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Making the Most of an Author Interview

February 21, 2025 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Some images directly from Pixabay.

Author interviews are a joy to conduct and to take part in on the other side of the questioning too. They take many forms, of course, but all can help the writer with their marketing. It pays any writer to be prepared for interviews, even if you’re not yet published.

You can study interviews already out there, including the ones I share here on Chandler’s Ford Today and figure out how you would answer the questions if they were put to you. This is invaluable practice for working out how to talk about the writing you do.

And you will need to talk about it at some point, else how will anyone know about it?

Tags: author interviews, interviews as part of marketing, making the most of author interviews, podcasts, preparing for interviews, sharing your writing story, social media, text interviews

Decisions

May 24, 2024 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

Every story focuses on a decision. At some point a character has to choose whether or not to act on a situation they’re facing. What they decide to do has immense consequences for that story.

[Read more…] about Decisions

Tags: am writing, character decision, creative writing, decisions in writing, marketing, networking, social media, writing career decisions, writing community

Newsletter Tips

January 19, 2024 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes.

In the last two years, I’ve set up a monthly author newsletter, using the free Mailchimp plan to do so. As they say, other mailing programs are available (the other hugely popular one is MailerLite though there are others out there).

Given there is always plenty to do as a writer from getting those first drafts down to editing to getting your work out there somehow, and, of course, marketing, why bother with an author newsletter at all?

[Read more…] about Newsletter Tips

Tags: Allison Symes, author newsletter, email service providers, engaging with readers, learning from author newsletters, Mailchimp, MailerLite, marketing, newsletter tips. data protection rules, social media, why newsletters are useful

YouTube for Authors

July 16, 2021 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Image Credit: Most pictures created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos, others direct from Pixabay.

I’ve mentioned before that what goes around comes around in writing circles. A great example is my recent interview with Helen Matthews as she wondered about how an author could use a YouTube channel. Now I know the cue for another Chandler’s Ford Today post when I hear one so away we go.

I’ll take a look at how I use my channel and share what other authors do. I hadn’t anticipated using visual media to help my writing but I have found YouTube easier to use than expected and it is now a regular part of my marketing work.

[Read more…] about YouTube for Authors

Tags: book promoting, creative marketing, creative writing, social media, videos, writing advice, Youtube, Youtube for Authors

Small World Syndrome – Introducing Helen Matthews – Part 1

July 2, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credits: Many thanks to Helen Matthews for supplying author and book cover images. Other photos created in Book Brush using Pixabay images.

Most of us have experienced small world syndrome when you re-meet someone you haven’t met for ages or discover the person who is sitting next to you at the cafe (now possible but suitably distanced of course!) went to the same primary school you did thirty odd years ago.

Recently this has happened again to me.

I first met Helen Matthews, novelist and short story writer, at the Hursley Park Book Fair as her table was near mine and we got chatting.

I’ve also met her at the Winchester Writers’ Festival. And now I’ve re-met her thanks to a Twitter group – #writingchat. This is on every Wednesday night between 8 and 9 pm where writers get together online and chat about a range of topics. We also share experiences and tips (including sometimes on what not to do). It is a friendly place to “hang out” and I always learn something useful from the discussions. (And it is wonderful being able to share with other writers the frustrations as well as the joys of the writing life).

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Tags: After Leaving the Village, am reading, am writing, anti-slavery, creative fiction, Darkstroke, domestic noir, Facade, genre fiction, Helen Matthews, Hursley Park Book Fair, Lies Behind the Ruins, social media, the writing life, thrillers, Twitter, Unseen, Winchester Writers' Festival, writing chat

Brand Recognition and Why It Matters

June 18, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

I’ve mentioned adverts before and the best ones are remembered for years. Brand recognition is important.

It is for writers too.

Tags: branding, consistency, creative writing, engaging with readers, social media

Book Trailers and Story Videos

March 12, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

I mentioned in my post last week, Musical Connections, I used Danse Macabre by Camille Saint Saens as the theme to my book trailer for From Light to Dark and Back Again.

For that particular trailer, Chapeltown Books, my publisher, produced it but for Tripping the Flash Fantastic, I made the trailer myself.

Feature Image – Book Trailers and Story Videos, Image created in Book Brush using a Pixabay image,

Tags: Book Brush, book trailers, Canva, creative writing, From Light to Dark and Back Again, marketing, Pixabay, social media, story videos, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, Youtube

Continuing Professional Development

December 11, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Continuing Professional Development occurs across most industries and it applies to writing too.

How come?

Feature Image – Continuing Professional Development. Pixabay.

Tags: Continuing Professional Development, creative writing, graphic design, social media, tools of the trade, writer development

Lessons – Part 2 – Lessons Learned from the Writing Life

September 11, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

I talked about lessons from school, learning to drive etc., last week. This week I’m going to look at what I have learned from writing and how that has developed life skills too.

A lovely place in which to learn and the natural habitat of the writer! Pixabay

Tags: comfort zone, editing, learning not to be precious, opportunities, rejections, social media, the writing life

Zooming Around and Cyberlaunch Tips

May 8, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

I trust everyone is keeping well. One aspect of the lockdown I hadn’t expected was finding the video conferencing app, Zoom, and wonder how I’ve not discovered its usefulness before. I’ve been on Skype and What’s App for a while but Zoom has come into its own. For more info do click on this link.

The little boxes here remind me of what you see on Zoom. Pixabay

Tags: cyberlaunch tips, cyberlaunches, From Light to, social media, technology, video conferencing, writers, Zoom

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Some images directly from Pixabay.

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