Writers in the Storm

Kerry Lonsdale

Before I launch into the when and how, a couple of disclosures. First, I am, by far, NOT an expert. I am a debut author and this whole street team business is new to me. I’m literally muddling my way through.

Second, I must give a shout out to the queen of street teams, Steena Holmes. Orly was kind enough to remind me about Steena’s WITS article published a few years ago. Plus, in a round-about way, I modeled my street team “community” after Steena’s Secret Society.

Once I decided starting a street team was on the agenda, there were two bigger issues to tackle: How do I do this and when, especially since my book wasn’t even published yet?  What could I offer my followers?

WHEN DO YOU START A STREET TEAM?

It’s hard to  start a team when you don’t have a book on the shelves, or a publishing contract, or even an agent. My advice? Don’t start building your street team with an actual team. Start building an audience through your newsletter. Gain your readers’ (fans, followers, whatever) loyalty in advance.

I launched a newsletter way before I created a street team. But here’s what I did differently. Rarely, if ever, do I call it a newsletter. Following the beachy theme of my website, I branded my newsletter as Kerry’s Beach Club. My subscribers don’t sign up for a newsletter. They JOIN a club. Immediately, there’s a sense of community, right?

So, when do you start a newsletter?

Now. Today. No better time than the present no matter what stage you’re at.

Here are the steps I took. Some may work for you, others not so much. Glean what you can use and spin it, rebrand it, mold it to fit the image you want as an author.

1. Start that newsletter. Just started writing? Already have several books published? Just to reiterate: There is no better time to start than the present, no matter what stage you’re at. As for content, well, the reason my friends, family, and social media followers were interested in me is because they wanted to get to know me as a writer. Every journey to and beyond publishing is unique. When I didn’t have a book to share, or book covers to reveal, or anything tangible to offer, I shared my journey. I let them into my world. I tried to be as personable as possible. Share the downs along with the ups. Let them feel what you’re feeling. (You’re a writer. Write with emotion.)

2. Brand your newsletter. As I mentioned above, I branded mine as Kerry’s Beach Club where I could INVITE people to JOIN. Again, it evokes a sense of community.

Secondly, I keep the content and tone of the beach club mailings personable. I write as though I’m talking one-on-one to each “beach pal.” And I do my best, hopefully, to put an interesting twist on the news I share as opposed to just spouting off updates in an uninteresting and dry format.

3. Market your newsletter. Make it easy on yourself. Do an initial announcement on your blog, share to your social media accounts. After that, automate it. Schedule bi-weekly tweets on Twitter. Schedule a monthly (or quarterly) post on your Facebook page. Spin your tweets and posts to make signing up or joining enticing. Come on, you are writers. You can do this. Here’s an example I once used:

Have you joined my beach club?
I’ve reserved the best spot under the sun for you.
1st virtual Mai Tai on me. (insert Tinylink)

(If you have space, add a picture or fun emoticons to grab the reader’s attention.)

4. Make it easy to subscribe to (or join) your newsletter. Your registration form should be located in AT LEAST three places on your website:

1. Home page
2. Newsletter page (For me this is my FOR READERS)
3. Left or right margin on blog page, depending how your page is set up.
4. Pop-up. Assuming your website is capable. I use the MailMunch plugin.

Slowly, but surely, your subscribers list will build. When you’re ready to start your street team, you already have a list of loyal readers eager to further demonstrate their loyalty. (PS, This is exactly what Steena suggested in her article.)

As for when I started my street team, I created it as soon as I publicly announced my publishing contract. That was two years after I launched Kerry’s Beach Club.

HOW DO YOU START A STREET TEAM?

If you’re sales-pitchy shy like me, don’t ask friends to hawk your book. Don’t wrangle your family into spamming their connections. Do, however, invite family, friends, colleagues and social media followers to JOIN your COMMUNITY.

1. Create the structure of your community. Where and how will you interact with your team? For mine, it’s a secret Facebook group. It can also be a chatroom, a forum you embed on your website, a Google+ circle, or Yahoo group. Any place where you can engage with your top readers and supporters and they can not only interact with you, but with each other.

2. Brand your community. My “street team” is the Tiki Lounge, an exclusive area of Kerry’s Beach Club. (Notice how I doglegged off my newsletter?)

I also spun it so that if you want to be a Tiki (Shout out to Andrea Katz for coming up with that gem.), you must gain access to the Tiki Lounge. Not everyone automatically gets inside. (Envision a cordoned off section of the hottest night club in town. With bouncers.) You need to follow a few very specific steps to get inside. These include: subscribing to my newsletter, liking my Facebook page, following me on Twitter, and adding my book(s) to your Goodreads bookshelves.

Does it take time for me to verify this? It does. But if someone goes through these steps, I then know several things:

a.) how active they are on social media;

b.) how much they love books (judging by who they follow); and

c.) what types of books they read (ie, are they similar to what I write). Also, they now know where I am on social media, which puts them in the perfect position to share with their friends and followers what I share online.

3. Make them WANT to join your community. The more they want to be inside, the more likely they will support you, by chatting up your books, sharing your posts, retweeting your tweets and regramming your Instagram photos. How do you do this? You give them what they want. A behind-the-scenes look at your process. Sneak peeks of your works-in-progress. Advance announcements of deals and other news the general public won’t know for some time. Fun bits like daily-lines and cover concepts. All that good stuff you wouldn’t think about showing to the public but want to share with your posse.

4. Make sure they know WHY they are joining your community. While ARCs for Tikis (while supplies last), advance NetGalley access, giveaways, welcomes gifts and, recently, Happy Hours, where I open the virtual bar, shake up virtual cocktails, and we have book discussions, are nice perks inside the lounge, they aren’t the reason for my Tiki Lounge. I make it clear on the Tiki Lounge registration form that gaining access is to support me as an author. In fact, the form doesn’t submit unless they check mark an agreement to do so. Because, isn’t that the reason for a street team?

5. Market your street team to increase membership. You can do this through your social media accounts and newsletter. Schedule monthly or quarterly tweets and posts to increase awareness. What’s worked for me is including a “what’s happening inside the lounge” section in my Kerry’s Beach Club emails.

By structuring a street team as indicated above, I didn’t have to beg or coerce a single person to be on my team to hawk my wares. They came to me because they are interested in my books, and I’m absolutely grateful for every single Tiki.

And that, my friends, makes this sale-pitch shy marketing-loving author very happy indeed.

Do you have a street team and how have you structured it? When did you start your street team? How does your street team support you as an author?

About Kerry

Kerry Lonsdale believes life is more exciting with twists and turns, which may be why she enjoys dropping her characters into unexpected scenarios and foreign settings. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is a founder of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, an online community of authors located around the globe. She resides in Northern California with her husband, two children, and an aging golden retriever who’s convinced she’s still a puppy.

Kerry’s debut EVERYTHING WE KEEP, releases August 1, 2016 from Lake Union Publishing. It is available TODAY as a July Kindle First selection. Kerry’s second novel, ALL THE BREAKING WAVES releases December 2016, and WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND, the sequel to EVERYTHING WE KEEP, releases summer 2017.

You can find Kerry here:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

Revisions are done (for now) on my debut, scheduled for release summer 2017. I’m in a holding pattern until my editor sends me the next round to review.

Proposals for next projects are with my agent. I’m in a holding pattern until I hear back.

For the first time in six years, I’m not actively working on a book and I’m suffering from a crazy-making case of empty story nest syndrome, or ESNS if you want to get cute. I feel lost, empty. I want to have a latte with Becca from proposal #1 or check in with Nettie and old lady Delacort from proposal #2. I’m dying to know what Emma from my debut, The Memory of Hoofbeats, is doing right now. But they’re off doing their own thing. And I’m here … waiting, alone.

I have an 11-year old at home. Empty Nest Syndrome is far away for me (although the speed with which this past year went, he’ll be in college by the time I finish writing this blog post). Interestingly enough, my character Nettie (from proposal #2) is dealing with empty nest issues. But me, I know nothing about that. My real nest is happily stuffed.

But my made up nest, my brain nest … it’s echoing.

What’s a writer to do?

Rearrange

You’ve heard the stories (or maybe you’ve done this yourself) of parents who turn a kid’s room into an office/sewing room/cat hotel when their child leaves for college? Similar, sort of, idea.

On my second day of ESNS craziness (day one was spent staring at the laptop, refreshing emails and scanning social media for a hint of what my future held), I dumped everything out of my office drawers and closet. I’m a paper-reviser which means I have binders and binders and binders of old manuscripts. Then there are the journals with story notes and research for each book.

I moved the dust-bunny manuscripts deeper into the closet. Notebooks and binders for the newer projects are within easy reach in the top drawer.

Then there’s the electronic rearranging. I moved files around on my computer, saving files to the server, making sure there were duplicates on different drives, and moving emails to the appropriate folders for safe keeping.

This is the perfect time to look at your website and give it a facelift or overhaul if needed. Mine needed — badly. I updated pages, moved a few things around, tweaked photos, and updated my about page.

Organize

I have a tendency to accumulate “things” — shiny, pretty notebooks; office supplies; random notes jotted down on scrap paper; print-outs of articles I will read but haven’t yet. I also save emails that I plan to read when I have time. Okay, you can stop laughing now.

Part of my office rearranging was a lot of organizing and sorting of papers and notebooks. I discovered interesting notes I’d put down but forgot about. Among them were a few that baffled me, you know those “where the heck was my brain” moments, and others were little lightbulbs of happiness. I consolidated notes about specific projects into the appropriate notebooks, checked off books I’d jotted down as “must buys” that I’d already purchased and bought a few more (shhhh, don’t tell my husband).

And, of course, the electronic organizing. So. Many. Saved. Emails. Oy! Lots of e-newsletters that I haven’t read in months and months. I unsubscribed from some, scanned through and deleted ones that weren’t relevant, and read others.

Catch up

My TBR pile is looking an awful lot like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It doesn’t matter how many times I remind myself that reading is part of my writing life, my corporate-brainwashed mind can’t get the hang of sitting and reading during the day, and at night, I’m lucky to get through 2 pages before I fall asleep. So I’ve been reading.

The thank you notes that have been waiting to be written – written.
The blog posts I’ve been wanting to write – drafted.
The social media plan I’ve been meaning to finish – finished.

Volunteer

If you’re a member of a writer’s association, this is a great opportunity to get involved.

I’m using my ESNS crazies to get ahead with two writer’s events I’m organizing. I’ve been knocking through the “busy-work” list – deciding on menus, fine-tuning the schedule, preparing name badges, creating welcome folders, etc. I’m also a judge for a writer’s contest so using this time to get the entries judged.

Pay it forward

I’ve been going through my “read” list on Goodreads and writing reviews. I know, I know … I should be doing those immediately as I finish the books and sometimes I do. Other times though, I update my status from my phone thinking I’ll remember to post when I get back to my computer. And then time blows past me. Writing down time is the perfect time to catch up.

Post those reviews on Amazon and/or Barnes & Noble as well. Support your fellow writers!

Tinker

Do non-writing related things that you’ve been wanting to do but didn’t have the time for. I’ve been crocheting. I’m almost done with a throw-blanket. While my fingers move, my brain noodles. I’ve worked out a plot issue with one of the proposals, and came up with two new story ideas. Oh, and figured out how to re-organize the living and dining rooms so I can turn one into a library (gotta find room for those additional books I bought).

I’ve been filling my time and feeling productive. But I still miss my characters.

Do you get ESNS? How do you handle writing down time?

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About Orly

Orly Konig is an escapee from the corporate world, where she spent roughly sixteen (cough) years working in the space industry. Now she spends her days chatting up imaginary friends, drinking entirely too much coffee, and negotiating writing space around two over-fed cats. She is a co-founder and past president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and a member of the Tall Poppy Writers. She is rep’d by Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary Agency LLC.

Orly’s debut, The Memory of Hoofbeats, will be released by Forge in 2017.

You can find her on Twitter at @OrlyKonig, on Facebook at OrlyKonigAuthor, or on her website, www.orlykonig.com.

 

Photo Credits:
Orly: by Lauren Ackil of Lauren Ackil Photography.
Top: by Sam - Flickr - CC License 2.0

Kathryn Craft
Turning Whine into Gold

My writing gratitude list, today:

• The excitement (and relief!) of a new story gelling on the page.
• The women who attended my spring writing retreat, so generous with their encouragement, feedback, and gin and tonics.
• Last night’s kayak adventure with them on a glassy lake, after dark and guided by a full moon, that encouraged us to use our senses in a different way.

Wow. I am so full of gratitude this morning it’s hard to stop at three.

That was not always the case.

Eighteen years ago, after my first husband’s suicide, I made many trips to the bookstore, seeking the advice I needed to patch my soul. I had to pull myself around for my young sons, my clients, and the bevy of farm animals who depended on me. On one such trip I sought Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy.

Oh, how I wanted those long-abandoned concepts back in my life.

Comfort.

Joy.

These emotional states, Ban Breathnach said, could be reached through gratitude. I needed a lot of help, so I implemented her advice in three ways.

Gratitude walks

In the early days, my nerves were so jangled that all I could do was put one foot in front of the other—literally. Inspired by Ban Breathnach—and begrudgingly at first, I’ll admit—I infused my aimless walks with gratitude: I am grateful for the breeze against my face, the rustle of leaves through the trees, the muscles that power each step. Such commonplace joys so often get buried within the bustle of our lives.

While my mind slowed to a more meditative place on these walks, every now and then a Great Blue Heron, with its crooked neck and six-foot wingspan, flew overhead. Had they just moved into my rural Pennsylvania neighborhood, or had I been too preoccupied with my problems to notice? My curiosity led to research. At sixty million years old, herons exemplify extreme survival ability. Their method of hunting, standing stock still in shallow water awaiting frogs and fish, teaches us balance and patience.

I am grateful for the Great Blue Heron and its survival lessons for the writing life: to observe keenly, to wait patiently while what we need comes to us, and to be aggressive when opportunities present themselves.

Gratitude journal

Reaching a place of gratitude while walking a country road was an easy place to start. The beauty and resiliency of nature was only a heartbeat away, my challenge was no greater than the next hill, and much-needed, exercise-induced endorphins were flooding my brain. But later, when I climbed into bed alone and exhausted, my anxieties—the echoes of trauma and failure, uncertainty about what was to come, and questions about my own fortitude—insisted on swelling to fill the silence. Even as I deeply desired the salve of sleep, my brain raced. My eyes stayed vigilant. Overwhelm engulfed.

This was when I needed gratitude the most. I kept a journal by my bed and insisted, every night, on infusing my soul with more positive thoughts by listing ten things for which I was grateful. Honestly, while feeling victimized by a turn of events, this list was often, “I am grateful we have groceries. I am grateful for my house. I am grateful for my dog. I am grateful we are alive, even if it doesn’t feel very good right now”—and then I’d repeat that fourth one six more times.

I am grateful that with consistent practice I learned to recognize and cherish small moments of beauty and grace, and that I can apply this skill to remembering all that I love about the writing life.

Gratitude grace

Grace was my attempt to pass along some of this healing to my 8 and 10-year-old sons. Before dinner we would hold hands (to symbolize our unity) and take turns listing three things we were grateful for (to share our individuality). Well, chips off the old block, those boys. It didn’t take long until they figured out a formula: “I’m thankful for our house, Mom, and Max. Amen.”

Clearly we needed additional ground rules. Now, the three things listed had to be individual to experiences they had that day. This challenged them. It took longer. They were not grateful for this opportunity—at least not at first. But Ban Breathnach promised that when gratitude becomes a habit, the spirit lifts, and our lives bore witness to this simple truth.

I am grateful that my sons and I moved beyond that fear-filled time and were able to set big goals of our own choosing. Writing for publication was my chosen challenge, and it remains my joy and my privilege.

Gratitude is the antidote to whining. We belittle our profession, our creative potential, and our great big hearts if the only things we writers share with one another are our fears and frustrations. Doing so puts us in danger of hardening to life’s moments of magic. Our professional exchanges deserve nurture; negativity can pull our colleagues down even if all we meant to do was extract their comfort.

But joy? That’s ours to find, and no matter what else is going on in your life or career, small moments of it are always within reach when adopting a posture of active gratitude. Why not give it a try?

What three things are you grateful for in your writing life today? Please share!

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About Kathryn

Kathryn Craft is the award-winning author of two novels from Sourcebooks: The Art of Falling, and The Far End of Happy. Her chapter “A Drop of Imitation: Learn from the Masters” will appear in the forthcoming guide from Writers Digest Books, Author in Progress, available now for pre-order.

Her work as a developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com, specializing in storytelling structure and writing craft, follows a nineteen-year career as a dance critic. Long a leader in the southeastern Pennsylvania writing scene, she leads workshops and speaks often about writing.

Twitter: @kcraftwriter
FB: KathrynCraftAuthor