Marketing Tips: Have fun with Twitter by Stephanie Burkhart

Social networking can be a challenge for many who are just starting out in the writing world. Social networking is a necessary tool that the author can use to promote their book. I thought I'd take a look at how you can maximize your time on Twitter. Twitter is a forum that allows for a "tweet" of approx 120 characters so you have to keep your "tweet" short.

The Pros of Twitter:
It's cheap (i.e. free)
It's fun (once you get the hang of it)

The Cons of Twitter:
It is intimidating
It is confusing

At some point, you have to get your feet wet and join. Whatever your role in the writing world – author, illustrator, marketing, etc., these tips can prove very helpful.

For me, the main goal of Twitter is to increase my followers. The more followers you have, the more people you reach out to.

Goal stated, let's get into the tips:

Tip #1 – You don't want to spend more than 10-15 mins on Twitter at any given time. Trust me. You have other things to do and social networking should not consume your day. Make it a point to check your Tweets 10-15 mins a day. The "optimum" goal should be once in the morning, and once at night, but if you can't do twice a day, strive to be on Twitter at least once a day.

#2 – Friend 5 people a day
I use the recommendations on the side, but I also follow my favorites which include Anne Rice, The New England Patriots, other 911 dispatchers, and even Chum Lee from Pawn Stars.

#3 – Retweet 5 posts a day
(this shows others you are supportive by retweeting their posts. In turn, fellow tweeters are generally inclined to retweet your posts)

#4 – Tweet 5 posts a day
These can be anything. For example:
Quotes from your favorite writers or authors. I like to quote HG Wells, Emily Dickinson and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Share YouTube links – this can be your book trailers or some of your favorite videos on you tube.
Amazon links to your books. If your book is on sale, mention it.
Places were you want fans to follow you like Good Reads, LinkedIn, Writing.com, etc.
Links to reviews for your books.
Links to book reviews you've done.
Announcements for what's on your blog.
Announcement if you're visiting someone else's blog.
Announcements on any contests or giveaway you're doing.
Gush and give shout outs to your favorites: movies, authors, books, music, etc. I usually give a shout out to coffee and chocolate during the week. It's okay to be a little cheeky and show off your personality. Readers like to see a little bit of your fun side.



You may not feel an immediate effect, but you'll see difference by the end of the week and even a bigger difference by the end of the month. Remember, it's all about growing your followers.

Tip #5 - #hashtags
These are "quick" tags that highlight popular posts. If you post "Check out my book on Kindle" (with the link) use #kindle at the end of the post. If other people are on twitter and check out the popular posts highlighted on the side, they should pull up a majority of post with the hashtags. If you have your post marked with a hashtag, it should, in theory, pull up.

Tip #6 - @ sign

If you talk about someone, let them know. They'll appreciate it and usually reciprocate. For example. Me: Just finished reading @StephBurkhart's book. Two thumbs up.

If anyone has any other tips, please feel free to share.
Go out there and tweet. And have fun with it.

PS: Follow me on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

Short Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. Her children's book, "The Giving Meadow" was published with 4RV Publishing. She's a native of New Hampshire but now lives in California with her husband, 9 year old son, Andrew, and 5 year old son, Joe. Joe likes the following 4RV Books: Colors and Spider in Our Mailbox.

Creative Book Marketing Tips: Use Short Stories

When it comes to marketing your book, this is the time to leave no stone unturned. While you have likely used the traditional methods of creating promotional marketing materials, building a website, and even setting up a few social media profiles, you may want to try promoting short stories to give your readers a taste of the bigger picture.

With a simple Google search, you can turn up a number of short story websites specializing in your genre, I promise you that. In fact, if you’re an author that has had the pleasure of being published, then you’re probably quite familiar with digging around on the Internet looking for opportunities, right? So take this same approach with your short story marketing.

To backtrack a few steps, you do need to create a few short stories that will best exhibit your writing style. Short stories are a great marketing tool because they will give your readers a sample of your writing, and they can also be used to generate interest in your published book. No matter what your genre may be, whether it’s fantasy, women’s fiction, young adult, or even children’s literature, short story marketing can work wonders.

The point is to keep it fresh. If you’re submitting short stories to a publication or even posting them on your website, readers will constantly be on the lookout for something new. If readers start to visit your blog to read your short stories, they will continue to be attracted by the new, fresh content that you provide.

As a base, aim to keep your short stories at 1000 to 2000 words. If you want to promote your novel directly, you can also take an excerpt from your book and whittle it into a short story if appropriate. But many times, it’s just best to start from scratch.

One interesting approach to take is to stir up the interest of potential readers by writing a short story from the perspective of a secondary character in your book. This will get readers hooked on one of your characters, and they’ll have no choice but to buy your book to find out more about their favorite leading lady or man. Win-win.

The “long and short” of a short story marketing is that you can grow a loyal readership by flexing your creative muscles. Today, many readers are hesitant to buy into a full book if they don’t trust in the author. If you’re a new author that hasn’t yet made a name for yourself, then start cranking out a few quality short stories that you can publish online or give to your readers at no charge.

Short story marketing will establish your expertise in your genre and even provide you with new opportunities in your career!

Bethany Ramos is an author and full-time freelance writer with experience in Internet marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. She is passionate about writing captivating children's books and witty chick lit. For more information, you can visit her blog at http://chicklit-books.com/