Category: General Topics

My First Comment! – Hard Work Pays Off Part 1

No, not on this blog, obviously.

I started two new blog positions a few weeks, almost a month or so ago that are quickly gaining momentum, adding more features every day to help better the platforms and expand their reach. These blogs are IH Blogs and My Trending Stories.

Don’t look at me like that. I know I didn’t tell you about my blogs on the side. It’s just, I’ve been, well… tied up. In my defense, you can literally see them on the side bar there. Just click on their badges to learn more.

So anyways, I didn’t want to mention anything until I started to see some real results. Even more, until I have done enough research to know MTS was legit (hey, gotta do your research). I wanted to wait and I am glad I did. Anywho, to the point (I have until my husband gets out the shower to finish this post or you’ll be reading this in the morning. Movie Night is a ritual. Gotta keep the spark ladies!)

My Trending Stories had me stumped a bit. Why? Because the platform was different. Since I’ve never blogged outside of WordPress (to include Self-Hosted), I don’t have much experience outside the good ole posts dashboard here. My new dashboard space includes Meta Tags, Meta descriptions, Slugs, the works. Of course, if this is baby talk then you understand what I mean by I’m green to this. Since the typical blog gives you the opportunity to like and comment and share posts, on Self-Hosted blogging sites it’s not so easy to get likes and shares. First, people have to find the article important enough to share on their social media accounts. It’s not like they can just reblog the post or like it right here like you just liked this post. No, they have to share it via their social medias (I currently have no shares but my likes are starting to trickle in!) and comments are usually made by way of Facebook. This means, as I’ve discovered, readers have to find the information extremely useful and I’ve found (both by experience and by monitoring other peoples blogs), that it takes a lot of work to get reactions to a post when you don’t have the luxury of…

Hubby’s out of the shower. Sorry guys. We’ll pick this up in tomorrows post. We’ll call it…Overcoming Blog Learning Curves. I’ll give you a few bullet points on how I managed not to pull my locs out and went from zero followers and zero interaction on my new freelance blog positions until now starting to see some pick me up. Not a lot, but every little bit counts. Hard work truly does pay off.

Click Here to Follow Me at My Trending Stories.

I don't really sleep with a Teddy Bear. I would though.
I don’t really sleep with a Teddy Bear. That’s what husbands R for.

Ask and Receive. Don’t Ask and Don’t.

Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

I’ve recently stepped out to complete a goal that was awkward for me. I am embarking on a journey that required me to ask. Asking. It sounds simple enough but in truth requires humility and courage. You risk potential ridicule. You risk being made fun of. You risk assumption, presumption and all the other ‘sumptions. “What does this person really want from me?” They’ll likely ask themselves. “Do they wish to use me?” Asking is not easy and you risk feeling awkward, uncomfortable and probably the most frightening of all, you risk feeling needed. Ah, there it is, the humility. For everyone needs someone in some capacity, some day. I remember a woman once told me, she said, “No one really works for themselves.” Interesting. How so? The woman said, “The beauty salon shop owner may own the shop, but she still needs the electric company, the distribution warehouses, the janitor, the employees, and even the customers. She works for herself and yet, she is dependent on everyone around her to make sure that shop stays open.” Wow, I thought. I never thought about it like that.

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Asking will make you feel needy, awkward, and uncomfortable. However, asking also opens the door for new opportunities, new experiences, and growth. Like my husband always say, “The worst case scenario is that they’ll say no.” He’s right because no is actually not so bad. Even though they said no, you got something back in return. You got an answer. A definite answer you can work with. Ask and receive. Don’t ask and don’t.

Five Ways to Embrace Marketing Your Book (Guest Post)

Well said. Keep it simple and keep it fun.

Carly Watters's avatarCarly Watters, Literary Agent

Today is guest post day! Client, author (LOSING THE LIGHT, Simon and Schuster/Atria Books 2016), and social media expert Andrea Dunlop is here to talk about how to embrace marketing your book. Don’t panic! She has all the answers. (And if you like what you read she is now taking on clients herself as a consultant.)

Having worked with authors for over a decade—first in publicity, now in social media—I know how reluctant many feel about marketing their own work. And as a newly-minted author myself, I can completely empathize. I often see authors with new books out—a time that should be exciting and celebratory—wracked with misery, guilt, and even outright panic. A little of this is expected, just as with any big life event (weddings, births, new jobs) it can be unsettling. But often the level of despair leaves authors unable to enjoy their momentous accomplishment…

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A Lifetime

“Lifetime relationships are a bit more difficult to let go of. When a parent, child, or spouse is involved, the wounds are very deep. When the end of a lifetime relationship comes, you may feel that you would be better off dead. The pain seems to grow, the memories linger, a part of your life is dying. You relive every painful moment in an attempt to understand. Your job is not to understand. Your job is to accept. Lifetime relationships  teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must  build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. They are the most difficult lessons to learn, the most painful to accept; yet these are the things you need in order to grow. When you are facing a separation of the end of a lifetime relationship, the key is to find the lesson; love the person anyway; move on and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships. A new life begins when a part of life ends.”- Jasheem Wilson

Book Promotion Services – How They Actually Work

I stopped by OMs place today. See what I had to say about book promo. Remember: Book Promotion sites only work if the author does. To get the most out of any promo site you choose to use is to contribute to that process.

Why The Right Book Reviews are So Important for Authors

Very interesting article here. We are all familiar by now with how important Book Reviews are for authors. We are also familiar with how damaging a bad review is. As a Book Reviewer, I can admit that I only read certain genres. My restrictions are not large, but there are a few books I will not read. I also have my specialty area (African American History / Literature), or the books I especially enjoy reading. What’s the connection between book reviews written by those who are not particularly fond of your books genre? Is that why the reviews are so negative? Is your book reviewer actually enjoying reading your book? Are you targeting the wrong audience by having someone who does not particularly like your books genre to review your book? This article is a must read!

(BTW, I can’t let you go without some shameless plug. COMPLETE THIS FORM to schedule a book review from me. My Genre preferences are listed).

Link to Article:

http://thewritelife.com/why-the-right-book-reviews-are-so-important-for-authors/

If you don’t want to end up a casualty, you need to find people from your natural audience to review your books.” – Nicola Jane

The Road to Freedom – On Sale 7/12 – 7/19

Amazon Review

Hi guys! Guess what’s on sale today? The Road to Freedom will be just $1.99 from now until next Tuesday, July 19, 2016. Just click on the button below to check it out. Buy or read the reviews for a better understanding of what the final book in The Stella Series is about.

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