it, DOUBLE YIKES!

So, email marketers who found out after the fact, like me, had to resend their emails, which means about 20% of my subscribers got duplicate email content for four messages.

My sincere apologies to those who did receive duplicates. Unfortunately, 80% of those subscribing to The Writing World didn’t receive the emails, so I needed to resend them.

iContact notes that Yahoo’s purpose is to prevent suspicious or phishing attacks. So, if your ‘From Address’ is tied to yahoo.com and it’s not sent from one of their IPs, your email will be bounced.

Just the Beginning

As with everything online, there are usually no solitary acts. Yahoo may be the first to implement this anti-spam bounce policy, but be assured that the others will follow.

The Solution

If you are using free email services like Yahoo and Gmail for your email marketing, change your “From Address” to a paid service, use a domain that you control, one that’s connected to your website.

If you’re not sure how to do this, ask your email marketing service for help.

Hope this is helpful,

Karen Cioffi, the Article Writing Doctor
Prescription for Your Content Marketing Needs
Content Writing Training for Small Businesses, Solopreneurs, and Health Professionals

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