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February 9, 2015

Finding the Perfect Social Media Fit

While I’m not a social media guru, I’ve tried to educate myself. I’ve listened to podcasts and read e-books/blog posts. I’ve found that there’s a lot of competing voices, offering multiple strategies. It’s been a challenge trying to sift through the various suggestions.

Below is a summary of my social media experiences:

Twitter – I’ve learned that Twitter is great as long as you aren’t spamming the Twittersphere with loads of self promotion. I think this advice is accurate. I catch myself scrolling past those writers who are continually hawking their books. On the other hand, when I see an author who shares quality content, I’m all about liking and retweeting. I can’t afford to purchase everyone’s books, but I try to be supportive and share the love.

Facebook – There has been a lot of uproar over the change in Facebook algorithms. This change has meant that our posts are less likely to be seen. Some writers have decided it’s not worth their time/effort anymore. They are choosing to focus on Instagram or their personal website, etc. As for me – what can I say? I don’t love my Facebook Author Page. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that I tend to be relatively quiet on my personal page. BUT – I can see my daily interactions, likes and numbers reached and I am convinced that of all the different social media sites I’ve used, my Facebook Author Page has led to more sales. (Whether this changes over the next year is to be still to be seen.)

Blogging – After attending a writers conference last year, I came away convinced that I had made a huge mistake by using blogger. If I was serious about my writing, then I needed to look like a pro and having .blogspot following my name didn’t look professional. Never-mind, that I had a .com website – one that displayed my blog feed. I jumped ship – diving headfirst into WordPress. I let my website go, transferring the .com over to my WordPress blog. However, I have since realized that when I jumped, I left the majority of my followers on the good ship Blogger. It has been a challenge, building up an audience again. To be honest, I’m not sure making the switch was worth it.

Pinterest – Not everyone is convinced that a writer needs a pinterest board. I certainly wasn’t. However, I decided to give it a try. With fingers crossed, I set up my page. I don’t have a lot of followers but I’ve created boards that feature my books, trailers, etc. I’ve also added boards featuring images of interesting faces and exotic places – things that might inspire a new story. What I like about Pinterest is this – people who check out my pinterest page should come away from it feeling like they know a little more about me than those following me on other sites.

Summary – While using social media is necessary to building our author platform, I’ve come to the realization that there isn’t a one-stop-fits-all plan out there. What works for one author might not work for another. No matter what options we choose, consistency is key. It takes time to get our name out there and to build a true following.

What about you? Are you still searching for the right fit? Or have you found something that works?

February 4, 2015February 4, 2015

The Winter Blues

It happens every year about this time. I enter a phase I can only describe as the winter blues. I realize that there are some people who have been diagnosed with Seasonal Affective Disorder. I haven’t. I love three of the four seasons – with summer being my favorite. It’s winter that brings me down. The grey skies. The cold wind. It’s enough to bring out my inner bear. Give me a cave and I’d hibernate.

I’ve considered hitting the tanning bed – and I would if I didn’t worry about wrinkles and skin cancer. Besides, it’s not a tan I want – it’s the warm weather I crave. The sunshine. The feel of the sand beneath my feet – especially after a long day at work. Spring can’t get here quick enough.

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015

Regret

It’s been over thirty-five years and still the memory rattles inside my mind’s closet, until I’m forced to take it out and look at it once more.

It’s ugly.

She was in my fifth grade class. I always thought of her as poor but in truth, her family was probably no worse off financially than mine.

I don’t remember where she sat in my class. But she must have sat close enough to me that I became aware of her tears, even though she never made a sound. I don’t remember how we ended up in the girls’ bathroom – me, her, and another girl. I do remember her crying. She stepped into a stall and motioned us closer. She turned around, raised her shirt and lowered her pants and underwear. The image of her injured body seared into my mind. I can still see the myriad of black, blue, and sickly green bruises that covered her back, buttocks and thighs. Even now, thirty-five years later, I cringe. The damage inflicted by a belt buckle was like nothing I had ever seen. I don’t know how she walked much less sat in a hard, wooden desk.

She was scared and hurt and she swore us to secrecy. I was ten years old, naïve and afraid for my friend. I didn’t know what to do so I did what a ten-year old kid does. I promised to keep that secret. And I did.

For thirty-five years, that promise has haunted me. It’s taken years to forgive the little girl that I once was – the little girl who didn’t realize that speaking up might have gotten her friend into a safer environment. After all, child abuse was one of those things we didn’t talk about.

Looking back, I can’t help but ask? How did my teacher, the custodian, the lunch ladies – miss her tears? Did they just not want to see? Because I was there – and it was hard to miss.

January 30, 2015

My Happy Moment!

For some people, being featured in a magazine article is no big deal. I’m not some of those people. I’m more of the “Woohoo! I can’t believe it!” type of person. So in honor of my happy moment – I’m sharing a link to the article! If you have a moment, click on the link: Livin’ Outloud Magazine

Thanks for stopping by!

January 25, 2015January 25, 2015

Gotta Love a Good Story – Free Young Adult E-Books

FREE? Why, yes! I love free! I’ve found some of the best things in life don’t cost a cent: sunshine, a cool breeze, e-books… When it comes to e-books, I’ll be honest, there’s been quite a few that I couldn’t finish. I’ve found some that I really enjoyed, though – enough to buy the sequels. Listed below, in no particular order, are some of those stories:

The Faerie Guardian