In this conversation, Ruthie reveals why Instagram is so valuable for writers, lots of strategies for using it well and not spending a lot of time doing it, how to use personal and professional accounts in conjunction, the difference between posts, reels, and stories, and much more!

The post Marketing Expert Ruthie Gray on Instagram Strategies for Authors appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Social media is not only a great place to connect and network with other writers… it’s also a low-stakes environment to work on your writing skills.

For example, you can tell a story about something that happened to you today. You can give somebody a shout-out or acknowledge another writer. You can share a quote you liked. You can ask an insightful question. You can comment on other people’s posts. You can share what books you’re reading. You can share something you’re learning right now.

People’s greatest emotional need is to be affirmed and validated. If you make a list of all the things that make a big difference in your writing career, your writing talent is not item #1. A far more important item is the way you make people feel.

If you can make people feel good, if you can validate and affirm and encourage them through social media, you will go a long way.

Question: Can you think of an example of a social media post that impacted you or inspired to take action? How could you do the same for others by writing on social media?

The post Start Writing Today: Social Media appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

My guest today is Shelby Leigh, a mental health poet and self-love advocate who has been sharing her work online for 7+ years, amassing a following of more than 450,000 readers. She is the author of the bestselling book of poetry, changing with the tides.

In addition to writing poetry, Shelby hosts an online poetry community with monthly workshops, and helps other writers confidently market their books. She is also the host of the “Small Steps to Self-Love” podcast. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @shelbyleighpoetry.

I first came across Shelby when a friend of mine posted a link to her “BookTok Blueprint” guide on Facebook. I purchased it, thought it was extremely helpful, and as a result, wanted to invite Shelby onto the show to share her expertise with you.

In this interview, you’ll learn why you should use TikTok, how to gain followers there, how to make videos, how to convert followers into readers who buy books, and lots, lots more.

The post TikTok Secrets for Authors with Shelby Leigh appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Whenever you hear the term “social media,” what’s your response? Many writers reel back a little at the idea of getting more involved on social media because they don’t know how to be effective using it, or because they feel it will take away from their writing time.

I understand. I’ve been there. I have struggled to know the best ways to use social media. And as an introvert, sometimes it’s hard to summon the energy to engage with more people.

That’s why I’ve asked my good friend John Schuchman to help us with this important topic today. John is a successful real estate agent in Pennsylvania and has been very successful in using social media to increase his business and connect with people. He’s also a social media coach for real estate agents.

John gives us some great tips on using social media as a writer and leader, which platforms to focus on, how to connect and serve, and some things to avoid.

The post Using Social Media to Increase Your Impact and Influence with John Schuchman appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Social media has made things both harder and easier for us as writers.

On the one hand, it is much easier than it was years ago because we can connect with almost anyone. We can share content and be inspired by what other people are posting.

On the other hand, social media has made it much harder. Why? Because social media by definition only showcases people’s success. We end up comparing our whole lives, including our failures and frustrations, to a partial view of other people’s lives because they only post their wins. (And we all do the same thing, by the way.)

When you see all the wins that people are posting, don’t compare yourself. Sure, you can learn from other people. But your race is not their race. You have your own pace, your own goals, your own priorities, and your own commitments in life.

For example, if you are a young mother with three kids at home and you only have 15 minutes of silence a day before collapsing into bed at night, don’t feel guilty about not getting as much work done as the single guy who probably has far fewer commitments, much more free time, and seems to be accomplishing more.

Here’s another example. Maybe you are that single person who is just getting started and feels guilty because you’re not accomplishing as much as that business writer with several kids who seem to travel all over the world and have it all. They have a New York Times bestseller, an email list of a hundred thousand people, and what looks like a perfect life.

But what you may not know is that her marriage is crumbling and she’s secretly miserable because she has to run herself ragged to keep up with all the demands of her freshly grown business.

In other words, you never know people’s real situations and what their lives are like on the inside. So don’t assume that what you’re seeing on social media is the whole picture.

This is certainly no judgment on anybody’s personal situation because we all have different lives. Our lives are constantly in flux according to our stage of life and where we are in building a business or reaching our goals.

Don’t worry about anybody else. Just focus on running your own race and learn what you can from other successful people. Then, apply those lessons to your situation.

If you keep at it, pretty soon people will be comparing themselves to YOU. And then you can help a mentor and teach them, just like others have done for you.

Question: Do you have a hard time avoiding the comparison game?

The post Run Your Own Race appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

This is especially true for creatives of all types, including writers. What you see out there in the world, and even more so within yourself, depends on the lens you’re looking through.

Another word for this “lens” is “perspective.” Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to share a few perspectives on your writing, your career, and your creative life. You might call these “contrarian” perspectives because they go against the conventional wisdom we’ve all heard.

I hope these will help you stay healthy and productive in your writing life. Let’s dive into today’s perspective.

One of the downsides of social media is that everyone can see what we do. Oftentimes, there is immediate judgment when someone goofs up or makes a mistake. Therefore, we’re all hyper-aware of doing something to make ourselves look foolish. We avoid risk and place a premium on appearances.

We have to move past this impulse and instead keep a beginner’s mindset. Life and technology are changing so fast there is no way to keep up with it. If you’re going to stay relevant, you have to be willing to experiment, learn, make mistakes, and grow.

I’m facing this now with doing short-form video on social media. I’m not very good at it, but I’m learning. I’m willing to practice in public and go for it with a beginner’s mindset.

How about you? What are you learning? Is it book marketing? Social media? Working on that first book? Getting started with public speaking or podcasting?

Whatever it is, just dive in and don’t worry about what everybody thinks. You’ll catch on quickly enough. In this ever-changing media and technological landscape, we’re honestly all beginners, all the time. But the prize will belong to those who are willing to adapt and change with the times.

Question: What are you learning right now? Do you have a beginner’s mindset in your writing and creative work?

The post Keep a Beginner’s Mindset appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Why it’s important: When you see other successful writers, it might seem like you should be everywhere. But that’s not the case. The ones who do seem to be everywhere probably have assistants creating a lot of that content, which is totally fine. I have an assistant, also, but that’s only been for the last year or so. Up until then, I did everything myself.

But when you’re starting out, you have to pick and choose where you want to be. A blog is essential. That is the baseline for a writer, in my opinion. An email newsletter is essential also. And then being on social media is crucial, although I recommend just focusing on 2-3 places.

Video is great if you feel motivated. The same is true for podcasting. I love podcasting but you have to really commit to it. The point is to choose your platforms, the ones you enjoy and that you can use to reach your audience.

Here’s the big challenge in choosing your platforms: you will be tempted to be EVERYWHERE. And it’s just not possible. When you see the big names being super active on every social media platform and doing “all the things,” remember that it took them a long time to build that up. And again, they have hired people to help with those things.

Don’t give into the idea that you have to be everywhere. First, focus on your website/blog, and email newsletter, and a couple of social media platforms. That’s more than enough to begin.

Daily Question: What platforms do you currently use to share your content, and where do you plan to expand in the next six months?

The post Milestone #2: Build the Platforms Where You Will Share Your Content appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Being an author in our media age isn’t just about creating books or written content. It’s also about creating a media platform that can consist of video, podcasts, and social media.

Of course, I encourage you to take advantage of all these for yourself. In addition, you can greatly increase your network if you are a guest on other people’s media platforms. The most common way to do this is by being a guest on other people’s podcasts. It’s an incredibly powerful way to borrow someone’s audience, add value to their listeners, grow your network, and share your message.

If you are a new to this strategy, find a few shows in your niche and share with the podcast host why would make a great guest. Put the focus on adding value. After you have done a few of these, you will begin to get more invitations until it eventually builds its own momentum.

In fact, you can build a great online presence if you only focus on this strategy. Being a guest on other people’s podcasts, shows, and media platforms is the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to grow your audience.

Daily Question: What are three topics you could talk about as a podcast guest?

The post Be a Podcast Guest appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

This is the sixth entry in our mini-series on dealing with rejection.

When your writing has been rejected—or at least, when you perceive that it has—you respond emotionally. And that’s totally natural. We all respond emotionally when we’re hurt.

And what do we do when we’re hurt? We lash out. We want retribution. We find a way to strike back.

Here’s a mistake you want to avoid, though. Don’t lash out on social media or elsewhere in public. It could also be a blog, podcast, speech, or some other medium. The point is: don’t say anything to burn a bridge.

Unless you have an extremely good reason, you shouldn’t publicly criticize an individual or an organization. You will look petty and vindictive, you will damage relationships, you will create tension, you will probably harm future prospects and opportunities, and you will repel people with your negativity.

Some people do make a living criticizing others. Lots of pundits, YouTubers, and podcasters base their whole platform on what they are against, instead of what they are for. That’s certainly your choice if you want to take that approach, but I don’t recommend it.

Instead, here is what I DO recommend: vent somewhere in private. This is what good friends, therapists, and journals are for. But for goodness’ sake, don’t say something you will regret. In our age of instant worldwide communication, you can ruin your whole career with just a few sentences. This is exactly what Roseanne Barr did a few years ago when she got herself fired from the revival of her own TV show “Roseanne” when she posted a critical and racially insensitive tweet.

Remember, it only takes one match to burn down a bridge. In the moments when you feel like venting, hold your tongue. The damage you will do is not worth it.

Daily Question: When is the last time you said something you later regretted? What did that moment of satisfaction cost you?

The post It Only Takes One Match to Burn a Bridge Down appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Platform… it’s one of those words that feels mysterious, intimidating, and maybe even confusing to many authors. You’ve heard that you need a platform and you’re willing to do the work, but why do you need one and how do you build it?

My friend Chad Allen is here on this episode to join me for a conversation about these questions and more. Chad is a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach. As a twenty-year publishing professional, he served in acquisitions and directorial roles for Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, before going full-time with his own business.

He has collaborated with numerous bestselling authors including Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Mark Batterson, Phyllis Tickle, and many others. Chad is also the creator of Book Proposal Academy, an online course, and BookCamp, a mentoring and community hub for writers. His passion is helping writers get their books into the world. He blogs at ChadRAllen.com.

Chad holds a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Alyssa, live with their two children in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In this conversation, you will learn all about your author platform, including the #1 reason publishers turn books down, the best ways to grow your platform, the role of blogging and social media, how to change your mindset about growing your platform, and more.

I had the privilege of meeting Chad a couple of years ago at Jeff Goins’ Tribe Conference, and I can tell you he is the real deal. He is an excellent book coach and knows more than just about anyone on the planet about what it takes to put together an excellent book. Over the years, I have read and used dozens of books where Chad had a hand in their success… I just didn’t know it at the time!

In addition, Chad has a special offer for Daily Writer listeners, which is a free 30-day trial of Book Camp, his community that will help you grow your platform.

Check out Chad’s special offer for this community, his book proposal course, and ways to connect with him below:

ChadRAllen.com

Free 30-Day Trial of BookCamp

Book Proposal Academy

Follow Chad on Twitter

Connect with Chad on Facebook

The post Chad Allen: Secrets to Building Your Author Platform appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.