Author: Yecheilyah

Writing to restore Black historical truth through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Writers Who Blog: Spread Your Net Wide

I got a Facebook memory a few days ago that made me smile. It was a post I made about reaching my first 100 blog followers. While I don’t post nearly as much as I used to, what I did in the beginning gave this blog a good boost and has established a system where the blog receives views and new subscribers daily. I am thankful.

I credit a lot of things to that (to include the support of fellow bloggers who share my posts).

I also credit the diversity of what I post and this is what I want to talk about today for those of you who are writers looking to use blogging as one of your author platforms for networking and meeting new readers.

Everyone has to find that thing that works for them. If you are struggling, consider spreading your net wider by diversifying your content.

This isn’t my first blog. This is actually my third blog.

I started my first blog in 2012 and my second blog shortly after that. I named my first blog after my first novel, The Aftermath, and the second one “A House of Poetry,” I dedicated exclusively to poetry. Neither of these blogs did very well, and I eventually deleted the second one after transferring the poems over to this one.

These blogs were dedicated to one kind of content. On my poetry blog, for instance, I posted poetry and nothing else. I did not talk about myself, my life, my likes or dislikes. Every post was a poem. Some of them got good feedback but mostly, the blog sat there. Lonely. Thirsty. Empty.

When I started this blog, I changed my perspective on blogging. While I did not do a good job with naming it (named this blog after a book I was writing…authors…not a good idea…chances are you will write other books…name your blog after yourself), I decided I would widen my net and diversify my content. Every day I was posting something different. News, music, random thoughts, poetry, quotes. I took part in challenges (like Colleen’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday) and took the Writer’s 101 Blog Course offered by WordPress.

I was posting five and six days a week, following other bloggers and commenting on their blogs. I met blog and author friends I am still in touch with today. I reblogged other people’s posts and promoted them on my social media. I followed the blogs of people who had been blogging for a while and applied their advice. Jason Cushman’s Opinionated Man blog was a huge help in understanding things like hashtags and such.

In the beginning, I was obsessed with growing my blog. I was nominated for blog awards so much that after 13 nominations I stopped doing the Blog Awards (you can still find them on the blog awards page up top).

Before I knew it, three months had passed, and I was over 300 subscribers in.

After a while, I switched it up and started sharing blog tips with others so new bloggers can level up their blog too.

I also started sharing writing tips based on my experiences that may be helpful to others and publishing book reviews.

I was eventually included in Reedsy’s Best Book Review Blogs list where I remain today.

My rate in the beginning was about 100 subscribers a month.

As the blog grew I did away with the WordPress part and upgraded to a plan that would allow me to use a dot com domain name for a bit more professionalism (I was never interested in going self-hosted).

Writers, Spread Your Net Wide: Diversify Your Content

I don’t have millions of followers, of course (I still consider this blog one of the little guys …I should be much further along by now hahaha). But what set the stage for this blog’s foundation in the beginning was being myself, posting about more than just my writing, interacting in the blog community and celebrating every step of the way. Most importantly, I actually enjoy blogging so I was learning and having fun.

Now, I have to say it. It’s important that writer bloggers are authentic. A different topic every day was something that worked for me but that doesn’t mean it will work for you too. Post consistently and be authentic with your content. Talk about the things you like, your life, the things you are passionate/knowledgeable about. Don’t try to mimic someone’s style or repost information from other people too much. Be yourself.

What I’m saying is, there is more to blogging than drafting a post and hitting the publish button.

If you are struggling with your author/writer blog, consider diversifying your content. Spread your net a little and try to understand how to blog outside of posting your stories. What are tags? How do we use them? How does pictures enhance the post? Is my follower button visible so people can follow me? Am I following anyone else? Have I supported someone else blog? How does my blog platform (in this case WordPress) work?

…and so on

Just something to consider.

YouTube: 3 #Poems Added #Poetry #SpokenWord

I have slacked on uploading poems to YouTube but I’m back on it. Listen to new uploads “Addict,” and “She is,” and be sure to subscribe for notification of more poems. (Courage and On the Self-Care Movement have also been added.)

>LISTEN | LIKE | SUBSCRIBE | SHARE<

Addict

>LISTEN | LIKE | SUBSCRIBE | SHARE<

She Is

>LISTEN | LIKE | SUBSCRIBE | SHARE<

Courage

>LISTEN | LIKE | SUBSCRIBE | SHARE<

She Is

Photo by Diana Simumpande on Unsplash

 

She is Neo-Soul

And conscious rap

Negro Spirituals

And Motown

She is a jagged edge

And digital underground

Stokely Carmichael

And Steve Cokely

She is Luther Vandross and Jaheim

Destiny’s Child and SWV

She is smooth like Joe, political like Kweli

And rules like Deborah under the palm tree

She is no newborn

But neither is she ancient

Her mind is both fresh and seasoned

Experienced and innocent

She does not fit in, nor does she try

The world isn’t big enough to shelve

her

light is MC

Her taste

Souls of Mischief

She is a timeless prayer

And worth far more than rubies

She Mos Def does not seek to be understood

By people already committed to misunderstanding

Her vibes

Are not up for debate

She is classic literature

And urban fiction

She does not waver

She does not fold

She is

an old soul

Black History Fun Fact Friday – Mathieu de Costa

Me and Hubby had a wonderful time on our vacation. It’s been a long time since we’ve been out of the country, so it was refreshing to breathe another air. Canada is rich with Black history and many Black Canadians trace their ancestry to the so-called African American in America as the Underground Railroad brought tens of thousands of fugitive slaves to Canada. While many of these returned to the United States after emancipation, a significant population remained, largely in Southern Ontario, widely scattered in the country and the city, including Toronto.

Mathieu Da Costa (Groupe CNW/Postes Canada)

The first recorded (recorded being the key word here…I am sure there were others, but this is the first record. The first known black person to live in Canada is said to have been a slave from Madagascar named Olivier Le Jeune) free Black person in Canada was a Black man named Mathieu de Costa. He was a free man who spoke several languages (among them French, Dutch, Portuguese and a mixture of French-Spanish dialect and First Nations languages) and is remembered as a skilled interpreter and the first man of African heritage to visit and live in Canada. He lived in Port Royal (Nova Scotia) for a short time, and a plaque to honor his life and time spent there has been placed on a monument at the Port-Royal National Historical Site. A school in Toronto, and a street in Montreal and Quebec City have been named after him. Because of his ability to speak several languages, it is said that he helped to bridge the gap between Europeans and Natives living along the Canadian Atlantic Coast to live peacefully.

Hubby and I at an Ethiopian Restaurant in downtown Toronto Canada.

As a group, black people arrived in Canada in several waves. We are planning a return trip this winter to explore Canada’s Black history that we did not have the time to explore this trip such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site and Buxton National Historic Site, in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. (It was about 3 hours from where we were so we didn’t have time to visit this round). If you remember, we touched on Josiah Henson in the truth about Uncle Tom post here. In 1842 former fugitive slave Josiah Henson established the Dawn Settlement, a center for education, training, and community planning. With financial backing from American abolitionists, Dawn became a diverse settlement featuring a school, brickyard, sawmill, farmland, and profitable lumber industry. “At its peak, about 500 people lived at the Dawn Settlement. Henson purchased 200 acres of land adjacent to the community, where his family lived.” (Ontario Heritage Trust) The Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site is an open-air museum and African American history center near Dresden, Ontario, Canada, that includes the home of Josiah Henson. While the development of administrative problems and the school closure in 1868 caused many Blacks to abandon the land (some going back to America when slavery ended and some spreading out throughout Toronto), Josiah and his wife Nancy lived on the land the rest of their lives.

Although we didn’t get to visit these sites, we visited Markham, Woodstock, Orville, and Toronto and got some much-needed rest. My goal for this trip was to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new. On this trip I:

  • Got my locs retwisted before leaving (something I don’t usually do. I like my natural do, but this was about being different sooo)

 

  • Stayed with friends on seven acres of land in a big country house instead of a hotel.

 

  • Ate largely vegetarian (except for the curry chicken and shawarma. Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish of sliced meat and vegetables wrapped in a cone-shaped bread and roasted. It is basically like one HUGE burrito. Also Jamaican Porridge is delicious. I’ll replace my oatmeal with it any day).

 

  • Showered in well water

 

  • Used Cinnamon, sweet milk and a touch of vanilla in my coffee instead of my usual French Vanilla Creamer

 

  • Drank no alcohol

 

  • Splurged on something cute without worrying over it (because I’m cheap). I just paid really fast before I changed my mind. In fact, before leaving the store I went into the dressing room and changed, wearing the pants and earrings home.
Peace and hair grease!

We had an amazing time but it sure does feels good to be back (nothing like being able to boo-boo in your own toilet and sleep in your own bed). Be sure to check out other fun facts on the Black History Fun Fact Friday page here.

Even Salt looks like Sugar Audiobook

I have been MIA on social media lately and I’ll return to my regular blogging soon. In the meantime, the Even Salt Looks Like Sugar is available now in audiobook. If you are a first time audible user this book is free with the 30 day trial.

👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

>>Click here to order the Audiobook<<

Not into audiobooks? This book is available as an ebook at several retailers.

Buy from your favorite online store here

Buy from Amazon here

Purchase a signed paperback from my website here

Texas, I’ll be at the Trill Healing and Wellness Space in Stafford TX (about 40min from Houston) on November 30th for a signing and book reading of Keep Yourself Full. If you are in the area, I would love to have your support. This is our chance to meet/catch up. Don’t have this book? No worries! Grab your copy now from my website by clicking on the link in my bio. See you soon. Special thanks to Trill Monday Night Markets, Enlightened Souls, and B Infused Natural Detox Waters and more.

How Blogging Consistently Helps Readers Find You

This is an informative post for any writer looking to use blogging to build an author platform. I have said this before (but hey, who am I?) that blogging consistently is possible without taking away from writing and publishing books.

Blogging is part of your branding; if you are confused about your branding, you will be confused about what to blog about. Think about it: if you knew exactly what you were going to write about each week, how much easier would that be? – Rachel Thompson

Even if you are not being paid to blog it is still helpful to helping you to find more readers (which helps you to get paid kind of indirectly). Readers and authors I’ve met through blogging are still among my biggest supporters.(Blogging consistently also helps you to…wait for it…grow your blog).

Below are three links. Two are from Rachel Thompson and the other is an older article I published to this blog three years ago on how blogging between books has been helpful to me. (read more articles on blogging from me on the Blog Tips page). Enjoy.

How Blogging Consistently Helps Readers Find You

4 Ways You Can Make Time to Blog

Between Books: When the Blog Comes in Handy

Oh, wait! Also see…

Blogging and Time

Since I wear glasses now, I had to give the avatar a new look.

Introduce Yourself: Introducing Guest Author Demi-Lee L Taylor

Introduce Yourself is back! Please help me extend a warm welcome to Demi-Lee L Taylor. Demi-Lee, welcome to the PBS Blog.

If you could live in a movie, which would it be?

If I could live in any movie, it would have to be Rapunzel because she proved that when you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything. She followed her dreams and she found happiness and love in the end.

What’s your favorite drink?

My favorite drink has to be coffee, I cannot start my day without a cup of coffee, that’s my motivation, right there!

Yess. Love coffee.

What’s your favorite TV Show/Movie?

My favorite TV show would have to be Friends. I absolutely love the characters and the show. I grew up watching it and I could watch every episode over and over again without getting bored of it. My favorite movie would have to be P.S I Love You. That movie is just complete and utter brilliance. I mean he sends his true love messages from the grave and sends her on an amazing adventure just to show her that she needs to move on with her life but that he would always love her. Makes me emotional just thinking about it!

Favorite color?

My favorite color is royal blue, always has been and always will be. I love anything that has the royal blue color.

Now that we know your favorites, let’s talk about writing a bit.

Who is your favorite writer?

My favorite writer would have to be Ian Rankin. His mind is incredible. I love his books and my favorite book of his is Rebus.

Why is writing important to you?

Writing is important to me because I want to make the people who read my books enter a new world. All my books are written in different genres and I believe everyone wants something different to read. They don’t want the same story or story-line time and time again and I believe the first page of your book is the most important as it will prove to your reader whether your book is right for them or not.

If you could, would you visit the past?

If I could visit the past I certainly would because I would have the opportunity to see my Mum again. She passed away two years ago so I would give anything to see her again and have my family back to the way they were, happy and contented.

So sorry to hear about your mom.

Any siblings?

I have two older sisters, two older brothers and one little sister.

What was your favorite subject in school?

My most favorite subject in school has to be Drama, hands down! I absolutely loved it. I loved the script writing and the plays. My least favorite had to have been Mathematics. I didn’t do well in mathematics, but we can’t all be great at everything!

I HATED Math. Lol What would your perfect writing/reading room look like?

My perfect reading/writing room would have to be by the ocean, patio doors looking out to the sea, like a cabin on the sand. Sitting on my chair inside the cabin with my paper and pen, listening to the sound of the waves as I write my next book.

Thank you Demi-Lee for spending this time with us. We enjoyed you!

Photo Copyright ©2019 Demi-Lee L Taylor

Bio.

My name is Demi-Lee Taylor I am from Edinburgh. I first started writing at the age of 11. Published my first paperback in February 2019 and five paperbacks followed. I now write children’s personalized books, life stories, and novels. I have just finished writing a book for a gentleman whose wife has Alzheimer’s, he asked me to write their life story so that she would never forget about him or their life together. Incredible!
My writing is focused on families who are looking for someone to write them a life story or novel as a keepsake or memory. I am also working on a four book series at the moment so that’s due out in October this year.

Be Sure to Follow this Author Online!

Are you an author? Looking for more exposure? Learn more about my Introduce Yourself Feature HERE.  (The rest of September is open! But slots fill up fast so don’t wait. If you have not been featured on this blog before, email me today).