Maria's Evil Plan
My social networking vacation opened my eyes. I learned some stuff about myself and what's important to me.
Some of the things I discovered:
• Pimping books is not the answer. I know. It goes against everything we were told, but I think it's true. My prolonged absence allowed me to observe how I chose books when I'm not surrounded by authors (like most normal people).
The majority of sales and browsing occurred when a book blogger, BookBub, The Fussy Librarian, or Amazon recommended a book, but only if the cover was interesting enough to make me stop to read the post.
• Since time was limited, I had to slash blog and FB reading to less than 10%. Which blog posts made the cut? The majority of read posts were about the blogger's personal life, or an interesting piece of information that could help me in my life. I commented more often on sad news as opposed to happy news.
• Getting blitzed with mass cover reveals is boring. There are only so many times you can congratulate an author before it starts to sound like corned beef hash.
• Blog hops are usually boring. You know it and I know it. It's kind of like awkward sex positions. We pretend it didn't happen but you and I both know that's ten minutes we'll never get back.
• And the most important thing I learned:
In the end I discovered it really was all about me (the reader). I visited and commented primarily on blogs that gave me brain food in return for my time. They got extra points if they replied to my comment.
What's your evil plot, Maria?
• I'm pulling Back to Basics from public viewing and will start posting frugal posts here once a month. I'll also post short frugal tips on my Facebook Page (The Frugal Way).
If you're not already following me there, go ahead and sign up. Stupid Facebook isn't going to show my page on your timeline anyway so you've got nothing to lose. Ha!
• I'll keep my once-a-week posting here at least until Greg retires (Note 1) and moves back in with me. After that I'll probably go to twice a week.
• I might be a tad more irreverent than you've seen me before. Just close your eyes and think of England.
• Blog posts will run the gamut from homesteading, marketing, cover design, and general observations about life and industry.
• I always talk back, so chime in if the spirit moves you.
• What's been your favorite topic on this blog? (Note 2)
• Do you share any of my conclusions, or am I off my rocker?
• By the way, when do I get my rocker?
Note 1: You won't believe this, but Greg modified his retirement date again. (In)Human Resources offered him a bonus to stay a little longer. Oy vey!
Note 2: If you mention my Tank as a favorite topic, you get a big hug. :o) The gentle giant is still with us. Despite tumors, arthritis, and the tiredness of old age, he turned 12 last week. A milestone! Very frail, but he still gives me kisses and loves to go for walks.
Some of the things I discovered:
• Pimping books is not the answer. I know. It goes against everything we were told, but I think it's true. My prolonged absence allowed me to observe how I chose books when I'm not surrounded by authors (like most normal people).
The majority of sales and browsing occurred when a book blogger, BookBub, The Fussy Librarian, or Amazon recommended a book, but only if the cover was interesting enough to make me stop to read the post.
• Since time was limited, I had to slash blog and FB reading to less than 10%. Which blog posts made the cut? The majority of read posts were about the blogger's personal life, or an interesting piece of information that could help me in my life. I commented more often on sad news as opposed to happy news.
• Getting blitzed with mass cover reveals is boring. There are only so many times you can congratulate an author before it starts to sound like corned beef hash.
• Blog hops are usually boring. You know it and I know it. It's kind of like awkward sex positions. We pretend it didn't happen but you and I both know that's ten minutes we'll never get back.
• And the most important thing I learned:
In the end I discovered it really was all about me (the reader). I visited and commented primarily on blogs that gave me brain food in return for my time. They got extra points if they replied to my comment.
What's your evil plot, Maria?
• I'm pulling Back to Basics from public viewing and will start posting frugal posts here once a month. I'll also post short frugal tips on my Facebook Page (The Frugal Way).
If you're not already following me there, go ahead and sign up. Stupid Facebook isn't going to show my page on your timeline anyway so you've got nothing to lose. Ha!
• I'll keep my once-a-week posting here at least until Greg retires (Note 1) and moves back in with me. After that I'll probably go to twice a week.
• I might be a tad more irreverent than you've seen me before. Just close your eyes and think of England.
• Blog posts will run the gamut from homesteading, marketing, cover design, and general observations about life and industry.
• I always talk back, so chime in if the spirit moves you.
• What's been your favorite topic on this blog? (Note 2)
• Do you share any of my conclusions, or am I off my rocker?
• By the way, when do I get my rocker?
Note 1: You won't believe this, but Greg modified his retirement date again. (In)Human Resources offered him a bonus to stay a little longer. Oy vey!
Note 2: If you mention my Tank as a favorite topic, you get a big hug. :o) The gentle giant is still with us. Despite tumors, arthritis, and the tiredness of old age, he turned 12 last week. A milestone! Very frail, but he still gives me kisses and loves to go for walks.
Comments
Whatever you decide to do with this blog is fine with me. I love hanging out here.
And I agree 10000%. If I see another cover reveal I will scream.
re: bonus
I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. It doesn't matter too much until the house sells. After that, all bets are off. I want my husband back.
PS Sorry about your laptop. :D
I know it's hard--especially if you have to write a lot of them. But that's what it takes to keep a reader.
So yeah, I have a blog, but I don't just blog about my book (I don't, do I???). I don't do blog hops. They just seem so time consuming (and pretty useless). And the blogs I enjoy reading are the ones that are more personal (they can educate me a little, too, as long as they aren't boring!).
Give Tank a big hug from me, too.
If you're going to blog, mix it up and appeal to a broader audience.
Ref topics to blog upon, I think people drop by for your 'voice' more than anything else, Maria.
Ref mass cover reveals - how does that work? Emailing everyone with our cover? Remember I'm technically backward...hmm. Maybe I could have phrased that better.
Conclusions: YES. Not too long ago, I decided to get rid of all social media except Facebook and Twitter. I use Goodreads and Pinterest for personal stuff (keeping track of books, duh, and I can't tell you how many of my favorite recipes I've found on Pinterest...), but Google+ went bye-bye, and I definitely said 'heck no' to even the thought of LinkedIn. However, the past couple weeks have shown me that... I really don't like Twitter. And I've also been doing some serious soul-searching about whether I want to pursue traditional publishing anymore, and the main reason I kept Twitter was for things like #PitMad, if I ever decided to participate again.
So I think Twitter is about to go away... but I'm going to sleep on it at least one more night.
Re: Rocker - you might have to buy them yourself these days. :P
:D
But I want to know about the unique things about each one, not the same things...our passions, ambitions, our rejections. We all know these things. Let's share our uniqueness, celebrate our cultures and backgrounds. Then every now and then, when we share something about our writing or what we've learned about it, it's not so boring and overwhelming at the same time.
Great take on this elephant in the room. lol
Thank you so much for "Pimping books is not the answer". I get so tired of seeing that on Twitter. To the point where I'm actively turned off from books the author is pushing too vigorously.
Re: cover reveals
Most people ask and beg other authors and bloggers to show their covers. That's all well and good, but the problem is most of us already know many of the others. Hence you see the same cover over and over again.
A better tactic would be to approach people outside the author island. What makes that hard is that many of us exist only in that author network so our reach is limited.
This is one reason I'm appearing more often on non-writer blogs.
We had a nice back yard, but the soil was gummy clay the locals called 'gumbo'. After trial and error, we ended up with the most amazing garden. And this from two city kids who started from scratch.
It's all baby steps, believe me.
This has always been my point. It's one thing to have a sense of community, but we already know the struggles of writing/publishing. Unless you're bringing something new to the party, I want to hear about other things. How you fixed a cover problem, or what you did about a troll. Tell me about where you live or how you live. Share some family history or show off that antique platter your great, great, great grandmother left you.
It's not the writing struggles that makes a person interesting. It's the interesting things in their lives that made them great storytellers.
Snort. You do make me laugh!
I totally agree on the cover reveals, but it's a great way to get your book out there. Hmm. What's the answer? I guess once you've got a few books published and a loyal readership, you don't really need them?
Cannot believe you "let" Greg extend his date of retiring, money is great but enough is enough already the man needs to be at home with you and all the animals who need him more than his job does!
Anyway no doubt in my mind my favorite topics are anything you post about Tank, Iko, Nana and Mama dog whose antics are always worth a smile and a laugh, give them all a big hug from me!
We (authors) tend to stay in our own pond when we should be looking for oceans.
But it really opened my eyes on what was important to me as a reader.
Re: retirement
We probably would've had some words if the house was already sold, but since it just came on the market, I won't complain. He has to stay there anyway until it sells.
Photos are always good.
My Molly and Gracie are working on year 13. Lucy, 11. Ah. I don't get my power walks any more with them.
We take it day by day with the old boy. It's rare to see a dog his size go past 12, so every extra day is a gift.
Sometimes less is more when it comes to social media.
You're not off your rocker and, honestly, I'm not sure if rockers are being given any more lol!!!
Much of what you mention has crossed my mind. I've been hungry for sales and tried plenty of things but I'm learning to limit things as an author and go with the things that work for me as a reader.
1. Pets. I love 'em. You love 'em. Can't get enough of 'em.
2. Book business. I'm always intrigued, especially by your cover making abilities.
3. Homesteading. I love hearing about it. (Especially with animal pics included). Sometimes I feel lazy when reading it. ;)
I'll always read your blog because your style is engaging, and your topics are interesting, but those are my fav topics. I'm glad Tank is doing okay. Our blind Daisy is also holding on and seems to have the house pretty much memorized. If she's left alone, she'll bark for US to come to HER. :)
Re: sales
We have to try everything because that's the only way you'll find out what works for you. Strategies have to be unique to the individual.
One of the virtues of putting my publishing career on hiatus is that it's giving me a unique perspective on trends. I hope it'll help me when it comes time for me to publish again.
Re: dogs
I almost always comment on pet posts. It makes me glad to see that I'm not the only crazy one.
I'll be sure to do a cover post real soon.
No, you're not off your rocker. I rarely promo my paranormal series, and yet my first book (the free one) hasn't dropped below #65 on Amazon's free occult and I always make sales on the other three because of it. I've been doing Twitter promo's for the anthology, but that's because I'm not the only person in it, and it's for an Indie press so you kind of have too.
Re: promo
That's very interesting. Regardless of how people feel about Amazon, it's so important to appear on their lists. It can make or break an author.
Thanks for sharing that info.
It was really interesting to read your comments of life when you stepped back from the blogging/promo treadmill. I've been thinking about that too, and the delusions I may be operating under (ie that my social media is more than socialising - post on G+ https://plus.google.com/100071314542033042636/posts/WwvkEwGy3Hi )
Maria I think you're spot on re the power of covers, although not cover reveals. And metadata. I'd love to know how Amazon throws books up on readers' screens.
I love reading your posts on homesteading, so much so that I think you've been giving away for free something that would make a great book.
re: cover reveals. I have had the pleasure of presenting cover reveals on my blog. I try to make them different - I let the authors write the copy, but I do have final edit on how it is presented.
Dru
Re: ...so that I think you've been giving away for free something that would make a great book.
I'm sure you're right, but I can't see it. It's just a dull, normal life for me.
Good for you for editing too. Sometimes authors are a little too near to the subject to be objective about what's interesting.
And you know i've always loved the homesteading posts, but i like the cover design posts too and pretty much everything you talk about
Tanky thanks you too. :)
LOL
I pretty much love everything you talk about. Gotta say I like the idea of you having all the posts on the one blog...makes it a whole lot easier to catch 'em all.
It works only if your network is immense. Not 1000 followers. But tens of thousands followers in many different interest groups (who like to read).
If you're only showing off your cover to other authors, you're dipping into a very small pool of potential readers.