Tips for Getting Known

Tips for Getting Known: Platform – Brand - Content

Your Platform is a useful necessity for all authors whether you write essays, articles, blogs or books, fiction or nonfiction. Brand is who you are. You are your brand, built by words, images and delivering as promised. Success depends upon visibility. We communicate with clarity and offer valuable information through our websites because Content is King.
 
Getting Known is all about providing content of interest.
Your Platform includes all the ways you are visible to readers:
•    Communicates your expertise quickly with clarity
•    Where to find you online, books, magazines, etc
•    Optimized metadata, SEO and keywords
•    Consistent delivery of valuable content
•    Balanced creativity and business

The Essential Commonplace book:
Useful and informative content makes for great visibility, thus using a commonplace book is essential.

Have you ever lost an idea because you couldn’t jot it down? Writers have been carrying notebooks for centuries, so I thought I’d mention commonplace books. Renaissance humanists of classical scholarship began using commonplace books as a form of study and note taking.  

There’s just too much to recall and consider further later. A commonplace book is uniquely yours, a central storehouse of knowledge. It is a helpful resource to gather your notes of wisdom, impressive sayings, and practical applications. As you read, collect what pops out; capture an idea by making notes, scribbles and comments.

Let your commonplace book become your treasure store of ideas and wisdom. It will help you realize what is most important to you. Organize it as you wish, in traditional format, diagonal snippets, and vertical standout points. It’s your book and best handwritten with your doodles and diagrams. Like Melissa Donovan says, “There’s something about the tactile experience of writing in a notebook that seems to boost creativity.”

During corporate meetings, I’ve used ringed notebooks to capture significant points of the meeting, schedule and plans. I wrote every which way, no one could make sense of it but me. However, with these notes I recalled where I was, what the meeting was about and my next steps. I’m sure you have a method also.

As a source of creativity, use your commonplace book, your everyday book, as a resource for writing your next article, essay or blog post.

Helpful Links:
Melissa Donovan, Author, Coach, Teacher, Editor of Writing Forward
https://www.writingforward.com/  
 

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Available on Amazon --- Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love 

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Marketing Engagement & Optimization: Balancing Your Process

 

by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Because Promotion and Marketing is about the reader, you’ve created a quick way to find your writing online. You have optimized your metadata, keywords, and search engine data for prompt findability. You have outlined a plan to deliver consistent content of value to your readership.

Today, let’s talk about balancing the work of delivering worthy content and marketing—getting the word out to more readers. You deliver through articles and books: by blogging, podcasting and videos. That’s the work of writing. Without writing, sharing with your readers becomes seriously lacking or old. Further, your readers will move on to follow other authors. So, how do we handle this juggling act?

Scheduling Tips—first creativity, then the business of writing:
•    When are you daily the most creative? That’s when you write. Creative time takes a great deal of energy, plan for it.
•    Do you write every weekday? Good, kept it and guard the time.

•    How do you handle the business end of writing; sending out queries, outlining your next book or article, or meeting with your writer’s circle? Can you move these to a few hours, a couple times a week?
•    Social media posting, promoting and marketing: these business tasks need less energy.
•    Write book reviews and promote them on your social media pages. Also seek outlets for promoting reviews you’ve received for your books (such as The New Book Review https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com )
•    As Carolyn Howard-Johnson says in The Frugal Book Promoter: “Stay in the Promotion Habit” the longer you stay with it, productivity grows.
•    Take 1/2 or one day away from the computer each week to refresh.

Notes from prior discussions:
•    Metadata is info about your book, the title, sub-title, sales description, categories & author bio.
•    Keywords refer to a word or phrase that is associated with your book or your blog post.
•    Start and keep up your author’s website, include a blog. Consider guest posting.
•    Get involved with Social Media platforms that suit you and your themes and always link back to your website URL
•    Write a newsletter monthly. Create an audiobook. Start a podcast.

You’ve Got This!
You are a "Can Do" Writer!

Book Links:
* How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn https://www.thecreativepenn.com/

*The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson https://www.amazon.com/Frugal-Book-Promoter  

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/

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Marketing Is Engaging With Readers, Be Findable

 

Promotion and Marketing is about the reader; it’s engagement. We aim to draw readers’ attention to our books and articles. How do we reach each other? It starts with a commitment to be findable. Writers must have a web presence. We must be searchable.

Further, when found, we must deliver consistent content.

Readers have little time for complicated searches, so stay findable with content value. Make good use of Keywords in your post and book titles. Be bookmarked, making it easy for readers to keep coming back.

Tips for search-ability:
1.    Optimize your use of Metadata, Keywords, & Descriptions for Search Engines
    a.    Metadata is information about your book, the title, sub-title, sales description, categories & author bio.
    b.    Keywords refer to a word or phrase that is associated with your book or your blog post. To develop a list of keywords, write a list of all the words and phrases that you consider associated with your post or book. Be as specific as possible. Your reader will appreciate this as they search the internet. (For social media, we can use hashtags # for more group visibility.)
    c.    Develop your keyword or phrase list by searching Amazon with your keyword ideas and note the results. This will help you target your best keywords.
    d.    Use your keywords in titles, too
    e.    Once you have selected your keywords, incorporate them into your Metadata information.

Tips to stay connected with your readership:
1.    Develop and maintain an author’s website
2.    Include a Blog on your website, post often—at least every 2 weeks
    a.    For additional traffic, would guest posting work for you? Maybe you could trade guest posts with a writing friend. Your byline will appear with a short bio and a link to your website/blog when you guest write for another’s blog.
    b.    Things to consider: Do the themes of the blogs enhance each other? Would your readership find value in both your blog and the guest’s? Don’t send your reader away: rather build-up both sites.
    c.    Start by noting the blogs you follow.
3.    Get involved with Social Media platforms that suit you and your themes and link back to your website URL each time you post
4.    Create a newsletter, send it to your email list and post a link on your social media pages
5.    Expand your book’s availability by including an audiobook
6.    Consider creating a Podcast series, start with the theme most meaningful to you
7.    Consider Books2Read https://books2read.com/  and Universal Book Links https://books2read.com/guide/ubl/  as a vehicle for readers to find your books. Universal Book Link (UBL) is a single URL that you can use to promote your books/eBooks.

Marketing is Engagement with Your Readers
Deliver Content

Book List:
* How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn https://www.thecreativepenn.com/

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
    Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love
https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/

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Book Review || On Being A Writer

 

Book Review || On Being A Writer by Ann Kroeker & Charity Singleton Craig,
reviewed by Deborah Lyn Stanley

 
From time to time, we search for a particular writing coach who says the things that inspire us to keep moving forward. It’s not just teaching it’s something more, which resonates and calls us onward. I found Ann Kroeker online a couple of years ago and joined her mailing list. She became the writing coach I had been looking for. One of her posts included a note about “On Being a Writer” she and Charity Singleton Craig co-authored. They are an impressive team, and I highly recommend the book.

“On Being a Writer” is 12 chapters with 164 pages of powerful inspiration for the writer’s life. Its intent is to equip writers for a sustainable life of productivity and publication. And, along the way to help us understand ourselves better, learn to set limits and find rest.

Each chapter topic presents a habit of the writing life. The chapters start with a story, opportunities to consider, a journal prompt, a writing prompt, a bonus and a few questions for personal reflection or for group discussion.

I did as suggested; I used the book as my personal writing coach, encouraging me to make tangible progress in practical ways. It’s a powerful and helpful book that I am set to re-read.

I recommend this book. It is refreshing with insights to embrace for the journey.

Thank you Ann & Charity!

Links:
http://annkroeker.com/
https://charitysingletoncraig.com/

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour

www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomdeborahlyn
www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/
 

 

 

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Marketing Tips for Writers

 

 

 

Marketing Tips for Writers, by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Promotion is sharing what we find important with people who appreciate hearing about it. Marketing is about the reader; who are they and what are they are looking for? The answers help develop your target market and competition awareness.  

It’s all about getting readers to find your writing.

This path helps guide to best planning. Whatever stage you’re in, it’s always a good time to outline and review our Marketing Plan. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, consider where readers would find books or articles like yours, and make sure they can find yours as well.

Ways to market & promote —
Make the task frequency doable, choose what works for you:
•    Create your web-presence, aka an author’s website—your platform
•    Blog actively & often
•    Collect the best keywords and category designations for search optimization—in bookstores, online searches, and for your web-presence
•    Social Media posting—choose the social media platform that works best for you.
       -LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
       -Post often using images and videos
       -Always link back to your website post/page
•    Create a newsletter and use email blasts each month or at least quarterly
•    Start a Podcast: see link below for details to get started.
•    Publish an audiobook
•    Some suggest blogging daily is the best. I suggest listening to your readership and follow their patterns. I become annoyed receiving daily posts overloading my email and unsubscribed when it occurs. Also, daily blogging doesn’t work with my schedule.

Critical Details for Reader Searching & Finding your book or article:
•    Genre, choose the most applicable genre listing—listen to your readers and where they search
•    Price to fit the market
•    Metadata is also a vehicle for promoting your work. Metadata is information about your book, the title, sub-title, sales description, categories and author bio. Optimize its use.

Find the perfect promo fit. Make marketing work for you consistently.

Book List & Podcast Link:
*Successful Self-Publishing & How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn https://www.thecreativepenn.com/

*The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson https://howtodoitfrugally.com/ 

*Starting a Podcast: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/planning/how-to-start-a-podcast/
 

 Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Available on Amazon --- Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love ||  www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour 

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Book Review || The Story Within: New Insights and Inspiration for Writers

The Story Within: New Insights and Inspiration for Writers by Laura Oliver, MFA, Reviewed by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Today I’m sharing another one of my favorite, most helpful books. Laura Oliver’s book has done as promised for my writing practice.  Writer’s Digest recommended Laura Oliver’s book; I grabbed a copy and spent time reading, taking notes and absorbing Laura’s message.

Laura’s delivery style is refreshing and upbeat. As a published author, Laura teaches fiction and essay writing to university students.  We are all fortunate to have access to her instructional messages in this book. The book includes tips, delving into why we write, lessons to go with the flow of your story, the significance of journaling deeper, and guidance for growing skills.

Journaling deeper is my favorite message of Laura’s. I must be more diligent to journal, free write, and dig deeper into the heart of my stories. 

The Goal of the book is to build a writer’s confidence and to just begin writing; no need to know the whole story first. 

I highly recommend this book. It’s refreshing and empowering with insights that inspire our writers' journey.

Thank you Laura Oliver!

Links:
http://thestorywithin.net/

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour 

www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomdeborahlyn
www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/

 

 

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Tips for Promoting Your Articles

 

Keep building your inventory. Rewrite sections of your book as segment posts or short stories. Collect your old writing pieces and rewrite, modify or revised them. Write about new things you learn and ideas you explore. Use descriptive details to make stories & articles resonate, then promote, promote, promote.
Like Carolyn Howard-Johnson says in The Frugal Book Promoter: Recycle your Creative Work!

Marketing and promoting our work is simply sharing what we love and find important with the people who appreciate hearing about it. We’re after attracting like-minded people who need or would enjoy our stories, articles and books. Marketing is not force-feeding: it’s sharing with those interested.

Marketing is about the reader. We need to know to whom we are writing, and what they are looking for. How will our article or book benefit the reader? This guides and helps us deliver our best work.

As a caregiver, I write stories for caregivers that will resonate and help them meet the needs of the day.

Ways to publish:
• Traditional publishing for books, in magazines and periodicals
• On Line opportunities range from Blogging, Websites, Facebook Pages and Videos, YouTube, etc.
   - The best advice I can give is to own your blog and website. Things change. You don’t want your hard work controlled by someone else. Owning essentially means paying for hosting
   - Plus, if you have an email list of readers, you want control of that information
   - If you choose to go the free route, there are several opportunities for websites and blogs available

Metadata is also a vehicle for promoting your work. Metadata is information about your book, the title, sub-title, sales description, categories and author bio. It helps bookstores and online retailers list your work in the best area(s) for visibility per your description. Metadata can also help optimize your website and blog SEO for readers searching for your work.

Find the perfect promo fit for you and your work. That way it will work for you.
To get online attention for your stories, articles and books consider using:
•    Posts on your own Blog Site, your LinkedIn page, Facebook page, or Medium
•    Posts, images and videos on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and more
•    Podcasts on iTunes, Sound Cloud and various audio platforms
•    Free webinars or collaborative summits
•    Newsletters and email blasts

Readers want personable, well-written works they can relate to, and find beneficial.
Write from the heart first, then polish for publication.

Book List:
*Successful Self-Publishing—How to Self-Publish and Market Your Book, by Joanna Penn
*The Frugal Book Promoter—How to Get Nearly Free Publicity on Your Own… by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

 

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love -- on Amazon

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour

 

 

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Book Review || Persistence by Jordan Rosenfeld

Jordan Rosenfeld is the author of –  A Writer’s Guide To Persistence: How to Create a Lasting and Productive Writing Practice,   Reviewed by Deborah Lyn Stanley

I bought Jordan Rosenfeld’s Persistence book a couple of years ago and it has had a significant influence on my writing practice. I kept a notebook to record the volume of important points that caught my attention in each chapter. The book builds strategically from Chapter 1 through Chapter 25. The journey changed and strengthened my practice.

I particularly enjoyed the process of defining “Why I Write” then developing “My Writer’s Code Agreement”. The closing message is worth keeping; Persistence means you don’t ever give up, you consider no effort wasted, you keep writing, and you go on resolutely.

The Goal of the book is to impress writers with the importance of creating a productive writing practice that will last. It’s a strategic plan that’s consistent, unlocks your direction, and authenticity, for your essential pathway.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book. It’s unique, it’s complete, and it will inspire you no matter what your experience level is.

Thank you Jordan Rosenfeld, much appreciated!

 

Other books by Jordan Rosenfeld:  http://jordanrosenfeld.net/about/
•    Writing the Intimate Character: Create Unique, Compelling Characters Through Mastery of Point of View by Jordan Rosenfeld
•    How To Write A Page-Turner: Craft a Story Your Readers Can’t Put Down by Jordan Rosenfeld
•    Make a Scene Revised and Expanded Edition: Writing a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan Rosenfeld
•    Writing Deep Scenes: Plotting Your Story Through Action, Emotion, and Theme by Martha Alderson and Jordan Rosenfeld

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts. 

Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   

Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour

 

 

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Writing Through 2020, Or Not with Karen Coiffi & Deborah Lyn Stanley

In light of the unprecedented and scary year we've had, we thought it'd be a good idea to share our 2020 in regard to how the year affected our writing and our lives.

Karen & Deborah Lyn are up next.

by Karen Cioffi

When thinking about what to write for this collaboration on 2020 and the upcoming New Year, I decided to break it into what was horrible about the year, what worked out as blessings, and what I'm hoping 2021 will bring.

The Horrible:

The Pandemic shook our world and it made me realize how precious the simplest things we take for granted are.

Seeing family. Seeing friends. Going to stores. Going to the doctor if needed. Not worrying about receiving packages or home grocery deliveries. Being fearful of ordering take-out (at least in the beginning of the pandemic).

Missing family terribly.

Although, I did see family over the summer, but now we're distancing again, probably until at least the Spring.

The Blessings:

In the summer of 2019, I moved into a four-bedroom house from a two-bedroom townhouse. It wasn't safe for my husband to do stairs any longer and my younger daughter and now 4-year-old grandson had moved in with me the year before. I needed more bedrooms.

The best thing, though, is the house has a large backyard with mostly grass. While having to stay pretty much homebound, my grandson had a ball in the yard over the summer. He even had a playmate come over to play in it. I couldn't have asked for a better set up for what we're going through.

In regard to writing, this was another blessing. In April my business went into over-drive. 2020 was probably my busiest and most productive year ever.

Having so many clients and stories to write, I didn't have time to overly think about things or worry too much. As Carolyn Howard-Johnson said, "Creativity is a blessing." It takes us beyond the world we live in.

As 2020 brought illness and worse to so many, and it brought so much fear, anger, and even hatred, I hope the world is a safer and better place in 2021.

A writing tip for the New Year: Step past your fear. Don't let the 'I'm not a good enough writer' syndrome stop you from going for whatever it is you want to do. Submit to magazines; submit to publishers; submit to agents. Or if you want to self-publish, do it. If you're not a writer, it would be a good idea, though, to read some books on how to write or take some classes before you jump in. 

Karen Cioffi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move. She is also an award-winning author, children's ghostwriter, and online marketing instructor with WOW! Women on Writing and the Working Writers Club. 

https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/

 

 

 ************************************

Wishing You a Wonderful & Prosperous New Year
by Deborah Lyn

2020 has been a year of hope and worry: prayer and the challenge to stay productive daily. I pushed through my book edits, polishing for publication, and I’m delighted that Mom & Me, a Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love, was published in September. It is a memoir to encourage caregivers: current, past and future. It’s upbeat, touchable, and my story.

AlzAuthors is a wonderful non-profit, providing an abundance of resources for caregivers. During the summer, I became an AlzAuthor. A couple months later, I started working with the website director as an Associate member.

I’m grateful for the milestones met this year, and eager for life to return to “normal”.
My success tip for both you and me is to persevere, keep writing, keep getting it out to readers, and enjoy your writing practice.

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays, and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts. 

Visit My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   

Tips for Balancing Action & Exposition

 

 

 

 Tips for Balancing Action & Exposition || Descriptive Writing
by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Readers are looking for powerful stories and narratives; descriptive details make them successful.

Our narratives and stories are the creation of scenes, exposition, and the telling that shapes the narrative. It’s up to us to shape events with details that describe the action, the characters, and the scene’s why. Scene is the action; exposition is behind the scene. Scenes bring the reader a firsthand view of the action. Exposition describes the what and the why—a summary.

Stories constructed mostly of scenes can wear out the reader with action and dialogue. Writing made up of mostly summary description needs to contain enough tangible detail to bring the reader into the vision you are presenting but not be boring. The strength of our writing is in the balance.

I recently read two novels that were action packed and fun, good guy—bad guy stories. Both were exhausting! I had to just stop, and let the book rest before I continued. They were fantastic diversions but…

So, consider a balance between action and explanation, background and front lines as you build your piece.

How’s your word basket growing? Is it filling with scraps of paper—one word per scrap? The basket could become your go-to place for inspiring creative descriptions in a story or metaphor: paradox or poem. What words catch your attention? Grab it and add it to your basket. Consider sensory adjectives, strong verbs, and nouns.

It’s best to avoid:
•    Description dumps.
•    Tangents—Stay on point.
•    Slowing down your story or narrative—Rather, pace it and keep the piece moving.

An excellent book for descriptive writing growth:
•    Word Painting, by Rebecca McClanahan

Earlier Post links in this series—Descriptive Writing for Fiction and Non-Fiction:
Tips for Figurative Speech: http://www.writersonthemove.com/2020/08/tips-for-figurative-speech.html
Write Strong:   http://www.writersonthemove.com/2020/10/tips-to-make-characters-real-write.html

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her writer’s website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Available on Amazon --- Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love  https://www.amazon.com/author/deborahlynstanley

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour

 

 

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