Blog 22023-11-03T20:38:03-07:00
10April, 2013

How authors can effectively use Twitter hashtags for writing research

By |April 10, 2013|Categories: Marketing, Resources, Social Media|

Twitter is about making connections in short, snappy bits of conversation. You have 140 characters for each message, which includes text, hashtags (#), private connections (@), links, and photos.

In this post we’ll discuss how to use hashtags in a search to find new contacts, conversations, and information.

Twitter Search

Type in a word or phrase in the Twitter search bar and you will get a list of tweets matching what you have entered, e.g., candy, finances, weather.

Use that same word or phrase but add a hashtag (#) before the keyword or phrase and you get a greatly expanded list. This is because the actual tweet may not be using the keyword specifically in the text, but the author of the tweet thought it was relevant enough to that topic and inserted that keyword with a hashtag.

For instance if you type #scifi, #money, or #cat into a Twitter search bar you will be given a long list of tweets around those words. Not all the messages shown will have #scifi in the actual message per se, but will have that keyword added usually at the end of the tweet.

You can easily scroll through the list of tweets that are displayed to connect with the latest information on your subject. You can view the real-time conversation that is going on, compare ideas, and join in.

The conversations shown may not be all positive!

Searching for #obama will bring up tweets from all sides of the political spectrum. Accolades, sneers, news items, name calling, etc. It’s a great way to see both sides of a conversation on any given topic.

Expand your target audience

Another benefit for you as an author is to use hashtags in defining your target audience. Is there a real conversation centered around your topic? If not, you might want to think about your topic before investing in its publication and marketing.

In most cases if your keyword is specific and on target, you will find many new people to connect with. You can create a master keyword list and use it daily or a couple of times a week. In a short amount of time, you will soon recognize the authority key figures to follow and the trending conversations to follow.

Use hashtags for research

Twitter can be a goldmine for behind-the-scenes information, facts, and surprising details for your book. Use hashtags to expand topics you’re writing about, places you want to explore, and people you need to know more about.

Examples:
#digitalcamera
#401K
#alzheimers
#methodone

Twitter can be used to research audience information, background, new books, special deals, coupons, tutorials, free offers, and much more.

Next we’ll discuss using hashtags to build your first 100 Twitter followers.

At Wheatmark, we believe in helping authors with every step of the writing and publishing process. Whether your book is is in the beginning or final stages to tell us about your project, tell us about it.

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19March, 2013

Break through writer’s block with Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art

By |March 19, 2013|Categories: Resources, Writing|

Resistance.

No one quite cuts to the bone about writer’s block better than Steven Pressfield in his book, The War of Art. Published over ten years ago it still remains a popular, no-nonsense book for getting writers to write.

It’s not about whether you are good enough writer to call yourself a writer. If you write you are a writer. The more you write the better you will write.

It’s not about how good a writer you should be or want to be. It’s simply: Are you writing now?

While dreams of sitting at home and writing a bestselling book is a common American dream, the reality of it is much more painful.

It’s not about “Are we having fun yet?” so much as are we “Still sticking to it.”

Jodi Picoult, the bestselling author of 16 books (and counting) puts in a solid eight-hour day from 7:30 in the morning until 2:30 pm locked away in her office writing and researching. That takes discipline. But before you whine that you don’t have that kind of time let me explain that for her first books she didn’t either. She found the time in five-, ten-, and fifteen-minute blocks she carved out while in traffic, waiting for a kid in front of the school, or stolen minutes while she ate lunch.

The subtitle for the War of Art is Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles.

Turns out the real war front is not finding the perfect publisher, marketing secret or publicity stunt, as it is sitting down and writing each and every day. No excuses. No complaints. No pity parties.

Rationalization is one of the biggest tools in the Enemy camp for Writer’s Block. Every author has their own personal excuses but Pressfield zeroes in on them all and debunks them without mercy.

So how does a book that simply debunks author excuses for writing become such a popular book for wannabe authors?

Because it’s true.

And . . . because it’s not all bad.

Pressfield supplies us with a writer’s mirror that reveals not only the blemishes, warts, and wrinkles of our writing fantasy, but gives us the shield and armor to break through and experience victory. To climb the mountain of our deepest desire and experience the exultation of seeing a dream become reality.

At Wheatmark, we believe in helping authors with every step of the writing and publishing process. Whether your book is in the beginning or final stages, we’d love to hear from you.

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18March, 2013

How to get book reviews for a self-published book

By |March 18, 2013|Categories: Marketing, Publishing, Resources|

How important are book reviews for new authors?

The best way to sell books is by word of mouth. The primary way to get that word of mouth rolling is to get your book reviewed.

The more important the book reviewer is the greater exposure your book will have. A book reviewed in the New York Times is going to outperform a book review on a small book blog with 200 readers.

Does this mean you should ignore the small ponds and fish for reviews only in the big ones? Not necessarily. If you are a new author, getting your foot in the door of book reviewers of any size might be well worth your while.

Ten reviews from small-sized bloggers will give you exposure to new readers that would otherwise never find your book. Keep adding to the pot and you will slowly build up your readership. Every book review that is posted online will be one more inbound link to your book and website. That’s good for raising your book and website’s search engine ranking.

To increase your chances of getting your book reviewed, it’s important that you match reviewers with books that fit your genre. There are thousands of blog sites that will review books. Each reviewer has their own preference for what type of book they will review. Fiction has numerous categories such as Thrillers, Horror, Historical Fiction, Romances, Westerns, Mysteries, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, for starters. Business books can be separated by type of business, start-ups, business methods, etc.

An easy way to find reviewers is to use a search engine and type in

[book review + (genre of book)]. For instance, [book review “romance”] or [book review “business”]. You can try different variations of this search such as [(type of review) book review “genre of book”], which would look like

Writer’s Digest has an excellent article by Joel Friedlander on How to Get Reviews for Self-Published Books. Joel reviews how to get your book review kit together, how to find reviewers and key tips for getting your book reviewed.

Wheatmark can help you create a book marketing strategy that will help you maximize your impact while minimizing your time.

By |May 11, 2016|Comments Off on Blog 2
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