One of the best times of the year is a little over a month away, and as we anticipate the Southern Christian Writers Conference on June 8-9, I’m ramping it up here on the blog.
I’ll be having guest posts from many of my writing friends.
I’ll also be having Q&As with speakers and workshop presenters who are coming to the conference.
So, check in here at “Writing with Cheryl” on a regular basis to learn something new about the craft of writing, to get inspired, and to get ready for this year’s conference.
Today’s guest blogger is Kathryn Lang, a writer and encourager from Guntersville, Ala., who gives us some great insight into how other people can help get your writing dreams off the ground.
Invest in Relationships to Launch into Your Dreams
It all comes back to relationships. The key to building success, in your writing and in your life, will be founded in and grown up on the relationships that create your foundation.
One of the top questions I hear from writers focuses on how to sell their book. I have heard experts declare the power for solid book sales lies on the size of the platform. Others have said it has to do with the right agent or publisher.
Ultimately, they are all right. These tips both come back to having relationships – and more importantly having the relationships that will grow you up into your possibilities.
How do you grow those right relationships? It takes two things:
1. Be invested in creating lasting connections with people; and
2. Be focused on being relentlessly helpful.
Tips for Creating Connections
– Engage on social media. Engagement means two-way conversations, so find a social media site you can enjoy and then begin talking to one person on that site. Twitter chats have been a lot of fun for engagement and for learning. Facebook groups and Facebook live offer different types of conversations from the character limits of Twitter. LinkedIn has even been making a shift to more social than business. Remember to make it SOCIAL first – think cocktail party conversations. Have fun. Make friends. Be relentlessly helpful.
– Engage with your target audience (whether that might be agents, publishers, or readers). It’s never too early to begin building your connections. Go where they hang out and then just hang out with them. If you are looking for moms that homeschool, then social media groups may not be the ideal location. If you are looking for publishers or book agents, then preschool mom hangouts may not be the ideal investment. Take time to define who you want to speak with and speak to so that you can position yourself to engage them.
– Engage with people and not numbers. The more the news reveals the “fake” followers on social media, the more the decision makers are beginning to see that numbers aren’t as valuable as relationships. Ten followers that are invested in engaging with you and fans for you are more powerful than 10,000 followers that are just numbers on the screen.
Building writing success requires more than writing words. You will need to invest and grow relationships. The good news for introverts is that you grow relationships one person at a time. The good news for extroverts is that you can engage people in groups and still make connections. There is no reason not to invest in relationships and by investing in those relationships you create a foundation from which you can launch into your dreams.
(Kathryn Lang is a hopesmith, a dream ignitor, and an aficionado of inappropriate laughter: She knows that if you focus on making friends, helping out, and enjoying the journey then you can’t go wrong.
Words have always been a focus for Kathryn. Her dad will tell you that she didn’t talk until she was two but she hasn’t shut up since. She loves words and is always looking for ways to put words to work and wield the words that will challenge you to pursue your extraordinary.
Kathryn says, “I know you have a unique purpose and a designed path. Together we can find the way that works.” Visit www.SnarkyRainbows.com to connect with Kathryn today.)
