Posts Tagged ‘self-promotion’
Posted on October 5, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Tips on How to Be a Pro | Part 3 of 3
Thanks for your feedback on this series about “How to be a Pro.” Even though I could go on forever about the importance of being a professional, I’d like to wrap up this topic by offering more tips from other pros and ten more nuggets to consider.
First, here are the links to the first [...]
Posted on September 28, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
New on the SFWA Blog: Online Reputation vs. Writer’s Platform
Recently, I got the chance to write about a topic that I feel is essential for every professional writer to think about. On the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Blog, I wrote an article entitled, “Thinking About Your Writer’s Platform? Consider Your Online Reputation First.” In the article, I discuss my opinions [...]
Posted on September 17, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Tips on How to Be a Professional | Part One of Three
Did you know that your chances of getting published increase the more professional you act? In this series of posts, I’d like to share with you some tips from other professionals working as freelancers, writers, publishers and editors. I’d also like to cover some tips that you might find interesting to think about as you [...]
Posted on September 2, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Bridging the Online to Offline Connection
Twitter. Facebook. LiveJournal. FriendFeed. Chat rooms and forums. The list of places where you can go to interact with someone online goes on and on and on. Eventually, you get to know personalities on these different platforms and (in some cases) can meet up with people offline. The experience of meeting someone offline can [...]
Posted on August 24, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Do You Need Your Own Website? Read My New SFWA Article
If you’re an author or a professional freelancer who is weighing the pros and cons of having your own web presence, you might be interested in reading my new article over at the website of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.
Here’s a brief excerpt of the article:
The Pros and Cons of Having Your [...]
Posted on August 2, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
My GenCon 2009 Writer’s Symposium Schedule
Folks, things have been a bit crazy on my planet as I get ready for GenCon: Indy. This will be my first year I’ll be speaking on panels through the Writer’s Symposium, even though this is definitely not my first speaking engagement. I’ll be bringing along some mini-flyers for those of you that are interested [...]
Posted on July 22, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Write First, Sell Later
Before I ever started working in online marketing, I was a writer. I’ve always been surrounded by words and music, so the creative side to me has always been there. The thing of it is, I didn’t realize that writing professionally meant thinking of it as a “job” until much later — even though I [...]
Posted on July 21, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Guest Post: Apex Publishing’s Sizemore on Why Authors Need to Market
Today’s guest post is brought to you by Jason Sizemore of the small press publishing house, Apex Book Company. Apex Books has been embracing both traditional publishing methods as well as new technology through their Apex Book Company e-books on DriveThruSciFi.com. In this post, Jason talks about why it’s important for authors to embrace online [...]
Posted on July 9, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Promote Your Work with a Book Trailer
Hi, everyone. If you’ve been following my quest to learn how to create videos, you probably remember seeing my book trailer for Argentum. Well, I did another one recently. This time, I put together a fantasy book trailer for The Dragon Hunters by author Paul Genesse.
After working with Windows Movie Maker and a site [...]
Posted on May 11, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Social Media for Beginners: 15 Tips to Consider
Before the words “social media” became a buzzword, many writers like myself were engaging in adding content via places like message boards, forums and LiveJournal. Often, the phrase has become synonymous with the major social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and GoodReads, where users generate their own content to interact with one another.
When [...]
Posted on March 28, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Book Trailer for Argentum, My Online Serial Novel
This is the first time I’ve delved into producing video. I’d appreciate you providing me with feedback if you have the time to check out this short book trailer for Argentum, Book One of the Violet War series I’m writing.
Posted on March 9, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Remember, Social Media is about Being Social
Twitter. Facebook. MySpace. Forums. Messengers. There are a ton of tools out there that fall within the purview of “social media,” and a glut of articles telling you how to use them and what the “rules” are. In one article you might read that you’re supposed to use Twitter this way; in another, you might learn that you should only use MySpace if you’re a musician or under twenty-five.
The one thing that all of these social media tools and platforms have in common is the ability to have good conversation. What is “good conversation”? Well, that’s really up to you to decide, but I can tell you what it isn’t. Conversation does not occur when you talk “at” someone, it occurs when you talk “with” someone. It’s not just about one person’s profile, it’s about sociology and how people interact with one another, which can be challenging to remember because you don’t “see” the person you’re conversing with. You just “see” their comments or their replies.
I know a lot of writers, business owners and other folk out there engage in social media because you have something to sell. That special “something” could be your expertise, your product or your services. I absolutely agree that promoting yourself using these free channels is a great idea, but I also think that the “selling” is a bit overused and the pitch is getting lost and ignored. Why? Because social media is getting over-saturated with promotions that don’t offer anything of value to the reader. Coupons, free trials and such are one thing, but asking people to “buy your book” or “friend me” without doing anything for that person in return gets to be a bit annoying after a while. (Cue *sound effect* thanks to @strangeshe.)
Think this might be you? Take a minute and look at the content you’ve provided in your tool of choice. Are you only promoting yourself? Are you asking people to promote you without asking anything in return? Or are you getting to know the people in your network by following the social “rules of engagement” on that platform?
Oh, no. You just realized that you’re one of those people? Don’t worry! If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, try engaging people in discussions about topics that have nothing to do with your work or what you’re selling. By establishing common ground with someone, your “followers” and “friends” will get to know you as you and will help you out when you least expect it on-or-offline.
So why not get started today and become your own social media expert. Get to know the people in your network. You never know what kind of conversation might turn up!
Posted on February 28, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli
Why am I Developing a Brand?
It’s been a whirlwind of a week. In this series on personal branding lessons, I covered twenty tips. (Links at the bottom of this post). On the last day of this series, I’d like to talk about my own thoughts on branding so you can help yourself decide what you want to do. (I’d like [...]
My Recent Releases
The Queen of Crows
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Family Games: The 100 Best
Pre-Order at Amazon.comBuried Tales of Pinebox, TX
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