Create If Writing

Create If Writing

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Create If Writing episodes

  • Sarah Steidl on Editing- 008

    We could all USE an editor, but how often DO we use one? When should you hire an editor and when should you do your own editing?

    In this episode I talk with editor and blogger Sarah Steidl about common editing mistakes and when you should hire someone instead of trying to edit your own work. Sarah blogs at Girl Grows Up, is the editor for Grace Table (a blog I LOVE and have guest posted on), and is an editor-for-hire at Soleil Editing. All that AND a mom of two!

    Two of my favorite pieces of Sarah's writing are:

    Squeezing Summer In (GREAT as we're moving into summer!)

    When Hospitality Doesn't Come Easy

    You can find Sarah at her blog, Grace Table, Soleil Editing, on Twitter, and on Instagram.

    At a Glance

    Sarah's rule of thumb is that if you are asking people to pay you for your writing, you need an editor.

    It's also a good idea to have extra eyes if you are writing a guest post or anything else for publication, whether that is an editor or a fellow writer/blogger.
    When working with an editor, know what you want in terms of the scope of editing. (Think: grammatical errors or a full-content edit for the clarity of your message.)
    Content & developmental edits come before line edits and proofreading.
    When looking for an editor, word of mouth is a great place to start. You should also look at the types of work that the editor does.
    Typos remind us that we are all human. BUT the less they happen, the better.

    Tips for Self-Editing

    When you hit your final draft, let it sit for as long as possible. A few days if you can.

    Come back to your piece and try to read it as a totally new audience member.
    Read for clarity and cut things that are unnecessary or anything that clouds your meaning.
    Let it sit again for a few hours or a few days.
    Print it out and read out loud, slowly, to catch errors.

    Relevant Links

    Grammar Girl Podcast

    Chicago Manual of Style

    Strunk and White's Elements of Style

    Word Crimes on Read, Write, Muse (we mention this in the interview)

    The Odd Habits and Curious Customs of Famous Writers on Brain Pickings

    My Big Takeaway
    I think this interview made me realize that I need to start making use of an editor. (Note: I ALMOST hit publish with a glaring error in the previous sentence. PROOF!) As a total cheapskate, I like to think that I can self-edit well. But with several books on Amazon that have NEVER seen an editor, I am now uncomfortably wondering how many mistakes are in there. Eeek! No one likes to have someone point out a mistake. It's like having someone tell you that you have spinach in your teeth. You hate hearing it, but you'd rather not have spinach in your teeth. Am I right?
    What I Want to Know from You
    Have you ever used an editor? What was your experience like? What is your biggest drawback to using an editor?

    *This post contains affiliate links! That means at no extra cost to you, purchasing something by clicking through the links will give me a referral fee. Thanks for supporting the show!

     

    The post Sarah Steidl on Editing- 008 appeared first on Create If Writing.

    25 min
  • Chad R. Allen on Publishing- Episode 007

    How many email subscribers EXACTLY do you need to get a publisher to take notice? Are all traditional publishers at odds with self- and indie- publishers?

    In this conversation with Chad R. Allen, we talk traditional vs self-publishing, what numbers matter, and why you should just DO YOUR ART. Chad has been in publishing for over sixteen years and with Baker Books for over thirteen. His site is an incredible resource with posts like:

    6 Things for Writers to Remember When an Editor or Agent Says No

    Is This Blocking Your Creativity?

    8 Essential Tips for Marketing Your Book on Facebook

    The Basics of Building a Platform

    He also started the Book Proposal Academy, which walks writers through the steps of writing a killer proposal. While he shoots it straight about what publishers are looking for in terms of numbers, he also offers so much hope and has such a passion for urging on creatives in their work. His book, Do Your Art, is a prime example of this. This interview will hopefully give you some concrete goals to work toward and the inspiration to do so!

    You can find more great content on his blog and find him on Twitter and Facebook.

    At a Glance

    The constant in publishing is great content.

    Traditional publishers tend to be agnostic about whether books sold are ebooks or physical books.
    Traditional publishers tend to not be as threatened by self-publishing because self-publishing provides a viable option for those publishers turn down and can also be a way to grow enough readers to secure a traditional deal.
    Platform is more accessible today than ever before.
    The "magic number" of email subscribers that will make a publisher interested (in non-fiction) is 10,000.
    Email list is the key metric more than Twitter or Facebook or other social media because the email list is a digital asset you own.
    Offering your content online through blogs or a free ebook is a way to use your content to grow your list.
    A warm list is one that is interactive and interested. Think of those unsubscribes as simply paring down your list to make it warmer.
    To find balance in writing and growing your platform, you need to make specific goals and find a plan that is sustainable.
    Realize that YOU have things to offer and people are longing for what is uniquely yours.

    Relevant Links

    Why Traditional Publishing Should Kiss Self-Publishing's Feet

    Jane Friedman's The Future of Reading and Writing

    101 Jon Acuff Quotes from Kevin Kaiser (for inspiration!!)

    41 Tips That Put Over 10,000 People on My Email List from Blog Tyrant

    My Big Takeaway

    I loved the idea of thinking of my list as growing warmer as I have people unsubscribe. Chad's ideas on how to use my current content to grow a warm list also got me thinking about repurposing things that I already have and working on new things. I'm currently trying to find a balance that is sustainable. So far I haven't figured this out, so let me know if you have!!
    What I Want to Know from YOU
    What are your current goals? And what content might you currently have to offer for free in order to find and grow your audience?

    The post Chad R. Allen on Publishing- Episode 007 appeared first on Create If Writing.

    33 min
  • Kiki Talks Email List & True Fans– Episode 006

    How many fans does it take to make a living as a writer or artist? And do those fans HAVE to be on your email list or can they be spread across your social media platforms?

    This week's episode is what I'll be calling Kiki Talks: the once-monthly episode where I am answering your questions. (Two quick things: 1. Kiki is my nickname because Kirsten is sometimes a beast, and 2. You can ask your questions on Twitter or in the Facebook group OR sometimes like this week, on Periscope via Twitter.) I'm answering Kelli's question about whether it is better to build an email list or find followers through other social media platforms.

    At a Glance: Email Lists vs Other Social Media Platforms

    An email list is integral because it allows you to reach into someone's personal space in a way that is more intimate than Twitter or Facebook.

    Email lists are set up through a host, NOT your personal email account. (I use Mailchimp, but may move to Aweber at some point.)
    My biggest numbers in terms of traffic come through Pinterest and Facebook, with Twitter at a VERY distant fourth. My email list brings my blog more traffic than Twitter, but not by too much. Then again, I have a few hundred people opening each email, which makes it about as popular as my second or third most popular blog post on any given day. (Looking at my email list the day after recording, the open rate bumped up to 30%, which is pretty normal for me.)
    Other platforms may change (like Facebook's algorithms that make your visibility disappear), but your email is under YOUR control.
    Publishers would generally say that around 10,000 email subscribers is a good number to see for a non-fiction book deal. 5,000 would get attention, but 10,000 is the sort of "golden" number. (More on that in episode 007!)
    Kevin Kelly introduced the theory that 1,000 true fans (who will buy everything you make) is enough to make a comfortable living.

    My Big Takeaway

    Get an email list. Decide what service to use (always use a service, not your gmail or hotmail) and what kind of content/how frequently. Think about what best serves your goals. Do your best to grow your list authentically so you have people who really LIKE you and want to support you and buy whatever it is you sell: book, album, class, coaching. But ALSO keep growing your social media platforms. You may connect with different people in those spaces and find real fans and real traffic.

    The email list should be your foundation and your true fans, who will buy anything you create. (So when someone unsubscribes, rather than feeling sad, think about the fact that they are NOT your true fan and it is one less person to pay for when you get to that point.) Having a smaller number of loyal subscribers is great, but those bigger numbers can matter to publishers or for other reasons. Intentionally grow your email list, but definitely use a combination of platforms for growth.

    Relevant Links

    -Kevin Kelly on having 1,000 True Fans
    -The Problem with 1,000 True Fans
    -The Blog Tyrant's 41 Tips to Get over 10,000 Email Subscribers

    What I Want to Know from YOU: 

    If these numbers sound crazy scary to you (they alternately do and don't to me, depending on that day's optimism/pessimism/realism balance), don't fear! What is YOUR goal for your email list or platform growth?

    Where are you finding social media or email working for you? Is my experience that I share in the podcast similar or different to yours?

    The post Kiki Talks Email List & True Fans– Episode 006 appeared first on Create If Writing.

    32 min
  • Intentional Blogging with Paula Rollo – Episode 005

    Not all writers are bloggers and not all bloggers would call themselves writers. (I want to talk more about blogging as a genre soon!) Much to my surprise, I discovered that I love blogging possibly as much as I love writing fiction. If you are blogging, there is a reason. Perhaps you blog for fun. Maybe you blog to support your family and bring in an income. Or you might blog as a way to build an audience for the book that you are writing. The reason WHY you blog will affect HOW you blog and WHAT you blog about.

    Do you know why YOU are blogging?

    In this episode I talk with blogger Paula Rollo about intentional blogging. Blogging intentionally means blogging with goals and an audience in mind. Blogging with a clear focus will help you as you create content and make decisions about how often to blog or what kind of posts you want to create. Blogging intentionally also makes your blog more accessible to readers because it will help your blog to become more cohesive and unified.

    Paula Rollo blogs at Beauty Through Imperfection and also the newly launched Blogger 2 Business (along with Holly Homer, who joined the podcast to talk about Facebook & formulas in episode 4). She began blogging for fun and then later changed her goals and her blog into something totally new. What started as a sort of outlet for a new mom became a steady stream of income for her family as her intentional blogging transformed how she blogged.

    You can also find Paula at  What Is That? I Need It or on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

    At a Glance

    You can start a blog for one reason and rebrand if your life, goals, or plans change!

    Set realistic goals and revisit them at timely increments for you.
    Many bloggers choose Wordpress over Blogger for a lot of different reasons.
    Paula made a slow but intentional transition to a new kind of blogging, keeping some things that her readers liked while adding new content. She chose to focus on numbers before monetization.
    You can monetize your blog through ads (like Google adsense), affiliates (like Amazon), networks that connect bloggers with brands for sponsored posts (like Social Fabric or Izea), selling a product like a book.
    Everyday, mainstream bloggers will have a hard time with large growth writing a journal-style blog. You need a great voice, great writing, some luck or REALLY hard work, and a phenomenally visual site. There is an "it" factor for this, but blogging is too crowded a landscape to write just about you and think you'll have huge growth. Unless you are a celebrity already.
    Re-use and Re-purpose your old content! Make better images and update content for old posts to keep them fresh.
    To blog intentionally, you should define what you're trying to do and what you're willing to do in order to make that happen.
    Great questions for sponsored posts: Does it benefit you? Does it benefit the brand? Does it benefit the readers?

    Relevant Links

    Bloggers with a great voice: Dooce, The Bloggess, Jen Hatmaker, Ann Voskamp
    Blogging on the Side: Book from Paula Rollo & Becky Mansfield about Intentional Blogging
    A few Link Parties I Like: Mouthwatering Mondays from A Southern Fairytale, Inspire Me Mondays from Blessed But Stressed
    Blogger 2 Business on How to Recycle Old Content
    My Big Takeaway
    I loved what Paula said about changing a post's focus. Instead of talking about MY bad day and leaving it there, I can write about my bad day in terms of how YOU can help avoid a bad day. She spoke about shifting the post to make it immediately relevant to the reader. I feel like that is a way that many of us who are writing more personal things can keep our personality. I'm also right with Paula in being inspired by the idea that there are so many things possible online with some inspiration and hard work!
    What I Want to Know from YOU
    Why did YOU start blogging?

    43 min
  • Holly Homer on Un-Formulas – 004

    I talked to Holly Homer and finally have the Three Keys to TOTAL DOMINATION online! Simply pay me $50 in three easy installments plus $9.95 for shipping and handling and you can learn Holly Homer's Three Keys and the secret formula for Facebook succ...

    29 min
  • Eric T Tung on Twitter – Episode 003

    With Twitter tips, tricks, and tools to spare, Eric T Tung joins us for Episode 3 of the Create If Writing Podcast. He is #33 on the Forbes list of global influencers and #1 here in Houston. Currently he works at BMC software and speaks at conferences all around the country. Here is what I LOVE about Eric. He doesn't ACT like he is on a very short list of global influencers. He will happily take a selfie with you---in fact you BETTER take a selfie if you ever meet him. (I prefer the goofy ones.) He is personable, hilarious, and totally not one of those people who thinks he is all that. (Even though he kind of is.)

    You can find Eric on Twitter, LinkedIn, and on his blog. He is a great resource and person to follow! Let's see what he has to say about Twitter.

    At a Glance: Tips for Using Twitter

    Snag your name if possible. Use a middle initial if your actual name is taken (or really cool). Consider a fun alternative if your name is John Smith.

    Be professional, but also personal. (Clearly his profile picture demonstrates this intersection.) Don't have two profiles. People want to get to know you.
    Use Twitter lists to organize people you follow. You can make them public or private.
    Save time by using Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule content tweets. This can free you up to engage in real time.
    If your feed gets too busy, you can mute people. (And they won't know about it.)
    Post links to your own content multiple times a day. Twitter moves faster, so it's not spammy. You can't post the exact same tweet, so change the order of the link & hashtag or pull different pieces from the content as a Tweet. (But never share JUST your stuff.)
    You can schedule old evergreen content (i.e., content that is relevant ALL the time) so that you have more of your own links to share. You can also schedule date-specific content way in advance, like scheduling links to your old Christmas posts in January to go OUT in December.
    Three qualities that can boost Twitter engagement: make it interesting; make it entertaining; or make it feel-good. People love that! Visuals whether photos or video are great.

    Relevant Links

    Find Your First Tweet
    How to Use Twitter Lists
    Why Twitter Isn't Just Shouting into a Crowd
    Hashtagify (we didn't discuss this, but this is a great tool to find relevant hashtags)
    Eric's How Social Media Is Like Star Wars
    How to Use Buffer (what Eric uses)
    How to Use Hootsuite (what I use)
    Tim Grahl's 3 Myths about Social Media Marketing for Authors
    My Big Takeaway
    In this conversation I really appreciated what he mentioned as far as how to leverage your Twitter numbers (around 30 minutes into the episode). With Tim Grahl's 3 Myths about Social Media Marketing for Authors in mind, Eric talked about not simply thinking of your number of Twitter followers as potential sales (because often it will be something like 1% or lower), but considering how those numbers can help you secure other things like speaking engagements. (If you're a writer and want to be published, realize that the likelihood of you getting a book deal is slim without some kind of tangible platform. This may not mean Twitter, but it certainly helps to have those numbers!) It isn't all about the numbers, but numbers are definitely useful. ESPECIALLY if you think of them as people to connect with, not impersonal numbers.

    ****Disclaimer! Though I talk about meeting Twitter friends in real life, I would ABSOLUTELY not meet a stranger in person without vetting them seriously. Adults meeting online friends, be careful. Teens? DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.****

    If you want more about social media, I'm embedding this great Slide Share he presented recently here in Houston entitled "Holy Crap! I Can Get Fired for Posting on Social Media Posts?"

    What I Want to Know from YOU.

    I'm nosy.

    56 min
  • Blaine Hogan & Make Better – Episode 002

     Have you ever experienced one of those strange journeys in life? The kind where you start at point A and end up at point Q? (This podcast is one of those journeys for me!) Today's interview is with Blaine Hogan. Blaine started out as an actor, but as he began to really make it, a series of panic attacks derailed his career and brought his life to a halt. He is now the Creative Director at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago and the founder of the course Make Better. I first ran across Blaine years ago in an episode of one of my favorite shows, Prison Break. Listen to his story in the podcast to see how he came from there to creating a course like Make Better. Truly inspiring stuff!

    You can connect with Blaine on his blog (he has a great freebie for email subscribers!!), the Make Better site, or follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

    At a Glance 

    I loved Blaine's understanding of art as a spiritual experience: "The lights would go down and someone tells you the most true thing they know." Do YOU think of art as spiritual in some way?

    Have you ever unraveled in the best possible way, as Blaine says he did?
    Has your life ever taken you on one of those surprise journeys? Were you pleased with the destination & the journey itself?
    "Disorganization is not a badge of honor for creative professionals." What I took from this is that we often need great discipline and organization to create, especially in the middle of busy lives.
    Do you feel like you need validation (self-validation or validation from others) to let yourself write or create?
    Has being an adult stifled or killed your creativity? In what ways do we encourage creativity in children but discourage it in adults?
    Blaine mentioned the discipline of being AWARE, and giving yourself credit that what seems like a small though over breakfast might be important. Write it down. Put it on the computer. File it away. Write every day.
    "Never stare at the blank page." Do you have hope or guilt with the blank page?
    Are you a good starter or finisher? (Or maybe a good middler?)
    Do you struggle with a sense of artist guilt if you miss a day or don't accomplish your goal?
    If you have kids, how do you balance having kids & creating art?
    "I am not my work."  <- Do you find that as freeing as I do??
    I loved his idea of not creating a singular project, but our life as a portfolio. How do you think mindset might change creative work?
    Do you think you could make it through a silent retreat???

    Relevant Links

    Make Better **If you are an email subscriber, there is a coupon code for $25 off the course! If you sign up AFTER seeing this, email me that you signed up and I'll pass on the code. (Good only for the April 2015 registration.)**
    The Wounded Heart by Dan B. Allender
    Seth Godin
    Paul Jarvis
    Willow Creek Community Church
     My Big Takeaway
    THERE WERE SO MANY. I love thinking of the idea of a portfolio rather than projects. I have so many projects and sometimes I think they are all in their separate boxes, unrelated. Thinking of my whole life as a portfolio gave me a sense of hope and also the freedom to HAVE so many random projects. I also have even more of a sense of validation for art just by talking to other artists. I hope listening gave YOU the same sense of validation! As far as a practical takeaway, I love the idea of keeping something handy to write down those thoughts through the day. I've been keeping a small notebook in my purse for the past few months and have found that I write things in it all the time. Sometimes to-do lists and sometimes fragments of a poem or story.

     What I Want to Know from YOU

    I'm nosy. I want to know all of these things in the comments and I want to know them NOW.

    -Do you feel like you have lost some sense of creativity as an adult?

    45 min
  • Creativity – Episode 001

    Talking to yourself in an empty room can feel a little odd. Talking to yourself when you are in an empty room knowing that you will be putting a recording of yourself talking feels TOTALLY awkward and strange! In this inaugural episode I am talking about creativity, writing, and the origin of this site and podcast. I am a little weird in that I get excited about writing, but I also LOVE social media and the idea of connecting with people. (That's how I try to think of platform---connecting with people with mutual interests.) Maybe creativity looks like baking. Maybe it looks like coming up with activities for your kids. Maybe it looks like content creation in the blog world or the professional one. Maybe it looks like writing a novel or a song or a devotional book. Whatever your avenue is, I hope this episode encourages you to embrace it!

    At a Glance: Confessions & Creativity

    What energizes your creativity?

    Do you get more excited about the creative side of art-making or the platform-building side?
    Sometimes as adults we need validation that creativity and following your dreams is not just okay, but HEALTHY.
    We are created to be creative. Whether from the Genesis narrative or not, do you agree?

    Relevant Links

    If: Gathering
    Re:Write Conference
    Resource List (my ever-growing list of helpful links!)
    Ted Talks on Creativity
    What I Want to Know From YOU
    I’m nosy. I want to know all of these things in the comments and I want to know them NOW.

    -Whether it's a job, hobby, or something in between, what do you like to create?

    -When do you feel most whole and fulfilled in your life?

     

    The post Creativity – Episode 001 appeared first on Create If Writing.

    20 min

About Create If Writing

From the publisher's feed

Create If Writing is a weekly podcast for writers and bloggers dealing with authentic platform building online. You will hear from experts on list-building, connecting through Twitter, and how to utilize Facebook. But tools for building an audience would feel empty without a little inspiration, so these training episodes are balanced with inspirational interviews with writers who share their creative process, ups and downs, and how they have dealt with success or failure.