Tag: author blogs

WordPress Categories: are you making the most of them?

I know this sounds boring but categories are excellent little chaps. They can help people find their way around your blog and spend longer reading what interests them. Alexa and Google will approve of this.

People tend to get categories and tags mixed up, and to confuse things further, Kat posted recently about the difference between tags and keywords. She added a screenprint to show how tags appeared at the bottom of an IU post, so readers could find similar articles. Here it is again:

Wordpress categories tags

Kat highlighted the tags and keywords. Today I’m going back to the beginning of the same sentence, ‘This entry was posted in…’ because that’s your category. It’s part of the filing system for your posts but this filing cabinet is sort of bigger. Continue reading “WordPress Categories: are you making the most of them?”

Your Platform or Mine?

Platform diving is like platform building.
Platform diving is like platform building.

Today is June first, a strategic date that marks the halfway point of the 2014 marketing plan I wrote six months ago. It took me a few minutes to find it under the scattered Post-it notes that clutter my desk. It is dusty. The ambitious plan is hand-written in a spiral bound journal that also contains my passwords for all the Internet sites I frequent. I give it a cursory look—and note those items I’ve actually accomplished. My critical nature zeroes in on the goals not achieved, and I’m annoyed with myself. Rather than toss the plan aside and start from scratch, I decide to give myself a break and review it without judgment. Success is not linear, a borrowed quote I use often. Have I accomplished any of the most important goals I established in a blissful haze of naïve optimism? Continue reading “Your Platform or Mine?”

Does Your Story Have Umami?

Taste Magazine UmamiAs a result of the heavy response to my post last month I contacted Goodreads. I sent them both the Indies Unlimited post and a formal request to add a coupon option to their giveaway contests. I received a response, friendly and professional, that GR is always looking to improve their programs. They thanked me for my e-mail, but did not commit to adding a coupon at this point. Since we have their attention, I encourage all IU readers who agree with my post to send an e-mail to Goodreads management in support of this marketing request. Let’s keep the ball rolling and achieve our objective—increased visibility and sales following a Goodreads Giveaway. And now, as I often do, I am about to make a sharp right turn.

This month’s post is about a subject that has been rolling around in my head for weeks. Do you know what umami is? I’ll bet it’s not what you think. Umami has nothing to do with beta readers or proper formatting. It is not a protective spell you chant to shield yourself from the latest publishing scam. It is not the name of a cutting-edge fashion designer from Japan. And whether or not you realize it, your story has a flavor profile that may or may not include umami. Continue reading “Does Your Story Have Umami?”

Tumblr Tutorial: Get Up and Running

Last Friday, Kat Cantwell introduced us to Tumblr, where all the young’ns hang out. So how about we show those young whippersnappers our awesome books? They don’t know what they’ve been missing. We just have to figger out how to use this newfangled Tumblr thingie. Honestly? It’s easier than WordPress or Blogger. Let me show you why.

The first thing you need to do is go to Tumblr.com and set up an account. It’s super fast (they’re not kidding).

tumblr signup step 1 2

Just follow the steps above – #1 through #3, then click Sign up (#4). That will bring you to a new screen where they ask – oh no, not that – your age, and to read the T&C. Then click Done! (#7) and you are signed up. You’ll receive an email asking you to confirm your membership. It’s that simple. Continue reading “Tumblr Tutorial: Get Up and Running”