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photo credit: Free Digital Photos //Stuart Miles
photo credit: Free Digital Photos //Stuart Miles
When deciding which social media to use, ask yourself, “Who and where is my audience?”
If your audience is 20 something, don’t hang out at an AARP forum. Determine what kinds of things your audience enjoys and be a part of it.
What is your purpose? Each Social Media platform (Twitter, Facebook, blog, Google+) has its strengths and purposes. Do a bit of research and see which fits with your needs.
Where are you already? Don’t get caught up in doing it all. Not everything will be a fit. Are you already online? Start where you are. Build it up. Keep adding as you discover those places that are a fit for your message and your audience.
What do you enjoy? If you get a profile on Twitter, but hate it, you aren’t as likely to use it. Its better to have no profile there than an unused one. Your fans will want to see you active. Give a new spot a try, but don’t bang your head against the wall if its not working for you.
Remember from last week: your platform must be sustainable. It must work with your life if you’re going to maintain it.
Do you have a platform or marketing question you would like answered?
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Writing Prompt:
The following paragraph is wordy! And pretty boring (serves the purpose of this exercise). Two challenges:
1) Tighten up the word count. Right now its at 60.
2) Give it some zing. Some interest.
Have fun! Leave a comment and let us know your new word count for challenge #1.
They went down to the store where there was a guy working that had sold them a broken toaster. They needed a toaster so bad because they didn’t have an oven, so they needed to get their money back. Then they would go and get one at a different store where their neighbor told them a sale was going on.
Resource Suggestion: JeffGoines
 “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
We are going to spend a few weeks talking about the trees inside the forest. The small parts that often feel tedious to the creative brain. But they are necessary. The rules you must understand before you go breaking them in the glorious exhibition of your style.
If you want your medicine to be a bit sweeter, join a critique group. The fellowship and encouragement you receive will make up for the toil and sweat you must go through. And what you learn in the process of editing others’ work will grow you toward your goal by leaps and bounds.
For starters, I am going to recommend several books I have found to be helpful.
  • Contains exercises
  • Applicable to both fiction and non-fiction
  • Covers 7 grammar points
  • Used throughout your manuscript
  • Short and fun
The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
  • Contains exercises
  • Focused on fiction, but parts applicable to non-fiction as well
  • Focus on grammar, does include some on elements of story
  • Although applicable to entire manuscript, focuses on first few pages
  • From perspective of what an editor will see that may turn him off to your manuscript immediately
Self-Editing forFiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
  • Contains exercises
  • Focuses on fiction
  • Elements of your story, not just grammar points
  • Easy to read and understand
The First Fifty Pages by Jeff Gerke
  • No exercises
  • Focuses on fiction
  • Covers elements of story
  • Great examples from the movies
  • Easy to read and enjoyable
All writers need to build a library of reference books. You will go back to them again and again. Consider purchasing one of these books or look around and find a different one that will suit your needs better. Do you already have a collection? If so, what is your favorite book covering some aspect of self-editing?