"School is never out for the pro!" Those were the words that Brenda used to motivate us this month for our posting.
She is right. I think I have learned more in the past 10 years than I did in my first 50. Yes it has been an uphill climb but very exhilarating at each of the peaks. Of course, the slides down are not too much fun. But God knows that we have our ups and downs.
Brenda asked:
"How are you developing and growing your skills as a writer?"
Well right now I am trying to grow my skills as a marketer – or promoter. Or somehow find an audience.
My Learning:
- Write! Canada – Thomas Umstaddt’s course. Opened my eyes to social networking. So I have been busy learning more about blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. That’s enough for me at the moment. But there is Pinterest, Digg, Google, and on and on.
- Using Google as Search Engine - Every time I have hit a wall and think I can’t go any further – I Google for the answer. I always seem to find something that works. Thomas said to Google 50 times a day. Well I don’t think I have hit that number but some days I am close.
- Set up a self-hosted Word Press Blog. This was a big learning curve. Setting up the blog wasn’t too hard. But finding the right pluggins – that is harder.
- Publishing and Marketing a book - And the other learning curve is working on edits and preparation for final publishing of my book. When I self-published a few copies it took lots of time. But now when I am working with a real publisher I have to work with others – it seems to be taking longer. I say, “patience, Jan, patience.”
Some Interesting Resources:
Twitter Ideas by Ruth Snyder
What is a Platform? by Chip MacGregor
How to Create a Twitter List in 4 Easy Steps - by Author Media
How to Launch a Self-Hosted Wordpress Blog in 20 Minutes or Less - by Michael Hyatt
Janis, a former school teacher and small business owner, found a new passion in writing in her retirement.
She has published a couple of devotionals and a number of articles. Her Bible study is available in PDF.
As owner of Under the Cover of Prayer and A Better Way, she writes often.
Her children's book, Tadeo Turtle, is scheduled for release in September. Email her at Janis or visit her at www. janiscox.com.
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Janis Cox
Janis, a former school teacher and small business owner, found a new passion in writing in her retirement.
She has published a couple of devotionals and a number of articles. Her Bible study is available in PDF.
As owner of Under the Cover of Prayer and A Better Way, she writes often.
Her children's book, Tadeo Turtle, is scheduled for release in September. Email her at Janis or visit her at www. janiscox.com.
