Interview with Jo Linsdell, Author of How to be Twittertastic

Jo Linsdell is  a best selling author and illustrator and internationally recognized marketing expert. She is also the founder and organizer of the annual online event "Promo Day" (www.PromoDay.info) and the Writers and Authors blog (http://WritersAndAuthors.blogspot.com). To find out more about Jo and her projects visit her website www.JoLinsdell.com.

What is your book about?

How to be Twittertastic is a writers and authors guide to the social media site Twitter. It covers a bit of everything from how to set up your account and personalise your profile to third party apps and getting the most leverage out of your tweets. It's also packed full of useful resources to help you make the most out of time and marketing efforts.

How long had the idea of your book been developing before you began to write the book?

I got the idea for the Writers and Authors Guide to Social Media series a while ago but as I was working on illustrating some children's picture books for clients and was also busy publishing a children's picture story book of my own (The Box) and so I didn't have time to develop the idea right away. 

A couple of months ago I decided that Twitter would be the topic of the first book in the series as it's the site I use that gains the best results. As soon as I had some free time I started brainstorming and plotting out a rough table of contents. It didn't take me long to know what I wanted to write.

What inspired you to write this particular book?

I'm a real social media junky and often get asked by other authors for tips on how to market their books online and build their author brand. When you have a passion that also happens to be in high demand it makes it easy to get inspired. 

This whole series is designed around the idea of making social media easy for authors to understand and to supply them with information and tips to help them get the most out of their time and efforts.

Social media is used by billions of people worldwide on a daily basis. Our audience is online and can be reached free of charge without us even having to leave our homes. Authors need to be taking advantage of this opportunity to connect with their readers and build their fan base. A lot of authors aren't using it because they don't know where to start. Others are using it but not making the most of it. I hope this series will help them build their online presence and give them some ideas for what and how to post.

How long did it take you to write your book?

A couple of weeks. The book is a quick read. I didn't want to keep repeating the same things over and over (I've seen others do that to bulk out a book and found it very annoying) and to be honest, there is only so much you can write about Twitter. The site is designed around the idea of clutter free, to the point, content. I wanted the book to be the same. 

Did you do any research for the book? If so, how did you do it? (searching Internet, magazines, other books, etc.)

I researched online using Twitter search to find examples to use in the book, and Google to find statistics, etc... As social media is one of my hobbies as well as a tool I use daily for marketing, I was already quite up to date on most of the details. I've also done several webinars on the topic and so already had a lot of notes to work from.

Who designed the cover?

I designed and made it myself using Adobe Illustrator. 

Where is the book available to purchase?

How to be Twittertastic is currently available in kindle format on all Amazon sites and will be out in print later this month.

Release date: 1st July 2014

Product Details: Kindle
File Size: 2191 KB
Print Length: 94 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00LFFRYEE


Purchasing links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LFFRYEE 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LFFRYEE
http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00LFFRYEE
http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00LFFRYEE

Facebook event page: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/657184934375734/


Social Media Links:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
LinkedIn 
YouTube
Goodreads
Amazon 

Competing with the Big Guys

When it comes to blogging, there are days I still feel like a baby. While I don't suffer from blog envy, I still wish there was an easier way to attract sponsors. I remember my friend, Ellen, over at Confessions of an Overworked Mom getting frustrated over being a little fish in a big pond. Now, she's the whale in a vast ocean. She knew what she wanted her blog to focus on, made some tweaks here and there, and is now a social media expert whose opinions are sought after and respected. She also proves the term "Mommy blogger" isn't just for those with kids in diapers. Both her children are teenagers.

I've struggled to define this blog. Originally, I was thinking it was going to be another book blog, but I found myself wanting more and more to talk about other things. Then I started reviewing more products, so the original name didn't fit. I changed the title to Books, Products and More! I was so sure I would stick with that, I created social media accounts at Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I've joined different sites like BlogFrog. Then the doubts came in again and I wondered if having "mom" in the title would make more sense. Most of my life centers around being a wife and mother.

I seem to be stuck at a certain number of followers everywhere I go. Even when I spend time retweeting other posts and commenting at other blogs, the uptick is miniscule. Offering giveaways hasn't helped much because I can't afford to offer the types of giveaways the bigger bloggers do. I've reached out to potential sponsors, but they aren't great about responding.

I would appreciate some advice. What have you done to make your blog more attractive to readers and sponsors? What do you look for in a blog? Do too many ads make you unsubscribe? If you're a regular reader here, what do you like most?

Thanks for your help. It is greatly appreciated.

Join TwtMob and Get Paid to Tweet

While checking items of interest on Twitter I came across a tweet about twtMob. They match twitterers with relevent offers from their advertisers. Once you receive a "campaign" offer, you tweet about it in your own words. You get paid every time you complete an offer.

I joined today. I'll let you know how it works out. Have any of you used it?

Does Social Networking and Commenting Really Make a Difference?

Writers (I include bloggers in that term) are told over and over again about the importance of social networking. Twitter and Facebook have changed our ability to reach out to potential readers. Gather, Shelfari, Goodreads, Ning groups, and other similiar sites have also allowed us to connect with more readers traveling through the World Wide Web.

Over the past month I've made a concerted effort to be promoting online more than ever before; but not only for me, for others. I reached out to several author groups I am part of and asked if authors wanted to be featured at my blog, The Book Connection. Most were not authors I knew well, if at all, but I like to keep my blogs active and interesting for my readers.

In addition, I belong to a blogging syndicate where members agree to post comments at each others' sites. Though the group had been barely active the last few months, we've gained several new members and we're on track again. While comments don't read books, I'm also gaining followers and subscribers.


Another thing I've made a point to do this month is take an hour each day and retweet items of interest I've found on Twitter. Most are book related, but some are giveaways for great products. I've picked up dozens of new followers since I started.

Now, the jury is still out on whether this is a action plan I can maintain when I have a heavy workload, but it has brought more readers to The Book Connection than ever before. My experience has shown that social networking and commenting at other blogs does make a difference.

I would love to hear about your experiences.