This week’s Indie Author Update looks at how marketing is changing in light of the Coronavirus. First, there’s a post on Instagram and COVID-19 and one on author branding during the quarantine.
This is National Poetry Month so it’s time for all of us to write a few poems. The goal is to write a poem a day but I can never manage that. I share a poem I wrote below. (Promise not to make fun of me, you talented poets!)
I hope you enjoy the entire selection this week.
COVID-19 & Instagram
Social Media & Covid-19: How to Communicate During a Crisis from Later, an Instagram scheduling app: Sure, this post is intended for businesses. But if you are an indie author you own a business. So, check out this post and learn how to communicate on social media during this pandemic.
Poetry for Indie Authors
National Poetry Month – Writing Prompts from Writers Digest: Even if you don’t normally write poetry, use these prompts to write some poems this month. You’ll find that poetry enhances prose
Here’s one that I wrote (and I almost never write poetry):
Flower at Santa Sabina
Wrinkled like a linen blouse
worn all day,
fluffy teeth
crown streaks of red,
balanced
atop a rising, bent stem
with errant leaves
large and small.
This bud of pleasure smiles,
maybe even giggles
in the sun
of this late spring day.
Facebook Adds New Tools for Facebook Live Amid Rising Demand and Usage by Andrew Hutchinson: Due to a record high levels in the use of Facebook Live due to COVID-19, Facebook is adding new tools to this feature.
How to improve your Facebook reach in 2020 from Sprout Social: Even though the post is intended for businesses (If you’re an Indie Author, you have one!), you can learn a lot. Facebook reach is difficult to attain without advertising and this post provides doable tips for authors. For example, create visually appealing posts. And look at your analytics (Insights) so you’ll know when to post on Facebook.
Copyright
Coronavirus: Access Copyright Annouces ‘Read Aloud Canadian Books’ by Porter Anderson: “Copyright protections of content used in education normally restrict the usage of such content that publishers will allow to classroom settings. Under the spreading onslaught of the coronavirus COVID-19, various market’s publishers are being asked by teachers and other educators to sign onto permission waivers of various kinds, to allow those educators to legally utilize such copyrighted content in home-learning formats without creating copyright infringements.”
Indie Author Brand During Covid-19
Building an Author Brand in Difficult Times from BookEnds Literary Agency: Now is the time to do all those things you’ve never had time for. Update your website. Do more on social media. Record some videos. See the post for more tips.
Review/Revise Your Author Bio
4 Elements to Craft Your Author Bio by Beth Barany and from TheBookDesigner.com: Do you have a two-paragraph author bio prepared for marketing purposes? If you don’t, Beth Barany takes you through a comprehensive list of what your bio should include. Be sure to read this post.
Quote of the Week
Twitter Just for Writers is the most comprehensive Twitter eBook I’ve ever released. At 64-pages, it provides all the information you need to succeed on Twitter. Get it now for free!
Frances Caballo is an author and social media consultant. Her focus is on helping authors surmount the barriers that keep them from flourishing online and building their platform. She also provides content writing and email marketing services. Find out how you’re doing on social media.