Pratap Divyesh's Blog

I approach the writing process in a systematic manner.  I realize not everyone approaches it in this fashion, though it works for my mentality — I like to be organized.

I start with a short (one paragraph) description. Then I create an outline with a little pseudo-manuscript within it. Separately, I create a spreadsheet with scene and chapter numbers that detail location, time/date, characters in scene, and brief description of scene.  The spreadsheet’s real important when the plot has complexity.

Once my outline is complete, I use the Scrivener application to organize scenes and chapters.  This is where the bulk of the writing actually occurs.  As I progress through multiple passes in the editing process, Scrivener allows me to mark an editing stage.  The number of edits is highly subjective.  I can say, with certainty, that the more time spent on outlining and spreadsheet detail, the fewer revisions will be required.

Somewhere in the revisions, your friendly editor appears.  You’ll need to decide, or perhaps your editor will dictate, when the “other” set of eyes reviews your work.  The strength of your writing dictates the amount of editing required.  You might have a great story to tell though your writing ability may not convey it.

The final part of writing involves the conversion of the Scrivener output to a conventional word processing format such as Microsoft Word.  This conversion produces a nice manuscript, which then requires formatting within the Word application to arrive at the publishing specifications required by your publisher, or in the case of self-publishing, the print-on-demand company used.

This post is contributed as Guest post by Jim Mosquera.

About the author:
Jim Mosquera is a published author of fiction and non-fiction and a business professional. His non-fiction work will make you understand why the proposed solutions for our problems will not work. His fictional work is so realistic, it will make you wonder if such stories are possible. He wants people to understand the world around them and think

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I had the pleasure once again of attending the annual Book Marks Festival in downtown Winston Salem. Bookmarks is a non-profit organization that produces the Carolinas’ largest festival of books and authors, an authors-in schools-program, a series of author talks presenting best-selling and award winning writers, and a K-12 summer reading program. It is one of the many cultural opportunities available in our City of the Arts. By next year, Bookmarks will open an independent book store in a repurposed warehouse downtown, where it will house reading spaces for readers and writers, the Bookmark’s offices, and a cafe and coffee bar.

My favorite part of the festival is the opportunity to hear various acclaimed authors talk about their craft. Last year, I heard David Baldacci and then attended a panel discussion with Pat Conroy, Ron Rice, and Cassandra King talking about the distinctive features of Southern Literature. (See The Incomparable Pat Conroy and Notes from David Baldacci for my blogs from the 2015 festival). I am so glad I didn’t miss that session. Not too many months afterwards, Pat Conroy died, and I joined his giant throng of readers in mourning for one of the most popular and beloved Southern writers of the Baby Boomer generation.

This year I attended sessions with John Hart and John Grisham. The two authors are similar in that they have published best sellers in the legal thriller genre and are both attorneys who have turned to writing as a second career. Both are self-confident and entertaining presenters. However, as each described his writing process, it was evident that they were on opposite ends of the spectrum between the character-driven and plot-driven approach.

John Hart, whose books are set in Rowan County where he grew up and started his law practice, described his approach to writing as grope and hope. He used E.L. Doctorow’s comparison to writing being like driving in the dark through a fog bank with the headlights on. You can see only as far as the headlights carry, and if you are persistent, you’ll get to your destination with only short segments of the road visible. Hart starts with a character that he allows to take him through the twists and turns of the story. He is convinced that knowing the character is the key to his success as a writer.

“If a novel is good there is a straight and true line running through it that makes sense.” He used Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides as a novel that “lacks no verisimilitude.” Hart contends that what makes Pat Conroy’s books so believable is the characters. “I’ve forgotten most of the story, but I’ll never forget a character like Tom Wingo.”

It was when he got overconfident and tried to write his fifth novel without a clearly defined character that Hart began what he described as his tale of woe, that explained why he didn’t publish anything for five years. He had decided to write a book based on the plot of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and was over a hundred pages in, when he hit a wall. He persevered and after two hundred pages, things weren’t getting any better. His last book, Iron House, had been published in 2011, and he had promised a new one to his publisher in 2014. He redoubled his efforts, but still felt that the work lacked quality. Finally, he made the decision to call his editor at McMillan and cancel the publication, telling him that the book simply was not representative of his best work. To his surprise and relief, the editor told him that he understood, and that McMillan would be willing to wait for his best product, rather than take something he considered mediocre.

Hart said he found his characters and was able to write Redemption Road in two years. The literary thriller was published in May 2016 and has been on the New York Times best seller list and is the first book in which an author has won back-to-back Edgar awards.

John Grisham, who Hart says “built and owns the legal thriller genre, along with Scott Turow,” was an equally engaging speaker. However, his process as a writer is as plot-based as Hart’s is character-based. For Grisham, every story must start with an outline, with a plan for every chapter.

Grisham told the story of being at a book signing of his first best seller, The Firm. (A Time to Kill was Grisham’s first book, but it remained unrecognized until it was picked up by Hollywood for a movie, at which point it became a best seller). He remembered a man picking up a copy of The Firm and commenting, “You know, the big boys turn out one of these things about once a year.” Grisham determined that he would be one of the big boys and has published one and sometimes two books a year since 1991, when The Firm came out.

Grisham says his books take abut six months to write. He begins ruminating over a new story in the fall of every year, but does not get down to business until the first of January, when he begins writing in earnest. He secludes himself in his office, at a computer that isn’t even connected to the internet. Prior to writing, he outlines every chapter and has a clear idea of the beginning and ending of the story. By June, Grisham has completed his manuscript and sends it to his publisher for editing. He revises in July and returns the final copy to the editor for publication.

John Grisham’s approach certainly has the advantage of allowing him to be a prolific writer. Not only does he continue to publish legal thrillers on a regular basis, but he has written the Theodore Boone series of thrillers, which is about a boy who gives legal advice to his classmates, and is especially for middle schoolers.

I think there is a lot to learn from these two approaches. I tend to be more character-driven in my approach to writing, but I’ve never been able to let go enough to allow the characters to lead me blindly from the beginning to the end of the story. Somewhere along the line, I have to get out my wall chart and map the plot points. I suppose a part of that necessity comes from the fact that my books are historical fiction, and I need to make certain that the story is true to the historical context in which the characters are acting. But it is interesting to realize that two authors can approach their writing from almost opposite directions, and still produce fiction that satisfies and delights their readers.

Kudos to the Bookmarks staff for another outstanding festival, in which authors and readers can mix and mingle. I’m looking forward to the 2017 festival and the opening of the new book store.

This post is contributed as Guest post by Katherine P. Stillerman

The post The Writing Process: Outline or Hope and Grope? appeared first on Being Author.

When the concept of writing my fourth novel teaming up my protagonists, Jonas Peters and Frank Sanders (their first book together), I knew there would have to be deep research to ensure the readers would believe the words I put down onto the paper. There was no chance I was to spend a year or more writing a tale involving these two fine gentlemen without the diligence of powerful exploration and research.

That is the hallmark of any good writing. Without painstaking research a writer ends up with only a tale without merit. Fictional writing may be what wordsmith’s make out of their creative genius but good fiction must resemble non-fiction to the audience.

When I read a novel I want to be taken away from the present reality and thrust into a new reality. What I did not realize when the idea for ‘Iquitos – the Past Will Kill’ sprang into my head was that I would be spending a month in the darkness of the Peruvian rainforest.

But if the novel mentions the jungle then the writer must visit the jungle.

The forest comes alive at night and hunkered beneath mosquito netting swinging in the heavy moist air in a hammock one knows it is safer to be inside than outside. More than once each night something outside would let loose with a scream and suddenly nothing but silence invaded the air.

During the daylight all one did was sweat in the ninety percent humidity wishing for a breeze. This is a hostile environment and not meant for the faint of heart. Everywhere a person takes a step must be calculated so one doesn’t step onto or in front of something lurking in the canopy or the floor which could be live threatening.

The rainforest is a dangerous place to reside or visit.

On a previous trip to Peru, my spouse (Laureen) and I had made close friends with a naval commander who was able to set up the Amazon adventure including riding for hours in a fast boat. This navy small boat was capable of over sixty miles per hour on the wide and dark river and sported two fifty caliber machine guns. It was a fitting place for Jonas (who was the only character to venture into the Amazon) to hitch a ride and find out firsthand the magnitude of one of the largest rivers in the world.

Islands would appear out of nowhere – the shores teaming with life. Howler monkeys kept eyes on us as we swept by the land masses as well as Toucans and Macaws flying overhead. The skies were often covered with rain fat clouds ready to deluge us at any minute. Often without warning the sky would open up. Suddenly drenched and smiling we would understand the thrill of research – to be somewhere not expected and enjoying every minute of it.

A month on the trail with our good friend Paul Bakas (photographer for our blog – jandlresearchandexploration) we were satisfied with the research.

It takes a special type of person to make it day to day in the jungle. We made but with a guide, prepared food, and constant warnings of the dangers behind every bush. We were spoiled.

As Laureen stated as we headed back to the states; “That was the best trip I never want to repeat.”

‘Iquitos – the Past Will Kill’ is a novel based on a past event involving Jonas Peters in the wilds of Peru which brings that past rushing to the future with deadly results for those involved. It is a journey of discovery and sorrow for both Jonas Peters and Frank Sanders but the story must be told as all stories must.

This post is contributed as Guest post by John R. Beyer.

About the author:

John R. Beyer is the author of four novels – his latest, ‘Iquitos, The Past Will Kill was released in November of 2018. He spent nearly ten years in law enforcement before moving to the educational world as a public school teacher and administrator. His passion for writing as earned him many accolades and recently the ‘Write Well Award’.

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The post Researching – The Backbone of any Novel appeared first on Being Author.

After extensive research, trial and error, and long-time experience, we have discovered the most effective ways to market your books, create an online presence, and connect authors with readers worldwide. In this article, we provide authors with the very best ways, to implement immediately, to increase book sales, and build their brand and platform as a published author.

Create a Complete “Author Platform” Which Must Include:

Your author website
Your blog (have a separate page for your blog and blog regularly)
Your social media presence and profiles. Place your social media icons with links to your social media profiles in a conspicuous, easy to find, spot on your website, so readers can easily click on them, and connect with, and follow you.
Join as many book related sites as possible. Example: Bookbub, Booklife, Authorsdb (google “book clubs” and “book sites” to find as many book related sites as possible.)
Google “free author interviews” to find sites that will allow you to do free author interviews with permanent links on their site. (Yes, they are out there)
If possible, have a book trailer made for all of your books and include them on your website.

Keep Your Website Up-to-Date, Visually Appealing and User Friendly

On your homepage, the first thing readers should see is your books for sale (leave out your synopsis on this page).Include a picture of your book cover with a link to purchase your book that is large and visible. Also link your book cover picture to your purchase site, as well(Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.)
If you have more than one book, put all of them on the home page. Readers can scroll down to each book and see your awesome covers and be motivated to purchase them. ALWAYS include your purchase link for readers to buy your book immediately.
Your website domain name should be called your “author name,” not the title of your book or some other made up title. GoDaddy, NameCheap and BlueHost are all easy websites to buy your domain name. Your website host can help you integrate your domain name to your website and set you up.
On your “Homepage,” be sure to have an email sign up box, so readers can subscribe to your website/blog and receive updates about your books, and your creative interesting blog posts. Use your website’s themes email sign up widget. Or you can utilize a paid Email service like Constant Contact or Mail Chimp in order to easily send out mass emails to your readers.
Be sure to use photos and graphics on your website in your blog section. Blog regularly. You can find blogging ideas by googling “blogging ideas for authors”
Have a separate “Author Bio” and page-make it fun, personal and interesting, be sure to add a picture of you or of your very best book cover.
On a separate page, show your book covers again, each should include your books synopsis and any good book reviews that you have received. Title your page “Books & Reviews”
Have a separate page for your blog. This is where you will write about your writing, life, books and other interesting topics. Your subscribers will receive your blog entries in their email box. That is why it is important to have an email signup box on your home page in the top right hand sidebar. Title your blog page “Blog.”
Don’t forget your “Contact Page,” so readers, publishers, industry professionals, etc. can contact you. Use the contact form that comes with your website’s theme.
If you have any book trailers, create a separate page and title it “Book Trailers”

Note: Do not bog your website/blog down with other authors books or reviews. This will distract from your own particular work and books. The only exception to this rule is if you are collaborating with another author, and sharing your books on one another’s sites. But we do not recommend doing that.

Participate in Social Media Regularly

Social media is vital to gaining a following of readers that will look forward to hearing about     and buying your books. You can have discussions with them about books and hook them on   your books. Twitter and Facebook are the best platforms for authors.

Join book groups within the social media platform. Readers groups, writers groups and book  clubs are great for promoting your books.
Create a Goodreads profile and be sure to include your book covers and all your information,   including your website and social media links.
When using social media, don’t just promote your books. Include interesting, humorous and  fun ways to engage with other users and readers. Post eye-appealing pictures to go along with your posts.

 Have a “Complete” Amazon Author Page, Which Must Include

A photo of you
Your full author bio
Add your website and social media links to your author bio, at the bottom of your bio.
Each one of your books, in each format, with links to purchase them.
Utilize the “Editorial Reviews” section for each separate book to highlight the best reviews with a blurb from each one. You can put blurbs from your paid reviews in this section.
Make sure to write down and save your Amazon login information, so you can access it to make changes as necessary.

 Run Plenty of Giveaways on Goodreads

Give away as many signed “paperback” books as possible to get free book reviews.
Include a nice note when sending the paper back to the winner’s, kindly asking them to please leave Amazon and Goodreads reviews for your book.

 Reach Out to Book Clubs: Offer to Speak and Share about Your Book

Speak at local book clubs and associations, book stores and various businesses.
Gain notoriety locally.

 Get as Many Great Reviews For Your Book as Possible

Excellent quality reviews are vital to selling more books. Utilize free and paid reviewers to maximize your efforts and receive the best quality professional and marketable book reviews that will increase your book sales substantially.

 Enter as Many Book Award Contests that Are Available

This will help your author credibility substantially.
Display Your Awards on a separate page on your website entitled “Book Awards & Recognitions.”

 Book Marketing & Promotion

Marketing and promoting your book is one of the most difficult parts of increasing your book sales and author visibility.

We Recommend You Hire a Book Marketing Professional to Achieve the Best Results to Substantially Increase Your Book Sales, and Connect With Readers Worldwide

To increase your book sales and author visibility. Check out Artisan Book Reviews and Chick Lit Cafe. Both have a large readership base with hundreds of thousands of followers across the board. They utilize many book related and book magazine and media sites to market you and your book. They will get your book out there, and it will be well worth the cost effective the price. They get results. Be sure to read their author testimonials.

For a full list of where you can enter book contests, find free and paid book reviews, free author interviews, and find book marketers, please visit our website and contact through our “contact form” to request your free list of resources for authors.

Or feel free to visit one, or both, of our websites for more articles and inspiration, request a book review and to look into their highly effective “targeted” marketing campaigns. @ Artisan Book Reviews and Chick Lit Cafe

This post is contributed as Guest post by Ella James.

About the author:

Article Contributed by Ella James

Editor/Social Media and Book Marketing Specialist/Book Reviewer

University of California

Degree Field of Study: Marketing, Journalism, Business, Management

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The post Marketing Tips: Create Your Author Platform and Increase Book Sales appeared first on Being Author.

Feedback is one of the most useful things in the universe. In fact, it’s one of the things that makes a living organism, well, living. As a writer, it’s one of the key ingredients to being successful, whether you’re article writing, blogging, or working on your umpteenth book. It’s how we understand what’s working, what isn’t, and what’s holding us back. But getting the kind of feedback that will really move us forward isn’t always easy. Here are a few tips that will help you both find the feedback you need and get the most out of it.

Know what kind of feedback you’d like—and ask for it.

What kind of feedback you need will really depend on what stage your text is at and what its key elements are. Just starting out with a concept and want to know if it’s even remotely interesting to anyone but you? Or perhaps you’ve worked and reworked your book with fifteen revisions and you just need a beta reader. Or maybe you’re somewhere in-between—your copy is still pretty rough, but you’ve been through it a few times and the text is (you’re hoping) getting pretty close to how it’ll appear in the final edit. Or maybe you just want someone to check the copy and look for errors. As far as the elements are concerned, if you’re writing a novel you might want to know if the characters are believable and consistent or if there are holes in the plot. If you’re writing non-fiction, are the arguments believable? How’s the flow from topic to topic?  Whatever the case, knowing what kind of feedback you want and letting your reviewer know will really help them focus in on what’s important for you.

Make sure your work is feedback-ready.

While feedback can be useful in just about any stage of writing—from concept to final draft—that doesn’t mean you should just slam something out and send it off. Take the time to look things over, catch typos and awkward phrasing, and basically just make sure your work looks presentable. Also, the more you catch the obvious errors, the more time your reviewer can spend on the bigger issues that you’re likely to really need feedback on.

Don’t just go for the positive reviews.

Obviously, we all want someone to say that our work is awesome, but the reality is that the hard-to-hear feedback is often the most valuable. We need to know where our text isn’t holding up or where the reader’s losing interest. Of course, it’s helpful if the feedback comes in a form that’s at least mildly digestible, but even if it isn’t, it’s worth bucking up and trying to get where the reader believes our text is falling short.

 

Stop your first reaction.

Ok, you’ve asked for the hard feedback and your reviewer delivered. Or maybe you just asked for a general impression and what came back was not what you were expecting. What do you do? Well, first breathe. Really. Maybe a couple of times. See if you can rein in any thoughts or feelings that want to bat away the critique you’re receiving. Even if the feedback totally misses the mark, it’s important to at least give it consideration, and that will take a clear mind.

Wait before you respond, then respond graciously.

Sort of on the same lines of stopping your first reaction, waiting before you respond to your reviewer will also help you come at things from a clearer perspective—especially if their feedback was challenging to take in. And regardless of what critique they’ve given you, always keep in mind that they didn’t have to look over your work—they’re doing you a favor. So be kind and gracious and be sure to thank them. It’s important—even if you never use them again.

Find readers who give you the kind of criticism you need—who will critique in the way you’re looking for.

Great critique givers are like good friends: hard to find, yet worth more than gold. Once you find them, you’ll never want to let them go. Maybe they’re people in your line of work or maybe they’re writers themselves. Or maybe they’re just people who love to read and are really good at giving feedback. Whatever the case, it’ll be well worth your while to seek these kinds of people out, and that means getting your work out there. The easiest way to start is by finding other writers, perhaps finding a local writer’s meetup (which can be beneficial in many, many ways) or joining an online group such as Scribophile. Or, if you’re really interested in networking, attending one of the many, many writing conferences out there and hobnobbing with the amazing mix of writers, editors, and publishers who attend.

This post is contributed as a Guest post by Bonnie Skott.

Bonnie Skott is a creative writer who left her full-time job at a publishing company to pursue her freelance carrier. Currently, she helps a photography software company Skylum to manage their blog. She really likes planting, so if you want to chat about that or ask any questions, feel free to drop her a message!

The post Tips for Getting the Feedback You Really Need appeared first on Being Author.

Being an indie can be hard. Very hard. Take it from me; I’m one. Here are some of my experiences that I want to share:

Back when I wrote my first book, I was new to the game. Now that I have put a few years doing this, I can say that I know a bit more. In no way do I consider myself an authority, but I’m sure lots of you have experienced something similar, if not the same. I’m merely sharing this so that the newbies don’t have to go through my horrible experiences.

As all indies know, there is a very limited budget to spend. So, the best, and the most economical, way to do things are free. Fortunately, almost all the tools available are free (or inexpensive). If you are serious about getting your work seen by many, and by many I mean many strangers and not friends and family members, here are a few “musts.”

Website: You have to have a website showcasing your work. There are many free website builders available in the market. They will help you get started for free.
Facebook: Creating a Facebook Page for your book is an excellent way to spread the word, and it’s very easy to set up one. After setting up the page, you can invite your friends to like the page (and hope & pray that they invite their friends and so on)
Twitter: Create a Twitter account to tell the world about your work and then use free services like www.hootsuite.com to tweet.

These three are the minimum “musts.” And the good news is that they all are free. You don’t have to spend a dime on creating these. There are other few you should think about having. However, they can be secondary, depending on the type of book you are writing. All of them are free.

YouTube: This is an excellent resource to have to have a book trailer. You can use various online tools to make a free video.
Pinterest: Even if your book doesn’t have any artwork, you should create an account here and upload your work.

Apart from these free resources, there are many free resources available that you could (and should) take advantage of.

This post is contributed as a Guest post by An Indian.

About the author:

The author was born and raised in Mumbai, India. He came to the US in 1989 to New York. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. He is a regular contributor to the BA Blog and wrote a post So You Think You Can Write a few days ago.

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The post A checklist For Indie Authors appeared first on Being Author.

Ever since I read the famous Sapir Whorf Hypothesis : “the structure of a language determines or greatly influences the modes of thought and behavioral characteristic of the culture in which it is spoken,” I have realized the importance of language learning for young people, and how fundamental it is to child development, and learning as a whole.



There are words, and thus, concepts, which cannot be directly translated from one language to another. One can approach the meaning through close paraphrasing, but something is lost in translation.



Until recently, for example, there was no notion of the, “individual,” in Japanese culture, and thus no word to describe this idea. I do not know of another word for the German, “zeitgeist,” although “spirit of the age” may be an approximate paraphrasing. And it is well documented that Inuit people have numerous words for snow, because their very survival depends on it; we have a limited number.



But language is a living thing- new words for new ideas are continually appearing in our dictionaries, and languages are continually in process, as words from all over the world influence this evolution of a new language.



Enhanced communication between cultures enriches our vocabulary, as we borrow and cross-fertilize ideas from each other.



There is a sense in which multiculturalism and globalization have the potential to bring new languages, new ideas, and new ways of doing things, and indeed, the resources to negotiate, and tackle problems like global warming, across the globe.



One can see that a rich vocabulary and language learning strongly influence our capacity to think certain thoughts, to innovate, and to shape the world, as the world shapes us. Thus, it is crucial to children’s cognitive and behavioral development.



Because language learning enables children to think in an abstract way, there is a sense in which reading is a journey which takes children outside of their immediate world. Children learn to explore, and develop curiosity about things that are familiar, and things which are new, and beyond their immediate environment and experience.



A children’s adventure story can transport a child into unknown, exotic territory, where it is safe to take risks, and encounter danger, and  excitement, knowing that they will survive to tell the tale.



Children’s stories encourage compassion and empathy in children, who identify with the hero or heroine, and root for him/her throughout their escapades. Storytelling is thus crucial to their emotional intelligence, resilience to overcome problems, and their emotional security and development.



One can see that a sense of adventure is as important for girls as it is for boys, and it is all to the good if we cultivate in our boys a sense of caring about others.



Whatever class, culture or creed, a child who has access to books can surpass his immediate environment, enter into worlds of possibilities, beyond any immediate constraints. This is why I support libraries, and charities which open doors for disadvantaged young people to have equality of opportunity for access to books.



I also nurture the idealistic dream that my books will be translated in to many languages, so that my cross-cultural message speaks to an international audience. Every child should experience social diversity.



“Snugs The Snow Bear,” has a universal message about global warming, which will impact us, and future generations to come, unless we heed the warning signs, and live our lives in an environmentally friendly manner.



For this I am grateful, that I grew up in a dual language family, who fostered and encouraged a love of learning, and, in particular, valued reading, and books.



Books encouraged my curiosity about language, about relationships and people, and about the world.



And, of course, travel is a great educator, even when it is of the virtual kind.



This post is contributed by Author Suzy Davies, Copyright 07/11/2016. All Rights Reserved.

The post Why I write For Children appeared first on Being Author.

Instagram has gained popularity with 800 million active users and it is the main entertainer in the social media circle. More than 60 million photos are posted each day, and 1.6 billion daily “likes” are given. Most people use it as one of the most wanted sources of interaction. Everyone likes to see fresh and original content, so they turn towards this source.  You may like to see a sunrise, a pet playing with its owner, a beautiful blossoming flower; it is all here on Instagram. You can increase your business on Instagram by using different strategies and tools. In this article, you can have plenty of useful information regarding the sale increase.  You will find 10 most influential Instagram marketing tips that really work.

Hashtags

You must be familiar with hashtag option if you are a consistent user of Instagram. Try to use different but suitable hashtags. This feature allows you to make yourself found by your targeted audience. If you use this feature wisely you will surely improve your brand, your business, and your followers.  Before posting your content on Instagram, you need to find posts which are relevant to trending hashtags by using Explore tools on the Instagram page. The main goal is to use stylish and unique hashtags which are related to your brand. You can search by different kind of hashtags by emoji, now, for example; #mindblowing

Make Your Business Account

Once you have decided on what track you are going, your next step is to make a business account. You can also switch your current account to business account. It is very easy and quick, you only need to go over settings option and click on the “switch to business account” option. And that’s it. Don’t worry this account switching will not make you regret, in fact, you will feel proud after doing so.

This brilliant change in your account gives your customers the freedom to contact you directly from your Instagram page instead of your website. You have the opportunity to make your own ads and then publish them without wasting your time waiting for Facebook’s advertising tools.

You can easily approach Instagram analytic tools, named as Insights, and it allows you to check out your increase or decrease in statistics such as impressions and the status of your content. It also increases the chances of your content to be seen by your followers in their news feed. Account switching is a game changer for your business because it helps you to understand your followers much better.

Use Trendy and Unique Style for Business

The quality of your content and your photos are as important as you put efforts into your Instagram marketing. Use some unique and trendy style in your posts that will enhance your business and it won’t give your content a boring look. You can use a variety of styles, graphics, fonts, colors, and visuals for your business photos. Because colors and visuals will attract people definitely towards your business you can also download Instagram videos or Photos for later use on your website or your social circle. Composing better photos for Instagram is to shoot square photos and this is one of the best ways to save time from having to crop photos later. And you can do it with your Smartphone very easily.

Use Photos and Videos Both

You can make much more by using both images and video content for your Instagram business because it is the most effective way to promote your brand. Videos are more engaging and an amazing tool and can produce even three times more inbound traffic to your account than written content. Mix it up!

Measure the Statistics

When you are using most of the tactics for the betterment of your business, you must keep an eye on the statistics. Impressions, views, clicks, and reviews give you an idea of your performance. You can check for your performance after tracking these metrics. Follower growth rate can tell you how your posts make a difference

Associate Your Account with Influencers

Add to your list the most influential people to be partners with. Take some time to know what are your competitors doing and what are the demands of your customers. Try to build the content that is worth shareable and then tries to get in touch with the influencers who already have built trust among their audience. These Instagram influencers will showcase your products or your brand in a fun way. If your partner is the right manufacture influencer, you can get your brand out in front of those users. If you have managed to build a healthy relationship with each influencer, you will build long-lived firebrand awareness with a brand-new audience with chances of getting in touch with the top influencers in future.

Solid Instagram Content Plan

A firm content strategy is vital for success with Instagram marketing. When you don’t have the right content, you will face hurdles and failures in your way to grab the attention of your targeted audience. If you want to spread your product you would be inclined towards posting more content that is based on the product. It depends on your motives on Instagram, you can even focus on having a mixture of content created in-house and user-generated content.

Post at the Right Time

Before posting your useful content wait for the right time. Take some time to know about your audience, at what time most of the users are active and ready to respond. Never post too much it can distract your audience and also it can decline your product’s worth. But post consistently so that your product can be seen daily in the notification bar. Only post during peak dates and hours when your partisans are online.

Get Ready in Advance

Keep an eye regularly on your competitors and on the taste of your audience, so that you can create content in advance. It will help you a lot and also make your posts consistent at peak. Because post consistency is necessary if you want real results.

Instagram as a Sales Channel

Instagram sales are different, if you are not using the paid posts feature, you won’t be able to add an external link on your posts. You can sale via Instagram through a tried and tested approach. You have to be active all the time to get more information about your customers. Post your product photos and use all the sale efforts.

Try to use all of the above techniques to improve your business on Instagram. Right directions give you success.

This post is contributed as a Guest post by Tayyab Saqlain

Tayyab Saqlain is a digital marketing specialist who has helped several businesses gain traffic, outperform the competition and generate profitable leads. His current ventures include Instagram Downloader, Home Decors, VoVo Gifts, Qari Saab.

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So you want to be an author, huh? Join the queue. Millions of dreamers want to be one, and they are very talented writers with a repertoire of some fancy and obscure words that are seldom used. Their grammar is perfect and their statement construction is flawless. So it should be a no-brainer for them to write great books that everyone wants to read. Right? Wrong.

There are many elements that make up a good book. The most important element (at least in my opinion) is that the story should come from the heart. When I started to write my book in January of 2010, it took me less than a week to pour my initial thoughts down. However, to expand on the idea, to read over and over again for typos, to tighten the storyline, etc. — took me about fifteen months. Was it worth it? Absolutely. It was a journey down memory lane that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you decide to write a book, don’t hurry. I know…I know…you must be thinking, “it’s easy for you to say.” But believe me, it’s worth it. I too was very impatient in the beginning as I was very eager to have my “masterpiece” out.

My thinking was very simple. To make people read my book and let them decide if it was worth their time. Unlike seeing a movie (where one spends only 2–3 hours of their time), reading a book is at least a week of their time. So it better be worth it.

This post is contributed as a Guest post by An Indian.

About the author:

The author was born and raised in Mumbai, India. He came to the US in 1989 to New York. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

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I read as much as I write, even more, but like many other avid readers, I’m picky about what I choose to read. Because I’m an indie author, supporting other indie authors is important to me. Still, the process of whom to read can be difficult. Of course, there are the obvious choices: award-winning indie novels, or the best-selling indie books, however, I don’t always choose the well-worn path. In particular, I like to give new authors a try. Sometimes the choice I make can end up being a bad one, but more often than not, it pays off. How do I choose? It all starts with the cover.

When searching for a new book to sink my teeth in, I choose a genre that interests me, as we all do. After the genre, it’s the cover that nearly always seals the deal for me. Why? Because we are visual beings. Have you ever been scrolling past a post on facebook, or a pin on Pinterest and have to stop and check it out? Absolutely! Why? Because “90 percent of information that’s transmitted to the brain is visual” It’s no wonder that those who choose to create the most vibrant and alluring book covers get the most traffic.

I can give you an example. It’s not a secret that vampire fantasy is one of my favorite types of books. That being said, two years ago, I passed one by because the cover was less than appealing. This year, I came upon that same book (now a series) with a new dynamic cover, and I ordered it. My decision to get the book was mostly due to its new cover, and the fact that it was now free. It was a great book, but had the cover been up to par two years ago, I’d have gotten it then.

Writers can often spend years writing their masterpiece only to choose a cover that inadequately displays their work. Not to mention, the description; it’s the next thing to pull a reader in. It’s important to be as picky with the cover as you are with the content. If you have good prose and the right cover to match the genre, and finally, it melds with a good description or back matter—then you got me hooked.

If you’re going to write a book, give it a chance to sell. Get it professionally designed. Our eyes will thank you!

Credits/quotes: Humans Process Visual Data Better, www.t-sciences.com

All opinions are my own. Brenda Hickey (Contributed as Guest Post)

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