The Writer's Plot

TO MARKET...WITH BRUCE BRADY

Marketing covers a wide area, from selling your manuscript to selling yourself. And you have to do it all if you want to be a freelance writer. Bruce will discuss various ways of marketing, including how to build a following. He will also talk about using the newer publishing options like Amazon’s self-publishing and e-books. With his degree in Marketing and years of sales and marketing experience, Bruce will be able to answer your questions.

You seem to have a very different approach to social media than most marketing experts I read. Can you explain your thoughts?

I approach social media from the writer’s point of view. I don’t have a degree in advertising or marketing. Because of that, I’m very protective of the time a writer has to actually write. To me, social media is the means to an end—the way to develop relationships with readers, other writers, and industry professionals. It’s not the way I earn my living.

How did you get started in social networking?

by Edie Melson, social media expert

Many of you may have heard the term EdgeRank in regard to Facebook’s new policy for pages. It’s a new term, but its purpose should sound familiar. EdgeRank compiles information Facebook believes will be valuable for each individual user. This is done through complicated equations, not unlike those search engine algorithms use to rank sites when a topic is searched.

by Edie Melson

On the surface, social media appears to be all about amassing numbers, increasing reach, and generating sales. Everywhere we look we’re being told how to get more hits on our blogs, generate new followers, and strengthen our web presence.

The truth is, that couldn’t be more of a perversion of the truth.

I’m not doing this to win some numbers race. I’m a writer because I want to reach people, to help them, and have a positive impact on the world around me.

by Edie Melson

I do a lot of of teaching blogging, and I’m frequently reminded that not everyone knows the difference between a blog and website, or which one a writer needs. So today I thought I’d give you an easy way to begin the evaluation process for your specific situation.

As many of you know, social media and blogging aren’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Far from it! But the almost endless array of choices can leave anyone feeling uncertain what’s needed.

This is from David Ogilvy's book, Ogilvy on Advertising. His tips apply not only to advertising, but also for writing any copy for websites or blogs...or, really, any nonfiction.