Why I Heart Feedburner

I thought I’d share with all of you the RSS feed tool I’ve been using for my RSS feeds, and why I like it so much. Dubbed Feedburner, I’ve been really impressed with the many uses of this free service. While sometimes some “free” tools can be a bit wonky, I’d rank this one right up there with Google Analytics and the free 4Q website survey by Avinash Kaushik and iPerceptions.

Feedburner is structured into five buckets that you can play with after you set up your feed, which doesn’t take any time at all. You don’t have to use them, but they are there if you want to take advantage of this tool.

Analyze your RSS Feeds

The Analyze tab gives you anonymous data, showing you how many subscribers you have and what they are viewing/clicking through on. It does give you a pie chart so you know which feed service your subscribers are using. This is a nice feature that gives you anonymous info so you can either test placement of your feed, ensure that it’s working on the different services your subscribers are using, and also see which articles are of interest. The click-throughs are similar to a stat I would get from Google Analytics and help me determine what kinds of content I should focus on to ensure that I’m providing something that’s helpful to my audience. I could very well be over-thinking that aspect of the data, but right now it’s what I’m using it for.

Optimize your RSS Feeds

Under the Optimize tab, you have at least 10 different options to choose from. From ensuring your feed is compatible with a maximum number of services to enabling feeds for podcasting from your blog service, there are quite a few items you can take advantage of. I haven’t used them yet, but there are new services called “Feed Accessories” that might warrant being explored. You can share photos, social bookmarking links and your physical location with some of the feed accessories. I’ve used this tab primarily to ensure that the feed works in multiple formats; haven’t dug much deeper than that.
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April 7, 2008
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Increase your Network through your Sphere of Influence

As I’ve been talking about all week, just writing a book and throwing it up on a website is not marketing a book. One of the keys to success for your book is not only writing, but networking. Like anything else, networking does take work, but it’s a lot easier for me because I visualize it.

Sphere of Influence ThumbnailOne of the networking ideas that I’ve been playing around with is something called a “Sphere of Influence.” It probably looks familiar or even mundane, but it’s a visual aid that helps me take a look at how different aspects of my life might overlap with one another, to identify different contacts I have. Maybe a friend from college is someone I used to work with; it could be that the person I met at a seminar also performs charity work for the same organization.

By looking at what your “spheres of influence” currently have, like the image I created at left, networking can suddenly appear a little less daunting. Click on the thumbnail to see the full size.

Reconnect with People in Your Network

I recommend reconnect with the people you already know in your network, to nurture your current contact list. (Friendly emails are a great place to start.) Do you owe anyone favors? Have to return a book you borrowed? Promised someone a guest blog post? (Oops, sorry Alana Joli, I’ll get right on that…) Or are you on the receiving end of that favor; does someone owe you an autograph or recommendation?

Whether you schedule time for coffee or send an e-card, nurturing people within your existing network is akin to watering your garden to get plants to grow. As cheesy as it may sound, if you don’t recognize each and every person you’ve “friended” on LiveJournal, MySpace or Facebook, then you probably have some work cut out for you.

Expand your Network, One Person at a Time

While you’re nurturing the people within your network, you can slowly expand your pool of contacts to include new people and (eventually) new spheres. The key thing, though, is that you have to reach out to people in a friendly, mutually beneficial way. For example, if I were to network with Stephen King, I’d probably try to figure out if there something I could do for him. Maybe I would recommend him for an interview with horror webzine Flames Rising, or maybe I would find out where he was next speaking at and alert the local newspapers (if they didn’t know already).

I’ve found that by just being me (all moody, ranty, and random parts of me), people are a lot more receptive than if I were to generate a writer’s public persona that so many authors are wont to do. You have to do what’s best for you, mind you, but it’s really easy to misstep when confronted with a rather, large ego. I can honestly say that that’s something I’ve had to work on, partially because I believe in the idea of a writer’s community where we support one another. Ego has no place in that world, for me.

So before you get frustrated that you’re not on the New York Times bestseller’s list, or that you’re not making enough freelancing or on your beautiful book, keep in mind that getting there is not just a matter of talent, it also depends a lot on “who you know.” Fortunately, networking is something we can all manage.

Feel free to network with me; I’m including my LinkedIn page even though it’s not 100% complete. (Working with HR on job descriptions). I may not always be accessible, but I do my darnedest to try. If you have something specific you’re looking for, feel free to ping me or use my contact page. If I don’t know the answer to your question, I might know someone who does.

Darkshiver: Monica’s LiveJournal
Monica’s FaceBook Profile
Monica’s LinkedIn Profile

Happy socializing, and thanks for reading!

April 3, 2008
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Should Authors who Self-Publish be Considered Vanity Press?

I don’t ever think there has been a more appropriate time in this industry than to seriously revisit the question of what happens when authors “self-publish” their books and whether or not they should be considered “vanity press.” After attending 30+ conventions, I can completely understand the “why” behind name-calling some print-on-demand and self-published authors.

There’s always one or two authors who buy a booth, don’t bother to decorate or make it appear friendly, and sit behind a pile of books, waiting desperately for someone to stroll past and throw money at their feet. In many ways yes, these writers could be considered vanity press because, on the surface, it appears as if they don’t know what they’re doing, that they’ve published their book because they wanted to see it in print. Do you ever ask yourself, why they bought a booth?

Maybe they really don’t know what they’re doing, and they believe (like so many other writers) that fame and fortune will knock on their door–all they have to do is publish a book. Just because they have stars and dollar signs in their eyes, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ve gone to all the trouble to print books just so they could see their name in print.

Yes, there is a definite disconnect between writers who understand the business of writing and those who understand the business of selling, marketing and publishing books. Sandwiched in the middle, there are those writers, like myself, that fall somewhere in between the two schools of thought based on our experiences. When a writer focuses heavily on the creative process, they lose the ability to detach themselves from their work; hence, the innocence. Writers sometimes forget that best-selling books are not just a function of the creative process, they are also a function of luck, networking, and timing. Still, more authors than I can count worship the large presses, thinking that they will somehow magically recognize their name among the masses and grant them a publishing contract.
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April 2, 2008
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Writers, Help your Financial Outlook and Say Hello to your State and U.S. Agencies

Money | Original Photo by TW Collins on FlickrAfter Friday’s Amazon fiasco, where myself and several other writers, publishers, and editors called out to the blogosphere, I realized that many folk probably are feeling a little devastated right now. Just asking Dear Amazon, What are you Thinking? isn’t enough; when things like this happen, getting upset and angry is justified, but in the end we need a plan to move forward.

On my way into work this morning, I was reminded of a few resources that are easily accessible to everyone, like the U.S. Small Business Association. It all started when I heard yet another radio ad for businesses advocating “Free Credit Reports.” Not well known to many people, you may already have one available to you under a state statute. In Madison, Wisconsin Residents are eligible for a free credit report.

To find out whether or not you qualify, most states have something similar to Wisconsin’s Department of Financial Institution that you can reference. The purpose of this state agency is to help consumers with different aspects of their money; they are available as the go-between for all kinds of disputes ranging from credit repair schemes to services like setting up your LLC. The Wisconsin agency is also providing free seminars and classes to the public, which is vital information for freelancers who haven’t experienced the ebb and flow of payments yet.

When you’re a freelancer, tracking your income and expenses may be a “must,” but there are other business techniques that come into play as well–especially when you’re finding work or have to change your book-selling tactics on-the-fly.
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March 31, 2008
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A Freelancer’s Service Announcement: Please Write your Emails

One of the more annoying things I’ve come across throughout the years is when other writers or businesses decide to utilize abbreviations and other forms of “netspeak” in email. Using ALL CAPS or writing things like, “hey, how r u? i see that u review books. can u review mine?” are fairly irritating. I often wonder why a writer would not take the time to write their emails out in a fairly professional manner. Needless to say, I’m not that keen to read a book if they can’t even be bothered to spell out “how r u?”

Emails, if written correctly, can act as mini-marketing tools to help you get that next job, assignment or speaking engagement. Since your potential employer wants to hire you as a writer, spelling and grammatical errors can reflect pretty poorly on you and your work. As a writer, you already have challenges to overcome like writer’s stigmas and what I call every writer’s conundrum, so we need all the help we can get.

Another way to look at emails, is that they often replace the query letter for article and fiction submissions. Those same keywords you use to sell your work can also be used in an email; I like to call them out in my message box by doing something like this:

[Article Submission] Words on the Water for Publication in Work Webzine.

After I write my query, I typically work in a one to two paragraph mini-resume that is tailored to that particular publication. The brief bio helps me remind myself what areas I’m focusing on as a writer, and gives me the opportunity to reassess my goals.

Remember, too, that some professionals don’t have time to be on top of internet trends; some people have no idea what the latest craze is on MySpace or even what icanhazcheezburger may mean. In an age where great communication is everything, emails are really something you can use to make you (and your writing) look good provided you cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Don’t even get me started on the writer’s resumes I’ve seen. That’s a topic for another blog post.

Now if you don’t mind, I’m going offline because I’m no n00b an i am teh r0xx0R!

Er…something like that. *blushes*

March 27, 2008
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