Amren's Thoughts, Opinions, and Experiences on Social Media

At the end of 2020, we asked what YOU, our blog readers, wanted us to cover in 2021.  Several of you provided suggestions and, for certain of those topics, we thought it would be fun for the OA team members to provide our own thoughts, opinions, and experiences.  This week, we're tackling how to use Social Media without spending hours doom-scrolling. 

I am not a social media butterfly (which seems to be a common thread among the OA team). I get along using Twitter, but almost nothing else. I deleted my Instagram a while ago for privacy reasons and I don't like to post photos of myself on social media, but I can't bring myself to use it for posting ~book aesthetics~ because I feel like I'm just...really bad at taking pictures?? 

So, while I can't really speak to Instagram or Facebook, I do have some suggestions about Twitter and Reddit. 

Twitter

I'm gonna start out by disagreeing with Dena, who suggested not getting involved with politics. If that's your jam, go for it. I like to engage with current events just a little bit, just enough to join the conversation, mostly because I don't want to get involved to the point where I don't fully understand what's going on. If you're completely disengaged from current events, that can put some people off. 

For some more concrete suggestions, I asked a writer friend how she is so engaged on Twitter and has so many followers (like five times as many as I have). She broke it down like this: 

• She was lucky and started using Twitter right as writer-Twitter started to become a thing. (Not helpful, but it makes me feel less bad.)
• Engage with hashtag games every day. There are quite a few hashtag games that happen weekly, or even daily. Pick one or two for every day of the week and engage with those. 
• Occasionally also post stuff from your life, like selfies or photos of your cat. 
• Follow people who follow you back. You can always cut down later. 
• Don't promote yourself all the time. You're more likely to annoy potential readers than you are to attract them. 

Reddit

Reddit is a bit different from other social media sites authors tend to use, since most Reddit users are anonymous, but there are a couple options for getting your work out there. 

• Free eBooks is a great place to advertise your novel (as long as it's, you know, available as a free ebook).
• Writing Prompts can also give you some opportunities for self-promotion, if you're willing to write some short pieces based on a prompt. 
• You can also create your own subreddit just for your work, although that's trickier and I've never tried it. I've seen people do this if they're committing to writing a piece of fiction every day (see the Writing Prompts subreddit above) so if that's up your alley, go for it!

Using social media can seem like a chore. If that's how you feel about it, you're probably spending too much time on it. Make a few rules or goals for yourself, like engaging with one other writer on Twitter every day, or writing a 500-word short story every day. Keep it simple! And remember, the longer you spend on social media, the less time you're spending on your writing. 

We hope you've learned some useful tips and skills this week! Go forth and conquer the social media sphere!

J's Thoughts, Opinions, and Experiences on Social Media

 

For our new feature on Operation Awesome, the team is taking a week to share our thoughts, opinions, and experiences on topics we were asked about last year. The first we're tackling is Social Media. Specifically, we were asked how to connect with readers and librarians, which social media platform to use (such as Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, etc), and how to use social media effectively without spending hours. 

I have two thoughts to share in regards to connecting with readers.

1. All (good) writers are readers. Build your connection with fellow writers and you've already found readers! Join up with those who write in your genre and, odds are, they'll be the ones who read that genre. 
2. There was a hashtag #RR, which stood for Reader Thursday. (Some people have seen schedules where T is for Tuesday and R is for ThuRsday.) It was used like #WW, Writer Wednesday, where tweeters shared long lists of names to "shoutout" to connections and encourage others to follow them. (A more specific version of #FF Follow Friday.) 
   🌊 Those of us with older accounts got lucky and were able to use this. Sorry, but the trend has died. There are still "follow trains" for writers. These are met with mixed results. Some people don't follow back. (Sometimes because Twitter limits the number of follows.) Some will unfollow anyone who isn't "engaged" enough with them. And some people really hate being named in such a train.
   (I've gotten hundreds of followers from such follow trains 🚂 and made a few really good friends! And yes, I have actually bought books from several of those people. Click for one I reviewed on Goodreads.)
   So what hashtags might you search for now to find readers? Here are a few:
   • #TBR - To Be Read ~ If they have a TBR list, they're obviously reading, and therefore are readers.
   • #Reader ~ Sometimes a reader is looking to find writers and will use this hashtag.
   • #BookReview ~ If they're writing book reviews, they're obviously reading. For best results, search this hashtag along with the genre you write.
   • #Reading ~ Some people will tweet what they're reading. See if it's something similar to what you're writing.
   • #AmReading ~ Same as above. 
   • #BookBlogger ~ They not only read books, but blog about them.
   • #ReadaThon or #RAT ~ People who are reading a lot of books and talking about them. (One just wrapped up. #BoutOfBooks)
   Remember not to be creepy. Like their posts. Follow them. Retweet. Connect first, sell second. Actually, if you're doing Twitter right, your profile and feed will sell for you. They'll click to see who you are and already find links to your webpage and books. Having a pinned tweet for them to retweet is an excellent idea. (A lot of tweeters believe in reciprocation - follow for follow, retweet for retweet, like for like, etc. ⚠ Caution - Those who do not believe in reciprocation will get harsh 😠 if called out or asked about it.) Pinned tweets should be changed regularly so that your frequent retweeters always know what you'd like shared and have something up top they haven't retweeted for you already. 
   Expect about a 40% return on your Twitter time investment. Yes, that means if you engage correctly with ten people, about four of them will be equally engaging with you on Twitter. Sometimes you'll get lucky and find someone with a really engaged audience, all of who have become loyal to each other. My friend Stu (@Trans1110) had this. Sadly, he passed away years ago. 😭 (Yes, if you do a search, you'll see that he still gets shoutouts, despite being dead and having a suspended account.) 
   

Which social media platform should you use? The ones that you are the most comfortable with. That's not an excuse to avoid them! Give as many as you can a try. Really commit to learning how to use them well. Personally, I prefer Twitter. That's where I get the highest engagement rate. Facebook has complicated algorithms and rules that change constantly. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/NewPageExperience Oh look, there's an example. 🙄

I would also recommend the AllAuthor website. There are a lot of free resources, and even more paid ones. The original members all followed each other on Twitter, resulting in a follow boost in the hundreds. The people who run this site are excellent at promotion. 

As for using social media effectively, consider what social media savvy agents will look at when checking you out. The number of followers is important (once upon a time, the goal was 5000 on Twitter and 500 on your Facebook page). But equally important is how engaged those followers are. How often are you being retweeted/ shared and liked? Especially when you're sharing posts about books. 

Will your followers be useful in promoting your books? Or do you have a connection to thousands of people who really only share posts about sports and don't care about your horror novel? This, again, is where connecting with like-minded writers comes in handy. Writers who are interested in promoting each other. Writers who understand that promoting more than five books a day will feel like spam. 

The other important factor is knowing how many of your followers will translate into sales. 😍Whatever percent you think is going to happen, widdle that down. Sorry, the stars and hearts in your eyes are going to get crushed.🤩 Your 5000 Twitter followers might net you five sales, one of which will leave a review. This changes if you or your book are famous. Bestselling, movie-deal with an Oscar winner attached, type of famous. 

You can up the odds by knowing what creates sales. It isn't usually hard selling. What gets you to buy a book? https://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2017/12/book-buying-motivations-2017-from-debut.html Good stories in a favorite genre -- the most popular answer in this year-long survey. So remember to mention what genre your book is when sharing it on social media! People want to read what their friends (or followers/ connections/ etc) are reading so they can share in the active fandom. The more someone sees their "community" mentioning a book, the more likely they'll check it out. 

That is why you see authors raving about someone leaving them a review, especially a follower they can tag. That author is aiming for the reader friends of that reviewer. Also, it's an assurance that someone has read it and might be willing to discuss it. Plus, that author has now engaged with the reviewer, deepening the relationship and increasing the odds the reviewer will read more books from them and post more about the author and book. (Obviously, this works better with 4 or 5 star reviews.) 

It isn't just books and reviews that are worth sharing. Blog posts are valuable too! There's a share button at the bottom of this post. Or, you could copy the link and paste it in a post on whatever social media platform you use. What hashtags might you include to get the attention of your followers? If you use Twitter, you can tag me and Operation Awesome. @OpAwesome6 @JLenniDorner

Here are more ways to connect with me:

Dear O'Abby - How Much is Too Much?

Dear O'Abby, 

I have a friend who 90 to 95% of her posts are sale ads for her books.

Every other author and website I see suggests a max of 30% ads for your books, but mostly staying engaged with others and posting engaging content.

The thing is, my friend does actually earn a few grand a month in book sales.

So I'm curious as to who is right? Is filling Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest almost entirely with ads for your books really the way to go?

Yours,

Bemused

Dear Bemused,

This is a good question.  I would tend to agree with you that having over 90% of your social media devoted to advertising is too much.  But then you mention that your author friend's books sell well enough for her to earn a few grand a month from the sales.

From that we have to assume that she's doing something right.  

The most important thing to remember is the reasons why people use social media - to be entertained, educated, informed and to feel heard and connected.  Most people don't use social media to be sold things.  They tend to scroll past anything that looks like an ad - I know I do!

Clever social media users manage to make the majority of their ads look like something else. They aren't screams for attention saying "buy my book".  At least, not all their posts.  No, smart social media users engage with their followers in a variety of ways.  They are in conversation with their followers on a variety of topics depending on what their interests and expertise might be.  And it's very possible to slip a reference to that upcoming book release into that conversation.

While you do want people to recognize your book cover if they come across it, splashing it continually across your social media feeds is not necessarily the best way to boost sales.  Images are important, but people are more likely to scroll past posts which feature your book cover prominently while they may pause if the image is something cute, topical or plain striking. 

Remember that it's called social media for a reason - because it's social.  That means you need to socialize with your followers.  Let them get to know you.  That doesn't mean you have to share everything about yourself, warts and all, but be genuine.  Share as much as you're comfortable with and no more, but make sure what you share feels authentic.  

And finally, there's the connection part.  People who feel included are more likely to engage with your content so bring them in.  Ask questions and respond to people who answer them.  Get to know your followers so you can make sure you post more of the content they like.  The more they like you, the more likely it is that they will buy your books.

Not sure if that really answers your question, but without knowing a little more about your friend and what she writes and how she advertises, it's a little difficult to know whether she's doing too much or not. If you want to get more specific, email O'Abby at operationawesome6@gmail.com and we can take a closer look.

Just to add something else to this in light of everything going on this week.  Whenever you are advertising, be sensitive to what is happening in the world and if something huge blows up, pull your ads until things settle down.  You don't want to look tone-deaf or insensitive.  That's no way to build a following.

X

O'Abby

National Mental Health Awareness Month - What We Can Do as Writers

Last time I checked (and maybe it's been a while), I was human. The tricky thing about being human - that is, being a brain driving a barely-held-together bag of meat and bones - means we make mistakes. Cthulhu knows I've made a lot of them. Like that time I tried to make banana bread muffins without adding flour. Or the time I recycled a receipt, on the back of which my partner had written a bunch of measurements he needed for a home improvement project. Or the several months in which I tried to query a 168,000-word YA fantasy manuscript.

Yup. Mistakes have been made.

It's okay to talk about mistakes. Oftentimes, the only way we can improve - whether it's our attitude, our behavior, our craft, or any number of other things - is by understanding how we have failed in the past. And yet, as querying writers, it can be so hard to talk about mistakes, or about anything that's gone wrong in our querying lives recently. Sometimes, it feels as if we have to pretend as though nothing bad ever happens. Those 50 unanswered queries? Never happened. That blistering feedback from a CP? All good. Nope, nothing unpleasant to see here, folks, here's a photo of my cat.

There's this fear that we can't say anything even remotely negative on social media, Twitter especially, because an agent might see it. Not even just agents anymore - there's this fear that anyone could see a tweet, take a screenshot, and sit on it, just waiting for the right moment to cancel us. It leads to this idea that we have to be perfect online: no mention of failure, of mistakes, of problems, of how much we're struggling. Everything has to be flawless, carefully curated quiet perfection.

It doesn't have to be this way. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. As writers, let's start to normalize the practice of admitting when we fail, or talking openly about our struggles when things get tough. Let's admit to the fact that we sent all those unanswered queries. Let's let it be okay to have to work for our successes. And as a community, let's stop condemning the truth about how hard writing can be to the silent darkness.

Dear O'Abby: How do I get the most out of my online publicity opportunities?

Dear O'Abby,

Thank you so much to Operation Awesome for featuring us in the Debut Author Spotlight. We’re so happy about it. Might you have any suggestions on how we can promote, share, etc., to get more exposure for the feature? 

Best,

New Authors

Dear New Authors,

When publishing the Debut Author Spotlights, Operation Awesome schedules a number of social media posts about the feature, each highlighting one of the questions asked in the interview or something interesting in one of the answers.  One of the best ways to promote an interview or review online is to share these social posts so a new circle of people see them or write new social posts linking to the interview.

If, in the interview, you mention other authors, book review bloggers or anyone else in the industry, you can tag them when you share or post and hopefully they will then share with their circles too.  

Using the most effective hashtags when sharing or posting is also a way to extend the reach of any publicity opportunity by making the post searchable for people looking for something specific.  For example, if, in your interview, you talk about diversity in your books, you may want to use a hashtag that indicates you're talking about diversity so people searching for diverse books will find it more easily.  There is a site that will help you find the best hashtags for your posts.

You can also mention your interview in other interviews if it's relevant.  If an interviewer asks something you have already answered in depth elsewhere, in your reply to that question, you can say something like "I actually already spoke at length about this very topic here" and link to the interview.

The most important thing to remember about social media is that it's social.  Your feed should not be just a constant litany of "read my book, read my book, read my book".  Share other writers' interviews too, if they are relevant or you find them fascinating.  Engage with other writers and readers on the platform by sharing their posts or commenting on them. Social media is about building a community and you don't build anything worthwhile by constantly spamming people with ads for your own work.

Another thing to think about is using images in your posts.  People scrolling through screes and screes of social posts are more likely to stop and look at something with an eye-catching image than a post which is just a bunch of text. 

This is by no means a comprehensive lesson on how best to utilize social media, but hopefully it will help you in making existing information about you and your book work harder for you.

X O'Abby

9 Places to Meet Writers and Start Building Your Network

It's essential, as a writer, that you get out into your writing community and start networking with other writers even before you have a published book in your hands. But if you're just starting out, how do you do that? Where do you go to meet other writers? 

Here are eight places to meet writers and start building your network:

1. Book launches. Check your local bookstore's bulletin board, get on their newsletter list, and check your local newspaper and community message boards to find out when these are happening. Look specifically for books in your genre that are being launched. You'll have an opportunity to meet the author and, it's probable, that they have writer friends who will be there to support them. When you have a book signed, introduce yourself. However, keep it brief, remembering this is their big day. 
   
2. Book signings and readings. Depending on how busy the signing is, these can great opportunities to interact with writers. By showing your support for others, others will be more
   likely to show their support when it's your turn. Those first few signings you do as a new author can be pretty lonely.
   
3. Writers' groups. To find writers' groups, look at your local public library bulletin board, talk to the librarian, or contact a local writing organization. In writers' groups you'll make long-term contacts, receive, feedback on your work, and learn tons from the other writers. A writers' group becomes your writerly support system.
   
4. Conventions and shows. Whether it be a writers' convention or a convention like Comic Con, you'll be able to meet loads of writers. At Comic Con for example, find authors amongst other artists, stop by their table, and chat about their books. Again, always be mindful of their need to interact with readers. 
   
5. Local writers' organizations. Here in Winnipeg, we have a number of different organizations for writers' including the Manitoba Writers' Guild and the Writers' Collective. Get a membership, and you'll be in the know for what's going on in your local writing scene from launches, to seminars, to writing markets. Call and ask about opportunities to network with other writers or volunteer at one of their events.
   
6. Classes and seminars. You can find these through local community colleges or writers' organizations. You'll meet an industry professional who will be the instructor and a classroom full of other people like you who want to take their writing to the next level.
   
7. Writers' retreats. Spend a weekend writing and socializing with others who share your passion. Again, local writers' organizations and writers' group will be in the know about how to find these. 
8. Social Media. Follow and interact with local writers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media outlet you frequent. This can be a great ice breaker when you finally meet face to face.
9. Online forums. If you're in a remote area, it doesn't mean you can't make connections in the writing world. There are online forum, including online critique groups. Do a web search and you're bound to find plenty of them. A word of caution, though. If you're an introvert like me, online forums are going to sound more appealing than going to a book launch where you don't know anyone. You need to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Will it feel awkward? Yes. Will it feel awkward forever? No. When I started, I knew no one. Now, I look around and see lots of familiar faces when I attend writing events. It takes time, but there is no replacement for meeting people face to face.

Now get out there, and meet some writer people! You won't be sorry.

Have you found a great place to meet other writers? Share it in the comments.

*******************

Melinda Marshall Friesen writes speculative fiction for teens and adults, including the One Bright Future series and The High-Maintenance Ladies of the Zombie Apocalypse. She belongs to the Anita Factor writers' group. She's a hard-core introvert who has pushed herself to go out and interact with real people even when she doesn't feel like it.

Why You Need a Newsletter

Welcome back to guest blogger, A.P. Fuchs!

The Internet is a painfully crowded place, especially these days. I remember in the late nineties when the Web was starting to take shape. There were some basic websites and, well, that was about it. Communication on-line was pretty much email. Now look at us—everyone’s on-line, we’re all shouting, and social media is the main form of communication.

Unfortunately, there’s just too many people and these days, with every one and their monkey writing a book, there’s too many authors and it’s near impossible to get noticed. Sure, it happens, and some authors build a sizable and—keyword: pragmatic—social following, but for the most part, many struggle in this area.

Newsletters bypass all the number games associated with social media, the whole like-for-like and I-follow-you-you-follow-me tactics, and all the rest. (Which are pretty much useless because those are about quantity not quality.)

Productive numbers are where it’s at and newsletters, by their very opt-in nature, cater to that. Do you want to know who is truly invested in what you do? Start a newsletter.

It’s focused marketing: sending out communication and information to people who have chosen to hear what you have to say. Actually, I don’t even like to use the word “marketing” in this case because that totally devalues the point of a newsletter, which is connecting with readers who genuinely care about you in return.

Look at the word itself: newsletter. It’s a letter, not a brochure.

Sure, your newsletter numbers might be smaller than your Facebook likes, but they’re quality numbers, which have more value than just a high like count. The people who have chosen to receive a newsletter from you are the same people who are more likely to get a copy of your book because a genuine interest in you has already taken place.

There are so many ways to go about doing a newsletter, some of which are:

▪ The Plain Jane promo newsletter.

This is the kind that only goes out when an author has a new release. It’s not about communicating with the reader, but simply selling to them. I find these shallow; see the newsletter work breakdown above.

▪ The monthly update newsletter.

Typically something sent out once a month, this is the newsletter where the author says what’s going on with them, where what project is at in the production process and to promote a book(s) or event or something.

▪ The weekly newsletter.

My personal favorite and the kind I run, which I’ll get to in a moment. The weekly version can be like the monthly one, just sent out weekly. Or it can be about creating a dialogue with the readers and talking points of interest, usually to do with writing or books or entertainment.

My weekly newsletter, The Canister X Transmission—presently in its second year—has four main points: writing/publishing/marketing tip of the week; book/comic spotlight from my catalog; creator spotlight focusing on indie and mainstream creators who’ve impacted my career; rant of the week, which is basically a positive or negative thing depending on what’s been heavily on my mind for the past seven days.

I also offer a free thriller e-novelette download if you sign up.

The benefits:

▪ regular connection with readers who actually want to hear from you

▪ exercise in self-discipline to maintain the newsletter schedule, which then trains you to keep deadlines for other projects like, um, your books

▪ an opportunity to market work to readers without spamming, which can lead to sales options outside of the usual channels

▪ a chance to encourage and inspire others

Ultimately, newsletters make the on-line world a smaller place and, frankly, in today’s obscenely overcrowded rat race society, it’s sorely needed. It’s a chance to quiet down, meet with a reader, and open up about what’s going on on your end. And you’d be surprised. Readers respond to newsletters with their thoughts, questions and more.

Beats an overcrowded social media channel any day.

About the Author: An independent writer and cartoonist, A.P. Fuchs has been part of the underground publishing scene for twelve years. He is the author of more than forty books, loads of comics, short stories and poetry, and has a weekly newsletter called The Canister X Transmission, in which he currently discusses publishing and marketing tips, past work, indie creator spotlights and whatever’s on his mind that week. Heck, he’s so passionate about writing and publishing he even wrote several books on the subject, one a collection of the first year of his weekly newsletter, another called Getting Down and Digital: How to Self-publish Your Book. Plus a few others. Sign up for his newsletter at www.tinyletter.com/apfuchs and get a free thriller e-novelette out of the deal, and be sure to visit him on-line at his main hub at www.canisterx.com

Why You Need a Newsletter

Today, guest blogger A.P. Fuchs talks why writers need newsletter. Welcome A.P. and thank you for joining us.

* * * * * * * 

The Internet is a painfully crowded place, especially these days. I remember in the late nineties when the Web was starting to take shape. There were some basic websites and, well, that was about it. Communication on-line was pretty much email. Now look at us—everyone’s on-line, we’re all shouting, and social media is the main form of communication.

Unfortunately, there’s just too many people and these days, with every one and their monkey writing a book, there’s too many authors and it’s near impossible to get noticed. Sure, it happens, and some authors build a sizable and—keyword: pragmatic—social following, but for the most part, many struggle in this area.

Newsletters bypass all the number games associated with social media, the whole like-for-like and I-follow-you-you-follow-me tactics, and all the rest. (Which are pretty much useless because those are about quantity not quality.)

Productive numbers are where it’s at and newsletters, by their very opt-in nature, cater to that. Do you want to know who is truly invested in what you do? Start a newsletter.

It’s focused marketing: sending out communication and information to people who have chosen to hear what you have to say. Actually, I don’t even like to use the word “marketing” in this case because that totally devalues the point of a newsletter, which is connecting with readers who genuinely care about you in return.

Look at the word itself: newsletter. It’s a letter, not a brochure.

Sure, your newsletter numbers might be smaller than your Facebook likes, but they’re quality numbers, which have more value than just a high like count. The people who have chosen to receive a newsletter from you are the same people who are more likely to get a copy of your book because a genuine interest in you has already taken place.

There are so many ways to go about doing a newsletter, some of which are:

▪ The Plain Jane promo newsletter.

This is the kind that only goes out when an author has a new release. It’s not about communicating with the reader, but simply selling to them. I find these shallow; see the newsletter work breakdown above.

▪ The monthly update newsletter.

Typically something sent out once a month, this is the newsletter where the author says what’s going on with them, where what project is at in the production process and to promote a book(s) or event or something.

▪ The weekly newsletter.

My personal favorite and the kind I run, which I’ll get to in a moment. The weekly version can be like the monthly one, just sent out weekly. Or it can be about creating a dialogue with the readers and talking points of interest, usually to do with writing or books or entertainment.

My weekly newsletter, The Canister X Transmission—presently in its second year—has four main points: writing/publishing/marketing tip of the week; book/comic spotlight from my catalog; creator spotlight focusing on indie and mainstream creators who’ve impacted my career; rant of the week, which is basically a positive or negative thing depending on what’s been heavily on my mind for the past seven days.

I also offer a free thriller e-novelette download if you sign up.

The benefits:

▪ regular connection with readers who actually want to hear from you
▪ exercise in self-discipline to maintain the newsletter schedule, which then trains you to keep deadlines for other projects like, um, your books
▪ an opportunity to market work to readers without spamming, which can lead to sales options outside of the usual channels
▪ a chance to encourage and inspire others

Ultimately, newsletters make the on-line world a smaller place and, frankly, in today’s obscenely overcrowded rat race society, it’s sorely needed. It’s a chance to quiet down, meet with a reader, and open up about what’s going on on your end. And you’d be surprised. Readers respond to newsletters with their thoughts, questions and more.

Beats an overcrowded social media channel any day.

About the Author: An independent writer and cartoonist, www.tinyletter.com/apfuchs and get a free thriller e-novelette out of the deal, and be sure to visit him on-line at his main hub at www.canisterx.com A.P. Fuchs has been part of the underground publishing scene for twelve years. He is the author of more than forty books, loads of comics, short stories and poetry, and has a weekly newsletter called The Canister X Transmission, in which he currently discusses publishing and marketing tips, past work, indie creator spotlights and whatever’s on his mind that week. Heck, he’s so passionate about writing and publishing he even wrote several books on the subject, one a collection of the first year of his weekly newsletter, another called Getting Down and Digital: How to Self-publish Your Book. Plus a few others. Sign up for his newsletter at

More Changes Afoot at Operation Awesome

So we've said "goodbye" or "til we meet again" to a few Operation Awesome members lately, and my own role will be changing just a bit.

I've been handling the Twitter and Facebook sharing for OA a while now, in addition to blogging every other Monday, but I need to put some serious BIC* time in on my second book in the Crow's Rest series. So this will be my last regularly-scheduled post for some time, though I'll pop in occasionally as my (and OA's) schedule allows. We're mixing things up a little and our operatives won't have such rigidly assigned days here on the blog, so that should make it easy when some of the alumni and I want to jump in!

For example, I'm doing a bloghop for the release of Crow's Rest on May 12, and no way am I leaving OA out of that! I'll be sharing photographic proof that the Fae are real, with a photobombing _________ (You'll have to check back on the 12th to see what it is!)

But from here on out, I'll still be handling the Facebook sharing for Operation Awesome posts; following our Facebook page is a great way to keep up on new posts. Karen will be taking over Twitter after May 1st, so you can all look forward to her take on Operation Awesome tweets!

Thanks for all the comments and interactions on all my posts over the years, and I'll see you around the web!

*Butt in Chair

Democracy of Storytelling

A lot of things said on Twitter are inscrutable or inane, but sometimes it feels as if someone is talking right to you, whether they are @messaging you or not.

Like this:

It's a matter of philosophy. I don't see YA as a kingdom w/ reigning kings & queens. I see it as multi-cultural republic, room for everybody
— Patrick Ness (@Patrick_Ness) April 23, 2014

Earlier tweet was because I keep bumping into folks who think they are YA royalty or who refer to others as. Nah, Democracy of Storytellers.
— Patrick Ness (@Patrick_Ness) April 23, 2014

It often feels that publishing is a tiered system. At the top are the kings and queens -- the bestsellers, award winners, and A-listed. The tiers below are multiply layered and hard to define -- lead title,  published or unpublished, published by big 5, published by major press, hardcover, paperback or ebook, carried in bookstores, self-published, agented, unagented, genre or literary, adult or children's. 

As a writer, I often feel slighted, whether a bookstore or library won't carry my book or a reviewer won't look at it -- sometimes something as simple as a writer I admire won't follow me back on twitter. I know I'm not a king or queen.

So it's nice to be reminded that no one is. This is a democracy of storytellers.

We all have stories to write and share. We represent ourselves when we write, and when we publish or choose not to. One writer, one vote.

We represent ourselves when we read -- one reader, one vote every time we pick up a book.

Sure, democracies have power shifts, tiers, and factions of their own. The comparison doesn't hold up to heavy scrutiny.

This may be a multicultural republic, but representation on the shelves, lists, and award rosters doesn't match the citizens who are writing and reading. Everyone can write, but not everyone has not have equal platform to be heard. There may room for everyone, but most of that room is on the bottom.
But at the moment when I write a story and when a reader reads it, the relationship between us is the same. One story, one reader, one vote with every book.

About Kell Andrews:  Kell Andrews writes picture books and middle grade novels. Deadwood, her middle-grade contemporary fantasy about a cursed tree, comes out from Spencer Hill Middle Grade in June 2014. 

Social Media Deluge

Does it ever feel like you spend more time trying to promo yourself and your books than you do actually writing them? There always seems to be a new way to connect with readers or some fun way to procrastinate explore the internet.

I'm on Facebook (with a personal profile, a "professional" profile, AND an author page); Twitter; Pinterest; several blogs; a website; I still have a Myspace page I think; and now.....Tumblr.

I signed up for Tumblr quite a while ago. And then never did anything with it :D But it's something I've been encouraged to try so I signed up for a new one and have been trying to figure out what I'm doing ever since lol

Is anyone else out there on Tumblr? Do you have any tips? Because I really have no idea what I'm doing :D

This is me - http://authormichellemclean.tumblr.com/

Come friend me, follow me, take my hand and show me how to use the crazy thing :D I can definitely use all the help I can get.

I'm curious....

Writers - how much time do you spend on social networking sites? Which platform is your favorite or do you find most effective?

Readers - what is your favorite way to connect with people and authors that you like?

Fun Things are Afoot :D

Well the countdown to the Treasured Lies release is just about to begin and I am planning all kinds of exciting things - including some seriously EPIC giveaways that I really can't wait to tell you about :D

In the meantime, I am keeping busy finishing up a new manuscript that is due incredibly soon and I am ridiculously behind.

BUT! Back to the fun stuff :D Namely, some awesome newsletter goodness :D

When my publicist suggested that I start a newsletter, I was a bit hesitant. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I'd put in it or if anyone would even be interested in getting a newsletter from me. I wasn't sure there was a point to doing on - after all, I blog, I tweet, I Facebook....isn't that enough?

But then I realized that I myself subscribe to quite a few author newsletters, many from authors I don't know well, along with authors who are my friends. The reason I subscribe is because these authors often offer exclusive tidbits to their subscribers, or they release sneak peeks and news to their subscribers before the rest of the world gets them. I like getting these newsletters and seeing what is going on with my favorite writers....and getting to be in on the good stuff before everyone else :D

And I realized that with my own newsletter, I could do the same type of things. So...I went ahead and started a one in order to better connect with my readers and keep them posted on what's going on. I've posted it a few places (especially recently) and if you haven't subscribed yet you might want to because I have some really really fun stuff to share but have ONLY been given permission to do so in my newsletter.

Which means....my lovely subscribers will be privy to a few fun EXCLUSIVES that I am just busting to share with you :D

One of them is an excerpt from the upcoming Treasured Lies taken from one of my favorite scenes in the book. The other is some really fun news that hasn't been announced publicly yet.

Soooo, if you'd like to get a sneak peek of Treasured Lies, and find out my super fun secret, AND be entered in a giveaway for a $25 gift card to the online book retailer of your choice just follow the link ;)

Sign up here! :)

How do you feel about newsletters? Do you subscribe to them? If you are a writer, do you have a newsletter or plan on having one in the future?

And let's spread the love a bit!! If you have a newsletter or if you subscribe to one that you enjoy, leave the link in the comments! :)

Social Media Sites: What's Your Fave?

Confession: I've just started using Pinterest, and whoa, my productivity? Done. 

DONE, I tell you. 

But there's also Twitter and Facebook and Tumblr and, of course, blogs. Those suck up time out of my days, too. Anyone who can balance ze Internet and real life is my champion. For reals. 

Now tell me:

Do you blog/Tweet/Facebook/Tumbl/Pint? If you do more than one, which is your fave? 

Bonus points if you link to your pages! And if you'd like to find more authors/bloggers on either Tumblr or Pinterest, check out YA Highway's awesome roundup.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue adding pictures to my Jensen Ackles board on Pinterest. *stares at all the pretty* Feel free to follow me over at http://pinterest.com/amparoortiz/ 

Can't wait to follow you back!! 

Happy Monday! :)

Open Thread: Authors vs. Their Work

So. I've been thinking a lot about authors and their online platforms these past couple of days. Specifically, the kind of reputation an author has with those who follow their blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr accounts (whether they're hilarious/informative/inspirational/etc). In some cases, we might even buy an author's book because we like their online platform, even if the author writes in a genre we don't typically read (confession: I am SUPER guilty of this and am in no way ashamed of it).

But I'm curious about something else: what happens when things go south? Let's say you discover an author through the blogosphere/Internet, like their perspective on writing/life, and fall head over heels  for their books. What if the author does something that disappoints you? Not as a reader, but as a person (i.e. their attitude toward something you take seriously isn't respectful or tactful). 

This leads to today's open thread question: does an author's reputation come into play when you're choosing between reading their work or not? Or does content trump reputation?

I'm really looking forward to your thoughts!