Ten Steps to Developing an Internet Presence

I met Laura Christianson at The Christian Writer’s Conference at Redwood Chapel a few years ago. She was the featured speaker. Here are some great tips she gave for growing your Internet presence. 

1. The top social media tip of the day is “Simple Works.” Write clear and concise. Cut the adjectives, adverbs and clichés. Jesus’ simple message was/is “Come and See.” Invite your readers to come and see.
2. Pay attention to what’s going on in the world: listen and engage, best sellers, top blogs, political issues, faith issues. We need to know the world we hope to change.
3. Did you know that 20% of the people calling 411 information are looking for churches? Did you know that the number of 411 information calls for palm readers has risen 217%. Our world needs to know the clear and simple  truth about God’s amazing love.
4. Since we find free wi-fi everywhere, it’s important to have an Internet presence. Whether our readers are waiting in a doctor’s office, having lunch, or waiting at the airport, they need to be able to find us. We must be easy to find and give away great content. Readers want to know “What’s in it for me?”
5. Use videos as much as possible. We remember 10% of what we read and 50% of what we see in videos. Create an account on YouTube, Facebook,  and/or Twitter. If you do not have a website or blog, create them.
6. Consider the possibilities of print on demand publishing. More and more readers prefer reading books on electronic readers. The business doubled in 2010.
7. Did you know you could publish with Kindle? It’s called Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Upload your book. No need for an ISBN. Sell your books for $2.99 to $9.99. You get 70% royalties. Is that incredible or what?
8. Do you know about SmartPhone technology? These phones can read bar codes. You can have your own Quick Response (QR) code linked to your blog or website and print it on the back of your business cards.
9. Laura Christianson is the blogging pro. Visit her blog at http://www.bloggingbistro.com/.
10. Your Internet presence is a step in the right direction toward building your platform. A first step for you might be creating a blog. Sunrise Christian Writers is starting Blogging 101, a four part training, on May 2, 2013. We look forward to seeing you. 

Dealing With Writer's Block - Part 2

Last week we started discussing how to deal with writer's block from the 18th Chapter--"Writer's Block," in Donna Goodrich's A Step in the Write Direction. Today we will discuss Part 2 of the same chapter.

You're Stuck in Your Writing:
Donna says the biggest reason for this happening is that you haven't planned in advance what you're going to write. She uses outlines. The more detailed the outline, the easier your writing project will go. This works for fiction and nonfiction.

Fatigue:
Too long with my bottom in chair wears me out and I have to get up and go for a walk. Getting out in the sunshine is great for gaining a positive perspective. Other times I need to read or pick up my knitting needles and work on something totally different. It's amazing to me that when I am reading or knitting, fresh ideas come to mind about my writing project.

Hitchhike:
One way to avoid writer's block is to hitchhike your thoughts while your writing by jotting down related ideas when you're working on your current project. While searching for a Bible verse for one devotional, you might see and idea for another devotion in a nearby verse.

Recycle:
You've spent a lot of time researching for an assignment. Use the research to write another article with a different slant or write a short filler article for different publishers. Sell reprints when the first contract has expired. This works if you've sold first or one time rights, but not for all rights.

What do you do when you struggle with the blank page? I'd love to read your comments.