NAIWE Board of Experts

Staying Motivated

It’s not always easy. We can get distracted, tired, anxious, frustrated, and sometimes wonder why we even bother writing. Still, many of us, including myself, would agree with Sylvia Plath: “You ask me why I spend my life writing? I write only because there is a voice within me, That will not be still.”

I find it helpful to establish priorities and boundaries. Do not call me between certain hours. It’s best if you have a set place to write (even if it’s at a coffee shop) and write each day as much as you can. It’s also important to check in with yourself on a regular basis to be sure you haven’t gotten off track from your original dreams and ambitions.

When you first thought about what you wanted to write, it’s possible you might have known it would be demanding and challenging. Perhaps you thought it would be easier or quicker or certainly more fun. So, when you get off track, or feel like you are going to, reconsider what the right track is for you. Are you really writing about what you want? Are you taking your writing seriously? You have every right to be a writer. Don’t listen to negative voices!

So, if you’re procrastinating, or experiencing anxiety about writing, it may help to do some of the writing prompts below. Writing exercises and prompts can help you to escape for a time from thinking about whatever else it is your writing. These exercises allow you to view situations and people, or even some characters in your book, from different perspectives. Respond to any or all of them and don’t be concerned about your answers. They can be your secret!

Writing Prompts

Pick several people you know, and write a brief paragraph about each one of them.
Select five of your favorite words, and write a paragraph using them.
Write a letter to your favorite author, and tell them how much you admire their work.
Write a letter to anyone you love or admire.
Write about something you might be grieving or sad about.
Write about how you see the world today.
Write something funny.

Finally, remember your words do matter. They matter to you and you can make them matter to others. The power of words, your words, can help others explore new ideas and develop different opinions. Believe it . . . your words can have an impact!

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Maya Angelo

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is an award-winning author of eleven books including her newest one, An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo plus The Senior Sleuths, Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (menus by her son Jory Rosen). She is also author of The Woman’s Business Therapist and award-winning My Memoir Workbook. For 25 years, she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency. Marcia has frequently been a speaker or program moderator at organization meetings and conferences, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom programs. Topics she has taught and presented over the past twenty years include Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery, Writing Your Memoir, and recently Anatomy of Writing a Murder. Many articles on these topics have been published on mystery reader blogs and in newsletters and magazines and her newest articles relating include Location, Location, Location: Murders Have Their Places; Hearing Voices of Past Famous Detectives: Their Impact and Influences; and Writing Mysteries at a Zoo: With Caution. She is a member of Sisters in Crime National and New Mexico (Croak & Dagger), Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Women Writing the West, Public Safety Writer’s Association, Women’s National book Association, and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

What a Literary Agent Is and Why (or Why Not) You Need One

Friday, February Post a comment

A literary agent essentially assists authors in selling their books to publishers. But this basic definition doesn’t take into account all the other hats agents wear that help authors further their careers. When I hear people dismiss agents because they take 15% of an author’s advance and royalties, I know they don’t know the full range of tasks that agents do on behalf of their clients. Yes, authors can be published traditionally without an agent (although many publishers only accept submissions from agents) or publish independently, as there is value in an agent for many authors.

If it’s true that the best way to make a decision is by having all the information, then knowing the full scope of how an agent can help an author is necessary for authors in deciding how they want to get their book into the world.

Agents are:

Editors

An agent decides to represent your book because they believe it can be sold to a publisher, but that doesn’t mean the agent thinks it’s ready to go. In fact, part of the decision an agent makes when considering a book is how much work it will need to get it ready for submission to a publisher. If the writing and premise are good, but not executed well, the agent might reject it or perhaps send it back telling the author to revise and rewrite (R&R). But if it’s close to being ready for a publisher, the agent may offer representation and then the work begins to make the improvements.

The advantages of having an agent that edits are (1) a developmental edit and proofread to submit the best book possible, (2) specific suggestions that make the book marketable based on what the agent knows is selling, and (3) tips to improve your writing. This isn’t something the agent bills for (if an agent asks for money for editing, be suspicious). Agents give this time, investing in you and your book with the belief that your book will sell.

Note that agents don’t force writers to change their books. But if an agent is suggesting a change, it’s usually because they believe it’s something that will make the book more appealing to a publisher.

Databases

Agents have easier access to publishers, but it’s more than having a list of who publishes what. While a publisher might publish mystery, only one editor in the company might take noir mysteries. Some editors have very specific wants and don’t-wants that are only known through an agent’s experience in working with them.

Some editors leave one publisher and go to another, which agents keep track of. Agents talk to each other and share information about which editors are responding quickly and who aren’t, or what they want more or less of at any given time.

And of course, with this database, agents have connections with editors. Part of what an agent does is develop relationships with editors, partly to keep up on what they want, but also so that the editor will pay attention to what the agent sends.

Access

This is covered some in the Databases section above, but this access also includes the ability to submit multiple manuscripts, something frowned upon when submitting without an agent. Agents have telephone numbers and direct emails to editors. This isn’t limited to submissions. I recently emailed an editor to learn if they would except a book set in Australia so I could let my author know whether she needed to change her book’s setting to be considered by the publisher.

Educators/Mentors

The publishing industry, like most industries, has its own lingo and rules. An agent will help you navigate through the publishing pipeline (it’s longer in to-dos and time than you might think). Essentially, an agent is there to lead through the publishing maze, offering support, information, and encouragement. They also especially enjoy working with authors who want to make a career out of writing or at the very least plan to write several books. They’ll work with you on how to best grow your writing career.

Project Managers

What many authors don’t know is that there are a lot of moving parts to getting published. When the book is sold, the agent will continue to be involved making sure the book project is moving forward. It can take weeks for a contract to be sent once the editor makes an offer and the author accepts. The agent stays on top of this. The agent will check the contract to make sure any changes requested are included. They will track important dates to help the author meet the deadline to get the manuscript to the publisher. They also check book sales numbers, making sure the author is getting paid per the contract, including amount and frequency.

Counselors

The publishing industry can be a frustrating one. An agent knows this and is ready and willing to be an ear to unload to or a shoulder to cry on. When you’re frustrated, confused, or even excited, your agent is there to help you through it.

Negotiators

Most publishers have standard contracts, and while many don’t offer much wiggle room, some do. I have a client who signed a contract on her own (without an agent) that was so bad and nebulous, we were worried they owned every work of hers forever. An agent would have caught this and asked for a change (e.g., first right of refusal for next book in that genre, not every book in the publisher’s genre, including imprints, forever). Agents can ask that you retain some rights so they can be sold later potentially for a better deal, such as foreign or movie rights. They can sometimes negotiate a higher advance, if the publisher offers one.

Mediators

Once a book is sold, the author and editor begin connecting to prep the book for publication. But keeping your agent in the loop means you have your advocate ready if or when issues arise. As an author, I once told my agent I didn’t want to talk to an editor anymore because I didn’t like how she spoke to me (I sometimes wondered why she bought the book). Luckily, I had an agent to act on my behalf and the book, plus two other books were published.

Do you need an agent to get your book published? No. But just like a real estate agent can handle the complexities of selling or buying a house, a literary agent can do the same, allowing the author to focus on writing their next book, while the agent handles submission prep and querying to multiple editors specifically picked for the book, contract negotiations, understanding royalty statements, and more.

Leslie Truex is a literary agent with Blue Ridge Literary Agency and an author coach. She began her writing career by accident after starting a career website in 1998 that resulted in a freelance writing career and two traditionally published nonfiction books. However, Leslie’s passion lies in writing fiction. She is the author of a dozen romance and mystery novels using a pen name. Leslie enjoys sharing her insights and experiences to help emerging authors get their books published. She also supports authors through her online community for romance writers and coaching to both fiction and nonfiction authors. Leslie has spoken and provided workshops as an author and agent at a host of events, including The Virginia Festival of the Book, Malice Domestic, Maryland Writers Association, The Virginia Writers Club, as an adjunct at Piedmont Virginia Community College, and more, and she is the former president of The Virginia Writers Club.

Audiobooks Sell: Production and Marketing

Monday, January Post a comment

The audiobook market is one of the fastest-growing segments of the publishing industry. According to the Audio Publishers Association, it grew an estimated 24.5% from 2017 to 2018. This included self-published authors and small publishers who access numerous marketing actions and opportunities to create and an awareness and enhance sales. And think of the millions of people who drive to and from work each day many listen to audiobooks. They are just one audience since people can listen anywhere, anytime. Following are the major elements involved in producing and marketing an audiobook.

Production

Recording

The recording of your book is the first step in the process. Either the author or a talent will need to be well spoken, easy to understand, and appealing to listen to. Once the talent has been selected, the recording sessions can begin and recording time will depend on the length of the book. Usually estimated by word count, for example, a 60,000- to 70,000-word book should take about ten hours.

Post-Production/File Creation

Once the recording is complete, the file should be carefully reviewed to make sure all flubs, misreads, etc. are cleaned up. Music, pauses, and other needed elements should be inserted in the proper places for an entertaining final product.

Once the product is completed, files are created in the proper formats for the author’s website, Audible, Hoopla, and other audiobook sellers. The files are delivered and uploaded as needed for each site. Tests should be made to make sure the files are being downloaded correctly and meet both yours and the seller’s requirements.

Distribution

Audiobooks can be distributed and sold on Amazon, Audible, Apple, Google, Chirp, Hoopla, etc. Your publisher should be able to help you list it on Amazon. There are companies like Findawayvoices.com that can help with development, and there are companies like librofm.com, an independent audiobook retailer, that can help with distribution. Be sure to compare pricing. If you’re published through Kindle, they should be able to help you list your audiobook on Amazon.

Marketing

With the recording done and the files uploaded, it’s time to market the book to drive sales. This includes creating strong, appealing messaging concepts with opportunities for ongoing visibility for your audiobook.

First and foremost, audio-specific marketing materials, graphics, and posts for audiobooks need to be created. A simple and quick example would be to have a book rendering with headphones bracketing the cover. This is an easy way to catch the attention of audiobook listeners, letting them know that this book is available in audio format and is being marketed directly to them.

Following are some additional strategies for promoting an audiobook for preorder and sales:

Launch. Develop and distribute a press release announcement. Send to your contacts and post on your social media and also on your personal website.

Your Website. The file will be uploaded to your website where people can download samples and also purchase your book. Adding an e-commerce element to your site is simple and can be set up to handle credit card transactions with the funds from the sales being delivered directly to a bank account of your choice. You have the price set and run various promotions, including contests to generate sales. In addition, this will be a good way to sell printed copies of all your titles. Or, of course, you can work with a distribution company such as Findawayvoices.com.

Social Media. An audiobook should be promoted across all social media channels. Samples should be available for download with direct links to your or other sites for purchase. Consider running contests for free copies of the audiobook.

Newsletter. Announce the preorder via your newsletter or blog if you have one and on your social media pages. Many of these groups are genre-specific (like Aural Fixation and Audio Loves on Facebook for the romance genre). Authors can do a search for groups or pages that focus on audiobooks in your genre.

Bloggers. Approach audio-centric bloggers (e.g., AudioGals), genre-specific bloggers, and review podcasts. Offer an Advance Listener Copy (ALC) or ask about partnering on a giveaway for an ALC to one of their subscribers/listeners.

Podcasts. Review podcasts also tend to have promotional spots/opportunities for advertisers, where authors pay a fee to share a sneak peek of their audiobook on the podcast. Data suggests podcast listeners are also audiobook listeners. There are a number of podcasters listed on Google who feature interviews with authors.

Facebook Live. Leading up to the release or even after the audiobook is out, ask your narrators if they’d be willing to do a Facebook Live video with you. Prepare questions ahead of time for your narrator and share short snippets of the book live. Make sure you post the link to your audiobook in all social media and special event posts. You can also do Facebook posts and boosts to vast and specific audiences.

Boost Retailer Pages. Post screenshots of your audiobook available on retailers, and tag that retailer in your post/social media announcement. Some retailers might even share your post to their audience, especially if you consistently share their purchase links (even library distributors, like Hoopla and OverDrive!).

Affiliate Links. Always remember to use affiliate links on your website, directing all traffic (social media, podcasts, bloggers, newsletter, etc.) through your affiliate links.

Discount the Audiobook and Promote It on Chirp (owned by Bookbub). This is another marketing option to consider. The ability to control the price of an audiobook on retailers is an extremely valuable marketing tool. If you distribute through Findaway Voices (to Chirp, Apple Books, Google Play, Authors Direct, Audiobooks.com, Hoopla for libraries, etc.) then you can have full control over the price of your audiobooks on those retailers. Ultimately, you’ll have the ability to offer discounts and sales on your terms and your schedule rather than having the price (or discount) dictated to you.

Audiobooks are a huge market and an opportunity to significantly increase awareness of your books and you as an author, while potentially increasing your income. Costs vary. Comparison shop or ask for a referral.

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is the author of 10 books including the Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series, The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (which she wrote with her son Jory Rosen and was a 2021 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards winner) and The Senior Sleuths. She is also the author of The Woman’s Business Therapist and award winning My Memoir Workbook. For 25 years, Marcia was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency and also facilitated numerous writing programs. She continues to work with aspiring author clients, providing manuscript reviews and advising them on book development and marketing, as well as writing articles, appearing on author blogs, and presenting writing programs on Zoom and in person. Marcia was co-presenter of “About Being an Author” for The National Steinbeck Center. She is a member of Sisters in Crime Albuquerque (2022 vice president), Southwest Writers, Women Writing the West, Central Coast Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Public Safety Writer’s Association, and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors — for which Marcia is also a current board member.

Writing Mysteries . . . Is It A Mystery?

Monday, January Post a comment

Your first sentence, your first paragraph, should grab your reader . . . maybe even by the throat, like a good murder!

Writing a mystery book or series is akin to putting together a puzzle with a thousand pieces. Where should you begin? Do you start the puzzle with the corner and edge pieces, providing details on the main characters including the heroes and criminals? Or do you start in the middle, revealing upfront the murder and complexity of the story plot?

Whether you start with corners, or centerpieces, what matters is sticking with your structure and then pacing the plot. You need to keep it moving forward by creating suspense with clues and mysterious happenings.

In the television mystery series Columbo, the murder always took place at the beginning of the story. The seemingly flustered but persistent detective follows various suspects and clues to eventually catch the murderer. In other television mysteries, you follow the path of an ordinary citizen — writer, baker, doctor, librarian, or florist — who is captivated by certain events and incidentally gets involved in solving crimes. These amateurs just can’t seem to help themselves, even when following the clue leads them to danger.

From these types of mysteries known as cozies to film noir with gangsters and hard-boiled detectives to terrifying thrillers, mysteries have long appealed to the reader and viewer. As a writer, you can choose your own style, your own way of creating characters and stories of murders and mayhem, and your own way of presenting clues and suspects leading toward solving the crime. Yet, there are certain elements essential to a good mystery, which can take the reader on a fascinating ride through a criminal’s mind and the minds of those who reach into that mind to catch them.

Yes, everyone has a right to remain silent! Even you . . . right to the end. Of course, you eventually have to get the bad guys to talk or confess or have someone give them up. Along the way, you are also on the chase with your characters through conflict, danger, and mystery. However, your intent is to capture your readers!

You want your readers to become involved and interested in your story so they follow the clues you leave, and they attempt to solve the crimes along with you. Don’t make it too easy: there should be a number of possible suspects. Enhance the plot with character conflict and red herrings that might confuse and steer the reader away from the real murderer. The bad guy can also lead the reader astray by placing suspicion and blame on someone else.

A good mystery story includes an intriguing plot, interesting characters (often with unique characteristics), descriptive places and locations that set a mood, interesting and controversial dialogue, clues (real and false) leading to the bad guys (and gals), and a bit of humor. Be clear about your point of view. Is it from the perspective of the main character as in Sue Grafton novels or a third person as in Raymond Chandler mysteries?

Ultimately, you want to be able to explain your characters’ motivation for their criminal behavior. Common sources are anger, hate, power, money, and, of course, revenge. Revealing truths, secrets, and lies with stories of betrayal and vengeance with surprise endings leave your readers wanting more — especially in a series!

Although you might think it strange, I suggest you ask yourself what your motivation is for writing or wanting to write mysteries. In my mystery series, The Senior Sleuths, the actions of my senior characters, Dick and Dora, often reflect my truths about life and relationships.

Employees Are Burned Out, So They’re Tuning Out

Monday, November Post a comment

According to a 2022 Gallup report, employee engagement in the United States experienced an annual drop for the first time in a decade — falling from 36% engaged employees in 2020 to 34% in 2021. This downward trend has continued into 2022 with the number now sitting at 32% of employees engaged. Meanwhile, the percentage of disengaged employees increased from 16% to 17% in the last year.

So, what’s the problem?

Why Are Employees Disengaged?

The report found that employee engagement varied by job type and industry. Healthcare workers saw the greatest decline. Management roles also faired poorly. Still, workers across the board are pretty checked out at this point. In fact, according to a recent McKinsey study, 64% of employees surveyed said they were “somewhat likely” to quit in the next 3–6 months. And that’s without even having another job lined up.

Why?

Employees say they’re feeling disengaged and disconnected from their work because

they don’t have enough time to do their work
managers communicate poorly
they lack support from management
their role or duties are unclear
the boss treats them unfairly
they don’t have the right equipment
their purpose is uncertain.

Employees also report feeling strongly that their employers are not concerned about their well-being. Employee engagement is directly linked to a resilient workforce and improving well-being. This is because engagement elements like collaboration, involvement, communication, and development help build trust. With this trust, employers can address overall well-being.

Do you know how your employees and team members feel? If not, it might be time for a check-in.

Remote and Hybrid Work

Interestingly, employees who have fully remote or hybrid work arrangements are more engaged than those who must work exclusively on-site. Still, remote worker engagement has dropped significantly. The reasons for this are the same as above, in addition to issues surrounding recognition and development.

Signs of Employee Burnout

It’s not hard to know if your employees are getting burned out and becoming disengaged. There are many indicators.

Just take a look around and see if you notice any of these signs:

withdrawn, irritable, and angry team members
apathy and decreased morale
a decline in job performance
increased conflict between employees
higher levels of absenteeism.

If you see the warning signs, it’s time to act. Employees who are burned out and disengaged don’t perform. Before they slip too far, get them back on track and optimize your operations.

What You Can Do to Boost Employee Engagement

Support your staff. Employees who feel properly supported by management are 70% less likely to experience burnout.
Listen to your personnel. Your employees have ideas — good ones. So listen up and implement some of those ideas. Don’t just make your employees feel heard, listen attentively.
Embrace flexible work environments. People love options and today’s work life is different. Offer flexibility for employees and how they work, whatever that looks like.
Focus on well-being and balance. Employees have lives outside of work. Provide resources to aid a healthy balance between work and life.
Keep communication open. A person who knows their role and how it fits within the company’s bigger vision works smarter and is more engaged.
Manage managers. Employees with overbearing or unclear management waste time, burn out faster, and are unsatisfied at work. Coach managers regularly.

There’s a lot you can do to remedy low employee engagement and high burnout. Focus a little less on finances and a little more on meaningful human interactions. In the end, it benefits employees and employers alike. Turnover rates will decrease, performance will rise, and resilient company culture will thrive.

It comes down to creating a better experience for employees. This is your opportunity to survey your workforce. Get their feedback and see where they stand. Use this data to develop a plan to improve company operations and employee engagement. Audit your business decisions and practices to see if they still align with the company’s values and culture.

Start by looking at your management team. How are they different from other organizations? Do their style and decisions fit the brand? Do they actually know how to manage and guide projects to completion? After all, they’re responsible for keeping their teams happy and functioning optimally.

Secondly, assess what you offer employees. If you think you’ll lure top talent with a high salary and some health benefits, think again. Today’s employees want more. However, they’re not asking for more money. They seek a holistic employee experience where there’s an equal emphasis on growth, well-being, and engagement.

How do you do this?

Prioritize relationships and avoid transactions.

People crave connection and meaningful relationships. Explore more personalized approaches to attract and retain employees rather than transactional tactics. Determine what matters most to your teams, express recognition and appreciation in various ways, and build relationships with your employees.

Let work be a place of social interaction.

The strongest predictor of a positive work experience is the social element. That is to say: keep the workplace a place where friendships can flourish. Employees also want quality relationships with their team members and leaders. A positive organizational social climate plays a major role in employee experience and, therefore, employee retention.

Provide opportunities for advancement.

Obviously, some cases call for short-term, contract, or temporary employment. However, keep in mind that these temporary arrangements, or treating employees as such, feel very transactional. Employees won’t stay at — and might not even join — an organization that has no opportunity for growth.

Implement a sustainable work management approach.

If your organization’s processes and workflows are overly ad hoc, lacking clarity, and creating confusion, bottlenecks, and delays, your teams are likely feeling the strain and frustration. By investing in the optimization of your company’s processes and workflows, you’ll improve engagement, build a more resilient workforce, and create a more scalable business.

Stephen (“Steve”) Colwell is the founder of Clarify Media and Completing, one specializing in marketing and brand strategy for B2B and B2C firms; the other focused on growth operations training and consulting for teams seeking more scalable ways of operating. Steve brings 15+ years experience leading high-performing creative, technical, and operations teams across the globe. A certified Agile practitioner and Fractional CMO, Steve helps teams of all types and sizes save time and accelerate growth by implementing the same proven methods and routines practiced by today’s top-performing companies. Steve has helped national and global brands in technology, healthcare, education, finance, consumer goods, travel, entertainment, blockchain, and a number of other industries.

Who Are You Posting For?

Thursday, October Post a comment

Are you hoping your well-thought-out social media content brings in new customers? Why not increase your chances by spending a bit of time understanding your target audience. One technique, taught throughout graduate-level marketing courses in academia and widely practiced by top ad agencies and PR firms, is to create target personas. A persona, or a fictional character created to represent your target audience, can be embedded into facts and stats and all that fancy quantitative data many of us love to employ. But by adding the qualitative element to your research — the persona — you will indirectly be humanizing your brand to, you guessed it, attract more human customers.

Identify a Real-Life Model Persona

Before I get started creating a persona for any brand, I like to first identify a real-life friend or relative or neighbor who matches, as precisely as possible, my desired target audience. For example, if I’m a writer who specializes in writing pet bios for local animal rescues, I might select Moira, the receptionist at my dog’s veterinarian office. I know she’s an animal lover, that she has two rescue pups, and that she occasionally fosters a cat or two. Essentially: Moira is my target audience. So to qualify this real-life human into a persona, I might take along my notepad the next time I visit the vet; and while waiting for good ole’ Fluffy to get his next round of vaccines, I may jot down the key characteristics that make Moira, Moira. For any answers not immediately apparent based on physical observation or existing knowledge, just use some critical thinking and good judgement to fill in the blanks.

Example Real-life Persona — MOIRA

Age: 31

Sexual Identity/Gender: Female

Occupation: Vet Receptionist

Educational Level: Some college

Web Habits (Platforms, Blogs): Tik Tok and Facebook. Obsessed with posting pics of rescue pups in need of a home. Religiously reads DIY hair color blogs and the SPCA newsletter.

Attitude toward your service: Loves the fact that writers freelance as animal bio writers.

Values toward others: Prefers kindness. Loves helping others — especially animals.

Typical Day in the Life: Up early to walk the dogs and fix her hair for work. Usually runs errands on her lunch break to get back home to the dogs right after work. If she goes out on the weekends it is to a dog-friendly brewery or dog park.

Quote that represents her: “Choose Love.”

Create an Ideal, Fictional Persona

The next step in your qualitative research is my favorite step. And I suggest you have fun with creating your ideal fictional persona, too! I do want to emphasize this is fiction — so there are no right or wrong answers. Again, simply use your best judgement to create a persona of the ideal potential customer — the one for whom you post!

Example Ideal, Fictional Persona — MATTHEW

Age: 50

Gender: Male

Occupation: Store Manager, Coach Factory Outlet; Founder, Fluffy & Furry Animal Rescue

Educational Level: Master’s degree

Web Habits (Platforms, Blogs): Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Travels endlessly, but also posts pics of his pets back home, at a relative’s house, “missing him” while he travels. Listens to NPR and loves True Crime Podcasts.

Attitude toward your service: Prefers animals to people (unless they are buying a new purse). Sees animal rescues and those who write bios for an animal rescue as essential.

Values toward others: Alienated from his family at a young age — animals keep him going.

Typical Day in the Life: Up taking pics of his dog, cat, and bird (for his Instagram Stories) before the sun rises. Runs home from the Coach store at lunch to check on his animals. Started his animal rescue five years ago and dedicates his weekends to that work.

Quote that represents him: “Everything’s gonna be alright.”

Now it’s your turn! Take some time to add personas, or qualitative research, into your data and market research — and then get to it! You’ll find your social content gains more traction and fosters a higher level of engagement, once you know who you are posting for!

Ashley Henyan is a digital marketing consultant, a freelance writer, and the communications director for the American Red Cross of the National Capital & Greater Chesapeake region. Previously, she held leadership roles in digital communications and media relations with the Red Cross in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Ashley has developed curriculum and trained hundreds of staff and volunteers across the United States in courses like Leveraging Your Story on LinkedIn and Social Media Story Telling. She has been invited to discuss social media marketing and brand visibility on various podcasts and with local and national associations. Ashley has played an integral part in award-winning social media campaigns including honorable mention recognition with the PR Daily Content Marketing Awards and numerous Silver Telly Awards for Branded Content. She holds a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in English and creative writing with a concentration in screenwriting from Southern New Hampshire University, and an MFA in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Ashley’s work as a ghostwriter has appeared in national and international publications including Yahoo News, China Global Television Network, and The CEO Magazine.

Surviving Recessions as a Freelancer

Sunday, September Post a comment

In the 2000s, there have been several recessions: 2001, 2007–09, and 2020. Depending on your definition and which economists you listen to, it’s possible we’re in one right now or could be heading into one next year. I still feel sick to my stomach when I think back to 2001. I’d been in business for myself for two years, and everything was going great . . . till it wasn’t. Client budgets dried up and my phone stopped ringing. I knew I wasn’t going back to a corporate job, however, so I needed to hustle and figure it out. Here are a few of the ways that I have built my business up so that the ’07–’09 and ’20 recessions had far less impact on my freelance income.

You have more control than you realize. Even in a weak economy, there are companies that are chugging along or thriving — but it takes extra effort to find them. Here I’ll plug former NAIWE expert Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed Writer series, which I used as my playbook in 2001. Using his strategies, I made a few hundred cold calls, secured a bunch of new clients, and got back on track.
Saving up a go-to-hell fund is an obvious way to protect yourself against economic uncertainty. I love saving any way I can. The easiest is a monthly auto deposit into my brokerage account from my bank account, so I don’t have to think about it. Important to note that saving money isn’t about expecting to use it. It’s so you can make clear decisions and avoid taking lousy projects out of desperation.
Diversifying your freelance business with a mix of clients, project types, and industries is another key to surviving challenging economic times. My basic rule of thumb is that I try not to have any client be more than 30% of revenues. The phrase anchor client makes me break out in hives! I knew freelancers who made a ton writing about real estate during the housing boom . . . and then got wrecked when everything crashed. This isn’t an argument against specialization, but rather a cautionary note that booms never last.
It’s also about mindset. Are you in freelancing for the long haul? Are you developing client relationships strong enough that they’ll always find budget for you? Are they giving you high-quality referrals? Over time, your system needs to be resilient.
There’s no guilt in doing something on the side to generate a bit more income. (For example, I coached rowing for a long time and hope to get back to it.) As long as it’s not taking too much of your time, side income can help take the sting out of downturns.
It’s a good time to take a cold, hard look at your expenses and pare back where you can. A few months ago, I dumped a variety of subscriptions that no longer delivered return-on-investment, and I changed my Adobe account to a better option. I’m currently considering changing from cable internet to Verizon 5G, which just arrived in my neighborhood. Every bit helps.
In addition to the potential of recession, inflation is also taking a serious bite out of how far our money goes. I don’t do annual price increases, because my projects and clients are all over the board. But as I negotiate with new prospective clients, I am taking inflation into account.

Economic downturns are inevitable — and the same type of preparation you do for a recession can help eliminate freelancing peaks and valleys.

Jake Poinier made the leap into freelance writing and editing in 1999 after a decade of positions in the publishing industry, giving him key insights from both sides of the desk. As the founder and owner of Boomvang Creative Group, he has worked with a diverse array of Fortune 500 and small businesses, consumer and trade magazines, and independent authors. Jake is committed to helping freelancers improve their businesses and shares his knowledge and experiences frequently as a speaker at industry conferences, through webinars, and on his blog.

How Do You Sell More Books?

Thursday, July Post a comment

Let’s take this question from the 30,000-foot view for now and ask the bigger question, how does anyone sell more of anything? It comes from a conversation expressing a need and finding a solution. Whether your need is to have your battery replaced in your car or the need to buy a gallon of milk, you identify the pain point and offer the solution. Not everyone will have the same need, so not everyone will be interested in your book. The key is knowing your target audience and reaching them on an emotional level.

Let’s use the car battery as an example. There are probably dozens of mechanics in your area that can replace your car battery, just as there are probably many books available on the topic or genre that you’ve written about. Garage A has an ad that pops up online that has bullet points about them like *satisfaction guaranteed, *cheapest rates in town, and *award-winning service. None of which address your specific needs. This is salesy business-focused marketing. While they may be true, they are not making an emotional connection to your needs. You can probably get that same service at a number of garages. However, Garage B has a video ad that pops up that says when you have car trouble, they know every hour you can’t drive can mean that you can’t get to work, you can’t pick up your kids from school, and it basically has you held hostage! This is the difference between traditional book marketing like trailers and ads and relationship video marketing.

Let’s face it, no one is going to sell your book better than you, the author! Whether it’s a short TikTok or IG Reelsvideo of you popping on and sharing your thoughts, or a longer YouTube interview video, you begin to build a relationship with your followers. If you consider that 93% of communication is non-verbal, it really makes sense that people seeing your expressions and hearing your voice will make them connect with you on an emotional level. You want them to see themselves in your story. There’s no greater win than when your followers think “you feel that way, I feel that way too,” or “oh, I’m going through that, too.” You want to find common ground and meet them where they are. It’s so important to shift your thinking from being author-focused to others-focused. Why will they care? What’s that common ground we have? You’re overweight? Hey, I’m overweight too. Do you suffer from depression? Hey, I do too. Let’s sit down as friends and chat about it.

As a radio personality for 30 years, I’ve received hundreds of books from authors asking to be interviewed on my shows. They almost always send me copies of their books and randomly placed author one-sheets in the pages. Those one-sheets are always author-focused in my experience. They tell me how many books they’ve written, drop important names of people they’ve been interviewed by, and I’ve even seen how many grandchildren they have! I could never understand why they would share things like this with me, as they had none of the qualities I was looking for in order for them to gain access to my audience. I wanted to know how well they speak? Why will my audience care what they have to say and will my audience feel a connection to their book content? Video can answer all these questions and more for big stage requests like radio, TV, podcast, and speaking opportunities. You’re essentially asking to borrow their audience, and a video link embedded on your one-sheet or press kit is a great way to set yourself apart from other author requests.

That same video can be used for your “small stage” opportunities as well, to demonstrate that you can make that emotional connection. Think about using it on social media, chat rooms, your website, newsletters, email blasts, and your Amazon author page! The key to selling books really is finding common ground and meeting people on a personal level. And in my experience, nothing can do that better than video. It really is an author’s marketing secret weapon!

Suzanne Lynn Cheesman has been in radio for the last 25 years, in New Jersey, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, and Florida as well as having hosted her own nationally syndicated show. She now runs a digital media company that helps authors sell more books and build their brand with video and radio interviews. She currently hosts the Triangle Spotlight radio show on WQBQ 1410-AM, a Central Florida radio station that has a coverage area of half a million people. On this show, you can hear authors from around the country and around the world share their heart behind the writing of their books.

“Everyone Has a Book in Them”: Ways to Tell if Your Book Should Be Published

Saturday, July Post a comment

One of the most frequent responses people have when they find out I am an author is something along the lines of “Oh, I’ve always wanted to write a book about XYZ.” While that can get annoying, it’s perfectly valid. There’s a reason that the phrase “everyone has a book in them” exists.

Try It Out

But how do you know if you really do have a book in you? The easiest way is to try out writing and see what happens. What do you want to write about? Write down every idea you may wish to cover in your book. If it’s fiction, can you shape it into the rough outline of a plot or at least the beginning of one? If it is nonfiction, can you group your ideas into chapters? Once you have this roadmap, you’re ready to write.

Start small. Don’t freak yourself out by thinking now you have to write this whole book. No, you don’t. At this point, you are just writing for you. Every chapter tells a story. Look at your outline and think about what the story is for your first chapter. Maybe it is how your hero got himself into his current mess or an overview of how you came to be interested/trained in the subject you’re writing about. Concentrate on telling that story right now. The other chapters will come in their order.

What’s the Answer for You?

If you find that this exercise is fun or that it comes easy to you, you may well just have a book in you. Or you may find that what you are writing morphs into something else entirely; you may have a short story, poem, song, or screenplay in you instead. Wherever your muse takes you, follow.

There are a few other ways to tell if you might have a book in your future:

You enjoy writing. For most authors, writing is like breathing; we couldn’t survive without it and get anxious when we aren’t working on one story or another. It’s a truly transportive experience.
You’re passionate about your subject/story. This will come through in your writing and readers will be able to tell. They can also tell when you’re not. Plus, you need to have passion for it because you’ll be with this story for a long time.
You can stick with it. It can take years to write a book, especially when you are just starting out. Not to mention all the edits that go into making it great. If you aren’t the kind of person who can maintain interest for a long period, writing long-form things like books may not be for you.

You do not have to write every day, in spite of what some people say. When the muse is there, grab it. Write early in the morning or late at night after others have gone to bed. Write on your lunch hour, when you have a few spare minutes (even 10–15 will yield you a few words), or when you’re waiting at the doctor’s office. Eventually all those words add up.

And you get better as you go along. If you keep at it, don’t be surprised if by the end of your book, you hate the beginning. That’s because you’ve grown along the way. And it happens to most writers with every single book they write.

My last piece of advice is to read. Read as much as you can in the genre in which you are writing. Believe it or not, you become a better writer the more you read because you begin to see the commonalities in plot and character structure, what works well and what should never happen again. You’ll see turns of phrases you like and descriptions you want to imitate. There is no training ground like the page.

Now, get your butt in a chair and fingers on that keyboard. (After you’ve outlined, of course.)

Nicole Evelina is a USA Today bestselling author and biographer who writes historical fiction, non-fiction, and women’s fiction. Her six books have won more than 40 awards, including four Book of the Year designations. Nicole was named Missouri’s Top Independent Author by Library Journal and Biblioboard as the winner of the Missouri Indie Author Project in 2018 and has been awarded the North Street Book Prize and the Sarton Women’s Book Award. One of her novels, Madame Presidentess, was previously optioned for film. She also has four non-fiction books due to be published from 2022–2024.

4 Things You Can Do Today to Uplevel Your LinkedIn to Attract More Clients

Tuesday, May Post a comment

If you’re like most writers and editors, you want to have as many avenues for potential clients to connect with you as you can. If you’ve overlooked LinkedIn or just haven’t used it to its full potential, the summer is the perfect time to recommit and start upleveling your approach. LinkedIn has become second only to personal referrals in my freelance business. When I started freelancing 10 years ago, my LinkedIn was a dead zone and only about four years ago did I get really serious about leveraging this platform. Here are my best tips for using LinkedIn today.

#1: Find Other Leaders in Your Industry and Comment on Their Work

This might seem counterintuitive. Why would you follow another editor or content writer and give more LinkedIn juice to their posts? Because this helps to show that you’re an active participant on the platform and gets your name out there, too.

Providing thoughtful comments on a colleague’s posts on LinkedIn makes this more like a network. Remember that other people in your colleague’s network will see your responses, too, which opens new connection opportunities for you and greater exposure overall.

Most people post content on LinkedIn a few times per week. Choose a couple of favorite thought leaders to follow and scope their content. LinkedIn tracks what interests you and shows you similar material on your login feed.

#2: Use Keywords and Hashtags in All Your Content

The LinkedIn algorithm considers many aspects of your profile and posted content when deciding whether your profile will show up for various searches.

Keywords are those terms and phrases your clients might use to describe your work. It’s important when brainstorming these not to limit yourself to only the terms you would use to describe your work in an elevator speech.

For example, an editor might use:

Proofreading
Developmental editing
Professional editor
Copyediting/copyeditor
Line editing
Editing
Freelance editor

That’s just the start of a small list that could be expanded significantly based on your niche and the work you do for clients. The same goes for hashtags. Do some research on which hashtags align best with your profile and service offerings.

Hashtags perform best on posted content on the platform, not on your profile. However, you can still sprinkle some hashtags throughout your About section on your LinkedIn profile.

#3: Connect with Five People Every Day

To become a power user of LinkedIn, you don’t need to connect with 50 people a day. In fact, that kind of activity usually gets flagged as spammy and could get you blocked. Small consistent steps are far more effective for growing your connections and network on LinkedIn. LinkedIn starts to take you seriously when you have at least 500 connections on the platform, although you can always continue to connect with more people after you’ve hit that threshold.

Connect with five people every day. Make it simple and do it first thing in the morning. I have been on the LinkedIn app while I’m waiting in line at the grocery store or before an appointment. Send authentic and simple messages to connect, and don’t offer to provide them with services right away.

Here are a few examples of messages I’ve used in the past:

“Looking to expand my network of lawyers in the area. Open to connect?”
“Love the content you post on LinkedIn. I’d like to be connected here.”
“I noticed you’re interested in [insert topic/cause/etc. here]. Me too! Let’s connect.”

If you do attend a local networking event or conference, use this as a supercharged chance to grow your LinkedIn following.

#4: Create a Roadmap of Content to Post

A big reason why most freelancers don’t want to use LinkedIn is because they’re not sure what to write about. Don’t put that pressure on yourself to come up with those ideas on the day you intend to post. Instead, start with a brain dump list of all the topics you could post about. Here are some as a starting point:

Best practices for hiring an editor
Biggest mistakes people make when working with a freelance writer
Common grammar/style mistakes or issues people struggle with
The best lessons you’ve learned working for yourself
Your perspective on the future of digital marketing (or insert your industry/niche)

Store your content bank in a spreadsheet, Trello board, or Google Doc where you can pull that information up easily when you need it. You’ll thank your past self for the inspiration.

LinkedIn success builds like a snowball, so you might not see results right away, but it really gets easier after you’ve been at it for some time. Make the commitment to small steps on an ongoing basis and you’ll start to see your traction grow.

Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A two-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy and the host of the weekly Advanced Freelancing podcast, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their business. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six Figure Freelancer and How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business. She’s also the founder of Operation Freelance, a national nonprofit providing free entrepreneurship training to military spouses worldwide.

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