Slides from the Writers' Workshop at Arts4Every1 in High Wycombe, on Saturday 20th September 2015! http://www.arts4every1.com

1. Words4Every1
Writers’ Group:
September 19th

2. Introduction
Words4Every1 Writers’ Group: September 19th
TIMINGS:
- 3:00 PM: Intro/meet and greet
- 3:10 PM: An introduction to social networking
- 3:45 PM: Writing Activities
- 4:15 PM: Editing Workshops
- 4:45 PM: Guest Speaker: J. G. Clay

3. Introduction
Words4Every1 Writers’ Group: August 22nd
TIMINGS:
- 5:15 PM: Break/Networking
- 5:30 PM: Readings/Performances
- 6:00 PM: Pub!

4. Introduction
Your Host
Hi, I’m Dane
- Social media marketing specialist of four years
- Author, poet and musician
- Debut novella – No Rest for the Wicked – available now
- Industry speaker/commentator
- General Arts4Every1 busybody

5. Introduction

6. Introduction to Social
Networking

7. Introduction to Social Networking
Last Time
- In the last session, we talked about content marketing
- Centres around creating a website for your writing…
- …and then driving traffic to it!
- Social networking is a great way to drive traffic to your website
- Also shows that you’re currently active
- Particularly useful if you’re only writing to share with family/friends

8. Introduction to Social Networking
Why Social?
- Reach a new audience through shares and exposure
- Connect with your readers in real-time
- Ask for advice from other writers
- Network with peers
- Show you’re currently active
- Connect with brands (i.e. @Arts4Every1 or @PenguinUK)

9. Introduction to Social Networking
Most Common Goals:
Social networking can help you in many ways, but most brands aim for:
- Sales
- Customer Service
- Branding
- Advertising
- Research / QA
- Competitor Analysis
Let’s consider how each of these can apply to writers…

10. Introduction to Social Networking
Sites We’ll Talk About Today
- There are literally tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of social networking sites
- Today, we’re looking at the most important/most relevant:
- Facebook
- Twitter
- LinkedIn
- YouTube
- Instagram
- Goodreads
- Pinterest
- SoundCloud

11. Facebook
The World’s Biggest Social Network:
- We’ll dwell a little longer on Facebook than other sites, because it’s the most popular
- Images and videos do well
- Quality over quantity
- Let me quickly explain what EdgeRank is
- How to reach more people:
- #1: Use adverts
- #2: Post better stuff

12. Facebook
Profiles
- A PROFILE is what you’re probably most used to
- This is the thing you log into and use to post personal updates
- Only profiles can add someone as a friend
- Great for networking with other authors
- However, DON’T use your profile to promote your work
- Limitations: 5,000 friends, lack of ads, looking like a massive tool, etc.

13. Facebook
Pages
- A PAGE is a public-facing ‘business page’ that anyone can create
- Best option: No 5,000 follower limit, plus you won’t get banned
- Use this to share writing and your profile to befriend other writers
- Extra functionality on offer: Ads, analytics, etc.
- Also prevents people you don’t know from adding you!
- Every writer in this room should have a page as well as a profile

14. Facebook
Groups
- A group allows multiple different Facebook users to discuss a common topic
- You wouldn’t create a group solely for your writing, but…
- …you may join a group of like-minded writers and share your work there
- For example: WE HAVE A WORDS4EVERY1 FACEBOOK GROUP!
- Please speak to me about joining the group if you’re not a member already
- This will allow you to share your work with other attendees between sessions

15. Twitter
Great for Real-Time Communication
- It’s easier to use than you might think
- Great way to interact with the brands and writers you love, as well as your readers
- More public than Facebook = added discoverability
- Unless you don’t want anyone to read your writing, you need to be there
- @mention people, but not at the start of a tweet
- Use hashtags!

16. Twitter
Hashtags
- Hashtags are effectively words with a hash symbol in front of them, like #this
- Allows similar posts to be grouped – i.e. #writing is full of tweets by/for writers
- Makes it much more likely that your tweets will be seen, but…
- …#DontUseHashtagsLikeThisBecauseNoOneWillEverSearchForIt
- Good hashtags to use: #JournoRequest #AmWriting #AmReading #[GENRE]
- Also good for location-specific stuff, like #Wycombe and #Bucks

17. Twitter
Twitter Dashboards
- Such as Hootsuite or TweetDeck
- Allows real-time monitoring (especially of hashtags)
- Another option is to search for tweets containing ‘Need Freelance Writer’
- Great for managing multiple accounts
- These are usually free to use

18. LinkedIn
The Professional Social Network
- For semi-professional or professional writers
- Can be a good source of freelance work
- Two new members join every second
- Becoming more and more of a media and content site
- Has groups, similar to Facebook

19. LinkedIn
Tips and Tricks:
- Use a high-quality, professional headshot
- Endorsements/recommendations
- Consider LinkedIn Premium’s different options
- Embed a Slideshare presentation (perhaps a writing sample?)
- Publish (unique) articles and aim to be featured in Pulse
- Making connections: Dane’s quick guide

20. YouTube
Start Shooting Video!
- You can do it easily enough using just a smartphone (but keep it landscape)
- Audio quality and lighting is more important than video resolution
- YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world
- Video results are also featured prominently in search engine results
- Perfect for writers doing readings
- Create a channel and/or book trailer

21. YouTube
YouTube Tips and Tricks
- Playlists
- Annotations
- Custom Thumbnails
- Video Descriptions
- Title Optimisation
- Collaborations

22. Instagram
Perfect for Images
- Particularly popular amongst younger people (16-24)
- Ideal for images and short (15 second) videos
- Use hashtags (like Twitter) – more hashtags = more likes
- You could even make your own!
- An easy way to take attractive photography with no ability whatsoever
- Take photos at events (like this one!)

23. Instagram
Instagram Tips and Tricks
- Involve your readers: i.e. The Gallery of the Wicked
- Good hashtags: #Books #AmReading #AmEditing
- Link it to your Twitter and Facebook profile
- Consider tagging other users
- You could even get your best photos printed!

24. Goodreads
Meet Your Readers
- Allows you to log the books that you’ve been reading
- Gives your own readers an insight into your reading habits
- Suggests books that you might be interested in
- As it’s a book site, it offers additional support to writers
- Basically, it’s Facebook for books

25. Goodreads
Tips and Tricks:
- As with Facebook, have a profile and a page
- Run book giveaways
- Update your profile with the books that you’re reading
- Make it clear in your profile copy that you’re a writer as well as a reader
- Review other writers’ books, but do it HONESTLY

26. Pinterest
Your Virtual Pinboard
- It’s literally a virtual version of a real pinboard
- Particularly popular with women
- Use it to collect images from across the web
- Post a mixture of third-party and original imagery
- Drives traffic and sales through websites
- And it’s easy to use!

27. Pinterest
Pinterest Tips and Tricks
- Install the ‘Pin-It Button’
- Consider changing the web address that your pins point to
- Use boards to showcase your personality:
- Covers I Love
- Book Quotes
- Awesome Reading Spaces
- Books I Want
- Badass Authors
- Cool Illustrations

28. SoundCloud
Store Your Audio
- The YouTube of sound
- Great for musicians and spoken word artists
- A paid option is available if needed
- Allows you to follow and be followed

29. SoundCloud
Tips and Tricks:
- Consider creating a podcast
- Embed tracks into blog posts
- Leave timestamped comments
- Create playlists
- Always add an ‘album cover’, tags and a description

30. QUESTIONS?

31. Activity
Writing Challenge: Found Writing
- Step #1: Check out the book exchange and pick out 1-3 books
- Step #2: Get a feel for them – check the cover, read the blurb, flip through at random
- Step #3: Start taking notes – words, ideas or concepts that you can use
- Step #4: Start to write a short piece that incorporates these elements
- Step #5: Find someone else with interesting book choices and swap your work

32. EDITING
WORKSHOPS

33. GUEST SPEAKER:
J. G. Clay
J.G Clay is definitely a Man of Horror. He
was born on Halloween night. By a quirk
of fate, it was also a full moon that night.
Co-incidence? Maybe. Maybe not. The 41
year old hails from the Midlands, and is
married with one step child and two
dogs.

34. Creating Carnage

35. The Two Natural States of
a Writer

36. Inspiration can be found
anywhere
For me, it’s a matter of asking one small
question…
What if?

37. The first of many…
(Hopefully)

38. Originally a self published
collection of seven short
stories, tales was re-written
and re-released in July 2015
The oldest story in the
collection (On the Beach) was
spawned in 1998. The
Inspiration? New Order.

39. Extensively Rewritten for
the new version, ‘The
Writer’s Friend’ came
about from the
combination of a
hangover, writer’s block
and a dead slug.

40. ‘One Night In Mumbai’ is a
collision between
Lovecraft and Indian
politics.
There’s a few nods to my
own upbringing and
cultural heritage.

41. The Smiling men
were inspired by the
1966 iteration of the
classic Doctor who
Monster The
Cybermen

42. GUEST SPEAKER:
J. G. Clay
J.G Clay is definitely a Man of Horror. He
was born on Halloween night. By a quirk
of fate, it was also a full moon that night.
Co-incidence? Maybe. Maybe not. The 41
year old hails from the Midlands, and is
married with one step child and two
dogs.

43. BREAK:
Please speak to Dane if you’d like to do a reading!

44. Homework
Get This Done Before Next Time:
- Create a Facebook page and a Twitter account
- Commit to posting regularly 2-3 times per week (pre-set in bulk if needed)
- Sign up for one of the niche sites that we talked about
- Experiment with video blogging using a smartphone
- E-mail dane.cobain@booktrope.com for access to the Words4Every1 Facebook group

45. READINGS:
Next Workshop:
3 PM – 6 PM On Saturday 10th October
Guest Speaker:
Saqib Desmukh

46. THANKS FOR
COMING