Post #31 – Women’s Memoirs, Book Business – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
I wanted to continue working on my platform today by continuing my quest and asking another question. But a comment from Emma on my last blog has sidetracked me. I’m not complaining because it’s a good question. Here’s what she wrote:
“Kendra,
Thanks for demystifying this platform building process. I look forward to the rest of the posts. You say to buy a domain and use Wordpress on it. I don’t feel that committed yet and live on a shoe string budget. Would it work to use a free site on Wordpress or Blogger?”
Emma raises a very good point. Between the current economy and the fact that most writers are careful with their marketing dollars, we need to find as many free and/or inexpensive online resources as possible.
My first post on Tumblr
Well I came across a real winner. It’s a relatively new blogging platform, called Tumblr. It’s free, and yet it supports you having your own custom URL (if you want to spend the $10 or so to get one). It also has quite a few bells and whistles. I set up my simple site in just 15 minutes. It took me longer to write up my story than to create the site. You’ll find my first post at Women’s Memoirs Book Business. What I created isn’t particularly fancy, but even in 15 minutes it’s utilitarian. I can publish from Tumblr to Facebook, and the site is optimized for Google.
I think several aspects of Tumblr will encourage you to post regularly. First, Tumblr makes it easy to post audio, video, slideshows, photos, and links…as well as text. You can post on the fly (from your mobile phone); you can even call in your content and have it posted as an audio file.
I think I have to call Tumblr my new favorite free tool. And one of the nice things about this free and easy-to-use blogging platform, I have the option of creating multiple pages. I can afford to test several platform-development strategies if I wish:
- Perhaps I should try to connect with Baby Boomers thinking of retiring in Maine.
- Since my hypothetical memoir is called All For the Sake of Cheap Lobster, I might try a blog on all things lobster…what’s not to love about that?
- I spent almost two years renovating an old circa 1870 farmhouse–complete with a two-story barn that was almost ready to fall down. I have a lot of stories (both funny and practical) that might interest other romantics who think living in an old house is the ultimate experience.
As I think about this, I’m sure I’ll come up with even more platform ideas. For now, I’d like to encourage you to check out Tumblr.
Memoir Getting Read
memoir genre
memoir book marketing
memoir
building a book marketing plan
setting book sales tactics
creating a platform for your writing
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Now you’ve found tumblr (Thank you very much). Like Emma I’m trying to decide just what to blog about and which audience. I have a memoir about the summer of 1965 and lessons learned working in the Civil Rights Movement. I’ve been told my audience should be women 35 to 55. When we tried to convince black Americans to take a chance and register to vote, we were turned away most times until we asked, “Do you want the world to be the same for your children as it has been for you?” Our children certainly need help today. I want to address this issue. What would be the best way?