Walking and Talking at same time…Bad Idea :)

Well, if you follow this blog you realize from my picture that I’m blonde. The problem with being blonde is the ever coming jokes and I always get “Can you walk, talk and chew gum at the same time?” I always laugh and say, “Yep, but don’t get near me because you’ll get run over.”

Found out yesterday how true this statement is. I was doing my 5 mile walk that I do 3 days a week. As we were walking up the road, a car started to pass us and I stepped off the pavement. Well, more accurately I fell off the pavement. I now have the strained ankle and bruised knee to prove it. I was walk, talking and not paying attention to where I was stepping. Not a good thing. Good thing I have a complete physical planned for in the morning. Please pray that goes well. Not looking forward to it, but it’s a necessity.

As for writing, you have to be able to do several things at one time. Multi tasking is a must as a writer, especially if you hold down a full time job and family. Usually my writing is completed while getting up and down to do laundry, cooking dinner, and just life in general.

I’ve learned a lot about time and how to fit in everything somehow. Of course then you have your blog posting, in my case 2 blogs, Facebook, Twitter and the myriad of other author promotional posts I do on a daily basis. Someone came up to me one day and said, wow, if you become a full time writer, you’ll be set. Well, I’ll be set in some ways, but their meaning was I’d have a lot of free time. I don’t think that’s possible. A writer’s mind is like a spinning wheel. The ideas and characters are constantly spinning around, so if I did this full time, I figure I’d sit writing most of the time.

Life’s short, live every moment and enjoy the little things. That’s my advice for the day. Oh, and don’t walk and talk at the same time. You’ll feel the results the next day, believe me.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

How does social media help writers?

Good morning. Getting back to normal since son went back to school this morning. As I sit here going through all my social media sites I have to reflect on the last year. It’s been a crazy ride for sure.

To start with, before I published my first book in May 2012, I only used email and texting when communicating. I learned quickly that as a published author you must use social media almost daily to keep up with changing climates. With this I mean that if you don’t keep your name fresh in front of people it loses it’s luster.

I did a short experiment the last couple of weeks. I went in a different times and tweeted my books to see if I gathered a result. Then I put them out on Facebook and Tumbler. What did I learn? Well I learned a lot.

When I tweeted the links to my books listed on Smashwords.com, I actually saw a spike in page views. I love this about Smashwords.com. I can keep up with views and really do a great analysis of what works and what doesn’t. I then did the same through my Amazon links. The bad thing with Amazon, you can’t see how many go over to look at the book, you just have to see how sales spike. I only received a few sales through that one.

I then posted several Smashword.com links on my Facebook page. All of a sudden sales spiked, but on Amazon, not Smashwords it’s self. Now on Smashwords it could show up later under one of the subsidiary sites, but not the main site. I even tried this with Allromanceebooks.com and sold one book.

So, with this I did notice a spike in views through tweeting and Facebook. Some analysts say don’t tweet about your books very often as you’ll lose followers. Well, I didn’t tweet about my books for several days and guess what I lost several followers. Then when I did tweet about my books I gained several new followers. Not sure, but I think it went in the other direction.

As I’m getting ready to announce the release date for “Victoria” the first book in my new Historical Romance Saga “The Women Of Magnolia Hill”, I’m hoping to see a great social media presence. This is my first book that I’m going to go through all the pre release hoopla. I can’t wait to get started. Maybe even as soon as this weekend. I plan to also participate in the new preorder option on Smashwords. Would love to do it on Amazon, but not sure how that works. If anyone knows, please let me know.

Try a social media study on your book sales and let me know how it goes. It might change your views on social media advertising. As for me, I’m headed over to do some tweeting 🙂

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Top 5 Things I’ve learned about self-publishing

Well, I’ve been self publishing for over a year now and I can tell you this, it’s not as easy as it looks. Here are the top 5 things I learned:

1: It takes dedication. As a self publisher it’s you that does the social media, the advertising, basically everything. You’re the one that’s got to make sure to post your tweet, update your Facebook, make a great blog post and first and foremost get your book everywhere.

2: Self Publishing takes patience. You don’t have that big publisher backing you or putting your work everywhere that as a self publisher you have to struggle to be. You have to remember that you’re starting out from scratch. It’s a waiting game to see if you’ve written the big one.

3: Self Publishing can be self satisfying. To know you did it yourself is an accomplishment to be proud of. When you sell the first book you can sit back and say “at least I sold one, that’s one more than if I’d left it in a drawer collecting dust.”

4: I’ve learned a lot about social media. Wow, I was definitely not a social media butterfly before all of this. In one year I’ve started a couple of blogs, a couple of Twitter pages, I’m on Facebook (Said I’d never do that), and everywhere else that will let this country girl post.

5: To me self publishing is a great way to start out as a writer. You can build a platform and get noticed. Maybe if you’re lucky a big publisher or agent will notice you tenacity and give you a shout. It’s always possible. Look at all the self publishers that have turned into best selling authors. If it’s your dream, then go for it. Try it out and make a name for yourself. Who knows you better than yourself?

As writers we’re always looking at this or that to improve ourselves. Well, let’s work together. I’ve started a monthly Newsletter that will feature a Author Interview and three different book showcase spaces. Also I’ll be adding writing comments and pointers from my friends in the writing world.If you want to subscribe to it, please email me at hurtsbusiness@att.net. Also, to be a featured author just message me that you’re interested. It’s free so what have you got to lose.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Casted – By: Sonya Loveday Officially released July 31st

Tomorrow is an exciting day for author Sonya Loveday and for us as readers. Her new book “Casted” will be released. Check out this synopsis and go over to check it out tomorrow.

Jade had spent the majority of her life running from the Triad. The Triad, are a powerful group, who would stop at nothing to obtain Jade and the missing spell book for leader, Lorenzo’s, nefarious plans. And now that she has absorbed the highly coveted magic contained inside the missing book, there is nowhere left for her to hide.

With the help of her friends, Jade steps out from the shadows and learns how to fight back. But no one is prepared for Elinor-the woman bound inside of the book that’s trapped in Jade’s mind. Now she not only needs to protect herself from the Triad, but from what’s hiding inside her mind as well.

Jade never expected the answer to it all would revolve around love.

Edge is dark, mysterious, and a sworn member of the Triad. He also hides a secret past that threatens the thin line he walks between good and evil. Lives are at stake when Jade and Edge’s two worlds collide. Can Jade learn to trust him when he says he is her pre-ordained and vows to do everything he can to protect her? But more importantly, can she trust herself and the woman in her mind?

Find out more about this talented author:

About the Author

Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to the realization that this was the answer to the nagging persistent feeling that ‘there’s got to be something more’.

The dream came alive in 2009 when she purchased her laptop and began the tedious step of becoming a published author.

When she’s not reading, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s reading. And when she’s not doing either of those things she’s sleeping, shuttling her children back and forth to school, letting the dogs and cats in and out of the house for the umpteenth time in the last hour and dreaming of a clean house.

You can find Sonya Loveday on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and WordPress on the links below:

http://www.facebook.com/sonyalovedayauthor?ref=hl

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11660396-sonya-loveday

https://twitter.com/SonyaLoveday – @SonyaLoveday

www.sonyaloveday@wordpress.com

So go over and check out her and Casted.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

History lesson while writing :)

As I told in my last post I’m working on my historical romance “Magnolia Hills”. It’s based in a small Georgia town during the time before, during and after the Civil War. I’m a history lover, but when I started getting into the parts where the war was ready to start I had to do some thinking.

I realized that I had to do a Civil War timeline. There’s no sense writing a historical romance that doesn’t follow history correctly. Of course some of the elements will be changed for dramatic effect, but the real history I wanted to get correct.

The problem was it’s been a long, long time since I studied the Civil War. Yes I’ve watched movies and read books relating to it in the last couple of years, but nothing historically correct. So it was time to do some googling. Google is such an awesome tool for a writer. I just typed “Civil War Timeline” and boom there it was.

I’m glad I did it because I had two of the battles swapped around. That would have been bad. It could’ve totally rewritten history. Nah! Just kidding. I’m sure most readers wouldn’t have even noticed the wrong battles, but I would have and I’m pretty sure my reviewers would have raked me over the literary coals 😉

Well, hopefully I’ll have something to post in the next couple of days. I’m excited about getting this one done. I’m also working on the last bits of “Faith Through The Tears”, but Magnolia Hills seemed to scream a little louder.

Come over to Twitter and give me a follow at

@StephanieHurt4

. I look forward to tweeting with you…

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Building a Platform…

For those of you that aren’t authors I’m not talking about a stage. I mentioned to my husband one day that I was trying to build my author platform and he started laughing. He asked me where I was going to put it and what was I going to say when I got up on it. I then explained to him that a author platform is the advertising, blogging, etc. you do to get your book out there. He still thought it was funny. MEN!

When I first started publishing I wasn’t very computer savvy. Of course I knew about accounting programs and such but not the intricacies of publishing, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and all that goes with it. Since then I’ve developed blogs on several sites and now I Tweet everyday. It’s funny how your life changes when you become a published author.

Here are the top ten places I’ve used to build my platform:

1: WordPress: I set up a blog and made it my very own author website. It’s so easy to do once you get into it and take the time to set it up.

2: Twitter: My Twitter account has garnered lots of interest in my writing and it’s attached to my blog so they go hand in hand.

3: LinkedIn: This site allows you to follow many people from various walks of life. My blog is attached to my LinkedIn account, so everything I blog it goes straight to this page.

4: Goodreads: For an author this is a very important aspect of building your platform. Here is where you meet established authors and Indie authors all on the same page. It’s also a good place to gather reviews.

5: Independent Author Network: This site is awesome and it’s so reasonable to set up. I have my own author page and you can put all of your sites on it. Also, other authors will tweet your page for you and they’ll tweet your tweets. It’s really helped my fan base and I really like how it works.

6: Smashwords: This is a place that I have my books for sale. They also put them through to Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple, Kobo, Diesel and several others. You also get an author page and you can be an affiliate.

7: KindleBoards: This one takes a little more time and reading, but it can get some interest in your books.

8: AllRomanceEbooks.com: This is a great place to sell and advertise your books. It’s all about every genre of romance. It’s easy to set up and put your books on it.

9: CreateSpace: This is where I currently have my books for print. I also have a blog on this site.

10: Amazon: I have all my books on this site. You can set up a author page and link it to your blog and Twitter Account. On Amazon you can be in several countries.

Well, these are just a few of my spots that help me. I have many more, but I didn’t want to bore you too much 🙂

As always, Good writing and May God Bless You…

Roller Coaster Sales…

Have you ever felt like your sales were on a roller coaster? Sometimes I feel like I’m on a roller coaster. One day you’re on the uphill ascent then the next day you’re barreling down the other side so fast it takes your breath.

Some of the sites where you can put your books for sale only report sales once a month and that really puts you to task. My sales sometimes amaze me. I can go on a tweet fest and the sales ramp up. I looked at my pages views on Smashwords.com last night and it actually looked like a roller coaster. The funny thing is all the hills were around a social media blitz.

So, if you’re having downhill sales, try doing a tweet fest. Don’t forget those hash tags. I’ve really learned a lot about the use of them. When I do a tweet fest I try to go to every site my books are on and tweet that book from the site. Also working on a list for one of my posts regarding social media sites that have worked well for me.

Don’t let downward sales affect your writing. Sales are a fickle thing. One day you do really well, and sometimes you have really good weeks. Then a plummet for a day or so and you’re poking out your lip and giving up. Don’t do that! Have faith. If it was selling good those days, it will again.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Advertising…

Authors have to wear many hats. We have to be creative, innovative, and an expert in advertising. Well, not an expert, but at least willing to learn. I’ve learned so much in the last year about advertising. There are so many angles to advertising.

Do you pay for advertising or just go the free route? I’ve investigated many options and found that free still works well. Although sometimes we do have to go with some that charge a fee to broaden the scope.

The free routes can include Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, Goodreads, Shelfari, Library Thing, Press Releases, Word of Mouth, and that’s to name a few. These have worked well for me. It’s funny that when I tweet from one of my book sites I get several hits on my books. It’s like hitting refresh.

Some of the not so free advertising I’ve done. Book Barista is really reasonable. I’ve expanded my WordPress to a website. The Independent Author Network is an awesome tool for any author or reader for that fact. This last one has a huge author network that works together to help get your name out.

The main thing is to follow as many blogs about writing as you can. You can learn so much from your fellow authors. My wordpress blog has really broadened my knowledge. I am so thankful for all my blog friends. Keep the great posts coming.

As always, good writing and May God Bless You…

Social Media and writing books

One year ago I was in the editing process of the first book I published. At that time I was just a normal (Well as normal as I can be) accountant. I didn’t have a Twitter account, refused to go on Facebook and didn’t think much about social media. Funny huh!

Now I’ve got social media accounts running out my ears. But that’s one thing I learned was that you have to go social media crazy when you publish a book. That is if you want to succeed.

My first venture into the social world was this blog. It has been so much fun. I at first wondered what I would write about on a daily basis. Then I laughed at myself because I guess you would say I’ve got a writers brain. If I could write a 400 page novel surely I could handle a blog post. So far so good. I don’t guess I’ve put anyone to sleep yet, or at least I hope not anyway. 🙂

Then the social media world spiraled. My editor set up a Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook for each book, then one for me, Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, Pinterest, Reddit, and the list goes on. It takes me a good part of two cups of coffee in the mornings to get through all of them. I actually look forward to the new additions to my pages from all of my new friends that I’ve gained from all over the world through these sites. It’s never a dull moment. I love reading all of the posts from other bloggers. I’ve learned a lot.

So, as a writer you’ve got to embrace social media and just go for it. I’ve been conducting an experiment with my smashwords book stats and Twitter. When I Tweet my books from the Smashwords website the views skyrocket. It’s funny how that simple click of the key just makes people curious.

As always, good writing and May God Bless you…