Christine Kohler

August 23, 2016 7:44 AM EDT

Hi Christine. Thanks for posting this. I hope it is helpful.

- C. Lee McKenzie

August 23, 2016 7:58 AM EDT

Thank you, Lee, for writing this helpful article on Goodreads! I, for one, have not been good about understanding how to use Goodreads to its fullest. I review, mark books to read, participate in the lists, but beyond that I haven't made many author-to-reader connections.

I know of many authors who shy away from Goodreads because of either some scathing reviews--some with baseless personal attacks against the author--or because they've been warned by other authors. (In my own case, reviewers have been very kind and generous in ratings and reviews. But I wouldn't engage with reviewers if they did give me a bad review.)

Anyway, I said all that to say that I was so impressed with how you engaged a community of readers on Goodreads. That's why I asked you to write this insightful article.

- Christine Kohler

August 25, 2016 4:32 AM EDT

Great post, Lee! I didn't know you could use html in the author bio. Thanks for sharing, Christine.

- Yvonne Ventresca

September 28, 2016 12:56 PM EDT

I'm going to link to the article in my next Email Connect that comes out at the end of Sept, Yikes! This week! And I'm adding a couple of ideas that I've recently tried.

- C. Lee McKenzie

September 28, 2016 5:15 PM EDT

Great idea Lee! Let me know the link and I'll post it as an update.

- Christine Kohler

March 02, 2017 1:43 AM EST

Thank you for the great advice! I'm just going begin a write their own blog about books that I read. I want to share my thoughts on the subject with others. Also, it is interesting to read what others think about this. Now I collect information on how to start writing a blog. I watch a many different online resources including sites with assistance in writing resumes (like a http://ratedwriting.com/). There I corresponded with the manager on staff, leading his own blog. I will seek more information on how to start writing a blog.

- Joanna Taylor

March 02, 2017 3:58 AM EST

Joanna, thank you for commenting. It sounds as if you are going to start a book review blog, telling what you thought of the book you read. Many of these blogs also feature different authors. I have been very appreciative of bloggers who reviewed my books and/or interviewed me. It's a great way for readers to discover new books.

My best advice is to read these type of book review blogs, and model yours after the best. Plus, make your blog be distinctive to stand out among the rest. You are smart in looking at Goodreads for review blogs. I've noticed the review bloggers have goals of how many books they read per year. Some have categories they aim for as a challenge for specific years. I'm not sure if Goodreads sets those challenges or where they come from, though. For example, the year NO SURRENDER SOLDIER came out, reviewers of historical novels needed to read so many books that year set during wartime. The reviewers who specialized in war literature kept recommending my book because they called it "history with a twist" and it covered two wars at once, which meant they got double credit for reading my one short book.

Since you are a voracious reader, becoming a reviewer will also give you the opportunity to get free Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) before the book is released. Subscribe to Netgalley, a legitimate service where publishers offer the ARCs free to reviewers. (Be careful of downloading from pirates, which is illegal and can give your computer viruses.)

I wish you the best of luck on your blog! And please be kind to us authors. :-)

- Christine Kohler

July 21, 2016 7:21 PM EDT

Zita Taitano. A well respected journalist does it again. Thanks for the article, Z!

- Therese Hart

July 21, 2016 7:55 PM EDT

Ms. Therese Hart, si yu'us ma'ase for your comment. I had worked with Zita on the Pacific Daily News in Guam in the late 1980s until early 1991 when I moved to Texas. I am proud to call her "friend" and am impressed with how she broadened her experience in her journalism career. I am very honored that Zita agreed to write about the liberation of Guam during WWII. It's one thing for me to write about it from a historian viewpoint, but Zita writes about it from a deeply personal perspective, both as a Chamorro reared on Guam and as one whose relatives lived through that horrific time of Japanese occupation during wartime.

- Christine Kohler

May 01, 2016 6:35 PM EDT

These are very good tips! I'd add that you might want to be prepared to do a little acting. It feels strange and unnatural to those of us not in the modeling trade, but once you warm up to your photographer, those staged poses he or she might ask for can become the best shots. I had fun when I got the pictures trying to match the poses to the photo. In which one was I supposed to be acting like I was bored in a grocery line? In which one was I dreaming of a far-away place?

- Anonymous

May 01, 2016 7:11 PM EDT

Great suggestion! This is an interesting concept I hadn't thought of or tried. (I took drama classes only for the playwriting part and disliked when my college drama teacher made me do warm-up acting parts.) You've got me thinking of things I haven't done, though. For example, maybe before a photo shoot the person could practice expressions and poses in a mirror. Also, perhaps the person could clip poses and expressions she or he likes (pinterest?) prior to the photo shoot.

- Christine Kohler

March 22, 2016 12:09 PM EDT

In the UK the Welcome Library has made the historical images which it owns available free - http://wellcomeimages.org/ for more information. Otherwise I use Wikimedia Commons.

- Jane Wickenden

March 22, 2016 12:28 PM EDT

You can use anything I have for free. :-D

- Doris Kelly

March 22, 2016 12:35 PM EDT

Good to know, Jane! Thank you for this info.

- Christine Kohler

March 22, 2016 12:38 PM EDT

That is generous of you, Doris. I'll especially keep it in mind if I need Mackinac Island photos (i.e. lighthouse, lake, floral, etc.) You are a beautiful photographer. You'd probably have fun with Pixabay.com even if you don't need photos for a website. I think I'm addicted to it already.

- Christine Kohler

March 22, 2016 7:40 PM EDT

I'm a bit confused about Pixabay--I guess I never saw the notice that I had to upload pictures to use their pictures. I've recently started using them. I'm going to have to go back and do some research!!! I also use morguefile.com. Also creative commons pictures.

- Susan Uhlig Ford

March 22, 2016 7:54 PM EDT

Susan, I saw something about morguefile.com the other day when I was searching for a garden gnome to illustrate my next writing article about naysayers (tbr April 2). That's when I stumbled upon Pixabay. I haven't had time to read all the Pixabay rules yet, but I saw where if you upload 10 photos, approved, then it's ad free. That part confused me. But once I was looking into signing up for another service that was a swap, and it was more confusing and complicated with a chit and point system. The point is, authors like us are dealing with very few photos. Consider that I try to only write one craft article a month, and the AG site template only permits one photo per article. So it's possible I use only 12 illustrative graphics a year, not counting photos I take of book events. So it is definitely not worth it to invest in a service or have to do something that takes a lot of time ore effort, or any money. It would be different if I was still doing PR and needed to do whole publications every month.

- Christine Kohler

March 22, 2016 8:04 PM EDT

I just want to add that Pixabay appeals to the photographer in me. I have worked as a photojournalist. But I do not have all the expensive equipment I had before digital photography. (My skills really deteriorated using digital and on automatic settings.) Pixabay may be the jumpstart I need to photograph more again and work at improving. The bar is certainly high for their photographers, and I'm competitive enough to enjoy the committee ratings. I've only been on it two days and it's already addictive, and making me use a critical eye again at what is in my files. (Notice that my thorn photo here was rejected. Yet it made an eye-catching photo-illustration to go with my title "thorny issue.") Otherwise, for a blogger who only needs that 12 illustrations a year, it may not be worth the time and effort of contributing to the site.

- Christine Kohler

May 18, 2018 12:32 AM EDT

Not all images on Pixabay are actually copyright free. They've been called out before for having art uploaded (and then used for commercial purposes) that the uploader had no permission to share.

- Tamara Green

May 18, 2018 3:58 AM EDT

I wasn't aware of this Tamara. Thanks for the info. Question: How would a blogger know if the artwork was uploaded illegally? Authors and illustrators (my audience) do not want to violate copyright. We understand firsthand the detriment financially with this type of theft.

- Christine Kohler

January 04, 2016 1:10 AM EST

Great blog. For writers who are Christian, there is also the American Christian Fiction Writers. On the national level the resources are endless for many of the types of groups you mentioned. There are also many local chapters which provide social contact. Always great to associate with those who "get" you.

- Jenny McLeod Carlisle

January 04, 2016 3:53 AM EST

Thanks for adding this ACFW resource, Jenny. It's a great organization. I attended a national Christian writing conference at Mt. Hermon, CA, one year and found the format to be one of the best because it allowed for accessibility to editors and agents. Everyone was very candid, too, and friendly. Glad you've been able to tap into this group. Best wishes on your writing this year.

- Christine Kohler

December 01, 2015 5:23 PM EST

I agree!!!
I tried to make my book effort (part of a series) fit into the Nano format one year. With great struggle, it worked. At the end of the month I had no more useful manuscript art and writing than if I'd just worked on my own schedule.
Nanowrimo doesn't intrigue me anymore.

- Ruth Barshaw

December 01, 2015 5:41 PM EST

Thanks for sharing your experience, Ruth. btw, I'm a fan of your books and artwork!

I've heard testimonies where it does work for some writers. But as a former writing instructor for nearly a decade, I'm concerned about all of the frustrated writers who feel like failures, as if this is the BIG TEST to becoming a professional (i.e. published and paid) writer. Nonsense! One month doesn't make or break a long-term career writing. And, in my experience, November through January are the worst months to put this pressure on writers and families.

- Christine Kohler

December 02, 2015 6:34 AM EST

Thank you, Christine. :)
You're right. Nano is not a true test of ability to manage the writing life.
Now, if they came up with a five month revisions challenge, that's something I could get behind.

- Ruth Barshaw

December 02, 2015 7:12 AM EST

Ruth, if you hear of a five-month revision challenge, let me know. I'll sign up for that one, too.

- Christine Kohler