Writer's Block or Procrastination?@barbbradley

I am so sorry I haven't posted in a few months. As you know from an earlier blog I have been dealing with caring for my mother-in-law. I'm sad to tell you that she has passed away. The last two months were a whirlwind. Having to contact all the different people to make them aware, canceling the things I needed to. It's been crazy and I've had to make lists to keep it all straight.

With my mother-in-law gone I now supposedly have more time...

But I can't figure out what I seem to be doing with it.

I some of it is dealing with my grief and having to follow up on those phone calls to make sure I didn't miss anyone. Part of it is procrastination. I've been working on the same series since we moved in with my mother-in-law and even though I have one to finish and another one rattling around in my head I think I have this series linked to her.

I'm so grateful that I learned to write every night, whether I'm in the mood or not. It's going to help me work my way through all this. I'm going to put one word in front of the other until I'm writing the way I have in the past.

Barb:)

Is it More About Writing, or About Being a Writer? #MFRWauthor

This will be a shorter than usual blog, since I'm borrowing from another blogger. Not to mention running late.
I ran across this blog from Screencraft, a site to advise screenwriters. The post resonated with me and I think will have the same effect on other writers Beware the Writing Zombies Check it out while I get more coffee.
Do you recognize anyone you know? All I had to do was look in a mirror, and also remember the time I spent researching to avoid actually writing. Whether it was to start a new book or continue on with a current project. And I would hate to admit how many times I've delayed starting so I could use the new project for a course.
Maybe I should title this 'Games Writers Play.' Or maybe I should just get back to edits?
Happy writing!

I need a photo here. I think I'll go with a New Mexico sunset, sharing the beauty of where I'm living.

Monica Stoner w/a Mona Karel
Website/Blog 
Mona's Amazon Page
Twitter


We retired to the high plains of New Mexico, where I finally put all those seminars and critique sessions to work, not to mention pulled together my courage to offer a story I'd beaten into submission. I am honored to help Marketing for Romance Writers with list moderation, and wherever else my skill set is of value

A #Romance #RetweetParty with #MFRWAuthor

For this month's Retweet Day on Twitter, we'd like to invite all Marketing for Romance Writers to set up tweets for their books.

Go into Twitter and create a tweet. Once the tweet has been posted. Click on the ... (three dots) in the right hand corner.

This will give you the option to (copy link to tweet). Copy this link and put it in the comment section of this post.


Also in an effort to help people find tweets to share of yours, click the ...(three dots) again and pin your tweet to your profile page. This will give you a count of how many people retweeted your post.


Don't forget

On March 9, click on each link and share everyone's post on twitter. Also, make sure to have #MFRWauthor in the tweet.


Here's to a great day of retweets,


Tina Gayle

Do Hybrid Authors Need a Website? Yes. Here's Why @kayelleallen #MFRWauthor

Definition: Hybrid Author -- one who publishes in more than one way, using any combination of traditional, small press, epress, and/or self-publishing.

Header for kayelleallen.com 

There are more reasons authors need a website, but these are the most important, in my opinion. What do I know? As a hybrid author myself, I have marketed my books for over twelve years, and have been a mentor to many. I'm the owner of The Author's Secret, and work with authors every day. Plus, I'm the founder of Marketing for Romance Writers, which has nearly 3k members on Yahoo and over 6k members on Facebook.

1. When you are self-published, your books are found online, not while a reader is casually walking past a shelf in a bookstore. A casual shopper might see your book on Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, and other sites. But a website gives readers a place to research your books and find out more about you. If a reader likes your book, or wants to know more, where can he or she go to learn about you?
2. A website with your name as the domain (authorname.com) provides a place without ads that pop up like some of the "free" sites. Readers who see popups and ads spend less time on the site. If they click one of the ads, they are taken away from your site. With your own domain, you can control whether clicking a link opens in a new window, which allows readers to shop, and then come back.
3. A website is an investment in your business and your future. If writing is a hobby for you, and you are only in it for the fun, save your money and do a free site. If writing is what wakes you up in the morning and puts you to bed (late) at night, then do yourself and your future readership a favor and become serious about promoting yourself with a website.
4. A website gives you the opportunity to judge how well known you are. Google Analytics is one of the free tools out there to let you interpret website statistics. (it's not as scary as it sounds, trust me) For example, I know that today, 38% of visitors to my website get there by directly typing my name (and adding .com) into the address bar of their browser.
5. With your own domain, you can have several professional email accounts with your author name. (yourname@yourdomain.com) It's okay to use another email account such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc. as well. You can have your professional email accounts forward there. But you'll need a pro account for contacting publishers, review sites, sending press releases, and for business cards or your website. I use several different email addresses. When I do a live event I can use a new one, and others for anything promoted online or in print. When I get an email, I can tell immediately where the person got the address. This helps me judge effectiveness of an event's reach.
6. Adding a blog (such as Wordpress) to your own domain means people who read your blog come directly to your site. No one will shut down your blog if it belongs to you and is hosted on your own domain.
7. A website gives you a place to sell books and to gather contacts for your newsletter. This is vital. A newsletter is a list of people who have expressed an interest in your books. Would you not want to know who they are? Of course you would!

Are there other reasons? Yes. I'd love to hear yours.

What if you can't afford a dedicated domain name?

1. If you have no money and you are just starting out, scrimp and save and buy that domain. Go without two new books. It will cost you about the same.
2. Ask on Marketing for Romance Writers  for advice as well. You'll find lots of people ready to help.
3. If you don't know how to create a site, create one with wordpress. You can get beautiful free themes and do customization on your own by following directions online.
4. Ask around, and see who built their own sites. See if a friend will help. There is power in networking.

Bottom line, a website is your best bet for creating a place for readers to find out more about you and your books. Make the most of the opportunity. A blog will bring people to your site, so if you've been thinking about creating one, while you're creating your site is a good time to start.

Have something to add to this? Leave a comment below.

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Kayelle Allen is a best selling American author. Her unstoppable heroes and heroines include contemporary every day folk, role-playing immortal gamers, futuristic covert agents, and warriors who purr.
Homeworld and Blog https://kayelleallen.com

A Valentines' #RetweetParty with #MFRWAuthor #Romance

For this month's Retweet Day on Twitter, we'd like to invite all Marketing for Romance Writers to set up tweets for their books.

Go into Twitter and create a tweet. Once the tweet has been posted. Click on the ... (three dots) in the right hand corner.

This will give you the option to (copy link to tweet). Copy this link and put it in the comment section of this post.


Also in an effort to help people find tweets to share of yours, click the ...(three dots) again and pin your tweet to your profile page. This will give you a count of how many people retweeted your post.


Don't forget




On Feb 10, click on each link and share everyone's post on twitter. Also, make sure to have #MFRWauthor in the tweet.


Here's to a great day of retweets,


Tina Gayle

#authortips Create a Great Book Landing Page @kayelleallen #MFRWauthor

At the Mercy of Her Pleasure 

Some publishers provide authors with a few free copies of their books to give away, and that's it. Let's not even talk about self-published authors getting marketing help. Those of us who are hybrid authors and do both know it can be a huge burden. We are the publisher as well as the marketing department. Authors ask each other all the time, "How can I tell readers about my book?"

One way is to provide a great page to help readers learn about your book. If you're like me, you want to do it yourself. Who better than me to know my book and what needs to be done to tell people about it? Are you a DIY (do it yourself) author? If so, here are a few steps for creating a great page on your website to let readers find out more about your book.

Professional Cover

The better the book cover image, the greater the chance of a purchase, so make sure your cover is first-impression worthy. Position it at the top left of your book page. Recommended size will vary depending on the website, but either 200x300 or 500x750 (measured in pixels). For online use, 72 dpi (low resolution) is preferred. But if you don't have that option, share a size that fits the page without filling up all the space. It should be on the left side. That's the top "real estate" online. Readers look from left to right, just like when reading a book, so put the most important info there, and any attention grabbing images as well.

Tagline and Blurb

Near your cover image should be an intriguing tagline and blurb. These should give the concept of the story, without revealing the end. If you ask a question, make sure it does not have a Yes or No answer. (Q: Will Mary learn to trust Johnny and find true love? A: Well, yes, it's a romance!) If the answer is obvious, why would anyone buy the book? Ask open ended questions. (Q: How can Mary and Johnny learn to trust, after the depth of their mutual betrayal? A: No way to tell without reading the book to see!)

Genre Info

List the publisher, genre, and for some genres, the heat level of the book. If it's spicy or erotic, don't be afraid to say so. Likewise, if you write sweet romance, let your readers know. You want to find your target audience, and someone looking for "sweet science fiction romance books" is more likely to find your page if you have listed it that way.

Buy Links

This is also referred to as a Call-to-Action link. Place the links within easy sight of the cover itself, near the top of the page. Don't write "On Amazon". There are millions of books on Amazon. Give the exact URL for your book, and make sure people can click it. If your book is on other sites, include all the links you can. Don't make your readers work to find your book. Give them everything they need to decide to buy your book now.

Banners

A banner for the book is a big help on a page like this. Center it if you have room.

Meta Data

Be sure to include a caption for the cover and banners. In addition, add the title of the book and its genre to the alt tag of every image. That's one way search engines find the title. If you have the title listed on the page, mentioned in the body, and in the alt tags, the search engine will give the page more weight when the title is searched for on Google or other sites. It will also give Pinterest something to show if visitors share the image. (Share either of the images on this page to see what I mean.)

At the Mercy of Her Pleasure 

Preview

Give your readers a sneak peek of what they will get when they purchase your book. The length is up to you. You can include it within the page, or attach it as a downloadable PDF.

Social Media Sharing

Include major social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and an email forwarding option.

Newsletter Sign up

Build your email list by offering a link to your newsletter on every book page. You can also link to sites like Authorgraph (providing autographs for eBooks) and Author Alarms (which provides a single email when you release a book on Amazon).

Other options

Book trailer video

Reviews for your book

Awards the book has won

Links to your other books 

Your sidebars or other areas should also include social media links so people can follow or friend you online. Readers buy from authors they know and like. Be findable, and be friendly.

To see how I used these options, visit my book page for At the Mercy of Her Pleasure. If you use Wordpress and create your own site, there are many simple widgets to help you create a great page. If you have questions, leave them in the comment section below. I'll do my best to answer them. Likewise, if you have an idea to add, feel free to leave a comment.

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By Kayelle Allen, best selling author and founder of Marketing for Romance Writers. She is the owner of The Author's Secret, a support company for authors of all types.