Kristen’s very timely blog today started out about the kind of presence an author shows the world. And she went on to explain the building blocks of creating that successful author presence. Successful Author Presence—Do You Have It?.
As much as I admire raw talent, and the ability to put words together in a fashion I enjoy reading, I’ve come to realize the key open the door to success as an author is in the box labeled work ethic. We might mock those who have written blockbuster books but the huge fact is they DID write them, and when the first book was done they wrote another one. They might have a high pressure full time job, ten children and a ranch to run, but they still sat their rear in a chair, put their fingers on the keyboard and wrote.
In the process of building their author presence they studied marketing as well as craft, and learned as so many professional people do, to help themselves by helping others. So they checked out groups of like minded writers joined some, and stayed with the groups that delivered on their promises since that’s the mindset of these successful writers.
My work ethic needs some polishing up. I’m working at writing every day and blogging more frequently. And I’m sifting
Racing toward success
through the blogs I follow and groups I’ve joined to decide which ones are a benefit, which ones are a liability. Because the bottom line is not all sunshine and roses and unicorn poop. It’s words on the page of a published book. More to the point, it’s GOOD words on the page of a SUCCESSFUL published book.
I’ve searched through the dust storm of distractions for the best way to proceed. My greatest support and inspiration has come from Kristen’s blogs, and Marketing for Romance Writers (MFRW)What have you found works best for you in the journey to author success?
Mona Karel Author 
One does wonder how much time they spent blogging.
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Many spend a great deal of time on blogs. It’s a great way to polish writing skills, speak to readers one-on-one, network with other authors, and share knowledge and skills. According to reports I’ve seen, authors who blog sell 33% more books than authors who don’t. So I would say blogging is an exceptional way to succeed.
The ethic of work is necessary. If you spend time online reading about writing, but don’t write, are you a writer? If you write books about fishing but don’t fish, are you a fisherman? It’s what you do that counts. After you complete the book, writing another one is good, but it’s not all there is. A fisherman has to get bait, paint the boat, clean the fish, and fry it. There is always something to do to hone your craft or sell your book.
I created Marketing for Romance Writers to help others, but I also use sites like Savvy Authors, read Kristen’s blog, and follow authors on Twitter and Facebook. thanks for sharing this, Mona. For those who don’t know, Mona Karel is the Blog Hop Coordinator for MFRW and she is one of our most active members.
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Wow! That’s quite a reply. I loved the interview. The comment was not derogatory… since I spend a good deal of time blogging that would be like living in a glass house throwing stones. Thanks for the intricate reply.
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Kayelle, what a wonderful and complex reply! Thanks for the detail! Patrick, if you’re in the mood to learn LOTS about promotion plus be in touch with people selling and buying books, MFRW really is the place to be.
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Thanks Mona…I’m a silent member already lol yes. I jumped in a few days ago but I haven’t figured out most of the conversations…so I’ve just let it go by thinking that things would eventually make more sense. I tend to be painfully shy. I am, however, hosting a facebook event on Tuesday April 2 that has been planned for quite some time —in an attempt to work out some of those personality flaws. It’s called Tidbit Tuesday and you are very welcome to drop by for a hello or to leave 10 lines and a link as a Tidbit for readers. http://tinyurl.com/TidbitTuesday Thanks!
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Patrick, have you done a reach out and touch to Triberr? Your blog will gain notoriety and followers and you never have to show your face. Trust me, I KNOW shy.
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no, I’m not familiar with ..Triberr? How is this done?
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Think of Triberr as a major distribution hub. Your one blog can go out through your groups, AKA Tribes, to a MUCH larger distribution. What you have to do is write a great blog, and hook it to your Triberr ID. It can work with Facebook, I’ve found Twitter better, so my Facebook isn’t loaded with everyone else’s posts.
The idea is greater exposure for your blog, with as little extra effort on your part. You’ll need to approve blogs that come up in your stream, which is the helping hand aspect of the system. IF you go to MFRW’s Yahoo home, there should be a file on Triberr. Let’s see, last year I did a series of posts on setting up your platform: https://mona-karel.com/2012/10/08/we-built-this-platform/
It was a once a week series, with recipe or life posts in between. But a simple step by step version of getting your feet wet
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Thanks, I’ll investigate. Maybe with nice people like you helping, I’ll eventually get there. 🙂
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Hang around the wonderful MFRW people and you’ll be covered in nice. Really. Ask any question there, you’ll get SO MUCH help. Just remember to trim your posts
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