Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing E.J. Wenstrom E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. Her award-winning fantasy series Chronicles of the Third Realm War (City Owl Press) features a peculiar mashup… Read more »
Let’s face it: Social media is a nonstop churn of content. New users are joining by the second, and most of them are spouting out posts multiple times a day. How’s anyone supposed to keep up? Let alone an author, who is already juggling writing, a job, parenting, and/or a hodgepodge of other obligations on… Read more »
As I entered the new year, I realized something terrible: my Twitter account is an utter mess. My home feed is filled with more strangers’ random life comments than relevant content, and my lists include several which I am included on, but are no longer active or timely. Sometimes I am alerted by Facebook that… Read more »
Many—perhaps most—people on social media try to build their platform by posting, posting, posting. But being truly social requires a bit more than this. Like in any relationship, building a social media platform requires engagement both ways. Social media is more than a megaphone. There are hundreds of conversations going on out there all the… Read more »
It was a full four years ago that Facebook bought Instagram, and since that time, Facebook has also started to copy its sister network’s top features—specifically, Instagram Stories. (This is after Instagram copied it from Snapchat, of course—but then, Mom always said imitation is the best form of flattery. I’m sure Snapchat agrees.) Snark aside,… Read more »
In platforming conversations with authors, I often get asked: how many social media networks should I be on? The short answer is that it depends. There is no magic number. How busy are you? Is social media fun for you, or a stressful chore? How are you keeping up with what you’re already doing for… Read more »
In the digital age, an author’s website is among your most important assets. After all, it’s your home base online and your only truly owned corner of the Internet. This is where readers will turn to discover you, connect, and learn about your writing. Thus, it is important that your website establishes a recognizable look… Read more »
Facebook is constantly making updates to its algorithms—the coding formulas that decide what shows up in your user feed. This means if you are an author using Facebook, it would be very wise to stay on top of the latest news about these updates, and know how to continue to get the most out of… Read more »
Twitter continues to be the very best social network for the publishing industry. Whether you’re publishing traditional, self, indie, or hybrid, your people are here, both writers and other pros. But if you’re not using hashtags, you’re not fully engaged with this online community yet. Social media (emphasis on social) is like a cocktail party…. Read more »
As indie, small press, or otherwise “emerging” authors, we are told a lot how important it is to have an email list. It’s even a foundational piece of our DIY MFA Pixels to Platform course. It’s a core principle of platforming I hammer home for my coaching clients, too, in early sessions, and I emphasize… Read more »
