Today I was reflecting on my online home. It’s part of the
spring cleaning happening here. Over ten years I hadn’t changed much on the
blog. Now that I have a little bit of energy and because I have a book coming
out in a few months, I’m getting more creative and adding new things like a new
books website. What will my writing life look like going forward? I’m in
re-launch mode of my writing career.
Jane Friedman wrote an interesting article this week on
whether authors should concentrate on Social Media or their Author Websites.
Note: it is now assumed that all authors will have a website. (and if not...
why not?)
Kris Rusch has also been looking at author career longevity.
How are the mid-listers faring at their respective publishing houses? Do they
still have a career? Are publishers thinking about their business in terms of
the long haul?
Joanna Penn has just celebrated her sixth year as an author entrepreneur. She breaks down all the things she has learned on her journey and
why she has a long term mentality for her writing career. It’s all about the
pension plan...
Susan Kaye Quinn has written an interesting article on the
Alli blog about going wide – selling on multiple online platforms instead of just Amazon. Susan is a powerhouse
of great information. (As we head into the next national children’s writers conference,
I am reminded that I interviewed SKQ for a keynote speech at the last
conference. She knocked it out of the park!)
If you are thinking about a long career you need to keep
your eye on the international markets. Diana Urban takes a look at seven things
you can do to get more international exposure.
Book Marketing Tools has an in depth look at how to attract and engage more readers. After all that is what makes a career in the long
term. This is a great read and a bookmark post.
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Marketing podcast team interviewed Brian McClellan on the state of epic fantasy in traditional
publishing. It is a very interesting interview and some of the things Brian
talks about were surprising. A must watch if you are into epic fantasy.
Screenwriters have to be able to characterise quickly in
their writing. Knowing common archetypes is a must in their business. Take a
look at this list of ninety nine archetypes and stock characters.
In The Craft Section,
10 dialogue errors to avoid- Writers Writer- Bookmark
How to write without filtering- Ava Jae- Bookmark
Insights into your mid point scene- CS Lakin- Bookmark
Police Procedural fact checking- Rebecca Bradley
Translating story beats to any genre- Jami Gold- Bookmark
In The Marketing Section,
Book Marketing in person- Maria Dismondy
Daily deal services- 18 promo sites- Writer Unboxed-Bookmark
How to not be a Bone Head promoter- Janet Reid
4 must haves for your author platform- Chris Well
Changes in Social Media – Frances Caballo- Bookmark
Vital steps in your book marketing plan- Book Marketing
tools
How to best optimise SEO on blog posts –Rachel Thompson
To Finish,
I am revisiting a great post by Jane Friedman on the importance of author collectives. This has been on my mind this week as I
wrapped up the judging for my stint hosting the FABO Story Writing competition
for kids. Fabo Story has been going since 2011- with a few new faces but the
same core cast from way back then. That’s a long haul as a collective.
Maureen
@craicer
