How to Promote Yourself as an Author via Social Media
1) First and Foremost, Don’t Overthink It.
I’m starting here, because this is a subject that can be very overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Some writers/authors seem to have limitless time to dedicate to social media, but most of us don’t, and that’s okay. It’s better to prioritize your writing, but there are things you can do to work social media into your routine. Also, don’t feel like everything you post has to be related to writing, your writing life, or some super interesting event or adventure. Content is content. It can be just about anything.
2) Your Main Social Media Options, Just to Get Them Out there
– Tumblr
– Pintrest
– YouTube
– Goodreads
– Google Plus
– Writer/Author Blog2) Get to Know Your Favorites
It’s better to have good visibility on a few platforms than it is to spread yourself thin across all of them. Even if you set up accounts on all of them, you don’t have to be active on all of them. Focus on the ones that work best for you, even if it’s only two or three of them. I recommend choosing at least two, if not three, then dedicate a week to each one. Set up your account (if you haven’t already), find and follow other writers/authors, especially in your genre. (Hashtags are helpful for this. Google will provide lists of hashtags for writers/authors on each platform.) Try to spend ten to fifteen minutes a day on that week’s chosen platform. Make a post, then spend some time liking and commenting on the posts in your feed. This helps to build relationships with other writers. And don’t be bashful. Anyone who has a public writer/author page is hoping for likes and comments, even from people they don’t know yet.
3) Choose a Primary Platform and Stick with It
As the saying goes, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” The same is true of social media, so even once you’ve narrowed the field down to your favorite two or three platforms, you may want to choose one that you use daily, for ten to fifteen minutes per day. Then, try to dedicate a little time to the other two, maybe on the weekends.
4) What to Do About Content
It depends on the platform, obviously, but here are some ideas:
Re-Blogs/Re-Posts:
– writing advice/tips
– writing-related quotes– motivational quotes
– book/reading related quotes
– pictures that relate to what you write
– pictures that inspire what you want to write
– pictures that relate to reading/writing
– posts from other writers/authors that are shareable
– writing/reading related memes
– aesthetics of your favorite booksOriginal Posts:
– personal writing-related anecdotes
– writing tip/advice posts (share what you know!)
– photos of your writing space/reading area
– pictures of handwritten quotes or tips that you want to share
– aesthetics of your WIP
– photos of coffee, tea, stationery, books, pets, nature
– your monthly goals
– end of month review of which goals you completed and which you didn’tTags/Challenges/Questionnaires:
– “tag” challenges are sort of like hashtag photo prompts. Search for an existing tag challenge or create your own and tag your followers to join you.
– monthly photo challenges give you a prompt for each day. These can be related to books/reading, writing, both, or anything else.
– prompt challenges inspire daily short poetry or micro fiction
– you’ve seen questionanaires here and probably on facebook, too. Often you can find some geared toward reading and writing.Book Reviews, Movie Reviews, TV Show Reviews, Video Game Reviews
– book reviews make for great content. It doesn’t have to be anything long and drawn out. Just a picture of the book, how many stars you give it, and a few things that you liked (or didn’t like) about it.
– did you watch a movie over the weekend that you really enjoyed? Tell your followers about it in a spoiler-free review.
– did you binge-watch a new TV show? Let others know about it with a spoiler-free review.
– did you play a new computer, phone, or video game? Talk about it!Support Other Writers/Authors:
– if a writer/author you admire or follow posts something you can help promote, do it! For example, maybe an indie author your friends with has just posted that their book is on sale this week. Sharing that can promote audience sharing between you and them, it gives you content for the day, and it’s awesome to support other writers/authors, especially indies.Arts, Crafts, DIY, Cooking, Adventures, and Other Hobbies
– share your grandmother’s recipe for pumpkin pie
– share a picture of the sweater you’re knitting along with your three favorite knitting tips and tricks.
– share a picture of your bujo or planner layout for the month
– share a picture of the cabinets you re-finished and talk about what the process was like.
– share pictures and stories from the antiquing road trip you took over the weekend.
– share a picture of the painting you’ve been working on.
– share a picture of the room you cleaned out along with some de-cluttering tips
– share a pretty picture of a flower you took on your afternoon walkSpend some time looking at the content of other writers/authors on the platform you want to focus on. This is a great way to see what’s most common, what you can mimic, and what you can jump in on.
5) Set Up a Schedule
Whether you focus on one platform or three, it can sometimes help to set up a posting schedule. For example:
Monday – Blog post on author blog
Tuesday – Re-tweet two or three writing-related tweets on Twitter
Wednesday – Post a writing/book related photo on Instagram
Thursday – Re-blog writing tip on Tumblr
Friday – Break
Saturday – Twitter re-tweets
Sunday – Instagram tag challengeThat’s just an example, of course. If you focus on one social media platform, it might look more like this…
Facebook Posting Schedule:
Monday – Re-post writing advice
Tuesday – Post writing/reading related quote
Wednesday – Share personal writing tip
Thursday – Link to interesting writing-related article
Friday – Book review
Saturday – Picture from weekend adventure
Sunday – Break6) Social Media Management Apps
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, you may want to look into a social media management app like Hootsuite, Pagemodo, or Sprout Social. (There are many others, too.) These sometimes cost money, but they can be well worth it if you need help managing your social media presence. Ultimately, these allow you to plan out posts in advance, so instead of worrying about it every day, you take maybe an hour every week to pre-plug in all your tweets and other posts for the week. When you see writers/authors who seem to post on all social media every day, this is generally how they do it.
7) Don’t Neglect your Writer/Author Blog
Last but not least, make sure you set up a writer/author blog and try to make a post in it at least once a month. Not only will this give you content you can share on the platforms you focus on, but it’s a great way to keep track of your writing journey and to keep your growing audience up-to-date with the latest news. Even just a short post to talk about your progress for the month and your goals for the next month is better than nothing.
8) Try to Relax and Have Fun with It
It may take you a little while to establish a routine that you’re comfortable with, but it will happen eventually. Just remember not to overthink things and not to feel like you have to do everything. Like I said, it’s better to choose one platform and post on it every two or three days than it is to be sporadic on all the platforms. Just do the best you can, and it’ll all make sense in time. 🙂
Tag: useful
I accidentally created the most soothing drink in the world after trying to recreate the hot honey drink in Ponyo! I guarantee it will remove all stress and troubles, I’ve had like 3 today because it makes me so happy
I JUST MADE THIS AND IT’S SO TASTY
*(*´∀｀*)☆
omgggg
♥
♥
♥
Tried immediately after reading this: confirmed to be delicious.
I know it sounds kind of weird, but it’s mild and sweet and just the right temperature for immediate consumption in any weather. Definitely give it a try!
my mom makes something a lot like this with herbal tea (lavender is a favorite) instead of water she calls it fairywine
I added a splash of vanilla extract to the original recipe and oops now I’m completely in love. I didn’t even like honey that much till recently so now I’m very confused, lol.
Pop culture magiiiiiiiick
hoooooly shiiiiiiit
my immediate thought on hearing water and milk together was if it was being exaggerated but this is good. Very soothing and pretty mild(recommend a few extra teaspoons to those with a sweet tooth). Not that weird water-milky taste when both liquids are cold.
Test it out!
Also works well with a little ginger.
Summer means poor children are not getting 2 free meals a day at school so if you’re able, please consider donating to your local food bank.
This is so helpful for anyone that needs it!
here is a website where you can find similar programs based on your location.
BOOST!!!!!!
TO!
Find Summer Meals in Your Community:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks
Important twitter thread.
Source: https://twitter.com/jduffyrice/status/1000927903759110144?s=21
[Caption; A series of tweets by josie duffy rice/ @jduffyrice
Now that we’re all on twitter because of this game, I am making a public service announcement: PLEASE STOP SHARING THAT STORY ABOUT 1500 KIDS MISSING. The outrage I’ve seen is the result of a total misinterpretation and could SERIOUSLY threaten the children you want to save.
Before I get to it, I’ll answer the question that 99 million ppl will inevitably ask: I know this because I’m a lawyer, i works on criminal justice issues (sometimes incl immigration), and 4 of my closest friends are immigration attorneys dealing with this EXACT THING.
There are two things going on. 1) HHS doesn’t know where 1500 unaccompanied minors are. 2) we are separating parents and children at the border.
These are different. The kids in 1) were not separated from their parents at the border. They crossed the border alone* or arrived here without a parent.
That’s not really the point I want to make, though it is important.
These kids were dealt with by ORR, the office of refugee resettlement. They were released into the care of people that almost always fit within one of these three categories:
1) immediate family 2) extended family 3) other people that the child has a pre-existing relationship with. If none of these categories apply, then the kids normally stay in a shelter.
(After a number of children were trafficked in 2014, these restrictions got tighter.)
So those kids are released and then they are no longer ORRs responsibility or problem. THIS IS A GOOD THING.
One analogy I heard from my dear friend who I won’t tag without her permission, is that ORR is basically a jailer. Do you want the jail keeping track of where every former inmate is?
Now I have more to say about that but before we do that, let’s talk about the word missing. Basically by all accounts HHS did a cursory reach out to check on these kids, and couldn’t find out where they were exactly.
When I say cursory I mean cursory. We’re talking about phone calls. Phone calls! Like, no door knocks. No checking school records. They called. They didn’t find answers.
There are so many reasons why people wouldn’t answer. Maybe these kids are living with someone undocumented. Maybe they aren’t but their sponsor is (legitimately) completely scared of immigration authorities in trumps America.
They aren’t missing! They are almost certainly living with family members who almost certainly don’t want to interact with the government and WE SHOULDN’T ASK THEM TO
ORR’s job is NOT to track and monitor these kids, and it shouldn’t be. As my friend said, if there were an issue- abuse, or other wrongdoing- it should go through the appropriate agency: children’s services or what have you. It SHOULDN’T GO THROUGH HHS/ORR or DHS/ICE
When your school loans provider can’t reach you, are you missing? No. When your boss can’t find you on a Friday night, are you missing? No. They aren’t missing. Some unanswered phone calls does not a missing child make.
Now, I started out identifying two things that were happening. The second- the separation of children and their parents at the border- is goddamn unconscionable and sickening.
But DO NOT confuse the two. The potential for it backfiring is real. What we’re demanding is that ORR, which works hand in hand with ICE, “keep better track” of kids they basically would like to deport if giving the chance. We don’t want that!!!
You’re asking immigration authorities IN TRUMP’S AMERICA to BETTER MONITOR UNDOCUMENTED CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. You don’t want this. I promise you don’t.
I get it. It sounds awful. But at WORST it’s benign. At best, it’s a GOOD thing that ORR doesn’t know where these kids are. There’s a reason. We actually now have pretty strict requirements before we release these kids. They aren’t all being trafficked. They aren’t dead.
It doesn’t mean life is easy, but life won’t be easier if ORR starts tracking them. Trust me. And trust my brilliant friends who know about this shit and have warned me and are now warning you. DONT conflate the two things.
AND because some people are obviously taking this as an opportunity to exonerate the president- NO. Trumps immigration policy is disgusting. His separation of kids and parents at the border is SICKENING. He’s a tyrant. Just don’t conflate them.
Man oh man I forget that at least 50 percent of people on twitter refuse to learn basic reading comprehension. Tonight should be fun!
] *[Also it says “alien” up there where it should say “alone”, cool, autocorrect.]
*corrected autocorrect/typo in my transcription for the sake of being less confusing, especially for anyone listening to the text rather than reading it visually.
Given the current human rights disaster in Gaza, and the fact that Shavuot is coming up and it is therefore yet another opportunity for Jews to be charitable, I have attempted to compile a small and handy list of organisations working towards peace or related goals in Israel and Palestine, in the hope that all you people (including non-Jews: this is for you too!) who want to help in some small concrete way will be able to find an organisation you’d like to support.
B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, working to end the occupation by documenting human rights abuses in the occupied territories.
Breaking the Silence: An organisation of veterans of the Israeli forces, publishing testimonies of the realities of life in the occupied territories, in the hope of ending the occupation.
Medical Aid for Palestinians: Delivering health and medical care to Palestinian communities affected by conflict, occupation and displacement, including providing emergency medical aid at times of crisis.
Combatants for Peace: An organisation of Israeli and Palestinian former combatants, working to promote dialogue and non-violence, with the aim of ending the occupation and finding a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Gisha: The Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement, working to protect the freedom of movement of Palestinians, especially Gaza residents, by promoting rights guaranteed by international and Israeli law.
The Galilee Society: The Arab National Society for Health, Research and Services (R.A.), working to achieve equitable health, environmental and socio-economic conditions, and to increase development opportunities for Palestinian Arabs inside Israel.
ok kids repeat after me
vinegar and bleach makes chlorine gas, which is highly toxic
ammonia and bleach makes chloramine, which is highly toxic
rubbing alcohol and bleach makes chloroform, which is highly toxic
hydrogen peroxide and vinegar makes peracetic/peroxyacetic acid, which can be highly corrosive
be careful about your cleaning products and dont get yourself injured or potentially killed ok
why it so dangerous to be clean
Because cleaning tends to kill things like tiny organisms and if you clean too hardcore it will kill big things like people
Novel Writing for the Fanfiction World
I’ve written a lot of fanfiction, much of it novel-length, and for whatever reason, never had too much trouble hitting 80k or 100k or more. Previous novel-length projects of mine had the bonus of already having established characters, and the plots were always based on essentially an escalation of the same scenario because the purpose was some sort of wish-fulfillment.
When switching from fanfiction to original prose, I ran into a major issue: having an intentional plot, that is, a plot that has an intentional structure, a framework that allows for intentional narrative contrast and symmetry. Essentially, writing something that’s meant to be enjoyed on more than one level. That, and constructing a cast of original characters that don’t look, act, or sound the same as each other or previous characters I’ve written.
I’ve been trying to write this novel like fanfiction, only to realize that a different medium requires a different approach.
In case it helps someone in a similar situation who’s stuck, now that I’m entering a place of good flow, I’m putting out a detail of my process for the novel I’m working on. It’s a combination of methods that, imo, takes what’s necessary and beneficial and leaves out the rest
Under the cut.
Oh my god, food extract is not the same as an essential oil.
Food extract is the flavoring of something cooked down into a carrier oil or alcohol that is safe for human ingestion.
Essential oil is the pure extract of the plant refined down and distilled for concentrated medicinal purposes to a significantly higher strength than simply adding ground up mint leaves to your water. The two are not comparable in any way.
Cinnamon extract and cinnamon essential oil are not the same thing.
One is about 100 times the strength of the other and can also cause acute organ failure. I’ll give you a hint, it’s not the food extract.
Sweet gods I’m not trying to be mean, I want you to be aware and safe and stop putting yourselves and others at risk. Please.
Like maybe my tone is hard to read, maybe it just comes off as really angry but it’s not, it’s fear and worry. I read posts and clutch my head in alarm going “no! No! That’s how people die!” And then I get exasperated because a bunch of people not formally qualified chime in with “um actually this is a lie” and it’s not, it’s really, really not.
I’m not some big pharma advocate. I’m a crunchy witch hippy just like you with salt rock lamps and rose quartz all over my house. I just happen to have spent the last 15 years of my life studying the actual science of holistic medicines and I’m trying to help you not get hurt (or worse) becuase you trusted a sales person with no idea what the ever loving hell they were talking about beyond a sales pitch designed to maximize profit. Gah.
I see this so often in the Mommy world. There was a lady not long ago in one of the mom groups who was really worried about her toddler. He’d had a persistent cough for weeks and the doctor couldn’t figure out why. Someone asked, well what have to tried to treat it with, so far? She said she was using a humidifier, honey, and eucalyptus EO in the shower every night.
Yeah.
In case you were wondering, eucalyptus can cause respiratory distress in young children.
Sadly I don’t wonder. I have a friend whose daughter died from a home made menthol oil chest rub. She wasn’t even ten yet, but her mom– a qualified aromatherapist– thought she’d be old enough to handle it. She went into respitory distress and died seizing in her mother’s arms on route to the hospital. It was one of the most harrowing stories I had to listen to during my holistic training. She stood up there, on this podium next to a bunch of ponzy scheme essential oil sellers who looked like they wanted the floor to swallow them, and said “I killed my child with good intentions”.
I’ll never forget the look on her face.
So to reiterate, children under the age of ten should not be directly exposed to things like eucalyptus oil, peppermint or wintergreen. If you are using such things in your house and your child starts to complain of headaches, lethargy and general “feel worse”, don’t just assume it’s the cold/flu. Those are all signs of menthol sensitivity and they only get worse with increased exposure. Ventilate the room, take them outside if you can until the air clears. Do not apply again.
Rapid onset wheezing may be a sign of allergic reaction or possible asthma attack triggered by the menthol too. If they tell you their chest is warm or fuzzy when you use it, that’s another sign it’s not going down well with them. Again, ventilate the area or remove anything you applied to them. Administer inhalers if necessary. Watch for any more labored breathing or if they suddenly go limp or you can’t wake them up. If they do call 911.
This can also apply to people with allergies and asthma who are otherwise healthy.
One of the safest, natural ways to alleviate congestion is with just pure good old fashioned warm steam. Keep the air moist, drink plenty of warm fluids. Menthol can help relieve the feeling of congestion, but there’s limited evidence to suggest it actually clears the airways. And for the love of god don’t inhale mustard or horseradish (I’ve seen that suggestion on posts too, though how you’d get those oils I don’t know). That’s literally what tear gas is made of.
Saw this on Essence Magazine’s Snapchat and thought it would be helpful💕
Yeah seriously, sex education never told me any of this in school. Little me was panicked seeing the dark coloured bits and i had no clue that’s just the normal colour blood goes when its clotted or dried.
Also keep in mind that it’s perfectly normal for the blood and tissue to be “stretchy” and feel like there’s mucus mixed in.
THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF SCIENCE MUGS >>>
- Heart (http://amzn.to/2FPgp4X)
- Beaker (http://amzn.to/2oDqMl1)
- Pluto (http://amzn.to/2FlpG6N)
- Odds in Your Favor (http://amzn.to/2F9cRxa)
- You’re My Person (http://amzn.to/2FbphVm)
- Periodic Table (http://amzn.to/2H1SCxT)
- Evidence Based Science (http://amzn.to/2FPSd2e)
- Brain (http://amzn.to/2CXnFc5)
- I Found That Humerus (http://amzn.to/2CYnH3b)
Death By Catchphrase 