The Platform “Voice” ~ BlogTalkRadio host John Rakestraw and co-hosts Liz Borino and A.T. Russell speak with Donna and Alex Carrick on the topic of Indie Publishing.
Tune in for the Mother’s Day edition of The Voice:
Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to Tweet and he’ll forget to eat…
One of the key benefits of Twitter over other Social Media platforms is the ability to interact with such a large and diverse group of people. If you’ve been following our series (See Building a Platform Part I, Blogging, Part II, Networking and Part III, Twitter Basics) you’ll already be aware of several of the powerful Social Media forums available.
However, any tool is only as effective as the person using it. If we lack the skills to reach that broad group of people, we aren’t going to be able to spread our message the way we’d like.
A patient tweets to his on-line psychologist, “Doctor, I think I’m being followed!”
How critical are the numbers displayed in Twitter? Their importance will vary depending on what we’re hoping to accomplish. Many people dislike seeing a blatant push for followers and will sometimes avoid following people whose only objective seems to be acquiring a follower base.
Having said that, as writers we’d be naïve to think the numbers have no meaning. Naturally, the more people we are able to interact with, the more exposure our work will receive.
There are a few tips that can help you build a follower base without having to press constantly for new followers:
1- Reciprocity is a word you’ll encounter on Twitter, and with good reason. Many Tweeters will refuse to follow anyone who maintains a skewed “follower/following” ratio. As our accounts grow, it may not be possible to auto-follow everyone who follows us. However, it’s important to at least maintain that ratio.
A skewed ratio is a clue that one may not be interested in engaging followers. It implies one is more a “talker” than a “listener”, who wants only to blast tweets to a large following without considering the needs of others.
I won’t follow most celebrities for this reason. When I’m deciding who to follow, I don’t care how many followers an individual has. I do care that they make an effort to follow others. If I doubt their intention toward reciprocity, I won’t waste my time.
2- About the Numbers: Twitter has rules that relate to the numbers. The most important rule you need to be aware of concerns “follower/following” ratios.
When you set out to build your platform in Twitter, you’ll soon learn there is no magic formula. In order to connect with followers, you will have to first follow people.
Twitter sets a ceiling on how many people you can follow. You can freely follow up to 2000 people. After that, you may not follow anyone until your “follower” base matches your “following” base.
This is a challenge for many Twitter users. Busting that ‘ceiling’ takes time, patience and some inside knowledge.
The time and patience only you can provide. As for the knowledge, here are a couple of tips that might help:
a) Tweet out loud to the people you follow. This will encourage them to follow back.
b) Follow people who maintain a strong “follower/following” ratio. It needn’t be exact, but it should be strong enough to show they make an effort to “follow back”.
c) Follow lots of people. The more people you follow, the more people who will follow you.
d) Use the Search and Hashtag (#) functions to discover and follow people who share your interest in books. Some excellent Chat forums are #WriteChat , #epubChat , #AmWriting and #StoryCraft. There are many more to be found, but those will lead you to some terrific people to begin following today.
e) Unfollow as needed. When you are first starting out and have not yet broken your 2K ceiling, this will be most important. If you’ve followed someone and Tweeted them a greeting, and they haven’t followed back, you might try tweeting them again. If that doesn’t work, unfollow. You need to get past that 2K limit.
Keep in mind, though, if they do follow back it’s considered poor form to unfollow. This is called “dumping” and Twitter may penalize you for it. It doesn’t mean you can never unfollow someone. I’ve followed people whom I thought would be interesting only to discover they were prone to expletive rampages. I unfollow without a second thought in those cases. But in the general course of things, I never unfollow anyone I’ve followed, unless I discover they will not follow back.
The most important thing I encourage Twitter newbies to remember is that these ‘avatars’ that fly through our Timelines represent real people. Yes, the numbers can be meaningful to us as we set out to build our platform. But the numbers are only a very small part of the story.
For each ‘number’ in your “follower/following” base, there is a person. That person has needs and goals, just as we do. He or she has a message to send.
When I see Twitter bullying or disrespect, I shun it at all costs. There are no “Twitter Bosses” who can tell you who you should be engaging, or what your message should be. Likewise, it’s not my place to tell others how to Tweet. If I don’t like what I see, I simply unfollow.
Some writers find Twitter to be too fast, too restrictive with its 140 character limit, too difficult to latch onto. However, I confess I am very taken with Twitter. At its best, it represents an almost Jungian representation of the “collective consciousness”. The more I experience new connections, the more astonished I am by human similarities.
And yes, when used well, Twitter can be an invaluable building block for our author platforms.
~ Donna Carrick, Carrick Publishing, author of The First Excellence, winner of the 2011 Indie Book Event Award for excellence in fiction.
In Today’s Author: Building a platform, Part V, we’ll explore the world of FaceBook.
Join me for this series at: www.carrickpublishing.com.
Attending Bloody Words 2012? Hope to see you at our workshop on Building A Writer’s Platform through Social Media.
Donna is an executive member of CrimeWriters of Canada and the author of three mystery novels as well as 2 short story anthologies. Her titles include: The First Excellence (winner of the 2011 Indie Book Event Award), Gold And Fishes, The Noon God, Sept-Iles and other places and Knowing Penelope.
Donna blogs regularly at www.onfreedomroad.com , www.carrickpublishing.com , www.donnacarrick.com and http://donnacarrick.blogspot.com/
Ask not for whom the bird Tweets. It tweets for you…
One of the questions I’m asked by fellow authors is: How can I build a strong network on Twitter?
By now you’ve set up accounts with several of the major Social Media forums. (See Building a Platform, Part I: Blogging and Part II: Networking .) You’ve added your Twitter link to your Email signature, your Website and any other on-line pages you maintain.
You’ve designed an appealing Twitter page, including a bio that links to your blog, your Website, or directly to your book selling page.
You’re shooting 140 character pearls into the Twitter-verse, taking care to present your most interesting self in every Tweet.
The challenge remains: How to build a following? Without that key ingredient, we’re just “Tweeting in the wind”.
Here are a few ideas that may help you connect with folks on Twitter:
1- Interaction
A handful of Twitter users may be ‘bots’(Robotic Tweeters), but most twitter accounts are manned by real individuals with specific reasons for being there. Behind those Avatars are human beings.
If you visit the Twitter pages of the people you follow, you’ll easily identify what those reasons are. You can make one general assumption: Almost everyone on Twitter is looking to connect.
So the key is to “connect”. If you follow Crystaline Blythe, let her know you’re following her. Send a “Nice to meet you @CrystalineBlythe” tweet to Crys. She’ll appreciate the mention and will be far more likely to follow you back. She may even respond to you by saying “Nice to meet you, too, @Joe_Writer727”. This mention will be visible to all of Crys’s followers, which raises your prominence on Twitter.
2- RTs or ReTweets
Pay attention to the people you follow by viewing your Twitter Stream on a regular basis. If you see a Tweet you find interesting, Retweet it. The sender will appreciate it and will be far more likely to pay attention to your Tweets.
3- Identify yourself.
Most people are reluctant to follow ‘bots’, or accounts that serve the sole purpose of high-powered selling or even spamming. These bots are often easy to spot on Twitter. They may not sport a proper avatar, displaying only the Twitter avatar, the egg or the bird. Even bots cleverly designed with a proper avatar may still have common features. The bio can be revealing, or you may notice they are following 1 and have 1100 followers, or they’ve posted only a small handful of tweets.
Take care not to dress like a ‘bot’. Design your page to reflect your personality. As a writer, your bio will say something like: Joe Writer is the author of the Nellie McDuff mystery series, available at Acme E-Books. Visit www.joewriter.blog.com Be sure to include the link.
Use an avatar. People won’t follow you without one. The avatar can be a book cover (popular and useful), a character image, or a photo of you, the author.
Your own image is always your best choice, especially when you are first building your Twitter presence. People want to know who you are. Give them something real to connect with.
4- Exclusive or Inclusive? That is the question.
When faced with a decision regarding whom to follow, each of us will quickly build our own criteria. For example, I won’t follow pornographic sites or tooth whitener ‘bots’. However, I will follow most anyone in the arts or literary industry. I learn a lot from these wonderful people, so why not follow their Tweets?
I ask myself: Is this someone I’ll be comfortable interacting with? It doesn’t matter to me where they’re located or what walk of life they come from. So long as I’ll be comfortable interacting with them, I go ahead and follow back. After all, you never know who will give you the most pleasure. It’s best to keep an open mind.
If they Tweet links to pornography or violence, I’ll unfollow in a flash and block the Tweeter.
5- Why follow writers?
We’ve all heard the arguments. What’s the point of following fellow writers? Will they buy our books? Where are readers hiding?
Joseph Konrath made this point with eloquence in a recent blog post. He reminded us that Social Media is just that, social. It can’t be relied on to sell books. Nor should it be.
In our changing literary landscape, the people with the greatest vested interest in encouraging the general populace to read are your fellow writers. They are bright, enthusiastic and knowledgeable people, well worth knowing.
And yes, they may buy a book or two, occasionally.
Their true value, though, lies in the community they share. I strongly encourage you to approach Twitter with that in mind. In my opinion, this bonding between writers and other artists is one of the unexpected gems forged from the Social Media experience.
I’ve learned a great deal from these people, including how to sell books.
Where are tomorrow’s readers likely to be found? Will they frequent bookstores? Some may still venture there, but the recent unfortunate closings of the brick and mortar stores seems to belie that assumption.
My guess is that tomorrow’s readers will reach out for a multi-media experience. They’ll discover their new favourite writers through talking with friends on Social Media platforms, including Twitter and FaceBook. They’ll read these books electronically, on their Kindles, iPads or even on their phones.
Although a Twitter presence may not sell a gazillion books, if we’re going to connect with the readers of tomorrow, the most likely avenue will be through building a sound on-line platform.
~ Donna Carrick, Carrick Publishing, author of The First Excellence, winner of the 2011 Indie Book Event Award for excellence in fiction.
In Today’s Author: Building a platform, Part IV, we’ll take a closer look Twitter’s rules and how to successfully manage the “follower/following” ratios.
Join me for this series at: www.carrickpublishing.com.
Attending Bloody Words 2012? Hope to see you at our workshop on Building A Writer’s Platform through Social Media.
Donna is an executive member of CrimeWriters of Canada and the author of three mystery novels as well as 2 short story anthologies. Her titles include: The First Excellence (winner of the 2011 Indie Book Event Award), Gold And Fishes, The Noon God, Sept-Iles and other places and Knowing Penelope.
Donna blogs regularly at www.onfreedomroad.com , www.carrickpublishing.com , www.donnacarrick.com and http://donnacarrick.blogspot.com/
So, you’ve got your blog running at full steam… (See Today’s Author: Part I at Carrick Publishing — Blogging.)
You’ve been toiling for weeks, churning out your most interesting thoughts, spinning tales into cyber-space.
What’s that you say? Your site had three hits yesterday? Two of them were your mother?
How do we entice readers? You’ve got a great topic. You’ve used images to heighten the visual appeal of your page.
With today’s Social Media tools as close as your nearest WiFi connection, there’s no excuse for toiling in isolation.
Some of the popular outlets for writers include: StumbledUpon, DIGG, CrimeSpace, GrapeVine and GoodReads.
In our experience, there are 4 primary Social Media forums that can help you connect with people who share your passion:
1- Twitter is loaded with potential connections who are waiting to hear from you. They won’t all share your interest in WollySprocket Handbooks, but Twitter offers easy-to-use tools to find your fellow WollySprocket enthusiasts.
The key advantage Twitter offers is its fast, fluid nature. In 140 characters or less, you can josh, share a blog link with your followers, post a photo of your new grandchild or ask for advice.
2- FaceBook is another great forum for finding friends who read, write, publish and are eager to discuss books and e-books.
One of the things I like most about FaceBook is the ability to easily check in on family members, friends and fellow-artists/writers to see what they’re up to.
3- Google + is a newcomer to the Social Media whirlwind, but is quickly making a name for itself, especially among the younger crowd.
One of Google +’s claims to fame is its easy access and connectivity throughout the Google Empire.
4- LinkedIn is a quieter and often overlooked forum. We think of LinkedIn as a professional network, where we can connect with colleagues in our “day jobs”.
For writers, LinkedIn is so much more. It’s full of Writing and Publishing Industry groups, where seasoned professionals gather to chew the fat on the hottest topics of the day.
Joseph Konrath hit the nail on the head with his recent blog post: The Value Of Publicity (A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, Wednesday, January 18, 2012). Konrath points out that, despite our best efforts, it’s tough selling books.
Even the hottest publicity does not always pan out in terms of heightened book sales.
Social Media may not drive high volume sales. However, it will start your sales-engine. And, more important, it can connect you with others in our industry. These people talk ‘books’, all day every day.
If we ever hope to master this industry of ours, it will be through the friends we make as we build our platform.
**
In Today’s Author: Building a platform, Part III, we’ll focus our discussion on one of the most beloved and writer-friendly forums out there: Twitter. We’ll look at using its Search capabilities to find folks who share our passion.
Join me for this series at: www.carrickpublishing.com .
Attending Bloody Words 2012? Hope to see you at our workshop on Building A Writer’s Platform through Social Media.
Donna is an executive member of CrimeWriters of Canada and the author of three mystery novels as well as a short story anthology. Her titles include: The First Excellence (winner of the 2011 Indie Book Event Award), Gold And Fishes, The Noon God, Sept-Iles and other places and Knowing Penelope.
Donna blogs regularly at www.onfreedomroad.com , www.carrickpublishing.com , www.donnacarrick.com and http://donnacarrick.blogspot.com/ .
There’s been a lot of discussion in author chat groups recently regarding the flurry of Free and 99¢ e-books available through Amazon Kindle, Smashwords and other e-book retailers.
Within the writing community, opinions on the matter appear to be split. Traditionalists argue the low-priced and free e-books are undermining the value of quality books.
Meanwhile, many independent authors and publishers are thrilled with the trend, convinced that, while these prices may not be designed to garner maximum profits, they are a potentially powerful ticket to expanding readership.
At Carrick Publishing we don’t claim to have all the answers. In fact, we encourage our authors to set their own prices, experiment and employ strategies that will work for them.
After all, we don’t claim any portion of their author royalties. This means they are free to move their e-book prices up and down as they see fit.
With regards to our own 14 titles, the mysteries by Donna Carrick and the short story e-books by Alex Carrick, we only know what works for us.
And what ‘works’ is keeping e-book prices low, while offering a small selection of Free titles for Kindle, Nook, iBooks and Sony.
Before an author can decide on his most effective business plan, he must first be certain of his goals. We took a good, hard look at ours, both short and long term.
What we realised is this: we’re in the writing and publishing industry for the long term. We view our current efforts to reach readers as an investment. We’re not looking for a “get-rich-quick” approach to writing and publishing. We’re prepared to spend time, effort and even money to establish ourselves as authors and publishers of quality books and e-books.
So for us the current trend toward 99¢ e-books is a golden opportunity. Do we make a ton of money on these e-books? No. But what we gain is far more valuable.
Slowly but surely we’ve laid the groundwork for our business. We’ve reached out to a base of quality readers we might never have connected with had we set our prices higher.
We’re thrilled to discover that many are repeat readers.
We believe firmly in the unique bond that is forged between author and reader. A good book is a connection that, once made, lives on within the reader’s memory.
We also believe in the power of reader satisfaction. Word of mouth is an Indie author’s best form of advertising.
That’s why we work so hard to present quality novels and stories in a format that is readily accessible at extremely low prices.
Again, I’d like to emphasise that we don’t have all the answers. What works for us, low prices combined with a great deal of elbow grease, may not work for someone else.
But it does work for us.
Thanks to the technology of Kindle and Smashwords, we can publish an e-book without lengthy delays. It can be downloaded by a reader thousands of miles away within minutes, and that reader can connect with us through Social Media to share feedback!
It’s a brave new publishing world out there. And make no mistake about it: the road to success is not an easy one.
But if you’ve got the time and the talent, the tools are available.
Our advice to writers: Get out there and publish something. Get your feet wet and find out what works for you.
If, in the process, you discover that you need our help, we’ll be happy to hear from you!
Best in writing,
Donna and Alex Carrick
