How To Use Social Media: An Author's Perspective

As an author I am always trying to find new ways to connect with readers and other writers. Social media has been a godsend for those of us in the book-making community, much as it has been for the rest of the business world.

The obvious benefits of social media for an author are:

• Relationship building
• Free advertising
• A World Without Borders
• Unlimited access to going through the same trials and tribulations

I have often linked posts to my Facebook or Twitter accounts because those seemed, to me, to have the most recognizable benefits from an advertising perspective. What many writers, and business people in general, fail to recognize is that the best form of advertising is relationship building, connecting with your audience, and actually getting to know one another.

When your audience cares about you, who you are as a person, they are much more likely to be interested in whatever it is you do - and if you are a writer - they will be that much more interested in your novel and that much more likely to pick it up or purchase it.

To that end, Instagram and Snapchat are perfect windows into your life.  They say a picture tells a thousand words.  So from that logic one photo on these accounts is saying about 8 times as much as a Twitter character count. While Facebook allows users to share posts up to 63,206 characters, most of that will be hidden unless you click to open more, and let us be honest, with Facebook's terrible algorithms there is a good chance that most of your audience will never see it anyway. One way to increase the amount of people who might be able to see it?

Include a picture.

So, if pictures are still king when it comes to communicating, Instagram and Snapchat should be leveraged. I know, I know: 

But I am a writer - how do words apply for a person like me? 

Listen up you clod.

You can take pictures of your words.  Or books.  There are entire communities of people on Instagram that search for pictures of words, poetry, quotes, books.  These communities are using relevant hashtags in order to find the items they want, hashtags like (and I didn't use commas so you can cut and paste these hashtags for writing and reading straight into your posts): 

#writers #readers #bookstagram #writerscommunity #poets #quoteoftheday #writersofig #poetsofig #igreads #poetrycommunity #author #poem #qotd #prose #booklove #yalit #booknerd #wordporn

That is just a few! Also, they are the most popular hashtags for writers and the most popular hashtags for readers. For an example check this out at my Instagram:

I literally wrote something I thought up, on a coffee stained napkin.  No one cares.  They care about the words.  Those are the type of people you want to attract, become friends with, and ultimatly -hopefully - convert to readers.

Now Snapchat is a little more difficult.  This community is developed purely by people who are interested in looking into your life.  My best advice for this is the following:

• Be yourself
• Do not be all business, let them see your day to day
• Use the video feature, people want to hear your voice
• Do NOT make massive stories.  People will get bored (no one's life is that interesting that we need a 100-photo flip book). Or worse, people will unfollow -which in case you missed the point of this blog, is completely counterproductive. Five photos and videos a day should be your max.

What is great about this forum is that Snapchat has enabled users to simply scan a user's photo in order to add them.  My Snapchat @ndenmon looks like this (sorry for the growl I was pretending to be Sirius Black from Harry Potter when he was in the newspaper as a wanted murder:

Nicholas Denmon

So add me and let's get to knowing each other!

Oh, and in case you were wondering what Sirius Black looked like - it was this photo from the movie. Let me know what you think of my impression - but only let me know by Snap-chatting me. See what I did there?

Sirius Black:

TTFN Denmonites!

-ND

Top 5 Worst Fears

People are scared of all sorts of things but only a select few have the notorious distinction of making the top 5 all time greatest or most common fears list.  I'll post those five but then I will post my personal top 5 fears.  It will be interesting, to me at least, to see where there is overlap.

1) Fear of Flying

Yikes.  This picture can't be real...

2) Fear of Public Speaking

Imagining the audience in their undies is supposed to work....

...what if it just turns you on?

3)  Fear of Heights 

I imagine this goes hand in hand with the fear of flying.  I am pretty sure

no one is afraid to fly...just the possibility of falling from such a height.

4) Fear of the Dark

I would never admit that...

5)  Fear of Intimacy 

I figured this would be more Freudian and on the subconscious 

level versus an actual fear that could be listed...

The rest of the top ten are rounded out with (in order): Death, Failure, Rejection, Spiders and Commitment.  Some of the top ten seem to be very similar to me such as Rejection is usually a type of Failure, or at least is associated in the minds of those that fear one or the other.  Commitment and Intimacy go hand in hand if you ask me.  I have only two or maybe two and a half fears that match up with the top ten.  But later this week I will share my personal top 5 for your amusement.

I will give you a hint as to one of my fears, and it involves a red nose.  It is not Rudolph nor is it an alcoholic, though both of those might throw me for a loop if I was caught off guard.  Could you imagine running into a drunkard riding on the back of an actual flying reindeer in the middle of an alley at midnight?  

No thanks.

Give away time! For Nothing on Goodreads

So it is time to do another signed book giveaway!  This one is running through Goodreads in advance of the release of Buffalo Soldiers.  As of this second over 30 people have signed up but don't worry! There are THREE copies being given away by yours truly.

I even promise to devalue it in advance with my sloppy signature.  Wow this sounds more and more like a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Anyway, here it is: --->

Not here...the sidebar...to the right... ---->

Halloween Update and Script Update for For Nothing

Hope you all had a great weekend.  Mine was relatively relaxing and I was able to write a bit so that was nice.  Weekends can sometimes get away from me because the family expects me to crawl out from under my rock every now and then to visit with them, but this was a kindly weekend and fortunately I was able to accomplish both my familial responsibilities as well as my professional goals.

I just have a few quick updates on this manic Monday...(pause for the 1980's flashback brought to you courtesy of the Bangles).

Update Uno:

The second installment of my Halloween Special Dark Places will post this week, most likely on Wednesday so keep an eye out.  I love the feedback so far, and thus the story weaving continues!

Update B (yes I know it is not 2, have a sense of humor!):

The screenplay being written by Welsh Lord, Thomas Humphreys is making serious progress.  In fact, he has decided to grace us with a snippet of the work in progress. So without further ado, please read on:

Catch up with writer Thomas Humphreys on Twitter @Mr_Frodo_Esq

Back To The Books Giveaway Hop

It's that time again where I like to give out free stuff!  Well of course it is in exchange for you doing a few simple tasks...

<insert evil laugh> sounds something like Muah Muah Muah (not to be confused with kissing noises)

What am I giving away??

I'm giving away three e-books of For Nothing! Yay!

Three winners will win e-book copies (format of your choice) of America's #1 Crime Thriller For Nothing by Nicholas Denmon...(What?  It was number one on Smashwords for a moment :) )

Drum-roll...

There is also A GRAND prize. A Grand Prize Winner! One paperback signed by me.  It might take a way the value of it but I like to write in books.  I promise I won't sign it in crayon.

Alright, go! Follow this blog! Leave a special comment below with the words "It's just business".

+1 entry - "Like" my Facebook Page.
+1 entry - Follow me on Twitter. - @nicholasdenmon
+1 entry - Friend me on Goodreads.

Giveaway ends September 7th. Remember, you follow the instructions, you sign up for your chance to win!  Simple, easy, fun...DO IT! IT'S FREE!!!

Now jump to these other great authors giving away free stuff too!! Go on! Get going!

Movies Based on Comics Are Taking Me For Granted and Why Shouldn't They?

The weekend is usually a good time to relax and rinse away the rigor of the work week.  But every so often you have so much to do or have so much fun that you are actually more tired on Monday than you were on Friday.

That is pretty much how I feel today.

I had a going away dinner for my brother Rob who is becoming a Customs Border Patrol officer on Friday.  So the evening was full of good food and drinks as we toasted him a farewell before he leaves for months of training and then to wherever they decide to place him.  It was a good time and you can't help but be happy for someone who gets something they have been working towards for a good long while.  But part of you is also sad to see them go.

Four of us brothers lived here in the greater Tampa Bay area just three short months ago, but now only two of us remain.

Ah, the price of growing up and moving on.

So in good Denmon fashion, we hid our feelings behind a wall of booze and laughter and on Sunday I watched Captain America in honor of my brother Rob who is probably going to keep a few of the worlds bad apples away from American soil.  The movie was decent, enjoyable even.  But I think I might have been distracted through the entirety of the film by a PREVIEW.

Another damned Spider-Man movie? Really?? Even worse, it seems to be the retelling of the story from the beginning, from the spider bite, sans Toby Maguire.  How many times must I suffer Hollywood's lack of creativity?

Some guy named Garfield who is a new Spider-Man

Oh well.  I will probably see it and help perpetuate the notion that retreads are a good idea when it comes to lining pockets versus actually coming up with something new.  Captain America, despite this distraction, was a fun film and the Avengers movies are going to make a boatload of money.  They already have, but wait until they all join forces in one movie in 2012.

My brother Rob standing strong at the border.

Other than that, I got into some scotch and cigars in order celebrate my buddy Craig's engagement to long time sweetheart Stacey.  His parents always throw great parties and this was no exception.  If you happened to show up, I was the guy hanging out by the meatballs and the aforementioned scotch. 

He is getting married in March so I need to find the best place to rent a donkey for his bachelor party...

The donkey show from Jay and Silent Bob

On the writing front, I am about 17,500 words into the sequel to For Nothing.   Buffalo Soldiers is really coming along and I think everyone who read For Nothing will love where I am taking the Upstate New York Mafia Tales. Here's to hoping!

Cheers!

Treasure Hunt Blog Hop Winners!

Well they say when you want to bury a body you should bring along a shovel and a few bags of lime.  The gangsters who follow this blog know what I'm talking about and I am pretty sure a few of this month's contest winners were in on the Jimmy Hoffa disappearance. 

Essential Gangster Supplies

Quite a few people entered the contest and went on the search for Jimmy Hoffa's body, and by the activity on this blog, my Fanpage, and on Goodreads - a fair amount of holes were dug in the wilderness hoping to solve the mystery of his resting place.  But in good mafia fashion those of you who know where he is, kept your mouths shut.  A book apparently wasn't enough to bribe you into ratting on your fellow Denmon Familia members (by the way that was a suggestion for the name of those who follow my blog and fanpage etc and I think I like it!  What do you think?)

But since I am the Don in this enterprise only a select few of you get a cut of this month's take.  Your participation, as always, was amazing but there are winners and there are losers and the winners for this month's blog hop are as follows:

Electronic Book copy of For Nothing

J. Barrett
HeatherC8
Nikki aka Sherri McCarver
Nathiel
Helen Seely

I have already emailed you so please email me if you did not get your coupon code

As for the GRAND PRIZE WINNER of a SIGNED AUTOGRAPHED COPY of FOR NOTHING:

Super Gangster....

Extraordinaire...

Fan-tastic member of the Denmon Familia (will it stick?)...

SONIA REMO aka Momma Elk!!

Sonia please email at nicholasdenmon08@gmail.com to collect your prize.  I will need your mailing address!

For the rest of you, there really are no losers, because it was fun wasn't it?  And there just might be another contest NEXT month!  So how bout that?

Of course you can always buy a copy of the book if you are impatient.  Check out my website HERE and click the book cover to buy it!

Interview With Allie Burke Books

Please check out the most recent interview regarding For Nothing with Allie Burke Books. 


The link is here and let me say what a good time it was! 


‎"I am a firm believer that there is rarely a straight line between good and evil." -Nicholas Denmon

[EXCERPT]



For the Loves' first Author Interview, EVER, and I have the pleasure of spending the day with Author of the amazing mafia crime thriller For Nothing. Do join us as Denmon talks about his widely acclaimed novel, of putting himself in "the shoes of a killer", and much, much more.


READ ON!