Life, love and the pursuit of a good story
Lots of great information out this week as part of the So You Think You Can Write online conference and competition, like the infographic below defining romance novel terms. You still have time to submit. The contest closes on Monday. Check out their blog for more great writing advice.
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Does Facebook help sell books? Who knows? Seems it depends on what you’re selling (fiction? non-fiction?). Or what communication you choose (pages? boosted posts? groups? ads?). Or how you write your copy (in your post, in your ad, on your landing page, in your call to action). Or your goals (web traffic? email sign-ups? book sales?).
Check out the back-and-forth debate on Digital Book World. One guy says FB works, especially to build fan relationships. Another guy says pages and boosted posts don’t work, at least not for $14.99 non-fiction. If you read the comments carefully there seem to be folks who’ve found success. One used groups to create a tribe. One sees a sales spike when she posts to her page. Several folks spoke of FB ad classes and low-cost testing to find the most clickable campaigns. Most people found boosted posts not to be the best way to reach buying readers.
Do you sell books through Facebook? If so, what’s worked for you?
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EPSON MFP image
Banana board!
I’ve started walking. Every day. And not just regular city walking, but deliberate, mindful walking. I go fast, for at least fifteen minutes, usually closer to forty. And I head directly to the closest green space.
At my office, that’s the park by the Hudson. Even in the cold, in the spitting snow, I’ve walked. I hit the cobblestones, hear the lapping water, smell the wet loamy earth, see the stalks of the leafless trees and something in my soul releases. I can breathe.
At home, I hike through residential streets to Prospect Park. I find the lake, the ducks, the crackle of sticks and dirt under my shoes. I see the sky–blue or gray or masked by rain–and I can breathe.
Now, I see that my body was on to something.
The difference between natural and urban landscapes is how they command our attention. While man-made landscapes bombard us with stimulation, their natural counterparts give us the chance to think as much or as little as we’d like, and the opportunity to replenish exhausted mental resources.
–“How Nature Resets Our Minds and Bodies“, TheAtlantic.com
Charlie: Where’s my birthday?
Me: You mean where is your birthday party?
Charlie: Yeah.
Me: At the zoo.
Charlie: When?
Me: On Sunday.
Charlie: When’s Sunday?
Me: Well, today is Monday, so…
Charlie: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday…
Me: Sunday. So in one week.
Charlie: What?
Me: Your birthday party.
Charlie: Where is it?
Me: At the zoo.
Charlie: When?
That’s when I laugh because this could go on all day.
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