Beyond the Elements of Style » Creativity

What is a Writer?

Jeannette Cezanne — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:38:26 +0000

I spend a lot of my time thinking. That’s the mark of a writer, no doubt, though it’s not ours alone (my former husband, a software developer, spends a great deal of his working time stretched out on a couch staring at the ceiling). And one of the things I think about is what makes a real writer. Visual artists, it seems, are forever discussing the nature of art. We writers are more ego-obsessed: we argue about the nature of writers. Who gets to call themselves a writer? What are the criteria? I was thinking about it again today when I read one of my writer’s associations newsletters and saw a description of a writer who sits at her computer and writes … well, whatever it is that she writes. And I immediately felt, oh, I wish I could do that.

I wish I were a real writer.

What nonsense! The truth is, I am a real writer. I have novels and nonfiction books, short stories and articles, poetry and produced plays to my credit. Do they pay all my bills? No; but the reality is that I have in fact fashioned a life around writing. I make my living writing copy: website copy, business copy, press releases and white papers and business articles. It doesn’t mean that I’m always writing what I want to be writing … but I’m always writing.

What makes us real? What criteria do we use to define ourselves? It’s worth spending a little time thinking about it. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

More on Blogging

Jeannette Cezanne — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:01:52 +0000

So we’ve talked about book marketing via a blog, but haven’t really discussed how you can find and receive the information that you need from others’ blogs. Reading others’ blogs and commenting on them (always being sure to include a signature line with your name, your website, and your book’s title) is a terrific way to create an internet presence for yourself, network, and market your book.

Every blog has an RSS feed. Once you identify the blogs you want to follow, subscribe to the RSS feeds (one way to do this that is easy and free is Google Reader. By using an RSS feed, you can have the latest posts from all of your chosen blogs updated automatically, all in one place.

But what blogs should you follow? You need to be careful about what you subscibe to, because while blogs can be terrific sources of information, they can also constitute a black hole for your time and energy!

Be aware that searches on the net are all about keywords. If you’re looking for blogs on which you can comment and join the conversation (thus giving your name and book more exposure), then blogs related to the subject of your novel might be more effective than the writing and publishing blogs that most authors think they should subscribe to. With the exception of Beyond The Elements of Style, of course!

Technorati is a good place to start: go there and search for the keyword terms that interest you. The search function on the home page will identify posts with the search term; if you want to find blogs, then use the advanced search function.

Technorati gives blogs an authority rating based on how many other blogs link in to the blog. Although a high rating can indicate lots of traffic, don’t discount a blog just because of a low authority rating. You could still get traffic or search engine lift from being on a blog if it’s good fit with your subject.

There are a number of other blog directories and search engines, including Google Blog Search and Blog Catalog.

When you’re ready to comment on a blog, always make your comments useful and thoughtful. As you start to have a presence on your selected blogs, you’ll find that people start looking to you as an authority on your topics, visiting your website more often, and generally giving you the kind of marketing lift you’re looking for. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

More On Book Marketing: Social Media

Jeannette Cezanne — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:06:21 +0000

Last time we talked about SEO for book marketing on the web. But the reality is (and those of you who subscribe to my newsletter, Limitless Content, already know this) that the trend of 2010 is toward integration. SEO alone isn’t going to do it. Direct mail alone isn’t going to do it. You really need to integrate all of your efforts into one seamless strategy if you’re going to get any traction in your book marketing efforts.

Enter social media. Here’s not only a way to reach a lot of people, but a way to have someone else help you do it! How cool is that?

First step: Open accounts with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, and MySpace. If you already have one, think about opening a second one that is tied in specifically to the book you’re marketing. The more focused your interactions in social media, the better.

Social media has emerged as one of the biggest buzzwords in the short history of the Internet. Never mind what tool or platform you use, social media is really about connecting people, engaging them, and treating them the way they want to be treated. Social media is having a huge impact on business, not just from a marketing perspective, but also in areas such as customer service, market research, and product development.

Social networks can allow you to reach and influence thousands of people, which can generate more traffic to your book’s website and sell more copies of your book. When optimizing your site for social networks, it is important to keep some general tips in mind:

1. create a well-written summary of your post in the first paragraph
2. place social networking bookmarks and buttons on your site
3. comment and submit stories
4. establish yourself to potential customers as an expert in your field.

MySpace
You don’t have to be sixteen and silly to leverage MySpace, and if your book is even remotely aimed at young people, it’s time to start your MySpace marketing. Start slowly: obtain an account, not with your own name, but with that of your book instead; instead of the requisite headshot, put in a shot of the book cover. Once you have that in place, look at the space as a mini-website ad put something together, being careful to keep the same look and feel (as much as possible) from your own website. Make sure that you have links back to your regular website, and use the social networking equivalent of alt tags on any pictures.

Facebook
Facebook allows you to create a “group,” but it doesn’t have to be about people. Think outside the box: the group can be an event, such as a sale, or it can be your book itself; once you’ve created it, invite all of your email subscribers to come and view it.

LinkedIn
Less social and more professional networking, LinkedIn nonetheless can be exploited for the holidays. One of the great resources of this networking site is the practice of users asking questions that can then be answered by other users. Many of the questions will be irrelevant to your book, but some will be; answering them well, completely, and helpfully will establish you as an expert in the field, an authority to which people can turn, and generate buzz about your book. Including a link to your website will garner great SEO mileage as well!

Make Sure You’re Prepared
One caveat that’s true for all social networking sites: if you’re building up a book profile, you have to consider what “friends” you want to be associated with for branding purposes. And you need to be willing to engage with the audience: blogging, sending messages, and being an actual member of the community. It takes planning and strategy, but social networking can really help with your book marketing strategy. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

More on Book Marketing: SEO

Jeannette Cezanne — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:05:22 +0000

I’m starting with the assumption that you have a website dedicated to your book. If you don’t, go away now and create one, and then come back to hear the rest of what I have to say.

SEO (search engine optimization) is the art and science of bringing people to your website who are likely to purchase your book. Why use it?

81% of customers find products and services using search engines (Forrester Research). This is even true for local search.
60% of all search engine clicks occur in natural (non-paid) search results.

There are five components that contribute to high rankings in organic listings:

Keywords: This is a word or phrase that defines the demand on which targeted prospects are likely to search. Longtail and brand-related keywords are generally worth more than shorter, vague keywords, because they are typically used when someone is further along in the buying cycle.
Content: Search engine “spiders” read the content of the webpage in order to categorize the subject matter and determine whether or not the page should rank for related keywords and keyword phrases. Search engines also find content in URLs, alt tags, link title attributes, and heading tags.
Linking: Internal links are essential for good search engine optimization. The spiders find navigating your site easier when they can move through via internal links and place great importance on those linked pages.
Code: Code offers another opportunity to include keywords. It is often the first thing the spiders see.
Technology platform: Keeping technology as clean and simple as possible is important for both humans and search engines. Code factors that affect SEO include coding, databases, the use of JavaScript, and the content management system.

Along with these components, which are by and large onsite optimizations, a second component of your SEO campaign is a conservatively aggressive linking strategy.
It’s an essential part of search engine optimization, because the spiders “believe” that if you have links from other authority sites and important directories, then your site must be worth something in the eyes of the internet community, and they accordingly give you credit for that.

What is a link? A link is a reference on a web page that sends the user to some other place, either on the same site or out on the internet. Generally, a site with more quality inbound links will be positioned higher than a similar site with fewer links.

Some of these steps are things you can do for yourself. Others involve an in-depth knowledge of the search field and require the services of an expert. Feel free to contact Customline Wordware if you’d like some help with your SEO efforts!

Be aware in the meantime that SEO is currently undergoing a sea change. Google’s new personalized search (see this article by SEO guru Danny Sullivan to see where search is going) is going to be making a lot of changes in the landscape in the very near future. Stay on top of the trends, and then you’ll be .. beyond the elements of style!

More on Book Marketing: Libraries

Jeannette Cezanne — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:32:47 +0000

Libraries used to be the hub of the intellectual universe. They may no longer be considered that by many who prefer their intellectual stimulation served up electronically, but they are still a wonderful place for you to gather some buzz about your book.

But wait, you say—libraries don’t sell books!

Of course they don’t … technically. But I’ve given many talks at libraries and asked in return only the ability to sell the book I’m promoting … and have made direct sales as well as creating a lot of buzz. That’s good marketing!

What’s even better is that once a library books you as a speaker, that library will market you as part of its regular programming. Not only do you not have to do the promotion (although anything extra you can add is a very good thing), you can learn about promotion from seeing what the library does.

Libraries sometimes will videotape your talk or presentation so that others can see it. But there’s a lot more you can do with the video! Check with your local cable TV and see if they’d be willing to run it; they’re often looking for content and this is great content. Put the video on your website along with your book trailer; put it up on YouTube; blog about it; connect it to your profiles on Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn (um, you do have accounts at Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn, don’t you?).

It’s not difficult to come up with an interesting presentation. If your book is nonfiction, your subject matter is obvious. If it’s fiction, find an interesting angle: the milieu in which the novel takes place, its historical context, professions practiced by the characters, etc. We’ll talk more about this sort of thing in the future.

And, of course, once you’ve given a successful presentation at one library, it will be easier to book the next one. Libraries are often searching for new and unusual content. Give it to them and you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

More on Book Marketing: Direct Mail

Jeannette Cezanne — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:05:33 +0000

As much as we’re all delighted by the new media available (see the last two posts), there’s still value in the old-fashioned approach of getting something printed (a postcard or a bookmark) and sending it out to a list of people who may be potential book buyers and/or reviewers.

Why? Think about it: as more and more companies take their marketing budgets online, people’s mailboxes have emptied out. While this month may be the exception (catalog companies are still alive and well and very evident during the holidays), in general you’re probably finding less and less direct mail in your physical mailbox. And what that means is that what is there is likely to merit more attention than in the old days when advertising postcards were plentiful.

I asked Tina MacNicholl of the direct marketing firm The Catamount Group if it’s a good time to do some direct marketing. Here’s what she had to say:

Think about it. What’s in your mailbox these days? Not very much, if it’s anything like mine. Not only has much marketing gone online, but so have bills, newsletters, donation requests … all the things that used to clutter up our physical mailboxes.

Yesterday when I looked in mine I found one lonely bill. And I have to say that if a flyer had been there, I would have looked at it!

One of our clients told us that response to their most recent direct mailing is the best that it has been in years, and that’s in the middle of a recession. Think about that: they got that response because no one else was there.

So maybe it’s time to come back into direct mailing while the competition is elsewhere. It’s not a complete marketing plan, but it’s an important component of one.

So have those postcards and bookmarks made up, and put together a mailing list for a direct mailing early in the new year. It’s one more part of your book marketing strategy that’s sure to bring success in 2010. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

More on Book Marketing: the Video

Jeannette Cezanne — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:57:56 +0000

James Patterson does it on prime-time network television. Others do it on websites and in social communities. Where are you doing it?

I hope that you’re doing it somewhere, because integration of different media is the cutting edge of any kind of marketing these days. And it’s become easier and easier to do your own book trailer (think of what you see on movie trailers and translate it into a book) than ever before. You don’t even need a video camera.

There are a lot of different ways to create your book trailer (both Macs and Windows machines have software that does it more than adequately), so I’ll leave that explanation to the experts: just Google “create book trailer” or something of the sort and read about it. And—this may be the most important step—watch as may book trailers as you can stand. It’s essential to see what’s out there, what people are responding to, etc.

YouTube is making the distribution process easier and easier. Check out these two YouTube features:

YOUTUBE CHANNELS: Have a whole section of YouTube that’s your very own! And Butterscotch has a quick and easy beginner’s guide to creating a channel. If you haven’t done it yet, now’s a good time to start, according to this Mashable post.
YOUTUBE STREAMS: Once you start getting people interested in your work, you can create a YouTube stream … in essence, a space where you can watch the video in real-time with other people and discuss it. This is a terrific way to do virtual book presentations, since publishers now have limited budgets for travel and you may not be able totake that sort of time off from your day job.

So take time to learn about the process and play around with creating your own book trailer—again, even before the book is published. Creating buzz takes a strategy and video should play a prominent part in your online marketing plan. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

Watch that Logo!

Jeannette Cezanne — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:25:58 +0000

I’ve always enjoyed Google’s cartoon-like logos, often commemorating occasions I had no idea existed. That cartoon-around-the-logo actually has a name (but what else would we expect from Google?), the Google Doodle, and here’s a brief history of the Doodle from MediaPost’s Laurie Sullivan.

Remember that if you installed a Google toolbar on your browser and use it for search, you’re missing out on the Google Doodles altogether! So make it a point to visit the landing page from time to time. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

To Be Honest … Or Not?

Jeannette Cezanne — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:29:54 +0000

So after a hiatus from this blog to take care of matters in my personal life, I’ve been jogged back into it by reading this article, because it captures so much of the experience one has when beginning writers ask for an “honest” evaluation or critique.

One I’ve had recently, to tell the truth.

The reality is that most beginning writers have no concept of the fact that it takes more than a good idea to produce a book or a script. Everyone has good ideas. My car mechanic has good ideas. Should he write them down? Should he? Probably not.

It takes a great deal of time learning to take a good idea and translate it into something that people will want to read or go to the theater and see. Call it an apprenticeship if you will. Call it paying your dues (though that part is often reserved for the deluge of rejections one is sure to receive). Call it learning your art. whatever you call it, it’s essential to know that great writers become great writers by practicing, getting honest feedback, thinking about it, incorporating it, and practicing again. You’ll note the use of the word “become” in that sentence — it doesn’t happen overnight. Most “overnight” successes have been writing for many many years in obscurity.

Ask for honest feedback only when and if you’re willing to take it. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!

Social Media for Readers and Writers

Jeannette Cezanne — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:38:45 +0000

So let’s start our tour of social media with my favorite group of people—people who read and people who write! With some exceptional help from some of my colleagues at LinkedIn (a social network site you’ll find mentioned here), I’ve put together a list of social media sites you might want to check out. They’re not in any particular order, so don’t bother looking for one; perhaps you can see it as an example of the random nature of the Net!

Remember as you browse the first rule of social media: there’s no one-size-fits-all here. Some of these sites may interest you; many of them will not. And that’s as it should be, because you don’t want to spend all of your time online! Explore the sites at your leisure, see which ones seem to work for you, try them out. If you don’t like one site, move on.

And if you find more to add to the list, drop me an email at jcezanne@customline.com and let me know!

Literature Map: Gnooks is a self-adapting community system based on the gnod engine. Discover new writers you will like, travel the map. of literature and discuss your favorite books and authors.
Book Glutton: Read books online with other people—suggest books, discuss books, see who’s reading what. Sign on as a glutton and take the video tour!
Library Thing: So if you feel a need to catalogue your personal library online, Library Thing is the place for you. You can do it here, and then connect with others whose libraries you like. Note that there’s a fee once you pass 200 books.
Good Reads: Another book cataloguing site. Also offer some great lists and trivia. (As I write this, Twilight is simultaneously on the “best books ever” and “worst books ever” lists, so it’s even-handed!)
Author’s Den: From the site: “While some of the other sites focus on readers, here’s one that focuses on authors as well. From the site: “The largest most vibrant free online literary community of authors and readers! Visited by 1,400,000+ readers/mo.” It claims that authors “willreach many readers” and that readers
can “discover, interact, get personal, buy and read!”
Red Room says that it’s “where the writers are,” and explains, “Red Room provides authors and members with free, easy-to-use, elegant online homes. It’s a place for the literary community to promote their work, express themselves, and connect with their favorite authors.”
Swap Tree is a book- (and music-, DVD-, and video-game-) swapping community. Have a book you want to trade for another? This is the place for you!
We Read: Ger personalized recommendations for books, share your recommendations with others. Includes discussion forums.
Write Lit“aims to bring writers and readers together from all parts of the globe. It seeks to help the writer — technical, commercial, and literary — earn a living, and find audiences for his work. Furthermore, it aims to provide a venue for readers to share their passion for the written word.”
Authonomy: This is a community sponsored by HarperCollins UK that “invites unpublished and self published authors to post their manuscripts for visitors to read online. Authors create their own personal page on the site to host their project – and must make at least 10,000 words available for the public to read. Visitors to authonomy can comment on these submissions – and can personally recommend their favourites to the community. authonomy counts the number of recommendations each book receives, and uses it to rank the books on the site. It also spots which visitors consistently recommend the best books – and uses that info to rank the most influential trend spotters.”
Writers’ News/Writing Magazine: This is a singularly useful site, a clearinghouse for a number of different activities: competitions, classes, book discussions, forums, links … it’s all here.
Bookworm: a blog that celebrates books and reading with lovely enthusiastic reviews by the author, Lubya Kably.
Media Bistro: Though not strictly an author/reader sort of site, Media Bistro is a community that can be useful to writers looking to improve skills, get jobs, and connect with other media professionals. They have local chapters throughout the United States that offer get-togethers in person.
Book Marketing Network, part of the whole Ning family of social networks, describes itself as being “for book authors, self-publishers, book publishers, publicists, marketers, and others involved in writing, publishing, and marketing books.” Includes, in true social media style, something for everyone—photos, videos, discussion boards, events, and blogs.
The Book Place, also a Ning community, features a blog, podcasts, reviews, and discussion.
Writers Digest: the online community associated with the grande dame of aspiring writers’ magazines, Writers Digest , the site offers some social networking but mostly supports the magazine. Online subscriptions are available.
Gaia Community: once you join the community you’ll have access to the books section. Very useful if you’re interested in spirituality and healing topics.

In addition to the list above, there is a Facebook application called Visual Bookshelf that you can access from inside Facebook. It’s another community that shares reading lists and reviews.

So that’s it for now! I’ll update this list periodically, as community life on the Net is always changing, always growing … but this should get you started. And then you’ll be … beyond the elements of style!