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Social Media Marketing by Liana Evans, A Book Review

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Social Media Marketing by Liana Evans, A Book Review

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on August 9, 2018

A Look at Social Media Marketing by Liana Evans

Social Media Marketing by Liana Evans was a book that I might have read a little too late in the semester. In all fairness, I read this book toward the end of my first social media class at Quinnipiac (ICM 522).

Hence it felt like I already knew a lot of what she had written, but that was likely more a function of timing than anything else.

Sorry, Li.

Been There, Done That

So the Liana Evans book is interesting. However, I had just read a ton of other works about very similar work, strategies, and ideas. Therefore, it ended up being maybe one book too many. Plus it ended up an optional read, anyway.

Furthermore, other works seemed to have said it better. So these days, books just do not get published fast enough to take proper advantage of trends and new insights. Hence blogs, in general (although not always!) end up more current and relevant.

What Was the Best Thing I Learned from Liana Evans and Her Book?

Possibly the best takeaway I got from the book was when Evans talked about online communities, particularly in Chapter 33 – You Get What You Give. So on page 255, she writes –
• You need to invest your resources, such as …
† Time to research where the conversation is
• Time and resources to develop a strategy
† and Time and staff resources to engage community members
• Time to listen to what they are saying, in the communities
† Time and resources to measure successes and failures
• Giving valuable content
† It is similar to a bank account
• Don’t bribe the community

And ~

† Rewards come in all fashions
• Research who your audience is
† Give your audience something valuable and/or exclusive
• Don’t expect you’ll know everything
† Listen to what your audience says
• Admit when you are wrong
† Thank your community

Finally, much like we’ve been telling people for years on Able2know – listen before you speak!

Rating

Review: 4/5 stars.

Want More Book Reviews?

If my experiences with book reviews for social media resonate with you, then check out my other book review articles.

Check Out Book Reviews on Social Media, SEO, Analytics, Design, and Strategy

• Avinash Kaushik’s Web Analytics 2.0, a Book Review
† The Cluetrain Manifesto: 10th Anniversary Edition, a Book Review
• Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky, A Book Review
† Content Nation by John Blossom, A Book Review
• Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson, a Book Review
† Google Advertising Tools by Harold Davis, a Book Review
• Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, An Updated Book Review
† Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

• Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen
† Michael Fleischner’s SEO Made Simple, a Book Review
• The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott, A Book Review
† The Numerati by Stephen Baker, a Book Review
• Optimize by Lee Odden, A Book Review
† Social Media Marketing by Liana Evans, A Book Review
• Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, a Book Review
† White Space is not your Enemy by Kim Golombisky and Rebecca Hagen, a Book Review
• The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Hyder Kabani, a Book Review

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Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, An Updated Book Review

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on August 7, 2018

Another Look at Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

This is something of an updated review of Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff as, by the time I got to the ICM 522 Social Media Platforms class at Quinnipiac University, I had already read this seminal work.

But no matter. Because this is still a terrific work by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li, and it remains more than a little relevant.

And in fact, I think I understand it better than I ever have.

Changing the Way You Think about Online Marketing for Good

For Li and Bernoff, the online world is a rich and diversified community. And in that large umbrella community, there are several smaller communities. But unlike in the case of the classic Matryoshka (Russian nesting dolls), there is an enormous amount of overlap.

Above all, they put forward the idea of a system called POST. And if you read nothing else, read this part of not just my review but of their book itself.

• Personae – who are your potential buyers? Who are your readers? And who makes up your audience?
† Objectives – what do you expect to get out of going online, and continuing online, or going in a different direction online?
• Strategies – how will you implement your ideas? What comes first? In addition, what must wait?
† Technologies – which platforms will you use? How will you use these differently as your strategy begins to click into place?
So the last time I read Groundswell, I suspect that I did not really understand POST.

And now I know never to start a social media campaign without it. So thanks to Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff! This work is a classic for a damned fine reason. It really is that good. Because you need this book in your social media library.

Five Years Later — are Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff Still Relevant?

Social media platforms come and go. Fads rise and fall. Yet through it all, the lessons of the POST strategy, and why it’s so vital? Those are a rock, an anchor in an online world that sometimes feels like just so much jello stuck to the wall, ever sliding downwards.

Ew, sorry for that image, folks.

But never mind that for now.

I think the biggest and most vital part of POST is the first initialism, the P. The buyer persona is someone who we should be thinking about all the time. Not just sometimes, and for God’s sake not just when there’s an exam at school or the boss comes around at work.

It’s even a vital concept in a place that you would least expect it — a personal blog. And even in our own social media postings.

For if we are flinging those pixels out to the universe, then we are expecting an audience. We are wishing and hoping to be read! But if we don’t take that buyer persona into account at all (even when we aren’t selling anything and not expecting anyone to ever want to buy anything), we should still account for our audience.

Social media is exceptionally performative. We curate our photos and our words and our stories and our snark. If we want any sort of a reaction, then we have our audience in mind. Even if that’s subconsciously.

Being offensive is bad. Being unfunny is worse. But being unread? Quelle horreur! That is the worst.

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Writing Progress Report – Second Quarter 2018

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Writing Progress Report – Second Quarter 2018

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on June 28, 2018

Progress Report – Second Quarter 2018

Second quarter 2018 was another productive three-month period.

Finished Works

So first of all, I worked on a number of new short stories. A lot of these had been drafted on paper and so I spent some time fixing and really making them shine.

So here’s what I created and improved.

April

So first of all, by design, I did no writing. However, I posted The Badge of Humanity (Book 3 of The Obolonk Murders trilogy) and The Real Heart of the Universe (Book 2 of that trilogy) for review.

Also, I queried The Resurrection of Ditte twice and Darkness into Light one time.

May

So, I wrote well and regularly this month. All in all, it was great progress for second quarter 2018.

May 1 – 7

First of all, during the first week of May 2018, I wrote a piece every day. I also posted The Lark, Recovery, Flooding, Intolerable Behavior, Coping, Cultural Exchange, and Suspension of Disbelief.

So, in keeping with the dystopian scenarios that have been creeping into my works lately, The Lark, Coping, and Cultural Exchange are all pretty creepy, with the former two being post-disaster stories. Finally, Cultural Exchange is more of a first contact gone wrong short story.

Recovery is kind of odd, since I deliberately made it unclear whether the narrator was human.

Also, Suspension of Disbelief is almost the prelude to a whodunit. In addition, Flooding takes the perspective of (yes, really!) a worker ant. And Intolerable Behavior is a comedy; the main character is rather similar to the unnamed narrator of Revved Up.

So, I think I like Coping and Flooding the best, with the former having a commanding lead over the latter.

May 8 – 14

Next, in the second week of May 2018, I wrote a piece every day.

I also posted Side by Side, You Never Know, Taste, A Path Not Taken … Much, Coincidence, Succession, and Snub. Side by Side is another comparison of one timeline to another. Since readers said they felt one of the sides was like The Path (from the previous quarter), that was an issue.

You Never Know is another humans fighting back type of story.

Taste is another return to cave people. A Path … is a wry comedy about another first contact gone wrong. Coincidence is yet another creepy Twilight Zone-type piece where people seem to be disappearing. Succession is a sequel to Merciful.

Finally, Snub is a kind of wedding drama piece.

So this week, I like Side by Side, You Never Know, and Coincidence.

If I had to pick a favorite, I would probably go with either Coincidence or You Never Know. The former because I spent some time crafting it (rather than just reeling it off), and the latter because it’s ultimately got some hope in it (like Coping does, from the prior week).

May 15 – 21

During the third week of May 2018, I wrote a piece every day but the 19th (the day off was because a friend had died). So, I wrote Dinosaurs, The Panther, Chains, Freedom, The Seed, and Time Stretching.

So, Dinosaurs is about a race which has gone past physical bodies and moved onto mechanical ones. The Panther is another tale of cave people.

In addition, Chains is a kind of odd dystopian story. Also, Freedom is the defiant words of a prisoner. The Seed is yet another cave people story. Finally, Time Stretching is just a short tween thing.

So, this week, I liked The Panther the most, with The Seed coming in second.

May 22 – 31

Finally, in this ten-day period of May 2018, I wrote a piece every day. I wrote Just About, Captive, Your Planet Smells Like Wet Dog, A Touch of Gray Hair, Carney Crash Canyon, Separated, A Place, The Ridge, Placid, and also Treasures.

Also, Just About is a sonnet I wrote for my wedding anniversary. Captive is about a woman held hostage in the jungle. Finally, Your Planet Smells Like Wet Dog is a semi-amusing alien contact story.

Also, A Touch of Gray Hair is an amusing piece I wrote for a contest. But Carney Crash Canyon is a depressing story of a crash victim waiting to die. In addition, Separated is about children separated from their parents in America.

A Place is about a mentally ill or challenged person who is also being mainstreamed. The Ridge is a war story. In addition, Placid is about Nessie. Finally, Treasures is a strange story about witness protection.

So, I think my favorites from this period are Your Planet Smells Like Wet Dog, A Touch of Gray Hair, The Ridge, Placid, and Treasures.

For this month, my overall favorite is the last story I wrote, Treasures.

In addition, I queried Ditte again and Blue Card.

June

Also by design, I did no writing.

Second Quarter 2018 Milestones

Furthermore, I have written over two and a half million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• How to NaNoWriMo – 6,196 reads, 75 comments
† My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 969 reads, 133 comments
• Revved Up – 58,341 reads, 524 comments
† Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 11,953 reads, 587 comments. This is under my actual name, Janet Gershen-Siegel.
• The Canadian Caper – 439 reads, 37 comments
† The Dish – 248 reads, 24 comments
• There is a Road – 188 reads, 28 comments
† WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2018 – 684 reads, 43 comments

WIP Corner

So, the current WIPs are as follows.

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy is a futuristic crime story where our society is divided into three parts. So, they are humans, semi-sapient and sapient robots, and aliens. So, I may end up writing a sequel trilogy. I’m not sure, so stay tuned.

The Enigman Cave takes place about a half a millennium from now. However, it also imagines a first contact. But this is where the aliens are at the level of Australopithecus.

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy takes place about 140 years ago and covers an Earth overrun by alien factions during the Victorian Era.

Mettle takes place only a few years from now and is also the story of how society crumbles when metals begin to disappear.

So I also spent a bit of time writing fan fiction, in order to finish up a series during second quarter 2018.

Prep Work for Second Quarter 2018

So currently, I have been working on some writing prompts to keep me sharp and keep the words flowing. After that comes this year’s NaNoWriMo. So, I will probably write the third novel in the Real Hub trilogy. But I need a plot!

So, a lot of this year will be spent on that. In addition, this quarter, I got closer to having a viable plot. So this is for what I now know will have the title of The Real Hope of the Universe.

I also have some ideas for a time travel series and maybe even young adult. But those didn’t happen during second quarter 2018.

Second Quarter 2018 Queries and Submissions

So here’s how that’s going as of second quarter 2018.

In Progress

This list is the name of the story and then the name of the potential publisher.

• A Kitten – Flash Fiction Online
† A Touch of Gray Hair – Owl Canyon Press
• Almost Shipwrecked – Not One of Us
† Blue Card – Cincinnati Review
• Darkness into Light – ServiceScape Contest
† Dinosaurs – Factor Four Magazine
• Side by Side – Strange Horizons
† The Interview – Kferrin.com
• The Resurrection of Ditte – AGNI Magazine, Slice Magazine
† This is My Child – Analog Science Fiction & Fact
• Who Do We Blame for This? – Apparition Lit Flash Fiction Contest

All Other Statuses

• Almost Shipwrecked — Clarkesworld Magazine; Spaceports and Spidersilk; Unidentified Funny Objects — all rejected
† Blue Card – Threepenny Review – rejected
• Dinosaurs – Fantasy & Science Fiction; Shimmer – rejected from both
† The Enigman Cave – Bolide Publishing – ghosted; RAB – back in play as of 6/14/18
• The Resurrection of Ditte – Apex Magazine – rejected; Metamorphosis Magazine – personal, encouraging rejection
† Who Do We Blame for This? – Daily Science Fiction; Freeze Frame Fiction – rejected from both

Second Quarter 2018 Productivity Killers

So, it was work, what else? Because yes, that includes second quarter 2018. So, the following quarter should be better. Because I would like to reduce the stress in my life!

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Four Important Social Media Stats

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Four Important Social Media Stats

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on May 15, 2018

Consider These Four Important Social Media Stats

These were four important social media stats for you! This post was, in part, a riff on Four Great Free Tools and Four Important Stats. And I like the important stats. As for the four free tools, I’ll reserve judgment for another day.

These are still somewhat important, but keep in mind that the numbers have undoubtedly changed.

STAT 1

53% of people on Twitter recommend companies and/or products in their Tweets, with 48% of them delivering on their intention to buy the product. (ROI Research for Performance, June 2010)

However does this takes into account what essentially looks like spamming (e. g. buy this stuff!) versus what seems to be more sincere mentions of products, e. g. someone says I love this new Gatorade or I think my New Balance sneakers really make me faster?

I know it can be difficult for a large-scale survey of tweets to tell the difference between the two. However, if there is that much of a return, then I figure, the people either know or, perhaps, they just don’t care.

STAT 2

The average consumer mentions specific brands over 90 times per week in conversations with friends, family, and co-workers. (Keller Fay, WOMMA, 2010) – Just what does this mean? I mention products all the time, but it doesn’t necessarily mean I’m touting them. Ugh, I hate what they did to my conditioner! Why did John Frieda have to change it?

And that is a far cry from I want some more of that Amy’s Low-Salt Marinara Sauce with Basil – sooo good. Since the stat doesn’t mention whether the mentions went positive or negative, I suppose it’s a corollary to the old saw, that any press is good press. Note: sentiment analysis is better than it used to be, but still has a ways to go.

STAT 3

Consumer reviews are significantly more trusted – nearly 12 times more – than descriptions that come from manufacturers, according to a survey of US mom Internet users by online video review site EXPO. (eMarketer, February 2010)

This is how viral marketing works, kids. Because if a company can send out its minions to tout a product, even if not 100% positively (and it’s more believable that way, as it doesn’t look like mere puffery), then folks eat that up. Astroturfing Nation, here we come.

STAT 4

In a study conducted by social networking site myYearbook, 81 percent of respondents said they’d received advice from friends and followers relating to a product purchase through a social site; 74 percent of those who received such advice found it to be influential in their decision. (Click Z, January 2010)

However, this may be more of a function of the pervasiveness of social sites versus their influence. E. g. I truly only hear from some of my cousins through Facebook.

Do I give their opinions more credence than I do passing acquaintances’? Sometimes. But do I get this Facebook-based advice from them because we don’t pick up the phone or send snail mail or meet in person (we’re too far away to do this, anyway).

But to my mind, this is almost like giving the phone company credit for marketing strategy if we chat on the phone. We don’t. Instead, we use Facebook. I think this is a potential confusion of medium versus message.

Where Do We Go From Here With These Four Important Social Media Stats?

So, are social sites really that important? Is Twitter really that targeted? Do consumers really trust their pals more than they do slick, conventional marketers? Probably maybe, not really and yes. And it’s up to the Social Media Marketer to separate the wheat from the chaff with these kinds of stories, and see what’s really going on.

What do you think?

Five Years After This Post Was Last, Er, Posted…

… and a good thirteen years (!) after it was really first posted. Numbers shift and, these days, Twitter is called X, anyway.

But these metrics are still good, and they are still vital. For businesses, getting case studies published, and getting brand ambassadors on board, is still a terrific and inexpensive way to market. Both of these build trustworthiness (the ‘T‘ in Google’s E-EAT). They also help to build and bolster word of mouth, which is still a vital piece of any marketer’s strategy.

So, don’t discount these metrics, okay? But take the numbers with a grain of salt.

Want More About Social Media?

If my experiences with non-platform-specific social media resonate with you, then check out my other articles about navigating our social media obsessed world.

Progress Report – First Quarter 2018

First quarter 2018 proved to be a good time to write. Since this is the first of my writing progress reports, here are the details.

I wrote all the time or at least I worked on something to do with writing. The process generally runs from idea to percolating that idea or combining it with other ideas, outlining, drafting, preliminary editing, and reading aloud to my husband (a HUGE help for spotting flow errors). Then it’s beta readers sending feedback which I work out, off to the pro editor, write the query letter, query, wait for acceptance or rejection.

Accepted work? Then it’s time to work on promoting it. Rejected work? Then it’s time to regroup. This may mean more editing on my part, or changing the query or just shelving a work for a while.

Finished Works

First of all, I worked on a number of new short stories. A lot of these had been drafted on paper and so I spent some time fixing and polishing them. This included an older story, You Call is Very Important to Us.

Here’s what I created and improved.

January

I wrote well and regularly this month. It was a great kickoff to first quarter 2018.

January 1 – 7

During the first week of first quarter 2018, I wrote a piece every day. there are two pieces over 2,000 words long: The Resurrection of Ditte and A True Believer in Skepticism. Another four are under 2,000 words: Short, Sharp; Dragon for Sale, Cheap; Too Tired (tiny!); and The Landing. The seventh was also under 2,000 words and is a little scene from The Real Hub of the Universe trilogy: Snowy Allston.

Of these seven short stories, Dragon and Landing are both comedies. Allston is kind of melancholy. Tired was really just so I could get something written that day. The other three are somewhat ironic and all of them give off a Twilight Zone sort of vibe.

My favorite for this week is a tie between Ditte and Skepticism. They both having something to say about the human condition.

January 8 – 14

Then I wrote more short stories during the second week of first quarter 2018. All of the pieces are under 2,000 words. I wrote: The Forest; I Used to be Happy; The Star; I Hate Promises; A Kitten; The Outside World; and The Meeting.

Of these seven short stories, The Star; I Hate Promises; and The Meeting are comedies. The Forest and The Outside World are more like fables, with the former being about helping a stranger and the latter about being curious about freedom. A Kitten is heartwarming and could be read to a child.

My two favorites for this week are I Used to be Happy and A Kitten. Both should make a reader think, and I love writing like that.

January 15 – 21

And I wrote even more during the third week of first quarter 2018. These are all under 2,000 words: The Other, Canada Saves the World, Worthy, Nothing Good Ever Happens at 3 AM, Who Do We Blame for This?, None of this is real, and Inventory.

Of these short stories, The Other is another fable. Canada Saves the World and Inventory are comedies. None of this is real is more of a nascent romance. Nothing Good Ever Happens at 3 AM and Who Do We Blame for This? are both tragic first contact stories. Worthy is kind of an odd story about what is a sort of dystopian society that has lost its way.

This week, I had a lot of favorites. In fact, the only one that wasn’t a favorite was Canada Saves the World as it was just kind of silly. Even Inventory was better.

January 22 – 31

So, I wrote a lot more during the final ten days of the first month of first quarter 2018. Everything was under 2,000 words long. And these stories were: Soul Rentals, And the Horse You Rode in On, The Guitarist, The Metuchen Mystery, So Long, Will’s Dog, I Used to be Cruel, Just Married (sequel to The Meeting), Justice, and This is My Child.

Of these short stories, Soul Rentals is kind of spiritual. And the Horse You Rode in On is historical. The Guitarist is YA. The Metuchen Mystery is fantasy. So Long is tragedy. Will’s Dog and Just Married are more fluff pieces. Justice is dystopian. I Used to be Cruel and This is My Child are both drama.

For these last ten days, my favorites were pretty much everything but The Metuchen Mystery, which felt too light and silly. I’m not a fan of dragons, even if they are in New Jersey. The Guitarist was a particular fan favorite. I wrote almost 29,000 words during this month.

February

By design, I did no writing. However, I edited Mettle and The Enigman Cave. I didn’t do any promotions although I was busy with some work for Wattpad (I’m an Ambassador there). Working with beta readers was iffy/spotty at best. Since I do my best to nurture those relationships, but I also need to get a lasso around version control, I created a Facebook group and started using Google docs.

So far, that’s had a mixed reception. Plus I didn’t work on promotions. It’s not so much that I was busy; it was more that I’m just kind of burned out on that.

Beta readers, so far, have enjoyed The Guitarist, The Obolonk Murders, None of This is Real, and The Forest. Who Do We Blame For This? got a mixed reception, as did So Long and This is My Child. I’ve been trying not to be too pushy but unfortunately Facebook algorithms require a lot of activity. I’m still trying to find a good groove there while, at the same time, respecting everyone’s time and interest levels. And my own, too!

Plus I worked some more on the plot for Real Hope of the Universe.

March

There was even more writing!

March 1 – 7

I started off the month with a bang, writing Kelvin 505.928, Oh Little Town, Almost Shipwrecked, Courage, Hot Mess, Enchantment Street and Clay. These were all under 2,000 words long.

So of these short stories, Kelvin 505.928 is science fiction. Oh Little Town is horror. Almost Shipwrecked is humor and is a lot like The Meeting. Hot Mess is a prequel to Almost Shipwrecked. Courage is a romance with a twist. Enchantment Street is kind of dreamy and it’s one of the more positive stories I’ve written this quarter. Clay is a kind of odd deep future type of time travel story. Yeah, it’s weird.

My favorites this week included the one-two punch of Hot Mess and Almost Shipwrecked, plus Courage is a sweet story.

March 8 – 14

And then I kept it up by writing Blue Card, Protection, Shadows, The Path, Guinea Pigs, Loud, and It’s Five O’clock Somewhere . These were all under 2,000 words long.

Hence of these short stories, Blue Card is dystopian and might even be about the Nazis or something like that. Protection is a bit of a true crime story. Shadows and It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere are both time travel stories and they are representative of how I’ve been thinking about that premise lately. The Path is another dystopian story but there’s a bit of hope in there. Guinea Pigs is a weird science fiction story that’s kind of underdeveloped.

My favorites this week included Blue Card as it’s evocative and creepy at the same time. I also liked Shadows and It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.

March 15 – 21

During the following week, I wrote Space Con, Daybreak, AM/FM Ghosts, The Interview, Modern Sonnet, The Witness and How Much?. These were all under 2,000 words long.

Therefore of these stories, Space Con is something of a science fiction true crime story. Daybreak is about a medical miracle. AM/FM Ghosts plays with some urban fantasy I’ve been considering. The Interview and How Much? are both truly creepy science fiction. Modern Sonnet is a touch of poetry. The Witness is a little crime drama.

This week’s favorites included the matter-of-fact vibe of Space Con and the creepiness of How Much? But the big winner is also the fan favorite: The Interview. Beta readers told me they wanted to see more, which is always a great sign.

March 22 – 31

During the final 10-day period, I wrote Appealing, The Cause, The Invaders, Halfway, Merciful, Wicked Ways, and A Trip (there are three more but they’re being posted after this blog goes live). These were all under 2,000 words long.

Hence of all of these, Appealing is an after-prison story which I admit I cribbed from my own fan fiction. The Cause and Halfway are both historical. The Invaders is a little bit of unexpected humor. Wicked Ways and Merciful feel like they relate to each other, as an oppressive society turns to good. A Trip is similar to a work I did for an Alzheimer’s charity Anthology, called Props.

This week’s favorites included Appealing (one beta reader liked the main character’s strength) and Halfway. I also like Merciful; it’s a hopeful story. During this month (apart from three stories which won’t make it to this blog post), I’ve written just under 19,000 words. The big drop-off in production makes sense as work ate me alive.

Milestones

Also, I have written over two and a half million words (fan fiction and wholly original fiction combined). So right now my stats on Wattpad for wholly original works are as follows:

• How to NaNoWriMo – 5,662 reads, 74 comments
† My Favorite Things (like kibble) – 969 reads, 133 comments
• Revved Up – 57,999 reads, 523 comments
† Social Media Guide for Wattpad – 11,870 reads, 587 comments. This is under my actual name, Janet Gershen-Siegel.
• The Canadian Caper – 436 reads, 37 comments
† The Dish
• There is a Road – 188 reads, 28 comments
† WattNaNo’s Top Picks 2018 – 236 reads, 8 comments

WIP Corner

The current WIPs are as follows.

The Obolonk Murders Trilogy is a futuristic crime story where our society is divided into three parts – humans, semi-sentient and sentient robots, and aliens. I may end up writing a sequel trilogy. I’m not sure, so stay tuned.

The Enigman Cave takes place about a half a millennium from now and imagines a first contact where the aliens are at the level of Australopithecus.

The Real Hub of the Universe Trilogy takes place about 140 years ago and covers an Earth overrun by alien factions during the Victorian Era.

Mettle takes place only a few years from now and is the story of how society crumbles when metals begin to disappear.

Prep Work During First Quarter 2018

So currently, I have been working on some writing prompts to keep me sharp and keep the words flowing through first quarter 2018.

My intention, for this year’s NaNoWriMo, is that I will probably write the third novel in the Real Hub trilogy. But I need a plot! So a lot of this year will be spent on that.

And – heh – I might actually have a different plot for this year’s NaNo, taking place in, of all things, the Obolonks universe. But I really should finish Real Hub. Really. Shut up, plot bunnies!

First Quarter 2018 Productivity Killers

Work, and what else during first quarter 2018? Plus I have all sorts of offline junk going on, including house renovations and the inevitable lousy New England weather which means shoveling snow and also running the car when it’s really cold out so it won’t stall.

Another productivity killer was my own mood. Not only does winter do it to me (I get Seasonal Affective Disorder), it’s also that I’ve got some burnout. Sometimes the writing days did not come so easily.

Note: there is no previous progress report post!
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Interview with EJ Roberts

Adventures in Career Changing | Janet Gershen-Siegel | A Drop of Ink Reviews

Interview with EJ Roberts

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on February 22, 2018

Meet EJ Roberts

EJ Roberts is an all-around indie author reviewer! Back in July of 2016 I did something different and handed over the reins to her.

She’s from A Drop of Ink Reviews. So take it away, EJ Roberts!

Background

I am EJ Roberts, the reviewer for A Drop of Ink Reviews. So let’s sit and talk about what all of this entails and how it affects the indie author.

First off, I’ve been reading since I was four. I made my family teach me how to read when I couldn’t get anyone to read to me often enough to keep me happy. And I have been devouring books left and right ever since.

I honestly can’t get enough of the written word. Though it wasn’t until about 2009 that I began to have an inkling that such a thing as an “indie author” even existed and could be viewed in a good light.

Writerly Ambitions

I used to think I wanted to be a writer.

Adventures in Career Changing | Janet Gershen-Siegel | EJ Roberts and A Drop of Ink Reviews — Welcome to EJ Roberts of A Drop of Ink Reviews!

And I have some skill at putting words together, but the idea of exposing yourself as an author and facing the rejection and judgement of others – that scared me to death.

I eventually came to the realization that I could use my skills in writing for something else entirely.

I frequented a writing group on Facebook that featured mainly indie authors. There were a few traditionally published writers in the group, but not many. However, their lament was all the same. They couldn’t get reviews for their books. So, in 2015, A Drop of Ink Reviews was born.

Why Reviews Matter

Reviews are incredibly important to an author, and more so for an indie author than one traditionally published. The reviews tell other potential readers that someone took a chance on this unknown author. The more reviews there are, the more the book gains recognition.

Indie authors don’t have advertising and marketing budgets. They have to do all of the work themselves, so each and every review is precious. It’s free marketing and helps propel their book further.

How She Got Her Start

Until that moment, I’ll admit I’d never written a review. I looked at a lot of review websites out there to see how others were doing them. I then created my own idea and ran with it. Before authors would trust me with their books, I had to essentially audition for the right to read and review them for free. I started with a few books I had on my shelf and off I went. It wasn’t long before I was swamped with requests for reviews.

How to Get a Review

Most indie book reviewers will do this free of charge. The only thing being they are given a free e-book. Each reviewer will have their preferred genre, so it’s always important to pay attention to their submission guidelines. Think of it as trying to get an agent. You have to pay attention to their guidelines or your book will be tossed aside.

Personally, I’m quite open about what I’ll review. I do avoid horror, LGBT, non-fiction, poetry, and erotica. I joke that I’m a prude and don’t even want excessive scenes in a book. If they’re important to the storyline, that’s one thing. If they’re thrown in for shock value? Please don’t bother. I’m also fond of Young Adult and Middle Grade books. A lot of reviewers won’t touch those, so it’s important to pay attention.

The Indie View

But how does one go about finding these elusive reviewers? There is an excellent list out there called The Indie View. They sponsor a list of active book reviewers. They also list what genres the author will and will not read so you can eliminate a lot of guesswork. This is not a comprehensive list as indie reviewers must submit themselves. I was on there at one point, but have since been removed.

That’s okay though as I have a steady stream of people still interested.

It’s Just an Opinion (from EJ Roberts or Anyone Else)!

One super important thing to remember about a book review. They are all the opinion of a single person. Once, I posted a 2 star review on my site. I rarely post those, but I was one of the few of hundreds of people who’d read it and gave it a low star rating. I figured the readers of my blog would still be interested and it could bring more readers to the author.

About four people told me they were going to buy the book and read it themselves. That was until the author approached me about removing the review from my site and I made the mistake of doing so. From that moment on, an entire wave of people vowed to never read anything that author ever wrote.

While your feelings might be hurt by a review, let it stand. Don’t say a word. You never know when that negative review will actually bring readers to you.

The Joys and Occasional Downsides of Being a Reviewer

Being a book reviewer I’m put in a unique position. I’m handed someone’s pride and joy and they wait anxiously to hear my opinion. I take this position seriously. My greatest joy is when I can put a 4 or 5 star rating on the book and recommend it to everyone I can think of. I have actually come across a few authors that I will buy their books as soon as they’re released because of my review site.

Unfortunately, along with the fun of discovering a great new author comes the pain of having to tell an author their book wasn’t ready for publication. I do not review those. I quietly give the author a review in an email and point out the flaws. Then there are the books I cannot read for whatever reason. That hurts the most.

Though I believe there is an audience for everyone, sometimes I’m just not it. I am not in a position to review the book if it wasn’t written for me.

Pet Peeves

As I continue to review, I am finding I’m growing a small list of pet peeves. I’m fairly lenient because I still dabble in writing on the side and I know I have my own flaws.

However, the longer I dwell in the indie book world, the more I’m finding less excuses for what are obvious errors. One being not taking the time to proofread your book. A ton of typos drives me nuts. The author cannot see them. He or she has been looking at the book too long. It requires another person to do it. Have a friend who’s picky as all get out help you. Your other option is to pay someone.

When faced with this decision, keep in mind you are investing in the future of your book. I have had the privilege of watching a book blossom from a new cover and editing services. It went from being dead in the water to netting the author a decent little income. Never underestimate the power of editing and cover art.

One Book, Though …

In the past year and a half I’ve been reviewing, I have come across a single book where I could get past the fact it wasn’t edited. A single book. I have 77 reviews on my site. I have read over a 100 books. Only one book. Think about that.

The storyline was so incredible and amazing I could overlook the typos, and there were a lot. Do not think your book can do that. Do not make that mistake. It takes an incredible author to pull that off and they’re a rare breed.

What’s Next for EJ Roberts?

I love what I do. I love reading new books and sharing my opinion with others. And I love that I can shine a light on unknown indie authors and convince people who’d never think to look at an indie author to give one a try. Indie authors break the rules.

Sure, there are a lot out there who will still follow the same worn paths as traditionally published books, but the rule breakers are here. The ones that are carving out the new genres are alive and well in the indie world. I’m glad to be a part of it.

Thank You!

Well, Hello There

It’s me again (Janet). Thank you to EJ Roberts! Please check out A Drop of Ink Reviews when you get a chance.

Just about seven years later, the need for reviewers is still huge! Indie writers need reviewers. And readers need them, too.

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A Day in the Life of a Community Manager

Community Management, Scale. Freshening, Get Together, Love, Small Things, Without Management, True Community, Party Started, Terrible Netizen, Snakes, Circle Game, Look, Netizen, Corralling, Wandering off Topic, Facebook versus Forums, Superstar Users, Analytics, Community Roundtable, Community Management Haikus, Life of a Community Manager, Social Media Job Descriptions, Superstar Users, Community Roundtable 2010, community managers,

A Day in the Life of a Community Manager

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on November 21, 2017

A Day in the Life of a Community Manager

Whether paid or volunteer, the life of a community manager tends to be fairly similar. Community management can be a piece of Social Media Marketing and Management, but it doesn’t, strictly, have to be.

Most of a Community Manager’s time divides into three different modes:

1. Discussions
2. Nurturing and
3. Disciplining AKA Trust and Safety

Discussions

The discussion piece involves creating new discussions and shepherding them along. Users will not return, day after day, without new content. While the users are, ultimately, responsible for the content in a community, the Community Manager should create new content as well.

This is not always topics as it can also encompass informing users about changes in the site’s blog (if any) and even a Facebook fan page (if it exists).

This discussion piece evolves as the community evolves. In a community of fewer than one thousand users, the Community Manager’s content might be the only new content for weeks! Which…can sometimes be problematic.

As such, it can loom very, very large, but can also have a much stronger calming effect if other content is snarky.

As the community grows, the Community Manager’s contributions should diminish. But there should still be some involvement. Otherwise members may feel the Community Manager is hanging back a bit too much.

It is a community, and that means that the users want to know the Manager(s). An easy and somewhat safe way to do this is by creating discussions.

On Topic/Off Topic

And the discussions need not always stay on topic! Lively discussions can be almost spun from whole cloth if the Manager can get the people talking. An automotive community might thrill to talking about cooking.

A cooking community might engage in an animated discussion about the Olympics. And a sports community could very well bring its passion to a topic like politics.

In particular, if the community is single subject-based (e. g. about, say, Coca-Cola), going off-topic should probably at least peripherally relate to the overall subject.

Hence Coke could branch out into cooking and, from there, into family relationships. Or into health and fitness.

But a push to discussing politics may not work unless it’s based on a major recent news item or if there is precedent. And, if you get started with politics, it’s hard to put that genie back in the bottle.

Finally, if a member is ill, or has passed on, getting married or having a child, an off-topic discussion can spring naturally and effortlessly. This happens regardless of the community’s main subject matter.

Corporate management may not love off-topic discussions. But they keep a community together, and they help to keep it viable.

Nurturing

The nurturing piece relates to the discussion aspect. However, it tends to encompass responding to and supporting good discussions on the site.

This is especially helpful if the Community Manager identifies superstar users who are good at making topics who the community likes.

And then nurture them to promote those persons’ discussions over more inferior ones.

Use nurturing to encourage newbies. And use it to encourage members who might become superstar users if they only had a little more self-confidence. Give them a track record of support and positive reinforcement.

Welcoming people can get old rather quickly. But there’s nothing wrong with a form welcome, whether it’s an email or a private message or even a popup. Why not explain where to go to contact a Moderator? Or where to look and even where to report if the site is down?

Another use for a welcoming message can be to link to the Terms of Service and any other rules the community must abide by.

The Life of a Community Manager and Relationships

Nurturing can also take the shape of developing relationships with members. The Community Manager doesn’t have to be friends with everyone, even if the site is very small. However, they should get to know the users.

Private messages (if available), writing on a wall or the like can do this.

Furthermore, the Community Manager can use private messages, etc. to head off potential problems at the pass.

Headstrong members might be wonderful when they write on topics not related to their overarching passion. Or they might respond to a tactful request to tone things down a bit. Or a lot.

The Community Manager can encourage those members to take part in those other discussions. The manager can reach out to other community members. Friendship can help to minimize flaming.

Disciplining AKA Trust and Safety

And this leads me to the disciplining part. It’s often the first thing that people think of when they think of community management. That includes things like pulling spam.

It also includes giving users timeouts or even outright suspending them when their activities run against a site’s Terms of Service.

Trust and Safety can also mean checking content to be sure that it fits community standards. Those can be everything from avoiding porn to getting rid of health misinformation.

The Facebook Trust and Safety team, for example, once had the unenviable responsibility to weed through violent and disturbing imagery. Nowadays, that’s done by AI.

And it also includes shunning and ignoring. These can be extremely powerful. The Community Manager can help to mobilize other users.

But Do It Right

An email or private message campaign is almost always a very poor idea. Rather, the Manager must lead by example. Don’t take the bait when challenged, unless it’s absolutely necessary. But that is rare.

It’s the Community Manager’s call when to take it, particularly if personal insults fly.

Often the best tactics include: (a) get offline and cool off. And (b) ask another Community Manager or Moderator to determine if it warrants disciplinary action. And then enforce that if it is.

One thing a Manager should never forget: there is far more to the community than just the people posting. There is often a far larger audience of lurkers, both registered and unregistered.

They are watching events unfold but rarely comment. By leading by example, the Community Manager can influence not only active posters but also the community at large.

Customer Service is Key for a Community Manager, Even if the Forums are Free and There are no Real ‘Customers’

During a typical day, new members register. Also, members lose their passwords, or start and respond to topics. Furthermore, they answer older topics. People engage in private communications (if permitted on the site).

Members may disagree on something and they may do so vehemently. The site may get spam. Or someone might add violent and disturbing imagery.

The Community Manager can become involved as a content creator if content creation lags or goes too far off subject. He or she should discipline difficult members if necessary.

However, generally, a Community Manager’s main task, both daily and over the life of the community, should be to carefully nurture and shape relationships.

Want More About Community Management?

If my experiences with community management resonate with you, then check out my other posts about how online communities work.

Community Management Tidbits

Here are some posts about my years in community management, and what I’ve learned.

• A Day in the Life of a Community Manager
† Analytics
• From Small Things
† Get Together
• Going From a Collection of Users to a True Community
† Handling Yourself as a Good Netizen
• Let’s Get this Party Started
† Look at Me!
• Risks of a Community Without Management
† Snakes in the Garden
• Superstar Users
† The Circle Game
• Wandering off Topic

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Google Advertising Tools by Harold Davis, a Book Review

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on November 2, 2017

Google Advertising Tools by Harold Davis

So, Google Advertising Tools by Harold Davis is one of those O’Reilly books, so it’s got an animal on the cover. This one is some sort of lemur or monkey. Not that that has anything to do with the subject matter, but it ends up much nicer than the O’Reilly books with scary insects on their covers. Ick.

But I digress.

Google Adwords and Adsense

The book concerns, unsurprisingly, Google AdWords and AdSense, but it also talks about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and the process of driving traffic to a website. Davis dispenses with the idea of adding significant article marketing-type content.

So he instead focuses in on getting your site onto directories. He also does not seem to get behind requests for backlinks. He does not seem to go for the other kinds of authority enhancements which seem to go in and out of style these days.

Affiliate Marketing

Davis also covers affiliate programs, such as Amazon and the like. For example, if you happen to check out the link to purchase the book from this blog entry, you will see an affiliate link in action. He also covers sponsored and contextual advertising.

Hence the book probably would have been better titled Advertising on the Internet. Because it explains far more than Google’s offerings. And it goes into far more detail.

While this book was not strictly about Social Media, any Social Media Marketer worth his or her salt should at least make a concentrated effort to understand online advertising. Because optimizing sites for advertising often helps to optimize them for other purposes as well. And these include important to tasks driving web traffic and even making conversions or sales.

Important to the bottom line? Absolutely. Google Advertising Tools by Harold Davis is a worthy addition to the web developer’s library.

Rating for Google Advertising Tools

Review: 2/5 stars.

Want More Book Reviews?

If my experiences with book reviews for social media resonate with you, then check out my other book review articles.

Check Out Book Reviews on Social Media, SEO, Analytics, Design, and Strategy

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Social Media’s Seduction AKA Oops, Did I Do That?

Published by Janet Gershen-Siegel on June 8, 2017

Social Media’s Seduction AKA Oops, Did I Do That?

Seduction is often a good thing. Hmm.

But this post riffs on Seduced: For Lawyers, the Appeal of Social Media Is Obvious. It’s Also Dangerous, which is a post on ABA Journal Online.

The Background

So here’s the scoop. An attorney named Sean Conway wrote a blog post, about a perceived injustice going on in the Florida courts. According to him, “Judge Cheryl Alemán was asking defendants whether they were ready for trial only about a week after their arraignment”.

Okay, so far, so good.

Except Mr. Conway decided to use inflammatory language in order to get his point across. However, he did go through normal channels initially and got no satisfaction. Because the problem with the one-week prep lead time is that the lead time, apparently, is normally some four or five weeks.

Hence Mr. Conway felt there was an injustice being perpetrated, e. g. the right to a speedy trial.

Over the Top

In addition, he apparently referred to the judge (who is now deceased), as follows:

• “evil, unfair witch”
† “seemingly mentally ill” and
• “clearly unfit for her position and knows not what it means to be a neutral arbiter.”

Now, let’s see. I can go along, perhaps, with unfair as a descriptor, particularly if other defendants, perhaps in other area courts, were being given more lead time. However, after that, Mr. Conway, what the heck are ya doing????

Seriously. So why did he have ever believe that this sort of overly inflammatory rhetoric would be acceptable, at any time, ever? Now, I am not, specifically, suggesting a Bowdlerization of language, or of using softer words to describe hard actions. But we’re not talking about genocide here!

Furthermore, we are not describing babies being pummeled or any other awful image you’d like to conjure up (I leave this to your own devices, Gentle Reader). Rather, it is a difference in lead prep time of three to four weeks. And it’s nothing more.

Yet is it a Civil Rights violation? Possibly. I’ll even give him that one, although neither he nor I are the arbiters of same (er, that’s why we have courts in the first place). Rather, the over the top language is just, well, it’s a very, very bad idea.

Alternatives to Social Media Seduction

Because surely he could have made the point with far less negativity. Conway feels that the invective was necessary to get the point across.

According to the article, “[t]he Florida Bar, however, concluded that he had violated five ethics rules, including Rule 4-8.2(a) (making false or reckless statements regarding the qualifications or integrity of a judge) and Rule 4-8.4(d) (engaging in professional conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice). However, Conway argued that his actions were protected by the First Amendment, but the Florida Supreme Court rejected this. Finally, in the end, Conway acquiesced with a public reprimand and a fine of $1,250.”

The Real Issues

No one said he couldn’t talk or write about this. It’s just the overly inflammatory rhetoric, truly, at issue here.

Although, by making the statements, possibly without too many supporting materials, he could’ve still been dinged on Rule 4-8.2(a), the “false or reckless statements” clause.

However, truly, the very stuff that he added to try to make his post stand out (e. g. the over the top statements and name-calling) were, most likely, the very things that made the Florida Bar not only sit up and take notice.

Those statements probably also made the Florida Bar ding him an amount that, for some people, equals close to one month’s worth of mortgage payments. It’s not a huge sum, but it’s not a small, one, either. Because clearly the Florida Bar was less than pleased.

So, what have we learned here? To my mind, it’s two things. One, we’ve got Free Speech! Yay! Awesome! And, two, that doesn’t mean we should be reckless with it.

Because, certainly, if we’re gonna make accusations with our free speech, we might want to do some research and back up our statements well.

Seduction and What it Can Teach Us

Oops, we’ve also, I hope, learned a third and fourth thing as well. Three, Social Media is actual speech and it’s pretty dang permanent.

Therefore, we might wanna think twice before putting stuff out there. And four, yeah, we’ve got free speech (yay!). However, it doesn’t mean we have to be jerks about using it.

Want More About Social Media?

If my experiences with non-platform-specific social media resonate with you, then check out my other articles about navigating our social media obsessed world.

Social Media in Our Society

Reviews of Books on Social Media

• Social Media Marketing by Liana Evans, A Book Review
† Book Review – Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen
• The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Hyder Kabani, a Book Review

Working with Social Media

Social Media for Writers

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Adventures in Career Changing Posts

A Look at Social Media Marketing by Liana Evans

Been There, Done That

What Was the Best Thing I Learned from Liana Evans and Her Book?

Rating

Want More Book Reviews?

Check Out Book Reviews on Social Media, SEO, Analytics, Design, and Strategy

Like this:

Another Look at Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

Changing the Way You Think about Online Marketing for Good

Five Years Later — are Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff Still Relevant?

Rating

Like this:

Progress Report – Second Quarter 2018

Finished Works

April

May

May 1 – 7

May 8 – 14

May 15 – 21

May 22 – 31

June

Second Quarter 2018 Milestones

WIP Corner

Prep Work for Second Quarter 2018

Second Quarter 2018 Queries and Submissions

In Progress

All Other Statuses

Second Quarter 2018 Productivity Killers

Like this:

Consider These Four Important Social Media Stats

STAT 1

STAT 2

STAT 3

STAT 4

Where Do We Go From Here With These Four Important Social Media Stats?

Five Years After This Post Was Last, Er, Posted…

Want More About Social Media?

Social Media in Our Society

Reviews of Books on Social Media

Working with Social Media

Social Media for Writers

Like this:

Progress Report – First Quarter 2018

Finished Works

January

January 1 – 7

January 8 – 14

January 15 – 21

January 22 – 31

February

March

March 1 – 7

March 8 – 14

March 15 – 21

March 22 – 31

Milestones

WIP Corner

Prep Work During First Quarter 2018

First Quarter 2018 Productivity Killers

Like this:

Meet EJ Roberts

Background

Writerly Ambitions

Why Reviews Matter

How She Got Her Start

How to Get a Review

The Indie View

It’s Just an Opinion (from EJ Roberts or Anyone Else)!

The Joys and Occasional Downsides of Being a Reviewer

Pet Peeves

One Book, Though …

What’s Next for EJ Roberts?

Well, Hello There

Like this:

A Day in the Life of a Community Manager

Discussions

On Topic/Off Topic

Nurturing

The Life of a Community Manager and Relationships