Monday, June 17, 2013

Getting on the Branding Bandwagon

Image by kromkathog courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
Last week I attended the Indie Recon Marketing Mania, and the first session was with author CJ Lyons. After a wonderful post on how to brand yourself (in practical, easy to understand language), she spent the day visiting people's websites/blogs and giving them feedback. I was so impressed. 

Her feedback on my website is listed below. Some things I can change, and some I can't.

If my blog is going to be geared toward writers (and the name "Motivation for Creation" implies a blog for writers), I should make sure readers know that up front on my website, or change content. Also, I should have the blog open in a new window.

I can't change the way the blog opens, unless I move my blog, and I'm not willing to do that. So, that is a no change. However, I've been contemplating what kind of content I have on my blog for a while. After three years of writing motivational and inspirational posts, I was already trying to come up with a new direction for blog content. So, I have come up with a new editorial calender, writing about things that interest me and hopefully will interest others (including you, who are currently reading this post.)

Funny Friday Photos will continue, with the addition of a post on Tuesdays which will follow this pattern (to be referenced on the side-bar, as well.)

  • Week 1 Tuesday: Theme Park (Themes and values found in the stories I write. These can still be the inspirational type posts, or about other things - like parenting and loss.)
  • Week 2 Tuesday: Creature Feature (A look at the different creatures found in the different mythologies.)
  • Week 3 Tuesday: Something Bizarre Happened... (An anecdote about something strange or funny that happened to me or I witnessed during the previous month, like the time I saw a cryogenics truck driving on the interstate on my way to work. We'll see how this one goes.)
  • Week 4 Tuesday: For the Writers (A writer related post about something I found helpful or think other writers might be interested in.)
  • Week 5 Tuesday: Off! There's not many five week months, so it'll be a Funny Friday Photos only week
I don't know what to call the blog now. Maybe just my name with a tagline?

The header is generic, and I should create one that evokes my books. She stated twice that the cover art for my book is fantastic (thank you, Ivan Zanchetta). She believes that the portal on the cover implies adventure and fantasy, and as fantasy should be the focus of my branding, my cover art would be a great place to start.

This is going to take a little more time and work. I'm kind of concerned that my cover art is different shades of gray (no jokes!) and might make the website kind of a downer. Also, I don't think I'd like the header and the book to be exactly the same. So, I'm going to have to contemplate that aspect of her feedback for a bit.

I do agree that I should look to fantasy to be the focus of my brand. I turned to my Facebook friends to help me come up with a tag line. (Huge thank you, to Rick Bylina, Jo Eberhardt, Brin Jackson and Cathy Yardley for some great suggestions.) I'm trying to decide which one of five I think would evoke both the magic of fantasy, and the adventure that might go along with the portal. 

So, that's my plan. Don't be surprised if you click over for Funny Friday Photos and find something new and different.

Have you ever changed up your blog or website?
What worked for you?


Friday, June 14, 2013

Funny Friday Photos

Friday is here and it's the first Friday of summer vacation (for me.) I'm not gloating, I promise. I'm just overjoyed! And don't have much to say, because I've been a hermit at home. So, I'll let the pictures do the talking. :)

Last week's winner for funniest photo is:



I have some funny hot weather photos donated to me by my friend, David N. Walker, but there were so many cute animal photos I just couldn't stop adding them. So, next week be ready for some funny hot weather pics. And now, here are this week's funny photos!


I posted a cat emoticon photo a while back, but this one was new to me. And cute!



Chocolate demon milk?



And I think that's as far as it'll go, too.



I swam (once) in a lake in the dark, and this is all I could think.



Most scuba divers don't know about the deadly turtles.



Excuse me, that's SIR Ian McKellen.


And the pun of the week, just because it matches one of last week's funny photos:




I have been a little lazy with blogging, but starting next week I'm going to be posting twice a week again - once on Tuesdays and then on Fridays with funny photos. Next week's Tuesday post will explain further about my developing plan, based on some information I gained by "attending" Indie Recon's Marketing Mania. 

My favorite photo today is the goat and Sir Ian McKellen. I can see the resemblance. Can you? Which is your favorite?

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

More Summer Giveaways Looking for Bloggers

Here's another promotion I'm involved in this summer. I totally didn't realize that the Blogger Book Fair and the Sizzling Summer Giveaway are running the same week of July, but the more giveaways, the more fun, right?

If you're interested in hosting the event, you can click the sign up button below!



YA Bound Book Tours is organizing the Sizzling Summer Giveaway event featuring 50 authors!  This giveaway event will take place July 22nd to July 27th.  If you would like to participate to host this event on your blog, please fill out the form below.  Please select 3 authors you would like to host and we will do our best to accommodate.  (Note that you are not guaranteed the author you pick).  Bloggers will receive a promo post provided by author (excerpt, dream cast, playlist, character interview, etc.) book info and rafflecopter giveaway code for 2 Kindle Fire HD's pre-loaded with some of the author's books.  Rafflecopter will have an entry option to follow your blog as a thank you for hosting.  Blogger chooses the date they would like to post.  All information will be sent to you the week before the event starts.

-Nereyda
Participating Authors:

Rachel Harris
Trisha Wolfe
Alyssa Rose Ivy
C.C. Hunter
Bethany Lopez
Cindi Madsen
Tiffany King
Juliana Haygert
Raine Thomas
Laura Howard
Patrice Michelle
Jennifer Snyder
Carrie Butler
Andrea Heltsley
Jennifer Lane
Shannon Duffy
Devyn Dawson
Nazarea Andrews
Cherie Colyer
T.M. Franklin
Dawn Pendleton
Lisa Sanchez
Morgan Wylie
Eliza Tilton
Liz Long
Meradeth Houston
Dawna Raver
Erin Danzer
Lisa Collicutt
E.J. Wesley
A.K. Morgen
Elle Chardou
Lara Schiffbauer
Jaycee DeLorenzo
JD Nelson
Sharon Bayliss
C.R. Everett
Thea Gregory
Brandice Snowden (not shown)
Nicki Elson
Diana Castilleja
A. W. Exley
Krystal Wade
Elizabeth Sharp
Krissi Dallas
Tia Bach
Jamie Ayres
Michelle Muto
M.R. Polish

                                              

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