May 17, 2012
A writer I am working with recently told me that they have “gone as far as they can,” because they don’t use social media, and didn’t intend to. So today, I want to talk about moving beyond self-imposed limitations. Thanks. -Dan
May 14, 2012
Today I want to talk about the “problem of success.” That point when all of your efforts to develop a platform starts setting things in motion. When you finally get that sense of momentum, when people engage with you, when people start asking things of you. How do you balance the needs of your writing,... Continue »
May 13, 2012
A writer I am working with expressed to me how they don’t enjoy meeting other people, and think social media is a waste of time. So they asked “how little engagement on Facebook and Twitter is good enough to get me a book deal?” My answer, explained in the video above, is that they need... Continue »
May 11, 2012
We live in an age where it is easy to create and share. But whose responsibility is it to create work of the highest quality – living up to exacting standards that even your audience doesn’t expect? My wife brought home a cup that she bought at a second-hand shop, a cup that was crafted... Continue »
May 11, 2012
With all the talk of building an audience, of growing a platform, I wanted to reflect on the leap it is to go from asking someone to “Like me on Facebook,” to “Please buy my book.” That making a purchase is a big commitment for most people, and a multistage process of pulling out your... Continue »
May 11, 2012
Two weeks ago I began vlogging. What is a vlog? They are video blogs: short video updates on a topic, just as you would expect from a text blog. I have considered doing this for a long time, and have been obsessed with YouTube for awhile now. I spend my days talking to writers and... Continue »
May 10, 2012
When your audience and customers have greater choice, you have to focus on differentiating yourself with higher quality. I was reading a blog post by Jason Fry about his decision to no longer purchase comic books at his local store, and instead buy digital editions. He makes good points about how much more competitive the... Continue »
May 9, 2012
With everyone jumping on social media, it can be very hard to stand out. Many people are concerned with appearing “active” on social media. So they research the best practices, and do the minimum expected of them. They also feel pressure to be present on a wide range of social networks, so they split their... Continue »
May 9, 2012
I was just on a website trying to reach out to an author, using the “contact me” form they supplied. As I hit “submit,” it became obvious that the form was broken. No matter which web browser I used, or how I filled out the form, it wouldn’t submit. Invariably, I find that “contact me”... Continue »
May 8, 2012
Is buying your book the END of a reader’s relationship with you and the topic/story you write about, or just the beginning. Today, I explore the important ways that blogging or engaging in social media helps authors not only grow their audience, but increase the likelihood of your existing audience to read your book and... Continue »