authors owning digital space: a master class in social media for writers

AUTHORS OWNINGDIGITAL SPACE

A MASTER CLASS INSOCIAL MEDIA FOR WRITERS

PRESENTED BY SEAN CRANBURYSURREY INTERNATIONAL WRITERS CONFERENCE 2014

SEANCRANBURY.COM | BOOKSONTHERADIO.ORG | @SEANCRANBURY

#SIWC14 #THISDAYWEWRITE

Thursday, October 23, 14

CHANGE | NO CHANGE • THE INTERNET HAS IRREVOCABLY CHANGED

THE FOLLOWING:

• HOW WRITERS WRITE

• HOW READERS READ

• HOW PUBLISHERS PUBLISH

• HOW WRITERS ARE DISCOVERED


CHANGE | NO CHANGE• THE INTERNET HAS NOT CHANGED THE

FOLLOWING:

• THE VALUE OF GOOD WRITING

• THE NEED FOR GOOD EDITING

• THE VALUE OF PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS

• THE VALUE IN CONNECTING WITH READERS

• THE NEED TO HUSTLE FOR SUCCESS


RANDOM THOUGHT 01

• WHAT YOU WRITE AND HOW YOU WRITE IT IS WHO YOU ARE.

• YOU CAN WRITE ANYTHING YOU WANT IN ANY MEDIUM YOU WANT.

• NOW. LATER. FOREVER. INSTANTLY.


OWN YOUR ONLINE SPACE

• YOUR NAME DOT COM

• SPECIFIC, CAREER-SPANNING WEB DOMAIN OWNED BY YOU

• WEB HOSTING PAID FOR, MANAGED BY YOU (AND/OR YOUR TEAM)

• WEBSITE NOT RUN BY PUBLISHER

• YOU CONTROL YOUR PRESENCE ONLINE


WORDPRESS• WORDPRESS is my weapon choice.

• There are many other platforms for creating a website: Tumblr, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, etc...

• All have their advantages, drawbacks, inconsistencies.

• WordPress, for my money, represents the best value, best set of tools, available.


HOME PAGE


BOOKS ON THE RADIO


REAL VANCOUVER


RANDOM THOUGHT 02• Follow comedians on Twitter.

• Follow your own best advice.

• Express yourself, don’t hold back.

• Don’t get hung up on analytics.

• Know when it’s over.

• Synthesize!


BUILDING/CREATING• It won’t end, it can’t end.

• Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.

• Always be learning.

• Prepare yourself for this new reality.

• You don’t always need to be online, and in fact you rarely should be, but the garden needs tending if the fruits are to grow.


ASTRA TAYLOR• Astra Taylor, author of The People’s Platform, Taking

Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age, recently said:

• There are three phases in the modern creative process: 1) being the uncompromising artist, 2) being the career survivalist, 3) being the armchair critic.

• Recognize the boundaries, don’t try to do too much.


INTERNET VS SOCIAL MEDIA

• Social media allow you to communicate with people around the world in real time in an ever-increasing number of ways.

• Written words + audio + still images + video + some creative combination of all these things.

• You can tell stories here.

• You can express what you want to in any way you want to. As little or as much as you choose.


FIRST KNOWN USAGE: 2004


A CLUSTER OF BRANDED IMAGERY DESIGNED TO SHARE


RELATIONSHIPS• The relationships that you have with the people on

the internet, your current and future readers, are real.

• People are not marketing opportunities.

• They care about characters and stories, and they care about their favorite authors.

• They are also the word of mouth - the finest currency - that giveth and taketh away.


CORY DOCTOROW


kc dyer


DIANA GABALDON


HUGH HOWEY


SELF-PUBLISHING

• Are you willing to do the work?

• To find the fit that is best for you?

• To figure out file formats, marketing options, website integration?

• Are you willing to wear all the hats?


KOBO


AMAZON CREATE SPACE


SMASHWORDS


O’REILLY ATLAS


PRESSBOOKS


BEHAVIOURS• Social media relationships and manners are

not unlike those we exhibit in real life (IRL).

• Deception, disingenuousness, negative expression are not well met.

• Criticism, strong opinions, etc... are fine, in fact, encouraged.

• Honesty, owning your mistakes always wins.


CATFISHING


#GAMERGATE


#FEMINISM


RINGS OF SATURN


THANK YOU!AUTHORS OWNING

DIGITAL SPACEA MASTER CLASS IN

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR WRITERS

PRESENTED BY SEAN CRANBURYSURREY INTERNATIONAL WRITERS CONFERENCE 2014

SEANCRANBURY.COM | BOOKSONTHERADIO.ORG | @SEANCRANBURY

#SIWC14 #THISDAYWEWRITE


authors owning digital space: a master class in social media for writers

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