Place
Networking with Online Writers’ Groups
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Networking, getting to know editors and other writers, is absolutely necessary for getting your work published. The more contacts you have, the more likely you will get a lead on a market that fits your work. In my last online marketing class, one of the students lived in a northwestern state, far from any writers’ conference or writers’ groups. Her only opportunity for networking was the Internet. So, what are the options?
CWFI: Christian Writers Fellowship International (CWFI) Yahoo group was established by Sandy Brooks for subscribers to Cross & Quill. After the magazine ceased publication, the group was opened to non-subscribers. Weekly discussions are based on a Question of the Week, moderated by Donna Clark Goodrich. Overt promotion is discouraged on the group, but members are encouraged to report publishing successes. Apply for membership in the group at the link above.
CWGI: You must fill out an application form for Christian Writers Group International (CWGI), also a Yahoo group. There is no fee, so this is a much larger group. The last time I checked there were about 800 members worldwide. Discussions are made more interesting by input from members in places like Australia and South Africa.
TWV1: the Writers’ View 1 is for “advanced and professional writers in the Christian market. Topics are advanced and explore the entire publishing process.” Owned by Mary DeMuth, this group requires a membership application and there are a number of panelists covering a wide variety of genres.
TWV2: The Writer’s View 2 is “for beginning/intermediate Christian writers serious about taking their writing to the next level.” Membership application required for this one, too. You must choose which TWV you want to participate in, because you are not allowed to participate in both. Mary also owns this group, but the list of panelists is different.
ACFW: The groups mentioned in this blog are ones that I have participated in or investigated for myself. If you are a fiction writer, check out American Christian Fiction Writers. Member benefits include forums that might be helpful to you.
These groups not only help you improve your writing, but they help you get to know people who can introduce you to others in the industry. I invite comments on this post from people who have participated in other writers’ groups.
Jumpstart Your Writing with the Four P’s
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The Four P’s (Product, Promotion, Place, and Price) are components of the Marketing Mix, a planning model developed by Neil H. Borden in the sixties. The fact that it has been around so long is a testament to its effectiveness as a business tool. Writers, like it or not, must think like business managers if they want to sell their work. But, how do you adapt this model to your own situation?
In previous articles, I have described how writers can use this tool. See the article links at the end of this post. Rather than telling you how to use the Four P’s, today I will show you how I use it for Blog4writers. And, don’t forget, you take the customer’s point of view, not yours.
Product: Blog4writers is a free online collection of articles and resources for writers seeking to publish their work. Although it is targeted to Christian writers, those who write for secular markets will also find useful information here.
- Articles are less than 500 words and contain links to further information.
- Topics (categories) are marketing, websites and blogs, writers’ resources (online and print), “Get Organized,” and inspirational.
- In the marketing category, articles are marked with sub-categories Product, Place, Promotion, and Price.
Promotion: I use standard blog promotion methods, but word of mouth has worked best for me. The people who have met me, either online or in person, are most likely to subscribe. Here’s a list of my promotion methods.
- I post on Facebook and Twitter announcing new articles. I usually wait until after the subscription feed has been out a day or two. That way, I can tell whether traffic is coming from the feed or from the social networks.
- I belong to three online Christian writers’ groups. If someone on those groups asks a question, I check to see if I have an article on the blog that answers that question. I then post the link to the group.
- I ordered free business cards from Vistaprint promoting Blog4writers and carry them with me so that I don’t miss an opportunity to promote!
Place: In manufacturing, the Place component applies to the distribution—how the customer accesses the product. Users access Blog4Writers via the Internet. Also, I “place” the URL in my other blogs and in my e-mail signature to remind people that it’s available.
Price: Well, for Blog4writers, that’s easy. It’s free to anyone who takes the time to check it out. Maybe not exactly free, though. You do have to spend a little effort to search for the information you need.
Four P’s analysis can be used for projects large and small, for your entire writing effort or just for one part of it. It makes you think about what you’re trying to do, and it jumpstarts your creative thought processes. Try it, and let me know how it works out.
My previous articles:
Golden Rule Marketing for Writers
Marketing: Developing Your Network
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Have you wondered why birds gather on utility wires like the ones in this picture? While I’m sure there’s some deep, dark secret as to why they do that, I’d say they’re probably networking. They perch high above the action so that they can see what’s going on. They go out to hunt food and face danger each day. When they return to their group, they share their experiences. That’s networking, and it’s an activity your marketing plan cannot be without.
Marketing is figuring out how to present yourself to other writers, editors, publishers, and potential readers. Networking helps you collect information on what your audiences want or need. Also, it helps them get to know about you and your work. Most people are more willing to recommend you or help you promote your work if they know you.
The concept of “platform” so often mentioned by those giving marketing advice to writers is just another facet of networking. People will buy your product if they know you or your previous work. So how does a writer build a network?
Join writers’ groups. Search online and ask around for local writer’s groups. Visit American Christian Writers website for a list of local chapters. If you live in a rural area, networking with other writers can be difficult. However, you can meet and work with other writers through online groups. Go to my previous post on online writers’ groups for details.
Attend writers’ conferences. By the end of November, most conferences are done for the year. However, there’s still time to sign up for the American Christian Writers Caribbean Cruise. Not in your budget? Actually, it’s not in mine, either. This is a good time to plan for conference attendance next year. Sally Stuart has a conference list on her website. Also, ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com maintains a useful conference list.
Use social media. Although it can be a waste of time, social media do help you keep in touch with people you’ve met at conferences. And, it helps them to remember you. If you aren’t on Twitter or Facebook now, spend some time learning about it with my previous how-to post on social media. Don’t forget that blogging is a form of social media, too. Browse my site for a number of posts on blogging if you need help with that. Rachelle Garner recently wrote about social media on her blog. Definitely take a minute to read her post.
Writers can gather in person, like the birds on the light wire, or online to educate and encourage one another. The whole point of networking is to create a “flock” of people with whom you can share information. Don’t try to fly solo, especially if you are a beginner.
The concept of “platform” so often mentioned by those giving marketing advice to writers is just another facet of networking. People will buy your product if they know you or your previous work. So how does a writer build a network?
Join writers’ groups. Search online and ask around for local writer’s groups. Visit American Christian Writers website for a list of local chapters. If you live in a rural area, networking with other writers can be difficult. However, you can meet and work with other writers through online groups. Go to my previous post on online writers’ groups for details.
Attend writers’ conferences. By the end of November, most conferences are done for the year. However, there’s still time to sign up for the American Christian Writers Caribbean Cruise. Not in your budget? Actually, it’s not in mine, either. This is a good time to plan for conference attendance next year. Sally Stuart has a conference list on her website. Also, ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com maintains a useful conference list.
Use social media. Although it can be a waste of time, social media do help you keep in touch with people you’ve met at conferences. And, it helps them to remember you. If you aren’t on Twitter or Facebook now, spend some time learning about it with my previous how-to post on social media. Don’t forget that blogging is a form of social media, too. Browse my site for a number of posts on blogging if you need help with that. Rachelle Garner recently wrote about social media on her blog. Definitely take a minute to read her post.
Writers can gather in person like the birds on the light wire or online to educate and encourage one another. The whole point of networking is to create a “flock” of people with whom you can share information. Don’t try to fly solo, especially if you are a beginner.
Promotion/Networking: Twitter for Writers
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Continuing the series on social media for writers, today I’ll share what I’ve learned about Twitter, the micro-blogging tool. If you are not familiar with Twitter, go to this article on Wikipedia now.
Instead of having friends as on Facebook, Twitter users have followers. I’ve used Twitter for several months now, following people mainly in the Christian publishing industry. Some of the same people are friends on Facebook. As of today, I am following 49 people, and 56 people are following me. Some say that you should follow everyone who follows you, but I don’t follow people unless it appears that their content will be of interest to me.
What I Like About Twitter
- Posts (tweet) are short and often provide links that I can access if I want to know more. It doesn’t take me long to scan the list and read the things I’m interested in.
- I can post announcements about new blog posts to help build my readership.
- I can follow people I want to know more about and ignore the ones that are following me in order to sell me something.
- The new Lists feature allows me to separate my preferred follows from the ones I’m just following as a courtesy.
What I Don’t Like About Twitter
- Some people resort to text message language in order to get a longer message in the 140 character limit. Besides having trouble interpreting some of it, I see this as cheating!
- Some people must just tweet all day long. There’s a limit to how much I want to hear from any one person, no matter how much they know about writing and publishing. If you have that much to say, use a blog.
- I’m following publishing professionals for information about writing and publishing, not about where they’re going, what they’re having for dinner (breakfast, lunch, snack), or what the weather is like where they live.
Twitter Marketing Effectiveness
Although there are things I don’t like about Twitter (and other social media, for that matter), I have to admit that they can be effective. I do see an increase in the traffic on my blogs for a day or so after I tweet about a post.
Recently, a family in Vermont needed funding for medical treatment for their special needs baby. The mother let friends know about the problem via Twitter. Someone set up a page on her Web site where people could make donations through Paypal. The message went out on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. See the details in this article, “How Social Media Saved Jaeli.”
Other Articles About Twitter
Seven Twitter People Every Author Should Follow
Nine Ways to Promote Your Book Using Social Media
See my previous posts on Facebook here and on social media in general here.
Read my post on Twitter, Facebook, and Tweetdeck.
Promotion/Networking: Facebook for Writers
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In my last post, I promised to share my experiences with social media. I have not experimented with all of the possible methods. I primarily use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Follow the links in the previous sentence to see my home page for each site. I’ve found that I have more to say on each method than I originally thought, so I will limit this post to Facebook. Others will be covered in future posts.
My Facebook friends include long-time friends, family, and writers/editors/publishers. I joined because a writer’s conference I planned to attend had set up a Facebook group. At first, I thought I would limit Facebook friends to writers, editors, and publishers. However, I soon found out that I had many long-lost friends on Facebook, so I decided to include them. Since I joined Facebook to promote my writing, it stands to reason that I want everyone who knows me to know about my blogs. So, why leave anyone out just because they’re not involved in the publishing industry?
Promote your blog: I have several blogs, and I often post an announcement that there’s a new post on a blog. This nets me higher traffic on the blog for a day or so after I post. I’m not getting many e-mail subscribers for my blogs from Facebook as I had hoped. It’s possible that I may be getting subscribers by RSS feed, which I cannot track. But, the increase in traffic, even if temporary, is worth the effort.
Promote your published work: Many published authors use Facebook to keep readers informed by setting up a group. Check out Rita Gerlach’s group for her recent novel, Surrender the Wind. I’m not sure whether you’ll get to see comments of fans unless you log in, but try the link anyway. For fiction writers, building a fan base like this is a must. You want your fans to be ready and willing to buy your next book when it comes out.
Non-fiction writers can post announcements about articles published in print or provide links to work published online. In addition, a non-fiction write can use a topic-based or cause-based group to build contacts. As group owner, you can post updates on your topic or cause, thereby keeping your expertise in that topic in front of your readers. See United Methodist Committee on Relief and Power of Prayer.
Priming the pump: In commenting on other people’s posts, I’ve had interesting Facebook conversations on topics that I’d never have a chance to discuss in person. Just yesterday, a friend posted a comment about an experience she had. I commented on it and received updates throughout the day. By the end of the day, I had an idea for a new article based on the topic that was discussed.
I welcome comments about your experiences marketing yourself and your work on Facebook. Next post: Twitter
Promotion/Networking: Social Media
0Most aspiring authors know they need to build their network of writers, editors, and publishers. They know that they need to understand the publishing industry so that they can be positioned to sell their book or articles. In my previous post on networking, I discussed what networking is and how word of mouth marketing builds your network. See that post here.
Social media are a great way to build your contact list. Although there are several options, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn seem to be the most popular with writers. The first two can be used to network with publishing industry folks as well as friends and family. LinkedIn is more for networking with other professionals. There’s a great article on the Writers’ Digest site entitled “A Writer’s Guide to Social Networking” that covers these three social media. Take a look at this article this week, and I’ll write about my own experiences with them in my next post.
Meanwhile, for those of you who have not tried social media, follow the links below to how-to information on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin:
Ehow/Facebook or Butterscotch.com/Facebook
Promotion/Place: Networking
0In the last few posts, I’ve talked about the Product and Promotion components of a Four P’s marketing plan for writers. See the Golden Rule Marketing article for a quick review of the Four P’s. Next, let’s move on to the Place component, being in the right place at the right time to get the business (writing assignment, book contract, editing client).
Networking is a way to develop contacts, people who may become customers or sources of word-of-mouth recommendations (referrals). It is “informal communication,” and it occurs in-person, over the phone, by mail, or online. You won’t necessarily make a sales pitch for your business with every contact, but you can use networking to establish yourself as a credible source of information on your specialty. Thinking back on my own experience, I realize that I chose my doctor, my dentist, and my child’s music teacher based on referrals from neighbors and friends. I did check their credentials, but it was the referral that started me looking at these people initially.
Word of mouth has always been the most effective means of promotion for products or services. Marketing professionals often use the term “viral marketing.” You know what a virus does to your body when you pick it up through your “network” of friends, family, and coworkers. An e-mail virus creates havoc by sending and resending itself through individual e-mail accounts. Each e-mail user’s address book represents his or her network. Each person in this address book has his or her own network. When network meets network, the virus propagates itself throughout the Internet community.
Do you have existing clients or customers? Give them an incentive to refer your services to others. Write down the names of all of the people you see every day. How many of them might need your services at some point? How many of them know someone who might need your services? Use your network to pass the word about your business.
More Info:
Word of Mouth Marketing: http://www.wordofmouthbook.com/book/
Article on viral marketing by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson: http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm
Networking to create leads: http://www.marketingpower.com/content18916.php
Social Media Networking: Twitter and Facebook
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Do you Twitter? Are you on Facebook, MySpace, Shoutlife? YouTube? Have you found that it helps promote your writing career? I’ve been on Twitter and Facebook for several months, and I’m not sure yet whether it’s worth the time required to follow others and respond. However, I’ve recently researched how other writers are using the social media, and I want to share some of the things I’ve found with you.
First, Wikipedia defines Social media thusly: “Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video. These sites typically use technologies such as blogs, message boards, podcasts, wikis, and vlogs to allow users to interact.”
Twitter: Let’s look at Twitter first, since it’s the simplest of the social media. Follow these links to learn how to Twitter and how it’s used by other Christian writers.
Twitter and the Christian writer
Lee Warren’s thoughts on Twitter
See my Twitter page, and follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/emilyakin
Facebook: You can do more with Facebook. Your posts can be longer, and you can add photos and notes about yourself. Start with the how-to videos, and then check out how other writers use Facebook.
My Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/emilyakin
And finally, advice on how to manage your time on social media:
General Social Media Tips for Writers
I invite comments from writers on this post. As I said, I’m not sure it’s helping me promote my writing, but I’d like to hear about the experiences of others. Comments are moderated, so, if you do comment, it may be a few hours before your comment appears here.
