Fancy a Social Media Workshop for Writers in Mallorca?

Since moving to Mallorca I've been a bit in the shadows. Not literally but literary-ly.

In London, I attended literary festivals and writing events. I was a regular speaker and ran my own blogging and social media workshops for writers and other creatives.

I gave it all up when I moved, choosing to dedicate my time to fiction and journalism. But recently I've started to wonder about doing workshops again, here.   

On Tuesday I went to the 5th anniversary of a local book shop, Universal Bookshop. I was invited by the very welcoming and enthusiastic owner, Kay Halley, who called the event An Audience with Authors.  

Anna Nicholas launching A Chorus of Cockerels
last year at Universal Bookshop

It was really great to meet other writers and catch up with Anna Nicholas, who has written a series of books about life on the island. We'd talked about setting up writing workshops months ago over lunch but hadn't progressed further than scribbles on a page.

The idea of running social media workshops reared its head again, as I talked to other writers. One author was impressed that I had a traditional publisher.

"Ah, you're lucky," she said. "They do all the marketing for you."

This is definitely a common misconception. Perhaps once upon a time, authors were expected to just write the books and leave the marketing to the publishers. But gone is that time, if it did really exist. 

Whether traditionally published or self-published, writers must promote their books if they want to sell more than a couple of copies to family members.

"Tell me about blogging," she said, when I told her that in fact, that wasn't the case.  

Where to start? If only I had a couple of hours and my slides with me. I really should do a workshop, I thought.

"Do a workshop!" another writer urged, as I tried to impart everything I'd ever learned and she scribbled furiously into her notebok.

Giving advice to lovely Laura Provost,
who has written a children's book!

It struck me that there might be a good handful of writers and creatives out there who might be interested in a workshop about setting up an online presence and growing their audience.

SO:

If you are interested in workshops on social media and marketing for creatives, based in Mallorca, don't hesitate to get in touch at emily@emilybenet.com 

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Blogging and Social Networking Workshop - 8th March

My next Blogging and Social Networking Workshop is now only a month away!

When: Saturday 8th March
Time: 10.30am - 3.00pm
How much:£45.00
Where: London, SE1

It's an intensive workshop packed with tips on how to set up your blog,  develop its identity, promote it using social networks, gain a readership, keep it interesting and also, importantly, what to avoid. 

Here are some Twitter Testimonials about my last workshop:

Thanks to talented and engaging @EmilyBenet for a brilliant #BlogWorkshop today and great to meet everyone. @JohnHandscombe @storyslamlive
— Pippa Gough (@PippaGough) October 19, 2013

If you want to learn about blogging, book on @EmilyBenet's course. I went yesterday - learned loads & laughed loads. Now I'm ready to blog!!
— John Handscombe (@JohnHandscombe) October 20, 2013

Thnks @EmilyBenet for a great workshop today on 'Blogging and Social Media'. Years of hard-earned knowledge packed into 1 session. Perfect!
— Tamim Sadikali (@TamimSadikali) October 19, 2013

 

BLOG SPOTLIGHT: The Reluctant Perfectionist

Helen Barbour came to a workshop in November 2012 and began her blog The Reluctant Perfectionist soon after. 

Peter Gettins Photography

What's your blog about? The Reluctant Perfectionist is a blog about my experiences of having obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). 

How long have you been blogging? Since 8 April 2013 – so far I’ve managed weekly posts, on a Monday, and hope to continue with that regularity. 

What made you start? Originally this was a means to an end, in that I wanted to raise my profile as a writer: obsessive-compulsive disorder is a theme in my – as yet – unpublished novel. However, I quickly began to enjoy blogging in its right and the positive feedback from readers has encouraged me immensely. 

What have been the benefits of blogging for you? I love playing with words (aka writing!) and blogging is a way to hone those skills. I’ve also found the experience extremely rewarding, as many readers have contacted me to say they have found my posts interesting and/or helpful – from strangers as far afield as India and the States, to an old schoolfriend, whose grown-up son has been diagnosed with OCD. 

What has been your most popular post to date? My post, Natural Born Worrier, about anxiety, which I think is something most people can relate to – though perhaps not in such an extreme form as I experience it (OCD is an anxiety disorder). 

Have you got a blog highlight? I was recently approached by a magazine based in Mumbai, India, who were looking for someone to write an article about OCD for them and had come across me via my blog. I was thrilled to be asked and am expecting the article to be published in March.

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This workshop will pose the questions you should ask before you begin your blog and offer all the information you need to get started.  If you've been meaning to start a blog for a long time, why put it off any longer? Come along for a friendly, fun and informative workshop!

Book your place via Paypal (£45.00) or for more information check out my Blog Workshop Page.

 

Calls to Action - Get Your Blog to Work!

Blog posts can take ages to write which makes it a little demoralising when they don't get any response. 

But have you ever read back one of those posts which has failed to elicit a single comment, and considered what comment you might have left?

When I look at my past Shop Girl Diaries posts, it's obvious why I wasn't inundated with comments. I was sharing amusing anecdotes about my Mum's shop. I wasn't writing anything topical or controversial. Neither was I posing any questions or inviting readers to share their thoughts.

It might be your type of blog isn't going to get lots of comments, but there are other calls to action which could be worth incorporating in your posts. 

Common Calls to Action:

Comment on this: If getting comments is your priority then you need to choose a subject that people will have an opinion on or an emotional reaction to. It might just be 'I know exactly what you mean!' - sharing experiences which readers can relate to can lead to great interaction. Ask questions in your blogs to invite comments.  

Further reading: Blog posts can take a long time to write and are often only aired once. To give them extra life, leave a link to a past post your readers might be interested in at the end of your new posts. Make your links neat by just displaying the title of the posts, rather than the whole http:// link.

Follow me on: You may want to build up your following on other social networks like Twitter or Facebook. Make it easy by adding a badge connecting them to that social network. Add an incentive by telling them what they can expect from following you on a different network (e.g. regular updates, more information, special offers, pictures etc)

 

Subscribe to Mailing List: It's easy to set up a mailing list with Mailchimp, and if Facebook and Twitter ever crash, you'll be relieved you did! Mailchimp will generate a code for you to add at the end of your blog (in the html section) which will display a subscription bar for readers to enter their email. Of course, once you've built up a mailing list, you will need to write a newsletter!

Buy this: If you have a product or offer a service related to your post, then why not add the information at the end? If your readers reach the end of the post, they might just be interested in additional information.

Too many calls to action can be off putting so best to choose just one you think most relevant!

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My next Blogging and Social Networking Workshop is on: 

Saturday 8th March 

10.30am-3.00pm 

London 

£45.00 

More information on my Workshop Page. 

Twitter: 5 reasons why they're not following you back

Here are some straightforward reasons why you might be getting a low follow back rate:

1. You are an egg - using the default picture of an egg rather than uploading a picture makes you look like spam or a real beginner who will probably make an omelette of their tweets. You don't have to use a portrait photo if you don't want to, just don't be a huevo, because the only one anyone ever heard of was Humpty Dumpty and he was so smashed he fell off a wall. 

2. You have a) no biog b) an annoying biog - don't make people guess what you're about. Give them a hint, set the tone, so they know why they should follow you. That said, having no biog is probably better than a bad biog, as the saying goes "Better to have no biog and be thought a fool than to have a cringeworthy one and remove all doubt." Best not to say I'm so crazy!!!! or I'm so funny!! LOL, writers are always saying it but in this case it really is a matter of 'show don't tell'. 

3. Your ratio of following to followers - if someone is following 1000 people but only 12 are following them back, it will make me suspicious. Since roughly half of people follow back, why have only 12 done so? How bad can the person's tweets possibly be? It's normal for people to be following more than they are being followed by, but not by such a staggering difference. 

4. Your timeline is full of the same message - if I'm not sure whether to follow someone back I might have a peek at their timeline. If I see that all their tweets are identical and run along the lines of 'Thank you for following! Check out my latest 5 star review of my new novel: Tedium Strikes Back...' that's enough evidence for me that that person is only on Twitter to bombard me like a robot. 

 5. It's not you, it's them - if you're not an egg, do have a reasonable biog, are following and being followed back by more than just your nan and aren't doing the hard sale, then don't worry about it if some people don't follow you back. Some tweeps are very choosy, or famous, or like to keep the group they follow small so they can manage their twitter feed more easily. They might not share your interests, hobbies, have an aversion to cat/dog/chinchilla people or think because you've written you're a Christian you're going to be constantly tweeting extracts from the Bible. It might be simpler than that even. Some people might not have got around to checking out any new followers, in which case retweeting a tweet of theirs, is a good way of alerting them to you. You can use friendorfollow.com to investigate further. It will show you who you are following, who follows you and who you are following who doesn't follow you - now have a couple of drinks and try saying that sentence very quickly!

For blog tips my ebook Blogging for Beginners is available to download from amazon.

Blogging for Beginners eBook Launch

Blogging for Beginners is now available to download from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

About the Book

Whether you're an individual or a business, a blog is an extremely effective tool for developing your online presence and reaching a global audience.

It's a dynamic platform which you can use to share your creativity, advice, services and skills. You don't need to be technically-minded to have a blog. All you need is an internet connection and a couple of spare hours in your week. Anyone can blog. That said, you don’t want to settle for just any old blog that you'll get bored of!

Blogging for Beginners poses the questions you should ask before you begin and all the information you need to get started. The book is packed with tips on how to set up your blog, develop its identity, choose content, gain a readership and increase blog traffic. 

Extract from my article in The New Writer and my new e-book Blogging for Beginners:

"When I was 11 years old, I wrote in my diary, 'I've started a new novel today which I'm going to get published.' I believed that to get a book published all I had to do was write one. It was a shock to discover this was not the case.

I later learnt that the book had to be brilliant. Not only that but it had to land on an agent’s desk at the exact moment they were savouring a fresh cup of coffee, the sun was shining and they were feeling a profound love towards all humanity. Rejection was inevitable. If you were very lucky, you would receive a personal letter, and only then to tell you that your book was rubbish but your font had potential.

Patience is not my greatest virtue. By 24 I was fed up of waiting for someone to pluck my work out of the slush pile and bless it with their approval. All I wanted was to write and be read. So I began a blog about the only thing I really knew anything about; working in my Mum's eccentric chandelier shop. At first, my readership consisted of a few friends and relatives, but gradually my following grew. I took my weekly deadline very seriously and edited as ruthlessly as if it were to be printed in a national newspaper.

Six months after I began, Salt Publishing got in touch with me through Facebook and told me they loved the blog. More importantly, they commissioned the book Shop Girl Diaries. Since then I've contributed articles on social media to magazines and guidebooks and I run blog workshops in the UK.

My experience has been positive, however a successful blog doesn't happen overnight. Blogging takes time, perseverance and often won't pay a penny directly or for some time, yet, if you stick with it, it can reap wonderful rewards. Having a regular blog increases your chances of your work becoming visible while making you accessible to those who might be interested in it. You also become part of a huge interactive community which can stimulate and support you in whatever your blog mission is. Blogging for Beginners is not just aimed at writers. This is for anyone wanting to be pro-active and embrace the blogosphere."

Download Blogging for Beginners from Amazon for just £1.92 

My next Blogging and Social Networking Workshop will take place on Saturday 25th January in London, SE1.

For more details and bookings, visit my Blog Workshops Page. Places are limited!

The Writing Platform - Authors, Alternatives, Books and Blog Tips #TWP13

On Monday I attended The Writing Platform mini fair and conference for writers. I think all writers should go to something like this once a year for an injection of energy and optimism and to be reminded of all the alternative ways of getting their projects off the ground. Alright, so Patrick Hussey did mention that crowd funding was a bit tricky... virtually impossible... don't embark on it lightly... but still, it's good to know it's an option! Just don't expect millions of pledges if you've only got 21 twitter followers. 22 should do it.

'My Writing Life' was the topic of the first panel and I was pleased to hear that discipline plays a key role in the authors' success. Better discipline than luck, right? I learnt that Philip Hensher writes between 6am - 10.30am to avoid interruptions, Nikesh Shukla scribes for two hours before his day job and Polly Courtney imposes a technical blackout in the afternoons to get her words down.

Can we learn to be disciplined? I think so, if we want it enough. It's just hard to know where to start sometimes. Personally I'm a big fan of lists and breaking everything down into manageable steps. Last week I made a timetable with a daily word count target and I wrote more than I'd done in ages without any extra stress. You could even use spreadsheets à la Polly Courtney.

 

It makes so much sense to me that Polly uses spreadsheets. She's so productive and her drive is inspiring. She's mostly known for dumping Harper Collins over their 'girly covers' after working through a three book deal with them. What I didn't know until I met her at The Writing Platform is that her first novel Golden Handcuffs was self-published, and it was the success of this book that attracted Harper Collins in the first place. Polly's story is proof that it pays to be pro-active. These day publishers are much more likely to take a risk on a writer if they've already built a readership and gained credibility. For some writers, becoming their own publisher is a step worth taking.

The 'Get Noticed' panel was the last of the day. I was on it because the success I've had as a writer is the result of having a well-developed online presence. Shop Girl Diaries began as a blog, my online novel Spray Painted Bananas has racked up over a million hits on Wattpad and led to me signing with Laura Longrigg at MBA literary agency. I'm a big believer in putting your work out there and increasing your chances of getting lucky.



Nicola Barr, Anna Lewis, Emily Benet, Minna Salami and Donna Hancox

Our panel only lasted forty minutes but I could have gone on for hours, and I do in my Blogging and Social Networking Workshops! In fact, now that I'm not worried about hogging the microphone I thought I'd leave you with a few tips.

You might also want to read To Blog or Not To Blog, That is the question.

BLOG TIPS

1. Decide on a clear concept for your blog -  just because you're a writer doesn't mean you have to write about writing!

2. Consider how your blog might add value to your readers - is it entertaining? informative? insightful?

3.  Be consistent - both in your theme and your voice!

4. Post regularly - once a week is great, once every two weeks might be more manageable.

5. Keep an eye on blogs you like - what do you like about them? what are they doing so well?

6. Visual appeal - use multi media, add relevant photographs, illustrations, videos  

7. Integrate your online presence -  make sure your blog link is on all your social networks and your social networks can be reached through your blog.

8. Spread the word - add your blog link to your email signature, mention new posts in your facebook status, tweet your posts using bite sized headlines and don't forgot word of mouth.

9. Don't spam - tell people about your blog but don't use social media solely for self-promotion. It won't work and you'll get on everyone's nerves. Engage, engage, engage!

My Blogging for Beginners e-book is coming out soon, sign up to my newsletter for updates and news of upcoming workshops.

MY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Do you have a USP or an Unabashed Shaggy Poodle?

Ta-Da. My blog has had a little makeover while you were away. Do you like it? I hope so, because that's one long evening of putting things in circles I'll never get back.

 The time had come to rebrand my blog. The title 'Shop Girl Diaries' was niggling me. Not only am I no longer a Shop Girl writing about shop life but my title didn't coincide with my URL which has always been emilybenet.com.

My good Twitter friend @Isabelwriter suggested 'More laughs than Brontë' and after a highly intelligent text message conversation (below) with my friend @PieraLizzeri (green) I decided to go along with it.

If I'd put 'More laughs than Michael McIntyre' I'd be stressing out right now, but having to be a little more light hearted than a Brontë seems doable.

Whenever I'm about to lead a Blog Workshop I always review my blog and make improvements. It's the nature of a blog to always be changing and developing. The main thing is to keep returning to the reason why you started a blog in the first place and what it's all about.

Ideally you should know what your blog is about BEFORE you start. It might sound obvious but the word 'random' is forever popping up in people's headers and descriptions of their blog. You know the type. Welcome to my blog, it includes my random thoughts about random stuff that inspires me at random... O-kay, but why should we care?

I'm bored of the idea that if you're creative then you're probably not business minded. Why can't we both? We can.

Now say it like you mean it. WE CAN!

Writers are despairing about the publishing industry, how tough it is to break in, how no one's taking risks. This certainly feels true, but instead of curling up in corner and rocking ourselves to sleep, we should be asking ourselves how we can increase our odds of succeeding.

For a start we need to be very clear about what it is we're doing. We should be asking practical questions about our identity, branding, and brainstorming our USP (unique selling point). Just imagine you're a shop keeper and a salesman brings in a brightly coloured blob. Please sell my blob, they say. As a shopkeeper you might have already bought quite a few blobs off the previous salesman and be feeling anxious about buying another. You'll want to know what's so special about it, what makes it different from the other blobs and also how you're going to convince your customers to buy it. It's not even being business minded, it's common sense. Can you describe your book/ blog/ script clearly? Because if you can't and you created it, who will be able to?  

How I see it, we are living in a DIY world in which we can make things happen as long as we're able to muster the energy and enthusiasm. It's not easier, but with the internet, we can do a lot more by ourselves. If the publishers don't come, there's always self-publishing and plenty of freely available tools to spread the word. I'm not saying you should compromise on style or quality to satisfy one type of shop keeper, just accept if it's not going to work for them you'll need to pursue a different avenue. 

But I don't know anything about self-publishing, blogging, social media and all that jazz, you say? And I say, I didn't know how to use Gimp Photo Editor until I spent an evening following online tutorials, and now I've got a new header with circles in it, yippee. You can learn all this stuff step by step. All you've got to do is keep asking the right questions. What excites you? What do you want to achieve? What's the next step? Because the way we create may be random, but there's no reason why we can't be practical and focused about how we choose to share it with the world.

Well that wasn't funny... Maybe I should change it to 'more laughs than Steinbeck'.  

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Want to learn more about Blogging? My next Workshop is happening soon!  

Blogging and Social Networking  for Beginners / Improvers

On Saturday 19th October 

10.30am - 3pm - £40.00

@ 77 Tower Bridge Road, London 

More information and Booking via Paypal from my Blog Workshops Page