Lyndie Blevins: How I Reached 1000+ Twitter Followers

This week my Twitter followers top the 1,000 mark. I’m pumped! In Twitter world, this is a drop in the bucket, but in my world, ‘oh my.’  I still learning, but here is how I got this far. To grow your follower base you need to be intentional in your twitter life, both in ‘tweeting’ and gaining followers.

1. I set my Twitter policy and goals. I want to connect with as many people as possible sharing the message of Jesus.

2. I intentionally seek followers. When someone follows me, I check out their Twitter profile and bio. Profile photos are helpful, but if there is no picture, I definitely check their Twitter bio. I may check their website. I follow back unless: the photo, bio or website has sexual overtones, then I block the person. The bio and or the tweets are in a foreign language; I don’t follow the person back. I don’t feel comfortable about the person; I don’t follow or I block them.

3. I send a thank you tweet to the new follower with a message like “have a great mid-week” to show I’m responding and I’m not Lyndie-bot.

4. I follow Twitter’s suggestions. Twitter makes recommendations, which I follow using the same criteria as above. These users are most often in the publishing business.

Following begets followers. 

5. I intentionally Tweet. I’m tweeting at least 5 times a day most days. I use the free plan from Buffer (www.bufferapp.com) to schedule my tweets. They go out at 9 am, noon, 5 PM, and 8 pm.

6. I started a quotes database for content, collecting over 800 quotes. I use FIle Maker 12 for the data base (www.filemaker.com.) This is pricey software, but a good data base system. You can achieve the same results with Excel or Numbers. I capture date, quote, author, topic, title of book, page number, twitter information field, URL and comments. I collect sentences from anything I read: devotions, online articles and books. After I finished Mary DeMuth’s recent book, Beautiful Battle, I asked her if there was a hashtag to use to tweet from the book. She eagerly sent back the hashtag #beautifulbattle. This is the format of tweet from Mary’s book: ‘quote’ @MaryDeMuth #beautifulbattle. Mary’s quotes create retweets for me.

In Twitter world, following protocols like @username and #hashtags help your Twitter presence. Authors are including ready made tweets and hashtags for their books on their website to communicate to their tribe. Michael Hyatt included tweets for his new book, Platform, on his media kit page.

7. I add my Twitter contact information everywhere.

Join the fun tweeting! Find me in Twitter world at @lyndieb. I have no connections to the products listed other than as user. 

Lyndie Blevins - After a corporate career in Information Technology, Lyndie writes about people seeking wisdom.  find out what’s happening with Lyndie, check out her blog : www.lyndieb.blogspot.com, her web site WWW.GUIDINGWIND.COM or her family history site: www.ourtworabbits.com.

Do you have any social media success stories? 

Related articles

• How I reached 1000+ Twitter followers (lyndieb.blogspot.com)
• HOW TO BECOME A TWITTER NINJA IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES A DAY (michaelhyatt.com)
• Make A Tweet List To Save Time! (www.marydemuth.com)

 

Struggling with Telling Your Story?

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story …
(Ps. 107:2).

Struggling with telling your story? I am!

Plan a spiritual retreat. Last week, I wrote an article for the WordServe Water Cooler about taking time out to change the flat tires of life. So, as I face another writing crisis, I remembered my own advice–I took a break for a spiritual check-up. I didn’t go anywhere, I just forced myself to stop and take time to deal with my struggle.

“Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God … above everything” (Psalm 46:10 MSG).

Enlist prayer support. Then, I sent out a prayer request to a few friends.

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” (James 5:16 NLT).

Embrace the power of praise. “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24 NLT).

Sometimes God uses a song to change my perspective. And as I drove away from my home to find a place to retreat from the internet and to get spiritual direction, I listened to a song on the radio that spoke the words of encouragement that I needed at that moment.

Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last …
(“Reedeemed” Big Daddy Weave)

So, I wanted to share this song with you, since some of you may be struggling with telling your stories, too.

Photo/KarenJordan
YourTube/EncounterWorshipVids (“Reedeemed” Big Daddy Weave)

Are you struggling with telling your story?

Related articles

• Writing Life: Taking Time Out (wordservewatercooler.com)
• Four Ways to Untangle Your Writing Life (wordservewatercooler.com)
• Writing Life: Facing a Spiritual Battle (wordservewatercooler.com)

How to Create a One Sheet

When meeting with agents, editors, or publishers, a One Sheet can be your ticket to gaining interest. The following video provides clear and detailed instruction:

How to Create a One Sheet

Anita Agers-Brooks is a Business Coach, Certified Personality Trainer, Productivity Specialist, Certified Team Training Facilitator, Marketing Specialist, national speaker, and author. She lives in Missouri with her husband Ricky.

She’s passionate about business with integrity, healthy relationships, and issues of identity. She travels the country teaching others from her personal experiences and research.

Follow her FreshFaith blog or contact her via website www.brooksanita.com/contact/  or email anita.freshfaith@gmail.com

Marketing Tips from Rob Eager, Part 1

Rob Eager, of WildFire Marketing, sends out a weekly bulletin called Monday Morning Marketing Tips. The last three Mondays, Rob has focused on three questions a writer should ask:

1. What is your value?
2. Who needs your value the most?
3. Where do those who need your value congregate in large numbers?

He says, “Before you can convince people to spend their money on your product or service, you must convince them that there will be a justifiable return on their investment. There has to be a clear result that people can see is waiting for them on the other side of their purchase transaction.”

Do We Write for Ourselves, or for Others? I think as writers, we pay so much attention to “our” message that we forget to think about the value it will have for our readers. Is it something that will improve their lives? Will it change the way they think, or the things they do? Will it help them cope? Will it encourage them? Will it make them more efficient or more effective at what they already do?

The Importance of Value in Marketing. Rob goes on to say, “If you skip the first step of defining your value, then your marketing will act like a gun that just shoots blanks. You’ll promote to prospective customers, but they’ll respond like unconvinced skeptics. You will wonder, ‘Why isn’t my marketing working? These people should love what I have to offer.’ The problem is that you didn’t clearly explain what’s in it for them.”

Is Value a Good Thing for Christians? A reason Christian writers fail to define their value might be that we’re taught from an early age in church not to think too highly of ourselves or to boast or brag. That training bleeds over into our thoughts about marketing and it becomes difficult to tell others what makes our writing so great or important. Conversely, we don’t want to waste people’s time. Putting the word “value” in terms of “worth spending time on” makes it more palatable for those of us having trouble with feeling too valuable.

Rob concludes, “When people believe that you can give them a result they want, then your marketing will become more effective. Defining your value is the first step to unlocking the true power of promotion.”

For more information about Rob Eager, visit his website at http://www.startaWildFire.com I’ll bring you Part 2 next week.

Photo/Amazon.com

Kathryn writes on Mondays and Thursdays at www.KathrynGraves.blogspot.com and on Tuesdays and Fridays at www.KathrynGraves.wordpress.com.

Mentored by the Best-Selling Author

I had no idea what I was doing.

I went to my first writers conference with zero expectations. I simply wanted to explore this crazy dream God had planted in my heart.

At my allotted appointments, I sat across from editors, agents, and publishers and said the same thing, “I don’t have anything to pitch. I just came to learn. Can you tell me what you think I should know?”

Every person demonstrated gentle patience and gave me a huge boost of encouragement. One discussion, spurred by a workplace pet peeve, kept me awake most of the night jotting down notes.

On the last day of the conference, I knew my life would never be the same. And I was right.

I flew home feeling overwhelmed. My mind swirled with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. A professional thinks I have potential. A professional believes my differences are a good thing. A professional requested a book proposal. I don’t know how to write a book proposal.

I was a long way from being ready to submit anything, and I knew it.

When I arrived back at normal life, I needed help. But where do you turn when you live in a tiny town in the Midwest? What kind of education can you get when there’s no college close? How do doors open when you have no degree or credentials in writing?

You ask the Best Selling Author of all time for help.

Wanting to do nothing less than excellent work, I got on my knees and asked God to personally mentor me. I figured since His book, the Bible, had sold more copies than any other book throughout history, I should try to learn from Him.

My schooling took months, even into years. I turned the television off and got to work. I spent hours soaking up assigned books on the craft of writing. I practiced with devotions, articles, and blogs. I listened to the professionals He sent to help me develop better habits. Then I re-wrote my devotions, articles, and blogs. Sometimes it took many copies to get the words and punctuation just right.

I graduated to the study and practice of book proposal writing. I wrote at least three dozen drafts while my Mentor patiently encouraged me to keep trying. All the while, prayer and a listening ear helped me maintain a teachable heart.

Only three years later, I signed with WordServe. Recently, I signed a book contract for the original non-fiction idea I’d had at the conference. This may seem like a long time, but in publishing years, it’s pretty fast.

Today, I still need my Mentor. He’s guiding my mind and hands as I finish my book for publication. Because of Him, I hope to write many more.

If you’re an aspiring or experienced author, I encourage you to call my Mentor. He’s available 24/7/365. His name is God, and he turns good concepts into strong books. There’s no better Muse than the one who created your mind.

Do you have a mentor? Where do you go for guidance and encouragement?

God’s Story – The Best Selling Book of All Time

Anita Agers-Brooks is a Business Coach, Certified Personality Trainer, Productivity Specialist, Certified Team Training Facilitator, Marketing Specialist, national speaker, and author. She lives in Missouri with her husband Ricky.

She’s passionate about business with integrity, healthy relationships, and issues of identity. She travels the country teaching others from her personal experiences and research.

Contact her via website www.brooksanita.com or email anita.freshfaith@gmail.com

Monday – Friday blog www.freshstartfreshfaith.wordpress.com

 

WordServe Authors Blog Parade: Our First Steps to Publication

It’s a Parade! What a great way to end the workweek! Check out the parade of author blogs on the WordServe Water Cooler.

If you haven’t discovered the WordServe Water Cooler in the past, now is the perfect time to get acquainted with this community of authors represented by WordServe Literary Group.

It’s a Parade! features links articles by several WordServe agented authors about the first steps they took to becoming an agented or published authors.

Two of the StoryWriting Studios’ founding authors will be featured in the WordServe Water Cooler blog parade.

• Anita Ager Brooks – “Investing Talents: My Secret to Getting an Agent and Getting Published”
• Karen Jordan “Writing Life: Taking Those First Steps” 

Hope you stop by the WordServe Water Cooler soon!

What were your first steps toward publication?

Related Articles

• “It’s a Parade!” (wordservewatercooler.com)
• “Investing Talents: My Secret to Getting an Agent and Getting Published” (brooksanita.com)
• “Writing Life: Taking Those First Steps”  (karenbarnesjordan.com)

Write Your Church Stories!

What is your favorite thing about church?

YouTube/cyndiwilkerson (Little Rock Geyer Springs First Baptist Church Adult Choir and Orchestra Promo Video 2012, music “Good Morning” by Mandisa ft TobyMac)

How to Write a Travel Blog

I’ve always wanted to be a travel writer and get paid to fly to exotic locations around the world. That may be a fantasy world for me, but it is possible to get great practice at travel writing by blogging when I do travel. What a concept!

This YouTube video opened a new world of possibility for me. Literally. Maybe it will for you, too. At the very least, it has to turn out better than all those old home movies.

YouTube/Starlagurl/April 18, 2008

 

Understanding Rejection

Your idea simmered in your mind for days. You sketched notes from the beginning until you knew it was time to fashion the pieces into a whole. You employed the tools learned from attending writing conferences and reading books on the craft of writing to make this the best sample of your ability.

Then you wrote a proposal. You even hired a professional to edit the proposal. This was it. You just knew it. The next writers conference approached and you were ready, multiple copies of this most amazing project tucked in professional-looking folders and safeguarded in your carry-on bag.

You chose your editor appointments with care so that your pitch would enter receptive ears. The plan was falling into place. You knew God had a plan for this idea and you carried your weight with obedience. Just as you anticipated, the editors each requested that you send them a proposal after glancing through it during your meetings.

Later, at home, you zipped the e-mail attachments with antsy, sweaty fingers. This was the moment of truth.

Then you waited. And waited. Weeks went by. Then a couple of months. You knew from your classes that it could take a while to hear back because of all the committees at publishing houses.

At last, you opened the mailbox one day to find a legal-sized envelope from the publisher! But wait. Shouldn’t you get an email from the editor? Well, maybe this was the contract.

No. All your hopes deflated in a whoosh as you read the opening sentence . . . “We are sorry, but . . . “

Rejection stings, but there are some things we need to remember about it.

1. It was your material that was rejected, not you.

2. Every publisher is innundated with material, some of which may have been similar to yours.

3. Your proposal must stand out

      a. In excellence

      b. In creativity

      c. In timing (hitting a trend at just the right moment)

We can also learn from rejection.

1. Toughness. Experiencing rejection is the best way to get past the fear of it happening. You find out you won’t really die.

2. If any critique is given in the rejection letter, take it and put it to work to make your proposal better.

3. Persistence. Submit to other publishers and keep on until you either find out the market won’t support your project or you find a home for it.

Photo/Kathryn Graves

Kathryn writes on Mondays and Thursdays at www.KathrynGraves.blogspot.com and on Tuesdays and Fridays at www.KathrynGraves.wordpress.com.

Beat Writer’s Procrastination in Four Words

Procrastinating at Cedar Key

The examiners were coming, and I wasn’t ready!

Interest rates plunged after the decadent eighties and caused inflation to choke hold the American consumer. During the real estate loan explosion of the nineties, I processed home and business loans. That’s where I learned just how dangerous procrastination can be.

At the peak, I was typing eight to fifteen real estate and commercial loans a day, plus doing part of my supervisor’s job. By the time I finished, the last thing I wanted to face, was the tedious job of punching holes in documents to place them into files, before putting them away. So, I started letting them accumulate in the vault.

At first, I’d finish all but one or two files, before I stumbled home. But then, two grew into four, four multiplied to six, and in a few weeks time, I groaned at the stacks of green folders filled with half-finished loan files. The scent of paper filled me with nauseous guilt. My nerves were jittery. The clank of the vault door made me feel imprisoned every time I entered the messy, cramped space. My fingers throbbed from folder cuts, wider and deeper than mere paper slits.

And then, two things happened back-to-back. My son got sick, and the worst possible news arrived — the examiners were coming in three days.

My heart cracked when I had to allow my mother-in-law to attend my puny little boy, because I’d let too much work pile up.

At the bank, to get things back in order, I re-scheduled new loans, sequestered myself in the claustrophobic vault, so day and night, I could catch up all the work I’d put off. When the examiners arrived, I was punching holes up to the last minute. I was ready for a melt-down.

But I also learned a valuable lesson based on four words — Everything could change tomorrow.

Today, I still hang onto that knowledge when procrastination tempts me to put off what I could do now. That’s why I try to organize as I go.

Files Keep Things Organized

I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I don’t know if a disaster will disable all my ability to produce work. I don’t know if tomorrow will offer a spontaneous chance to celebrate or do something fun. I don’t know if tomorrow will drop visiting guests on my doorstep, shouting, “Surprise.”

I don’t know if tomorrow will provide another chance to face down the boogie-man of procrastination, and enable me to savor the sweet sense of satisfaction when I do what I don’t feel like.

This is how I beat Writer’s Procrastination. I remember that everything could change tomorrow, so I’d better write the words I can today.

Ready to Work

How do you overcome the beast of procrastination?

Anita Agers-Brooks is a Business Coach, Certified Personality Trainer, Productivity Specialist, Certified Team Training Facilitator, Marketing Specialist, national speaker, and author. She lives in Missouri with her husband Ricky.

She’s passionate about business with integrity, healthy relationships, and issues of identity. She travels the country teaching others from her personal experiences and research.

Contact her via website www.brooksanita.com or email anita.freshfaith@gmail.com

Monday – Friday blog www.freshstartfreshfaith.wordpress.com