Tag Archives: 31 day challenge

Bitsy’s 31-Day Author Platform* Challenge

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge by
woman overwhelmed with social media options
Photo by Dalila Dalprat on Pexels.com

I’m making an effort to up my social media presence. Who wants to join me?

I am going to spend the month of May doing one thing every day that will ripple across my social media outlets, to engage (if not educate and entertain) and grow my followers. Since many writers are introverts, I know marketing and promoting ourselves doesn’t come easily. Being asked to “up our social media presence” can feel like a trip to the dentist. While it’s easy to to put off or “get to later,” it’s really not that hard. We just have to do it. That’s why I created this challenge.

Sure, I’d like to have more followers, what author wouldn’t? I admit I’m way behind where I’ll like to be when my next book comes out. But building a list for potential book buyers is not the only reason I’m doing it. The years of Covid confinement have left me with lingering feelings of isolation, and I’m eager to (re)connect with people.

I’m doing it for me.

Sure, the best time to start building your platform was years ago. But the next best time is now.

Yep, time to get to it. I’ll have a short blog here detailing each task I’m doing, each day, so you can come join and learn along with me. The tasks all differ. Some are creating lists of ideas. Some are specific posts that’ll take 5 minutes to do. Others might take more work, but will still be manageable. I promise. I don’t have all day for this stuff—which is why I’m looking at small, daily steps. I am breaking the challenge down into 31 small-ish tasks that should all add up to making a decent difference. Sorta like eating an elephant one bite at a time. It’s a CHALLENGE to push us past our comfort zone. I think it will help if we cheer each other on along the way.

So, fellow author friends, whadday say?

Will you join in? Leave a message or sign up below to make sure you are committed! (Experts say you’re more willing to follow through on a commitment or challenge if you tell someone else about it. Saying your goal out loud, or posting it publicly, makes us feel more accountable. Do it. Do it.)

*For those unfamiliar with the term “author platform,” I can best describe it in a visual. Picture a group of people. Let’s say they are all authors. One person stands on a raised surface—it could be basically anything for better visibility; let’s say it’s a milk crate. That person is now a little taller than all the other authors around them. They stand out. You can spot them in a crowd. They are an author, on a platform.

You want to be the author that sticks out, that is noticeable in a crowd. You need a platform. In modern terms that means having a strong social media presence. It could be a solid group of Facebook followers (10K is minimum to be impressive these days)(yikes, right?), Instagram, Twitter, or any of the new ones popping up like Post, Mastodon, Discord, Clubhouse…the list goes on and on. It could also include people who subscribe to your newsletter or follow your website. These aren’t people that you blatantly scream BUY MY BOOK to, mind you, they are your friends, your support, your cheerleaders. And if they’ve been ignored for too long, they’ll move on to someone else. I don’t want to lose any more friends! In fact, I want to make more.

So I ask again…who wants to join?!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

www.BitsyKemper.com/challenge

Oh, and feel free to follow my brand-spankin’ new author page facebook.com/BitsyKemperAuthor! It may or may not be one of the challenges!

31 Day Author Platform Challenge Day 6: Bio, Bio Everywhere

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge, Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by

[Before we start, have you followed 10 new people yet?]

It’s all about YOU!

Yesterday was a big-picture assessment of your homepage. Day 6 hones in on your Bio, which you need for your website as well as every social media platform you’ve got. Let’s make sure you are presenting the best possible version of yourself (that’s still truthful of course).

I sorta cheated on this task, since my home page right now is my bio page, and I worked on that yesterday. But I do need to revisit the bios I have on Twitter (oh, wow, noticed outdated info right away!) and Insta (how long has that link been broken?! Oh and did you know they now let you add FIVE links on your Insta profile?!). I bet you forgot about those platforms and were only thinking about your website! But they are ALL our brand, and they all have bios–even if just five words. I’ve culled bio tips other professionals (I searched the web so you don’t have to) and blended them with my own advice.

First off, think about your audience. Who is reading this bio? Is it parents, past and potential buyers of your books? Specialists from schools and libraries considering whether to book you for an author signing? Kid fans that read your books? Literally picture them in your mind as you write your bio. As we’ve talked about, different platforms will have slightly different audiences. It’s OK to vary them.

Secondly, write it well! Be engaging! If you can’t write a good bio about yourself, can readers trust you can write a good book? Remember that you are your own brand. Your bio needs to reflect who you are, so that when someone reads it, they “get” you. Some great examples of writing in your own voice are here: https://rocketexpansion.com/about-the-author-examples/. Granted, those are mainly jacket flap bios, but you get the idea. This bio isn’t for jacket flap, which has an even more centralized audience—potential and current reader/buyer. First work on your webpage since it’ll be the longest. Adapt accordingly for Insta, Twitter, etc.

Third, don’t sweat wordcount. It can be as simple as a paragraph. Don’t bore anyone by cramming in too much information no one needs. (You’ll have stricter parameters on most of the other platforms.)

Lastly, don’t forget a CALL TO ACTION! More on that below.

On websites, I’ve always appreciated the almost-all-encompassing two or three sentence bio, followed by a few paragraphs of more-detail-that-isn’t-crucial-but-is-nice-to-have. That way, if your reader only has a few seconds, they can get enough from those first few sentences. It’s something they can cut and paste if they need to introduce you. To nail down the super short “elevator pitch” of your bio, check out https://scribemedia.com/write-author-bio/ (scroll about halfway down to Template heading). 

OK, let’s get down to it. What should you include on your bio page?

YOUR HISTORY

  • Where you’re from, and where you live now. I like to keep this generic, as in “from NY, now live in CA” as I honestly don’t think it’s anyone’s business what town or exact city I live in. Plus, with cybersecurity issues, you don’t want to give out too much info on yourself. But if you have an unusual city name, like Boring, OR – please keep it! Have some fun with it.
  • Personal info but IMHO only AS IT PERTAINS TO YOUR WRITING such as if you write about the environment and you have a biology degree. Or, say, if you mainly write male characters b/c you are a mom of four boys, talk about how they influence story ideas or creative work hours.
  • Toss in some “PERSONAL TAGS” like something you’d call out on a main character to show their personality or make them memorable. Do you love Orange Crush? Root only for the Mets? Enjoy fly fishing? Hate the Oxford comma? Show readers what makes you uniquely you. Be relatable!
  • Recognition or awards you’ve received. Go ahead and toot your own horn! But no need to be a jerk about it. “I was excited to win the MOMMA 2022 Book of the Year” is different than “I beat out 200 other mostly-lame entries to capture the coveted award that most other authors only dream about” which makes you sound like a poo-poo-head. Be specific, spell out all acronyms, and give dates/years (unless it’s over 8ish years ago as then it’s old news so don’t give the year). Bonus points if you can toss in a few kid-friendly things like “baton champ of 5th grade” or “voted worst penmanship in 12th grade.” Remember that note about being relatable?

YOUR NOW

  • Books published. If none, don’t say you’re unpublished. Consider saying something descriptive like you have “a middle-grade novel for shy girls in the works.” Find tips for unpublished writers here: https://gatekeeperpress.com/how-to-write-an-author-bio-with-no-experience/
  • Your main age level and genre. For example, although I have CB and MG manuscripts that I’m working on, I am mainly a PB fiction writer, so that’s what I talk about. If I get published in the other age ranges, I’ll talk more about them. If you say you “write for all ages” then it looks like you’re unfocused. It’s more impressive to be specialized.
  • ALL your current social media handles WITH LINKS. (If you haven’t updated Pinterest since 2006, say, don’t include it.)

YOUR PHOTO(S)

  • Headshot that’s within the last 5 years please! NOTE: HEADSHOTS ARE TOMORROWS TOPIC so no excuses for an outdate selfie.
  • People love pets so feel free to also add a few of those.
  • Book covers! Add all of ‘em.  Feel free to have the pic linked to an indy book store where the book can be purchased—but do NOT say anything about buying the books. Simply have the linked book cover images.

YOUR CALL TO ACTION

  • Don’t miss the opportunity to ask people to leave a comment, sign up for your mailing list, click on a link to your blog or recent recorded interview, follow you on social media (with links), etc. Do NOT have the call to action be a sales pitch. No one likes that. It ruins the great impression you’ve just created.

Did we miss anything? Let me know if you have crucial info you think has to be included.

Once you hone your revised bio, make sure you update your bio’s main points on all your social media accounts. They don’t have to be exact; as mentioned, most people have slightly different personalities on each platform. But make sure they sync up and make sure they are all current.

Recap: Update and rework your bio(s!) as needed. Make sure each social media service you use has a bio that fits the audience (adapt your new one accordingly).

Happy multi bio-ing!

31 Day Author Platform Challenge Day 7: Headshots

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge, Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by

[Before we start, have you followed 10 new people yet?]

Smile for your close up!

Broadway-like lights surrounding mirror of a makeup table

Day Seven of the 31 Day Author Platform Challenge is upon us. We’ve looked at our home page and bio. Now it’s time for…Headshots! (I bet most of you are clenching. Relax. You look better than you think you do. And today’s filters will ensure it!)

My first question to you how recent is the headshot you have on your website and/or the ones you use for social media platforms?

If it’s more than 10 years old, no matter how good it is, it’s time for a change. You can keep and still post that pic, but today is the day you’re going to add a new one that will be your MAIN headshot.

Since I’m not a photographer, I feel it’s best to let some experts give you advice. Some links are below. Common advice across the board is:

  • Be yourself! Let your “youness” shine through. Readers want to know YOU, not a fake version—and they can tell! Your audience needs to know they can trust you.
  • Don’t wear any busy patterns, or excess make-up or jewelry, as they detract from your sweet face, which is what people want to see.
  • Lighting is more important than you think! (It’s really the shadows that can be unflattering).
  • I have a personal aversion to the stoic arm-crossed and other-hand-on-the-face pose. It’s unnatural. No one walks around like that. I beg you to keep your hands at your side, or be holding a book, pen, etc. Unless it’s candid or silly, please don’t be touching your face.
  • Hairstyles change so fast that a hip cut today can quickly date your pic even before your book comes out. Try to avoid anything overly trendy.
  • Odds are you don’t need to hire a pro; cell phones today do an amazing job and even have good editing tools and filters. But a pro will make you look AMAZING and could be worth every penny. Make sure you get a reliable referral, you get a certain number of chances to get a pose you like, that you own the rights, and do the courtesy of crediting them whenever the photo is used. I once had a photographer who came recommended and showed up with backgrounds and cool equipment. She said the top images would come edited, but at the end of the shoot all she gave me was a file with all the raw shots; none of them were edited, and they were all crap. I didn’t know until I got home and opened the file; no calls were returned from then on. So…make sure there is a clause for what happens when you’re unhappy with the final image(s).

Here are some links to more expert tips:

  • Penguin Random House has suggestions to research what other authors in your genre have done.
  • Scribe Media offers examples of good and bad headshots.
  • Site Arcade has even more examples as well as a discussion on backgrounds.
  • Pinterest shows an array of kidlit author examples.
  • Splento.com discusses different kinds of shots used for different purposes.
  • City Headshots specifically talks to actors but does a great job explaining bad headshots and how to do better.

I suggest you spend part of today trying it out on your own. Modern cell phones take amazing photos. Have a kid, neighbor, or friend help. Consider asking for their help on editing as others will see things you don’t.

If you still aren’t thrilled with the results, try again with different outfit, location, lighting, props, etc.

If after a third time it’s still not working, book an appointment with a professional. I bet your local SCBWI chapter will have some contacts or suggestions for you.

IF YOU HONESTLY DON’T NEED A NEW HEADSHOT then your task today is to clean up another website page, the way we cleaned up your home page on Day 5 (go back and look if you need a refresher).

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A WEBSITE AND YOUR HEADSHOT DOESN’T NEED RETAKING, create a cross-platform post that includes your headshot, describing the time you had it made. What was going thru your mind, who was there, what you’d change, etc. Ask other people to share their experiences. Use this as an opp to open up and engage!

Recap: If your headshot is older than 5 years, or if it looks dated or unprofessional, redo it. Today. If you don’t need a headshot, use yours as a conversation starter.

Smile for the camera, now!

31 Day Author Platform Challenge Day 8: #WritersLift Shout-outs

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge, Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by

<NUDGE NUDGE Have you followed 10 new people yet?>

**Don’t make a jpg like this! Use real, clickable #s**

How about a break from all that work we’ve been doing? Oh, we still have a task at hand, but it’s not at the level of the others. And it’s still imperative you complete it! This task is about uplifting others. It will feel so good!

If you haven’t been a part of the #writerslift movement on Twitter, now is your time to join the party.

Think about critique partners, for example. Find the right ones and they are worth their weight in gold, amiright? These gems of fellow writers, who you trust to read your work-in-progress, provide constructive feedback and help you improve your craft. They can act as a sounding board for ideas, catch typos and plot holes, and offer fresh perspectives on your writing. They are not only helpful, but supportive and committed. Aren’t they worthy of celebrating?

If you don’t have CPs at the moment, think about people who have helped you in any way this week or month. There are plenty of people that are helpful! Maybe their mentor texts or inspiring feeds. I mean, there are fellow authors you’ve never met that you can appreciate and connect with, by tagging them with a flattering shout-out, #writerslift post.

Today, Day 8, we are showing fellow authors some (virtual) love.

We’ll do that by giving them a shout-out across all your social media outlets using the hashtag #writerslift. This task is another example of how an automation tool is handy. You only have to post once if you use a scheduler, and it’ll go out to all your outlets at once. (Unless you did like I did and somehow managed to have three different posts go out at the same time, in the middle of the night, even though I was SURE I set them to go out over the course of 10 days. I refuse to believe user error, but I digress.)

Publicly acknowledging people not only shows gratitude, but boosts their profiles and helps to establish them as respected members of the writing community. You know they’d do it for you! In fact, they probably already have.

Make it pretty with a Canva-type app, or make it a simple text post. Your call. While of course it’s honestly the thought that counts, this is one time I suggest a regular post vs creating a graphic. Why? As you can see in the .png I created above, there is no way to tag my CPs in the image, so I have to tag them each all over again in the post–and I have to add the #writerslift tag to the post anyway. WHY DO I MAKE THINGS SO HARD FOR MYSELF lol. Just make a simple post for this.

BTW it’s here that I figured out you can post directly to social media from Canva! Sheesh, all this time on Buffer… But I’m keeping Buffer since it lets me schedule in the future, and Canva makes me upgrade in order to do that, and pay $$ monthly or annually. Even though I can stay at that one site and it makes it super easy, I’m too cheap to do it. I’ll go one at a time on this one.

Some tips for creating feel-good #writerslift shout-outs:

  1. Be specific: Details, baby! Mention your critique partners or friends by their full name and highlight what they’ve done to help you. Did they catch a major plot hole? Publish a PB that inspires you to be a better writer? Support you when no one else thought you could do it? Make sure to give credit where credit is due.
  2. Be generous: Don’t be shy. Offering praise to someone who has helped you means A LOT to them, esp if you’re not the touchy-feely type. It can help build the group’s morale and strengthen the CP relationship. Knowing it had an impact on you can help encourage them to be helpful to others again in the future. And it will warm your own heart at the same time!
  3. Be authentic: Don’t write a generic post just for the sake of giving a shout-out. A list of names is great, but it’s virtual lip service. Write with sincerity and share genuine appreciation. If you can’t be specific to any one piece of feedback for whatever reason, it’s okay to list each person’s handle in one post and thank them for their support over the years or months. The important thing is you are, well, lifting them up in the #writerslift.

You DON’T have to go big or go home

The kidlit industry is FULL of kind-hearted, helpful people like you. Shout-outs like this keeps that supportive feeling alive. Simply saying thanks to one person can make you both feel good!

One great example of an AMAZING week-long show of author love in May, created and run by fellow PB author @SylviaiChen. It’s a (free) weeklong co-celebratory event with prizes that is everything our Day 8 is about: uplifting and recognizing our fellow writers and illustrators! She created her own hashtags and amazingly fun Canva graphics that she posts on Twitter and Insta, and has creatively come up with Like and RT incentives. What an effective and thoughtful way to give mass shout-outs! This goes above and beyond any shout-out Tweet I would have thought up.

Don’t worry, I don’t expect level that from you! She probably worked on that for months. You can take 11 mins 🙂

Recap: Send (several) posts thanking your crit partners and anyone who has helped make you a better writer, and use the #writerslift hashtag. Be specific with the appreciation if you can, and don’t tag too many people in one post.

Share the love!

PS I am thankful for you, cheering me on and helping keep me accountable this month!

31 Day Author Platform Challenge Day 9: Why a Newsletter?

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge, Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by

[Before we start, have you followed 10 new people yet?]

Talk Directly to Those Who WANT to Hear From You

person holding a pencil and writing on an envelope
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Why are we talking about newsletters today?

One of the problems with social media is that it casts a wide net. Everyone from everywhere is scrolling and watching. You never know who is paying attention so you never know if what you’re saying is being heard.

Think about placing a billboard on a busy freeway.

Yes, a TON of people will see it.

But are they the right people?

I mean, what do you know about those people? They have cars, or know someone with a car well enough to be in one. Or they take public transportation which means they have someplace to go. You don’t know their age, their reading habits, their preference for Italian food. Nothing other than they are driving on that road. You don’t even know if they’ve looked up and read the sign. Is it worth spending time and money to get the attention of these strangers? Sure there are lots so even 5% of those numbers is probably a high number. But dang it’s a lot of work.

Now think of sending invites to a party at your house. Maybe you send 10, or 100, or 1,000. Of that, maybe you get 50% of invitees that end up attending. Or maybe it’s 25%. Yes, it’s a smaller pool of people. But the people who attend know you. They have read the invitation, they know what they are getting into. And they like you enough to set aside time to attend your soiree. While this pool of people is certainly smaller, they are already on your side. They are the right people.

Why am I telling you all this?

Social media is the billboard.

A mailing list is the invites to your house party.

If you’ve never thought about creating a newsletter, have a seat.

If you have a mailing list that you send a newsletter to, it’s to people that WANT to hear from you. They have willingly agreed to it. Why would you invite people you wouldn’t want at your party? That’s the equivalent of wasting time and money shouting in the void trying to talk to anyone that will listen rather (a billboard) than to the RIGHT people that you want to hear your message (your personal mailing list).

Today, DAY 9, we are not just thinking about creating a newsletter. I have made the executive decision that we will create one! We aren’t going zero to sixty right now, don’t panic. We aren’t writing it right now. Today we are going to spend time brainstorming what your newsletter should be about, and how often it makes sense to send it.

If you already have a newsletter, another GOLD STAR FOR YOU! You aren’t off the hook, though, as today you’ll analyze how you’ve been approaching your newsletter. Have you, or when was the last time you applied the below WHO WHY WHEN WHAT HOW questions to your newsletter readers? Read through the rest of this and make sure what you’ve been doing has been the best approach. You can also spend time looking into potential new templates or services, since technology and offerings have bound to have changed since you started. If you’ve done all of the above recently, get yourself a treat and accept this virtual high five! Alas, you still don’t get the day off, though, lol. I’d like you to come up with a short newsletter to send TODAY to touch base with your subscribers. Give them an update on your writing journey or fun and random “Today I Learned” or send them a video greeting to brighten their day. Tell them you just wanted to say hi and hope they are having a great day!

If you need stats on why I am insisting on a newsletter, here are some:

According to marketer Karen Ferriera, studies show a newsletter gets 50 to 100x more click-throughs than a FB or Twitter post. Gaining new followers on either of those two can be 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining the people you already have on your mailing list. I am 100% certain that is because your mailing list is full of “your people,” ones you don’t have to keep convincing to like you. They already do, or they wouldn’t (continue to) be on your list. Mailmunch.com says with 2,000 email subscribers and 2,000 Facebook fans and 2,000 followers on Twitter, a tweet will get you an average of 40 views, FB pages get you 120 views…and 435 people will open your email.

So…that’s why we are looking to create a newsletter.

We first need to take a few steps back. Let’s start with: WHY do you want an email list?

Grab your handy notebook and start a new NEWSLETTER heading. Write down the reason WHY you want a newsletter (not just because “Bitsy told me.” You need your own internal motivation.)

Spoiler alert: your “why” is ultimately to build your brand and ultimately sell your books. BUT—this is important—the very second it starts feeling like a blatant commercial to buy buy buy, they will abandon ship and you’ll be left with one person, your Aunt Mary, who would never unsubscribe because she loves you so much and also because she doesn’t know how.

As emphasized by Catia Shattuck’s article in Book Cave, “Remember that while you can use your newsletter to sell more books, the main part of your newsletter shouldn’t be selling your books. Your newsletters allow readers to get to know you, and then, just a small note about a new release will result in them buying your book. If you just use your newsletter to advertise your books, you will lose subscribers.”

Your “why” should really be engagement with your audience. Or interaction. Relationship building. All of those lead to sales. Eventually. A quick sale isn’t what we are after right now.

WHO we are talking to?

In that notebook, describe in detail WHO your newsletter audience is, or who you want your audience to be.

  • Who reads your books — and/or who is responsible for buying them? The clarification is important; I write picture books for 4-8 year olds, but it’s parents–mostly moms–that buy the books. I am not going to write a newsletter to 4-8 year-olds but to parents of them. YA might be tricky as they are minors, so maybe you want to consider a newsletter to librarians and book buyers?
  • How are these people signing up for your mailing list? That might affect or limit who your newsletter audience is. If you think your list of indy book sellers will max out at 10, it might not be a great place to spend your efforts, and you should think of a different audience. (Alternatively you can spend a lot of time and energy and maybe money trying to figure out how to reach that audience and get them to your social media outlets and signing up for newsletter.)

Once you figure out who you are talking to, you can starting thinking about WHAT you’re gonna talk about and WHY.

In your notebook, brainstorm 10 newsletter ideas and things you are comfortable writing about or researching, WHAT you think your audience would enjoy hearing about. Under each idea, make note of why you would write about that topic.

I have one writer friend that has a 4x/year newsletter that talks about where she’s held visits, what books she has coming up, awards or recognition she’s rec’d, etc. While it sounds self-serving, it works for her because of how many books she has out and how full her calendar is, not to mention it’s likable, engaging, and well written. If you are pre-published this broad appeal might not work well for you. Think about what you would say to your audience that is something they want to hear. What will it take to give them a newsletter worth reading?

  • What do you know or could you talk about that would be of interest to that audience?
  • What “felt/need” can you speak to? Tips for overwhelmed moms or moms of twins? Librarians looking for diversity and representation in picture books? Writers of a specific genre or age range looking to become better writers?

In the above example of my prolific friend, her audience appears to be anyone that has purchased her books and might purchase her books in the future, and in that one newsletter she effectively speaks to moms, fellow writers, librarians, PTAs, indy book sellers, and bulk book buyers all at the same time. She has been doing this for a while; it is not her first rodeo. You can work your way up there–pls do not attempt this with your first newsletter. I think at first you need to narrow down your WHO and WHAT in order to perfect your voice before broadening out.

If your brain froze on WHAT your newsletter might be about, here are a few tips on getting the o’ creative juices a-flowin’:

  • Try a mind map to visualize your ideas and see how they connect. Online mind-mapping tools include MindMeister and XMind.
  • Free associate: write down any words or phrases that come to mind, no matter how random they may seem. This can help you to come up with new and creative ideas.
  • Take a break. Sometimes the best way to come up with new ideas is to stop thinking about it. Walk away. Go for a walk, listen to music, or do something else to relax and clear your head. The reason so many good ideas happen in the shower is that we stopped stressing and allowed our minds to go back to their normal state of creative flow.

Now the WHEN.

You need to decide WHEN. How often will you send it? Monthly? Seasonally? Around major holidays? Think about often you are sent newsletters. You know the difference between too many too often (annoying!) and not often enough (forgetting they exist until you see it in your inbox).

Know that your timing can be fluid. I want to share a super short and simple newsletter from a cookie bakery that I just got, that floored me with its thoughtfulness and kindness. It came out of the blue, not on their usual schedule. Tell me this doesn’t show they care about their customers!

If you can get to this level of connection with your subscribers, you have won!

Back to your list. Take a look at the list of ten ideas you wrote down. How viable are they? Prioritize them. Given that list, what makes the most sense as to how often the newsletter should go out? Hint:

Weekly is too often, I don’t care how charming you are.

Once a year is not often enough.

Find your happy medium.

Now comes the elusive HOW.

…as in, how will you gather emails, and how will you mass mail/send out the newsletters you write? That will take a bit of looking into that you don’t need to decide now, but will def take time to nail down. How will you send the newsletter out? What service will you use? Tomorrow we’ll talk about email capture services, which is actually a slightly different beast than newsletter distribution. You might find a solution that does both. You’ll need to figure all that out before going to proverbial print.

Recap: You need a newsletter, stats say. What will be the Who, What, When, Why, Where/How for yours?

Now get to thinkin’! Write down all your thoughts. Plan on making changes to these thoughts and plans. nothing is in stone.

31 Day Author Platform Challenge Day 10: Pop-up & Capture

Posted in 31 day author platform challenge, Writer's Platform, Writing Children's Books by

[Before we start, have you followed 10 new people yet?]

How to add a pop-up to capture email addys for your newsletter

Now that we’ve (almost?) figured out what our next several newsletters are going to be, we need to find a way to build our email list. Creating the actual sign-up form isn’t a piece of cake, if we’re being honest. Not impossible, but it’s potentially tedious. Today we cover some tips on creating a form on your website that will automatically capture emails for you:

Creating a signup form on your website

You need to choose a service that will create a pop-up form for you to add to your website (I’m assuming you won’t create the code yourself). Check with your website host to see if they have one already built in; what a godsend if so! Otherwise check out the many available (always try free first!) services like Mailchimp, HubSpot, ConvertKit, AWeber, GetResponse, ConstantContact. They’ll have pop-up templates you can customize to match your brand.

Anyone who signs up via the pop-up will be set aside and placed in an email list for you. Many services also offer newsletter templates you can create and send directly from their site, without having to download and transfer the list, so look for that. I’m all about as few steps as possible. But I’m also about as cheap as possible, if I’m being honest. So do your homework. Right now I’m using a relatively seamless plugin, but TBH it took two days of research to figure out, and another to implement. I first went with Mailchimp but then added MailPoet plugin meaning ultimately upgrading ONCE AGAIN to do it all from WordPress. I guess simpler does have a cost that is worth it.

  1. Find out things like where do the emails go, if you are notified when people sign up, how many free addresses allowed, etc. (With free the MailPoet I now use I get the first 1,000 addys for free—but as mentioned I had to upgrade a few levels of WordPress to be able to add the free plug in…is anything worth it ever easy?)
  2. Pick and personalize the look of the pop-up form from a template they provide. Adjust colors and fonts to match your brand.
  3. Determine when and where your pop-up form will show up. You should be able to decide if it appears on every page of your site, if it fades in or sparkles, how long it stays up, does it appear when people arrive at your site or when they leave, etc.
  4. Use a strong or fun call to action. Tell people WHY they should sign up for your newsletter, what to expect, and what they’ll get in return. “Sign up for my monthly newsletter chock full of industry insights and news, and get a free xxx. Offer ends Aug 31st so sign up soon!”
  5. Add it your website asap. No excuses for waiting. If it’s not perfect, fix it later. JUST GET IT UP! Done is better than perfect! Most form builders will provide the code needed to add to your website so you just copy and paste. Some offer simpler drag-and-drop option. (My upgraded plug was a download so I didn’t have to open a new account.)
  6. Now go to the program where you created the form, and figure out a sequence of events that happens once people sign up. Do you want a confirmation or Thank You email to be automatically sent once they hit ENTER? Create it now. They’ll walk you through it.

Does this make sense? Take your time.

Do your best to make it happen today. Create the form. See it through, even if it’s a PITA (pain in the ***). You don’t have to go live today, just have ALL the groundwork done today.

Recap: create a pop-up sign-up form for your soon-to-be launched newsletter.

Tomorrow we start working on your “lead magnet” — the incentive to get people to use that sign up form.