Category Archives: Editor’s Log

#This! A writer’s Social Media Friend

Check out John McCarthy’s posts & other publications and follow @JMcCarthyEdS or Subscribe for news about his new instructional book coming in early 2017.

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I like to write at my favorite watering hole: Starbucks. The place might vary but the “feel” is the same. So much so, that every Starbucks I spend time in is like a reflective copy of “the one” I visit in the multidimensional worlds. It just so happened that I ran into one of my writer friends and fellow Deadwood Writer, Diana Hirsch @dianahirsch (See her publications at http://dwhirsch.com). She also seems to live and travel among Starbucks, but usually in different dimensional paths than me. Her travels are well recorded. What makes mentioning her in this particular post serendipitous is that Diana does great work with social media marketing regarding her publications and life as an author.

An author is metaphorically and in reality an independent business. Self promotion is integral to their making a living. One author once recruited me to be her publicist for a novel. She said, “I need you to promote my book so that I can focus on writing my next book. I only want to write, not do the promotional work.” I gently turned her down. There is no better promoter than the author. Yet, I understand her feelings as the process for marketing is daunting. Where to start? How do you get the word out? Hashtags is one answer.

In social media, hashtags (or the # pound sign) represents categories for conversation. People follow the ones that represents their interests. For example, I follow:

#2Write

#AmWriting

#Dwriters

Here is a sample from Caitlin Muir “44 essential twitter hashtags every author should know”

#AmEditing

#WordCount

#WriterWednesday

#WritersLife

#YALitChat

#LitChat

#MemoirChat

#BookMarket

#ScriptChat

#PoetTues

#ZineChat

#WritingParty

#IndieAuthors

#WriteChat

#NaNoWriMo

#PBLitChat

Hashtags work with many social media tools such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Search for them and follow the conversations. When you are ready, reply back or share the posts in your social media of choice.

For authors looking to promote their published work, add hashtags to a social media post. That way, those who follow the hashtag will see your post. Share the post 3 times in a week for 3 weeks. Use different social media tools to get out the word.

Not using hashtags is like shouting in a dark auditorium. You have no idea who heard you, nor if anyone is around. A hashtag lights of the room and ensures that all who are listening (to the hashtag) gets the message.

Upcoming Posts This Month

June 2: Erica Stensrud – Do We Remember?
Here is a special post to honor the men and women who enlist. They are all important and should be remembered. Read the first from Erica, a new voice, who we hope to see more posts in the future.
June 5: Jeanette A – Fallout 3: WTF Moments
Ever played the games Fallout 3 or Fallout Vegas? Here’s a unique look at the game by a writer who plays the games in an unorthodox and successful way.
June 6: Barbara Pattee – The Trip of a Lifetime: Australia and New Zealand – Part 2
The adventures continue as Barbara regales us on her amazing travel halfway across the globe from home.
June 8: Karen Kittrell – Give it to me straight: Fates and furies, Part 1 of 3
Sequential plots, fractured plots, and story arc – Karen has it all in this deconstruction of a novel that gives insights into author craft. Read alongside her with a critical author’s eye.
June 15: Jon Reed – Bones
Jon has the gift to make a true story about a fractured bone compelling and humorous. Become drawn into his latest personal adventure.
June 18: Diana Hirsch – @dianahirsch – Coffeeshop Chronicles

Follow the monthly caffeinated escapades and explore life, opinions and values through coffeeshops, even if you’re a tea drinker. You never know.
June 21: Claire Murray – Chautauqua
It begins by asking what do you think when you hear the name Chautauqua, Chautauqua, New York? It talks about The Chautauqua being an adult educational experience in the 18th and 19th centuries and how Road Scholar has continued that tradition. It ends by agreeing with Theodore Roosevelt that it is “the most American thing in America”.
June 24: Sue Remisiewicz – @SueRemi – Lunch With a Stranger
Will a casual encounter during lunch become something more for Alice? Find out in this new piece of flash fiction.

Editors Note: Self-Marketing – An Author’s Responsibility

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In publishing, the conventional wisdom is that authors are their best marketers. This idea is sometimes a hard pill to swallow. Authors love to write. That’s what they do. Marketing is a distraction that should be pushed on to the publishers. Right?

Um, no.

People buy books because they like the premise, the subject, and/or the author. One would be hard pressed to find someone who says, “I love books by this ___ publisher. I get everything they put out.” An author carries far more influence, or at least they can if they put energy into their marketing. If the book is an author’s conduit with the writer for developing a relationship, marketing keeps it alive until the next publication nourishment.

Social Media is an author’s friend. It’s a bounty of tools to engage with a potential readership before, during, and after a piece is written and published. Publication alone is like standing alone in a desert at night. There is no one to hear you sing, shout, or whisper. Social media like Twitter and Instagram is the equivalent to having a megaphone to start. Build a network of followers and use relevant hashtags (#) turns the megaphone into a satellite television broadcast to local communities. Here are some authors who do an amazing job with their “broadcasts”:

A. Konrath: Twitter – @jakonrath – http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
Sylvia Hubbard: Twitter – @sylviahubbard1 – https://sylviahubbard.com/

Hashtags are a powerful tool for expanding one’s influence.

#dwriters – all things about author’s craft and staying up to date on publications on this site: Deadwood Writers’ Voices.
#amwriting – find an eclectic resource of writing references and conversations by writers.
#2write – an up and coming place for resources on writing. Soon to be a chat group for live conversations by aspiring and published authors.

More on hashtags in the next installment. But here’s an article with 44 Essential Twitter Hashtags Every Author Should Know.

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John McCarthy, Ed.S. has a forthcoming book in late 2016: So All Can Learn: A Practical Guide to Differentiation

Follow @jmccarthyeds & @stsorywynd for more updates and commentary.

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Check out the May edition of Deadwood Writers Voices. Here is a sampling of what you can expect:

The Trip of a Lifetime: Australia and New Zealand Part 1 by Barbara Pattee on May 6

Barbara describes in detail the beginning of the enlightening tour she and her husband took to two island nations on the other side of the world.

Hot Blacktop, Ch. 11 Full Throttle, by Wendi Knape – @wendijowrites on May 10

Sienna’s shields protecting her heart are starting to break. Will she finally let Saint tear them down? Read Hot Blacktop’s Chapter 11, Full Throttle to find out.

Coffeeshop Chronicles by Diana Hirsch – @dianahirsch on May 18

Follow the monthly caffeinated escapades and explore life, opinions and values through coffeeshops, even if you’re a tea drinker.

Memory? By Claire Murray – @ClaireAAMI on May 21

Why do we remember some things so clearly and forget others? Why, on some occasions, when we hear a chance comment, do memories come flooding back but other times when we try to remember something we can’t?

Fine Dining by Sue Remisiewicz – @SueRemi on May 24

A monster reemerges after being buried for centuries and craving human flesh to eat.

Editor’s Log – April 2016 for Deadwood Writers

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With April comes Spring–a time of renewal and rebirth. It’s a time to seek inspiration and reflect on our past actions that may determine our future. Spring is an exciting time to try new paths along life’s journey. Many of the publications this month deal with choices and trying new experiences. Here is a sneak preview of what is to come this month. Come back to revisit these stories and be inspired to comment about your own.

Barbara Pattee’s Happy Anniversary, M & M’s®
April 6
This heart warming story shows that sterile rules can be followed and still show compassion for what children care about.
Karen Kittrell’s Little Free Libraries Deliver the Goods
April 8
Karen takes us on a journey of 3 must visit libraries. It’s amazing the character and personality that each library has. After reading about her experiences, I want to visit them myself.
Claire Murray’s Istanbul Passage: A Novel
April 21
“What makes this story so interesting is that the author, Joseph Kanon, makes Istanbul, the city, a character in his story. He’s constantly describing the neighborhoods, the streets, the mosques, the bazar and best of all the boats that go back and forth between the European and Asian sides.”
Sue Remi’s River Crossing
April 24
This Flash Fiction focuses on 18 year old girl, Jilly. What do we do when given a warning? What should determine if we listen?

Editor’s Log: Writing is a Muscle–Exercise

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Exercise is hard work. Running, in particular, is tough to get started. I can find lots of reasons not to get ready until there is not enough time to do it. Yet when I do get dressed and step outside, and run…the feeling I have afterwards is one of appreciation. It feels good to have run a route. The energy gifted from the exercise helps me write.

Writing can be similar for many would be writers. Crafting essays and literature is a dream that many share, but few pursue on a regular basis. The major excuse is “not enough time”, but like exercise, we can find 20 minutes out of a day to write. Also, an added benefit is that one can write anywhere and at any time. There is no reasonable excuse not to write, unless one is not truly interested in writing.

Writing is a muscle that requires frequent exercise. For some, starting slow is okay, so long as the practice happens along a routine such as 20 minutes four times a week or 10 minutes daily. Start slow to be smooth, and smooth will become fast. Ignore the voice in your head that finds sudden interests in doing chores that you normally avoid.

The writer athletes at Deadwood Writers share posts based on regular exercise of word-smithing. Many would tell you that their start with writing was erratic. “Post monthly? Really.” These athletes, including myself, at one time enjoyed watching and thinking, without actually pursuing. What you’ll find in the recent posts game-time displays of athleticism that writers do. The effort and study of words is a constant drive so that each month’s post is smoother than the previous one. The purity of writing, like exercise, is not winning accolades—the purity of writing is to become better at it during each run.

Hope you enjoy the efforts of our deadwood writers. May they inspire you to comment and continue your writing journey.

Editor’s Log: Happy Anniversary

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Two years ago, on February 1, 2014, Deadwood Writer’s Voices was launched. With the help of a group of inspired editors and writers, many taking on both roles, this online writer’s / literary magazine took life, growing month by month. Thank you.

As we launch year three, the publication has increased it’s writers and editors. The focus remains the same:

Provide a place for members to explore their writer’s voice.

I invite you to read the many voices that congregate in these pages. There is diversity in perspectives, genres, and politics. There is something for all readers. As the site continues to grow, we will be inviting guest writers to submit pieces to be published at Deadwood Writer’s Voices. Check back in later Editor’s Logs for more details.

Lastly, Thank you for your support of this site through your readership. Please post comments on anyone’s posts. They read them all, and will often respond.

Join us in celebrating our Anniversary!