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The best author info right here ~ Barb Drozdowich!

March 1, 2016 by Patricia Sands 6 Comments

What a pleasure to have the authors’ social media and WordPress “guru”, Barb Drozdowich, pop in to chat with us here today. BarbDrozdowichPicSmaller

I have to confess to being a tad … okay, VERY … intimidated by all the technology at our disposal now, even though I use it every day, all day. Between writing novels, newsletters, magazine articles and blog posts and working on the obligatory social media, there’s no avoiding it.

I’ve known Barb since I first published The Bridge Club and, as well as enjoying her friendship, she has been a constant source of support and assistance. She explains everything clearly and her YouTube site has some of the most helpful videos I’ve ever seen.

Whatever assistance you might require, I have no doubt Barb can provide it. I can’t begin to imagine the number of emails I have sent her with “HELP, PLEASE!” as the subject!

Here’s a quick look into her busy life and an introduction to some of the helpful author support books she has produced. Contact links are at the end of the post.

P.S. ~ The tag line on your website is “Helping one author at a time” and the support you offer the writing community is enormous. How did you first decide to get involved in this area of writing?

B.D. ~ Good question! I think that it kind of found me 🙂 Before giving birth to my daughter I ran the technical training department at a bank. tagtwwbb_frontcover170X200 copyExplaining technical subjects is something that I’m good at. When I saw authors repeatedly having trouble in their interactions with book bloggers – and in fact a survey of over 200 book bloggers bore that opinion out – I decided to start writing. My first book explained how authors could work effectively with book bloggers to get their books promoted. From there I attacked various technical tasks that authors have to learn to promote their books. I did my best to break down the subjects using non-technical language. I now have 6 books published and several more are in the works!

P.S. ~ Your latest book “The Book Blogger Platform” is chock full of bookblogger_smallexcellent information for bloggers. It’s also a very helpful resource for authors because it helps us understand what book bloggers do and how we can effectively work together.

B.D. ~ Very true – one of the ideas that came out of the survey of book bloggers is the idea that a primer is needed. A book that describes not only the technical side to blogging but also the non-technical – the networking/social aspect. This book has been so well received I’m writing a similar one for authors. It should be available in a couple of months. I think that it’s really important that book bloggers learn from authors and vice versa. We both benefit – authors have an audience and book bloggers have books to read!

P.S. ~  One aspect of all your books that truly appeals to me is that they are so easy to understand. How do you do this?

B.D. ~ I’m not sure how I do this to be honest. I just naturally take technical subjects and break them down using common language. I can remember explaining the workings of a cell to a 1st year college class by comparing it to a factory. Amazing how many people quickly grasped the workings of a cell when I used that analogy. After years of doing this at the college level, I used the same technique when doing technical training in the corporate environment. I typically use words like “thingy” and other non-threatening language. I find that if I remove the barrier of the strange terms, people will realize that many things aren’t really that difficult!

P.S. ~ You have also established a much needed website for Canadian authors who self-publish. Can you tell us more about that?

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B.D. ~ One of my pet peeves is the amount of either wrong information or misinformation that is being spread around with respect to publishing. I decided to create a site (http://self-publishinginfo.com/) where I reference accurate blog posts on various subjects that are important to authors – from blogging to social media to  publishing. I’m not creating new content at this point, but I am linking to articles that share correct information. I try to give preference for blog posts  with a Canadian slant as there is a  lack of information for Canadian authors. If anyone has any suggestions of blog posts that I can excerpt for the site, don’t hesitate to contact me!

P.S. ~ Besides writing these books and working one on one with authors, do you ever do podcasts or speaking engagements?

B.D. ~ I’ve been on podcasts a few times, and regularly do author chats. I’m hoping to do some speaking in the coming year – I’ve been out of the classroom too long and it’s time to get back in!

P.S. ~  What can we expect from you next?

B.D. ~ In the next few months there should be a bunch of things appear. BookBlogTour200I have a boxed set of my Author Platform book and my Book Blog Tour book  coming out in paperback quite soon.

My Blogging for Authors book is in the hands of my proofreader and should be out in a few months.

My book on Goodreads should be a month or so behind.
I’ve spent the last few days putting the finishing touches on a Beginner WordPress for Authors course that I’m going to host on Udemy.com. I think there is a lack of technical training available that is specific to an author’s needs, and I hope to help with this course.  Watch for an announcement about this soon.

**********
 Barb’s bio: Social Media and WordPress Consultant Barb Drozdowich has taught in colleges, universities and in the banking industry. More recently, she brings her 15+ years of teaching experience and a deep love of books to help authors develop the social media platform needed to succeed in today’s fast evolving publishing world. She owns Bakerview Consulting and manages the popular blog, Sugarbeat’s Books, where she talks about Romance – mostly Regency.

She is the author of 6 books and over 20 YouTube videos all focused on helping authors and bloggers.  Barb lives in the mountains of British Columbia with her family.

 

Make a note to listen to Barb on the Writer’s Chatroom (http://writerschatroom.com) April 24th, July 31st and Oct 30th.

 

Click on the links below to visit with Barb on social media:

Author Website  |  Business Blog  |  Facebook Author Page  |  Twitter  |  Google+  |  Pinterest  |  Goodreads  |  YouTube Channel    Tech Hints Newsletter  |  Amazon Author Page

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog, News, Writing Tagged With: author support, Barb Drozdowich, blogging, consulting, indies, Patricia Sands, self-publishing, social media, WordPress, writing

Writing~have you found yours?

March 4, 2015 by Patricia Sands 10 Comments

753047993I’m visiting over at The Artist Unleashed website of Australian novelist and poet (among other talents), Jessica Bell, who lives in Athens, Greece … how’s that for a story? I wrote a bit about how I first found my writing voice. Have you found yours?

I don’t often post writing/publishing information here since there are many websites that accomplish that task so well. I still have a lot to learn and, well, let’s face it … the learning never stops!

I keep meaning to list links of resources that I feel are tremendously helpful, but so far that is still on my “to do” list. Naming my top ten, when asked to do so, these are my standard recommendations:

1. Joanna Penn’s website The Creative Penn ~ where you will find resources to help you write, publish and market your book. Constantly updating, Joanna reports on the latest trends and brings in experts who advise on all aspects of publishing. Extensive archives!

2. Stephen King’s book “On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft”onwriting ~ part master-blueprint, part memoir, part meditation on the writer’s life, filtered through the lens of his near-fatal car crash and his epiphany on  understanding and appreciating living.

This is what Roger Ebert had to say about it: “A lot of people were outraged that he was honored at the National Book Awards, as if a popular writer could not be taken seriously. But after finding that his book On Writing had more useful and observant things to say about the craft than any book since Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, I have gotten over my own snobbery.”

3. Fostering Success ~ You’ve written a book. Now what? ~ Self-guided online courses.

4. Alliance of Independent Authors ~ A professional association for authors who self-publish ~ a place to connect, network, ask questions, share information and celebrate.

5. Barb Drozdowich ~ Social media and WordPress consultant ~ see the complete series of resource books she has written for authors across all genres.

069e47cc1ed73ef7d7914605c6853b6a6. The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing ~ Published by The Indie Voice, 10 NYT best-selling authors.

7. The Triskele Trail: A Pathway to Independent Publishing ~ Published by a writer’s collective of five.

8. Jane Freidman  ~ Helping authors and publishers flourish in the digital world.

9. David Gaughran ~ Author and blogger ~  Let’s Get Digital.

10. Kristin Lamb ~ Social Media Jedi and Author, founder of WANA International

And then there is the seemingly ubiquitous Porter Anderson, media journalist and consultant ~ His website demonstrates how he has his finger on the pulse of the digital dynamic in book publishing like no one else. Always worth a listen!

These are all people and websites whose information and insights I find  exceedingly helpful. I’m not saying there aren’t more … because there are.

Recently BookBub published this excellent list of their favourite publishing resources. It’s worth bookmarking this link for future reference when you have time to absorb the information.

Along with the available online resources, I can’t stress enough the importance of joining writers’ groups, networking, talking, listening and sharing. Get to know editors, bloggers, reviewers, designers. Engage with readers. Social media is a necessity. Learn to make it a satisfying and enriching experience. Yes you can.

Who and what helped you find your writing voice? Do you  have other favourites to add to this list? Please do! The more we learn, the better.

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Thanks for joining me today. If you like today’s post, please use the share buttons below. It all helps!

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Filed Under: Blog, News, Uncategorized, Writing Tagged With: Kristin Lamb, On Writing:A Memoir of the Craft, Patricia Sands, social media, Stephen King, The Bridge Club, writing

Listen to Kristen … then just do it!

January 3, 2012 by Patricia Sands Leave a Comment

Happy New year everyone!

As 2012 gets under way, I’ve been immersed in reading other blogs about whether or not to make resolutions.It’s kind of a natural topic du jour at the beginning of January.

I stopped thinking about New Year’s resolutions years decades ago. Don’t wait for the beginning of a new year to reflect. Do it every night before you fall asleep. Personally, each morning is when I remind myself of what I want to accomplish for that day (call it setting goals, if you like) and as the mornings roll by I can usually see progress as life ebbs and flows.

I’m not saying it isn’t good to set goals, because it is absolutely necessary to do that. Set them at other times than New Year’s though – as you see the need begin to logically appear not because it’s January 1st. Set them every day. I’m just saying …

Setting small goals will lead to great success. Believe in yourself and let the little engine that could be your inspiration. You CAN do it!

Then I read Kristen Lamb’s blog post from yesterday, 2012 AND PLANNING FOR SUCCESS IN THE NEW YEAR.  I was totally blown away!  Hurry, go there now – click right here – and take it all in. She has laid it out as clearly as I have ever seen it before.  You can apply the six steps she outlines to whatever you do in life.

For those of us who write: read it and believe.

Then just do it!

Thank you, Kristen, for all you give to the writers following you.

If you are a writer and haven’t read Kristen’s best-selling books, order them now –  We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer . Both books are recommended by the hottest agents and biggest authors in the biz. Trust me, they will change the way you approach your writing and give you a bigger boost than you ever imagined possible! You only have to read the comments left on her blog to see how true this is.

After you have read Kristen’s post, I hope you will come back and leave a comment. Will you take those six points and use them as your guidelines?

 

 

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Filed Under: Author Promotion, Blog Tagged With: #MyWana, 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist, Are You There Blog It's Me, facing problems, follow your dreams, ForeWord 2010 Book Of The Year Finalist, Kristen Lamb, lifelong friendship, new Year's resolutions, Patricia Sands, social media, The Bridge Club, the power of friendship, We Are Not Alone - The Writer's Guide to Social Media, writing

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