Quote of the Day: “Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” Brad Paisley
Happy New Year Everyone! May all your dreams come true in 2017. Wishing you and yours love, peace and joy in this new year.
Wow! I am delighted at your response to my latest romantic suspense novel, The Long Road Home. The Goodreads Giveawayjust ended and I’ll be mailing the winners their copies next week. Over one-thousand readers signed up for a chance to win one signed copy out of twenty. I appreciate the readers who have placed it on their book shelf for reading. Thank you for your interest in my novels.
The Long Road Home is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Nobleand other great bookstores. The present average rating is 4.50 (yeah!). It’s because of my fans (you) sharing the book news personally with friends, family and others on their social media sites. If you are visualizing me jumping up and down, you would be right! There’s still more to do to make The Long Road Homea bestseller in 2017. Ask everyone to leave a comment, text review or rating on their favorite book sites. This is one of the ways authors and their books can be seen by others.
Reviewers Wanted: If you’re the real deal, reader/reviewer and would like a copy of my book, The Long Road Home, let me know and I’ll send you a Kindle version with no strings. Thank you!
ATTN: Book Clubs
Contact me about reading and discussing The Long Road Home for your special discount.
More Good News
I’m so happy about launching The Long Road Home! I’m offering Cross-Ties Novel with reduced pricing. It’s a story about love, passion and family with some hiccups here and there. (Historical Fiction) Purchase today at Amazon: Paperback $9.99 – MatchBook $0.99 – Kindle $1.99 andBarnes and NobleNook Book -$1.99.
I post writing news and inspirational information daily on my social media sites. I invite you to connect with me there also. Thanks for sharing the love, Carolyn
Quote for today: “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” Ernest Hemingway
Today I’m celebrating the relaunch of Cross-Ties book. The paperback is ready on Amazon. The Kindle edition is coming soon. Mark your calendar for my Goodreads Giveaway starting Midnight Thursday August 25- Midnight September 2nd. Follow my author’s page and enter to WIN an autographed copy.
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 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: “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
Thought for today: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Maya Angelou
I am a writer and have a passion for writing. Today’s writer wears more than one hat for it is important to know how to market your books too. In addition, it is not uncommon for many writers to hold other employment as well. Marketing is my other passion. So, time is of the essence.
For marketing, many hours of a day are spent on a variety of social media sites updating fans with latest writing news, inspiring others to achieve their dreams, and connecting on a personal basis. So when do you have time to work on new material?
I have found that prioritizing my goals for the day is helpful. I like to wake early in the morning and work on my manuscripts for new books. It’s a great time when my mind is fresh and thoughts come together easier for stories. Even though I have an urge to check my email’s and tune in to my social network, I attempt to stay focused on my writing. When my mind is set – most times I win.
In the search for social media applications that will make my life run smoother, I found two that standout for their easy use and refreshing content – Canva and Post Planner. What’s so great about both of them is that you can try them for free. Once you see the results you can subscribe or not. I enjoy the benefits of using my own content or theirs from pictures, quotes to relevant articles. These applications provide me with the opportunity to do more of what I love – writing and forming relationships with those of similar interests. Yes, I love content writing that is pertinent within the scope of my interests. And, you can see I do a lot of it. Yet, a little help is always welcome when wearing several hats. You may want to try these too.
Do you have favorite digital applications for sharing on social media? Share your time saving tips with me. Streamlining frees us to focus on what’s more important in life. I’d like to get to know you. Let’s connect on Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter. Carolyn
The Long Road Home is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other great bookstores. The present average rating is 4.50 (yeah!). It’s because of my fans (you) sharing the book news personally with friends, family and others on their social media sites. If you are visualizing me jumping up and down, you would be right! There’s still more to do to make The Long Road Home a bestseller in 2017. Ask everyone to leave a comment, text review or rating on their favorite book sites. This is one of the ways authors and their books can be seen by others.
Carolyn M. Bowen, Author 