Tag: experience

MAY I Have Your Attention Please? #MayChallengeDay4

Now what? No, seriously. Now that I have your attention, I don’t know what to do with it. It’s just that, well, I really wanted to use MAY in my title.

But, while we’re here, I MAY as well say something.

I’m really excited about the results of my Spring Giveaway. The purpose of the contest covered a number of areas so what I’d like to do is list some benefits I found of hosting a Giveaway in the way that I’ve done and some things I wished I’d done better. I don’t feel like being long winded today so I just have four points.

  1. Extending My Hand

I believe, as an artist, that giving back is a very important part of the work. Just look around your Blog neighborhood. The top blogs, the ones with lots of support, are the blogs that give lots of support! I truly believe that what you give comes back to you. Not that you should just do something for that reason, but you get the point here. Giving is just really important on so many levels, business, and personally. It is also a part of me. I have to be able to give back. Giving is such a gratifying experience and just fills me up. There is really no better accomplishment than the opportunity to bask in someone else’s happiness.  It’s like this quote here by Denzel Washington:

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Thank you Denzel for summing that up for us because I didn’t feel like explaining.

       2. Social Engagement

From a Social Media perspective, I really wanted to increase the social engagement of my followers. You know sometimes, with the way social media is now, its easy to accumulate thousands of subscribers or “friends” (gotta use this F word loosely) and never have anything else to do with them. So easy to have large readerships or support and not do anything with them. So I’ve really been on this personal, get-to-know-you-better type kick lately with seeking to understand how to build better relationships with the people who support me and really dig into this networking thing.

    3. Networking

Speaking of networking, I also wanted to increase my social media presence online by offering people who may not be familiar with my work an opportunity to connect with me. Its another reason I wanted to sort of “go all out” by hosting a Giveaway on this level so I can really peer into my circle of supporters and really get to monitor what things are actually looking like around here. If there’s one thing I don’t want to be is in the dark. To have this perception of my work that doesn’t reflect the truth. So one major benefit to this Giveaway I found is the increase in social media. Over the course of this contest I’ve done the following:

  • 17 New Email Newsletter Subscribers (Only 1 person unsubscribed after the contest. Remember when we spoke about the risks of this kind of a giveaway? That people may unfollow you after the contest ends. I am happy to have only gotten one unsubscribe).
  • New Blog Followers. I think there’s a handful of you who found me, welcome, welcome.
  • 21 New Facebook Likes to my Business Page
  • 10 New Twitter Followers

I cannot leave without thanking @Opinionated Man, @Annette Rochelle Aben, @LisaTetting, and @Don Massenzio for their support and others who helped to re-blog the post about the giveaway. I do know that it really helped to contribute to getting the word out to the blogosphere and is most definitely appreciated. This Giveaway has also helped to spread the word about the books themselves and helped me to gauge just how interested people are in the series. If only 3 people are selected to win but there are lots of entries, or not so many entries, I would be able to see where I stood in relation to demand. Now that its all over, I understand where I am on that level.

If there is one negative about the giveaway, there is one thing I wish I’d done better.

   4. Ask For Contestant Names

I know, it seems obvious, but because of the popularity of social media, it was easier to just ask for an email address because that gave me access to the person in which to communicate without doing a whole lot of shout outs. The negative thing about this however that I didn’t think about, was putting my winners at risk of Spam and Junk mail by publishing their emails across my social networks. It occurred to me this week as I was announcing the winners that I probably should have just asked for everyone’s first and last names! LOL. But, on a positive note, I think that by just asking for an email address, it increased participation because people didn’t have to do much. Not that entering your name is much but a lot of people have nick names or maybe they just robbed a bank and don’t want to give their name, who knows. But an email address. Well, you can enter an email address with one click and from anywhere. I definitely did not want a whole bunch of questions or mandatory info that would make that process any less smooth.

In any event I’d say my first Giveaway was a success! I didn’t have hundreds of entries but I had far more than I thought I would have and the experience was really uplifting and brought me closer to understanding how to network and build those interpersonal relationships that are so vital to online promotion / marketing.

Bloggers: May You Come Out of The Closet – #May Challenge Day 1

No, not like that. By “Come Out of The Closet” I just mean to reveal yourself to your readers. I know, I know, you MAY not consider yourself to be that much of a blogger to have “readers”. It MAY feel arrogant in nature, narcissistic or whatever, but the truth is that its not. It doesn’t matter how big or small your blog is we all have readers. There is someone somewhere who reads your blog. Someone somewhere who is always watching, silently and consistently keeping track of everything you post. Scary isn’t it? In some ways yes. You MAY feel that one day you’re going to be judged, called out, accused. I wouldn’t worry about that. First of all, no one reading this is my judge. Neither of you have the power to give my breath or to take it away from me. So for me personally, if I were you, judgement is not something I would worry about.

Today is the first day of the #May Writing Challenge and my first message is MAY you come out of the closet. For most of our lives we’ve been taught to keep our skeletons in the closet, which means to keep those most intimate parts of ourselves, those mistakes and faults secret. The closet represents something hidden, the heart if you will. We are taught to keep our deepest darkest secrets in the deepest darkest places of our hearts. The problem with blogging this way is that readers will never get the chance to see who you truly are. It is not about airing dirty laundry (My motto is always to: Keep Ya House Out Ya Mouth” meaning everything that goes on in your home should not be shared). So obviously we’re not talking about that. What we’re talking about is the kind of openness and intimacy that will allow people to get to know the real you because that’s what people want to connect to. Not something fake, something transparent, something real.

Bloggers: May You Come Out of The Closet

Tell us something about you that is personal. By personal I mean your favorite food, music, movie, your mistakes, your experiences. By personal I mean something that we can connect to. Something we can bridge to. Experiences are what connects us. Sure, we MAY make mistakes but that’s the beauty behind the whole process. Re-blogs are cool, writing tips are always good, and quotes are uplifting but sometimes that gets boring. It gets boring because people read blogs not just to be inspired or encouraged but to be informed. People want to know who you are on the inside, what your life is like, or did that new recipe work out for you? Yesterday I read a post about a woman’s journey to conception and it was truly touching and close to my heart. Truth is you never know how sharing your experiences can help others. In the end its about blogging without fear. Don’t be afraid to share a piece of yourself with your readers so that they can have something to connect to. Its the only way to build.

Giveaways: The Experience

With so many giveaways happening in the Self-Publishing community, I would like to share with you my experience with Giveaways.

sweepstakesWhy I Invested in a Giveaway

I believe it is important for any artist to give back in some way. So the motivation  behind this contest was just that. I love being able to share a part of myself with others. When I do good for others there is a feeling of excitement that no monetary value can match. I love helping people, teaching people, and learning from people. I started this contest because I believe it is important not just to write books, but to give back as well. For me, not being able to give back robs me of the  joy that comes with being a part of this community.

Doubt

I wasn’t sure if this was something I wanted to do at first. To start, there are tons of Self-Published books out there that people are offering for free. This was a huge red flag for me. I did not want to throw my book in with the sea of freebies. It made me feel desperate. That my books were no good and this is why I’m giving them away. That’s because I don’t like to over do things and I do believe there is such a thing as overdoing things if not done strategically. There can either be too little or too much. Why? Because no one wants to be reminded of a product every time they see you. Imagine someone telling you about their new this and new that every time they saw you. This frightened me away from the Giveaway and thus I reasoned that maybe this isn’t such a good idea. Part of my mind completely tuned out my true desire for the giveaway and tried to cloud me with doubt. However, eventually I ignored it and set up my giveaway.

The Risks

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Also with the doubt, before I decided to go for it, was the risks involved in Giveaways. Keep in mind that running a giveaway is a short term project. By short term I mean you run the risk of short term success in relation to gaining new supporters. People will support you just so they can get the free prize and be on their way. They may also unfollow your social networks after the contest has ended and you’ll notice your numbers go down which will completely suck but it is part of the downside to a giveaway. This is also the risk of Book Reviews just to slightly change the subject. No one really talks about it, but there’s a positive and negative side to everything. The downside to Book Reviews is that giving books away for free in exchange for an honest review does not mean people will be honest and give you your review. Some people may feel bad that they didn’t like the book and you’ll never hear from them again. Hopefully no one has to go through that but we have to keep in mind that not everyone is as honest as they say they are.

Anywho, back to Giveaways. Even with the risks involved, if done strategically, you can possibly have some people drawn to you who actually want to stick around (please stick around people!)

The Process

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Immediately, I wanted my giveaway to be different. I did not want to use Raffle-copter, Goodreads, and I did not want to use Amazon. To me these platforms are already being used to the max. Another Amazon Giveaway?  It didn’t sound so exciting. Why? Well, everyone’s doing it! So I popped open my laptop and began to search. As a person I like to stand out if I can help it. I like to be different. If the world view is one way, then you better believe I’m on a whole other planet and I like it that way. If the world is normal then call me crazy! If I’m part of something ordinary then I want to make it extraordinary  and so I wanted to promote this in the most unique way possible. Whatever I do, even if its not that big of a deal to most, I want there to be some kind of excitement behind it. Why? Because its worth it. YOUR worth it. And so I wanted to find something that would add a unique touch to my contest. And yes, I wanted it to be a contest. I did not want everyone to win. Perhaps it was still the voice of doubt creeping or maybe it was just common sense. A giveaway where everyone wins? It sounded boring. I wanted there to be a competition instead and not the one where everyone gets the prize.  I also wanted their to be ranks! Levels. Progression. 1st Prize winner. 2nd Prize winner…. yes, now we’re getting somewhere.

That is when I found Promo Simple. Though I was not in the position to buy any of their more advanced features (which would have been way cooler) the free option was the best option for me. It is simple to set up and still maintains that professional look and feel.

Requirements

062112_kissNo, I’m not calling you stupid. Yall know better than that!

But, you do need to keep your giveaway very very simple.

This is a big one that so many people miss. When setting up a giveaway, it is best to keep it as simple as possible. If you require people to like your Facebook page to enter or follow you on Twitter it will lessen the chance of them entering. If you ask for their date of birth, phone number, marriage status, age, address…you get the point…too much. However, there is a way to be strategic. Instead of asking for too much information, I simply asked for an email address. That’s it. All I need is your email address. If you win, I can email you for those personal details, such as your home address so I can ship your prize. To increase social media interaction and newsletter sign-ups, I offered my social media as an option in return for more votes (you always need an incentive). In this way people can choose to support my social media in exchange for extra entries for their try for the grand prize. In this way no one is forced to do anything and people actually want to support you. Why? Because they are simply not forced to. This also increases your chances of getting follows that will stick around because they didn’t HAVE to follow you to enter, they did it because they wanted to. Like I said, while I promote a lot and I think its important, I also think there is a strategic (obviously this is the word of the day people) way that it is to be done. Typically, when you push too hard people pull away but if you tread lightly (and consistently), people are curious and more inclined to inquire. Consistency and Strategy is the name of the promo game. At least in my experience. (I never said I was an expert so stop looking at me like that).

Prizes

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I was doubtful on whether or not to give away my books.

Not because I’ll be doing it for free and feel like I’m losing out on some money but because of the people who may not have heard of me. Realistically, no one is going to want books from an author they’ve never heard of before (unless of course its a debut book that has been well promoted that people are just dying to get their hands on). Not even if they are free. I noticed right away that the thing about freebies is that there must still be strategy. There’s a saying that people like free stuff, this is true. I like free stuff! But its just not about free stuff, it is also about the value. If you offered me a free box of clothing that’s ripped with holes in it I’m not going to take it. So you see, I thought, well free does not necessarily mean that its any good. Most people in fact are more inclined toward the price tag because they know they get good value. For this reason, its not always a good idea to give away books for free just because its free which is why I seldom do so. In fact, this is my first time giving away my books for free. I think the free game is when you have become so well established as an author that your fan base has grown and the demand for the book is huge. For this reason, I knew I did not want to just give my books away for free alone. Though there is some demand, its not like I’m JK Rowling or something (if I hear that name again…) so I knew there had to be an added bonus at stake. Something everyone would want. Something I would want. Something that would make me enter a contest like my own.

That is when I threw in the Amazon Gift card. Though this was not an Amazon Giveaway (where I am giving my book away through Amazon), adding the Amazon Gift-card added a great value to the books I was also offering freely. I could have easily given away an eCard but I was thinking again, about value. Plus I’m a hands on type of person so I thought about what I would want. Would I want to win an eGift card. Yes. Would I want to win a hard-copy Gift-card in the mail that looks like a debit card and comes with a cute special box? Yes! So there you have it, I went with the hard-copy. If it would make me feel special, then it will make my readers feel special too.

With the books, I decided to do the same thing. Instead of give away eBooks, I decided to up the stakes by giving away paperbacks, signed by me with my special author seal.

Time Limit

Businessmen and Clock

Timing is everything! So this was a big one for me. For anyone planning a contest I would highly suggest you take the time to strategically decide just how long you want your contest to be. If the contest is too short (one day) it won’t give everyone a chance to see it and participate. But if the contest is too long (one month), the initial excitement will wear off and people won’t be as interested. One month could possibly work if organized well for someone with a large enough fan base and demand. Otherwise, people will get bored. The human attention span is only 20 minutes or so, after which we start to look for something else better to do so you have to keep that in mind.

A good time frame for a giveaway is 2 weeks in my opinion and it is what I went for. And it was perfect.

On launch day of my contest the excitement was huge. Lots of people participated and my social media’s blew up (well, not up but increased a little. Maybe like blew middle lol). My Facebook post got about 12 shares and Twitter was buzzing. Over the next couple of days the excitement dwindled a little, but people were still excited and the entries were still coming in. I would look and see 18 entries and then return to see 32. That was an amazing boost to my Giveaway confidence.

By the second and final week however, though the entries continued to come in it was nothing like the first week and as the contest came to a close, the numbers remained stagnant a few days. That is until the final finish.

Final Finish

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I thought it would be a good idea not to promote the contest too much. What I mean is, promote it on Launch day and a few days after that and then leave it alone a week. I’m working on my patience so this was huge for me and also important to the contest itself. By leaving it alone and talking about other things and focusing on other things you give people a chance to see it. So by doing this the numbers increased beyond what I thought. Then I came back the second week just to remind everyone that we were in the final week. Then I left it alone. Leaving it alone was key. At least for me. By giving people a chance to see it, they did. This may not work for everyone but it did for me. I waited until the final moment, the last day, to announce it again. This gives those stragglers time to come on in. There will always be those last minute decisions. The Final Finish is for them, the late birds. And as the final hours dwindle, this is when your contest will really take off. Those launch entries and last minute entries are the most exciting as everyone is rushing to be the first to enter and rushing to the finish line. I announce my three winners next week. I’m so excited to see who will win and who takes first place.

Emotional Hair

“Can you remove your hood in the store ma’am?”

That was the last I heard of the store clerk after removing the hood. I’d stepped once more into a sea of misplaced smiles, the check-out line occupied by a mixture of awe and wonder, of marvel and disgust alike. And it all started six years ago.

January 3, 2009

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My husband and I were in Norman Oklahoma for a documentary production to which we were preparing to premier that summer. Meanwhile, I’d become fed up with the perm and decided I was no longer going to be engaged in such a one sided relationship. I was tired of complaining about what to do with it and tired of it not growing much in return. What did this hair think it was anyway? I was supposed to spend money on perms and braids while it just sat there. Nope. I was not having it. And so while at my sister’s house, letting her husband and mine occupy the office while we did girl things, I decided right then and there to let her twist my hair.

It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. I had no idea how deeply I would fall for this new thing in my life, or how much emotion something as seemingly unimportant as hair, would garner.

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It was easy in the beginning. Like any other relationship the “newlywed” phase was going smoothly. While I mostly kept it covered with head wraps to which I had also fell for, my selfie game was tight. This was before Facebook though and I wasn’t really into MySpace, so most of these pictures were not published online. That was ok though because this was just the beginning. I couldn’t be sharing this new love of my life with everyone. It was like I had met myself for the first time. I felt alive, strong, and free.

Eventually, I could not keep my hair under wraps for too long. I loved the head wraps but they had become hot and uncomfortable. My hair was growing faster than it had in my life and was attempting to crawl down my back. In addition, I started to enjoy the look of myself without the head wrap even more. My hair was no longer just a combination of DNA strands emerging from the follicles of my scalp, but it was part of everything I did. I had to take into account the way my hair looked when I got dressed, and when I added accessories. “Does this hair go with these shoes? Hmmm”. Now, I was ready to hit the streets.

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No, not like that (get your minds out the gutter). I mean I was ready to take on the world. That is when I noticed it. This hair took on more attention than I did. It stopped people in the streets. Stopped them mid-sentence. It even momentarily stopped women from shopping (now that’s serious!) How could they risk going on without asking me how I got my hair like that? Men too marveled, “See I want my hair that thick”, they would say. It was really something and opened the door to deeper questions of identity. I often get questions concerning where I’m from. They think I’m going to reply:

“Nigeria”.

Instead I say, “I’m originally from Chicago”.

“Oh”, they say and continue to stare. I smile because I get it. They are confused because I don’t look like an American. I like that.

Trouble in Paradise

Not all of the attention brought on by this hair is good. There are a lot of people who look at me like I disgust them. In truth it is because they’re curious about me. It is not just my hair that is different and they can sense it. This brings me to the beginning of this post.

“Can you remove your hood in the store ma’am?”

It was the last thing I heard before my feet was crossing the threshold out of Family Dollar. The few customers present bathed me in eyeballs and the employees spoke in whispers among themselves. After ringing me up the man didn’t bother to inform me on the final cost of my products. It was as if he thought I could read his mind. Good thing I can count. I peered over the computer screen and paid what was due. With that I walked out of the store. No one ever said a word.

First you get people all excited, then curious, angry, surprised, and even fearful. Look at you turning heads and opening minds, you emotional hair you!

Dogs Have Personalities

dog_german_bad_dogOn the way to work this morning we stopped at a red light. We could feel the stare of someone on the side of us. You all know the feeling, when your hairs stand up on your skin like antennae. My husband noticed it first since he notices everything. He can somehow see everything you’re doing in your car. So, turning slightly to the left there he was. All fury and bursting with energy. Tongue hung over the front of his mouth and …wait, “did he just smile at me?” I think a dog just smiled at me. He may have winked too. I’m not very good in the doggie breeding category so I don’t know what kind of dog he was but as long as he knows that I know his secret. It all started back in 2007, before which I was a cat woman. As a child I treasured the company of tiny paws and purring sounds. The ease of having them to jump up in your lap, petting had never been so fun. But today cats are just kind of creepy. They’re always sneaking around and peeking around the corner. Showing up at the oddest times, “where did you come from?” Destroying something I’m sure. Anyway, back to the story.

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Lady and the children Top to bottom: Faatimah (in pink), Autumn (hips), David, and Menelik

So yes, 2007. My husband and I, (unwed then) received a puppy (Rottweiler) from some friends. Technically she was a puppy but didn’t really look like it. She was almost my height so I was never really convinced. The dog absolutely loved to lounge on the couch downstairs from which she was strongly prohibited. Did she obey? No. She jumped up on the sofa every chance she got and crossed her little paws like she was the queen of the castle. I mean sure she guarded things but sista girl needed to get one thing straight: I am the woman of this house. We named her Lady because aside from her obvious doggy demeanor she was everything but a dog. As you can see she loved to take pictures and happened to be very photogenic. I don’t know who she thought she was (to my knowledge America’s Top Doggies didn’t exist). She handled herself nice and dainty like. I kept trying to tell her she wasn’t as petite as she thought she was, but what I said didn’t seem to matter. She walked around the house like she was made up of feathers though company made it very clear we’d adopted the most dangerous animal known to man. So did her appetite. That didn’t stop her from switching across the floor though, moving her butt from side to side like she had hips. I didn’t play that though, no male doggie company until you are of age young lady. Although now that I think about it, I’m sure she lied about her age.

PS_Hotel_KingRoom_newThe straw that broke the camel’s back was in ’09. We’d traveled from Chicago to Dallas in my husband’s truck with little Miss thing in the backseat. What a trip that was. Upon our arrival we checked into a hotel that would allow for pets. Usually I just got my mother to doggy sit but that wasn’t happening this time. The last time mama came over Lady made it very clear that she could take care of herself. Needless to say my mother wasn’t very enthusiastic about doing this again. So we check into the hotel and although very nervous about leaving her there, we decided to take a risk. It was a business trip and we did not have the time to stick around. Amidst all of the fun we were having, we forgot about Lady in the hotel room. It was dark when we got back and I braced myself for the destruction we would have to pay for on account of this child we left to her own devices. But when we opened the door laughter escaped us. I think we laughed for a good 15 minutes straight. We had one of those comfortable sofa chairs and the dog was sitting on the chair with her paws crossed and watching television. I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Nothing was out of place. Nothing chewed on. The only thing this prissy little lady wanted to do was sit uninterrupted on the most comfortable spot in the house. I eventually accepted her for who she was and went out and bought this neat little electronic device that could be used to trim your dog’s nails, since Lady made it very clear that she’d never had a mani pedi before.

So now I know the secret: 101 Dalmatians was not just a movie. If your a dog lover listen to me very closely, this is not a joke: all dogs have personalities. They talk when your away and act like people as soon as you turn your back. I’m just warning you.

You Don’t Wanna Know

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“…the instrument behind all this poetry…..yea…U don’t really wanna know bout the degradation it took to straighten my pen into this position…what it took to have the courage to wear my feelings on my sleeves….and to bleed words for a living.”