Laura B Writer

While You Wait and I've Been Tagged

2012-03-07T00:57:00.000-07:00

I, as I have mentioned, am in this horrible period of waiting while the agent who requested my revisions reviews my newly revised manuscript. It's much like the query waiting, it seems, but it also feels a little more intense.

Of course, the advice from everyone while you wait is to write (which I am doing). But I have some advice of my own: Prepare your marketing.

Here's the deal. If you have faith in your book, or even if it's not this book, there are things you can do now, before you are agented. If you get signed - when you get signed - you will be busy with edits and other marketing then, why not give yourself a leg up and get some of it done now?

Last month, Lynette Labelle had an EXCELLENT post about this very topic: Before THE call: Ten Tasks to Complete Before an Agent Calls. Go read it now. Seriously.

I've been working on #6, Grow Your Marketing List, in case you were interested.

On another note, I was tagged. Twice. So you get to find out about me and my manuscript whether you want to or not.

First, from Freya Morris, I was tagged in Jaycee's Lucky 7 Meme.

The rules:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written. No cheating
4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know

Here's mine:

“Memory Transportation?” Mina scoffed. “You can’t do that!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Porter said.
“I just mean you’re only a marvel,” Mina said. “A marvel can’t do Memory Transportation. Can they?”
“I think I can. With the wand.” He held his right hand out to Mina, still clutching the wand. “Porter, we can’t use that! There’s a SCUM in the building. Don’t you think she’s going to notice?”
“That’s why we’re going to have to do it quickly. Now shut up and hold our hands.”
Mina obeyed, the wand held firmly between her and Porter’s clasped hands.

Then Krista from I Take the Pen tagged me. Here's my answers to the tag questions:

1. What is your dream vacation?

I want to take a cruise with my husband that starts in Spain and ends in Venice. It was our goal to do it when we'd been married 10 years, but I think it's going to have to wait until another big anniversary.

2. Are you spontaneous or do you like to plan ahead?
I'm pretty laid back about things that I know will just happen and be fine. But if I'm at all worried about something, I'll plan.

3. Tell us one thing you want to do but don’t dare to do.
Skydive.

4. What's your biggest phobia?
Hmm. I'm not sure. I guess spiders. I really don't like spiders.

5. If you were stranded on a desert island – what 3 things would you want with you (not including laptop, or family).
A pen, a notebook, and lots of diet A&W rootbeer.

6. Name three blessings in your life.
My husband. My daughters. My talents.

7. What was your nickname in High School?
Fuji was one. Larla was another. You could call me Larla now and I'd still answer. Don't call me Fuji, though, because it brings back some pretty crappy memories.

8. If you could meet the President of the United States, what would you say to him?
Probably not much. I'm a bit of an introvert.

9. If you could be any literary character for a day, who would you be?
Ooh, I don't know. Most of the books I like, the characters are in some pretty dire straights. So maybe someone who's got cool things going on. Like Anna from Anna and the French Kiss.

10. What is your favorite quote?
I have many that I love and can never remember them. But I love this line from an Ingrid Michaelson song called Keep Breathing that really seems to sum up my wants for the world versus what I actually do, "I want to change the world, instead, I sleep."

I am tagging the first 7 people in my reader. You can choose if you do the Lucky 7 or answer the questions. Or both! Or neither. :)

6. Krista

What are you doing while you wait?

Blog Critique: Charity Bradford

2012-03-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. As always, I rely on help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby) and Joe LaRue. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

Before we jump into today's critique I'd like to remind you all about my 300 Follower $15 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway. I'm taking entries through Thursday so be sure to enter.

Now, back to business. While last week we looked at a baby blog, Charity Bradford's blog is just the opposite. The challenges for newbie bloggers are somewhat different than more experienced bloggers. When Charity contacted me, she mentioned that she thought her blog was a little crowded. It makes sense. When you've been blogging for awhile, you accumulate stuff. Why don't you go take a look and we can discuss it more below?

Okay, Charity, let's get right into it. I don't think you have a crowding problem (though, I have a feeling you moved some things since you told me about that issue). I do see a few other issues that might make you think you have a crowding problem:

You have no differentiation between middle and side bar. This is huge for me. It makes it hard to see where your posts end and where your side text begins. I would differ the background in both areas. Joe suggested a gradient for your sidebar like you have at your header. That would look really spiffy. Here's the problem though - I played around with your template on my practice blog (yes, I have a practice blog, does that make me a nerd?) and you can't differ the background on the sidebar from your posts. So you have three choices - mess with the CSS and override the code so you can make them different, leave it alone, or change templates. There are other templates that will give you the option of changing that sidebar. You could still put the same picture behind them. I suggest messing around sometime and seeing what you can come up with.
Another thing about that sidebar - I would like to see it be narrower. It has too much prominence in your blog. Your posts should get the top billing.
You have a lot of purple in your blog. Joe wants to see some more contrasting color. Try to add orange or yellow or green in your links or headers.
Joe also would like to see you use a font in your header with a curly apostrophe instead of a straight one. Straight apostrophes drive him crazy. That's a Joe thing, I'm sure, but it's interesting to know, isn't it?
My own personal cringe is the split sidebar without filling the area evenly. Down where your labels are, you have your sidebar split in two columns, but you really are only using one side. That would look so much nicer if you clean that up.
I would move the story progress bars lower or to another page. You have room to move them lower, so that might be the way to go. I know they are important to you, but there are other items in your sidebar that are more important to your readers than your story progress bars, like...
Your "my other blogs" box. Move that higher. That's important.
You have a heckuva lot of labels to choose from. I am a firm believer in keeping your labels tight and to a minimum. If you have a ton of them with only one post related to them, they just become overwhelming to your readers.
What's the "things i need to remember" box? There's nothing under that heading
We caught you: The bottom of your blog is kinda like under your bed, isn't it? I mean, you just threw stuff down there that you didn't have a place for. I suggest organizing it and making it spiffy. Some people go down there. I did!
You have a lot of posts on one page (10). This isn't really horrible, but you don't have sidebar content to run all along that far, and it starts to look uneven. Plus you have that stuff at the bottom of your blog. I'd limit your posts to 5 per page. But that's just me.
I recommend having all of your links into another window. Particularly those links that actually take readers to another site. This can be confusing for a lot of us. Opening into another window keeps your blog open so we don't get lost.

I made a lot of suggestions, Charity, which makes it appear as though I didn't like your blog. This is entirely not true. I really like your blog a lot! You have great things going for you. Here's just a few of my favorite:

You have your name in your blog header.
You use pictures.
You have your profile near the top with your picture. (When you aren't in the middle of a blogfest, move your profile up to top billing. :)
You have depth (pages).
You have an About Me page.
You have a Contact Me page
You're involved - you participate in a lot of different things on the web (blogfests, etc.). And you respond to your comments in a timely manner.
You have connections to your writing! I kid you not: a woman in my Write at Home Mom's (WrAHM) group just got an email from an agent who read about her manuscript on her blog. She requested the query. I'm not joking. This is not the first time I've heard of this happening. Be prepared, folks! Charity is!

Okay, this has turned into a really long post. I think you are doing an excellent job, Charity. You have lots of followers and comments to prove it. Keep up the great work. I'm honored to have gotten to give you some of my suggestions. I hope they are helpful!

Any other feedback for Charity? (And don't forget to enter my 300 follower giveaway.)

Update: For those who asked, here is how you open links in a new window - When you insert a link, this box pops up. Click the box that says "Open link in a new window" at the bottom of the box. See it? That will now become your default option.

Savvy Sensation: Caitlin Lomas

2012-03-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Most of my Savvy Sensations have been writer/bloggers, but there is much we can learn from the amazing Book Reviewer Bloggers. Especially because they are the people who are reviewing or will one day review our own books! So today's Savvy Sensation is a YA book reviewer. Learn about Caitlin Lomas below.

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?
I’m Caitlin, 22 year old philosophy graduate from the UK. I write my blog which focusses on reviews of YA books! I’ve been blogging for just over a year now.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?
My blog: http://thecaitfiles.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/CaitLomas
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5028348-caitlin

When did you begin your online platform building?
I got Twitter in the summer of 2010. At first I just stalked my favourite authors and then started following book bloggers and viewing their blogs from there. Eventually I started interacting with them and then decided to bite the bullet and create my own blog in February 2011!

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?
Well I mostly review YA books and I think my message is that these books are as well written and enjoyable as any adult fiction. They have important messages in them and they are worthy of respect! In terms of blogging, my message is to write about something you enjoy, as that enthusiasm will shine through in your posts (I’m hoping it does in mine anyway)

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?
Through networking. I’d followed blogs for a few months before I made my own, so I knew all about the follower hops and memes like Waiting on Wednesday. I started taking part in these almost immediately, spending most of the weekend networking. I was featured on Parajunkee’s Friday Follow and I think that added to my success. I also try to leave thoughtful comments that show I’ve read a blogger’s post and I think that’s helped me be successful.

What have you done that has failed?
Trying to blog every day. I don’t have the time to post new content and network every single day, so I tend to post every other day, leaving time free for networking. I think it’s important that there’s a balance

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?
A few hours a day. I tend to write a couple of posts so I’m always ahead. Then I’ll read and occasionally reply to my comments, visit everyone whose left me a comment and read their blog, read my blogroll and then I tend to just scroll through my googlereader looking at what interests me. I try to comment on at least 10 blogs a day and on everyone’s blog who commented on mine. Though I’m usually on Twitter/reading this whole time which limits my productivity ;)

What else should we know about you?
Well I’m hoping to work in publishing here in the UK! That’s my career goal and hopefully one day I’ll make it. I’ve done work experience and I’m currently interning remotely for a fantastic American company called Entangled Publishing.

Any additional advice for our readers?
Be a considerate blogger. If someone consistently reads and comments on your blog—do the same! Nothing worse than feeling you aren’t appreciated as a reader. Also, use Twitter, it’s so much easier to connect with people over Twitter.

What makes you unique?
I think we’re all unique bloggers and that’s what’s so great about following many different people! But I’m always honest in my posts, even if that means negative reviews sometimes. I also don’t have an angle, I’m blogging for me, not for any other reason, and I think that sincerity and genuine enthusiasm for YA shows in my posts.

Thank you so much for letting me spotlight you, Caitlin. You are truly Savvy and Sensational and have shared amazing info with our readers!

300 Follower $15 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

2012-03-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would reach 300 followers, let alone 300 AMAZING followers. You wonderful, supportive peeps deserve to be rewarded.

So I am holding my FIRST EVER CONTEST. The winner will receive a

$15 Gift Card from Amazon.

All you have to do to enter is enter the Rafflecopter info below and leave a comment on this post. You may also tweet and blog on your own blog to get extra entries. Contest opens today and runs through 3/8/12. I'll announce the winner next Friday, March 9th.

Thank you, Fabulous Followers!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fire in the Blogosphere: CassaFire Release

2012-02-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

An interesting phenomenon took place yesterday. I went to my Google Reader to do some blog reading and the first blog that pulled up was spotlighting Alex J. Cavanaugh's CassaFire release. My first thought was, Whoops! I guess I forgot to write a post about that, myself...

Then, as the next blog I pulled up was also spotlighting CassaFire, and the next, and the next . And about forty more. I'm not kidding. The blogosphere was on fire. I was in awe of the incredible support that Alex had through his blogging friends. Not surprised, but in awe. It was beautiful.

Alex has done what we should all aspire to do. I'm not talking about great marketing, that's the side benefit. Alex has built real, honest friendships through consistent blogging, response to comments, and visiting and commenting on other blogs. This is not the reason that we blog, but this is what agents and publishers are looking for when they are interested in a writer's platform. Take some notes, folks. Reread my interview with Alex about how he built up such a great support system.

And congrats, Alex. It's a day late, but here's CassaFire!

CassaFire
by Alex J. Cavanaugh

CassaStar was just the beginning…

The Vindicarn War is a distant memory and Byron’s days of piloting Cosbolt fighters are over. He has kept the promise he made to his fallen mentor and friend - to probe space on an exploration vessel. Shuttle work is dull, but it’s a free and solitary existence. The senior officer is content with his life aboard the Rennather.

The detection of alien ruins sends the exploration ship to the distant planet of Tgren. If their scientists can decipher the language, they can unlock the secrets of this device. Is it a key to the Tgren’s civilization or a weapon of unimaginable power? Tensions mount as their new allies are suspicious of the Cassan’s technology and strange mental abilities.

To complicate matters, the Tgrens are showing signs of mental powers themselves; the strongest of which belongs to a pilot named Athee, a woman whose skills rival Byron’s unique abilities. Forced to train her mind and further develop her flying aptitude, he finds his patience strained. Add a reluctant friendship with a young scientist, and he feels invaded on every level. All Byron wanted was his privacy…

Available now!

Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5, $15.95, 6x9 Trade paperback, 240 pages
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9, $4.99, available in all formats
CassaFire is the sequel to Cavanaugh’s first book, CassaStar, an Amazon Top Ten Best Seller:

“…calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein’s early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.” - Library Journal

Book trailer available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa6VINRGtyE.

Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cassafire-alex-j-cavanaugh/1034742568

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/CassaFire-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/dp/0982713940/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329417150&sr=1-1

Amazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/CassaFire-ebook/dp/B007A2TSNG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1329663355&sr=1-1

Blog Critique: On the Write Track

2012-02-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

How does Monday come about so quickly? Not that I'm complaining. Mondays are like my Fridays with my work schedule. Tuesday's my day off!!

But I'm sure there are a few of you with traditional work schedules that may be complaining a bit. Let's see if we can brighten the mood with a blog critique, shall we? Then scoot on over to Donna Martin's On the Write Track and we can get on with it.

Ooo, Donna's a martial arts girl. (My oldest daughter just got her high red belt this last Saturday. Can we say proud?) She's also got a baby blog. She's only been at it since December 6th.

Great job for a newbie, Donna. You've got a lot of posts under your (black) belt for such a short time period. That's awesome. Now, this isn't the first time I've been to your blog. But trying to look at it with fresh eyes, I immediately see things I love and things I maybe don't love so much. Let's discuss:

Love your title.
This isn't the first time I've said it and probably not the last: I think that specific pictures in the background should relate to what your blog is about. What do mountains have to do with your blog? If you don't have an answer other than "I like mountains" I would suggest changing it.
I like the definite differentiation between your posts and sidebars.
I'm not a fan of two column sidebars unless you really need all the space. Alex Cavenaugh has a lot of really relevant info on both columns so I don't mind his. (By the way, Alex's new book comes out Tuesday!) But I can see that yours could easily be consolidated. Also, your blog is just really dark with both sidebars. Specifically I would:

Lose your welcome message. It's not necessary. You could consolidate relevant info from it in your profile.
Fish are cool, but are unnecessary (and unrelated to your blog).
Your blog awards could be consolidated and even moved to a page of their own.
Your blog archive could be moved to the other sidebar.

I love that your profile is in a prominent position!
I'm not sure that I would put your black belt info as your leading line, though. Not that I think its not important, but I want your first sentence to tell me about your blogging or writing. This is where you can consolidate your welcome info with your profile.
I also love that you have your email available.
I like that you use pictures in your posts. It really attracts.
But you could lessen the amount of pics without losing anything. It will also make it easier to read on a mobile phone.
It also wouldn't hurt to trim your posts a little. (I know, this coming from someone who has long posts.) But short is best for holding followers.
Actually, if you lost a sidebar and some pics from each of your posts, the length would probably seem a lot shorter.
Personally, I'd only keep five posts on a page. I don't know why. It looks cleaner.
I like your colors. Blue and orange are good contrasting colors. I would prefer a less bold font though. It can be hard to look at such a strong font for long.
I love that you post consistently. And if you love doing it every day, then keep it up. But, just FYI, it can be difficult for many followers to get to your blog that often so just realize that some of your posts might go unread.

Hmm. I think that's all. Great job at your baby blog! You've grown quickly. Good luck and keep up the good work!

Do you all have any advice for Donna?

Where I've Been

2012-02-25T11:58:00.004-07:00

A while ago I posted about a semi-blogging hiatus and mentioned writerly things afoot. I also said that when I returned I hoped to have news. Well, I don't really have the news I wanted to have (yet!) but I have some things I'd like to share. Wanna hear?

Okay, so here's where I've been. Some of it's been writerly, some has not. But all of it has kept me very busy:

My MBA class was a bit more demanding than I would like. I have one more week though (and just one more paper!) before I am done with it and have my MBA with a marketing emphasis. W00T!!! It's been a long time coming, I'm telling you.
Lent began last Wednesday. I work in a Catholic Church (one of my many jobs) and Easter is the busiest time of year - worse than Christmas. Lent is the time that musicians prepare for Easter. There's only a handful of days in the next 40 days, in fact, that I am not at some type of music rehearsal. As the music director of eight choirs for Easter, I had to be totally prepared for Lent. Organizing music, ordering it, making sure I had the right binders for everyone, etc. really took a chunk of time this year. But now rehearsals have started and I am getting into the routine of it all. I only mention these first two things because they impact how difficult it was to deal with the next items:
Now here's what you want to know: On February 1st, I received a request to revise from a MAJOR AGENT. I mean, like, DREAM AGENT. I was floored. And the revision notes totally resonated with me. I immediately embraced them and saw how much better my story would be with those changes. I started working on them right away. But then...
The very next day, I got an offer from a small press for a 3 book deal. I was floored. I hadn't even submitted to them originally. They requested my manuscript via an online contest I had entered. And then, really?? A 3 book deal??? WOWSERS!!!

All of this put me in a crazy position. I still had four fulls out with agents and I really connected with MAJOR AGENT's notes. By the time I got the 3 book deal, I no longer liked my book as it was. But here I was stuck between a sure thing and a not-so-sure but potentially better thing. The small press is new, but it has had some buzz and one of the agents with my full said she believed it is real up and coming. (That same agent offered me an R&R as well, by the way.) And after my revisions were completed, I knew that MAJOR AGENT might not take me. But she has sent me quite a few emails in the last few weeks and has always been very open and honest and wonderful and how could I not want to work with her????

So I did the hardest thing I've ever done in my writer life. I turned down the publishing contract. And I have spent the last few weeks pounding out the revisions. If MAJOR AGENT doesn't sign me on, I still have the other R&R. And I only started querying in January. I feel confident I made the right choice and my story is only stronger for it.

Now my revisions are done and I am returning to you, my bloggey buddies. I've missed being part of the blogger world and am so glad to be back.

What's been going on with you?

Blog Critique: No Water River

2012-02-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

I've lost my voice. Seriously. I've had a sinus infection and bronchitis and am now voiceless. Being without a voice should have little impact on a blog post, but somehow it makes me just want to sit comatose in front of Facebook. I'm going to jump right into this critique so I can do just that. We're checking out No Water River then discussing below.

Um, brilliant.

That is all.

No, I'm kidding, but not really. Because this is a very nice blog. Right away we get the feel that this is a picture book writer. Don't you? It's clean, easy to read. I love the Picture Book Library and Poetry Video Library. I adore the style of the little "Follow" icons. I'm not concerned that Renee's name is not in the title because the name of the site and everything related to the site is No Water River.

I guess if I'm going to get picky, I'm going to have to pick on the "About" page. I want the info about No Water River to come ahead of Renee's info. It could even be too separate pages on the navigation: "About NWR" and "About Renee". That is one question I had right away when I visited. I wanted to know exactly what No Water River was and I had to look for it. The good thing was that I could really tell even without the explanation, but it is buried.

Another nitpicky thing: The About page says that One-word Wednesday is coming on January 11th. Well, that day's past. So that should be updated.

The "category" tool is so nifty to find the things that might interest visitors. I would move that higher. Maybe just above the email subscribe. For a resource site such as this people need to be able to find the resources right away.

Okay, one more thing on that last note. Perhaps the tag of "the picture book and poetry place" should say "the picture book and poetry resource place". Or something like that. It took me awhile to even realize some of the things that were available and it would have been cool to know right away.

All right, I'm truly done. Great website! Any other thoughts for Renee from you awesome critiquers out there?

Saturday Savvy Sensation: the Presidents

2012-02-18T11:16:00.003-07:00

Today's Saturday Savvy Sensation is not one person, but a bunch. In honor of President's Day Weekend, I thought I'd share this (somewhat old) blog article about Presidents who were writers. It's an interesting read if you are a history buff at all.

I have always been a fan of Lincoln's speeches. Are any of you Presidential Writer fans?

Blog Critique: Callie Kingston

2012-02-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

I love me some Callie Kingston. And she's today's blog critique. And I've got some different stuff to talk about in regards to her blog. So go run your little mousies over to her blog so we can get discussing below.

Callie, I'm just going to quickly make some remarks about your actual blog so I can get to the good stuff:

You have a nice palette. I particularly like how it relates to the emotions and colors of your book, Undertow.
But there is an awful lot of purple. Consider pulling some of pink from your sunset into your post headers.
Funny story about your header: Your name is in a really nice font. But older computers don't always have that font. Joe's computer had to download it and until it did, it showed your font in Comic Sans. The graphic world seems to have an intense hatred toward Comic Sans. Go ahead and google "Comic Sans" and you'll see what I mean. Joe's initial feelings to your blog were, let's just say negative, until the real font loaded. There is a way to fix that - Consider making your header a graphic. Then everyone will see the same thing no matter what. While you're at it...
I would love to see that background swirly feel of your cover incorporated in your header. It would make it so much more vibrant.
Your blog is really clean and contains pertinent info so I don't have a lot to suggest here. I do think that you need to clean up the bottom of your template. It's obvious that you just stuffed all the extras down below. I'd get rid of the networked blogs. That's not necessary when you already have a follow button. And I'd put your labels higher on the sidebar - those are important, don't bury them.
Oh, one more thing: Put a link to buy your book on your sidebar under your profile. This is important! People need to see your product right away when coming to your blog.

Okay, on to the good stuff. Callie is interested in how to attract readers who don't write and who don't blog. First, let's all take a moment to laugh out loud, because that really is the million dollar question, isn't it?

Now that we're done laughing, it is a real valid question that all of us face. And just because there isn't one great answer doesn't mean that there aren't strategies. Many, many strategies in fact, and too many to list here. In my not-so-humble marketing expertise opinion, the reason there are so many strategies is because marketing is a very individual and personal and that is why people like me make a living by researching and giving you personalized results. But all you creative writer types are the perfect type of people to do this yourselves. Let's walk through where I would begin this process using Callie's book.

Ask yourself - who reads my book? what other books do they read? what other subjects interest them? Callie answered: Undertow's target audience is an older YA audience and what some are calling "New Adult," so around ages 16 - 22. I also believe there's significant cross-over potential into women's fiction. If a reader enjoyed Wintergirls, they may also enjoy the combination of contemporary serious topic and a touch of supernatural in Undertow. Finally, readers who have experienced mental illness or have interest in psychological issues will appreciate the strength the protagonist displays in dealing with her circumstances.
Now we get Googling.What do other authors do that attracts readers? Where are my readers on the internet? For Callie, let's start with Wintergirls.

First stop is the official website. My favorite thing to check out is the author blog. Why? Because if readers are directly communicating with the author, it's here. This is where we can learn more about them. This is also true of Author or Book Facebook pages. But before we step over to the blog, I see that Laurie Halse Anderson has info for Students and Teachers. Callie needs to read everything on these pages and steal, steal, steal! I mean, um, get ideas! Some ideas I get from perusing this: Make a study guide for your book. Post it on your blog or website. ~~Spam~~ Email teachers and university professors a blurb about your book and include a link to your resources. You can find emails on most school websites. YES, THIS TAKES WORK! MARKETING IS WORK!
Now to Laurie's blog. Laurie blogs a lot about the subjects of her books. We can't all do this very successfully, but some authors can do this very well. Laurie's books are about serious subjects like anorexia and rape. By making her blog a supportive environment for these topics, she will attract potential readers through Google searches on those subjects. Some ideas for Callie: start a weekly post on psychological issues that are related to your book. You can talk about some of the things you discovered in your own research. Or, find blogs on the topics you want to discuss and ask for those bloggers to guest post. Use keywords in your blog post titles so that people interested in these subjects will find you.
Next stop, Amazon. Search for Wintergirls and see what other books are recommended in that little bar that says Customers Who Bought This Also Viewed... Then do steps 1 and 2 with those books that turn up. Callie should check out If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Willow by Julia Hoban, Cut by Patricia McCormick, and so on.

Back to Google. I would now want to find out where people who read Wintergirls and these other books are posting. So this time when I search for Wintergirls I'm looking for blog posts, etc. And not author blog posts, but reader posts or comments. This is harder and may involve going several pages deep into Google results. I see Wintergirls has a MySpace page. I would peruse the comments and see if you can track down what type of people those readers are. Spend time on the sites where the fans are like this site. Reading through these posts may give you some inspiration to attract these same fans.
Whew! We're tired now. And we really haven't come up with any specific strategies. But this is where we start. This is what I would do to begin any internet marketing campaign for any book.

Is this helpful? Do you have some other ideas for Callie or advice on her blog?

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Nicole Ducleroir

2012-02-11T02:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how much I miss all of you since I haven't been posting that often. I'm glad to be back today even if it's only to introduce today's Saturday Sensation who is Super Savvy!! And if you haven't seen her on the internet yet, I'm truly surprised. Meet, the wonderful Nicole Ducleroir.

Thank you so much for inviting me to participate in theSavvy Sensation Series, Laura. I’m thrilled to be here!

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personalstats)?

I’m a black coffee-slurping M&M-aholic who has pennedforty-five short stories and sixty vignettes. My fiction is found in twoanthologies and two e-zines. One creative non-fiction story won an HonorableMention in New Millennium Magazine’s national non-fiction contest. My mostrecently published short will appear in Slice Literary Magazine’s upcoming Spring2012 issue. Though I’m thrilled with the publishing success I’ve enjoyed thusfar, there is an item on my literary bucket list I’ve yet to scratch off. Iwant, more than anything, to feel the pride and satisfaction of completing anovel-length project. The novel is a much different beast than the short story.My first attempt at long fiction boasts twenty-two chapters and a thick layerof dust. I’m currently working on attempt number two, a project I’m veryexcited about and working tirelessly to complete.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook,etc.)?

Here’s my Internet 411. Visit any time!

My writer’s blog ~ One Significant Moment at a time (http://nicoleducleroir.blogspot.com)

Twitter ~ @NicoleDwrites (https://twitter.com/#!/NicoleDwrites)

Facebook ~ Nicole Ducleroir (https://www.facebook.com/nicole.ducleroir)

Writing.com Portfolio ~ (My username is heftynicki. Yeah,long story…) (http://www.writing.com/main/portfolio/view/heftynicki)

Amazon Author Central ~ Nicole Ducleroir (http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004JNZBLW)

LinkedIn ~ Nicole Ducleroir (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nicole-ducleroir/27/273/604)

When did you begin your online platform building?

I launched my blog in late December 2009 before I learnedthe term “writer’s online platform.” I was such a newbie! At the time, I wasvehemently opposed to social networking, (mostly because I knew my sisters usedFacebook as a family feud battlefield. No thanks!) In the first six months ofblogging, I discovered the vast and supportive community of writers and foundmy blogger’s voice. By summer 2010 my perspective on networking had shifted. Irealized the advantages at this point in my career to expanding my onlinepresence, notably: to give and receive inspiration from other writers, to buildrelationships with critique partners, and to explore the merits of differentmarkets, agents, and publishers as deemed by industry insiders. I dipped my toein the social site pool with a Twitter account and quickly found all myblogging buddies. Within two weeks, I’d created profiles on Facebook andLinkedIn.

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anythingspecific, for example)?

One Significant Moment at a Time is a place where Iauthenticate myself as a writer. By that, I mean it’s the public platform whereI share my writer’s life, celebrate my successes, and admit my shortcomings. Ibelieve putting inspiration out into the universe is a surefire way to receiveinspiration. So my message, which is foremost for me, is also for all writersvisiting my blog: If you want to be an author, you have only to do two thingsevery day. Say it! Proclaim yourself anauthor. And do it! Write,write,write. Every post I write communicates, in some way,how I find the courage to do those two things in my own life.

How have you built your followers? What have you donethat has been the most successful?

I understood early on that to build a following, I had tocreate a steady flow of traffic to my blog. First, I sought out other writerblogs and followed them. When I left a comment on one blog, I chose one or twoof the other comments I read there and followed the avatars to those people’sblogs. I followed and commented, then perused those commentators, etc.Generally, all those people would follow me back. It’s important to repeatvisits and leave several comments, really get to know the people who you arefollowing. Sincerity counts when you’re building a following. Next, Iparticipated in blog hops and passed around blogging awards. Both activitiesdrew attention to my blog while I got to promote other people’s blogs, andtraffic to my site increased. The writer’s community is generous and almosteveryone is interested in following each other. Building a following is easy aslong as you are willing to put your time and energy into reciprocating thevisits, comments, and following you receive.

What have you done that has failed?

The biggest mistake I’ve made as a blogger is trying todo too much every day. As I followed more and more blogs, I felt aresponsibility to visit as many of them as I could. Most days in the first yearof my blog, I averaged visiting forty or fifty blogs a day. It was a daily raceagainst the clock, and I became increasingly stressed out. And time bloggingwas time I wasn’t writing. Other writers were announcing completed manuscripts,landed agents, and acquired book deals. I finally had to realize I was buildinga platform for nothing if I wasn’t writing. It was excruciating to take asummer off from blogging, but I needed to do it. After taking a step back, Ihave a more manageable blogging schedule and I don’t pressure myself to visitmore blogs than I can handle. I have less daily traffic to my blog now. Butwhen the time comes to promote that yet unwritten book, I know the communitywill respond exponentially as I increase my presence.

As I'm taking a little break right now myself, I really appreciate that last comment. :)

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs?Commenting on blogs?

These days I post twice a week on my blog. I don’t have astrict schedule, except to not post two days in a row. The reason why is this:I’m thrilled when I receive comments on a post, and I make every effort tovisit those commentator’s blogs within 48 hours and leave them comments. And asfar as reading blogs, I like to go to my dashboard and read through the fivemost recently posted blogs. I do the same at Networked Blogs. That way, I hit aminimum of ten blogs a day, usually more. And I read my cyber BFFs’ blogs on myblogroll several times a week. One rule I hold myself to: If I read a post, Ialways leave a comment. Even if it’s just to say ‘hey,’ I want bloggers to knowI was there and enjoyed reading their thoughts.

What else should we know about you?

I have a lot of God-given talents but juggling isn’t oneof them. I can’t toss three oranges in the air without dropping one of them,and the same is true with managing my daily schedule. Yep, if items on my to-dolist were fruit, there’d be lots of sticky orange juice on my floorsevery.single.day. *sigh*

Any additional advice for our readers?

My blog evolved over the years as I came to understand myown voice and as I discovered, through visiting other sites, those things whichI feel do not help a blog be successful. For example, I love color. But Irealized that for my site to convey a creative AND professional personality, Ineeded to streamline the format and use splashes of color in a way that doesn’tdistract or annoy. On average twice a year, I like to create a new headerbanner for my blog, always with lots of color. But I always keep the blogbackground white, with the palest of blues to help compartmentalize the threecolumns, in lieu of harsh vertical lines. I think as you hone your blogger’svoice, it’s also important to play with the appearance of your blog until youfind exactly the look that speaks to you and that conveys to your readers thekind of public personality you want to portray.

What makes you unique?

Although I grew up in upstate New York where I was notintroduced to any outside culture,I’ve become quite an international person in my adult life. After college, Ilived in Los Angeles for two years and then Washington D.C. for two more. Fromthere, I joined the Peace Corps and worked for two and a half years in theCentral African Republic as a Community Health Extensionist. A year into myservice, I met my husband. He is French and was working for an Italian roadconstruction company contracted by the World Bank. Later, we were married inFrance where we lived for close to five years. Our two children were bornthere. We scrape every penny to fund trips to Europe so our children willremain intimate with their cultural roots. The writer in me is eternallygrateful for all these experiences. They are rich fodder for my fiction today!

Thanks so much for being here, Nicole! I know we'll see a novel of your soon the shelves soon. You've got very realistic goals and great advice. Congrats on all your successes so far!

Blog Critique: Artzicarol Ramblings

2012-02-06T01:14:00.001-07:00

Today's critique takes us to Artizicarol Ramblings by the amazing Carol Riggs. Carol is another blogger that I feel very close to (hi, Carol!) and so, yeah, I got a little nervous when I went it came time to critique her wonderful blog. You may all know Carol too, but if you don't, go on over and sneak a peek at her blog so we can discuss it.

I shouldn't have been nervous. I have to admit, Carol, I've been reading your blog through Google Reader for so long that I haven't been to your actual blog in quite awhile. You've really implemented everything I'm always harping on. I'm not going to spend a lot of time highlighting all the pluses though, because I have some other things to talk to you about. First, a few minor suggestions:

You may have no control over it, but we'd like your header to be a little wider. It's great! just a little off balance.
The color of your dates is outside the palette. A blue color would be more appropriate, but then you wouldn't be able to see it on the blue background. We'd actually like to see the date within the post box to fix this. Otherwise, perhaps use the darker blue that you use in your sidebar.
The light lilac or purplish color you use on your post backgrounds would look nice if you could bring it in your sidebar as well.
I would like a background behind your profile. It's too important of a piece of your blog and gets just a tad bit hidden in the blue background.
Your "Want a Critique?" box bothers me because the first line of the paragraph is indented. It makes it look a little off center. I would keep it left justified so the heading looks centered above the whole block.

Um, wow. That's it. I don't even mind your blog awards on your sidebar because they look very clean and are appropriately placed below everything else.

What I'd really like to talk about is what you plan on doing next in terms of marketing yourself. You have an agent, you're about to go out on submission (right?), so you haven't sold your book yet. At this point, what should your blog be doing for you?

This answer isn't a concrete one. Of course your main focus should be on polishing up that book for submission. But the minute you send it off, during those weeks or months of WAITING, I recommend you work on driving your numbers up. You have awesome, informative posts, and an attractive blog, get people reading your posts. I don't imagine that you need to know how but for other people who want some ideas, here's three:

Visit new blogs and leave comments.
Hold a contest getting people to tweet and facebook your blog.
Join a blogfest.

I realize these are time consuming tasks (why do you think I'm not doing them?), but it is where I would go next with Artzicarol Ramblings.

What do you suggest for Carol? You know she wants to hear from you. :)

Promotion Before Publishing

2012-02-04T13:40:00.003-07:00

Well, hmm...I was supposed to have a Savvy Sensation today, but I didn't get her interview questions back in time (hint, she's a very busy woman!). So, instead, I'm sharing a lovely link that all you UNpublished authors should check out:

9 ways to promote your book BEFORE you publish by Laura Pepper Wu

It's great advice. How many are you doing? (I'm asking you instead of telling you what I'm doing because I'm sort of failing, myself!)

I'm going MIA

2012-02-03T13:39:00.002-07:00

I am officially going MIA for the next few weeks. I will still be back with Saturday Savvy Sensations and my blog critiques, but the rest of the time I'm going to be busy elsewhere.

What am I busy with, you ask? All I can say right now is that I am in the middle of HUGE writerly things that I can't really go into yet. But I'm hoping that when I return, I will have NEWS!

See you then :)

I'm Being Interviewed!

2012-01-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

Do you want to read about my thoughts on social media and writers? Then head on over to Gennifer Albin's site where I'm being interviewed today.

If you haven't had an opportunity to meet Gen yet, I'm telling you, you'll know her name before the year is out. Her debut novel, Crewel, is the first part in a trilogy that comes out in November of this year. The book landed her an agent and publishing deal in record time - like, a month - that's how good it is. Go to her Facebook page to check out her prologue. Makes me super excited for the book, how about you?

Oh, and right now, Gen is running an AWESOME blog contest - one that will get you artistic types excited. So make sure you check it out too.

Blog Critique: Another Author

2012-01-30T00:59:00.003-07:00

Today's blog critique comes from Abhishek Boinapalli of Another Author. Since I'm in a get-it-done kind of mood, I'm just going to invite you to go take a look now and cut out my usual intro. We'll meet below.

Abhishek, you have two specific things that I would like to commend you for right off the bat: you have an invitation for guest posts and you have links to articles you have written. Asking for guest posts is an excellent way to get guests, and guests can be so beneficial. And the articles is a good example of what I always ask for in the way of connecting to your writing. It's a nice portfolio.

There are a number of other things that I would suggest you should rethink:

Your name is not in your blog title or subtitle. You should have it more prominent.
Your blog address (becomingprince.blogspot.com) is confusing - do you want to be a prince? Or the artist Prince? This address should be like your title or your name.
Your profile is buried in your sidebar. Have it higher so we can see who you are.
The moving widget bar to invite people to Facebook, Dig, etc. is annoying and covers a lot of the blog. I'd lose it.
You have a big old ad in the prominent position under your navigation and above your blog posts. This leads me to think your ads are more important than your posts.

This last issue brings me to the real issue with your blog - it is evident that you want your blog to earn money. Now, there is nothing wrong with monetizing your blog, but very few people are interested in visiting a blog that screams, "GIVE ME MONEY". The over abundance of ads, the placement of the ads, and asking for donations clearly says that. To have a blog successfully earn money with ads and donations I recommend three things:

Place your ads in subtle, thoughtful locations.
Build a following of people before monetizing.
And, most important, create a blog that draws people's interest.

A very successful blog that monetizes is Dooce.com. Yes, Dooce has ads, and she even has quite a few. But she built her followers before adding advertising and she offered/offers a very specific personality with posts and images that are unique and desired by readers. It is very difficult to reach this level of blogging, but, like anything, if you are sincere about your desire to be a paid blogger, you must work hard to achieve it. I suggest really spending some time trying to decide what your blogging goals are and devise a plan to reach them.

If I am completely missing the message of your blog and if you are more interested in being a writer's blog as your title suggests, then you really need to lose the ads. That message is completely lost in the midst of the ads and money tracker. Focus first on creating a blog for writers with helpful, thoughtful posts. Build your followers. Then you can monetize.

Of course this is only my opinion. Only you know what is best for you and your blog. All bloggers deserve a pat on the back - it's a real commitment - and so I'm giving you one now. Congrats!

How about you, readers? Any thoughts or suggestions for Abhishek? We'd love to hear from more than just me!

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Jessie Harrell

2012-01-28T11:22:00.002-07:00

Last night my husband and I put together our new treadmill. It's in our office and we had to move things around so we disconnected all the computer stuff. Then we had a helluva time getting the internet back up! This is why you should schedule your posts in advance...

Anyway, I'm late with today's interview, but she's worth the wait. Jessie is an appellate attorney and a YA author. Plus she's a wife and mother of two. Without further ado, here is the fabulous Jessie Harrell of The Daily Harrell.

Thanks for having me on your blog today, Laura! I'm super-excited to make an appearance on your Savvy Sensations feature.

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?
I'm Jessie, a mother, wife, attorney and author, who adores all things YA lit. I've just crossed the 900 follower mark on my blog and 1000 follower mark on twitter.

I see you're at 1171 followers as I post this. You are amazing! Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?
I'm just me basically anywhere you go. www.jessieharrell.com http://jessie-harrell.blogspot.com @JessieHarrell JessieHarrell_Author on Facebook. Can you sense a theme???

Themes are an awesome strategy. When did you begin your online platform building?
After attending a winter SCBWI conference several years ago, everyone was saying "you have to get on twitter" and I was like "WTF is twitter?" Since then, I've become a tweeting fool, you can find me blogging on my own blog and with the ladies at Oasis for YA (http://oasisforya.blogspot.com) and I'm on Facebook. Meeting folks in the online community has been a blast. I had no idea that people I've never met in person could be so supportive!

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?
My blog revolves around YA lit. I do a feature every Tuesday called Happy Debut YA Book Birthday, where I feature new titles by debut authors. I picked Tuesday since most books release on that day (odd, I know). I also post reviews, YA-related giveaways, and an occasional post about my own debut YA novel, Destined.

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?
Participating in the giveaway blog hops hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer, has been huge for me. You can make the only requirement for entering that someone follow your blog and for a $10 investment (cost to buy a book through the Book Depository), you'll grow your followers by at least 100. Note to authors: I've seen far less astounding success rates if you're only offering to give away your own book.

What have you done that has failed?
Well, on Oasis for YA, I decided we should create a Thankful for Thursday meme. We created a neat little badge and asked folks just to post what they're grateful for that week. A couple people really liked the idea, but for the most part, it flopped. Where's your silver lining, people???

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?
Not as much as I should... I generally blog Saturday mornings, creating my posts for the week for both the blogs in advance. Tracking down the debut YA novels coming out takes a little time, but I enjoy it. The only downside is how big my TBR pile has gotten! I wish I had more time to go around to others' blogs and comment. Generally, if someone leaves a comment in the blogger nation forum of #yalitchat, I'll swing by. Or if I have some free time at work, I'll scroll through my GFC updates. I have to be honest though: just like I judge a book by its cover, I just a blog by the picture posted. If the picture doesn't interest me, chances are really low that I'll read the post. So that's my best blogging advice -- find really cool pictures to use on your post.

What else should we know about you?
Like most bloggers, I didn't think I had anything new or unique to add to the conversation when I started blogging. So I've tried to use the blog just to show my personality when it comes to YA lit. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I love paranormal romance and romantic contemporaries, but shy away from high fantasy and dystopians. I try to always find the good in a book because I know that everyone's tastes are different. So basically, I think if you like the same types of books that I do you'll enjoy my blog.

Any additional advice for our readers?
Don't broadcast your own message constantly. I had a really hard time reeling myself in when I was launching my book, but people don't want to hear it all the time. They come to read what you have to offer, not to read about your publishing journey bit by painful little bit.

Try to respond when readers leave comments. You should have a give and take on your blog.

What makes you unique?
No one else is going to approach books from my exact perspective. Whatever it is you're blogging about, you have a unique opinion. I stay true to myself and my opinions, while at the same time trying to broadcast the successes of others. I like my blog to be a happy place.

Jessie, thanks so much for stopping by. You are truly savvy with sensational advice. Well done!

Facebook Friday: Just for fun

2012-01-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

This picture is going around on Facebook, but I think it's funny and awfully accurate:

And I also have to correct myself: At one point and time, the little search box at the top of Blogger blogs searched ALL blogger blogs and not just the current blog. Well, guess I haven't attempted to use that search box in awhile because I have no idea when it changed, but apparently it now only searches the blog you are on. So for all of you that I told to get a search box when you already had the one up top - I'M SORRY! I have been set straight now :)

Finally, I have been given two blog awards this week! Stay tuned next week where I will do my part of the blog award requirements, but for now I just wanted to thank Savannah Rose for the Versatile Blogger award and Jamie Ayers for the Kreativ Blogger award. Wow! I'm truly honored by the support and kind words. I really appreciate the award!

So now that I've made you laugh, shared my humiliation and thanked two very lovely bloggers, what are you doing with your Friday? Do you have a Just for Fun to share?

Blog Critique: Writing Unleashed

2012-01-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

We have a special Wednesday edition blog critique today. Why? Because I said so. How's that for an answer. So go on over to Laura M. Campbell's blog, Writing Unleashed and come back to discuss below.

First of all, Laura, congrats on having such a cool name. And secondly, congrats on becoming a professional writer! WOOT!!

There are some great things going on in your blog: You have your profile at the top of your sidebar, you have ways to subscribe by RSS, and you are getting your name on other people's blogs (great marketing!). But when you have time - I realize you are a busy bee lately - there are a few things I would suggest to move your blog to the next level.

Name in Title: You're a professional writer! Get your name in the Title or, at the very least, the subtitle. People need to be able to find you.
Post your contact info: Again, you never know who's looking to reach you through your blog.
Get a Search box: I love me a search box. It really makes things easier for new readers.
Have more than one post per page: I've never given this note before, but I find it a little annoying when there is only one post on a page. It does make for easier reading, but one of the things I like about blogs is being able to quickly read through several posts. Having to always hit "Older Posts" is a little time consuming.
Your font color is sometimes very nearly the same color as your background post. Make sure it's always a light color so we can see it.
Also, the yellow color that you use for your links is so great. It would be better as your post color. Make your links white instead.
And speaking of color - we like the brown that you have on the bottom better than the brown that is your post backgrounds. It's a cooler brown and would be a cleaner contrast.
I've said before and I'm saying again - I like single sidebars. They are cleaner. Just my opinion.
But if you're going to have two sidebars, really think about what you need there. Your awards are cool, but I'd put them at the bottom or on another page. They tend to look awkward since they are different sizes. Then move your followers up under your profile. Make it easy for people to follow.
Connect to your writing, girl! Yes, I know, I don't do it yet either because I'm lazy. But you're not lazy. You're a professional writer with a goal of being published this year. Get your writing samples up for those agents to look at. And think they don't look? Well, let me tell you a story: I had an agent ask me just last Friday for my blog address. Man, I really should have had my writing samples up. Learn from my mistakes, Laura. Everyone, learn from my mistakes.

And that is all I have for you, my fellow Laura. Again, congrats. Here's to a great year for you and your writing!

Anyone else have any feedback for Writing Unleashed?

Blog Critique: Shannon O'Donnell

2012-01-22T23:53:00.002-07:00

It's Monday again. How does that happen?

But the good news is that it's blog critique day. That's always a good way to start off the week, isn't it? Today's bloggy victim is the amazing, wonderful Book Dreamer, Shannon O'Donnell of Book Dreaming. Go take a peek and come on back.

Now, it's likely you are already a follower of Shannon. She's pretty popular. And I always have to give this little caveat before I crit a popular blog: If you have followers - you're doing something right. So out of everything I say, remember I'm just one opinion and only you know what's best for your blog. Okay. Since that's out of the way, I can talk to Shannon.

Shannon, my lovely. I do so love your blog. And I adore you. A fellow picture book/MG writer - How could I not? So let's talk a bit about your blog and see if we can't give you some things to think on:

First I have to say you post wonderfully. You have a message. It's clear. It's consistent. Love it.
Your header should be wider. Let your pictures fill all the space.
As I always say, your name should be in your title or at least your subtitle. I'm glad it is in your blog address.
And speaking of your subtitle...It's cute, it is. It makes sense because you are a teacher. But when I read that subtitle I think I'm going to get lots of posts about things your students or children say and how those things make good book ideas. Just something to think about.
I love the location of your profile. But your name is so little. Can you make it bigger?
I adore that you use color throughout your blog. It really makes it feel like it's about/for children without feeling too kiddish.
Your three column set up (not usually my favorite) works for me, but you need more differentiation from your posts and sidebars.
The white background of your posts does not bother my non-artist eyes. But my designers feel it is too stark of a contrast to your background. Joe suggests a really pale blue for the background of your posts - blue like the lightest blue in the clouds of your main background. And then your columns should be a bit darker - maybe a green. These should be very pastel though and text should be readable over them. Play around with it. Maybe it won't be for you, but try it.
It's a little tricky to tell where one post begins and the other ends. This is mostly because you use a lot of colors and so it's hard to spot your headlines. You could make your footer's have a background shade that differs from the rest. Or you could add the Link Within app. This would add a distinct row of pics between each post.

Okay, I'm done. These are all really just aesthetics. Your blog functions perfectly. I love reading your posts and it appears that many others do too. Great blogging, Shannon!

What do you guys think about Shannon's blog? Anything you'd suggest?

Saturday Savvy Sensation: The Golden Eagle

2012-01-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

I think this is the first time I've had a Savvy Sensation that I can't introduce to you by name. Yep. I only know her as The Golden Eagle. And I know that she's amazing. She has an awesome, professional blog with lots of followers. If you haven't met her yet, you should. So here she is:

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?
I'm a teenage writer of Science Fiction, along with Fantasy and some other genres every now and then.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?
You can find me at my blog The Eagle's Aerial Perspective:
thegoldeneaglesblog.blogspot.com

When did you begin your online platform building?
I think I really began building my platform during Alex J. Cavanaugh, Elana Johnson, and Jen Daiker's Great Blogging Experiment, where they asked participants to write about what makes a good character. Before that point I followed very few writers, but after the event I gained many followers and started looking for other writing blogs in earnest.

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?
I don't have a specific message; I blog about a lot of different topics, though writing is definitely one of the main themes. Books and science are two other subjects that I return to with some frequency.

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?
Commenting and following other bloggers, mainly. Nothing beats networking with others if you want to build an online platform--though, sticking to the reason I started a blog in the first place, networking is not my No. 1 priority. Sharing my thoughts and finding out what other people think (and getting to know them in the process) is.

What have you done that has failed?
Just following. I used to follow, not comment, and not add the blog I followed into a folder in Google Reader--the feed aggregator I use--so I couldn't find the blog again later to comment. Some people follow back regardless, but they're much more likely to comment if you do, first.

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?
Sometimes I spend as little as an hour, sometimes I can spend four. But the average is around 2-3.

What else should we know about you?
I'm crazy about raptors, any raptors--though I suppose you may have guessed that from my screen name. :) Oh, and I can't decide whether web design or crewel needlework is more fun. I'm serious. They're both awesome.

Any additional advice for our readers?
If you want to blog successfully, go with what you really want to post about. Think about what you want your blog to say, what subjects you want/don't want to cover, and go for it--don't let anything block you. It's your piece of the web, so make it yours.

What makes you unique?
I try to figure that out all the time.

Facebook Friday: Fan Page Mistakes

2012-01-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since we've had a Facebook Friday, but I found this interesting article the other day about the 7 Biggest Fan Page Marketing Mistakes. Some of them have no use to writers and others are some great tips. But one in particular struck me because I see it all the time. So I am sharing with you what I think is the number one fan page mistake:

Assuming people go to your fan page versus reading your posts in their news stream.

Stop for a minute and think about the fan pages you have "liked". I am willing to bet that the majority of them you visited one time - the time that you "liked" it - and then never again. This is true of most people. Generally people read their news feed and that is all. Look at this nifty graphic to see how what I'm talking about:

I'm not telling you that fan pages are not a good idea. I'm telling you that we don't always know how to use them. The majority of fans never go to your page and potentially 75% of your fans never see your posts. Here are three things this teaches us:

You need to post to your fan page often so people don't forget you. I like watching Project Runway and I "liked" the fan page which I've been to once, so now I get constant reminders about the show. Even when the show isn't currently airing I get posts about Project Runway. This is good marketing.
You can't expect that all your fans read your post. If you have something important, post it several times. Get creative with how you post it so you don't sound redundant, but you must say it more than once.
Fans who go to your fan page often are probably stalking you. I'm just kidding. But sort of not since very few people repeat visit a fan page without good reason.

A more interactive way to use Facebook is to set up a Group. All members of groups get notification whenever someone posts and, if you're in a good group, members are much more likely to interact.

Do you have a fan page? Does this information change the way you plan on using your fan page?

My Life is Insane

2012-01-18T16:31:00.002-07:00

AAAHHH!!!!

That's me screaming over the insanity of my week thus far:

My MBA class is intense and time consuming. So much more than I was intending...
I'm still getting my house caught up after being sick (Yikes!)
I have two funerals and a wedding (I'm the Director of Music at church) and that's a lot for us in one week
We are breaking the baby of her bottle (well, most of them)
I have a marketing deadline that I haven't started on due, um, like in half an hour
My husband is working doubles all week because he has someone on vacation (he's a manager for a Blockbuster)
and I just got my 5th request for a full on my manuscript!!!! Now I have 5 rejections and 5 requests. Super happy :)

So here's my marketing question for you today: What do you do to keep yourself present in the literary world when you are bogged down with real life? And go...

Blog Critique: Conversations with Self

2012-01-17T02:18:00.001-07:00

I'm better! Except for this stupid headache that won't leave no matter how many Advil I take. Though that could be from the virus I call my children.

But anyway. Thanks so much for the feedback yesterday. It was very helpful. I am sorry I had to push this week's critique to today, especially when the blog comes from the sweetest woman in my blogging world. At least, that's the impression I have of Len Lambert: Sweet and maybe a little crazy :). Go on and check out her blog at Conversations with Self and meet me below.

Oh, Len, you sweet, mum you. My husband and I stared at your blog for a long time before he finally said, "It's good." Then, after I pressed him, he said, "I don't know what it's missing, but it's just not right."

Here's what I think the problem is: I don't know what you want your blog to accomplish. It seems off the bat that you are a rambling blog. You know, a blog for sharing whatever you feel like sharing. Elements of your blog that back this up are your whimsical background, your title, your randomness in posting, your welcome paragraph. Of course, since you write, writing will sometimes find its way into your posts. This is a perfectly fine type of blog to have, and really, anything goes when you blog for yourself like this. So then I would say, "Great blog!" and "Awesome job!"

But I wonder if you are trying to be a writing blog. Or an author blog. You have author interviews and helpful author links and all. If you are, then there are some things we would suggest:

Your title is confusing to find. It's not your name and then your blog address is also something different. If you are going to be carpediem202.blogspot.com then that should be your blog name.
You don't have your name at all in your title or subtitle. Who are you? At least put your name in your subtitle.
You have a nice welcome on the side, but this should be the spot for your profile. You could blend the profile and the welcome together.
Oh, and your subtitle is a little hard to read. Maybe try making it bigger. You could also try a rust color there and see if it reads better.
Okay, I'm going to forgive you for the exclamation marks in your posts because I think it's just you :) But for sure, you don't need it in your subtitle. Headings read so much better without them.
Joe likes your palette. The background colors, that is. You could really use them well if you incorporated them in the actual blog. Use that rust in your headlines, for example. Use that teal for the inactive tabs (they're too dark right now, anyway - or too close to your font color).
What is the purpose of the books on the side? Are they fellow bloggers? Friends? Books you like? Let us know or we'll ignore them.
Your words of inspiration at the bottom are too hard to read over the background. Maybe try a yellow font there. Or leave that section blank. It would be pretty without anything on it.
And, blog a little more consistently. It's hard. But it will keep you on people's minds.

I LOVE that you have a Contact Me, Awards, and Writing links. Great job! Mostly, I adore your personality. It's very different and unique and I feel it captured well in your posts. They are honest and beautifully you. Don't ever lose that whatever you change on your blog.

What are your thoughts readers? We'd love your notes!

Can You Hit A Perfect Pitch? Blogfest

2012-01-15T03:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still sick. But I had this prepared before, thankfully. It's all part of Brenda Drake's Can You Hit A Perfect Pitch? Blogfest. I don't imagine I will get around much to the bloghopping/critiquing part of the game unless I'm miraculously cured in the next day, but feel free to comment on my entry below. We are supposed to have a 2 sentence pitch (no more than 35 words) and the first 150 words of the manuscript. Hope you enjoy! (Oh, and I moved the Monday blog crit to Tuesday in hopes that I've recovered more.)

Title: sWitch
Genre: MG Low Fantasy
Word Count: 67,000

Pitch: When Mina's magic doesn't come in like the other witches, she discovers she was switched at birth. Her quest to find the real witch leads her to choices that will change the magic world forever.

Even her mother’s best Patience spell couldn’t keep Mina from pacing her room. In less than sixty minutes, she would celebrate the thirteenth hour of her thirteenth birthday, and her magic would finally flow from her fingertips. She would show everyone once and for all that she was not a weirdo in the world of witches.

Mina moved to the Mystic Revealer again. She didn’t want to be the type of girl that stared endlessly into a mirror, but this object showed more than her reflection; it showed traces of magic. Like she did most mornings, she first straightened her hair, then searched the outline of her image looking for any sign, small as it may be, of her magic leaking. This time she expected to see something different – a glint of what lurked beneath, a shimmer around her reflection – but the Mystic Revealer didn’t show anything but the same old Mina.

Saturday Savvy Sensation:

2012-01-14T00:37:00.003-07:00

I'm still laid up in bed with the flu so I'm doing a quick intro of today's Saturday Savvy Sensation. There is a lot we could learn from Lori M. Lee. Her blog is only a year old and has an incredible following. Plus, she made a goal last year to get an agent, and she did! She's very inspiring, but why don't we just let her speak for herself:

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?

I write young adult fiction, typically with a sf/f slant, as well as some speculative short stories. I'm represented by Suzie Townsend of Nancy Coffey Literary.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

I blog here: http://lorimlee.blogspot.com
You can also find me on twitter: @LoriMLee
I totally gave in to the siren call of tumblr, and it can be found here: lorimlee.tumblr.com :)

When did you begin your online platform building?

I started the blog mentioned above in February of this year (2011). However, I'd have to say that I began my online platform building years ago when I was writing fanfiction in between original works. In fandom, I learned netiquette and how best to interact with readers and writers, as well as what to avoid. I blogged almost daily about writing and memes and general nonsense and built up a great group of friends and followers. It was a ton of fun. (I still blog there but nowhere near as often)

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

My blog is a mixture of fun and informative. I don't want my posts to just be a regurgitation of info that's already been said elsewhere (and probably better said as well). So I like to space out the posts about writing and craft with blogfests and giveaways and sometimes, just the random nonsensical post that might make a few people smile. I want to keep things fun and informal.

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?

I think blogging consistently has been a huge factor. But the most successful thing I've done would be actually interacting with other bloggers. I learned this during my time in fandom—replying to comments, opening a dialogue, returning the favor by commenting on their blogs. It's a very give-and-take relationship, and you have to understand this before starting a blog. You can't just throw up content and expect to sit back and watch the followers/comments roll in (unless you're J.K. Rowling). When I set up my blogger, I had to replace the commenting system with one that would allow me to respond to comments b/c that's very important to me.

You have to genuinely want to do this as well though. I enjoy it because I've made a lot of fantastic friends this way.

What have you done that has failed?

When I first started blogging years ago, I didn't yet understand the give-and-take nature of blogging so, for a while, it felt like I was just talking to myself =P

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

It used to be a few hours every day, but I no longer have the time for that. I love organization and grouping, so reading everything through google reader has done wonders for me. I can easily pick out posts I want to read more fully and posts I want to comment on.

What else should we know about you?

I have always been fascinated by unicorns and faeries. Zombies terrify me. I enjoy zombie books, but can't watch zombie films. I'm a huge anime/manga fan, and a gamer geek. I also enjoy drawing, and I often include a piece of artwork at the end of my blog posts for visual interest.

Any additional advice for our readers?

The same thing I always tell people—never give up on your dreams. It's cheesy and cliché, I know, but it's also true. You only fail if you give up.

What makes you unique?

I like to pretend I was raised by magical flying unicorns (like thestrals but less morbid). Wait, that's what makes me weird. Oops.

Lori, you crack me up. Here and often on your blog. You are funny and sassy and savvy and sensational. Good luck with your book and congratulations on all your success!

Flu Friday

2012-01-13T09:10:00.002-07:00

I had planned on actually writing a Facebook Friday post (can you believe it?) but yesterday I came down with the flu. Whoa, is me. Now I have to actually stay in bed and read books all day. Sucks, doesn't it?

No, really, I am sick. My daughter had the flu all week and our household is big on sharing. So next week for the Facebook Friday, okay? But do come back tomorrow for a Savvy Sensation. It's going to be great!

I'm Finished!!!

2012-01-11T00:08:00.001-07:00

If you haven't heard already - which would be amazing because I'm shouting it everywhere I get a chance - I am done with the first draft of my MG novel!

I can't really call it a first draft, though, because I edit while I go. I know, they tell you not to, but I can't fight my style. IT'S WHO I AM. And I'm not apologizing. I even sent it chapter by chapter to my crit partner - LOVE YOU, KIMMY!! - and have already incorporated her suggestions as she sent them back to me.

The good news is that although it took me almost six months to write (except I didn't touch it for two of those months), it will not take long at all to polish it. That means that shortly, like in a couple of weeks, I will start the querying/waiting game. Then I will have tons of time to dedicate to you beautiful people in the blog world.

Okay, okay, you caught me withholding information. I'm embarrassed to tell you this, but I knee-jerked and sent out four queries already. Two came back as full requests. (Squee!!!!!) Yes, I may have blown my chances by querying before the dust settled. I'm telling you: I KNOW THIS! But did I mention that I can't help myself? Because I can't. Again, it's who I am.

So tonight is going to be an all-nighter while I reread the whole book from beginning to end. Then off it will go to my two full requests. Pray that I will stop the querying madness until I have a few more betas read. Really, you'll have to pray hard. Because I'm psychotic about this kind of stuff.

Anyone else out there a knee-jerk queryer? Do you think less of me now? Sigh. I need to join Alex's Insecure Writer's Support Group...

Blog Critique: Callie Leuck

2012-01-09T02:38:00.003-07:00

Before we get going with today's critique, I'm letting you know we are now back to Monday's only for critiques. I hadn't wanted to make people wait so I added extra dates, but then I felt like I was never able to post about anything else. So when you see me back here on Wednesday, it's not going to be a crit.

Now let's get to today's subject. Our blog is Callie Leuck's Write On! The exclamation point is there always; I didn't add it. Go on over and look over her blog and we'll meet below.

I'm going to be really pun-ny right off the bat and say, I like Callie Leuck. That's pun-ny because Leuck is pronounced "like". You didn't know that? It's a great tidbit - an important tidbit, since it's about Callie's name - and it's at the bottom of her blog. Are you catching the hint that I think this should be more prominent? Well, I do.

Callie, seriously, I like you. I like your personality, I like your posts, I like what you talk about. I like you. And you're cute. You are very organized - or, your blog is, anyway. I like your neutral colors. I like the lighter color you use for your posts. You have most of what I consider "essential" elements on your blog: a search box, your profile featured in a prominent place, your name in your blog title, an about me page, a tagline that tells what your blog is. Lots of good going on here.

But I always have something to complain about, don't I? Okay, not complaints, really, but suggestions. So here's what I suggest you think about:

Include better access to your writing. You have a lot of experience as a writer and your website has the samples. But I wouldn't know that if I found your blog first. Either include a page with links to your writing directly on your blog or include a link that says "Writing Samples" that directs readers to your website samples.
I'm generally not a fan of two sidebars. It's more cluttered. You do the best job you can with two sidebars, keeping it clean, but IMHO, I would go to one and get rid of some of your "stuff".
Just FYI for the readers: If you must have two sidebars, learn from Callie. The color differentiation from the sidebars and the center posts is very helpful at keeping it clean and straight forward. She also has a background that is neutral enough to not compete.
Tom would like your post headlines to be a little larger. They aren't much bigger than your text right now. I'm not sure it will work for you because you tend to have longer headlines, but that's what the graphic designer says, so I'm sharing.
You use a mish mash of fonts throughout your posts. And really, I don't mind. You use different fonts to express things, and you do it quite well. It fits with your personality.
I'm kind of picky about labels/tags. First, these work so much better if you have a place where people can click on them from a list - like a label cloud. They act like an index in a book. But if you decide to feature this, you will need to cut out half of your labels. Stick to just a few basic tags. The way you have it now, I'm not sure it's very functional. The Link Within feature you have does the same thing. This isn't really an issue; I'm just giving you something to think about.
And last, but not least - where are you? You haven't posted since 2012 started. I totally get taking time off, just tell us where you are. :)

I love your blog, Callie. I'm so glad to have met you through this process.

Readers, what do you think about Callie's blog? What are your thoughts on the labels and tags? And what about the two sidebars? Just asking!

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Alex J Cavanaugh

2012-01-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

The elusive Alex

Um, do we get any savvier than this? Because I can't imagine that we do. The most sensational thing about Alex J. Cavanaugh - well, the most sensational thing currently - is that Alex is about to birth a new book on February 28th called CassaFire. (see the trailer here). Aren't you excited? But let me turn the post over to Alex. He can tell you about himself much better than I can.

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?
I write science fiction - specifically space opera. (Low tech, adventure style.)
Personal stats - I have a physique similar to Ryan Reynolds. (In that I have a head, two arms, and two legs.) Seriously though, I have a Bachelor’s Degree, I’m married, live in the Carolinas, and dig all things geek, tech, movie, music, and science fiction.Would you like my gaming stats as well?

No, but my husband might. Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh
I’m also on Goodreads and Google+

When did you begin your online platform building?
I began November 9, 2009, about a year before CassaStar’s release.

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

I struggled with a theme before settling on movies, music, science fiction, and tech stuff. (Unconventional for an author, but it works for me.) I also focus on promoting my blogger buddies. My message is always entertaining, positive, and fun!

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?

I’ve built my following (close to 1100 now) by being active in the blogging community. The A to Z Challenge http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com in 2010 really kick-started my blog and last year I was a co-host. (And I’m co-hosting again this year.) I participate in blogfests and have hosted many of my own. Last year I launched the Insecure Writer’s Support Grouphttp://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/insecure-writers-support-group.html and it’s been a huge success.

Bottom line, I’ve just made a lot of friends. One can follow and comment on blogs all day long, but it’s building relationships and friendships that really matter. My blogger buddies are the most awesome people in the world.

What have you done that has failed?

In the beginning I made all the wrong connections. I followed a lot of science fiction blogs, writers, and readers. When I started following just anyone who interested me, things began to click. I also discovered a much wider audience for my book!

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

You really want to know? Deep breath - anywhere from four to six hours a day. Before you faint, some of that is while I’m working. (I love my job!) Weekends are much lighter.

I actually feel better knowing that, because now I know how you manage it all. What else should we know about you?

Is it all right if I mention my next book, CassaFire, http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/cassafire.html comes out February 28, 2012? And that people can sign up for my Catch Fire! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/catch-fire.html Blog Party to win a free book? Hope so, because I just did!

Of course it's alright to mention, but I already beat you to the punch. Any additional advice for our readers?

Focus on friendships. All else will fall into place.

What makes you unique?

I’m Ninja Captain Alex! I am here for your amusement.

I'm amused, how about you? And I'm impressed as always by your sensational savviness. Thanksk for stopping by, Alex, and good luck with the release!

Available now-
CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh
Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9816210-6-7 $15.95
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-3-8 $2.99
Book trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67YBjQve00U

Available February 28, 2012:
CassaFire by Alex J. Cavanaugh
Science fiction - space opera/adventure
Print ISBN 978-0-9827139-4-5 $15.95
EBook ISBN 978-0-9827139-6-9 $4.99
Book Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa6VINRGtyE

Where Am I?

2012-01-06T13:13:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to drop a quick post explaining why I might not be blogging, commenting, and blog hopping as much as I usually do. See, I am half a chapter away from finishing a readable draft of my Upper MG Light Fantasy. I'm so excited!! I'm also starting a class next week - my final class in my MBA degree - so I have been spending every spare second behind my laptop so I can finish my book by Sunday. Something always suffers. Right now it's the blogging world.

Please do come by tomorrow for my Saturday Savvy Sensation Series. I also have some blog crits next week and hope to be back to being a full blogger participant by Monday.

How's your writing going? I'd love to hear!

Blog Critique: Social Vani

2012-01-04T01:04:00.000-07:00

Don't laugh when you see the subject of today's blog critique. When I first visited Chitraparna's blog, Social Vani, I thought, "You want me to critique your blog? I should be coming to you for advice!" Yes, Chitraparna is a self-titled social media hobbyist. She knows her stuff and it shows. But even the experts can use a second (or, when you add Joe and Tom, a third and fourth) eye. So here we go.

First, Chitraparna, you are the only person through all my blog critiques who emailed me a few days before to make sure you were still on the schedule. That's a nice touch. Good job.

As for the blog, there is much I really like:

Your profile is placed well.
Your social media buttons are in a nice visible spot.
Your blog is clean and uncluttered.
You have a search box.
We have a connection to your portfolio.
It's easy to contact you.
You have an easy to navigate menu.
You use pics in your posts.
You have a consistent message and it's immediately apparent in your posts, from your title, in everything you display.

Really, I'm pleased. But the graphically we do have a few suggestions and things to think about:

Your "share" button moves. This means that when someone looks at your blog from a narrow window, it covers your navigation bar. Also, it personally kind of bugs me that it follows me everywhere I scroll, but that's just me.
As a society, we are trained to read left to right and the biggest words stick out at us first. That means any new viewer of your blog immediately thinks that your current post headline is the title of your blog rather than Social Vani. Correcting this isn't an easy task. You may want to rethink having the blog title in the right hand corner. You could also make your headlines smaller and lowered. I'm not saying that you have to always have a banner across the top with your title, but that's how our culture reads. You could also consider putting that entire sidebar on the left side. That might help.
The white of your posts is really bright with the dark background. Consider lightening it to a tan or a an off-white.Or use the gray color you use in your "About Me" box. This will make your red pop more. Red on a dark background is really hard for the eye to look at.
The "Recommended Buys" box in your sidebar extends too far out. Trim this up and make it fit in the sidebar.
You have two search bars. Get rid of one. The one at the top is in a nice place, but it's hard to see.
Lose the !s in your navigation bar. You don't need them and make me feel like you're yelling at me when I read them.

I also have to say that your blog does not at all appear like a baby blog. It has the sophistication of a pro-blogger.

What do you think readers? How is Chitraparna's blog looking to you?

Blog Critique: Lindsey Bell

2012-01-02T01:49:00.001-07:00

Wow, it feels like I haven't done this in months and it's only been a little over a week. How was your break? Mine was fabulous! Except that I'm tired of my kids being home and am enjoying the idea of getting back into a routine. And so here we go with our first blog critique of 2012 - Lindsey Bell. Take a look and come on back.

Okay, I have to say, I love it. You don't appear to be blogging for authors, but you still blogs seriously. Here's a few things I love most:

Your name is in your title.
Your subtitle explains your blog message.
The navigation is easy to read.
The header is very attractive.
Your profile is up top and easy to see (though I would like it above the social media icons)
It's easy on the eyes.
You have a contact me area.
You use pictures.
You have connections to your writing.
You say when you post.
And you stick to it pretty well.

Just a few little things to think about:

Joe suggests you use a picture in each and every post since it is really the only color in your palette. Plus, they pop really well and draw attention.
Move your followers up under your profile. It is easy to follow you, but let us know how important we are.
In what direction are you going with your blog? Are you hoping to eventually attract authors or potential readers? I think you have a good solid message and your posts are consistent, but your contests to attract more readers makes me wonder exactly who you hope to draw to your blog. If you are hoping to draw Christian, stay-at-home-moms then you have a good start and we might be able to brainstorm some other ways to draw readers. But you are already an agented writer and may be seeking a different audience. If you are, then you may need to rethink your blog posts.

What are your thoughts, my dear readers? And what have you all been up to this holiday season? I've missed you tons!

Merry Christmas Blogging Vacation

2011-12-23T01:10:00.000-07:00

One of my main jobs - yes, I have several - is as a Music Director for a church. I direct 5 choirs and all the holidays are actually my biggest work days. This season has been crazy and the next few days will be even more so.

For that reason I am taking off from blogging until January 2nd.

Enjoy the holiday and I hope and pray you get to spend it with people you love. Thank you for being readers! I have truly been blessed to know you all :)

Blog Critique: Don't Forget the Samovar

2011-12-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

Don't Forget the Samovar. That's really the name of Kristen I-think-she-wants-to-remain-anonymous's blog. I went through her archives and read her first blog post just so I could get some insight to her blog title. Go ahead and check out her blog and read her first blog post because we will talk about it below.

Alright, Kristen, I have things I love about your blog and thing's I think you could improve upon. But first, let's not ignore the elephant in the room: your blog title. I've said in the past, your title should include your name. It's how you get people to remember you and find you easily. With your title, I don't remember you, I remember samovars.

But here's the thing: if you're blog isn't about you making a name for yourself in the writing world, if it isn't about you trying to get an agent or published or about selling books, then you can name your blog whatever makes you happy. And I sense this title makes you happy. So if you haven't decided already, then that's what you need to do before considering any of the changes I suggest below because these suggestions are for the purpose of platform building blogs.

Now that that's out of the way, here's some other things to consider:

I love the cool blue background color of your blog. It's easy to look at and calming.
The designers and I don't, however, like the way your sidebar hangs off the white background. I don't mind the posts hanging over the white - that almost looks cool - but the title and the sidebar look awkward.
The blue color of your text on top of the blue background in your posts is hard to read. Joe suggests you stick with the light blue color you sometimes use (and I agree).
Move your profile up top on your sidebar. You should be the first thing we see followed by your followers.
I love that you have your labels at the bottom of the blog. It keeps your blog from looking cluttered and it looks very natural.
Use more pics. A follower reading on a Google Reader won't see your blog design, but they will see your pictures.
Pictures should feel your blog post - don't leave negative space around them. Set them on a large setting. If they still don't fill the space, set your pics next to your words.

Overall, I really enjoy your blog. I like your spirit and your writing style. I really identified with your post about the kids having too many days off from school. Boy, is that not the truth! I think the only real issue with your blog is that I don't know what you intend it to be. Decide if you are blogging for your own enjoyment - a perfectly valid choice - or if you are blogging to market yourself. Make this one decision and the rest should really fall into place.

I'd love to hear what you all think about Kristen's fun title. Any other suggestions for this awesome blogger?

Blog Critique: Claire Hennessy

2011-12-19T01:20:00.000-07:00

We're back to a regular blog critique week, meaning two. Today's blog comes from Brit-turned-Californian, Claire Hennessy at Crazy California Claire. This is a baby blog, just started in August. Go take a look and we can gather back here for a run-down of my thoughts.

Claire, you've got a lot of awesome going on. Also a few things that you could change to give you some more pizzazz. And couldn't we all use more pizzazz? Let's start with the awesome first:

Profile location is excellent.
Layout of blog is clear. I really like the one sidebar blog. It makes the layout really clean.
Very uncluttered. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love the simple approach.
Your blog posts are clearly separated from your sidebar. The lighter color behind your posts really highlights this. It's a great effect.
We like the overall look - it goes with your character though I would call it more whimsical than crazy. (I'm not telling you to change your title, just sayin' my impression.)
You connect to samples of your work. This is excellent if you are pursuing publication.
You include a way to contact you. Essential.
I know what you write and pretty much who you are.
You use pictures in your posts. Nice.

Now for a blog with more pizzazz, consider:

Fill up the space with your pictures. There's a lot of negative space around your pics. If you can't get your picture big enough, at least put it next to your words.
Ease up on the exclamations! If your words and design are strong enough, you won't need the exclamation points. Let your excellent writing work for you. Save your exclamation points for really, really special occasions.
Add a search box. As you get more posts readers will especially want to be able to search through past posts. Always make it easy.
Give us a subtitle/tagline under your title that tells us a little more about your "message".
Your posting is sporadic. Having a dedicated schedule is helpful when building a following. Along with that, posting your blogging schedule is useful to new followers.
You have labels on your posts, but no easy way to access them. Add a label cloud either on your sidebar or bottom of your blog.

One final thing: your blog reads like it's a random thoughts sort of place. Which is great, if that's what you're going for - you've got it down. But if that isn't what you're going for, well, first you need to decide what it is you are going for and work from there. That's often the biggest challenge for baby blogs like yours - it takes a minute to decide exactly who you are and what your message is. Make it a goal to discover what you want to say and you'll get there.

Great job, Claire! Thanks for submitting. Readers, any feedback for Claire?

Saturday Savvy Sensation Day Off

2011-12-17T10:54:00.002-07:00

After our incredibly packed week of blog critiques, I decided today deserved a day off and didn't schedule a savvy sensation.

I do, however, want to update about Julie Hedlund's MeeGenius Rankings. Before she implemented my suggestions, Julie had 181 votes and was ranked at #47. After a week of an impromptu blog tour and amazing contest promoting her story, Julie now has...

468 votes

and is ranked #17

Way to go, Julie!

Thanks to everyone who helped Julie out this week. You've all made her and her story a Savvy Sensation!

And if you haven't voted, it's not too late to do so now!

Blog Critique: Emily Veinglory

2011-12-15T21:43:00.002-07:00

Have we run the gamut this week? Not yet. Not until we review today's blog from Emily Veinglory, www.eroticromancepublishers.com Yup. We've gone from picture books to erotica. Take a peek - take your time. I'll be here when you return.

Emily, I think the blog looks really good. I like the header. The size of it is good and your title is good since it tells us exactly what you are about. I'm not too fond of the background. The dark color of it is nice but the squares don't invoke romance or erotica. You want a swirling shape if you are going to use shapes in the background - curves and swirls bring to mind bodies and such.

Generally I say to move the followers up higher on your blog. However, it's not as important on a blog like yours because it is likely that many of your followers are anonymous. I think that especially because of the number of unique hits you told me you get compared to the number of your followers. Instead, you need to make it easiest to follow by reader or email. Put these up top so people can find them right away.

I really like the clean look of your lists. (Yay! I'm even on your blog list!) I wish they were just a bit bigger but I understand you need to have them small to fit in the two column format. Instead, consider enlarging the font and moving to a one column sidebar instead. You have a lot of room lower in your sidebar so you can move the publisher list lower -especially since you have a publisher page as well.

The headers for your blog posts could be larger as well. Not much larger, just one or two font sizes. Your footers are a bit hard to read because they are so light. Can you use a dark gray instead of a light gray?

Really those are all minor. Besides your look and function though, you talked to me about trying to get more traffic to your site. I'm not sure what you are doing now but some suggestions for traffic increase are:

comment and follow lots of blogs that are in your genre
invite other bloggers in your genre to guest post
give prompts to your readers before the comments - this engages readers more and makes them want to share, return, follow. By prompts I mean ask them a specific question so they have one to answer in the comments.
create fun buzz - come on, you've got the perfect excuse to be sexy and suggestive - go for it! Get your readers talking about sex. I love Roni Loren's boyfriend of the week segment, for example. It drives us to her blog to fantasize. Drive us to your blog to fantasize, to dream, to live out our inhibitions. Maybe invite other bloggers to give us some steamy excerpts to post - well, minus the parts that make it real erotica, but enough to make people perk up, if you know what I mean. (When you're looking at Roni's site, also notice the softer feel of her background - that speaks more erotica to me than the squares).
give us more pictures! Sexy pics. That will get you more traffic....
make sure you send out quarterly newsletters/emails to all your publishers and applicable authors to remind them to follow your blog for all the latest sales information.

Okay, that's all I got. Except I must say again: more pictures! Because the romance fans like to see the yummy stuff.

Anyone else like seeing the yummy stuff? What else would you suggest to our wonderful blog victim, I mean, Emily?

Blog Critique: Karen Kyle Ericson

2011-12-15T01:23:00.001-07:00

While I don't usually critique blogs that aren't writer blogs, today I've made an exception to review Karen Kyle Ericson's photography blog, Greetings from Monmouth County. Take a look, enjoy her photos, and come on back.

Karen is a busy blogging bee. Besides her photography blog, Karen also blogs at Hope, Faith, and Life. Plus pretty much all the photography on both sites are taken by her.

Okay, girl, I'm admitting upfront I don't have a lot to say. Most of my critiques are generally about how to run a blog as a writer - both pre and post published - and it's tricky to transfer some of those tips. But here are the things I thought about when looking at your blog:

Your profile should go at the top of your sidebar. We need to see who you are right upfront. Especially if you are trying to get freelance work from your blog.
Your title should have something to do with what your blog is about. I understand you live in Monmouth and take pics there, but someone is more likely to find your blog in a Google search if you have relevant words in your title.
I know who you are and what you do without researching. That's great!
You're a photographer and your pics are the stars of your blogs. Give them the size they deserve! Adjust the widths on your blog so that you can always set your pics to the extra large setting. You could really lose the sidebar so your photos give even more dramatic impact as Greg Kendall-Ball's photo blog does.
I love that you tell the story behind your pics. That makes you different from other blogs.
I want to see a picture you've taken or something more picturesque in your header. Less wording up there for sure. Don't tell us who you are - show us! Even a simple, abstract header like the one at Matt Bell's photography blog is enough to show who you are artistically.
I like the really neutral background - it helps bring out your pictures. It's especially nice that it isn't just one color but a nice palette of blue, dark gray and that orange you use for some of your titles.
Bring your links to purchase pics right to your blog. Don't make people go to your website to make purchases. You can also sell them right on your blog like this blog, Tree in the Forest.
Quotes are nice, but I'd rather see the quotes you have in your sidebar as links to purchase your work. If you spread your quotes among your posts that would show better. Maybe have one of those quotes as your tagline in your header and lose the rest of the words. You could lose the labels from the sidebar as well and put it as a footer so that the words distract less from the photos.
Get us a real easy way to contact you. How can we hire you to freelance if we don't know how to find you?

I love your pictures. They are beautiful. Make them the spotlight and your sight will really shine. Good luck with all you do and thanks for letting me attempt to give some advice!

Any tips for Karen and her beautiful photography?

Blog Critique: Random Thoughts

2011-12-14T00:48:00.001-07:00

Day 3 of Blog Critique Awesomeness. It's unbelievable how fast this week is going! And let me just give you a heads up that the rest of the week is going to bring some unexpected blogs. But today is less unexpected and more random. Random Thoughts, that is, a blog by Cynthia (I don't know if she wants to share her last name - she leaves it off her blog). Go ahead and peek over there and pop on back.

Cynthia, I have to tell you how I love that red. When we moved in our current home, I immediately painted the walls in my living room that color. But then we thought we were going to sell and we painted the walls this really neutral beige. We ended up not selling, and at first I was really bummed that I had painted over the red. Since we've been living with the beige, however, I've discovered that the thing about neutral is that it makes the rest of the stuff in the room sparkle and shine more than the red did. Before, the red was the attraction. Now, the room is.

My point is - though I'm not sure this story illustrates this - is that the red color that I love in your blog, would have more impact if it didn't consume so much of your blog. Joe says this in design terms with, "you need to get a palette". (He says this often enough to me that I think it can just be a Joe catch-phrase.) What this means is picking several colors that go well together and using them consistently. You aren't completely one color - we do see that - your header is darker than your post and so is the footer. You have a nice yellowish color for your title color. But the white on the red is hard on the eyes. And the red you sometimes use in your query critiques is hard to read. Even switching the white to the headline color and using that yellow would help more. I would prefer to see your post area to be another shade of red or pink. It would broaden your palette plus separate your center section from your sidebars. Use this website to help get some good coordinating colors.

Other than that, you've got some real good stuff going on. Here's five things I love about your blog:

It's not cluttered, even with two sidebars.
You have your schedule posted. Love this.
Your profile is up top.
You have a search box.
You help people write their synopses.

Here's a few things that could really polish your blog up to the next level:

Use pictures in every post. People who read on Google Reader will not see your colors, but they will see a picture. It's a nice touch.
I know you don't like to share a lot about yourself, and that's fine. But a little more info in your profile would be good. Even just a line about what you write would be helpful. You could also tell us you're a mother or that you love dogs.
Move your followers up under your profile. Let them know they are important plus it makes it easy for new followers to follow.
Your tagline is true, but it doesn't really say anything about your blog. Tweaking your tag so it has purpose would be a better choice. Let us know you are a writer. Let us know you help other writers. Tell us what you mean for your blog to accomplish.
I'm not so sure about the Daily Puppy. It's kind of cute, and gives a little of your personality. Perhaps just don't put it in such a prominent position.

Great job blogging, Cynthia. I'm impressed when anyone makes it over a year and you offer a great service to your readers. Keep up the great work and I'm certainly going to ask for your help when I have to write my next synopsis. Ew, I hate those!!

What are your thoughts, readers? Do you like the Daily Puppy?

Blog Critique: Susan Roebuck

2011-12-13T00:26:00.004-07:00

Day 2 of Blog Critiquing Awesomeness: I really enjoy critiquing published author's blogs like Susan Roebuck's because after publication, platform and blogging becomes critical. Why don't you take a peek over there and come on back.

Susan, first of all, you are one of the sweetest bloggers out there. I love to read your blog and see your personality pop through. Just lovely. Your blog is set up and organized very well and the layout is clean and clear. There is a great separation from your sidebar and main area. The background is a nice touch. You should be very happy with it. There are just a few minor graphic notes, mainly from Joe:

Header: The black box around your text is sloppy compared to the rest of your blog. The tagline should be indented to match the indent on your "Home" button. Even better, center your tagline. Also, it would be nice if your headline color matched a color from the graphic. I'm also not sure who you are from your header image. I don't get published author from it.
Title: I love the title because is the origin of my name, the beautiful lauracea plant (laurel plants). However, it doesn't say your name or what your blog is about either and that's really preferred. It's hard to remember what lauracea has to do with Susan the writer. Know what I mean?
Navigation: Your navigation text is a little on the small side. Also, the green color that shows up when you are on that page needs to be lighter so it can be seen better.
Sidebar order: For a published author I recommend that your book(s) should be first, then your profile (which you don't have at all), then followers. You want it to be easy to follow you so make that accessible. Even though you have an about me page, a small profile is good so people don't have to look for you. And awards are not as important as being able to make a book purchase. Also, if you declutter your awards and such your reviews will stand out more.
Some pictures go over the posting area. Adjusting your blog widths will fix this. See my Sunday post if you need help with this. You can also change your Facebook graphic that goes over in your sidebar by adjusting the width in the HTML text.
Formatting: When you copy and paste text into your blog, make sure to erase the format and so that it looks uniform.

Sincerely, those are really small corrections and as I went through my blog checklist, I found very little for you to change. Great job!

There is one overall question I have, though, and I think addressing the answer could really bump your blog to the next level: what do you want your blog to say? Right now I don't know. You told me that you mostly blog as an author helping other authors, but I don't really get that sense at first impression. I also don't have a real sense of what you write from your blog. Romance, right? Or LGBT? Let us have a little more sense of that in your blog colors and your header. I really feel your blog is more scrapbook at this point - which is not a bad thing if that's what you intend it to be. I'd be happy to talk with you more about possible ideas to get across your message once I know what it is. Just let me know!

What do you think, dear readers? Do you have suggestions for Sue? Do you know who she is from her blog? I know she'd love to hear your comments!

Blog Critique: Julie Hedlund

2011-12-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

Today begins 5 days of blog critiquing awesomeness. Are you ready for it? We're starting off with a bang with the amazing pre-published author Julie Hedlund. Check out her blog real quick and come back to see what we're gonna chat about today.

Okay, Julie's blog is pretty much perfect. She has a great title, it's beautifully laid out, easy to read, easy on the eyes, organized very well, and so on and so on. Take special note on how she handles her blog roll -even though she has a lot of names, they are very cleanly listed and don't seem cluttered at all. (My only grievance is that I didn't find my name listed among them... :)

Anyway, I'm breezing through this part because this isn't what we're going to talk about in regards to Julie's blog. What we are going to talk about is that little box that says "Vote For My Story!" See, last week when I stopped by her blog, I noticed Julie was in the middle of a MeeGenius Author challenge. She entered a contest with MeeGenius that required her to do some of her own promoting and getting people to vote for her picture book. Problem was, she wasn't promoting her story very much. That vote for my story box wasn't there. I'm not saying she was doing nothing - she was tweeting and encouraging people to vote through a few mentions on her blog - but I sensed she needed a bit more of a push. So with only a week left for gathering votes, I decided to give Julie some ideas to get the word out about her book. Hopefully the tips I gave her are also helpful to all of you whether promoting for a contest or a newly released published book. Here's the highlights of what I told Julie last week:

Run a contest on your blog. The winner will get something cool. To enter to win, readers must tweet, facebook or blog about your book entry at MeeGenius. They must include a link to your entry to be counted as an entry. They get one chance to win with each that they do. Have them put in the comments links to where they facebooked, blogged, or tweeted about your book.
Set up a mini-blog tour. Yes, it's short notice, but you could tweet or blog out a call for anyone who might want to help. Be sure to post a schedule of your blog tour. .
If you don't get enough bites on the blog tour, you could offer to do joint promotion with one of the other entry winners. Now this sounds devious, but pick someone who doesn't have a lot of votes. You don't want to help out someone who is already winning! Anyway, contact the author and ask if they would like to write a post on your blog about their book in exchange for you writing a post on their blog about your book. It seems like you are shooting yourself in the foot, but it actually is a great way to reach out to your fellow authors and show support. I believe in author karma and this will get you a ton of it.
Make sure you get optimum traffic to your blog this next week, whatever methods of promoting you decide to do there, by commenting on lots of other blogs. Look at all your followers and try to leave meaningful comments on all of their blogs. A lot of bloggers will visit you because you have recently visited them. The more comments you leave on other blogs, the more likely it is they will visit you.
You need a button/badge in your sidebar near the top directing people to your entry. Don't make them read your posts to find out about your book

As you may have noticed, Julie's already implemented many of those ideas. Consider sharing her link and entering her contest. And then, I urge you to check out her story at MeeGenius, not only to vote, but also to keep track of her votes. This is sort of like an experiment for all of us. I'm very excited to see how it works out for her. As I type this, she has 206 votes and is ranked at 45. The first round voting ends Dec. 18th. The first round finalists are chosen by an unknown combination of votes and MeeGenius staff. If Julie makes the first round, her story will be professionally edited, illustrated and animated and reposted for the finals in March. LET'S GET JULIE TO THE FINALS AND DISCOVER THE POWER OF ONLINE MARKETING.

What do you say? Do you have any ideas to help Julie? Please share!

Adjusting Blog Template Width

2011-12-10T03:00:00.001-07:00

Surprise, surprise, I'm here on a Sunday. I'm just doing a quick pop in and out though. I had a request to show how I adjusted the width of my blog posts so I'm gonna give you all a quick run through. It's easy peasy lemon squeezy.

First, click Design in the top right corner of your blog. That brings you to this page (or one similar) if you are using the newest version of Blogger:

If you aren't using the newest version of Blogger and want to do this, just click that line at the top that says something like "Try Blogger's new look". Afterward, if you don't like it, you can always "switch back" just by clicking those words (found by my profile pic in the upper right). I switch back and forth a lot since you can't do everything in either format.

Now see that orange button that says "Customize"? It's right below the picture of my blog. Next you click that. Now you see something like this:

Not all templates have all the same options, but this is where you can make all the tweaks to your design. I particularly like to go to "Advanced". You can mess with tons of your design there. So much fun!

Anyway, to adjust your widths, click on (duh) "Adjust widths". Now you get:

Here you can move the slider or type in numbers until you get the look you want. Previously I adjusted my sidebar here as well so that some of the things I had over there would fit better. This last time I just moved the slider until pictures fit how I wanted.

When you get the look you want, don't forget to hit that orange button in the top right that says "Apply to blog".

Simple, right? Any questions? Let me know in comments and I'll try to help you out :)

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Matt MacNish

2011-12-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

It only makes sense to preface next week's blog critique week featuring one of the most popular bloggers to have been critiqued on this blog. (Did that make sense?) This time, though, Matt MacNish is here being spotlighted as a Savvy Sensation. And I'm so excited for this because MATT ROCKS!

I can't have Yoda as your profile pic, Matt.
So this is what you get to live with.

Now that I've gotten that out, let's hear from the bad ass himself:

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?

I've only got one novel finished, which is actually not really done, because it's still in revision, but the working title is WARRIOR-MONKS, and I call it a YA Rural Fantasy. I'm not sure what you mean by stats but I have two Flash Fiction pieces published in the anthology Literary Foray, from Static Movement Press.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

I blog at The QQQE, and you can also find me on Facebook, and Twitter.

When did you begin your online platform building?

I started the blog on March 3, 2010. Everything else has come from that.

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

Well my blog has always been about queries. It's evolved from posting my own bad queries, to sharing the successful queries of other writers, to most recently, critiquing the queries of other writers, now that I know what I'm talking about.

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?

I think the most important things when it comes to building followers are these: read a lot of blogs, comment, and make your comments thoughtful. Be genuine, a lot of people talk about not covering certain topics, and I don't do politics or religion, but otherwise I try to be myself, because after all it's me that people are connecting with. Help others. By paying it forward, I can promote my blog without making it all about me. I get so tired sometimes of seeing nothing but promotion, but when I do it, people see I'm actually promoting helping someone else.

What have you done that has failed?

I used to put links to my own posts at the end of the comments I left on other blogs. It was too selfish, too pretentious, and too annoying. I actually got emails from a few different blogs asking me not to do that.

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

It used to be 2-3 hours a day. But I've started to cut back recently. I love blogging, but it's really been getting in the way of writing.

What else should we know about you?

Not much. I'm a dad, I work in IT, but it's a dreadfully boring, soul-sucking day job. I used to be a DJ and own a record label, but I gave up on it, and now have about 2500 vinyl records in boxes in the garage. Other than that, and writing, I'm pretty boring.

Any additional advice for our readers?

Read everything you can get your hands on, and write like your life depends on it. But, there's no need to force it when the inspiration isn't there.

What makes you unique?

What doesn't?

Did I mention Matt's savvy? And sensational? And so super awesomely rockin'? Yeah, you already know it. He looks like he was a DJ, doesn't he? He probably rocked that job as well. Thanks for being here, Matt! Come by anytime :)

Face Myself Friday: Another win!

2011-12-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

I suppose Face Myself Friday may be a recurring series because here it is again.

First, as always, housekeeping: I had an overwhelming amount of requests for blog critiques early in the series. Truthfully, I think most of them came from Matt McNish followers who followed on over when I critiqued his awesome blog (Love you all!). Speaking of whom, come back tomorrow to see some more Matt. Oh, now I'm off topic. Let me try again:

Next week, in order to kick out a bunch of those critiques, I will be featuring a critique everyday. That's right: FIVE DAYS of BLOG CRITIQUING AWESOMENESS! So get your blog critique thinking caps on a be ready for Monday. You won't want to miss some of the awesome blogs on ~~the chopping block~~ line up.

Next little bit of housekeeping: You may have noticed (or not) that my blog is a little wider than it was previously. I added 80 pixels of width because every time I tried to make a picture extra large, it wandered over into my sidebar. After Wednesday's blog critique when Joe suggested to Gillian to make her pictures fill as much of the space as possible, I realized I needed to take that advice as well. I added the 80 pixels, and now the extra large pics fill the space without going over.

This is how winning makes me feel. (Even second place.)

And now, I have another win to share! I had completely forgotten that I entered Rachel McClellan's awesome Oktoberfest blog contest. Mostly I entered because I loved the idea of sharing my favorite scene from the novel that I am currently querying. After I sent Rachel my entry, I put the whole thing out of my mind because, duh, NaNo was upon me. In November, I completely abandoned blog visiting. I didn't even stop by Rachel's blog and leave comments on the other entries! Such a no no....

Anyway, Rachel emailed me this week to tell me I tied for second in a three way tie!! Thank you so much, Rachel for the AMAZING OPPORTUNITY. The best part? Cedar Forts Acquisitions Editor, Angie Workman has requested a full manuscript from me!

I have dedicated myself to pursuing publication through an agent so an acquisitions editor requesting my book comes as a total surprise. How exciting to try another road. (And scary. I've been staring at the submissions form for over an hour now. I'm such a pussy...) Anyhoo, wish me luck!

Has your writing/querying taken an unexpected turn? Tell us about it in the comments.Le

Blog Critique: Gillian Hefer

2011-12-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you all a little about my blog critique process. If I am not currently a follower of your blog and you ask me to critique you, I will generally not go look at your blog until a week or so before I review you. Why? I want the first impression to be new in my mind.

Well, let me tell you I was slightly surprised when I first visited today's blog: Gillian Hefer's A Daft Scots Lass. First, I generally only critique author blogs, and Gillian's is not striving for authorship as far as I can tell. (I will have some slightly different advice for her because of this.) Second, she's got a mouth on her, so please be prepared for that when you check out her page. Then hurry on back so we can discuss.

Oh, oh, Gillian. I love you. The first post I read was your 5 gigs of porn addition to the 12 days of Christmas. I had to show my husband because I was LMAO. So awesome, you have personality.

But even personality needs a filter.

After I watched your "Because I'm a Red Head" youtube video, I completely got the red upon red in your blog design. You are funny, crass, and abrasive (in an entertaining way). The look of your blog is also very crass and abrasive. I get that this is your thing. But you can get your personality across in ways that are a little more pleasing to the eye. Ways that will keep your readers on your blog just a wee bit longer. Here's some suggestions (mostly from our graphic designer, Joe):

Vary that font. It's fine for your post headers but it's hard to read for an entire post. Choose something like gill sans - it actually appears quite elegant and at first glance may not feel the way you want it to, but it is the classic comedy font, according to Joe. You will see it on most comedy movie posters. It portrays the comedy feeling without making your readers cringe.
Lose the white space in your posts. Once you clean up your font that white space will stand out even more. Right now it is almost necessary to have it because the font is too hard to read for a long period of time but you're really just fixing a sin with another sin.
You need to get a palette. Right now you are mostly red and white and that's not a color palette, that's just one color. Yes, you throw in some blue here and there but it really doesn't go - it's just another bright color. Visit here for some ideas on how to expand that palette. Then use these new additional colors in your header, post titles, date title, etc. And keep them consistent.
Separate your sidebar. It's on white just like your main posts with nothing to indicate where one ends and one begins. Give it another background color, if you can. Speaking of your sidebar...
Clean it up. You got tons of junk there. Pick five things you just have to keep and lose the rest. That's my suggestion.
Make your pics feel the entire width of your blog post. If they don't or you can't change the width to make them do so, put them on the side of text. All that white space, as I said before, is just awkward.

To finish this review off, I'd like to share five very lovely things about your outrageous blog:

I know who you are.
Your profile pic and About Me is very appropriately positioned.
Your profile pic is gorgeous.
You make me laugh (read her 100 things about me)
You talk about your boobs and camel toe.

Love you, Gillian. Hope these suggestions help. You're uniquely awesome. Thanks for making my day!

Blog Critique: Theresa Milstein

2011-12-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

Oo, this is awkward...see, I love Theresa Milstein. I've been a fan of her's for awhile. She was even one of my first Saturday Savvy Sensations when her blog was still called "Substitute Teacher's Saga". So now I'm supposed to critique her???

Well, if it's helpful....but just remember, Theresa, that it all comes out of love :) If you haven't already, take a look at Theresa's blog here.

First, a few things that I LOVE about Theresa's blog:

I know who she is
I know what she writes
I know what her blog is about
She links to where you can purchase her writing
She has contact information posted
She tells us what is upcoming on her blog (nice touch)
Her posts are relevant
Her posts are interactive
Her sidebar is clearly separated from her main post area
Her background is simple and doesn't distract
Oh, and I love alliteration (have you noticed?) so your title makes me smile

Now for the tough love. Most of these suggestions actually have to do with visual appeal, except for the first one. Read on:

Get your profile up higher in your sidebar, girl! I actually don't mind you putting Fangtales up first because it is your priority - selling that book, I mean - but right under that we should have your profile pic and About Me. Don't make us go looking. Speaking of your sidebar...
Make sure all your graphics fit in the sidebar space. If they are too big, you can make them smaller. I'm talking about your Fan Box and your Map Loco. You have to do a little more advance editing (go into the html and change the "width" number; experiment until it's the right size). It will really clean your blog up.
Don't use so much blank space in your posts. Tighten up your paragraphs. Think of people who are reading you on their phones - dead space SUCKS! (and not in a good way:)
Make your pictures bigger. This will help with some of your dead white space. Joe recommends putting your pics left justified with your words next to them to help with this as well.vAnother of Joe's suggestions...
Use color, bold, and italics to liven up your helvetica font. Using a contrasting color like yellow/gold in your posts will really look good with your blue/purple background. Visit this site for some fun help.
Watch the consistency of your font - don't change it up randomly.
Enlarge your post headings. Joe recommends post headings be at least 20% larger than the body of your posts. Set this once in your settings and you won't have to think about it again.

Ok, I'm done. Was that so bad? No, I suppose not. But I have to say that really none of this stuff matters that much because Theresa has mastered the number one most important thing about blogging: Building Relationships. Theresa is maybe the sweetest blogger out there. She responds to every comment and is so in tune with her followers. This is really the true artistry of blogging, isn't it?

Thanks for being here again, Theresa! You're always welcome.

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Lynda Young

2011-12-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

You know how I love the bloggers on The Write Advice Facebook page (look there on the side and like us if you haven't :). So today's Savvy Sensation is another of those wonderful bloggers: Lynda R. Young. Yes, she's cool. Yes, she's awesome - just look at the name of her blog, "W.I.P. It" - cool, right? And she lives Down Under. Ultra awesome. Well, read on and find out for yourself:

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?

This is a question I often ask myself. I'm not sure I have the answer yet. While I'm trying to figure it out, I write young adult novels and speculative short stories. I live in Sydney, Australia, with an adorable supportive husband and a cat who thinks she rules the world.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

I'm all over the place, though some places I'm more active than others. In descending order of activity:

Blog: WIP It http://lyndaryoung.blogspot.com

Twitter: @LyndaRYoung http://twitter.com/LyndaRYoung

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynyoung

Google+: https://plus.google.com/103607136380699963229/posts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4821967-lynda-young

When did you begin your online platform building?

I started a devotional blog in February last year. At the time I thought I wanted to pursue a career in Christian non-fiction. That soon changed when I reacquainted myself with the joys of fiction. I began my writing blog in May of last year.

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

My blog offers writing and social media tips, but my main message is positivity and encouragement.

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?

When I first started blogging last year I flailed around with little idea of what I was doing. I soon learnt that blogging is more than writing interesting posts. It's about engaging in the community, being generous and active. So, the most successful thing I did was not to wait for people to find my blog. I went out and actively sought online friendships with other bloggers.

What have you done that has failed?

In an attempt to build my following, I made a few small mistakes in the beginning:

Not linking my blog to my Google profile so when I used the Google Friends Connect to follow someone's blog, they couldn't follow me back.
Only following blogs and not commenting.
Only commenting and not following.
Not making it easy for anyone visiting my blog to contact me.

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

I will admit I probably spend too much time blogging, posting, and commenting. While we only get out of it what we are willing to put in, we have to ask ourselves what exactly we want out of it. Ultimately I have to put my writing first so I try to keep my blogging down to an hour a day, with breaks on the weekend. I will occasionally spend longer, of course.

What else should we know about you?

An important fact: I love dark chocolate.

Any additional advice for our readers?

Whatever you choose to do in your life, whatever challenges you have to face, don't give up. Work at it with all you've got, find the support you need, and learn all you can. If you do this, then there can be no fail.

What makes you unique?

My stubby thumb.

Thank you so much, Laura, for this great opportunity to share on your blog.

My mother has a stubby thumb and she loves to tell me how it was the first thing she checked on my little hands when I was born. I did not inherit her uniqueness, I must confess. You've given some great tips based on your failures. Sorry you had to fail for us to learn! Thanks for being savvy and sensational!

Face Myself Friday

2011-12-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

I'm telling you right off the bat that if you only visit me to read marketing tips, I don't have them today. Instead I'm doing a Face Myself Friday, or aka, What I've Learned From NaNo.

First, though, I have to share that last week I was given an award from the awesome, wonderful Kelly Louise, the Gene Pool Diva of Diminishing Gene Pool. The rules of the award are to thank the person who gave it to you and link back to them (Hi, Kelly!), then list some of your favorite blogs.

I told Kelly I would post this last Sunday and I didn't because I can't seem to list my favorite blogs. I mean, I've told you before who they are, I ask many of them to be Savvy Sensations. And the others that I read - oh, it's so many. Hundreds. I'm mostly a lurker and comment very little - which goes totally against marketing advice - but it's me. Now to narrow down those blogs to a handful to pass this award on to? I'm having trouble. And I hate it when people say, "Just take the award if you want it." So here are simply the first ten in my Google Reader. They are lovely and deserve an award (as do all of you!) Check them out:

Now Face Myself Friday - Here's what I learned from NaNo:

I'm not a fast writer.
That's ok.
I like to write in spurts - a week of focus, then a week or so off.
That's ok, it's just my style.
I edit while I write.
That's ok, too. Isn't it?
My first draft takes a while, but when it's done, it is closer to a second or third draft because I'm such an editor.
I think that's better than ok.
So, obviously, I failed NaNo.
But that's ok because I realized things about myself as a writer and I am happy with those things.

How about you? Did you finish? What did you learn about yourself through NaNo?

Blog Critique: Joanna Marple

2011-11-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

You'll find Miss Marple's Musings, the subject of today's critique, at www.JoannaMarple.com Be quick, we'll meet below.

Oh, my fabulous Miss Marple: Your site is wonderful! I really have nothing to nitpick about. I tried to get my husband to say that you needed another color in the background to make it pop, but he said it was fine the way it is (except for a couple of weird lines in the top left of the black section - what is that?) With nothing to complain about, I'll highlight a few of the things you do right:

I know your name: It's in your title and prominently displayed in the profile.
I know what you write: You tell me in your About Me and you post about similar works.
I know how to follow you/subscribe: It's just under your profile - good job.
Your posts are easily distinguishable from your sidebar.
You have a search box and it's easy to find.
Your fonts are consistent.
It's easy to comment.
It's easy to share your posts.
It's easy to find you on Twitter and Facebook.
Your header is tied into your blog with your tagline (natural and cultural diversity of the world - I feel the natural world with the picture).
You use just enough pictures and color to make your posts stand out, but not crowd.

Let's face it: You're cool. That's all I got, Joanna. Anyone else?

Blog Critique: Diane Estrella

2011-11-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

The subject of today's crit comes from the very lovely Diane Estrella at www.dianeestrella.com. Go ahead take a peek.

Wow, Diane. The designers and myself love the look of your blog. It's clean and organized. The header is simple and doesn't take too much room. You use big, beautiful pictures that stand out and make your posts interesting. Your posts are separated from your sidebar and it is easy to distinguish one section from the other. Visually, this site is stunning. Great job!

Now some things to think about:

About page: I don't mind that you don't have a profile description on your first page because you have a clear link to your "About" page. However your about page doesn't tell us too much. It's cute and I get you have personality, but I don't know what you write, if you write, what your blog is supposed to be for, what you do or who you are. Give us some bio or tell us in a few sentences what you mean to be about. On that subject....
Tagline in header: "That's what I'm here for" is cutesy, but again it doesn't tell me much. Even a line before could help clarify; something like "Books. Fashion. Just Plain Life. That's what I'm here for." Or whatever is appropriate. I don't even know what your tagline would say because I'm not sure what your blog is about.
Advertising: I'm not a fan of ads on writer blogs, but I don't think your blog quite fits the mold of who my usual critique subjects are. If a blog is going to have ads, then I very much like the way you handle them. They are beautifully integrated and seem to fit your post subjects.
Subscribers/Followers: What's more important? Your followers and allowing people to subscribe or your advertising? I would move your followers higher or remove them all together. Having them below your advertisements makes them seem like an after thought while removing them makes it seem purposeful.
Reviews: It seems you post lots of reviews. Consider adding the word "Review" to your blog titles when you do. This allows search engines to pick you up more often when people search for reviews on certain topics and makes it easier for first time visitors to know what they're reading.
First impressions: Just a little FYI, Joe and I were immediately confused by the powdered detergent giveaway. I can't say you did anything wrong in the way you have it positioned and displayed, it's just one of the first things I saw. Perhaps if you put above it "Tropical Traditions Giveaway" then had the picture of the detergent. I don't know. Any thoughts, readers?

Beautiful blog, Diane. It would take very little to bump it up to the next level. Just add a bit of clarification and you're there. Great work and thanks for participating today!

Your turn, readers. Any feedback for Diane?

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Lydia Kang

2011-11-26T02:56:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday. And that means I have a Savvy Sensation to share with you: Lydia Kang. And let me tell you, she's super sensational. She's a mom, wife, part-time doctor, and a writer. She's also hilarious and beautiful, just take a look at her pic. Her debut novel, THE FOUNTAIN, is out in 2013. But you don't have to wait until then to find out more about her. Read on...

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?

I'm a mom of three kids, a part-time primary care internist, andmy passion is writing. I eat way too much salt, have a love of young adultfiction, and am geektastic at heart. I'm represented by Eric Myers of theSpieler Agency and my YA sci-fi novel, The Fountain, is coming out in 2013(Dial/Penguin).

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

http://lydiakang.blogspot.com

My blog is called The Word Is My Oyster. On Mondays I answerfictional medical questions and track down bizarre illnesses to fan the flamesof inspiration for other writers. Wednesdays are usually random writing-relatedstuff. Fridays I host authors. I have been known to blog about zombie ants andstinky medical conditions.

http://twitter.com/#!/LydiaYKang

http://www.facebook.com/lydiakang1

Whendid you begin your online platform building?

In March of 2010. My second blog post ever declared how I wasgoing to quit blogging. Luckily, I ignored that sentiment and just keptgoing.

Whatis your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

Don't eat as much salt as I do. Pretzels are not a food group,unless you want to wake up with sausage fingers and puffy eyes on a dailybasis. I'll leave it at that.

Howhave you built your followers? What have you done that has been the mostsuccessful?

I used to seek out new blogs and new civilizations, boldly goingwhere no one--oh crap, that's the wrong line.

Taketwo. I used to seek out new blogs, and most of the time, people would followback. Those who liked my content kept coming back. I participate in a fewblogfests every once in a while, because I can find new blogs (and bloggers canfind me) and it doesn't feel like I'm smarmily stalking strangers.

Thebottom line to my success, I believe, has ultimately been content and beingmyself. I think that Medical Mondays, which I was very embarrassed by at first,ended up being a big draw. It's really unique. I've embraced it completely. AndI am truly myself on the blog. A little kooky, at times serious, but generallythere to hang out with people I like and talk about what I'm passionateabout--writing. :)

Whathave you done that has failed?

I have been unable to make cold fusion work. I also can't bringElvis back from the dead. Oh I'm sorry--were we still talking aboutblogs?

Idon't proactively check blog posts as often as I should. I simply can't--I haveover 1000 followers at this point, and my first priority is always visiting theblogs of my commenters. Until I can figure out how to alter the space-timecontinuum, that will be my biggest failure.

Howmuch time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

I probably spend three hours each Sunday writing a week's worth ofposts. I spend anywhere from 1-4 hours on M,W, and F checking blogs andvisiting commenter's blogs. I feel horrible if I don't visit mycommenter's blogs within 2 days.

Whatelse should we know about you?

I can cuss in sign language. I'll never show you though, it's toodirty.

Anyadditional advice for our readers?

Learning how to write fiction has included a series ofmini-nirvanas for me. Show vs tell. Make every sentence count. Tension.Character arcs. Writing crappy stuff and having people tell you it'scrappy is part of the process. The trick is to find people who will tell youit's crappy in a nice way.

Whatmakes you unique?

My eleventh toe. Just kidding. People always praise me for doingso much--working, writing, momming (yes, I just made up that verb), making upverbs. But I'm far from perfect and I'm always late. Always.

Okay,but seriously? Here's a secret to my inner neuroses. I always had this fearthat I was smart but not smart enough. So I worked my a** off in school to getwhere I am. I think that when I tackle some new project, I put in 120% effortfor fear that 100% of me is never good enough. That recipe has always workedfor me so far. But at the end of the day, I'm always worried that I'm not goodenough.

Okay,should I charge you for this session, or what?

ThanksLaura for having me!

Um, wait, were we playing the psychiatrist in the end there, cuz then I should be charging you! So glad to have you Lydia. Congrats on everything you have accomplished and have yet to accomplish. You're savvy, sensational, and something else.

Blog Critique: Shah Wharton

2011-11-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

Blog Critique: In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. As always, I rely on help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby) and Joe LaRue. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.So remember that blog critique I was supposed to do Wednesday? Well, here it is!

And we're going about this critique in a different way, if you don't mind. Even if you do mind, I guess you don't really get a say...

Take a look at Shah Wharton's blog at WordsinSync.blogspot.com and we'll meet below.

Rather than give a full list of things I like and/or would do differently, I'm going to concentrate on just three elements. Ready, Shah? Let's go:

1. The blog header: It's beautiful. It really is. I love the colors and fonts. But it's way too big. We shouldn't have to scroll down to see your profile or your first posts. Also, we can't tell what's more important - the picture or the quote. I would pick one and lose the other.

2. Organization: Shah, your blog is going to allow us to have a much needed conversation about organization. In general it is best to MINIMIZE,MINIMIZE, MINIMIZE. It makes blogs easier to read, follow, enjoy, etc. I'm all for simple, clean, uncluttered blogs.

That being said, I get that you are a collector and that's the spirit of you. Which means you've got to spend extra time working on organizing and cleaning your blog. First, make a list of the top five or so elements on your blog. For sure your blog posts and profile should be on your list. They could be, for example:

header picture
profile
blog posts
follow button
popular posts

Whatever your list is, they should be prominent. That means immediately we should see them. If this list were your list, you'd already have some work to do. I can't see your profile without scrolling down, I can't find the follow button or popular posts very easily, and I have to look for your posts! You should then cut out anything that prevents us from seeing those things (such as your announcement, the header quote, etc.).

Now that doesn't mean you can just throw everything at the bottom of your blog (you told me you do this, so I know you already are aware of this). The next step is to list the next five to ten elements that you really, really want to keep. Twelve elements tops. Maybe your list looks like this:

subscribe box
search box
archives
social media connections (just one with all of them, not a ton for each one)
followers (only one follower box, not several)
poll question
cool blogs
Linky links

These should go be on your sidebar in a clean, easy to find style. All the rest of your elements need to go. Cut them out entirely. Delete them. If you absolutely can't bear to part with them, create a page that's just for your stuff. Call it something like My Stuff or Random or whatever. Put the extra elements there.

I know that people who read your blog on Google Reader will not be affected by all of this, but the reader's who do physically visit your blog will be much more happy to stay on your blog and read more.

3. Advertising: We've never talked about it here, but I'd be interested in knowing what people's thoughts are on blogs that have paid ads. My gut is that unless you want to be a professional blogger, you should do without. It confuses your readers. Is this blog for us or for you? Is this blog about your writing or is it about what Google wants us to buy? I don't want to knock a source of income if it is important to you to have it, but these are important things to consider.

Just because it seems I've been really critical about Shah's blog, I must say there are several things I am very happy to see:

soothing colors
blog depth (pages)
linky links
search box
she has her contact info
she has polls (polls are an awesome way to interact with readers)
she has some great post content
she's really involved in the writing community

Trim the fat and your blog will be ready to go. Keep up the good work, Shah, and thanks for being here (and for dealing with my change of schedule)!!

What do you think about ads, dear readers? And about Shah's blog in general? Please share!

No Capcha, Please

2011-11-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Funny story: I was supposed to do a blog critique today and got tied up with family here for the holidays and an emergency at work. So I've moved the blog crit to Friday and here's Friday's post today instead. (Um, I guess that's not really a funny story, but that's what I'm going with.)

I've said this before, but I must blab about it again. The other day I was bloghopping and one of the sites had a captcha (word verification) you had to enter before you could follow and I just couldn't enter it right for whatever reason. (I'm a moron, maybe?)

This is an example of a captcha or word verification.

So I gave up.

Seriously.

I would have followed that blog and maybe would have loved it forever and ever, but I got frustrated and walked away. That blogger lost a reader and a potential customer.

Moral of the story: Make it easy for readers to follow you. Make it easy for them to comment. Make it easy for them to interact with you. You want readers, remember? Don't put up barriers unless absolutely necessary (like a million spammers, then I understand but I'll still be sad about it).

That's not just from a marketing perspective, it's also a pet peeve.

Are there things that will keep you from following a blog? How do you feel about captchas?

Blog Critique: Janet Johnson

2011-11-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Blog Critique Day: In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. For today's critique I reeled in my husband, graphic designer, Tom Barnes. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

Wanna know how it's done? Then you must check out Janet Sumner Johnson's blog, the subject of today's critique. Yes, go now! We'll discuss below.

Oh, Janet, you do everything right. Let's break it down:

Your name is in your title. Sweet!
Your profile is high and visible
It's easy to navigate
Your background color is not too busy, but it gives visual interest
It is mega easy to become a follower
You tell me when you post (Mondays and Thursdays) and...
...it's not too much or too little
You blog on topic
I know what your topic is
You tell me about your writing
You have an "About Me" page
You make it easy for me to contact you
You have an easy to read, non-cluttered format
You have a search box on your blog
You have your blog linked up in your profile
Your blog posts are not too long
You give your readers a prompt to urge comments
You respond to comments
You tell us why you when you don't comment
You use pictures in your posts
You have important info in your sidebar (contest end dates, current polls)

And I discovered all of this after only three minutes on your blog. That means I didn't have to search, everything was easy to find. I sincerely have nothing more to say, which is truly a first. Okay, some people may not like the red, but you're never going to please everyone.

Surely a reader out there must have some advice for Janet? Please share your thoughts!

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Lola Sharp

2011-11-19T10:11:00.001-07:00

I'm getting this up a little late this morning so I'll be brief in my introduction. Today's Savvy Sensation is Lola Sharp of Sharp Pen/Dull Sword (awesome title, huh?). Her blog is beautiful and awesome and if you haven't ever stopped by there, I encourage you. Now, here's Lola:

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?
I write for adults and YA. I'm currently working on a contemp. YA with magical realism. I generally write with a slant towards literary-style prose.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)? Blog:http://sharppendullsword.blogspot.com Twitter: @LolaSharp GoodReads: LolaSharp.

When did you begin your online platform building?
I've been blogging for about 18 months and on Twitter for about 8 months. Neither were to build a platform, but just to connect with other writers and readers. When I started I didn't even know what the term 'platform' meant. I've never been about the numbers. Honestly, it's about the friendships and connection. I wish I had more time to connect more often.

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?
Hehe. 'Message', that is a good one. ;) I 'pants' my way through life, writing and blogging. I have never had a blog schedule, I've never had a topic plan. Sometimes I blog about what's going on in my life, sometimes I post an essay or short story, sometimes I talk about books I've read and loved recently, sometimes I talk about craft and writing or conferences or fellow writers. Sometimes I do all of the above in one post. I have no system and I don't pre-write posts. (I should, but I just don't have the time.) Basically, I'm a study in what not to do, but it works for me.

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?
Honestly, I have no idea. I will say that I sincerely appreciate and adore every visitor, every follower and every comment and I try to visit them all back and follow back. Because, really, it is all about the connection, the relationships. I truly care about every writer, every person I've met in this amazing online community. I think what I've done best is to get out there and visit other blogs and leave comments about their posts, connect with them. Early on that was a lot easier. The more friends you make, the harder it is to get around. I try my best to get around to everyone else's blogs, because I love reading everyone's posts and catching up on their lives and their writing process and progress. But, it's an impossible task to visit everyone every week. (I think that's why I love Twitter so much...I can pop on, say hello to everyone, connect, and then pop off. It's more time effective. But, it's different.)

What have you done that has failed?
Well, I don't blog or tweet for 'success', so I don't fully understand this question. BUT, I will say, I do feel like a failure because I never have enough time to visit everyone. *sigh* Also, if you're talking numbers, strangely, I get the least comments when I do author interviews/blog tours to support other authors. But I don't consider that a 'fail', because I love supporting my friends and their books.

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?
I spend very little time on my blog or my posts, but I try to spend an hour or two each day visiting everyone else's blogs. It really does eat into my writing and family time, but I miss everyone and want to know how they're doing, so I try my best. Sadly, some days I'm so busy I don't have time for more than one or two visits and those are on my phone while in line or in a waiting room/lobby. Again, this is why I love Twitter, because I can say hello to so many and respond to my @mentions so much faster. And it's easier to tweet on my phone than leave comments on blogs (especially blogs with word verifications on their comments)

Any additional advice for our readers?
Make sure your Followers widget is near the top off your blog, thus making it easy and fast to find so we can click and follow.

Oh, yes, I agree: make it easy for people to follow you (but also have your profile up top so people know who you are, exactly the way your blog is). Thank you so much for sharing, Lola! You might not be a showgirl but you're showstopping (yes, I went there :) And you are ever savvy and sensational. Thanks, Lola!

Facebook Friday: Need help? Try Odyl

2011-11-18T01:14:00.000-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago I taunted you who are somewhat cold on the Facebook subject with statistics of how many people use the social network. And maybe I convinced you that FB is an amazing resource that can' be ignored. But knowing that might not change how you feel about FB.

Well, here's an alternative. In general I believe you all have the power/knowledge/capability of making your own buzz on FB, but if you truly aren't into it or you haven't got the time, consider Odyl.

Odyl is a fairly inexpensive company that specializes in publicizing published books via FB. They really are awesome. Here's some of the things they will set up for you:

Exclusive book content on your FB page
Publisher giveaways
Reader polls and quizzes
Photo and writing contests
GoodReads reviews
Reader stats
and more!

Author J.T. Ellison used Odyl for her latest book launch and found her followers rose 250% in one week. Check out her FB page to see what it looks like. I don't know the cost so I can't promise its worth it, but they at least have some great ideas for marketing on FB.

Oh, and they say it's my birthday. It's Mickey Mouse's birthday too. Isn't that kinda cool?

What do you think about Odyl? Would you pay for FB marketing?

Blog Critique: Bonnie Way

2011-11-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Another Blog Critique Day: In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. As always, I rely on help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby) and Joe LaRue. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

While Monday's blog crit was on a baby blog, today's is on an old-timer. Bonnie Way of The Koala Bear Writer has been blogging for five years. Have you looked yet? Well, go on.

You can definitely tell people who have been at it longer. These blogs, while not always more polished, are certainly more defined. The bloggers know what their blog is about, as does Bonnie, and there's no need to guess. Some things we love about her blog are:

It's clean and straight foward.
Her profile is easily seen and her koala is explained here.
It's not cluttered. This is hard when you've been around for awhile: You amass stuff - blog stuff - and keeping it clean is a job.
She has an easy to see format with one side column.
She uses photos in her posts.
She has depth, aka: extra pages, that shows off important stuff like her writing and editing bio and book reviews.

Bonnie, some things to consider to polish your blog up:

I had to search a little for your name. Consider putting it in your subtitle like so: Bonnie Way, freelance writer and stay-at-home mom blogs about her life.
The section of your blog is narrow compared to the green background. I know that it adjusts in size so if you have a small screen the background is probably a perfect size, but unless you're reading from an ipad, most people have larger screens these days. Mine's not real big and I'm seeing lots of green.
You have a low amount of follower for an old-timer blog. If you want to build up more, consider joining some blogfests. More followers could drum up more freelance work.
Just a thought on your religious badges/photos/links: I'm not dissing religion - I myself am the Director of Liturgy and Music at my own Catholic Church (yeah, I have like 4 jobs, it's insane) - and I believe in proclaiming your beliefs, but as your blog is SO about writing and your message is writing, the religious badges seems off-topic. If you had only one, perhaps, or if you also had other writing badges it would feel more balanced. But when I see them I think your blog should be more about religious writing. It's also not a great idea to get religious or political in the same place you are trying to get hired (if you are hoping your blog leads to jobs, that is). That's just something to consider. I think it's okay that you blog about religious things in your life, by the way, because it's not overwhelming and it fits in with the rest of your life sharing.
Finally, I wouldn't be me if I didn't say think about adding a search box. It sure helps people who are wading through old posts trying to find something.

Bonnie, congrats on your awesome blog and a special nod to your years of commitment. That's real dedication and we have a lot to learn from that. Thanks for taking part today!

Readers, do you have thoughts about Bonnie's blog?

Blog Critique: Lizzi Tremayne

2011-11-14T00:52:00.001-07:00

Blog Critique Day: In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. As always, I rely on help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby) and Joe LaRue. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

Today's critique ~~victim~~ volunteer is Lizzi Tremayne at bluemistlizzi.wordpress.com. Now Lizzie has a baby blog. She's only been blogging for a few short months. Take a moment and check her out. I'll wait.

Lizzi, you have a good beginning. We love the overall format (one column sidebar) and the font choices. The date display is also very nice. There isn't a ton we have in the way of suggestions. But you know us; we're never short of opinions.

Title: We would like to see your full name in your title or subtitle. Readers want to see what you're selling (you) from first glance. The subtitle needs to be a thicker font. It's hard to read. Both the graphic designers would also like color in your black title bar. The black doesn't bother me, but I'm not as visual of a person.
Background: At first we were like, what is that background and what does it have to do with her blog? I mean, cool colors, but what's it about? Then we saw the explanation on the sidebar. I like it's meaning. It makes sense. I understand you are all about beginnings right now. I just wonder if there might be a better way to tie that pattern into what your blog is about - make it more cohesive. It's also a problem that....
Message: I don't know what your blog wants to be. Are you going to blog about music and equine dentistry? Or just writing? I don't get a sense of that because your subtitle is telling me a ton of stuff, your spiritual geometric pattern is telling me you are about beginnings, and your posts are saying "writer". Streamline. Make them all fit together and your blog will evolve to the next level.
About Me: First, I love that your profile is perfectly positioned. I was also very excited to see you had an "About" page. Then I discovered your about page is just a wordpress template. Either fill it out about you (please!) or delete it.
Writing: What do you write? I want to at least know what you write about and, even better, connect to samples of your writing.
Pictures: I really don't mind you not using pics in your posts because there is so much color in your background. But if someone is reading you from Google Reader, your posts are going to be blah. Just something to consider.
Search Box: I always want a search box. As your blog gets bigger, think about adding one.
Consistency: As you build your following and work your way to published author, its best to keep a consistent schedule. Though many people will follow you in their Google Readers and just be happy to read you when you pop in, some will actually go to your blog and look for you. Also, if I'm a first timer at your blog and see you haven't posted in awhile I get a little iffy about your blogging commitment. Some people aren't bothered by such things, but I'm a judger. What can I say?

Great job blogging and rewriting your life. Good luck to you. I can tell you have compassion and a great outlook.

And now I turn it over to the readers: Any thoughts or suggestions for Lizzi?

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Ali Cross

2011-11-12T01:18:00.000-07:00

Today's Savvy Sensation Spotlight is part of a book launch promotion. How exciting! And even more exciting is who I'm spotlighting: The Ever Amazing Ninja Writer, Ali Cross. Read on to experience awesome ninja-ness:

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?

Hi Laura and Laura's readers! *waves* Thanks so much for having me today. I'm Ali Cross, the sensei of the Writer's Dojo where I hold a black belt in awesome. I live in Utah with my kicking' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, two sumo dogs and four zen turtles. I write lots of action, particularly of the martial arts kind, into my middle grade and young adult novels.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

You can find me in lots of places! Blog: http://www.alicross.com Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/authoralicross Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ali_cross

When did you begin your online platform building?

Wow, what a great question. I've been blogging since 2008 when I started my first blog "The Girl in a Whirl". At that time I wrote about life and family and all my crazy dreams. I moved over to a writing-type blog at some point because I thought I needed to separate the two parts of me, But then I realized that wasn't the way to do it. I was just me, and I couldn't maintain an online presence being something other than what I was. All I have is me, that's all I have to offer. About a year ago it all came together, what I love, who I am, what I hope to be, and I haven't looked back since!

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

My blog is about not giving up. I've built my platform around the martial arts, "ninjas" for fun. Ninjas know how to work hard. They fight and train and eat, sleep and breathe their goals. That's what we as writers have to be--dedicated, single-minded, ferocious in our efforts to reach our goals. But ninjas also train in a dojo, surrounded by other like-minded warriors. I think writing needs to be like that too. Writing is such a solitary sport, so lonely and discouraging sometimes. But it doesn't have to be--not if you've surrounded yourself with friends who are training just as hard as you.

How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?

I think the single-most important key to building and keeping a solid readership is sincerity..

What have you done that has failed?

The tricks or gimmicks I've tried to build a following were fleeting. The friends who have stayed are those I won by being me.

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

Ugh. Too much time, and not enough time. I've tried to cut back, and I managed to a little--but I couldn't stay away for good. I spend a couple hours on Friday writing my blogs for the coming week. I try to visit the blog and respond by email to each person who comments on my blog--usually another couple hours each week. Beyond that, I like to spend at least an hour each day, visiting other blogs--however, I'm not always able to do that. I'm hoping when things settle down from the release of my book, I'll be able to give back a little more, get around to visit the blogs I've been neglecting.

What else should we know about you?

I'm pretty much a dufus and if you hang around me long enough you're bound to see me commit some horrid faux pas or another. I'm pretty stellar like that. :)

Any additional advice for our readers?

Nope. Just keep on keeping' on. Be yourself, believe in yourself. And never, ever give up.

What makes you unique?

I think what makes me unique is the people who love me. Their love for me, their belief in me, lifts me up higher than I could ever achieve on my own. Their support frees me to do the things that I love, to be greater than I am without them.

I know that sounds corny, but it's true!

Thanks for having me today Laura! You're the best!

No, Ali, you're the best! I love your advice about being sincere. That's hard for many of us who are used to writing fiction all day. But if you find a blog message that is all about something you're comfortable with, something that comes naturally, it should be easy, right? And what part of Utah are you from? or live in, I should say because maybe you aren't from Utah. I'm a Utah native even though I'm approaching having spent just as much of my life outside the state as in. Still, it will always be home!

I just totally got distracted because I was loving on Utah. Ali, you are not only a Savvy Sensation, but also just really cool. Congrats on your book launch. Read more about Become below:

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she Becomes the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her Choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is a reason to want to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

Gathering Guests

2011-11-11T03:00:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I talked about the marketing benefits of guest bloggers. Remember that?

In that conversation a great question came up: How do you get guest bloggers?

Some of the answers are rather obvious, but there may be some you haven't thought of. And when you are grabbing guests for the purpose of marketing, there are some guests that will benefit you more than others. Let's talk about it:

Invitation: Email other bloggers and ask them to guest blog. Most will say yes. You can also ask people who are not bloggers but if they themselves don't have an internet presence, it won't build your readership. (Though that isn't the only reason to have guests, just the reason we're talking about here.)The people who will benefit you most are people who:

have their own following
blog about things your readers will be interested in
are willing to promote you the day they are on your site
and are in some way an authority on the topic they are going to speak on

Call for guests: Put a badge in your sidebar asking for guest bloggers. Many readers will step up. Give them a topic to blog on and they will step up even quicker.
Interview: Interviewing another blogger counts as a guest. These are easier for bloggers to commit to because they only have to answer questions.
Offer critiques: I'm not going to lie - critiquing other people's blogs is just as good for me as it is for you. Those people drive others to read my reviews. Matt MacNish increased my readers by thirty people with one critique!
Host sharing: Invite people to share queries, loglines, jokes, etc. Make it a contest where other people have to vote on their favorites and you'll drive even more people to your blog.
Write reviews: Writing book reviews can get you followers but make sure you -

use the author's full name and title of book in your post title so search engines can find you
email the author and let them know you are reviewing their work

Offer to guest on other people's blogs: People like to return the favor. You do a post for them and then they kind of owe you :)

Your turn: what do you do to gather guests? I've seen some great techniques on other blogs so I know you have wisdom to share!

Blog Critique: Shannon McMahon

2011-11-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Today's blog critique victim is Shannon McMahon of Shannonigans. Actually, it's a whole website. Take a look.

I have one word for Shannon's blog: Love.

Shannon's website is perfect from the design to the profile location to the title. I know who she is, I can contact her, I know when she posts, I can search for old posts, she uses appropriate color, I know about her writing. She also does a great teaser technique where she puts part of blog post on her blog and then has a read more link to another site (the site she really wants you to visit). Seriously good blog. Learn from her.

I only have one minor peeve - I hate it when comments have to go through moderation before being posted. I do understand if you've had trouble from hecklers or spammers, but really they aren't that big of a problem. If you can bear it, make it as easy as possible for people to comment. I'd appreciate any readers' thoughts on this if you have them, guys.

Shannon's on the next step of blogging - building blog readership. Shannon, for such a tight blog, you should have a bigger following. Because you're really busy at work and still working on your manuscript you may not have the time to focus on this yet, but when you're ready, here's some suggestions:

Participate in blogfests.
Run contests for followers. To enter they must tweet, facebook, or blog about your blog.
Ask the people you review for if you can do any joint promotions. You probably have contractual agreements prohibiting this, but if you are allowed to ever get people from those blogs to your blog, that's a huge way to increase your followings. Ways to do that would be, for an example, "If you enjoyed this movie, check out Shannonigans where I tell you five other movies you'd probably like." Another good one would be to say "For a meal that would go good with this wine, visit Shannonigans" and have a good recipe there. Make sense? You could actually do that last one just within your blog. At the end of a recipe post or a wine post, put a cross-reference link from your own blog to a a wine or recipe to go with it.
Search your peeps out. Where do wine lovers visit on the internet? What do movie-goers read? Who wants amazing recipes? Find those blogs and leave comments that always include your website address. When possible, say things like, "I do a wine review on my website; I hope you check it out sometime."
Have guests. Guest bloggers can really build your numbers. Invite people from those blogs you found that your peeps frequent to post.
Steal followers. It's not really stealing, but what I mean is go to those blogs that have the people you know would love your blog and get them to follow you. Like if I were going to "steal" your followers, I'd start clicking on pics in your follower box and first, follow their blogs, and second, comment on their blogs with your website address.

Okay, this isn't much, but is it helpful? What do you think readers? Any thoughts/comments/suggestions for Shannon?

Tuesday Drop-In

2011-11-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

I'm here on a Tuesday to direct you to a great 2 part article about author marketing on The Bookshelf Muse featuring Janice Hardy. Check it out.

And how goes NaNo for you all? I am not faring that well on the word count, but I'm still enjoying myself! Besides, did you notice I have a NaNo rebel badge? That's because I started before November. I really want to finish this book I'm working on. I have about 30,000 words to go. Wish me luck!

Blog Critique: Martine Svanevik

2011-11-07T01:16:00.000-07:00

Blog Critique Day: In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. As always, I rely on help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby) and Joe LaRue. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

Today's blog comes from Norwegian Martine Svanevik's blog Nascent Novelist. Take a look.

Martine, this critique is going to be short and sweet because we only have a few suggestions. First I have to say you are our first wordpress blog. I'm not very savvy when it comes to wordpress but I believe it is generally easier to customize than blogger so hopefully any suggestions we make are compatible.

Overall Look: Your site is clean and straight forward, which is awesome. But it's also really plain. We need some color. Changing the background gray to a bolder color instead of a neutral color could make a major difference. Or you could change the color of the post section so that it pops a little more from the top white section. Another option would be to add a colored header. Just something to attract the eye.

Title: I always love alliteration so yay there. But I also want to see your name in a prominent place. I should see Martine from just a quick glance. You are the most important part of your blog, after all. If you don't want your name in your title (my first choice) then put it in a subtitle. "Featuring the adventures of Martine Svanevik" underneath your blog title is all you need.

Contact Information: This is very important yet it's missing. Give us a page with your contact info or at least a box in your sidebar. This should include a valid email if nothing else.

Social Media: I know you are on Twitter - I'm following you! And you tell us in your blog. So why not put your social media links on your side bar?

Writing Samples: From your profile box I get that you might be published but I don't see any bio about your work. Give us a list of where your writing has been featured and/or samples of your work. Another page is a great place for this.

Search Box: I love it when blogs have the search box so readers can search for topics. If I love a blog, I'll often search for particular topics. Or I might remember that I read a great post on a blog and when I go back I want to be able to find it easily.

I don't know who you are: I don't know what type of writing you do and I don't know the message of your blog without reading all your posts. Add a few lines in your profile box or in a subtitle. Is your blog about your daily life? Is it about writing? Is it about your adventures? I'm not sure. Tell us.

Follow: I don't follow people by email. I hate it. I get too many emails as it is. I follow things through my Google Reader or through GoogleFriendConnect. I like to hit the follow button on blogs I read. It's like a personal vote. Do you have a way to add this in wordpress? Maybe not everyone agrees with this. I"d be interested in hearing feedback.

So there you go, Martine. Like I said, not much we suggest to change, but I think these things could make a big difference on your blog. Great job, by the way! You are obviously very dedicated and consistent. Keep it up!

Any thoughts, readers? Please share!

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Stina Lindenblatt

2011-11-05T03:00:00.000-06:00

The first awesome thing about today's Savvy Sensation is her name: Stina. Isn't it groovy? And that's not all. Stina is a dedicated and community-oriented blogger. Not only does she have her own site but she's a major contributor of the Query Tracker blog, a blog that I included on The Write Advice Facebook page because of its awesomeness (you've "liked" our Facebook page, haven't you? No pressure :) Anyway, enough lead up, here is the amazing Stina Lindenblatt to tell you about her grooviness herself:

Who areyou (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?

I write YA novels involving danger, suspense,and hot make out sessions. I prefer the complexity of novels, which is my wayof saying I don’t write short stories and novellas.

Where canwe find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

My favorite forms of social media areblogging and tweeting. I’m on Facebook, but I don’t use it very often (for now).

I can be found on my blog, Seeing Creative (www.stinalindenblatt.com) and I’m amember of the Querytracker.net blog team (www.querytracker.blogspot.com).

Ienjoy Twitter (www.twitter.com/stinall), but I’m a little lazy when it comes tousing it. And it’s too easy to spend time on it instead of writing. I have tomake sure I get my priorities straight.

When didyou begin your online platform building?

I began blogging in 2008, after hearing thatwriters should blog. I knew nothing about doing it. I didn’t even follow anyblogs at the time. But I borrowed Bloggingfor Dummies from the library, and read it on the loooooong car ride tovisit my in laws that summer. When I got back home, I had a vague idea what Iwould do: photography tips for teens. It made sense since I wrote YA novels.

Eventually I began to write about othertopics too—mostly things relating to writing. Then at some point, I ended upcreating photography posts that show a connection between a photography tip andwriting (for example, juxtaposition).

What isyour message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

Mostly I blog about writing, photography, books,and anything publishing related.

How haveyou built your followers? What have you done that has been the mostsuccessful?

At the beginning of last year, someone left acomment on my blog asking how she could follow me. At that point, I hadfourteen followers (who occasionally left comments). Turns out when I hadchanged my blog design, the “follow” button had vanished, and since I didn’thave a follower widget, no one could follow me. So I added both that widget andthe ‘subscribe via email’ widget to my blog. I actually have more peoplefollowing me via email than through the follower widget.

The other thing I did was join forces with afellow blogger and had a giveaway. It worked wonders. By the time the contestclosed two weeks later, I had 200 new followers. This was achieved by checkingout the blogs of those who left comments on blogs I followed. I then followedthe blogs that interested me and commented on them. I’m now friends with a lotof the bloggers from those early days—including the winners of my bloggiveaway.

What haveyou done that has failed?

I guess that would go back to when I startedblogging. I didn’t check out other people’s blogs or leave comments. But thiswas when I didn’t have much time in my day (all my kids were young at thetime), so what little time I did have was spent working on my novel. Otherwise,nothing has really failed. Even when I go away on vacation, I come back to newfollowers. It’s really cool. *grins*

How muchtime do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

This is the scary part. I read blogs andcomment Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:00 to 7:00 am (before my kids getup for school). I then spend from 5:00 to 6:00 pm (and sometimes later in theevening) responding to the comments left on my blog during the day (I try to commentback on everyone’s blog). Because of all the blogging love I’m getting (between30-60+ comments per post), I often have to catch up on comments left during thenight. I don’t mind the time spent. I love getting to know everyone, and I findthe greatest posts this way for my Cool Links Friday.

What elseshould we know about you?

I spent eight years as a pharmaceutical salerep, so I understand the power of social networking. It also means I understand how businessworks, which makes the rejection side of publishing easier to handle. I have aMaster’s of Science degree in exercise biological sciences (with a specialinterest in energy metabolism). Believe or not, this has been extremely usefulwhen it comes to blogging and writing.

Anyadditional advice for our readers?

Be yourself. Check out blogs you love. Figureout why you love them. But at the end of the day, you still need to be true toyourself. If you aren’t, people will see it and won’t be interested in what youhave to say.

Whatmakes you unique?

I have an accent that most people struggle toplace. I was born in England, but have lived in Texas, Canada, and Finland (mymother is Finnish). Most people guess I’m either from Australia or New Zealand.The closest I’ve come to New Zealand is watching Lord of the Rings, but I’d love to visit there someday. The otherthing that makes me unique is I run to brainstorm and solve plot problems. I’veeven been known to run with a pen and write notes on my body so I don’t forgetmy ideas.

Thanksfor having me on your blog, Laura. I’ve enjoyed it. And I especially enjoyedreading the previous interviews. Most of the individuals are already myblogging friends.

No, thank YOU, Stina. I really enjoyed reading your interview. It makes me remember I have to forgive myself for not being able to read and comment more on other blogs because my kids are still small. There is a time and season for everything, isn't there? And when my kidlets are older I can be cool and connected like you :) You are a shining example of savvy sensationalism. Thanks again!

Facebook Friday: Your Readers are on Facebook

2011-11-04T03:00:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are not so fond of Facebook, I just wanted to share some statistics with you gathered from www.pewinternet.org. Take a look at this graph:

That graph is telling you that 83% of people ages 18-29 who use the internet are on a social network. 70% of users ages 30-49. And most of those social network accounts are on Facebook:

Of adult Social Network users:

73% have a Facebook account
48% have a MySpace profile
14% have an account on LinkedIn
1% each on Yahoo, YouTube, Tagged, Flickr and Classmates.com
10-12% are on “other” sites like Bebo, Last.FM, Digg, Blackplanet, Orkut, Hi5 and Match.com

Teens are on Facebook too:

54% of teens ages 12-14 are on Facebook
Teens between the ages of 15-17 are on Facebook nearly 19.9 hours a week

Comparatively, only 19% of internet users are on Twitter. Take a look at this graph:

Your readers are on Facebook. If you are trying to reach them through Twitter, through blogs, they're somewhere else. Just sayin'.

Do these stats surprise you? Do they change your mind about social networking? I'm interested in your thoughts.

Blog Critique: Sher A. Hart

2011-11-01T23:15:00.002-06:00

A Wednesday critique to try to keep up with the overwhelming requests I've had. In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. This time I got help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby). To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

Our blog comes from Sher A Hart who matches her catchy name with many punny statements. Take a peek.

Sher, overall, we like your blog. It's clean, easy to read, easy on the eyes. The colors are soothing and you do an excellent job of using pictures to spice up your posts but not clutter them up.

But, as always, we have some suggestions, though not many:

Title and Message: You use your name! Love that. Major bonus points. But we are confused. Is your blog mostly directed to the fancies of a fantasy writer or to writing for right? You seem to have two messages. I would stick with the Fantasy Writer's Fancies and cut your subtitle. Maybe you could share more about your "write for right" on a separate page. Of course you could still include posts about writing for causes. Just don't make it your title unless every post is about writing for a cause. Also, the color of your title is a little hard to see. Maybe try black and a thicker font.
Background: Your background photo doesn't tell us a lot about who you are or what your blog is going to be about. We get the connection if your message is the "Fantasy Writer's Fancies" but it doesn't tie in at all to your write for a cause. This is fixed just by removing the subtitle.
Profile: It's too low. I'm glad you have your Google+ pic up high so we can see your face right away, but your profile is more important. It should be top on your sidebar. In fact, let's talk about just that....
Sidebar: Though your sidebar doesn't look cluttered, it seems there are a few things that are taking the wrong priority. I suggest the following order:

Profile
Welcome to Erth One
Followers
Subscribe to
Social Media
Search Box (you don't have one, but you should)
Popular Posts
I'd lose the blog awards and the linky list (is that a current linky list?) If you really want to include them on your blog, move them to another page. Right now, though, your sidebar extends past your posts which is a no-no.

Facebook "like" box: it extends off your sidebar. You should be able to adjust the actual HTML code for this. Open up the box that has this code and change the "width" number to 250 instead of 450.
Captions on pictures: Tom doesn't like how your book covers have the titles above them because you can already see the title on the picture. I think it's a good idea, though, because it helps in search engine optimization. In fact, carry it further. Add the author's name.

Ok, that's all I got. What about you awesome readers? Any tips for Sher?

Blog Critique: Nancy S. Thompson

2011-10-31T03:00:00.001-06:00

It's critique time. In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. As always, I rely on help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby) and Joe LaRue. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

Today's blog is from Nancy S. Thompson. Check it out.

Ok, Nancy, here's what we love:

Title: Yes! Use your name in your title. When agents or readers search your name, it's easier to find you. And you are branding yourself after all. I wish that more blogs had the author's name in the title (or subtitle).
Profile: Pic and blurb is right up top. Can't miss it. Right on.
Follow: It is easy to follow you by email and for readers to share your posts.
Depth: You have pages (depth) and they have samples of your writing/WIP related stuff (query, pitch, etc.). This is awesome for the non-agented blogger. Hmm, I really need to put mine up...
Search: You have search! I love that. I want everyone to have search. (Move it up so it's easier to find though).

Now just a few suggestions:

Monotonous header: We don't always mind a solid color header, but yours is too similar to the background in the lower part of your blog. If the colors were complimentary instead of shades of the same (like yellow compliments purple) it would be better. You could also....
Move navigation: If you put your navigation across the top instead of at the side it will stand out better and help break up the monotony.
Post background color: When you have two side columns like you do, a different color behind your posts helps give them more attention. I prefer a one column, actually, but two columns can work if it's easy to distinguish from your posts.
Profile: Remove that you "recently discovered you like writing." It immediately makes you think you are a novice and I am more likely to make judgments about your writing even before I've read a word you've written.
Consistency: Your blogging seems to be sporadic. Make a schedule and stick to it. It lets us know you're serious about your craft.
Photos or Link Within: I would suggest using more photos or add the Link Within app to add some color to your background.
Labels: I haven't mentioned this to anyone before, but I personally think labels are not used as well as they should be. I think they should be, as much as possible, streamlined. Pick label names that can encompass lots of similar posts such as "awards" for all your award posts. Your post titles are for being more specific.
Contact info: Where is it? I'm a firm believer in including it on its own page.

Great blog, Nancy! I turn it over to the readers now. Is there anything else you would like to suggest for Nancy? Anything you disagree/agree with that I mentioned?

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Janice Hardy

2011-10-29T03:00:00.000-06:00

Have I ever mentioned to you that my all-time-favorite-never-miss-a-post blog is Janice Hardy's The Other Side of the Story? Well, now you know. She's amazing because she's good at what she blogs about. She's an excellent teacher. If you aren't reading her EVERY DAY, you must start now (an easy task if you have "liked" our Facebook page, The Write Advice, hint, hint). And today she is on MY BLOG!! And she has a lot of really good advice for you bloggers so read on....

Who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?

I write fantasy and science fiction for teens, (The Healing Wars Trilogy) and blog about writing for writers of all ages and stages (The Other Side of the Story). In my day job world, I’m a graphic designer. I’m also terribly clumsy, have a weakness for sweets, and a love of most things zombie.

Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?

Blog: blog.janicehardy.com

Twitter: @Janice_Hardy

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1162841113&ref=profile

Website: janicehardy.com

When did you begin your online platform building?

I first started with forums like Absolute Write and Backspace in 2007. They were a good way to get my feet wet and start getting to know the online writing/blogging community. When I sold my first novel in 2008, I knew I needed to start doing something online, but had no clue what. I read a lot of blogs and enjoyed them, so I thought I’d try that. I started a writing blog February 2009. It was the only thing I felt I had to offer that anyone would be interested in reading on a regular basis.

What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?

The blog is all about writing and improving your craft. When I was starting out I was often frustrated by advice that said I had to “do X” but didn’t really tell me how. Later, I was teaching writing for Writer’s Digest Online Workshops and discovered I had a knack for explaining all those things that once drove me crazy. On the blog, I offer a lot of examples and try to explain the how so someone can apply it directly to their work and see improvement.

If I have a message, it’s probably never say you’re not good enough to be a published author. Say you’re not good enough, yet. That “yet” leaves room to grow, and as long as you keep working and learning, you’ll get there.

How have you built your followers: What have you done that has been the most successful? What have you done that has failed?

Lots of trial an error. Mostly I try to write things folks will want to read and share, and make it easy for them to do that. I guest blog on other sites, have a weekly guest author post on my site to help bring in new readers (and help promote my fellow author’s books), I do weekly critiques. It’s so hard to know what works and what doesn’t. I do know that getting picked up regularly on popular link sites has helped drive a lot of traffic. The retweets and links on Twitter also bring in a lot of folks.

The most successful thing has to be the recent redesign. I had over 500 articles on writing on the blog and unless you dug through the archives you couldn’t easily find them. So I redesigned the blog in more of a website fashion with an index and easy to find links so folks could find the topics they needed. It went from being a blog to being a resource for writers. I’m at 800 articles now, and it’s time to update the site and tweak it further.

Things that failed…well, shortly after the redesign I started doing extra posts throughout the day to give folks a reason to check the site more than once. I had links to great posts I’d read, spotlights on festivals, conferences, contests etc. It’s a great tactic for most blogs (and has been proven to drive traffic) but for a writing blog, it was overwhelming. There was too much to read and the numbers started going down. I stopped that after a few months and the numbers went back up.

How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?

Time varies depending on the post, but anywhere from 5-15 hours a week writing them. Some I can knock out in under an hour, others take me half a day. It really depends on how complex the topic and what’s needed for the examples. I try to pick a day and get as many done as possible for the week, which helps a lot. I also keep a file of ideas so I don’t waste a lot of time trying to think up a topic. When things get busy, I pull articles from the archives and rerun them, though lately I’ve been doing one “Golden Oldie” a week even when it’s not busy. Readerships change so most folks haven’t seen some of those older posts and they’re still relevant. I also spend an hour or two a week responding to comments.

Reading time is about an hour per day, and I’ve had to cut back on that a lot this past year. I used to read a lot more, but I had too many obligations and I had to give up something or lose my mind. I actually don’t comment on other blogs that often unless I can add something to the conversation. I’m much more of a lurker. That’s something I’d like to change though. There are so many great discussions going on out there and I miss keeping up on the news.

What else should we know about you?

Let’s see…I’m a gamer geek. PC, consoles, you name it. I also have the cutest pink bicycle. I’m rather strange, with a dark sense of humor (which comes out in my writing). I love cheesy movies as long as it’s good cheese (which doesn’t necessarily mean a good movie). I love to talk to writers and readers.

Any additional advice for our readers?

If you’re a blogger: Blog for fun, not because you think you have to. It’s way too much work if you don’t enjoy it, and your readers will be able to tell your heart’s not in it.

If you’re a writer: When things get bad, remember that you’re not alone. Every writer goes through the same trials, and someone out there knows exactly what you’re frustrated over. Even better, there are plenty of writers who felt that way and made it to publication. Keep writing and you’ll get there one day.

What makes you unique?

I have a zombie in my yard. His name is Cadaver Dan and he even has his own Facebook page. He likes to dress up for the holidays. He’s trying to decide what to be for Halloween right now.

Thank you so much, Janice! You are so, super savvy. It is always an honor to interact with you and I'm ecstatic that I get to share you with others.

About Janice:

Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, BLUE FIRE, and DARKFALL from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. You can visit her online at www.janicehardy.com or chat with her about writing on her blog, The Other Side of the Story. blog.janicehardy.com.

About Darkfall:

War has come.

Nya’s the one who brought it. And the people love her for it.

With Baseer in shambles and Geveg now an impenetrable military stronghold, Nya and the Underground have fled to a safer location—without Tali. Nya is guilt-ridden over leaving her sister behind and vows to find her, but with the rebellion in full swing and refugees flooding the Three Territories, she fears she never will.

The Duke, desperate to reclaim the throne as his own, has rallied his powerful army. And they are on the move, destroying anyone who gets in the way.

To save her sister, her family, and her people, Nya needs to stay ahead of the Duke’s army and find a way to build one of her own. Past hurts must be healed, past wrongs must be righted, and Nya must decide: Is she merely a pawn in the rebellion, a symbol of hope—or is she ready to be a hero?

NaNoWriMo = MeNoHereNow (AsMuch)

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-06:00

I am participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time ever. I should, after all, since I claim to be a writer, actually write something. Now, usually I don't post about such writerly stuff - I stick to the marketing - but I wanted to let you know that I am making that my priority for November. Usually this blog comes before my writing, but I am going to put this on the back burner. I am not exactly going on hiatus. I have blog crits and Savvy Sensation interviews already lined up. I just might not be as active on the comment front. Who knows? This is my first time, remember?

I expect many of you are also doing NaNo and you might not be around as much either. Here are a few reminders for anyone planning to step back from blogging now or anytime:

Numbers may go down: Whenever you post less, comment less, or are less interactive on your blog, expect that you may have less visits and comments from your readers.
It may take time to rebuild: When you return to your regular schedule, your readers may not automatically return. You may have to rebuild a bit, but it shouldn't take as long as it did the first time.
Tell people what's up: Let people know you are taking a break from the blog world and, if possible, for how long so they know what's up with you.
But not every day: One post saying where you are is all you need. Don't post several updates about sorry I'm not here, I'll return, I promise. All that does is clog up our Google Readers. We want to read content from you. Chances are with all the blogs we follow that we didn't really notice you were gone until you reminded us.
Priorities show: If your blog is your priority, that's awesome. I bet we can tell. If your writing is your priority, that's more awesome. That's how you're going to get an agent or published or win you that book award. Take time for what you need. You can always change your priorities in the future.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Good luck to all of you! I'll see you on the other side :)

The Marketing Benefits of Guests

2011-10-26T03:00:00.000-06:00

This may be obvious to some of you already, but I'm gonna say it anyway: Having guests on your blog is good for you.

When I say guests I mean guest bloggers, interviews, contests, book reviews, anything. Just guests in general. Here's why:

1. Guests drive traffic from their blog/Facebook/contact book to your blog. Well, duh. But the important part of that is that sometimes those readers will become your readers. Especially if you respond to any of their comments and go visit their blogs.

2. Guests make your blog more well-rounded. Readers get bored. Guests bring new ideas and freshness to your site. Not that you're boring, but really, who isn't after awhile.

3. Guests give you a break. Which can often help with writer's block or blog burnout.

4. Guests build community. I don't know about you, but I always feel more connected to another blogger after I've been on their blog. It creates a bond. And isn't community what it's about for many of us?

A word of caution: too many guests may drive some readers away, unless that's what your blog is about. If your readers love you more for your personality than your content then you may be risking losing your own followers.

And your guests should probably be over the age of 1, unlike the picture above.

What other benefits do you get from having guest bloggers? Do you like guest posts? Do they turn you away? Please share your thoughts!

200 Followers!

2011-10-25T02:30:00.000-06:00

Oh me, oh my, I reached 200! I'm really truly honored and ecstatic to have you all. You truly make this fun, fun, fun! (That's a lot of exclamation points. But I mean each one of them.)

In celebration I'd like to give away an e-book, but first, if you are following me and I am not following you back, leave me a comment and I'll get over there. But also, please look at your profile and make sure you are linked up to your own blog. Most of the time that little detail is what prevents me from returning a follow.

And now, the book I am giving away is Kristen Lamb's Are You There Blog? It's Me, Author. I have to say upfront that while I don't back up everything Lamb has to say, she makes a lot of excellent points and at least she gets authors thinking like marketers. It's an essential read if you are a serious author blogger.

Okay, drumroll, the winner is....

Alex J.!

Alex, I will be emailing you with your prize. Thanks for following, all of you!! Let's celebrate with a whole bunch of exclamation points!!!!!

Blog Critique: Brooke R. Busse

2011-10-24T03:00:00.000-06:00

Monday's here again and that brings a new blog critique. In this series I give constructive feedback about the look and function of an author blog from a marketing perspective. As always, I rely on help from graphic designers Tom Barnes (my hubby) and Joe LaRue. To review the blog elements we look at or to submit your own blog for critique, go here.

Today's blog is Brooke R. Busse's Paper Mountain. Take a moment and check out her blog.

There is so much I love about your blog, Brooke. So much you have spot on. You have a straight forward title. I can see your name and pic clearly. You have a page for WIP info. You tell us when you're going to post. Truly an awesome job. Here are just a few tiny suggestions we have for you:

Overall look: Interestingly, Brooke, your blog brings our first disagreement from our designers. Joe says, "It's lovely. The color scheme is good, the design is clean." Joe does say that you could use a textured background like natural paper in the same color. He also likes your fonts (and he's a font priss). Tom, on the other hand thinks it's too plain. Though he says the fonts and colors are "fine", he says he's "bored". As for me, I love that it is simple, straightforward and clean but I also think it's a little too plain. Texture would help a lot. So would...
Color: Most of your posts lack pictures or any color. Throw in some color now and then. Add one pic per post. This is a great way to attract a reader's attention. Remember many of your readers are using Google Reader and they won't see any of your design, but they will see the pic.
I'm not sure who you are: I know you are petite and bubbly and can get a sense of your writing from your prompts, but your readers should get more a sense of what your writing is about before even reading a post. I'd like to see your profile include a line about what you write or that you are a writer. On that note...
Title/Blog message: I want your profile blurb to tie in with your title or what your blog's message is. I see you use your blog to share writing posts, which is great, but I'd like to know that in your profile blurb. Just one sentence could say both that you are a writer of YA fiction and you exercise your writer's mind through prompts on daily posts. Or whatever. Not that what you have isn't cute and full of personality - it is and that's awesome. But it is a little jarring to arrive at your blog on a day you have a prompt post and not really understand what I've walked into. Just explain in a prominent place in your sidebar.
Contact Info: Missing! Put up a contact page. I know we can find your email in your profile. Make it easier.
Fonts: You are inconsistent in your fonts. I am guessing that when you do your prompts you copy and paste them from another document. If you do, just switch it to the default font. (I am horrible at keeping my fonts matching so it's hard for me to even mention this to people :)
About Me page: I don't have one either, but it's a good idea to have a bio page.
Followers: I'm glad it is easy to follow your blog. Move that up under your profile so it is even easier. I think it's more important than your blog archive.
Add a search bar: I think every blog should have one. That's just me.

Seriously, Brooke, this looks like a bunch of stuff, but it's minor. I really, really like your minimalism. Keep up the great work, and thanks for letting us dissect you!

Readers, do you agree with what we said? Any other suggestions? Please give us your opinion!