Tag: Kristen Lamb

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emaginings: To Blog or Not To Blog? @LyndiLamont

March 16, 2014 by in category The Romance Journey by Linda Mclaughlin tagged as , , , , , , , ,

To Blog or Not To Blog? That is one question every writer must ponder.

I have a love/hate relationship with blogging. It’s not that I mind doing it, but I resent the time involved that takes me away from writing, and I’m not sure blogging has been worth my while. What I am sure is that I haven’t gone about it in a very systematic or effective way, though I try.

My big project for this year is to launch a new website and blog combining both of my writing names into one site, for easier maintenance. In the meantime, I’m still learning as much as I can about author branding, platforms and the use of blogs.

In January, I read Rise of the Machines: Human Authors in a Digital World by Kristen Lamb, the well-known blogger and social media maven. The first chapter, The Changing Paradigm, was fascinating. She talks a lot about technological change in general, often quoting from Neil Postman, author of several books, including Technopoly. His contention was that technological change isn’t “addictive or subtractive but ecological”. Advances in technology change everything, including the way humans think, certainly changes the way we talk and write. Hashtags, emoticons, text speak… You all know what I’m talking about, like the changes or not.

Lamb is a big proponent of blogging, and while I value her advice, I’m not sure I can manage to do everything she recommends. But after reading her book, I think I have a better notion of what to do and, perhaps more importantly, what not to do. Some of her advice includes:

Be present on social media, at least some of the time; don’t automate everything.

Your name is your brand; use it in some version. Don’t tweet with a silly handle that no one will recognize.

Be careful what you share, esp. where politics and religion are concerned.

I wish her book had been available eight years ago when I started blogging, but as Kitty Bucholtz said in her time management class, it’s never too late to hit the Restart button. I’m hoping to do better when I get the new, better blog later this year, and I’d love to take a branding class from her some day.

In the meantime I have finally joined Triberr, the “Home of Influencers.” If you’re not familiar with Triberr, it’s a blog amplifier. Bloggers ban together in tribes and tweet each other’s blog posts, giving everyone an enhanced range. Since I joined, my blogs are getting tweeted more often, my page stats have shot up, and I’ve picked up new followers at Twitter. I’m still not getting a lot of comments, but I think that’s somewhat normal. Unless there’s a giveaway or a controversy, people are not inclined to comment a lot, esp. where the dreaded Capcha is involved. Personally, I hate those things. So does Kristen Lamb.

For more information on Triberr and how it interacts with Twitter, check out this post by Kayelle Allen, founder of Marketing For Romance Writers and another Social Media maven:

Blog Titles Matter in Triberr: Tips for Authors by Kayelle Allen #RLFblog #author

So to blog or not to blog? What is your answer. Leave a comment if you can get past the Capcha!

And if social media generally has you befuddled, OCC’s own Elena Dillon will be teaching an online class on Social Media for the Confused and Terrified from April 14 – May 11, 2014. I’m not terrified, but I often find myself confused, so I’ll be taking the class.

Linda McLaughlin / Lyndi Lamont

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Wordwide Book Launch Party for James Rollins’

June 17, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by Jenny Hansen

Between now and next Tuesday, the Man of The Week over on my blog is James Rollins. Yesterday, we talked about the Worldwide Book Release Party for James’ new book, The Devil Colony.

Then, last night, my critique partners and I had a little pre-party getting ready for the launch over at Writers In The Storm later today.


In order to really play hard on The Devil’s Playground over at More Cowbell, you need ALL the details!

  • The theme for this party is Devil: devil-mania, Devil Dogs, Devil-ish. You name it, if it’s got Devil in it (in a good way) we want to know about it.
  • How do I tell people about my devilish delights, you might ask….Come party on Twitter at #DevilColony. Go set up your TweetDeck column right now! It’s fine, I’ll hold on. *whistling*
  • OK, now that you’re set up to follow the #DevilColony stream, it’s time to plan the party snacks for Tuesday’s launch.
    We’re gonna be at it for 24 hours, so you’ll want to lay in some supplies. Deviled eggs, Devil Dogs, deviled ham… On second thought, deviled ham is a little gross. Just have enough of your favorite munchies on hand to stay close to your computer…you never know who might pop in.
  • Oh, you have to work?What, you could play hooky for the #RoyalWedding and not for James’ #DevilColony Launch? Where’s the LOVE???
  • What are we gonna do at #DevilColony?
    Have a blast, of course! Socialize, hang out with James, our favorite tweeps and all the literary luminaries who happen to stop in. You know, the best-selling authors, agents, editors who want to visit with James (and gush about the book). Forget your other Tuesday plans — #DevilColony on Twitter is the social event to be seen at!
  • What else is happening on #DevilColony besides “hanging out?”Prizes! Not only are you there to meet, greet and Follow, you are encouraged to upload pictures of your party in progress. People will randomly be chosen for prizes, but the MOST CREATIVE pictures will make their way to a Wall of Fame over on James’ site, and can also win the big Mystery Prize.

Where else is the party breaking out today??

And of course, it’s all James, all the time over at my site, More Cowbell. 🙂

I’m thinking a picture of my Little Devil will be in order…something with her Elmo chair, since it’s red…. Hmmm, I DEFINITELY want to be on that wall!

What about you? Are you a James Rollins’ fan? Do you plan to come play with the rest of us on #DevilColony?

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Build A Writing Network With LinkedIn

May 18, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by Jenny Hansen

Everyone is talking about Social Media and I’ve got several friends scratching their heads going, “What does that even MEAN? And why do I need so many DIFFERENT KINDS??”

(Note: Prepare for the CAP-bold-fest, I just downed half a pot of coffee…)

There’s a simple answer to “why so many?” You want to go to where your people are. It’s as simple as that.

Maybe you want to network with dairy farmers or high school kids. It’s a pretty good bet they’re going to be hanging out over on Facebook rather than Twitter. These are two demographics that have proven to be firmly grounded on Facebook. Remember, Facebook is focused on hooking up with the people you already know.

Twitter and LinkedIn are both geared toward hooking up with the people you want to know.

(Like editors and agents…just sayin.’) If you want to BUILD your network, you are simply going to do it faster on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Twitter, according to Social Media expert Kristen Lamb, is like one big cocktail party. You can “walk through” and hear snippets of all kinds of conversation. And, as long as you aren’t creepy about it, you are invited to join in. How cool is that for all us busybodies, er…I mean writers. (slinking to the next paragraph)

LinkedIn is more like attending a big conference – you’ve got people you’re scheduled to meet with, and they know people who know people. (All these conference types are even MORE impressed if you dress nicely and have a creative name badge. In LinkedIn terms that means fill out your profile as fully as you can.)

There are people you might meet at any event or conference that will be important in your career. It’s a really good idea in today’s world to ask these people which platform they’re on so YOU CAN FIND THEM! Better yet, get their email address. You can use it to find them on LinkedIn, Facebook OR Twitter.

If you meet someone who says they’re on Facebook and they are your dream editor, make tracks to hook up with them over there. Ditto to Twitter and LinkedIn. It is always a good idea to follow up quickly so there’s hope that they still remember that you sat in the row in front of them during the Dean Koontz event at the Romantic Times Convention.

Note: Bob Mayer and the team at Who Dares Wins Publishing are offering some really good workshops in May and June about how to really get the most out of a conference, and how a writer can market. They sound awesome, but I’ve already decided to learn how to write about sex in May from our own Louisa Bacio.

Why LinkedIn?

I could give you the corporate version: LinkedIn is a very easy passive way to build your social network with individuals that you might already know, as well as those you meet in the course of your networking events.

Bleck, bleck, bleck.

Even though it’s true, it’s bland and doesn’t cover the real magic: Through LinkedIn’s Status Updates, Reading Lists, Groups and the amazing Answer feature, you will have the opportunity to be a solution provider.

Now THAT’S sexy. Every opportunity you get to be a solution provider is golden.

Every time a writer is offered a free, easy chance to establish themselves as an expert in any given field, in my humble opinion, they need to RUN to take advantage of this. LinkedIn gives you the chance to both ask questions and provide answers, and look stellar in the process.

Click here to find out more about LinkedIn Answers.

In LinkedIn you can have your entire writing resume on display, along with recommendations of your work, even as you network and build your platform.

LinkedIn can be a Traffic Firehose

Check out this Chart of the Day from a Business Insider article that was published earlier this month. That’s some impressive stuff. LinkedIn is adding features all the time that are targeted at driving traffic. Like every other social media company, they want to be your platform of choice.

(Are you salivating yet? This is BIG.)

Getting started

  1. Go to http://www.linkin.com/
  2. Choose your LinkedIn account type

Note: Anyone can sign up for a free Basic LinkedIn account. Free accounts allow you to invite available connections, manage your own profile, join Groups and sign up for LinkedIn events.

Free accounts do not allow you to send InMails (which let you send mail to anyone whether you are connected or not), see all LinkedIn contacts or organize your contacts beyond a basic name listing.

For the LinkedIn users that want to use the application more fully or for targeted tasks like job recruiting, there are several other business options available for a monthly charge.

How to add connections

You can allow LinkedIn to check your existing address books for your current email addresses or enter your contacts manually. It is easiest to allow LinkedIn to comb through your current address books for your various email applications (Gmail, AOL, etc). You will get a list of the people you know who are already using LinkedIn and can invite them to connect with you.

Note: If you don’t want to do this when you begin, you can return later to the Import Contacts option, which is located inside the People You May

Know area (it’s always available in the upper right corner of your LinkedIn home page).

What do you do once you’re connected?

  • Listen
    Listening in LinkedIn means watching the Status Updates that show on your home page each day and commenting on them. Particularly if you are in the market for an editor, agent, or new job, these updates are a treasure trove of conversation openers.
  • Read
    In LinkedIn, there is an application to discuss and recommend what you are reading. When you use this application, it will update your home page. People will comment, and you can do the same on the books they recommend. Part of why we love books is BECAUSE they are so easy to bond over.
  • Browse
    Be sure to look around in LinkedIn. You’ll come across the greatest stuff just poking around. Explore the LinkedIn toolbar at the top of the page to see your Connections, Update your profile, or look for Jobs. Incidentally, all the recruiters I know say they find the best talent through LinkedIn. I found my current job through LinkedIn, as a matter of fact.
  • Find Groups that have other people with the same interests as you.
    Some people take an opposite track and join Groups with members that have knowledge that you WANT. On the right hand side of the LinkedIn toolbar, there is a search that defaults to “People.” Hit the drop-down and choose Groups. Type in your interest, whether it is writing, parenting or gardening. Trust me, you will find cool groups.

Other helpful tips:

  • All the usual rules of social media apply – excessive marketing, stalking and lying are not appropriate. (Yes, I know it’s your resume – you STILL have to be honest.)
  • You do not have to be introduced to anyone you are in a Group with.That means that you can request connection with ANYONE in any group you belong to. Read above…I’m not encouraging anyone to get their weird stalky vibe on, but this is the perfect chance to go where your target audience is and rub elbows with them. I’ve met amazing people this way.
  • Browse the People You May Know section on the right side of your screen every few weeks. New people show up in there based on things like who has joined LinkedIn or which searches you’ve run. I nearly always find someone I’d been wishing to have as a connection.

There are a gajillion things I’d like to tell you about the program but Goal One is to get you signed up if you’re interested and give you time to get comfortable. You can also feel free to ask questions about the program in the comments below.

If you need more help to get set up, here is a link that gives great step-by-step instructions. 🙂

In the meantime, how many of you are on LinkedIn already? Do you like or dislike it? What do you love-love-love or hate-hate-hate about the platform?

Take care,
Jenny

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Reflections from a Confirmed Twitter Freak

March 17, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , , , , ,

by Jenny Hansen

A few months back my boss at the part-time job (that is really a full-time job) asked me to research Twitter. And oh, the rapture of getting paid for doing something that benefitted my writing career!

In the last 10 weeks, the traffic level at Writers In The Storm (my group blog site) has risen more than 500%, my exposure to amazing writing links has risen at least that much and I’ve met some fantastic people who have been more than generous with their knowledge (Elizabeth S. Craig and Kristen Lamb both come to mind).

Most important of all, my creativity is soaring. I’m thinking about writing and connecting to my fellow artists ALL THE TIME.

Writers need to interact with other people who write and are creative – to learn, to commiserate, to brainstorm, to vent. By the end of my first week on Twitter, it was clear to me that all of the new information available on Craft and writing tools is equivalent to attending a conference each month. Even if you are a multi-pubbed author and aren’t as into the Craft information, you need readers and exposure, don’t you? Facebook should not be the only social media tool in your author platform.

For those of you that get jazzed after this blog and want to get started, here are some tips that I sent my boss as well as some observations of my own.

• 7 steps to plan BEFORE starting your Twitter account: http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Tips-For-Starting-on-Twitter—The-Deceivingly-Simple-Social-Media-Platform&id=2501605

• Sign up for a Twitter account: http://www.twitip.com/how-to-set-up-a-twitter-account/

• Last of all, 10 Basic Rules of Twitter: http://www.influentialmarketingblog.com/weblog/2009/08/10-basic-rules-of-twitter-and-how-to-avoid-being-a-twanker.html

• Expert: Chris Brogan is thought well of in social media circles and has great things to say about business and writing – you might read him when you have time: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/category/socialmedia/

Here are some highlights of the 10 Basic Rules:

As you start Twittering, remember to focus on engaging in conversations with your followers rather than pushing or selling your own products and content. If followers feel they’re being sold to, they’ll unfollow and block you faster than they’ll hang up on your annoying IVR (and then Tweet about it). A few guidelines:

• Use @ replies to comment back to your followers’ Tweets

Note: You cannot send direct messages (DM’s) to people who don’t Follow you so the @ replies are often the only way to get info to someone you want to speak with.

• ReTweet liberally. To reTweet a user’s Tweet, simply write “RT @username” and cut and paste the content of the original Tweet. Or just use the RT button if your desktop or smartphone app has one.

• Post links to articles and content you think your users would find interesting. A good guide is Chris Brogan’s rule of promoting other people’s content eight times more often than you promote your own.

• Post links to your own content, but see above.

Last but not least, You might enjoy “Tweetie,” the iPhone app for Twitter: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/twitter/id333903271?mt=8 (there is also Twitter for the Android).

What the experts say:

OCC was lucky enough to hear marketing guru Penny Sansevieri, the author of Red Hot Internet Publicity, speak several months back and I subscribed to her newsletter. Below are her Six Quick Tips for Twitter Success:

1. A bio is a must. A recent Harvard Business Review study showed that 82% of unsuccessful Twitter accounts have little or no bio information.

2. You should provide more than 3 links per 20 tweets and you should update more than once a day.

3. If you don’t provide links in your tweets, you should plan to post more often (studies suggest as much as six times a day). You should have no more than 15 updates a day.

4. Twitter names are becoming like URL’s were in the early years of the Internet. Make sure and grab all your branding and your name.

5. Don’t use underscores_ when you’re creating a user name. Not only does it look amateurish but a number of spammers have hacked into Twitter that way. You don’t want to look like a spammer.

6. Always engage and reply to the @reply responses on Twitter. Why? Well first off it’s important to engage your followers, but second, those @replies help with your Twitter ranking.

Happy Tweeting – I’d love to hear about the successes and pitfalls you stumble across in your own social media journey!

Jenny Hansen fills her nights with humor, writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit and short stories (and walking the floor with her new baby girl). By day, Jenny coordinates training for two accounting firms. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, it’s nice for her to be able to sit down while she works.

Stay tuned every month on the 17th for Jenny’s blogs on software, computer how-tos, new parenthood and the latest works in progress. The rest of the time you can find her on Twitter at jhansenwrites or over on the Writers In The Storm blog.

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