Tag Archives: Social media

Spring is in the Air (Guest Post)

Image by sunflair from Pixabay

Spring is in the Air

by Steph Beth Nickel

It has been a remarkably mild winter in Ontario. Not great for those who love winter activities, but wonderful for those of us who are not big fans.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the beauty of a pristine, snow-covered landscape—from the warmth of my home.

Even though it’s only February, spring is definitely in the air.

The sparrows have been chirping away in the lilac bush next to our home for weeks now. Even on cooler days, it sounds like spring.

And today, Family Day, it looks like spring. The sun is shining. There is virtually no snow in sight. And the thermometer says it’s above zero. Three of the reasons my hubby and I will be going for a walk.

Spring is Dave’s favourite season of the year. And I must admit that it’s pretty much tied neck and neck with autumn as my favourite season as well.

So, what do spring and all the signs of its imminent arrival have to do with writing?

Typically, we set annual goals at the beginning of the new year. In January. In the midst of what can be a cold and uninviting season.

But why not sit down with pen in hand in the springtime and set our writing goals for the next few months?

Spring overflows with unique sights, sounds, and smells. How can you incorporate them into your writing to make it come alive like creation in the spring?

Signs of new life and growth are everywhere. We just have to take the time to look. How can we bring new life to our writing and grow as writers in the coming months?

And speaking of growth…

Is it time to grow your mailing list? Your social media following? Your marketing efforts?

With all this evidence of new life around us comes beauty that has been dormant for the last few months.

Not everything we write about is beautiful. In fact, some of what we address is dark, difficult, and heartbreaking.

But, as Christians, we often seek to incorporate hope into our work. We want to offer our readers at least a glimmer of hope, a glimpse of beauty.

How can you incorporate beauty into your current work-in-progress?

It’s still early in the year. We may have more cold, dreary days in the weeks to come. In fact, we may even get more snow. But warmer, brighter, more colourful days are coming.

You may be in the midst of a dark time with your writing. Subject matter. Lack of motivation. An overwhelming schedule. All these things and more can keep us from getting words on paper. And even if our words are flowing now, we may encounter a roadblock in the days ahead.

Regardless, spring is coming. And while we have no say about the changing seasons, we do have a say about getting our words on paper.

How will you breathe new life into your writing this month? I’d love to hear about it.


Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.

If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

Take Joy in the Little Things (Guest Post)

Image by Karita88 from Pixabay

Take Joy in the Little Things

by Steph Beth Nickel

I only have one book published.

I don’t even know what an author platform is.

I signed up with a newsletter provider … but now I actually have to write a newsletter (and get subscribers).

A website? I need a website?

“Build a social media following,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said. Okay. But how?

This whole writing thing can be overwhelming.

So, the first step? Take a breath—a really deep one. Count to five. And exhale. Repeat as needed.

Numbers can be scary, really scary. Thousands. Tens of thousands. Millions even.

But no one—NO ONE—began by having 50 books under their belt or even 100 followers. (Not long ago, “followers” weren’t even a thing.)

So, you’ve published your first book? That’s worth celebrating BIG TIME. You’ve done something so many people only dream of doing. Kudos!

And an author platform? Just take it step by step. Word of advice: don’t get overwhelmed by all the “expert advice” on the Internet. Do your research and find someone who has experienced the same kind of success you’d like to have, someone whose advice you can trust and emulate without too much stress.

Like Facebook and blog posts, it’s a great idea to create several newsletters before firing off that first one. If you have four prepared and send out your newsletter once a week, you’ll be all set for a month. If you write even one newsletter per week after that, you’ll never get behind. At least, you’ll have a little wiggle room.

And that newsletter email list? Again, it’s good to do your research and learn from someone who has built a sizeable list, someone who can break it down into a doable step by step process.

Don’t have an author website or a blog yet? One-page websites can be a great place to start. You can always grow from there.

Building a social media following can seem overwhelming. Maybe you don’t like social media. If that’s the case, don’t feel pressured to do “all the things.” Even if you do enjoy social media, it’s best to focus on one program at a time. If you’re building a Facebook group, you don’t have to create stories on Instagram and figure out Clubhouse at the same time. Maybe never. It’s up to you. And if you really don’t know where to begin, there’s great training out there—much of it free.

Of course, there are costs along the way, but remember that there is SO MUCH free information online created by GENEROUS EXPERTS.

Be patient. And as much as possible, enjoy each step forward—no matter how small the step. Learn to celebrate each step and you will experience joy in “the little things.”

Steph Beth Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel

Steph Beth Nickel has recently begun a new Facebook group, Editing Tips. If you are interested in joining, contact Steph at nurtureandinspire@gmail.com.

Can’t Writers Just Write? (Guest Post)

"Writers are expected to do so much more than just write."

Image credit: Pixabay

Can’t Writers Just Write?

by Steph Beth Nickel

If you’re a writer—and even if you’re not—you’ve probably seen posts about the GDPR, the General Data Protection Regulation. It makes sense to be concerned about how our personal data is collected, stored, and used, but the GDPR has caused a lot of trouble for many authors, bloggers, and other writers.

While this post isn’t about rules and regulations, all the talk about the GDPR did lead to the thought … why can’t writers just write?

If money were no object, perhaps, a writer could outsource everything except the writing itself. But are there really any writers who do that? Highly unlikely.

Authors and other writers are expected to do so much more than write.

Develop and maintain a website and possibly, a blog.

While creating content is a big part of this, there are domain names to be purchased, website themes to be chosen, and “branding” to be considered … among many, many other things.

Develop a social media presence.

In this, the cyber age, readers want to feel connected to the authors and writers whose posts and books they read. They want to know they’re real people with real lives. They also want to know that their favourite writers are willing to give them a glimpse into their life and that they care about more than simply selling their next book.

Find one’s tribe and connect with them regularly.

People can smell a sales pitch from a mile (or 1.61 kilometres) away—and many will run in the opposite direction. However, if an author is willing to truly connect with their readers and potential readers and offer them something of value without asking for the sale at every turn, those individuals may rise to the level of “super fan.”

Continue to develop and hone writing skills.

No matter how experienced a writer, there are always more skills development books to read and courses to take.

Authors seeking to go the traditional publishing route are familiar with writing and rewriting, query letters and proposals, pitching to agents and editors, and on and on.

Much of what it takes to become a traditionally published author has little to do with writing the books themselves.

Those seeking to self-publish have to write and rewrite, decide what to do on their own and what to outsource, oversee all aspects of their writing business even if they are working with a team.

While some people hate the word, authorpreneur hints at the fact that self-publishing writers are doing more than writing. They are small business owners and must see themselves this way and take responsibility for their business.

And when all is said and done, a writer must …

Continue to create content.

And while writers must juggle their schedules to include all of these pursuits and more, they must also continue to create content—or the rest of the process will be meaningless.

This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. So, the answer to the question is no, writers can’t just write. But, at the end of the day—GDPR or no GDPR—writers can’t not write.

Tweetables:

Writers are expected to do so much more than write. (Click to tweet this)

At the end of the day writers can’t not write. (Click to tweet this)

~~~

Steph Beth Nickel

Steph Beth Nickel
(Photo by Stephen G. Woo Photography)

Stephanie (Steph Beth) Nickel is an award-winning co-author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She also loves to speak, teach, and take slice-of-life photos. She would love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.