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Why Writers Need Graphics

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Today, writers know that it isn’t enough to write a terrific book. You have to also publicize that book. Even if you hire someone to handle your social media so that you can concentrate on your writing, it’s always good to have a basic understanding of what your social media director should be doing. This post will focus on why writers need graphics, particularly on forums such as Facebook.

It’s a bit ironic that this post encourages authors — those creators of beautiful words — to also create graphics. However, a picture is worth a thousand words…at least where social media is concerned. Photos and graphics are eye-catching and will help you improve your social media engagement. In other words, it will get your followers more interested in your news.

Images can double the engagement on your social media posts.

Yet, just because you’re an author and now considered a public figure, doesn’t mean you have to share personal photos. Stock photo sites are a great alternative and this does’t mean you have to spend money. There are plenty of free images available through sites such as Unsplash and Splitshire as well as great online tools for making your graphics including Pablo, Canva and PicMonkey.

One trick that authors use with great results is to pick a favorite quote from your book, lay it over an image and voila, you’ve created an advertisement for your book without the obnoxious “buy my book” plea.

Another idea is to pick a favorite quote and place it over a photo. The idea behind using graphics is not necessarily to lead people to your website or Amazon, although those are great goals, but it’s also important to simply engage with your followers by creating something of beauty and interest.

Best practices…

Here are some dos and don’ts for how to best use graphics with Facebook and encourage sharing from your page.

Branding and relevance. Find images that will appeal to your audience and use those that speak to your personal brand.. If you’re a romance writer, maybe a photo of a puppy cuddling a kitten will earn some comments. If you’re a travel writer, choose a photo of one of your favorite destinations.

Evoke an emotion. Find images that will generate a smile or a chuckle. Stay positive unless your company or brand is issue oriented and deals with activism.

Typography. When using one of the applications mentioned above, make sure to choose fonts that are easy to read. Small scroll fonts may be pretty, but in terms of impact, a bolder font will make a stronger impression.

Hashtags. Even though you may have added typography to your graphic image, remember to add text to your Facebook post and include hashtags to further attract an audience. Using the same example as above, if you’re a romance writer you can simply use #romance. For travel, you’ve got it…#travel or be specific such as #Italy.

Graphics are a great way to bring interest to your Facebook posts. Remember to change your cover photo when appropriate such as around holidays, sales, or when you have a new book launch.

If you have a suggestion on how you use your Facebook photos, I’d love to hear it.

What Does Your Brand Say About You?

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I’m sort of a newsletter junkie. I love reading about case studies from companies I admire. This morning a common theme kept popping up…branding. Although the topic was sent from large corporations, it’s apparent that even small companies and individuals need to be able to answer, “What does your brand say about you?”

Let’s break this down for authors. What exactly is your brand? How do you promote your brand? And perhaps most important, how does your brand stand out from the pack?

What exactly is your brand?

Are you a romance writer and if so, what sub-genre of romance do you write? Do you write thrillers or horrors? Or maybe you’re a literary fiction genius. Regardless of what genre you write, you have competition. The best way to distinguish yourself is to allow potential readers to made a connection with you. If you write romance, why not post about your favorite romance book? Don’t tell me you don’t have time to read. In another post I’m going to preach why every author needs to be a reader.

How do you promote your brand?

If your answer is to tell people that your book is for sale, there’s a much better tactic. People get hit up all the time to buy new books. But they don’t always get useful information, funny comments on their own posts, or even a little insight into the mind of an author. Why not promote your brand by being an ambassador to it? If you write thrillers, start a discussion about your favorite action star. If you write romance, share an idea for a perfect first date. In other words, you are more than just your books. Show your readers that you are a real person.

How does your brand stand out from the pack?

You can spot a romance book cover a mile off. Tell me if this sounds familiar…hot guy, usually shirtless, typically with a five o’clock shadow embraces a woman who appears to be on the edge of…well you get the picture. One could argue that these covers are so prevalent because they are effective. But are they? If you’re trying to stand out, maybe you need to show romance in a new way. Same goes for your posts. Talk about what you find romantic, not just the fact that your book is on sale for a limited time only.

Developing a brand means creating an awareness of what you stand for, believe in, and how this affects your writing. Take the time to sit down and determine these answers. I’m betting that you have more to talk about than just your books.

Can Keywords Make Book Sales Soar?

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keywords can make sell your bookIf you’ve uploaded your ebook to Amazon or other sites, you’re familiar with the keyword and category fields. How important are the seven keywords and two categories that Amazon lets you choose? Can keywords make book sales soar?

Let me put it this way, your book can’t reach the bestsellers’ list if readers can’t find it. Consumers know what they want when they search for a new book. They’ll start by choosing fiction or non-fiction. Then the search becomes more narrow as they decide on a genre, such as romance. Their search gets even more specific when they choose a sub-genre, perhaps paranormal romance. The two categories you choose will help readers find what interests them.

How do I choose my book’s categories?

A simpler way to think of categories is to imagine you’re walking through a bookstore. What section will your book be found and within that section, which shelf will it be housed?

Once categories are selected, you still need to direct your reader to your book. After all, there are thousands of paranormal romances out there. This is where the seven keywords come in. It might be tempting to try and choose words to grab the largest audience, but this can end up muddying the waters and causing confusion.

Why are keywords important?

For instance, you don’t want people to think you’ve written a paranormal romance book with elements of an urban thriller, apocalyptic zombie, coming of age, whodunnit, marriage proposal, chick-lit, fantasy. Can you even imagine how this would make a reader or publisher’s head spin?

You have 2,800 subjects and subject codes called BISAC (The Book Industry Standards Advisory Committee) or BIC (the UK version) to choose from. Let’s explore a better example than the one above. Perhaps you’ve written a novel that you categorize as fiction under the sub-categories of contemporary romance and chick lit. When choosing keywords you might describe something to do with the setting of the book or its characters. Your romance book may be about a budding, but bumbling fashion designer vacationing in Italy, which opens up a new world of keywords such as: chick-lit, fashion, Italy, romance, love, marriage, comedy.

Remember, even if you’re a writer with a publisher who does the uploading process for you, it’s still important to be aware of your categories and keywords in order to work with the publisher (or pitch them, if you’re querying) to devise a clear plan of how to market your book.

Kill Your Adverbs

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girl writing strong prose and editingAsk a professional editor or publisher what makes them cringe and chances are they’ll reply, “adverbs.” Why? They seem like perfectly respectful members of a sentence. The type of word that can sit around a dinner table with the adjectives and verbs. But on closer inspection you’ll see why it might be necessary to kill your adverbs…to just throw them off the edge of a tall building.

Alright, maybe that’s a little harsh, but in truth, adverbs are the first sign of an unprofessional writer. I hear you gasp slightly as you read your well-crafted sentence, “She ran quickly.” Just keep reading. Let me show you a better and more descriptive way. Why not focus on the action of this sentence by stating, “She dashed” or “She raced.”

Those “ly” words seem innocent enough, but what they actually do is fill your writing with boring or redundant phrases and rely on weak verbs and adjectives. It’s much better to replace the adverb with a stronger word that can stand on its own. In short, a fighter who won’t end up on the edge of a tall building.

Still not convinced? Maybe you’ve decided to eliminate adverbs from your dialogue and descriptions, but not your dialogue tags. Let me tell you, they’re just as weak at the end of a sentence. For example:

“You are not welcome in this house!” she yelled angrily.

I hate to point out the obvious, but if someone shouted that sentiment at you I’m willing to bet that you already figured out they’re angry. You don’t need the repetitive adverb to show what you already demonstrated. Furthermore, if you truly believe that the dialogue tag is needed, then perhaps you should re-work the spoken line in the first place to be more descriptive.

You may think adverbs are descriptive, but if you eliminate them by altering your language, the result will be tighter and more powerful writing.

Why I Dumped Multi-Tasking

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Why I dumped multi-taskingI used to multi-task with a flourish, proudly boasting about how much I could do at one time. Trust me, I had mad skills that would have enthralled circus-goers or at the very least gotten a round of polite applause. I had perfected the art of feeding my dogs while making my children’s lunches during which time I would make notes about my latest blog ideas and simultaneously answer emails. And yet, this is why I dumped multi-tasking.

I had reached the tipping point, that boiling over crazy zone when I forgot to do things that should never be forgotten. Shhh, don’t spread this around, but one day I actually forgot to pick up my youngest from school. I was so embarrassed and ashamed that I pretended to be my twin sister when I received a disapproving stare from the school office attendant. Note: I don’t have a twin sister.

Be Present

So I started to wonder if I wouldn’t be better off with more focus. I realized that I should put the lessons I learn in my yoga practice into practice with regards to the rest of my life. In short, I was going to strive to “be present.” That’s yoga-speak for choosing to dump multi-tasking.

And guess what? I haven’t found that I accomplish less in the day. The kids’ lunches still get made. The dogs get fed, although they wait until after sack lunches are set aside. My emails are answered and I have more time for reading my clients’ work since I only check those emails once an hour rather than jump to them every time my computer dings.

Most importantly, my writing is at the forefront of my mind when I’m at my computer. I focus solely on my project and allow my other responsibilities to get that same attention… when it’s their time. I’m not talking about locking yourself in a room for hours, ignoring family and everything else.  I’m merely suggesting that when you sit down to write, give yourself that period of time, whatever you deem reasonable, and focus solely on the writing task.

Develop More Focus

With more focus and less multi-tasking I’m also calmer and better suited to tackle the more challenging aspects of my job. (Ever try to read a legal contract while doing squats? I wouldn’t suggest it.)

If you’re a multi-tasker, why not jot down your must-do jobs and then systematically tackle each one — separately. I bet you’ll end your week with a clean slate and a fresh outlook.

Writers Write… Try Something New

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I admit that I tend to be more prolific in my writing when everything is going great. When I’m feeling good and the sun is shining, the ideas seem to flow a little faster. But today, my home in normally sunny Southern California is cold, dreary and raining. The Coronavirus has our spirits feeling uncertain. It’s understandable if Winter doldrums and the global situation have left you with writer’s block. But now is when you can and should dig deep and do what you do best…Write!

Perhaps the best way to get yourself out of a writer’s block caused by the recent turn of events is to try something new and write what you wouldn’t normally attempt.

Challenge yourself by trying a new genre. This might be particularly healing if you normally write comedy and the idea of being funny just doesn’t seem apropos right now. Similarly, if you’re a romance writer, maybe the idea of writing about love isn’t ringing true at the moment. So imagine for one minute that you give yourself permission to break into a new genre based on your mood.

“The Last” by Hanna Jameson is an excellent read, and may be exactly what you need for inspiration at this time. Here is a quick synopsis:

A psychological thriller that follows an American academic stranded at a Swiss hotel as the world descends into nuclear war—along with twenty other survivors—who becomes obsessed with identifying a murderer in their midst after the body of a young girl is discovered in one of the hotel’s water tanks.

The word “stranded” in this description is particularly apt for what many of us are going through right now. In addition to the “whodunit” nature of the book, the narrative also addresses the isolation of the characters and how they deal with limited supplies and increasing boredom.

No doubt, we are all living in unchartered territory at the moment. The headlines are scary and people are reacting. Businesses we all frequent are affected and many are closing. Lines at grocery stores are long and shelves are empty. But there is one thing that doesn’t change.

You are a writer, and writers write! It is easy to become lost in our isolation and boredom. I encourage you to write about those feelings. Turn them into realistic prose. Be raw and honest. Write like you feel. Give your readers the gift of your emotions.

If you want to share your thoughts, please know that I’m here to offer support.