For Writers

#IWSG Bullet Journal – Evernote combo?

Writing research road trip…

I’m posting this month’s IWSG post a day early because my hubby and I are taking off on a month-long road trip tomorrow morning! (So, I may be a bit slow to make the IWSG rounds, but I will do my best, bad motel WIFI willing!)

As I’ve mentioned here before, Larry’s dad moved in with us last summer. We love having him here, but it all came about rather suddenly. Long story short, he has dementia and could no longer live on his own. So, we’re sending him up to stay with family on Long Island while we drive down to take care of things at his place in Florida.

…and a last minute cruise deal!

His place in Florida is a fancy condo for oldsters. It’s like staying at a resort! So even though we will be doing some important paperwork and so forth, there is a swimming pool. Whee! And to top it off, my hubby found us a last minute cruise deal. (If you’ve never checked out the Vacations to Go site, it’s amazing. We’ve found incredible deals there. Like, one time we took a 17-day cruise from Florida to London for $350! As the hubby says, “We can’t stay home for that price!”)

But which books to take?

But how does this relate to my writing? Well, even though we’ll be traveling, I want to keep working on my field guide to historic cemetery symbols. Trouble is, all the research books I have on this subject would fill up a couple suitcases, so I’m agonizing right now over which books will be the chosen few to take on this trip. And, realistically, I won’t have more than an hour each night before bed to do my research, so really… I need to just pare it down to two or three books.

Mighty morphing Bullet Journal/Evernote combo?

I’m also trying to get the hang of using a Bullet Journal this year. Do any of you use one? I have kept many a sloppy, note-filled journal, but I’m trying to incorporate my daily to do list into my messy journal this year instead of keeping that separate. I’m not sure yet if I’ll be able to go completely handwritten, I still love making daily to-do lists in Evernote. Perhaps I’ll end up with a hybrid Bullet Journal/ Evernote combo? Getting organized is an lifelong quest for me! Speaking of, I need to go pack!

How’s your writing going?

So, that’s my IWSG post for January. In the meantime, how’s your writing going?

Quirky road trip stop (photo by Woofmutt)

What is IWSG?

IWSG stands for “Insecure Writers Support Group.” It’s a monthly check-in for writers of all stripes. Its creator, Alex J. Cavanaugh, describes ISWG like this:

“Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh

Speaking of graveyards…

Do you enjoy exploring historic graveyards? Join my weekly newsletter for a FREE guide to historic cemetery symbolism by clicking the image below:

Water is a Writer’s Best Friend

by 9 Comments

Even Home is a Travel Destination

I have nothing against staycations. I don’t even despise the word, as many others do. As a mindful travel writer whose motto is “Even Home is a Travel Destination,” I am always on the lookout for fun things to see and do nearby. (Heck, I even write best selling books on the topic!) However, if you caught my IWSG check-in for July, you’ll know that due to a health scare with my husband, Larry, “nearby” literally became “our house and backyard.”

(photo by Tui Snider) — Putting the “vacation” into our “staycation” (photo by Larry Snider)

Couldn’t see past the chores

For me, the biggest challenge with being housebound for our staycation is that when I look around, all I see are chores to do! (Does this ever happen to you?) It was especially bad in those first few weeks when Larry was completely bedridden. Since I work from home, I really struggled to shift from work mode into vacation mindset.

Outside fun? Easier said than done!

One idea I had was to sit outside and read a good book. To me, reading while enjoying nature is one of summer’s simple pleasures. Alas, between me being a delicate flower from northern climes and the Texas temperature hovering around 100 most days, it was impossible to combine the words “outside” and “fun” in a sentence without slathering a whole bunch of sarcasm between the two to hold them together!

Saved by a wading pool!

As of this writing, I can now say “outside fun” with a genuine smile on my face, because as you see in the photo above, we installed a 12 foot diameter wading pool in our backyard.

Yee haw! *splash*

It’s nothing fancy, but it has made all the difference in the world to little ol’ me! I’m now able to enjoy spending time outside, meditating, bird watching, listening to cicadas, reading books, and even writing, yes, writing while in the pool- but I’m getting ahead of myself…

Our new wading pool is great exercise, too! Between my flippers and water gloves, I’m able to get a lot of cardio and stretching without dying of heat stroke. Plus, as someone who struggles with anxiety, getting enough physical exercise each day makes a huge difference! The pool even lets Larry safely exercise without damaging his injured leg – so it’s not only me who benefits. (I think the only naysayer in our family so far has been the cat. She doesn’t know what to do with herself when we’re in the pool and yowls at me when I walk back into the house dripping wet.)

More than anything, however, our backyard kiddie pool has added that missing ingredient to our mandatory in-house staycation: FUN!

Catching Ideas in Water

I dunno about you folks, but I get some of my best ideas while in the shower and bath, and now that we have a pool, I’m getting ideas out there, too. I tried keeping a notebook and pencil next to the pool, but it didn’t work all that well, so I turned to Facebook and asked my friends for help in a status post which reads:

“Hey! I remember some folks talking about water proof paper or notebooks or something like that… something people could use to write on in the bathtub. Did I dream that, or do any of you know where I could get something like that? I get so many ideas when I’m floating in water, but it’s tough to write them down…”

Morgan Dragonwillow shared an excellent post in response to my plea, too: The 3 Writing Tools I Couldn’t Live Without which gave me a lot of ideas.

In fact, I bought a dive slate for $7 after reading her article and I love, love, *LOVE* it! I take it in the pool and it allows me to write ideas down with a regular #2 pencil while I splash around.

Yeah!

[UPDATE: I found it hard to clean my dive slate… until I tried wiping it off with one of these nifty magic white sponges. Now, it’s a breeze! I sometimes even jot notes down on my dive slate when I’m not in the water – lol!]

Thanks to my pal Michael Gilmore, our shower now contains a water proof note pad called Aqua Notes, which is handy dandy, indeed! Mike also shared an article entitled Science Explains Why Our Best Ideas Come in the Shower.

I love Aqua Notes!

Bobb Triggs and Teresa Wills suggested “Rite in the Rain” products, which I haven’t tried yet, but I’m sure that I will down the line.

By the way, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Even so, the opinions expressed here are wholly my own!

Am I missing any other tricks for waterproof writing devices? What about you? How do you handle ideas that come to you in the shower, bath, or any other time when writing them down is a challenge?

Want to keep up with me?

BLOG POSTS: I’ve got 650+ articles here and I’m constantly adding more!

READ MY BOOKS: Check out my books, including Understanding Cemetery Symbols. It’s available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form.

Want a FREE Guide to Historic Cemeteries?

IWSG: How I Became a Fan of my Fan!

by 1 Comment

Making friends through writing

I’ve been writing for decades, and getting paid for travel articles since 2006, but it wasn’t until I published Unexpected Texas that my writing began directly connecting me with readers. Sure, I knew people read my articles, but it ended there. I never made friends with any of my readers.

Meeting people because of things I’d written? And not just online, but meeting them in person?!? As I said, this never happened when I was simply writing magazine articles! Sure, articles paid well, but even with a byline, it felt rather anonymous… like a message in a bottle that never washed ashore.

Since my first book came out in March, I’ve had many readers add me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter (and you can, too, if you like!) Plus, I’ve met interesting people and made wonderful new friends in person at various book-related events. I am grateful (and delightfully shocked!) to have so many new friends who are interested in the same quirky, offbeat, overlooked, and strange things that I am.

In fact, if I’d known that publishing a book would help me make new friends and “connect with my tribe,” I would have done it much sooner!

My first reader fan mail

I often feel like contacting an author after reading their books, so I make a point of including my email address in my own. That way it’s easy for readers to reach me with questions, suggestions for me to research and write about, or to simply say “hi.”

That said, only recently did I receive my first reader fan mail.

What a thrill!

Using my books for writing inspiration

In his first email, this reader thanked me for both of my books. Not only did he read and enjoy them, but it turns out he is also a writer, and has been using the offbeat Texas history and lore in Unexpected Texas and Paranormal Texas as inspiration for creating an alternative Western universe.

Since my primary motivations for writing are to entertain and to inspire, this made me feel great!

Shared unprinted tales with him

This same reader also wondered if I had tales that didn’t make it into the book, especially any involving mysterious creatures. Well… do I ever! So I blasted the guy a big rambling email and pointed him to a few links online where he could read about some strange creature sightings and other weird tales about Texas.

Hey, as I said before, it’s not every day that I meet someone who gives a hoot about the same things I do!

Gave me my first UK Amazon reviews

To top it off, he also gave me my first reviews on Amazon UK!!! You’d better don sunglasses before reading them, though, ‘cuz these reviews are glowing. Here are a couple snippets:

Here’s a snippet from his review on Amazon UK for Paranormal Texas:

“Whether you live in The Lonestar State, are planning to visit, or like me are just collecting extraordinary tales, this book is a must. Tui Snider writes beautifully, as if you and her are already friends, and by the end of the book you feel that you are!”

See what I mean? I’m blushing over here!

Here’s a snippet from his review on Amazon UK for Unexpected Texas:

“A fascinating, beautifully written guide to all the extraordinary sights, and folklore of the Dallas and Fort Worth area. I’ve been researching Dallas folklore for a book I’m writing and found this book to be everything I needed and more.”

I love that he was looking for these weird tales and found them in my books!

How I Became a Fan of my Fan!

When I asked where he lived, the reader responded that he was from the UK, but “I currently live in Paris. The original one in France!” (This was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fascinating little town of Paris, Texas which I wrote about in this post: Paris, Texas Day Trip – Visit the *other* Eiffel Tower)

A flurry of emails ensued, through which I learned that although he is a writer, his ‘day job’ is being a street magician! Not only that, but he is the first person in the world to receive a bachelor’s degree in street performance, and he recently gave a Tedx Talk in Germany on the importance of play:

Cool, eh?

By the end of our email exchange, I had definitely become a big fan of my fan! We’re now friends on a few social networks, and if/when he ever makes it to Texas, I hope he will swing by Castle Azle to say hi.

Meet Owen Lean

So let me introduce you to my fabulous new friend, Mr Owen Lean. You can visit his website here:

Owen Lean: Road Mage

…and if you get a chance to visit Paris, perhaps you will see Owen Lean in action! If you do, please tell him Tui sent you!

That’s my IWSG for November

So that’s my IWSG check-in for this month. Has writing opened doors for *you* socially, too? I look forward to seeing how things are going with all of you!

What is IWSG, anyway?

IWSG stands for “Insecure Writers Support Group.” It’s a monthly check-in for writers of all stripes. Its creator, Alex J. Cavanaugh, describes ISWG like this:
“Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh

Check out other IWSG Posts by Clicking this Badge:

Hey Authors: Sign Up for a Halloween Blog Hop to Gain New Readers

by Leave a Comment

Trick-or-Treating for Books!

Have you ever wanted to go trick-or-treating for books instead of candy?

Well, now you can!

A couple weeks ago my friend, Patricia Lynne had a brainstorm and devised a clever way for authors to give out books and book-related goodies on Halloween.

Last I checked, 20 authors had signed up for her Trick-or-Treat Book Blog Hop, and I bet more will be added as the big day approaches.

That’s a whole lot of sugar-free fun!

(Oh, and as you may have guessed, it was Patty’s blog hop that inspired my own Paranormal Texas Book Release Trick-or-Treat Giveaway. Speaking of, you can *still* enter daily to win goodies there through Halloween. What can I say? I love giving out prizes!)

How Authors Can Play Along:

If you are an author and would like to give a book or book-related goodie away for Halloween,

1. Add your name to the list of participating authors over at Patricia Lynne’s blog. Here’s the link: Trick-or-Treat Book Blog Hop

2. Write a post on Halloween (or a day or two before, depending on your schedule) telling trick-or-treaters about your book.

3. Offer your blog visitors a treat! This treat can be as simple as giving each person who comments “trick-or-treat” a free ebook. You could also run a contest, with each “trick-or-treat” being an entry. Or… you could do something else entirely! Halloween is like that, right? It’s not like every house on the street gives out the same candy. So it’s up to you, fellow authors. This is a chance to gain new readers. Make it fun!

How Readers Can Play Along:

On Halloween, drop by Patricia Lynne’s Blog and start trick-or-treating your way through the tasty author blogs taking part in this trick-or-treat blog hop.

And, hey readers, please give a little candy back to the authors by posting reviews of their books on Amazon and Goodreads and so forth once you’ve read and enjoyed their books.

Check out the Author Participants in Advance!

Why wait for Halloween? Check out all these generous candy-laden authors in advance:

‘); // ]]>

To be free, or not to be free? That is the book marketing question!

by Leave a Comment

I’m an Angsty Little Hamlet!

“To be free, or not to be free, that is the book marketing question—
Whether ’tis Nobler for indie authors to suffer
The Slings and Arrows of Amazon’s algorithm,
Or to take Arms against a Sea of freebies,
And by opposing, end them? To download, to sell—
No more; and by sell, to say we end
The Heart-ache, and the thousand Marketing shocks
Authors are heir to? ‘Tis an extroversion,
Devoutly to be wished. To buy, to sell,
To write, perchance to Sell; Aye, there’s the rub,
For in that point of sale, what reviews may come,
When readers shuffle off this merchant’s coil,
Must give us pause.” ~Tui Snider, channeling Hamlet through the perspective of an indie author

Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas, (photo by Tui Snider)

Major Marketing Question: What’s Free Got to do with It?

Pardon my bastardized Shakespeare, but I’m an angsty little Hamlet this month as I launch my latest book, Paranormal Texas.

Why, you ask?

Paranormal Texas is my second book release, and so it was much easier this time around. I learned from my mistakes and did a few things differently. Other tasks remained the same, but I whizzed through them simply because I had done them before.

The research, writing, cover creation, front matter, back matter, and all the million little steps required to turn a big pile of words into the pages of a book – all that makes sense to me now. All those skills can be honed, honed and even turned into a recipe of sorts to follow again and again.

Because of this, I feel fairly competent when it comes to creating a book.

However, when it comes to marketing a book, I turn into an angsty little Hamlet as you can see by the soliloquy above.

Why offer a book for free?

For one thing, since I’m enrolled in Amazon’s KDP program, I can offer my book for free for up to 5 days in each 90 day period that it is available for sale.

But why?

Why offer my book, Paranormal Texas, for free after putting so many hours of writing and research into it? Is this a smart move, even if it’s only for a short while?

That’s a good question, and one I’ve pondered long and hard – usually around 3:00 a.m. when the marketing side of my brain wakes up specifically to annoy me with niggling little details. After a whole lot of insomnia, I very nearly chose to not to offer Paranormal Texas for free at all.

But then I launched the book, and online sales were slow (offline is another story!) So last Sunday, I arranged it so that Paranormal Texas is available for free from Sunday, October 12 through Wednesday, October 15.

Of course, the moment I sealed the deal, online sales picked up.

Hey, I’m not complaining, but what’s that all about?

Murphy’s Law? Maybe it’s because Halloween is around the corner? I don’t know! Whatever the case, as of yesterday both of my books, Unexpected Texas, and Paranormal Texas, were side-by-side in the #3 and #4 spaces on Amazon’s Best Seller’s list for Dallas – Fort Worth Travel.

Yippee!

My reasons for going free

So… back to the original question, why should an author offer their book for free on Amazon? Here are my personal reasons:

1. Later reviews appear as an Amazon verified purchase:
I sell a lot of paperbacks directly to people – way more than I do through the Amazon site. Since I purchase these books straight from CreateSpace, they don’t count towards my Amazon sales ranking. Still, some of these folks have told me they want to leave reviews on Amazon. If they have also downloaded a digital version, their review will show up as an Amazon verified purchase when the time comes – and a verified review always looks better than an unverified one.

2. Attract new readers:
Since the book is free, someone who is on the fence about what my books have to offer might take the plunge and buy one.

3. Spur more sales:
It sounds counterintuitive, but over and over I read about how offering a book for free helps boost subsequent sales.

4. Attract attention to other books:
Now that I have two books for sale, offering my newest one for free may help attract readers to my other book, Unexpected Texas.

Grab a Free copy of Paranormal Texas for yourself

If you’ve read this far, why don’t you go ahead, click this link and download Paranormal Texas for free for yourself!

Please leave a comment, too, if you decide to download the book. Makes me feel good. :)

Also, if you enjoy Paranormal Texas, I hope you will eventually leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads, as well. If you don’t enjoy it? Move along… there’s nothing to see here!

Spam Folder Mishaps

by Leave a Comment

Is Gmail going senile?
I’ve been happily using Gmail for years, but lately it’s been wonky. I wasn’t thrilled when they introduced the tabs feature a while back, but I got used to it. What’s got me troubled now is that all of a sudden, Gmail is tossing perfectly good emails into my spam folder!

I know, I know… It’s a good idea to check your spam folder every now and then. Thing is, Gmail did such a great job for soooooo long that I fell out of that habit.

Missed opportunities!
It wouldn’t be such a big deal except that in the past two months, I’ve missed out on a couple writing opportunities, a speaking engagement, and a banquet (yum!) all because those invitations were sent to the spam folder…and those are only the things that I know about.

Who knows what else I may have missed?

Argh!

SPAM, Saturn and Tardis stained glass window (photo by Tui Snider)

Setting my alarm
To get myself back in the habit, I’ve set a daily alarm specifically for checking my spam folder. Now that I’m looking, of course, my spam folder is doing its job quite perfectly – like some quantum particle that behaves differently when observed. (Schroedinger’s spam?)

I really shouldn’t complain – but as we all know, that refrain usually accompanies a big whiny rant. Ah, well! As Leonard H. Courtney famously said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” I guess that goes for free email programs, too!

Another lesson learned!
So that’s my IWSG check-in for this month. I look forward to seeing how things are going with all of you!

What is IWSG, anyway?
IWSG stands for “Insecure Writers Support Group.” It’s a monthly check-in for writers of all stripes. Its creator, Alex J. Cavanaugh, describes ISWG like this:
“Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!” – Alex J. Cavanaugh

Check out other IWSG Posts by Clicking this Badge:

#IWSG Bullet Journal – Evernote combo?

Writing research road trip…

…and a last minute cruise deal!

But which books to take?

Mighty morphing Bullet Journal/Evernote combo?

How’s your writing going?

What is IWSG?

Speaking of graveyards…

Water is a Writer’s Best Friend

Even Home is a Travel Destination

Couldn’t see past the chores

Outside fun? Easier said than done!

Saved by a wading pool!

Catching Ideas in Water

Want to keep up with me?

Want a FREE Guide to Historic Cemeteries?

Sign up below to grab your FREE Cemetery Symbolism Guide: