Updated list of hashtags for authors

A few years ago, I wrote about Hashtags for authors. This is an updated list of hashtags. (And yes, I checked every one of them to make sure they are still in use.)

For those of you who use Twitter, you are probably already familiar with the idea of hashtags. These are keywords prefixed with a hash or “pound” (#) symbol. They help categorize your tweets and help others easily find tweets about similar subjects.

Used correctly, Twitter hashtags are one of the best ways to connect with industry experts, readers, and other authors.

The use of relevant hashtags increases the likelihood that others will see your post and become a follower. It is a great way to engage a particular community of Twitter users.

The following is a list of some of the hashtags for authors or writers. Most are self-explanatory. If you use any that I missed, please leave them in the comment section and I will add them to the list.

For when you are writing

#amwriting – comments from other authors

#amediting – comments from those in the editing stage

#amrevising – comments from those revising their work

#editing

#proofreading

#reading

#storytelling

#WIP – work in progress

#WriteGoal

#WritePrompt or #prompts – if you want to give assignments out.

#writing

#writingtip or #writetip – writing tips from other authors and editors

#writerwednesday – or more often #WW- used to give a shout-out to writers or suggest authors to follow. (#WW also is used by some Weight-Watchers)

General book/writing

#Amazon

#author or #authors

#book or #books

#bookWorm

#ebook

#epub

#epublish

#fiction

#iBooks

#iPad (this brings up many other posts than books)

#iTunes

#KDP – for Kindle Direct Publishing

#kindle

#KindleBooks

#Kobo

#Nook

#novel or #novels

#selfpublishing or #selfpub

#Smashwords

#Sony (this brings up many other posts than books)

#writer or #writers

Genre-specific

#adventure

#ChickLit

#Childrensfiction

#christfic

#ChristianBooks

#Christianromance

#cookbooks (could also use #food – #cooking – #recipes or such if promoting a cookbook) #crime or #crimefiction

#DarkFantasy

#Dystopian

#EpicFantasy

#Erotica

#fantasy

#histfic and #histnovel – used for historical fiction

#horror

#humor

#kidlit

#litfic – literary fiction

#mystery

#mysterywriter

#nonfiction

#paranormal

#poetry

#romance

#romanticSuspense

#scifi

#ScienceFiction

#short or #shortstory or #shortstories

#suspense
#thriller or #Thrillers

#TrueStories

#womensfiction
#YA – young adult

#YAfiction

#YAlit

For promotions

#99cents or #99c

#authorinterview

#authorRT

#blogtour or #virtualbooktour

#bookbuzz

#bookgiveaway

#booklook (for excerpts – currently not popular)

#bookreview

#excerpt

#fictionFriday

#Fridayreads – promoting what book you are currently reading

#free

#freebook

#FreeDownload

#freeebook

#FreeReads

#giveaway

#Goodreads – relates to the site Goodreads and its followers

#IndieThursday

#interview or #interviews

#KindleBargain

#newrelease

#SampleSunday – offering a link to an excerpt or sample of your work

#teaserTuesday Or #TeaserTues- usually a line from your novel and a link to a sample

#WW or #WriterWednesday

Other

#author or #authors

#blurb

#booklover

#bookmarket

#buyindie

#ereaders

#GreatReads

#novellines or #novelines – when quoting a line from your (or someone else’s) novel

#ff – stands for “follow Friday” where other writers share people to follow (also used by many non-writers)

#indieauthor or #indieauthors

#indie

#indiebook or #indiebooks

#IndiePub or #IndiePublishing

#mustread

#pubtip – tips on publishing

#readers

Quote of the Week – March 30

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr. 

My fourth grader attended his first maturation class

In January, we received notice that all fourth graders would be offered maturation classes in March. That is where they separate the boys from the girls and talk about the changes of puberty. (I barely remember mine from elementary school.)

At our school, they start the classes in fourth grade though the girls receive a brief intro talk in the third grade because girls are developing sooner than before. I had no clue that it started in third grade since notices only went home to parents of girls, and we aren’t there yet. (But will be next year.)

So at our school, both fourth and fifth-grade students are separated by gender and receive a lesson on what is about to happen to their bodies.

When the notice came home in January, parents could attend a brief meeting at a neighboring elementary school where they would go over what they would discuss and answer your questions. Or you could just watch the video that would be shown to your student from home. So my husband and I opted to do the latter.  We figured if we had any questions, I could then attend the official meeting.

The video was pretty straight forward. It was done in the format of some boys listening to a radio show called “Let’s Talk.” It was informative, and I could just picture the boys squirming and being embarrassed while watching it.

Jase got his chance to watch the video at school last Thursday. One of the first things he said when he came out of school was that he had to attend maturation class.

“How was it,” I asked.

“I am going to start sweating more,” he said and then bowed his head.

“That’s true. What about the rest of it? Did you find it embarrassing?”

He nodded. “Some of it.”

He then showed me the booklet that he received, briefly opening it to the diagram of male genitals.

We spoke a few more minutes on it as we walked. Luckily, Lexie was talking to her dad who happened to be at pick up with me. (A very rare occurrence.)

Jase went on to talk to my husband the next day. He didn’t really have questions, but I think needed to process through what had been said and perhaps needed his dad’s reassurance that it was true, and everything would be all right.

For a child who is resistant to change, I think he handled everything well.

Next year, I will have two kids attending the Maturation classes. I will get to see what the third-grade  girls learn when Lexie goes, and I will get to see what additional information the fifth-grade boys receive as they watch a different video than the fourth graders.

Today’s Featured Author – Noah Nichols

Today I welcome author Noah Nichols to my blog. Here is an excerpt from his book, No Net, released in January 2016.

Excerpt

APP 1 – Truths Of The Past

To her, the glow of the screen was intoxicating. Undeniably addicted, she was glued to her phone almost like an infant would be to its mother’s breast. Anyone who became attached to their device of choice simply couldn’t detach the way a child could. It was a phenomenon that truly overtook the lives of the vast majority.

Twenty-eight-year-old Scott Hadaway was presently being ignored by his mildly younger wife, Gwen, who was comfortably tucked in bed, blissfully unaware of anything in three-dimensional space. Digitally, mentally, physically, and spiritually, her entire being belonged to the black mirror.

“I just don’t understand how you constantly have to have that thing right up to your face,” he said angrily.

Gwen shot him an annoyed look. “That thing? It’s called a DroPho MaxX, babe. And besides, you should know by now that it’s the only way I can really decompress from a soul-crushing day at work.”

“So you’d rather decompress in the social media realm than with me, your husband?”

“You’re creating a confrontation for no reason and I don’t really see why, to be honest.”

“That’s the problem!” he yelled. “You don’t see it, but I feel it. I feel it every single day and night, and I have for years now. It’s suffocating to see someone you care about suffocate themselves.”

Gwen’s body language changed from relaxed to defensive. “What are you even talking about right now? I’m not suffocating myself at all; I check my messages and talk to friends online. It’s a normal thing people do!”

Scott chose his next words carefully. “The normal thing people used to do back in the day—like my dad always goes on about—consisted of actually talking to each other and finding simple joy in that. They didn’t complain in a status update about something uneventful that no one really gives a shit about, not excluding your so-called friends.”

“Yeah, I know; your dad never stops talking about ‘back in the day.’”

“At least my dad’s grounded in reality! He knows what it was like to live a real life and be content with less rather than discontent with more!”

Choosing to sidestep her husband’s defense of his father altogether, Gwen elected to dispense a little bit of wit: “Scott, listen to me. I am sure my friends really do want to know if I thought a movie was terrible or if my meal at a particular restaurant was mediocre. Those are both life-altering situations, all right?” she said sarcastically.

“I fucking hate when you’re like this,” he said, feeling helpless.

“Hey, you’re the one that got on my ass about absolutely nothing! Are we going to do this every night from here on out? I’d like to know now so I can act like I have a headache well in advance,” Gwen stated.

“Don’t you remember what it was like for us? It wasn’t like this before, not even close. We had drive, energy, passion. These days, all you want to do the second you get home is bury your head in that damn phone and bask in any shred of attention you manage to acquire.”

She gave it nearly a minute before responding like a politician. “I do remember how it used to be; but things happen, unfortunately. That familiar aura of cold reality hits like blunt force trauma as emotions slowly flicker like some backwoods hotel sign…” Gwen paused, evidently to recharge her thought process. “We definitely aren’t old by any stretch of the imagination, yet you can’t deny that we aren’t teenagers anymore. Puppy-dog romance always diminishes. I’m not saying anything new; I’m just telling the truth.”

“The truth is that our marriage has deteriorated like a highway road,” he said flatly, but frankly.

“How so, exactly?” Gwen asked in bemusement.

“If you carefully look at what has happened between us, you’re just not here anymore. You are a shell of what you once were-now almost fully gone and soon to be extinct. Your excitement primarily stems from a random bing, ding, or whatever the hell else emits from that thi-sorry. Before you correct me, I know it’s not just a thing to you. It’s called the DroPho MaxX and in my humble opinion, it’s whack!”

Clearly exhausted from the verbal back-and-forth and simply wanting to go to bed at this point, Gwen decided to put her phone aside on the nightstand and turn toward her man, letting her eyes hone in on his as their hands clasped together gently. As the hushed, melodious instrumental of Saving Words For Making Sense by The Six Parts Seven began to play through their wireless Bluetooth speakers as a complimenting backdrop, she spoke with sentimental conviction in her voice: “I love you, Scott, and I’m deeply sorry. To tell you the truth, I don’t think of myself as some kind of unfeeling robot, but I will freely admit that I can get a little too caught up in pointless activity on the Internet at times.”

“Well, I appreciate you coming to grips with it,” he said with an authentic smile.

She continued. “And since it does upset you greatly, I promise to cut down considerably from this moment forward.” Scott studied her like a cop would a suspect in an interrogation room. He was trying so hard to believe what she had said, but in all likelihood, she was probably just wanting to end this monotonous exercise in marital unhappiness. Tomorrow morning or maybe in the afternoon, if she attempted to prove something to herself or to him, the same exact argument would occur between them-a vicious cycle and a depressing struggle. The world had seemed to be a lot easier to understand before all of the distractions became the main attractions. What started out as a life convenience had now turned into an actual way of life for most people.

Book Blurb

What would you do if the Internet mysteriously vanished? NO NET is the ambitious novel that explores how little or how much people care about the beloved World Wide Web. Spanning across 20 APPs with a hearty assortment of varied characters, this fictional tale begs you to just take a moment and think about how deep we’ve all been sinking in a digital quicksand…

About the Author

Noah Nichols is just your normal, everyday introvert that is wanting to make something of himself before his time is up. His debut full-length cautionary tale No Net is a valiant attempt to open eyes and turn heads in a desensitized world full of plastic people. He has had short stories published on 101 Words and Fewer Than 500 in the past. Born in Ohio in the year 1982, he has went through life like so many others have; in a constant internal struggle to find that ever-elusive true calling. However, once he found it shining like a fiery beacon on May 23rd, 2015, he hasn’t looked back. Writing is now without a doubt, his love, his drive, his mission. True till death.

You can purchase No Net on Amazon.

Book Marketing Recap

Every so often I like to post a recap of some of my previous posts. Since this month I have been focusing on book marketing, I thought it was the perfect time for a recap of other posts I have written on the topic. It was hard to a narrow it down but this is about half of the marketing posts I have written.

Listed are the title of the post and the first few lines. If you want to read that post, simply click on the link.

Finding your book’s target market

The key to marketing your book is to market it to the reader who might actually be interested in reading your story. It does no good to spend all your time and marketing effort to try to sell your book to EVERYONE. (Click here to read more.)

Cover Reveal as a Marketing Tool

So you have written a book and are in the process of editing it. In just a few months, it will be out there for the world to buy. But before you publish your book, you will want to create a buzz about your upcoming release. That is where a cover reveal comes into play. (Click here to read more.)

Exploring other marketing avenues – Etsy, Pinterest and YouTube

Self-published are always looking for effective ways to market their books. There are a multitude of sites that cater to readers or authors or both. But there are other options that authors may have not considered. Here are a few of the more off-the-beaten path options for marketing or selling your book. (Click here to read more.)

Buying ads to sell your book

Publishing a book and then hoping someone will stumble upon it and buy it will result in very few sales. To be successful you will need to market your book. This is an ongoing process that usually begins before you publish. One option for marketing is to buy advertisements. (Click here to read more.)

Tips for drafting your author bio

Every author needs an author bio, whether it is for their book, web page, Facebook, author page or when appearing as a guest blogger. The purpose of an author bio is to give readers a clue about who you are and what you are about. Sometimes writing a bio can be difficult, especially for new authors. Here are a few tips for drafting your author bio. (Click here to read more.)

E-book press releases often don’t bring results

Many authors tout the importance of sending out press releases to announce your latest release or the writing award you just received. So far, I have yet to do this with any of my e-books. I don’t do this mainly because I have been on the other side. I was the features editor of my college newspaper. I was inundated with press releases and freebies. Barely 1 to 2 percent of what came in would make it into our weekly publication. (Click here to read more.)

Creating a book trailer on a budget

A book trailer is used to whet your audience’s appetite. Now I don’t know if it is the best marketing tool to help sell your book but I decided to put one together for Summoned, the first book in my trilogy. (Click here to read more.)

Author website or blog: Do you need one, both or neither?

Nowadays authors need to make sure they have a visible internet presence but do you need to have a website or a blog? Do you need both or have the lines between these two blurred enough that only one is required? (Click here to read more.)

Starting a blog as a marketing tool

One of the keys to selling your novel is to get your name before the masses. The more you participate on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter the more people will begin to know you and in turn know about your books.

Rather than tweeting out about your book, you can use your blog as a way to gain an online presence and build your audience. (Click here to read more.)

Goodreads: An introductory guide of authors

If you want to sell books, go where readers congregate. And that place is Goodreads. Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. (Click here to read more.)

Using Wattpad to gain readers

When I originally looked into self-publishing my first novel, Summoned, I was directed to Wattpad as a place to feature an excerpt of my novel. Sadly, I didn’t heed this advice because using Wattpad can be a great way to introduce your writing to millions of readers.

Wattpad claims to be the world’s largest community for discovering and sharing stories. On this website, users can post their stories or read one of the thousands of new stories posted every day. Wattpad’s dedicated readers spend over 2 billion minutes each month on the site. (Click here to read more.)

Using World Literary Cafe to promote your book

I have written about many good websites for author support or promotion (Authors Database, Independent Authors Network, Goodreads, Wattpad). Here is another one to add to the list – World Literary Cafe.

The World Literary Café is an online community bridging the gap between readers and authors.  They offer promotions to authors, reviewers, bloggers and editors by bringing them together on one site. (Click here to read more.)

Using Twitter as a marketing tool for your novel

Twitter can be a good marketing tool, and I have wanted to write about it for some time. But there are already countless websites that explain the basics and just as many from other authors explaining the dos and don’ts of using Twitter to promote your book. (Click here to read more.)