Marketing

Looking Back

Dec 2012 blog tagxedo
Inspired by Patricia Ann McGoldrick’s blog , I created a word cloud of what I’ve been writing about this year. I can’t use Wordle, because I can’t stop my computer blocking the software I need to upload to use it, so I used Tagxedo instead. You can make it more Wordle-like by changing the emphasis to 1. I warn you that playing with either of these programs can be addictive!

I thought that the word cloud was pretty informative actually. The words goals, writing, and time featured pretty predominantly. Obviously these are things I was writing about and concerned about last year. Did I set goals and accomplish them? Yes–and no. I finished my 30-day writing challenge, so that was a definite yes. Some other writing goals I wanted to pursue fell by the wayside.

So what about next year? What will my goals be? The writing challenge brought a few things into perspective about where I am with my writing and my writing business. Do I have a novel ahead of me? No. Some shorter pieces? Yes. Do I have some marketing plans? Yes. Am I still teaching? Yes. Do I have one major goal that I want to accomplish in the new year? Yes, I want to be a lot kinder to myself. Yup, that’s the goal I picked. And I think that if that is the starting point for any other challenges that I take on–writing, marketing, losing weight, exercising (oh yeah, the last 2 are definitely on my list)–I think I’ll have a better chance of succeeding.

I’m trying to turn the have-to’s and their accompanying moans of gloom into actions that I do because they are actually good for me, that come from treating myself well. It’s an effort to fix my head voices that are far more often negative than positive. I hope to end the year with them less eager to point out failure, and more inclined to shrug their shoulders and say, “Well, not everything works out the way you plan. What can we try next?”
What are your next steps for 2013? Have you set writing or health-related goals? Do you have any strategies for success that we should know about?

I’ll be back in a few days with your writing prompts for January.

Until then, be kind to yourself. 🙂

Writing Challenge Update

Two more days to go and I will have almost achieved my goal of writing every day for 30 days. Like millions of people shocked by the horrific events of Friday, I spend a day tearful, numbed and shaken. I wrote nothing, and felt very thankful to be able to hug my son. In the big picture, my goal doesn’t really mean that much.

I did do one thing that day. I had promised myself, when I had time, that I’d finally houseclean the list of the people that I follow on Twitter. I have become increasingly annoyed by the hourly promotions that are automatically generated by people that I have chosen to follow. Many of them are writers whose purpose on Twitter seems simply to sell books, rather than engage with other writers. We’re not fellow writers; we’re potential buyers. Yup, I’m that naive.

Anyhow, Friday afternoon, I scrolled through my Twitter feeds and simply ‘unfollowed’ a bunch of people. They were easy to spot among the many who posted personal responses to the events of the day. When I started using Twitter in its early days, I felt that I was connected with people who were actually in front of their computers at the same time I was. We sometimes had conversations! That seems to be gone. I realize that I was harsh to judge people on that awful day, but it did clarify an issue that I’ve been thinking about for a while.

Yes, I’ve done some promotion on Twitter, but if you check the history of my tweets @hwrightwriter, you’ll see that I don’t do it very often. And certainly not more than once a day. To many that means that I’m not using Twitter to its best potential. To me, it means I’m respecting my followers who have better things to do than read hourly book plugs from me. If you’re thinking that, if I don’t like it, I shouldn’t play in Twitter’s sandbox. You’re probably right. And when I’ve had a little more time to think about it, I may do just that.

How do you use Twitter? If you use it to drive sales, is it effective? Have you found other social media that you prefer to keep you connected to people in the publishing business or to key people in whatever field you are interested in?

Not A Resolution/Goal Setting/Business Plan Post

I like marketing.

I knew that, when I self-published my book, getting the word out and making sales was going to be my job. And it turns out I enjoy it. It’s like a treasure hunt, trying to find places that will accept the book for review, or tracking down the right person at a school board who might consider adding it to library or classroom shelves. I’ve reached out to teachers, book stores, distribution companies that supply schools and libraries and companies that take book fairs into schools.

Lots of reaching out–not an equal amount of returned interest, of course–but each time I have a success, it’s a nice affirmation of all the work that preceeded it, and it keeps me digging for more opportunities to get the word out. Who knew it would be fun?

And the joywriting? Yes, well, that has definitely taken a back seat while I’ve been wearing my marketing hat. All the “what ifs” that have been ricocheting around my marketing brain have, like little PacMans (PacMen?), chewed up the “what ifs” that used to occupy my story-telling brain, and though I miss the stories, there’s a lot of compensation from getting a good review or seeing a positive rating on Amazon or hearing good things from a reader.

I’m back to teaching next week and ahead are writing workshops for teens that I’m offering at the local library and a workshop presentation at the CITE conference at Ridley College in April. All good. All I will enjoy.

And the joywriting? I haven’t given up. It will come. Marketing is for now; writing is forever.

Eden Mills and Me

Last Sunday, with some trepidation, I set up my table at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival  and waited for the day to unfold. The weather cooperated, and the sun and warmth brought out thousands of visitors to hear wonderful authors read from their new works.  And all of them walked down Publishers’ Way at least once and past my table.(http://www.edenmillswritersfestival.ca/)

I overcame the awkwardness (for me) of striking up conversations with total strangers and talking about the merits of my book. I met parents of teens who love to write, teens who love to write, teachers, and therapists who use writing in their work with teens. I got reacquainted with people I had worked with years ago and former students, and I met and chatted with fellow CANSCAIP member, Janet Wilson (http://secondstorypress.ca/books/206-our-earth) and Jon Fear and Louisa D’Amato from our local newspaper The Record.  And I sold a few books, too.

My son helped me set up and went to hear some of the YA author readings. He kept me company (did his geography homework), and bought food. At the end of the day, he introduced author, Shane Peacock, at the YA authors’ event and was “paid” with all four books in Shane’s fantastic boy Sherlock Holmes series (http://www.shanepeacock.ca/index2.html), which he duly got signed by the author and is now happily reading.

I was totally out of my element that Sunday and survived. I was exhausted by the end of the day, but energized, too, by the support of strangers for my book and its purpose. And that is what will stay with me for a very long time.

Sunday Afternoon at Eden Mills

Sunday marks my first venture into ‘sales’ for my book, Writing Fiction: A Hands-On Guide for Teens. I’ve rented a table at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival and am going to join publishers, book stores, and other writers (self-published and not) who will be selling their books to the expected several thousand visitors.

Buying books is not the major allure of the Festival. Eden Mills plays host to over 40 writers who will read excerpts from their work in grassy outdoor venues. There will be writers of adult, young adult and children’s books, many of whom are award winners, who will also be signing their books for new and old fans.

I’ve have attended for several years and in the past three years I have been joined by my son. The first time I brought him I expected that we’d stay for a couple of authors and then he would want to go home. We stayed for the entire afternoon! He was thrilled to hear and meet the authors of books he knew well and to get to know new authors as well. We’ve graduated from the children’s book area to young adult now and traditionally come home with several new books for both of us to read. This year he’ll be exploring the event on his own while I stay at my table. A change for both of us.

This afternoon marks another step in the  marketing plan that is essential for sales as a self-published author. I’ve had fun creating brochures and book marks and material to hand out on the day and part of me is looking forward to the sales experience. Another part of me is very anxious and wishing I were just at Eden Mills to enjoy the event. I’ll miss attending the readings, but I’m counting on my son to bring back regular reports–and requests to buy books–throughout the afternoon. Though this Sunday will be a change from our normal routine, I will, as always, be very happy to have his company. That will never change.

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