Day: September 17, 2018

10 Instagram Tips for Writers – Written by Annie Sullivan

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The other day, a high school freshman walked up to my book signing. When I asked if she had a Facebook account, she said, “No, Instagram.”

I should’ve known. For a while now, I’ve heard that Instagram is the new social media place for writers, but it felt confirmed in that moment. Younger generations (and even some older ones!) flock to Instagram for its feed of beautiful pictures.

So how can writers use Instagram to their benefit? Here are some easy things to keep in mind to find and engage your target readership on Instagram.

Continue reading the entire article here:

https://www.janefriedman.com/10-instagram-tips-for-writers/

How To Handle Negative People And Spiteful Criticism Online – Written By Derek Haines

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If you are active online, negative people and criticism are a fact of life

Your blog, your books or your presence on social media are all open targets for a negative person.

It is all too common to get negative comments on your blog articles or harsh criticism of your books on Amazon.

Goodreads has had a checkered history, and personal attack is still the weapon of choice for many of the infamous Goodreads trolls.

The word criticism means the analysis and judgement of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work.

Sadly though, you’ll find those who don’t look at the positive and negative aspects of a book. Their preferred form of criticism is to get personal.

 

Continue reading the entire blog post here:

https://justpublishingadvice.com/how-to-handle-negative-people-and-spiteful-criticism-online/

The Log-Line: Can You Pitch Your ENTIRE Story in ONE Sentence? – Written By Kristen Lamb

~ aurorajeanalexander ~ 2 Comments

 

Today we’re going to chat about log-lines. Some of you might be wondering if I was trying to give you a heart attack with my title. Maybe you think this feat is impossible. AN ENTIRE NOVEL IN ONLY ONE SENTENCE?

Maybe something simple, plebeian and commercially formulaic *flips hair* but ART cannot be forced into a box.

Yes. Yes it can.

I know, I know. Your novel is over four-hundred pages with made up technology and wizards and folding space using enchanted Thigh Masters….

I hear you. Calm down.

 

Continue reading the entire blog post here:

https://authorkristenlamb.com/2018/09/log-line/

…Authors, fear not, the ‘business’ of story-telling is limitless…

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Master Seumas Gallacher shares his opinion about limitless story telling. Thank you very much for all you teach us, Seumas! We appreciate it and we know you’re a gem!

Seumas Gallacher

…the phrase, ‘there are only seven story plots’ is an old chestnut, averred by alleged ‘literary’pundits over the years… I’m not convinced, but my take on it is a bit broader… even if the assumption of the surreptitious, silvery, slippery seven is correct… how does it explain the millions of books, novels and stories that have filled our libraries and bookshops for the past coupla thousand years?… p’raps the not-so-secret clue is in the actual ‘telling’ of the story… ask any theatre performer what differentiates a great performance from a merely good performance, and they will say “it’s in the ‘business’ on stage”… in other WURDS, “it’s the way they tell ’em”… such it is with any great book…

…granted, there are those authors whose use of vocabulary is outstanding, but even the simplest unfolding of a narrative can contain that magical element that glues readers’…

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70 Conversation Starters for Social Media Engagement

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Jenn Hanson-dePaula of Mixtus Media provides us with a great article on conversation started for social media. Thank you Jenn!

Have you ever posted something on social media and nothing happens? You might feel like it’s a waste of time because no one ever responds to what you post. Or maybe you feel like you’re just contributing to the noise online and everyone simply tunes you out.

Social media outlets have hundreds of millions of users worldwide, and each outlet wants their users to see posts that they will find interesting. So to make this possible, they use something called algorithms.

An algorithm is like a filter – it keeps the posts that people aren’t responding to out while letting the popular posts through.

So how do you actually get your posts seen and in your audience’s news feed? One effective and simple way to do that is by asking questions that require a quick and easy answer.

Most people are scrolling through their news feed very quickly. But if something catches their eye and doesn’t require a lot of time or thought, they will most likely respond.

The more likes, comments, shares, retweets, etc., your post gets, the algorithms will see that people are interested and will make your post more visible.

To continue reading this post go to:

70 Conversation Starters for Social Media Engagement