A weird flex: I can lay claim to be as formally uneducated in our craft as just about any writer. I’ve never taken a creative writing class, any right-thinking MFA course would have discarded my application at first glance, and I remain unclear as to what a Writers’ Conference even is. Nonetheless, a memoir, a… Read more »
The digital world is constantly evolving, and big shifts occurred in the social media landscape as we head into 2020. TikTok continues to grow rapidly, Instagram decided to remove its Like counts, Twitter changed up its format–and those are only a few of the changes that took place this year. For authors hustling to make… Read more »
I have a love/hate relationship with social media. Who doesn’t? I love the aesthetic prettiness of Instagram, and taking pictures of coffee and books. I love that I can keep up with people from high school and college on Facebook. I love reading the minute-by-minute quips of my favorite thought leaders and writers on Twitter…. Read more »
A Twitter writing sprint is a set time and place where people join together and write. It’s no different than sitting down at your desk, coffee shop, local park, or favorite library to write. You can use any writing method you prefer; computer, pen and paper, dictation, anything. So where does Twitter come in? Well,… 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 »
Writing hashtags and Twittter chats are hot right now. There are plenty of pages explaining them and what to look for, but who are these chats for? What can be gained from them? Here are five kinds of writers and the benefits they can gain from participating in a Twitter chat. 1) The Social Butterfly… Read more »
In my last column, I talked about using the follow-back practice to build a following. In this one, we’ll look at what you should do when others don’t follow you back. As a quick recap, so we’re all moving forward from the same understanding: The follow-back strategy is based on the Twitter etiquette that if… Read more »
At ThrillerFest, a social media expert introduced me to a new concept for Twitter platform growth: what I’ve started calling the follow-back tactic. In short, you search for and follow people in your target audience, and you follow them. They follow you back to reciprocate, and everyone’s platforms grow. So simple! I couldn’t believe I’d… Read more »
Wouldn’t it be cool if instead of sending out dozens (or hundreds) of queries, writers could post their pitches in one spot for editors and agents to browse? A place where agents and editors could come shop for writers instead of writers shopping for them? Oh wait, it exists. It’s pitching on Twitter. It’s how… Read more »
Hey there, word nerds! Thanks for joining me for another episode of DIY MFA Radio. I’m so glad you’re here! Today I’m interviewing Jandra Sutton, the digital media coordinator for PR by the Book, a boutique literary PR firm based in Austin, TX and Nashville, TN. While her job title might not make sense, it’s… Read more »
