One important part of your platform is building your email list. It might not be fun and I might not like lists, but they matter. One way only you can build your list is to offer something only your can offer. This free gift for signing up could be a […]
Mastodon is the fast-growing alternative to Twitter. Mastodon is similar to Twitter but it is not owned by any one person so rich people cannot buy it and spoil it. I recommend the Tusky app for Mastodon as that has worked out well for me. All platform prompts that talk […]
We’ve suggested before that you need to make sure you have a good quality profile photograph. In addition to that, it can be helpful to have additional photographs that the press can use when writing about you. One way to get some great photographs are local photography clubs. Try contacting […]
It’s a brand new year so that means time to tidy up our social media. However, that would be boring so let’s make it into a game. Note: While this is about Twitter, you should be able to apply the same ideas to other social media things. Twitter clean up: […]
JetPack is a popular plugin for WordPress bloggers. This is probably because JetPack offered easy sharing, in-depth stats, and a host of other useful features. Mostly the automatic and easy sharing though. I say, offered, because things have changed. Now, users on a free plan are capped at 30 shares […]
As the year draws to a close, this is the perfect time to talk about the year ahead. You could create a blog post listing five (or seven, or ten…) things you hope to achieve this year. You could make a blog post on ten predictions (guesses) about the year […]
Take some time off from your platform building and invest it in friends and family. It is the holidays and you deserve it.
This week, let’s focus on supporting characters. On your blog, post a short interview with a supporting character covering what they want (but can’t or can’t have), some memorable moments from their past, and a secret no one else knows. This helps in a number of ways: The post will […]
This week try making a list post on your blog. List posts are easy to write and easy to read. What would “10 things only readers of Your Genre understand” read like? Other lists might include 7 things I wish authors would stop doing 12 things readers don’t understand about […]
One way to spread a little love and point your readers to something interesting is to review or profile another writer’s blog. The writer will love the attention, paying it forward is good karma, and your readers will learn to trust you to recommend things if your recommendations are consistently […]
The holidays are quickly approaching. Give yourself some time off by scheduling some blog content to publish while you focus on celebrating. Even if your posts just say “Happy Christmas” and has a cat picture, that’s more than letting the site go dead.
I’ve been madly updating our free guide to Author Platforms in light of the mess going on over at Twitter. New sections include Mastodon and other open and free alternatives to well know social media sites. If you have any suggestions or know of good sources of factual information for […]
