LibraryThing and Goodreads: Meeting Readers, Book Giveaways and Finding Reviewers

  by F.C Malby  (@fcmalby)

Book reviews can create the difference between floundering sales and a book which is regularly making its way into the hands of new readers. Promoting your book doesn’t need to be a painful process and book reviews and connections with readers are vital to the success of your book, especially in the early days.

I’ll share my experiences of both LibraryThing and Goodreads so that you have a better idea of where to go before your book is released, and how to set up a giveaway and garner some honest reviews.

 

Goodreads

Stats: Launched in 2007, Goodreads claims to be the largest site for readers and book recommendations in the world, with more than 14,000,000 members who have added more than 460,000,000 books to their shelves.

I signed up as a Goodreads Author which gives you a different profile to readers, allowing you to:

·         Add a picture and bio, listing your influences and genre (this is important for finding readers in your niche).

·         Share your favourite books with readers.

·         Add your blog feed into your profile (this has helped to build my blog platform).

·         Publicise book signings, speaking engagements and other events.

·         Share book extracts and quotes (some authors say that adding quotes has helped to boost their sales).

·         Write a quiz about your book, add it to specific listopia lists and post a book trailer video.

·         Lead a Q&A discussion for readers and join in with forum chat.

In the months running up to my book release I spent some time exploring the site and getting to know readers through forums before I set up a book giveaway.  Find readers in your genre and you will have more success with your books. It is important not to just sit on Goodreads as a disconnected author but to get involved, upload books you have enjoyed and review them, add friends, join in with discussions and be present. You can set the email alerts to send as much or as little information as you like to your email account and you can always check all activity on your Goodreads account and reply to messages.

A month before my book was due to be released I entered it into a giveaway (it has to be pre-prelease). This is set for a certain period of time with a fixed number of hard copies to give away (Goodreads won’t accept eBook files as giveaways) and when it closes they email a list of addresses of the winners. While readers sign up for the giveaway, if they like the book they will also add your book onto their shelf to read later. I set up the giveaway for 3 weeks and 1,500 readers signed up for the giveaway. While these figures are higher than the average of 800 sign-ups there was no significant boost to sales at the time and just two reviews (one from a winner).

Nearly 500 people added the book to their shelves marked as ‘to read.’ This is a longer term strategy which works as part of the giveaway and for this I am grateful. It is difficult to gauge how sales are impacted as book buying is spread out over time. Readers have also taken a book quiz which I set up. You can also set up listopia lists with books which are similar to yours, add book quotes and join in with forum discussions. The readers and authors I have met on Goodreads have been friendly and informative, some also connecting via facebook or twitter.

Goodreads works in the same way as Amazon by recommending books by other authors which are similar to those a member’s list, which means that when readers add books which Goodreads deems to be similar to your title, it may then be recommended as a book to read. This is a really helpful marketing tool.

 

LibraryThing –

Stats: Launched in 2005, LibraryThing has more than 1,600,000 members with over 78,900,000 books catalogued. Nearly 2,000,000 reviews of more than 664,000 works have been written by members.

Once I had become familiar with Goodreads, I explored LibraryThing. I entered a member giveaway after the book was released at the end of December 2012, but they also have early review giveaways. The option of a giveaway before or after your release date makes this more flexible.

You can giveaway either hard copies or eBook files, which allows you to give away many more copies using .mobi and .epub files. Most authors offer eBook files only and enter 25, 50, 75 or 100 copies into a giveaway, stating that they will be giving away eBook files only. This made more sense to me so I set up a giveaway for 50 copies but I noticed that books are listed in order of the number of copies to give away and then put into date order, so if you want to be nearer the top of the list, it might be better to release 100 copies, although remember that you will need to send these all out.

I set the giveaway for 2 weeks and 45 people signed up in 3 days. If more people sign up than the allotted number to giveaway then LibraryThing will pick winners at random, as with Goodreads. When the giveaway closes, LibraryThing also emails you with a list of winners with their email addresses, which is much quicker and cheaper method of distribution. 

I had read that there was less interaction between authors with readers on LibraryThing but I have had some good chats with readers, and reviews on various sites (including Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble and LibraryThing) from the giveaway with some really encouraging emails from readers with lots of feedback. Although there were less sign ups than on Goodreads, the requests build up quite quickly and I had more reviews and emails. Several people have connected with me through other social media sites and I noticed a jump in sales following the giveaway. I have really enjoyed the experience and would recommend exploring this site if you haven’t yet joined. It’s important to remember that you can’t demand reviews, you can only offer your books with a review request. Be courteous and join in with the communities on each site. They are both full of interesting readers, authors, groups and forum discussions.

OVERALL:

Goodreads

Giveaway: hard copies only.

More limited in giving away hard copies, factoring in the cost of purchase and postage.

Readers add your book to their to-read list through a giveaway.

Reviews generally only on Goodreads.

The option to create Listopia lists, quizzes and add book quotes widens the number of pages where your book will be listed on the site.

LibraryThing

Giveaway: hard copies or .mobi/.epub files.

Option of either format gives you the freedom to list many more giveaway copies.

Your book is added to lists organically but it takes time.

Reviews can be requested for any site.

Zeitgeist page – fascinating insight into book/reader stats. (incl. most reviewed books and top languages of translated books).

Author Bio

F.C. Malby is the author of ‘Take Me to the Castle,’ set in Prague during the Velvet Revolution. She is a novelist, a photographer and a teacher, and has taught English in the Czech Republic, the Philippines and London.  You can find her blog and website at fcmalby.com, or connect on twitter @fcmalby, or on her facebook author page.

Take Me to the Castle is currently free to download this week until 1 March.  View the book trailer.

 

 

 

Ten Steps to Blogging Success

Guest post by Molly Greene, @mollygreene

It’s true for nearly every author: Attracting readers to your website is the main reason you blog. After all, your books are your business, and according to a 2012 report by marketing and web analytics specialist HubSpot, businesses that post new blog content even once or twice a month get much more traffic than those that don’t blog at all. Per HubSpot, “an average company will see a 45% growth in traffic when total blog articles increase from 11-20 to 21-50, and a 59% increase when total blog articles reach 100 to 200.”

Blogging gets results. Every post forges another path to your website. So if you’ve wondered how and why to begin – or if you’re stalled somewhere in the process and need guidance, here are the basic steps.

1.       Set up a website. Choose free Wordpress.com, free Blogger.com, even inexpensive Squarespace. With a little research into what each platform offers, you can choose the right one for you. If you already have a free site and you’re considering a move to self-hosted Wordpress.org, pre-planning will allow for a seamless transition.

2.      Determine topic categories. Who are you writing for? Who is your ideal reader? Choose a handful of topic categories based on the answer. Also, keep in mind that every work of fiction contains plot elements an author can explore on their blog. So pinpoint the themes in your books, determine how they overlap real world topics you are passionate about, and write your posts around this common ground.

3.      Establish a posting schedule. Don’t be overly concerned about frequency at first, simply post as many times a month as you can comfortably handle without going insane. Focus on quality before quantity, and discipline yourself to post according to a pre-determined schedule. Consistency is key.

4.      Write great content. This may be the biggest challenge: The goal is to share good, evergreen content that offers value to your ideal reader. Make them laugh, make them cry, make them think, educate them. Whichever applies, strive to write posts that hit the mark every time.

5.      Interact on social media. One of the most effective methods to draw website traffic is sharing content across social media accounts. Establish, build, and grow a following on pertinent social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. You’ll be tempted to follow and market to authors because they are so supportive, but be sure to seek out readers, too. You want readers. Readers, readers, readers.

6.      Bring traffic to your site. Continue to grow more traffic through consistent sharing and interacting on your social media accounts plus the application of SEO principles, guest posting, optimizing your website, hosting guests, and other methods.

7.      Use a call to action. The primary goal of every author’s website is to sell books, but few accomplish this directly through blog-driven sales. Instead, we rely on the second most important goal for a website, readers who sign up to receive regular updates. A great email list can be the most effective method for an author to actually sell books. Use a really good call to action on your blog to encourage visitors to subscribe.

8.     Repurpose content. Try to find three channels to re-use every word you write. Ideas: rework some of your blog content into ebooks that you can sell or give away in contests or as a subscriber incentive. Rewrite posts and share them on syndication sites. Rewrite the guest posts you share with other bloggers and use them in ebooks and/or on your own site.

9.      Use email to launch products. Use your email list to announce new ebooks and novels as you launch them. Then use your email list to learn more about your readers (polls, surveys) and to remind them about your work in a way that adds value, such as through freebies, contests, giveaways, and whatever creative methods you can think up.

10.  Continue to learn the craft. Never stop educating yourself about blogging best practices, SEO principles and how to implement them, website enhancements, and third party vendors that will help you automate, streamline and improve your blogging experience.

Molly Greene is an author, blogger, and blogging coach with a preference for reading, writing, remodeling, and rural life. Her nonfiction titles include Blog It! The author’s guide to building a successful online brand, and the self-awareness guide, Someone Worth Becoming (July 2013). Molly is working on a second novel, Rapunzel; her fiction debut, Mark of the Loon, is available at major online retailers. Meanwhile, she blogs about self-publishing topics and her crazy, ever-changing world at Molly-Greene.com. Visit and subscribe! Follow & Friend Molly on Twitter • Goodreads • Facebook • Google+

 

 

Why I Write Cozy Mysteries—Guest Post by Chrystle Fiedler

by Chrystle Fiedler, @ChrystleFiedler
Reality is overrated. At least I think so. Instead, I find comfort escaping into the world of a cozy mystery. Before I wrote cozy mysteries, I read them, Agatha Christie’s tales of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes and Dashiell Hammett and watched them; Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse, and Murder, She Wrote which I’ve recently rediscovered on Hallmark TV.

Whether it’s in these pages or by watching these shows, I escape, like you do, to the coziness of quaint country villages, dappled country lanes, inviting stores on the high street, and of course, lovely rose covered cottages; inside, a cup of tea waiting.

Of course, the world of the cozy is in stark contrast to the murderous crimes committed there that shatter the peace and serenity. But we also know the detective will figure out the puzzle, catch the killer and put things back in their proper place. That’s incredibly satisfying to me as a writer as well, to have the power to put things back into balance.


My natural remedies mysteries are also set in a classic cozy setting, in this case, a real, idyllic fishing village on the East End of Long Island in NY called Greenport. When I was growing up the area was somewhat depressed but within the past two decades, Greenport has come into its own as a tourist destination with upscale eateries and boutiques, sandwiched between Mom and Pop hardware stores, diners and retro stores. Forbes magazine has even named Greenport one of the prettiest villages in the U.S.

I’ve always had an interest in natural medicine so I made my cozy protagonist, Willow McQuade, a naturopathic doctor who takes over a health food store – Nature’s Way Market & Café - after her Aunt Claire meets an untimely end. The store is located in a lovely 3 story yellow Victorian house across with a water view. Inside, it’s cozy too, with a homey feel, yummy cooking smells and the scent of essential oils, herbs and flower essences.

To complete my cozy universe, I gave Willow, a hunky ex-cop love interest named Jackson Spade, an adorable rescued dog and two rescued cats, loyal friends and workers and the spirit of her Aunt Claire to guide her.

Writing the natural remedies mysteries also gives me a wonderful chance to share what I’ve learned about natural cures with readers. It’s amazing what you can find in your kitchen and garden that can soothe and heal you. That’s a cozy feeling too.

In Scent to Kill, my latest natural remedies mystery cozy, I focus on the practice of aromatherapy, the use of essential oils to improve health and well-being. As I’m writing I can smell the lavender, jasmine and roses.

Whether I am writing my cozies, reading or watching them, I experience the same comfortable, homey, and safe feeling, knowing that no matter what happens, that all will be well in the end. Where else can you get that guarantee? Cozy mysteries are one of the best antidotes to reality I’ve found. How about you?

******

For a chance to win a copy of Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery just leave a comment.

Here’s the scoop on Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery:

“Scent to Kill is a well-crafted mystery…Devotees of natural medicine and aromatherapy will enjoy the tips that appear at the beginning of each chapter and scattered throughout the text.” Publisher’s Weekly

Willow McQuade, naturopathic doctor, along with her hunky ex-cop boyfriend Jackson Spade, attend a party for a psychic TV show that is filming on Long Island’s idyllic East End. However, Willow is much more interested in visiting the estate’s lavender farm, seeking inspiration for the new aromatherapy workshops she'll be holding at her store, Nature’s Way Market & Café.

Before the party is over, Roger Bixby one of the producers is dead and the police suspect murder. Roger was working on the show, MJ’s Mind, with Carly Bixby, his ex-wife and the new girlfriend of Willow's ex from L.A., TV writer/producer Simon Lewis.

After Willow leaves the party, she gets a frantic text from Simon asking for her help. Since Simon had a fight with Roger earlier in the evening, and because of his death is now the primary shareholder in Galaxy films, Willow's ex becomes the prime suspect. Simon begs her to crack the case and clear him of the murder. MJ McClellan, the psychic and star of the show also asks Willow for help. She hires Willow to provide natural remedies, including aromatherapy, massage, acupuncture and yoga to soothe the agitated crew of her show.

To find the killer, Willow has to deal with ghosts in a haunted mansion, a truly dysfunctional family, death threats and “accidents,” while trying to untangle a homicide identical to one committed during prohibition. Thankfully, Jackson has been hired to provide security and is there to watch her back and help Willow solve this spooky mystery.


Chrystle Fiedler is the author of SCENT TO KILL, (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster) the second in the NATURAL REMEDIES MYSTERY series, DEATH DROPS: A Natural Remedies Mystery, the non-fiction title THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO NATURAL REMEDIES (Alpha, 2009), co-author of BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW! (Fairwinds Press, 2010), currently in its fourth printing, the BEAT SUGAR ADDICTION NOW!COOKBOOK (Fairwinds Press, 2012) and THE COUNTRY ALMANAC OF HOME REMEDIES (Fairwinds, 2011). Chrystle’s magazine articles featuring natural remedies have appeared in many national publications including Natural Health, Vegetarian Times, Better Homes & Gardens and Remedy. Visit www.chrystlefiedler.com.

The Butler Did It?

 Guest post by K.B. Owen, @kbowenwriter

I absolutely love mysteries, and if you’re here at Elizabeth’s site, you probably do, too.  Have you ever wondered, though, about some of the conventions in mystery genres?  Take the phrase "The Butler Did It" - how did that come to be such a cliched reference in mystery stories?

Did the butler - or another servant in the household of a wealthy murder victim - really "do it"?  Ever?  And in enough mystery novels to deserve the cliche?  Any of you mystery readers remember a time when the butler committed the murder in a novel?

Me neither.

So I started my search (after all, there are a lot of novels out there I'm not familiar with; no one can read them all) for stories with the butler as the culprit.  Guess what?  There is only one famous mystery novel I could find that uses the butler (more about this below).  Even if there are more examples that I've overlooked, they seem too obscure for internet search engines, and less likely to be in our collective consciousness.

So, do we have a trope/cliche that doesn't deserve the name?

Origin:

Most mystery aficionados agree that Golden Age mystery novelist Mary Roberts Rinehart, author of over a dozen mystery novels in the "had-I-but-known" female-centric flashback style, was the author who started (and ended) the trope.  While none of her books ever contained the words "the butler did it," one of her wildly-popular mystery novels (SPOILER ALERT), The Door (1930) has the butler as the murderer.  It was written in a hurry (for the specifics behind this, check out this great post), but still sold very well, as she was a household name by that point.

Even before the publication of The Door, however, Golden Age critics were poised to decry the use of a “mere” servant as a murderer.  S.S. Van Dine's "20 rules for writing mystery stories" (1928) lists it as No-No #11:

A servant must not be chosen by the author as the culprit. This is begging a noble question. It is a too easy solution. The culprit must be a decidedly worth-while person — one that wouldn't ordinarily come under suspicion.

Notice the phrase "a decidedly worth-while person."  In the remnants of the still class-rigid nineteen-twenties (containing echoes of its Victorian antecedents), servants weren't considered good material for a chief antagonist in an intellectual whodunnit.  

Why?  Well, in terms of both perception and reality, working-class servants didn't have the same education (and therefore, it was assumed, the intellect) as their employers, so the ability to outwit their “betters” was considered an absurd notion.  They were considered rather shady characters, of weaker moral fiber.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that servants didn’t make terrific suspects in mystery novels.  "Country-house" mysteries have long been rife with corrupt cooks, spying footmen, pregnant parlor maids, and so on.  And there’s a very good reason why they were a natural target of suspicion.    

We need to step back into the 19^th century (where the modern detective/mystery genre originated); here, the Victorians were looking at a brave new world of domestic service. 

The 19^th Century Servant Class:

Before the Industrial Revolution really got going mid-century, a servant and a servant’s parents could have worked their entire lives in their employer’s household, seeing the older generation of their employer’s family decline and pass away, and young heirs grow up and take over.  Such service would have been a source of pride and loyalty.  What servants wouldn’t have affection for the new heir, when he’s remembered as the mischievous boy who put a frog in the governess’s knitting basket?  They’ve known him all his life.

But then the economy exploded with a wealth of job opportunities in factories, railroads and mercantilism.  As people left for jobs elsewhere, servants were harder to come by and stayed on for a shorter time.  The concept of the “born and bred”  faithful servant was becoming an anachronism. 

Still, upper-class (and even middle-class) Victorian households needed domestics.  They were an inescapable fact of life: they fetched the water, stoked the fires, cooked the meals, did the laundry, and provided a barrier to the inconveniences of the outside world.  To some degree, they inhabited separate spaces: separate stairs, entrances, and rooms to which they were relegated whenever possible.  Despite this separation, their duties made them ever-present in the family spaces.

 So convenience had its price, namely, in lack of privacy.  Servants knew everything, saw everything - the family's petty quarrels, the little personal embarrassments of day-to-day living - all while being treated as second-class citizens and paid a pittance.  Servants were the outsiders, with only the fragile loyalty gained from the employer's purse. 

No wonder Victorian families were nervous.

The Butler as Villain:

So why waste all that great potential by not making the butler the culprit?  He’s an elevated-enough servant, right?  Was it just to adhere to the “Golden Age” mystery convention of avoiding the obvious solution at all costs (sometimes at the cost of a coherent plot line)?  Or because he wasn’t deemed smart enough to be an arch-villain? 

Ah, but what if you did make him smart enough?

Maybe that’s the problem.  Perhaps such a cunning adversary might lend the servant class a power that no middle/upper-class reader of the time would have been comfortable with.  A criminal who could match wits with the master of the house, and the detective.  Someone who – gasp – "almost" gets away with it.  Just a theory.

I wonder: do we have any social/class limitations like that today, or is everyone fair game to be the criminal nowadays?  What do you think?  Elizabeth and I would love you to share your thoughts!

Elizabeth, thank you so much for hosting me today.  I had a blast!

~Kathy

 K.B. Owen taught college English for nearly two decades at universities in Connecticut and Washington, DC, and holds a doctorate in 19^th century British literature. A mystery lover since she can remember, she drew upon her teaching experiences in creating her amateur sleuth, Professor Concordia Wells. Unlike the fictional Miss Wells, K.B. did not have to conduct lectures in a bustle and full skirts. No doubt many people are thankful about that.

She now resides in Virginia with her husband and three sons. She recently finished the second book in the series, and is busily planning Concordia’s next adventure. Check out her website for more historical mystery fun: kbowenmysteries.com

An unseemly lesson…in murder.

The year is 1896, and Professor Concordia Wells has her hands full: teaching classes, acting as live-in chaperone to a cottage of lively female students, and directing the student play, Macbeth.

But mystery and murder are not confined to the stage. Malicious pranks, arson, money troubles, and the apparent suicide of a college official create turmoil at the women’s college. For Concordia, it becomes personal when a family member dies of a mysterious illness, and her best friend is attacked and left for dead.

With her friend still in danger and her beloved school facing certain ruin, Concordia knows that she must act. But uncovering secrets is a dangerous business, and there are some who do not appreciate the unseemly inquiries and bold actions of the young lady professor. Can she discover the ones responsible…before she becomes the next target?

Absorbing in its memorable characters, non-stop plot twists, and depiction of life in a late-nineteenth century women’s college, Dangerous and Unseemly is a suspenseful and engaging contribution to the cozy historical mystery genre. Fans of Harriet Vane and Maisie Dobbs will find in Concordia Wells a new heroine to fall in love with.

Available at:

Amazon

Scribd

How about a little mystery fun...and a prize! Each stop in K.B. Owen's book launch tour has a mystery question to answer. When you have them all, unscramble the answers to which ROOM, WEAPON, and SUSPECT, and email Kathy at kbowenwriter(at)gmail(dot)com. She'll announce the winner (chosen from the correct entries) at Karen McFarland's blog (http://www.karenmcfarland.com), the last stop of the tour. What do you win? A free ebook copy of Dangerous and Unseemly, and a $25 gift card of your choice to either Starbucks, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble! If you run into a few stumpers - no problem! Check out her Mystery Quizzes page http://kbowenmysteries.com/mystery-quizzes/ for links to the answers. If you've joined us in the middle of the tour, the complete list of Book Tour hosts can be found at kbowenmysteries.com. Good luck!

One of the following is NOT a rule of Golden Age detective fiction, as famously listed by literary critic Ronald Knox (in a preface to a 1929 collection of detective stories). Which is it?

A) No more than one secret room or passage is allowable

B) The butler should be the culprit

C) No Chinaman must figure in the story

D) Twin brothers, and doubles generally, must not appear unless we are duly prepared for them

 

Twitterific

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

Twitterific is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.

 

The links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge Base search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics. It's the search engine for writers.

Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.

Mike Fleming is working with author and writing coach James Scott Bell to offer an online, interactive, writing program to help make your next novel great. It's called "Knockout Novel" and you can learn more about it at KnockoutNovel.com. Plus, all the data is stored in your Hiveword account for easy access.
 

The Most Annoying Horror Movie Cliches: http://bit.ly/U082bg @HorrorMovies

Fleshing Out Your Protagonist: Creating An Awesome Character: http://bit.ly/U0b4w8 @woodwardkaren

Dear Lack of Follow-Through: A Letter to 1 Writer's Anti-Muse: http://bit.ly/Y1v4wx @robdyoung

How Can We Avoid Cookie-Cutter Writing? http://bit.ly/Y1veE5 @jodyhedlund

3 Ways Cause and Effect Can Build Your Story: http://bit.ly/U0bS45 @4YALit

How much internalized self-awareness does a character need? http://bit.ly/Y1vvXq @juliettewade

1 writer reflects on her 2-year self-pub anniversary: http://bit.ly/U0ciaS @goblinwriter

Writing Residency Programs: Is this what your writing needs now? http://bit.ly/Y1was5 @2KoP

Advice for Understanding the New Age in Publishing and Promotion: http://bit.ly/U0cZkl

Use Lists to Provide Engaging Posts That are Easy to Write and Read: http://bit.ly/U0d3ka @ninaamir

Want to Write Early? The Most Successful Techniques for Rising Earlier: http://bit.ly/Y1xYBo @LeoBabauta

Enemies of the Art: Approval Addiction: http://bit.ly/U0ebnR @kristenlamb

How 1 novelist went from nothing to published on Amazon in 2 years: http://bit.ly/Y1ygrZ @criticalmargins

Reflections On Diversity and Fantastic Literature: http://bit.ly/U0erTS @adribbleofink

An agent answers: "What do you expect of your clients? What do you do for your clients" http://bit.ly/Y1yAqI @MacGregorLit

Character names that should be banned forever: http://bit.ly/U0eOxE @io9

Anatomy of a First Chapter: Make Your Beginning Count: http://bit.ly/Y1z28o @btmargins

Why the Internet is a Trap - and how this writer deals with it: http://bit.ly/U0f7IU @juliettewade

An editorial assistant on posting our fiction online: http://bit.ly/U0gPtH @sjaejones

How to write for role-playing games: http://bit.ly/Y1AQ1a @jammer0501

Pinterest for Novelists: Inspiration, Book Design and Book Trailers: http://bit.ly/U0h884 @LaurHarrington

Listservs and Forums for Book Marketing: http://bit.ly/Y1AW94 @fictionnotes

Show, Don't Tell: http://bit.ly/U0hZFE @americanediting

Revision: Add More "I Understand You" Moments: http://bit.ly/Y1BGLf @cockeyedcaravan

How to Avoid the Self-Published Look: http://bit.ly/U0ieR5 @GuyKawasaki @digibookworld

Cut the Flab—Make Every Word Count: http://bit.ly/Y1BQSN @noveleditor

The Creative Professionals' Guide to Drafting a Resume: http://bit.ly/U0ioYR @kristenfischer

An example of a poignant turning point: http://bit.ly/Y1C24F @kcraftwriter

Cover Art - So Where's The Problem? http://bit.ly/U0iHmi @jimchines

When Erotica Crosses the Line: http://bit.ly/Y1CD6h @smexys_sidekick

Diary of a Brainstorming Weekend: http://bit.ly/U0jnbk @AdriennGiordano

5 Examples of the Need for Multiple Hyphenation: http://bit.ly/Y1D4gW @writing_tips

Ray Bradbury On How To Keep And Feed A Muse: http://bit.ly/U0jxiR @woodwardkaren

5 Ways to Keep Up Marketing Motivation: http://bit.ly/YjA52n @duolit

Character Development: Morals & Ideology: http://bit.ly/Xm18gt @ava_jae

Character Introductions and Voice: http://bit.ly/Xm1nId @Julie_Gray

Writing mixed emotions in a character: http://bit.ly/YjAlOO @aliciarasley

How to Optimize Your Amazon Book Page to Sell More Books: http://bit.ly/Xm1xzj @bubblecow

Effective buying is hard for bookstores--this becomes an increasingly important reality for publishers: http://bit.ly/YjAq58 @MikeShatzkin

How to Get Rid of Writer's Block: http://bit.ly/Xm1LGJ @kimberlykincaid

3 Steps to Creating Believable Character Emotions: http://bit.ly/YjAAJN @marcykennedy

In the Quagmire of the First Draft: http://bit.ly/Xm1W4S @TaliaVance

Beware the Under-Cooked Story Concept: http://bit.ly/YjAH7X @storyfix

7 Tips for Great Book Club Visits: http://bit.ly/Xm27Nr @blurbisaverb

Library Skills for Writers: http://bit.ly/YjARw8 @karencv

Avoiding the Convenient Plot Point: http://bit.ly/Xm2h7B @davidbcoe

How to keep rich worldbuilding from bogging down your story: http://bit.ly/YjAVvR @juliettewade

25 Hard Truths About Writing And Publishing: http://bit.ly/Xm2t6S @chuckwendig {lang}

Script To Screen: "Rebel Without A Cause": http://bit.ly/YjBs0Q @gointothestory

Who sees each tweet? A helpful Twitter tip: http://bit.ly/Xm3BYj @alexisgrant

5 Ways to Write When You're Not Really Writing: http://bit.ly/YjBCFr @MidgeRaymond

Where to end your story: http://bit.ly/XBZKUZ @rxena77

8 ways to help your favorite author: http://bit.ly/XBZUMg @rachellegardner

Connecting Secondary Elements: http://bit.ly/WEtnrj @kid_lit

7 Libraries of Photographs You Can Use For Free: http://bit.ly/XC02eE @jonathangunson

6 Reasons Being a Pirate is Like Being a Writer: http://bit.ly/XC12zy

Give Stories Added Depth With a 'Ghost Plot': http://bit.ly/WEtYZS @yeomanis

Writing, Illustrating And Marketing Books For Kids: http://bit.ly/XC1k9t @thecreativepenn

Outlining in Reverse: http://nyti.ms/WEubwk @nytimes

3 indie bookstores file suit against Amazon and Big Six publishers for DRM: http://bit.ly/15yh4Qo  @Porter_Anderson @laurahazardowen

Revising--set up more payoffs: http://bit.ly/XC1EFo @cockeyedcaravan

Explaining editorial revisions: http://bit.ly/WEuqY6 @kristinerusch

The Magic Of Stephen King: A Sympathetic Character Is Dealt A Crushing Blow They Eventually Overcome: http://bit.ly/XC1PAu @woodwardkaren

The Power of a Reader's Word of Mouth: http://bit.ly/X4B6Lu @jodyhedlund

9 Modern Tools Every Writer Should Use: http://bit.ly/V2CjYW @robdyoungwrites

Writing YA: On gendered and group-based insults and the characters that use them: http://bit.ly/V2CCml @wordforteens

4 things that warms one editor up to a query: http://bit.ly/X5pXtU

Twitter parties as promo: http://bit.ly/UaKhNZ @amandaluedeke

Bookstore Boss: http://bit.ly/X5q6NW @btmargins @BostonBkCritic

The eBook Path to Riches: Possibly Steeper Than Assumed: http://bit.ly/UaM4Cv @scalzi

"Pseudonyms Are Stupid" : http://bit.ly/X5rosu @darkcargo

6 Christian Literary Agent Blogs: http://bit.ly/UaMuJf @authormedia

Sympathetic Characters: Outcasts: http://bit.ly/UaMCZ5 @mooderino

6 reasons 1 reader stops reading a book: http://bit.ly/X5rEYu @annastanisz

Working through self-doubt: http://bit.ly/UaMRTS @adamisrael

Launching A Book Is Like Sending A Child To Play In Traffic: http://bit.ly/X5rRLf @catinitaly

How to Accept Your Procrastination (And Still Get Stuff Done): http://bit.ly/UaNeOx

Early business decisions for new self-publishers: http://bit.ly/X5zfX2 @deanwesleysmith

Kurt Vonnegut's "Shape of Stories" (Infographic): http://bit.ly/UbgIeV @MarkCN

Thinking like a publisher: expected costs: http://bit.ly/X5KIpo @deanwesleysmith

The value of failure: http://bit.ly/Ubh0Tc @woodwardkaren

An Easy Fix for a Tighter Point of View: http://bit.ly/VSHj2f @janice_hardy

Should writers "just" write? http://bit.ly/VUR8az @danblank

Why You Should Judge a Book By Its Cover: http://bit.ly/VSHyuh @nickthacker

Romance in Writing: Don't Force It: http://bit.ly/VURkH5 @ava_jae

Overcoming Stage Fright: http://bit.ly/VSHKtl

The power of screenwriters: http://bit.ly/VURD4w @gointothestory

The joys of being lowbrow: http://bit.ly/VSHPNF @junglereds @GMMalliet

Screenwriting: Now You Can Revise: Use the Final Draft Tools: http://bit.ly/VUS133 @cockeyedcaravan

Ideas for wowing editors and agents: http://bit.ly/VUSfqW

How Four Writers Find the Time to Write: http://bit.ly/XbPBND @Julie_Gray

When an idea strikes, act. http://bit.ly/XG99wW @tannerc

Theater Settings in Romance Novels: http://bit.ly/XbPT7d @rszalley

Your Goodreads Reviews Don't Just Stay on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/XG9r6J @readingape

Creative Writing Prompts: Shapeshifters, Real and Metaphorical: http://bit.ly/XbQaad @howtowriteshop

Maximizing Facebook–What We Can Learn From Puppy Dog Eyes and LOL Cats: http://bit.ly/XGa0O3 @kristenlambtx

Songwriting--how do you sell your songs? You *don't* sell your songs: http://bit.ly/XbScHt @usasongs

How much does an author's appearance matter? http://bit.ly/XGcewS @passivevoiceblg

5 Things Every Writer Should Know About Working With Independent Editors: http://bit.ly/12ReEg1 @BryanThomasS

5 Reasons Why We Fail at Our Writing Goals: http://bit.ly/XDt8Zc @jeanoram

10 Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Query Letter: http://bit.ly/12ReV2m @brianklems

What digital magazines can learn from ebook publishers: http://bit.ly/12Rf3in @laurahazardowen

Do You Like A Little Contradiction In Your Characters? http://bit.ly/XDttuQ @marcykennedy

Every Character Has A Story: http://bit.ly/12Rfc5C @bookviewcafe

Great Character: John McClane ("Die Hard"): http://bit.ly/XDtzTv @gointothestory

Facing fear as a writer: http://bit.ly/XDtEGK @joebunting

Secret or separate? Discreet and Discrete: http://bit.ly/12Rfl9a @LaurelGarver

50 Synonyms for "Villain": http://bit.ly/XDtKxS @writing_tips

Goal setting mistakes to avoid: http://bit.ly/XDtMpG @jwhite

Mystery, Magic, and the Aha! of the Reveal: http://bit.ly/12RfHfT @luciesmoker

1 writer's outlining process: http://bit.ly/VwpciL @daycathy

What Color is Your Writing World? http://bit.ly/VwpCWz

How to Change Telling into Showing: http://bit.ly/YgJV4p @jessicabell

First Person uncertainty: http://bit.ly/Vwq2fB @aliciarasley

Physical Attributes Entry: Lips: http://bit.ly/YgK3ku @angelaackerman

The Importance of Foreshadowing: http://bit.ly/VwqESk @sally_apokedak

5 ways to give a great author interview: http://bit.ly/YgKjzZ @chrisrobley

Split screen in Scrivener: http://bit.ly/VwrcYm @Gwen_Hernandez

6 Things Writers Can Learn From Television: http://bit.ly/YgKueq @woodwardkaren

Writing the Military: 5 Biggest Mistakes: http://bit.ly/VwrDSC @JosephZieja

Options for Reactions in a Sequel: http://bit.ly/YgKJGz @KMWeiland

How to Start a Book Club *Inside* a Book: http://bit.ly/Vws4Mt @wherewriterswin

When Writers Get Dumped: http://bit.ly/YgLdMD @jamesscottbell

Why 1 writer has returned to printing her self-pub books: http://bit.ly/VwtkiF @thecreativepenn

6 Ways to Evoke Emotion in Poetry and Prose: http://bit.ly/YgLj75 @AJWagoner

Description tips: http://bit.ly/VwtIhl @cockeyedcaravan

7 Tips for creating a PowerPoint Presentation: http://bit.ly/YgLsrf @nicolebasaraba

Setting – The First, Most Crucial Choice for your Career AND your Character: http://bit.ly/VwxsiJ @BlytheGifford

Top 10 Things You May Not Know About the Newbery Award: http://bit.ly/YgNbga

Why Should Writers Use Google+? http://bit.ly/Vwyb3q @gharness

The Publisher's Anxiety at the Electronic Book: http://bit.ly/W4b4In @thatjeffgomez

Setting up a co-authoring partnership: http://bit.ly/15nRu0v @ParanormYA

5 Reasons to Set Your Novel in a Famous Place: http://bit.ly/W4bmPd @ChuckSambuchino

Stuck or blocked? How to keep writing anyway: http://bit.ly/15nRFJc @dirtywhitecandy

A writer's guide to Gimp--installation: http://bit.ly/W5THH8  and fundamental techniques: http://bit.ly/W5TK5N  @ClarissaDraper

Revamping bookstores--ideas/challenges from the #FutureFoyles workshop: http://bit.ly/VtrQ6p @Porter_Anderson @philipdsjones @miriamkate

Writers and ego--the violent shifts from over-confident to too insecure: http://bit.ly/Vtve1d @hartjohnson

3 Minutes to Better Scrivener Chapter Headings: http://bit.ly/VtVzMB @genelempp

50% of Amazon sales are planned purchaes, not results of browsing.Discoverability implications: http://bit.ly/15xUYh5 @Suw @Porter_Anderson