Develop Your Author's Platform

Gonna try something new here.

I'm forever coming across really great resources to post here in everyday emails and by visiting other sites only to bookmark them for later use and forget what they are and why I thought they were great.

I'm going to *try* posting 'em from now on as soon as I come across 'em.

Here's a start: a good, short, succinct article on ways authors can get more press and publicity--essentially building an author's platform for your work & livelyhood. From Patrice-Anne Rutledge's The Web Savvy Writer's Blog--if you're not signed up for her free weekly emails, do yourself a favor and sign up when you visit.

15 Favorite Ways to Develop Your Author's Platform

Happy platforming...
Beth

Article: Seasonal Promo

Really insightful, thoughtful article--just the thing I've come to expect from Patricia Fry (a writer's writer, for sure!)

Patricia shares with us ideas on how to use the holidays year-round in your favor when it comes to promoting your work. I dare you to read it and not get excited by ideas that pop up!

Seasonal Promotion by Patricia Fry

And if you're interested, here are a few places you can find worldwide holidays listed to suit nearly every interest/fancy/topic:

holidays.net

earthcalendar.com

world-calendar.com


Happy holiday-ing,
Beth

The Value of Networking

Let's face it--writing is a lonely job. Not necessarily in a bad way (though the stories of authors battling depression lie in the back of our consciousness), but what all that alone time with words does is help create nervousness, panic and sometimes fear in the heart of the author when it comes to speaking up on behalf of yourself and your work.

And nothing--nothing outside of not writing--can be more detrimental to your writing career. I actually got my start in freelancing (in a national magazine no less) the first time I publically admitted I was a writer, so the value of networking resonates deeply with me.

Whether you're published or up-and-coming, never underestimate networking. Interestingly enough, as I considered this topic, I read a new issue of one of my fave writing ezines, the Fabulist Flash, which happened to have the entire issue focused on networking. Gregory shares the best insight in his weekly newsletter. Sign up yourself for free while you're there.

The Fabulist Flash vol. 123: Networking

Happy, happy networking
Beth

Article for Unpubbs: Be Your Own Editor blog

Ok, unpubbs. Listen up (myself included, though I already knew this stuff): this blog post, courtesy of the entertaining and informative Be Your Own Editor blog, is solid in its reasoning for why you can't live in a cave while writing to become published. Build yourself, your credibility, your readership and your experiences with words on the road to publication and you'll do yourself (and your editor/publisher) a great service.

Curious? Read more: Every Writer Needs a Website. Yes, Even You

Hang out at the Be Your Own Editor blog for other great writing topics.

Happy Platforming,
Beth

Resource: Writers Website Planner

If one of your goals in the new year is to create an author's website, here's an interesting site with lots of things to think about in the planning stage of your site. Not a lot of hands-on activities toward creating your web presence, just some considerations to take into account when designing the site of your dreams:

Writers Website Planner
http://www.writerswebsiteplanner.com/index.html

Happy Planning,

Beth

Published Authors: Free Publicity

Today's post is for all you published authors.

Not published yet? Keep this in your file of "things to do after I get that contract".

Monica Poling of OnceWritten.com offers published authors the opportunity to submit a first-person, "tell us about yourself" -type essay of 500 words for publicity and to share with us unpubbs how you made it.

There are lots of sample essays here: http://www.oncewritten.com/MeetTheAuthor.php

When you're ready to write your essay, find the scoop here: http://www.oncewritten.com/About/TellUsAboutYourself.php

Happy essaying,

Beth