Congratulations to the 2014 My Book Therapy Frasier Award Finalists!
Join us on September 26th in St. Louis, MO at the 2014 ACFW Conference/My Book Therapy Frasier Award and Pizza Party to discover the winner!
(Click on Read the Rest to discover the finalists!)
Read the Rest
A writer I’m mentoring sent me an email from an agent who read her piece as a result of a contest.
She loved the author’s writing and story telling but her story lacked a unique hook.
“What makes your story of a sports playing hero different from all the other sports playing heroes out there?”
The agent mentioned several ABA authors who wrote sports books similar to my friend’s. She also reminded the author that an agent or editor will see dozens of books “mimicking” those sports hero books so a book really has to stand out. It must have a different hook.
This hook is used in marketing, getting the book past the booksellers and onto the shelves. It’s used with the media to get the book some publicity.
The HOOK is what makes your every-day-story unique.
Okay, so let’s say you’re writing about a football player. What can you do to make him different?
After the NFL draft where the first openly gay player was drafted, the secular market will have books with that hook releases — if they haven’t already.
It’s not a topic readily accepted in the CBA, so you might not want to be so controversial.
Read the Rest
I’ve shared a breakdown of social media platforms, along with how they’re used, on my blog in the past. But things change frequently in the digital world so it’s time for an update.
When we know what the focus of particular network is, it’s easier to evaluate if it’s a valuable addition to our personal plan.
So today I’m sharing a new list of social media platforms and how they’re used.
Read the Rest
Social Media Minute—7 Tips to Help You Get More Comments on Your Blog
Even today—with as many blogs on the Internet as there are—blogging is still a valuable part of building and maintaining an online community. But it’s rare for a blog to take hold and grow, if it’s not a place where comments proliferate. Almost no one likes to be lectured, and that’s what a blog can feel with it the conversation is only one-sided.
I’ll go one step further and add this comparison. Your blog is your Internet home. And because it’s your home, you are responsible for being a good host and making people feel welcome.
Facilitating conversation is just one of the duties of a good host, but it’s the one I want to concentrate on today as I share tips to get more comments on your blog.
Read the Rest