First Word

Authors whose books aren't selling need to get out an ax and shovel. Time to build from the ground and up. Your book (and this applies to products) requires a platform. What is a platform? Your business or book platform is your viewpoint or message. You build a platform using marketing and public relations practices. What do you include tactically? Your website , blog, social media, newsletters and mass media. Each effort ties to another effort. Your website ties to your blog; your blog ties to your website and newsletter; your newsletter ties to your blog and website; and everything in your media kit and press releases ties back to your website, which ties back to your blog, newsletter and social media. You see it's connected in a circle. Then you get to work. For my brand new book California Girl Chronicles just out on Amazon yesterday, here is what I am doing. 1. I went back to my pre-reviewers and asked them to post reviews on Amazon . The results were amazing and than...

I read this comment yesterday that if you're on Twitter, people can follow you -- and when I say follow what I really mean is stalk! This social media expert was discussing how she would know exactly where someone was if he or she just Tweeted every day. I didn't realize you could figure out the person's location just by where they Tweeted. Is this true? And how? It elevates social media to a whole new level of stalker-azzi. I also was reading about paparazzi, and how now A-list stars' everyday activities can be captured nearly live, from getting up to eat breakfast in some random cafe to where they hang out and what they do all day. It didn't exactly make me feel all warm and fuzzy toward the idea of fame in the modern world. How seriously unsettling would it be that you could literally be stalked all day long? Doesn't sound the least bit enticing to me. I don't see this improving anytime soon, and it begs the question of privacy. I suppose you might not wa...

New trend in Facebook "headless" shots. Guys using a chest-only shot without a head. I am completely mystified by this new way to include a profile shot? What is that about exactly? These shots are not shirtless, mind you. They are simple shots from the chest down. All of them are wearing shirts -- sometimes ugly shirts. My favorite was the "vintage" Le Tigre polo shirt (remember those). I don't get it. Why would you make your profile head shot headless? Isn't the profile picture supposed to let us know what you look like? I know some people use them to make statements about their personalities or looks, but how does a headless, chest shot convey either? Some of these shots aren't even good photos -- they are often dark, grainy, hard-to-tell-what-you're-looking-at pictures. The only thing your headless shot conveys to me is that you (a) don't know how to take a photo with your head in it (b) you take bad photos in general or (c) you're a tad ...