Quote of the Day: “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” Maya Angelou
Hot diggity dog, today is Friday. It feels good to see some of my goals accomplished this week. My new book, The Long Road Home now has cover art bringing us one step closer to a launch date. Stay tuned for updates.
Cross-Ties Novel, my historical fiction book is out and about. Click hereto purchase: Paperback or Kindle at Amazon.com.
See this Amazon Giveaway for a chance to win: Cross-Ties (Kindle Edition). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends the earlier of Oct 1, 2016 11:59 PM PDT, or when all prizes are claimed. See Official Rules.
Reviewers Wanted: If you’re the real deal, reader/reviewer and would like a copy of my book, Cross-Ties, let me know and I’ll send you a Kindle version, no strings.
Quote of the Day: Writing is a passion I have never understood, yet a storyteller is all I have ever wanted to be. Ruth Park
Thank you for your wonderful response to my Cross-Ties novel Goodreads giveaway. All of the copies have been mailed to the winners.
Nearly 600 readers responded for a chance to win an autographed copy of Cross-Ties. Two hundred folks have placed it on their bookshelf to read. I look forward to reading your reviews and am grateful for your support. Here’s the link to follow on Goodreads. Hope to meet and greet you soon.
The Amazon Giveaway for Cross-Ties Kindle Edition is ending soon.
See this for a chance to win: Cross-Ties (Kindle Edition). Amazon Giveaway NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends the earlier of Sep 15, 2016 11:59 PM PDT, or when all prizes are claimed. See Official Rules.
To purchase Cross-Ties: Paperback or Kindle Amazon
Reviewers Wanted: If you’re the real deal, reader/reviewer and would like a copy of my book, Cross-Ties, let me know and I’ll send you a Kindle version, no strings.
Wishing you a wonderful month filled with peace and joy. Carolyn Bowen
Quote of the Day: “Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” William Faulkner
H-e-l-l-o September! There is excitement in the air as we welcome this new month. The weather temperature is dropping and we know autumn is on the way. Let’s celebrate!
A new edition of my novel, Cross-Ties is now available online. If you would like a chance to win a copy (Kindle) from my Amazon Giveaway, enter here. No Purchase Necessary. Ends the earlier of Sep 15, 2016 11:59 PM PDT, or when all prizes are claimed. See Official Rules.
Follow my Amazon page for the latest updates about new releases and giveaways. Hint: There’s more to come!
Reviewers Wanted: If you’re the real deal, reader/reviewer and would like a copy of my book, Cross-Ties, let me know and I’ll send you a Kindle version, no strings.
Wishing you a wonderful month filled with peace and joy. Carolyn Bowen
Quote of the Day: You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. Erma Bombeck
Wishing you a fun and safe holiday weekend. Carolyn Bowen Cross-Ties
Quote of the Today: “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” Ernest Hemingway
I can’t hardly type this morning from the excitement about the progress on my new suspense book. It won’t be much longer before I can announce a launch date and party plans. I’ll be posting the latest news here and on my social media sites. Hope you’ll follow and talk to me on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, Amazon Author’s Page, and other favorite sites.
Today is National Camera Day which is fitting in my case. It’s time for a new head shot for the book. Usually, I welcome such occasions but on a bad hair day not so much. My cat Toker seems to agree a do over is merited. Wish me the best!
I appreciate your following my blog and connecting on social media. Thank you! Wishing you a wonderful day! Carolyn Bowen
Quote of the Day: “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
Panama Ciy Beach FL
Good morning! I hope you’re enjoying this summer season. It’s a great time to kick-back with family and friends. I’ve enjoyed time with my family and look forward to more magical moments.
I’ve also been editing and preparing for the launch of my new mystery-suspense book. I’ll be posting more details on social media. Hope you’ll join the fun and excitement. Carolyn M. Bowen, Author
For your relaxation: The waves lapping the beaches of NW FL
Quote for Today: If you have other things in your life—family, friends, good productive day work—these can interact with your writing and the sum will be all the richer. David Brin
Spring is in the air making my days even more wonderful. I love the distinct seasonal changes in the US. The number of entertainment opportunities are enormous. The timing is perfect for me to take a short break before the launch of my new book. This means spending time with friends and family. I hope you’re taking a spring break, too.
I look forward to sharing new information about my book soon. If you haven’t read my previous books, please check them out on Amazon.com.
Quote of the Day: Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless. Charles M. Crowe
History Notes
Today is Good Fridaywhich honors the day of the crucifixion of Jesus. Holy Saturday follows with remembrance of the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period after Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Check out the History Channel for more information.
What does Easter mean to you?
Easter means different things to people based on their individual values and beliefs. To some, pictures of fuzzy bunnies and Easter Egg hunts come to mind. These can be fun things to do in observing the holiday. My wish for you is the exploration of the meaning behind this holiday. I hope this Easter will be a time of personal reflection on the spiritual blessings of the season. Happy Easter!
Cross-Ties Book Carolyn Bowen If you have a chance over the weekend, check out my profile. I will be posting the launch date for my new suspense mystery coming out soon. Thank you! Carolyn Bowen
Quote for Today: “A blog is only as interesting as the interest shown in others.” Lee Odden
December is traditionally a time when we reflect on our achievements and highlights from the previous year. Along with reflections from the past comes fresh ideas about the possibilities in the new year. It is an exciting time to ponder new business possibilities and begin setting goals for the new year.
There has been much hype about blogging as a business in the past year. So much, that you would think everyone needs a space in the blogosphere. From brick and mortar store (brand) blogs to the sharing of journals and diaries, it seems everyone should have a web presence.
The Popularity of Blogs
According to Wikipedia, “On 20 February 2014, there were around 172 million Tumblr and 75.8 million WordPress blogs in existence worldwide. According to critics and other bloggers, Blogger is the most popular blogging service used today, however Blogger does not offer public statistics. Technorati has 1.3 million blogs as of February 22, 2014.” The number of new blogs has continued climbing throughout the year. For an idea of the number of posts made daily, check Worldometers for some calculations in real time.
Today, it is common for business web-sites to include a blog to inform the public about their offerings, special events, brand and etc. These are the exception to the business of a blog website. If the idea of starting your own blog is crossing your mind – this post is for you.
Business Planning
First, ask the question, Why do you want to write a blog? When the idea surfaces its common to think that it will be easy writing about something you enjoy doing and you will make lots of money sharing your knowledge plus there’s always affiliate or other marketing options – right? Although there are web-sites that do generate substantial revenue, the masses fall at the other end of the spectrum. However, if you are satisfied with your reasons for creating a blog, it’s time to move forward.
Treat your blog the same as if it was any other new business you are opening. I know it’s easy to think, well I’ll be doing it all and from anywhere I choose. Indeed, bloggers do not only produce content to post on their blogs, but also build social relations with their readers and other bloggers. For this, you need a well researched business plan that will help you find your niche, know your competition, costs for delivery, maintenance, domain and social media marketing as well as expansion.
You will need to consider which platform you will use to establish your web domain. Hosted vs standalone blog platforms? Hosted blog platforms like Blogger, WordPress, GoDaddy and many more or whether you should go for a stand alone platform that you host on your own domain and server like WordPress.org or others. I have tried it both ways, hosted and standalone and the greatest difference for two of the web-sites was a standalone using BlueHost with WordPress for creating posts. However, with the right SEO and content any of the above will accomplish the same results. You can always start with the basics like this web-site and work your way up. It’s all about how much time and money you want to put into it. And, for me and hopefully for you – time is money.
Social Media
There are platforms that provide free hosting to help get you started. However, if you want your posts to be seen by the masses you are going to need some SEO help whether you do it yourself or hire someone else. In addition, to help your posts fly and enjoy higher visibility you need social media sites where potential readers hang-out. Check the demographics and the interests of major social sites before creating a profile. Make sure it will be a good fit with folks of common interests in your topics. Then take it slowly, building your following on 2-3 major social sites at the time. The key here is building relationships and engaging with your followers. For business planning, consider your time and budget for promoting your social media site.
Pictures are worth a thousand words
Whether or not you snap your own pictures for your blog and social media posts you will need to have an idea about the costs for apps to help you customize your designs unless you are an accomplished graphic artists. Although I do enjoy using some apps like Canva for they provide an assortment of photos to select from, I have also purchased photos from stock companies and then customized them using another source. Key thought – know what you should budget for marketing your new business.
This is not at all an inclusive listing for planning your blog start-up, but rather some notes to direct you in making decisions. The year 2015 could be your breakthrough year, I hope you will use your time, energy and money wisely. Wishing you the success you deserve. Carolyn
Quote for Today: I continue to be drawn to clarity and simplicity. ‘Less is more’ remains my mantra. Stephane Rolland
The holiday season is in our wake and it seems everywhere we look there are some fantastic gifts starring us in the face. Everyone today is marketing something. It is just the way the world operates now from authors promoting their books, companies branding their product lines to non-profits creating awareness about their mission. What are we to do if we want our own offerings available for the world to see? Get more visible with a planned strategy to target our market.
What is one to do when first starting out promoting their products or services? We question what platforms will deliver the greatest results for our efforts and pocketbook. Looking around the Internet there is a huge array of selections for posting on social media. It is tempting to say “I want to use them all and receive the most for my start-up.” I’ve been in that mind-set too and learned that sometimes less is more. Clue: Fresh content, visuals, supporting apps are just a few of the commodities needed for each site.
My suggestion is to use the social media sites where your potential customers already are active. It is best to begin with two or three sites and as you build your community expand your reach to others or use your talent and energy to continue improving your existing sites.
My favorites for ease of use, targeting folks interested in my products and building a community that enjoys the same things are as follows: Google+, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. And, I did not do these all at once. Each site is a work in progress that has been expanded as resources became available. It is a good to have a budget for paid advertisements on your social media sites. It is generally agreed that it is a better option than buying followers who may or may not be interested in your offerings.
Another option this holiday season is partnering with a company that already markets similar products or services. For example holiday specials in the hospitality industry, an established blog that promotes travel, food and entertainment would be a bonus. Note: This is one of my companies. However, for Cross-Ties
the search is on for a partner (book seller) that will help my young adult novel go viral.
Keep it simple, know your audience and market accordingly. Special note for companies marketing to businesses, it’s hard to beat Linkedin for news and growing your network.
I look forward to your comments about what’s working for your marketing program. Hope to see you on social media. Cordially, Carolyn
If you have a chance over the weekend, check out my profile. I will be posting the launch date for my new suspense mystery coming out soon. Thank you! Carolyn Bowen
Carolyn M. Bowen, Author 