SPA Girls Podcast – EP42 – Surviving Writers Conferences
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This week we talk about our experiences (all family-friendly) at writers conferences and give tips on how to get the most out of conferences (aka overcome the sudden urge to hide behind a large pot plant and not talk to anybody). In a cunning plot twist, we got confused at the intro and said this was episode 41 (instead of 42). Our excuse? Too much heat in the SPA!
A conference is an exchange of views, and a grouping together of like minded people with similar goals.
There are many conferences you can attend as both an aspiring and experienced writer, where you can talk, and listen to workshops and guest speakers.
The SPA Girls love going to conferences!
Why go to a conference?
Writing can be a solitary existence, to get the chance to spend time with people in your profession is both inspiring and motivating.
It helps you acknowledge the fact that writing is important to you, and is your chosen profession.
Knowing and understanding the industry.
Learn from the experts, what works, and what doesn’t.
Learning in person, for some people, can resonate more so than online.
Networking can give you contacts, and friends, for life.
You get the chance to pitch your work to editors and agents.
Challenge yourself
Set yourself some challenges like, I will speak to three different people before lunch, or I will pitch to an agent. Remember that everyone likes to talk about themselves, so it’s highly likely that if you talk to someone, they’ll talk back!
Go and meet your hero’s!!
You won’t remember everything, but we guarantee that you will learn something that will stay with you forever.
Most professionals want to pass on their knowledge, and the romance writing community is open and supportive, and most are happy to offer advice when asked.
Remember that there will be other writers there just like you. Nervous, and excited.
Write down why you want to attend, and what you want to get out of the conference before you arrive.
If you are pitching, then choose the right agent. Know what books they represent. Do your due diligence. Don’t pitch a sweet romance to a fantasy specialist.
Self-publishing advice is often best delivered from those who are successful.
Good conversation starters are- “What are you writing?” “What are you working on at the moment?”
Links
List of some Conferences –
http://www.romancerefined.com/list-of-romance-conventions-and-conferences.html
SPA Girls Podcast – EP 41 – Content For Your Facebook Page
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This week’s episode talks about what to post on your Author Facebook page to keep fans engaged and coming back for more! We’ve all experimented with different kinds of posts – from thoughtful quotes through to “let it all hang out” videos, and have been surprised at what’s worked best! Facebook can be an author’s friend, but it’s also a beast that needs constant feeding. Hopefully you’ll get some “feeding tips” from us this week!
Facebook is a great platform to reach romance readers female 25 plus, while other genres may benefit from other platforms. The key to a great fan page is to post content that genuinely interests them. You need likes and comments on a post from your fans, then FB will continue to send those people your content.
Firstly, you will need to add an Author page which is connected to your personal profile. You can’t run a business through your profile. Your author page will allow you to run insights into who your fans are and what they like or respond to most on your page.
Decide early on what you will you share on a personal front. Children and home life? Do you want people to know everything about you? What is your comfort level, bearing in mind that people do like to see behind the scenes?
Use your branding and make sure your posts are appropriate and relevant. Know your audience.
Things to note:
Facebook is a social medium and at the moment they want to keep it that way.
Things are changing all the time. You need to keep current on what you can and can’t do here.
This is the place to raise engagement and get your people interacting with you regularly.
Remember that this page, if you decide to make it public, (and you probably should) will be available to everyone.
300 likes doesn’t mean that all your friends will see what you post – frustratingly it’s often it’s only 10% of them.
Content marketing means offering other content to get your people interested in you as a person. If you do it properly you will gain the trust of your people.
Build a community. People do not go onto Facebook to buy things.
1 in 20 posts will draw people in, if you have engaged with them prior.
Lunch time is a good time to post. Factor times from around the world.
Keep content slightly different for other platforms.
You can pay for ads, and pay to boost your posts, but organic is a good way and you will incur no costs except time.
Things to do
Make sure you post frequently so that you keep your people’s interest.
Post a variety of content.
Be consistent.
React to a comment and try to engage to encourage other content
Facebook allows fans and readers far closer to an author, which is a blessing and a curse. An element of fans spoil things and push the boundaries. Be tough and block anyone who is disrespectful and/or abusive.
Find other groups – join and then share posts
FB is the 3 or 4 country in the world. Be mindful that your audience is global. Jargon and content should suit the majority.
Share other people’s relevant posts. (If it fits and is similar to what you post)
Hashtags can be used but don’t go crazy. #Free is good. Not as key as it is on twitter. You can search for people and things without a hashtag.
Scheduling functions – Pre schedule your posts to save time. A month is a good way to do this. Around your book launch you will be busy, so prior to the date pre schedule posts for this. Have a folder of pictures and posts ready.
End every post with a question.
Don’t
Don’t post a ton of ads to buy your book
No politics or religion – take care, unless it is part of your brand or you are willing to lose half of your audience.
No pity parties – be human but most people want you to lighten up their day. Although an occasional story of a bad moment will certainly reach people who can relate to it.
What to Post
What’s new in your world – latest release/an award you’ve won/getting married/having a child/moving
A cool quote or a picture
Behind the scenes pictures. Your location – café/office/selfies. Ask for one of your fan.
Linking to useful tutorial – u-tube videos etc. (recipes/outfits/hair/furniture)
Trivia
Books on sale or you really like in the same genre
Interesting setting facts – Historical/Circus/Romance
Contest giveaways – A free book. (Google conditions as you should use a disclaimer – it is you and not FB running the contest.)
Ask people to Comment or Share on your page for a prize.
What can I post to encourage engagement?
Fill in the blank – What would I do if I won a million dollars?
Videos of animals
Cute photos
Statistics
Recipes and crafting – if that fits with what you write.
Ask questions or advice
What name should I give my character?
What should my character wear?
What is a great restaurant/hotel to take my couple?
What should my character’s occupation be?
Where are you from?
What music should I use?
This or that – Should I do this to my hero, or that etc (the possibilities are endless for this one)
Do you like a sexy heroine versus the girl next door?
Beard versus no beard?
PC v Mac?
Who is most like my hero? (give 2 options)
What would you like to ask me? (be brave – not silly) You could do this on a video.
What’s on your bookshelf? Variety or one genre?
What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
Do you have a photo of yourself reading one of my books? (holding up the kindle with the cover showing.
A contest for adding the name of your fan in your next book. Name, personality etc. is a huge prize and one that should reap many comments.
Build a hero/heroine. (give options that you could write about)
SPA Girls Podcast – EP40 – Getting Your Pacing Right
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This week we talked about tips and tricks to keep the pace of your novel moving at the right speed, all the way to the high impact ending. We each talk about the tricks we use to make the pace of our novels work for our readers. We talk about genre and how it affects pacing, also things like sentence structure, word sound, chapter length, and other methods you can use to keep your pacing fast or slow. It’s all about creating the right rhythm for your novel, so that your reader follows you through to the end. 🙂
What Is Pacing?
Pacing is the speed and rhythm of the book you are writing. Genre can play la arge hand in pace. For example, if you are writing a sweet/gentle story, the pace will be slower, than a high tempo thriller. Pace can also ebb and flow in each scene/chapter of the book, depending on what the writer is trying to convey. Pacing is vital for the flow of your book, and to ensure people keep reading!
Pacing Tips
Sometimes it is quite hard to see the pacing in the first draft of a story, and outlining can help with this, as it helps you plot each scene and what is needed to move the book forward. If you find yourself nodding off or yawning while writing a scene, then that would suggest that it needs to go.
Make sure the beginning of your book draws the reader in from the first page. Often we tend to set the scene, and yes, ramble, which can mean we have to go back and cut out some of our precious words.
The more you write the more you understand pacing.
Make sure your chapter and scene endings finish on a question, turning point, dramatic event etc. So the reader wants to start the next page.
Changing POV when there is a cliffhanger at the end of the chapter can help pacing. The next scene is set in a different place and time, which can make the reader want to keep reading. This can up the suspense.
There are three things to remember about pacing in a book. Pacing in the words and sentence structure, in a chapter, and the entire book. Short sentences can move the scene and amp up the tension.
Words can help move the pace and heighten a scene. Using descriptive language and constant sounds, can indicate more action. Get rid of any unnecessary words in a scene.
Don’t overwrite a scene, and remember not to write the same thing several times in a different way.
Drop the he said she said. Trust your dialogue. If there are just two people in the conversation, then the reader should be able to follow.
Shorter chapters can also increase the pacing.
The best words a writer can hear, is that a reader could not put down their book!
Some people like/dislike prologues. But often they can help if you have a lot of world building and back story to get down. This can be genre based, and is sometimes used in sci-fi, paranormal and historical.
A reader will not say at the end of a book they did not think it was paced well, because chances are they have no clue what that means. So what they’ll say is, it wasn’t for me. Too slow, didn’t grab me. A lot of this can be put down to pacing. A good way to determine where the problem lies is to ask where they stopped reading or the story stopped grabbing them.
Word choice and sentence structure is a big part of pace. Don’t repeat words constantly, use a thesaurus if you have trouble with this.
Read the authors you like, books you like, and check out what appeals, and how the pacing works. Know the pacing expectations for the books in your genre.
Endings are important so make sure you give the reader what they want. You have led them through your book so don’t let them down, and make sure you wrap things up nicely. Use your HFN (happy for now) HEA (happy ever after). Remember don’t rush!
