How my Blog has helped me promote myself!

devider

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]

A guest post by Clancy Tucker

I have been a full-time author for more than 16 years, and completed over 22 manuscripts, bush poetry and 146 short stories.

I also write a daily blog which currently goes to 50 countries and has an excellent following. Why write a daily blog? Mm…Following my costly entry into 11 major Australian book awards in 2012 ($1,280.00 and 66 books that were not returned!), I was fairly jaded by the results; all well-known names were short-listed and none were self-published authors. So, not being a person who rolls over easily, I began to write a daily blog and spent four weeks connecting with swags of people via LinkedIn. Reason? I wanted to promote my brand – Clancy Tucker.

Clancy_Tucker-1

STARTING OUT

I spent almost four weeks, eight hours every day, connecting with a variety of people on LinkedIn. While doing that, I chose a group of professions that might be useful connections in the future: media, authors, editors, lawyers, publishers, poets, writers, illustrators, artists, photographers and social justice and human rights activists. Now, I have thousands of connections, many of whom have become guests on my blog…and very good friends.

I researched other blogs before I began my own. Why invent the wheel, eh? By the way, ‘they’ say that a blog post should be no more than 220 to 1200 words, and it should be made regularly. Well, I wasn’t impressed with many blogs. They talked drivel – nothing attracted me, or they had a very complicated site. If a site is too busy, I turn off immediately. Many also stick to one subject, so that limits who connects with them.

What did I do? I stuck to the KISS principle – Keep It Simple Stupid. Example, look at my website. I write young adult fiction, and the first thing you will see on my website is a bunch of cute and gorgeous kids smiling at you. Who doesn’t love a cute kid?

DESIGN

So, the following points are what motivated me in the design and layout of my DAILY blog:

    • I chose attractive colours that were not offensive to the eye
    • Kept it fairly simple – KISS!
    • I wrote to LinkedIn connections and invited them as guests
    • Guest posts are free of charge and I have no advertising. Yep, their post is all about them, their issues, links, photographs, videos, book covers et al.
    • I have diverse personal interests that lure a variety of people to my blog: human rights, social justice, poetry, photography, writing and publishing.
    • I freely and publicly encourage other creative people at all times: writers, poets, illustrators, artists, authors, publishers, human rights lawyers, inventors et al.
    • Although I might write a post on a serious issue, I do not forget to add some humour.
    • All text is broken up into smaller paragraphs by using graphic images – nothing worse than an entire page of text – boring!
    • My blog daily!
    • I offer a personalised service and advise blog guests of their appearance the following day.
    • Including diverse, interesting, controversial and humorous issues has increased my readership and following.
    • No one knows what will appear each day – the surprise factor.

Now, I connect daily to new people via Twitter and Google+. And, each post is published to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

So, how has all this helped? The only request I make of my blog guests is that they send the link to their post to all and sundry via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, email etc. I am appealing to their sense of nobility and ego to draw others to my blog. Now, since my first blog, I have hundreds of connections on Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and have created a massive database for the future – and a great list of friends. So, when I get that cold call from a film producer and sign a decent contract, I will have thousands of people to send a press release to. They will then send the press release onto their own friends and connections. How many will you have?

Sadly, many writers are self-centred. They think the world owes them a living. Trust me. It owes you nothing. Work hard, think laterally, help other writers where you can…and pray. Writing and being published is the toughest gig in town. If you are not cut out for it, find another pursuit. I am pleased to help others, and I teach students from the University of The Third Age (U3A), mentor more than 50 writers around Australia and have 18 young readers (8-17years) who critique my manuscripts. And, I’ve been a global activist for self-published authors for years.

Good luck.

Clancy Tucker

AUTHOR BIO

Clancy Tucker is an award-winning writer with three awards in the Australian National Literary Awards. He writes young adult fiction for reluctant readers, and has also achieved success as a poet and photographer. Clancy has lived in four countries, speaks three languages, has photography accepted and published in books in the USA, photos used as covers for magazines, has work registered with the International Library of Photography, been published in literary magazines, and he’s written more than 146 short stories.

Clancy has been short-listed, ‘Commended’ and ‘Highly Commended’ in writing contests: 2006, 2007& 2011 Australian National Literary Awards, Raspberry & Vine (twice), Positive words, Australian Writers On-Line, Shaggy Sheep Tale, The Cancer Council Arts Awards (2005 & 2008), The Dusty Swag Awards (2010) and had twelve short stories published in literary magazines (Page Seventeen, Branching Out, Positive Words and The Australian Writer), newspapers (The Standard, Mountain Views & The Advocate), written articles for Kid Magazine in the USA and won a poetry prize to name a life-size statue designed by renowned Belgian sculptor, Bruno Torfs.

He was a guest on dozens of blogs, writes a monthly editorial for a newspaper, lectures to members of the University of The Third Age, contributes articles for literary magazines, and mentors young writers. Clancy was also been a contributing guest editor for the Australian Prostate Magazine.

www.clancytucker.com.au
www.clancytucker.blogspot.com.au

You can buy Clancy Tucker’s books at Amazon.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”3758″ border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_blank” img_size=”thumbnail” link=”http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Clancy%20Tucker&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevanceranktp://”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”4332″ alignment=”center” border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_blank” img_size=”thumbnail” link=”http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Clancy%20Tucker&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”4333″ alignment=”right” border_color=”grey” img_link_large=”” img_link_target=”_blank” img_size=”thumbnail” link=”http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Clancy%20Tucker&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2 Responses

  1. A really great article. Much time and effort goes into online networking,
    but the potential rewards are incredible. Having a solid social presence
    can be a very powerful tool.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

error: Content is protected !!