by Shaney Lee | Jan 21, 2014 | Promotion
You would think that, working at a company called “Author Media,” all of the employees would be digital book fanatics, carrying around our Kindles all the time, everywhere. But that’s not the case. I, for one, have had a hard time being won over by...
by Shaney Lee | Jan 7, 2014 | Blogging, Platform, Productivity, Promotion, Publishing, Social Media, Writing Tips
It’s January again, which means time for New Year’s resolutions. It’s easy for resolutions to become bigger-than-life, difficult to keep, and discouraging. While the big dreams are necessary, it’s often the little steps that get us...
by Shaney Lee | Dec 4, 2013 | Publishing, Writing Tips
Earlier this year, we made a list of 101 tweetable quotes for authors. It was a hit. So we’ve done it again. We’ve gathered a list of quotes for authors to tweet when they have Twitter block, need a dose of inspiration, or just because they find these...
by Shaney Lee | Dec 1, 2013 | Blogging, Platform, Publishing, Writing Tips
‘Tis the season to be busy. There are parties to attend, presents to buy and/or make, meals to cook, traditions to celebrate, family to visit, and a million and one other things to do that come with the holiday season. But despite being busy, you don’t...
by Shaney Lee | Nov 19, 2013 | Promotion, Publishing, Social Media, Writing Tips
A few months ago, we shared an infographic called The Pinterest Cheat Sheet to Image Sizes. It was very well-received and widely shared. A few weeks ago, I came across a similar infographic that is basically the Pinterest Cheat Sheet on steroids. Thanks...
by Shaney Lee | Oct 30, 2013 | Publishing, Writing Tips
In just two days, writers from across the globe will embark on an epic journey. The goal? To write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Currently, there are 143,356 writers signed up for National Novel Writing Month at NaNoWriMo.org. If you are not one of them, you should...
by Shaney Lee | Oct 18, 2013 | Promotion, Publishing, Social Media, Writing Tips
Looking to take Twitter to the next level? If you’re consistently engaging with your readers on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, and your newsletter, and you’re looking to add a new twist to your social media engagement, consider setting up a Twitter account for...
by Shaney Lee | Oct 4, 2013 | Author Websites, Platform, Promotion, Publishing, Social Media, Writing Tips
Most bloggers know that Facebook and Twitter are important for getting traffic to your posts. But did you know that the number of blog visitors finding their way from Pinterest is growing? As of September 3rd, Pinterest was the fourth largest social network, with over...
by Shaney Lee | Sep 25, 2013 | Promotion, Publishing, Social Media, Writing Tips
Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing social networks and brings in lots of referral traffic to blogs (according to one study, more traffic comes from Pinterest than Twitter). While one tweet may bring in traffic to your blog for a day, a pin could bring traffic to...
by Shaney Lee | Aug 6, 2013 | Author Websites, Platform
Last week we talked about standard pages for a fiction website. Today, we’re talking to the non-fiction authors. While the pages on your site will mostly be the same, your strategy will be slightly different. 1. Blog/Home While the blog does not have to be on...
by Shaney Lee | Jul 30, 2013 | Author Websites, Platform
Are you a fiction writer building your own site? If so, this post is for you. Through our experience in working with dozens of fiction authors, these are the pages that we’ve found every fiction website needs. 1. Home This is your landing page, the first page your...
by Shaney Lee | Jul 26, 2013 | Author Websites, Platform, Promotion, Publishing, Social Media, Writing Tips
Have you ever seen a “Latest Tweets” widget in a blogger’s sidebar? These are widgets that show a blogger’s latest activity on Twitter. It connects to Twitter and automatically updates every time the blogger sends out a new tweet. If you want that widget on your...
by Shaney Lee | Jul 9, 2013 | Author Websites, Platform
Plugins. They’re great. They’re useful. They save you from having to pay a developer to spend hours coding your site to contain all the functionality you need or want. But plugins come with a dark side: they can interfere with other parts of your site....
by Shaney Lee | Jul 4, 2013 | Author Websites, Platform
One of the great things about WordPress.org is its flexibility. Unlike other platforms, such as Blogger & WordPress.com, WordPress.org allows you the ability to add functionality to your site in the form of plugins. What is a plugin, exactly? The technical...
by Shaney Lee | Jul 2, 2013 | News
Yesterday, Google Reader breathed its last breath. Many of us at Author Media used Google Reader for years in order to keep up with all of our favorite blogs. We know many of you did so as well. With that knowledge, we felt it was only fitting to honor Google Reader...
