Do you want to be an author or just a writer? Building a platform.

 Do you want to be an author or just a writer?
Anyone can be a writer, all you have to do is write. Start with one word then another.
But do you really want to be a published author?
First start with asking yourself why?
Yes, why and then what is your reason for even starting. What is it you want to do?
 What do you need to share with the world and why? Once this is very clear in your mind, make yourself a note of this.
Then give yourself a journal to refer to so you can then write down your reasons and all the whys and whats that will be thrown up.
Let us call your new journal your Authors Journal, or your Writers Journal.
This is a great inspiration motivator tool, so easy and so effective. Write and keep a journal of all your key points and notes you are going to be using and referring back to a lot.

To become a published author you really need to build up a platform first before anything else.
But what should come first I hear you cry! Should the platform come first, or the writings? You have seen one site which suggests the platform, then another that suggests the writing!
So which is it to be?

Well you may well have been writing for years and only thought of being published. So before you go any further you will research and look up, read and absorb what it takes to become a published author and if you have the drive to keep it going especially in the months and years of waiting and being rejected. If you can then you could almost be forgiven for thinking you were half way there, being optimistic of course, and in this vein we shall continue..
can you take this?

Even if you can't, do not let that put you off writing.
Do not be put off if you are only writing for your own hobby pleasure. This is what will actually keep you going on the days when you may feel like giving up. So this is a very good reason for writing initially, you must love writing. You must have the passion! You will learn to believe in yourself!
Oh yes, you are creative, a creative soul is a soul that writes. Whatever the words may be, even if the words look more like an excerpt out of the 'Jabberwoggy'.
The platform is as much as important as the writing, so if you want to be a published author 'Platform' and 'Writing' will be as if wed for you.
Together, as one. equally as important.
So equal are they, that it doesn't matter as much which you start first, as you are going to be doing both every day and building them both up and up and up.
I wouldn't suggest having many novels under your belt before you even look to see what is involved in a platform. Realistically as soon as you know you want to be a published author, research building a platform straight away. Then get started with the basic tools of your platform straight away.
Below is a few key tools you will want to know about and it will also be a good idea to put these into your journal to refer back to.
Let us say you take the YES road, what next.

What is a Writer/Author Platform?

Your  Authors platform is 

 your visibility as an author.

*If you want to sell more books or simply get your name out there, a writer’s platform is essential.

*The definition of platform, broken down, is your personal ability to sell books through:

*Who you are

*The personal and professional connections you have

*Any media outlets (includng blogs and social networks) that you can utilise to sell books

The most common building blocks of a platform include the following:

*I will start with the most important block and that it is understanding that it’s about engagement; about connecting and interacting with people who are aligned with your message and affected by your story.

*Plan your destination. Knowing where you want to go is the first step in getting there. 

*What are your goals? Who is your current, potential or future audience? What are your short term and long term plans? Write then down in your author's journal we briefed upon further up.

*A website and/or blog with a large readership

*An e-newsletter and/or mailing list with subscribers/recipients

*Make sure you have a social media presence i.e -Twitter, Facebook, instagram, linkedin, pinterest, goodreads, youtube, google+. These are the main ones, start with facebook, twitter and linkedin, then move onto goodreads, google and instagram. If you have the time add on pinterest and youtube as these are -powerful visability landing places. These can also be connected too. You can share from instagram and your posts can be shared straight to your facebook and twitter. 

*When creating your Facebook Fan page be aware that there is a difference between your Facebook profile and a Facebook page. Learn how to create an author Facebook page.  Join twitter and research and read 'Twitter marketing 101 for writers'.

*Research hootsesuite and learn to use this.Or a similar social media management tool that helps you execute your social media campaigns over multiple networks

*Look into joining organisations that support your goals and aims.

*Join groups and communities who share/offer advice.

*Guest contributions to successful websites, blogs, and periodicals.

*An authors page where you will be visible and can show your track book sales and reviews. Also reviews you have done.

*It is important to have a bio, add it to your author page and a goodreads page too. Look to see what other people are seeing, reading. 

*Check you have follow up links at the end of your blogs and pages, so your  readers can follow onto a desired power point page you wish them to land on. 

Further down the line in building higher blocks you can look into:

*Individuals of influence that you know that can help your public relations. Look into your personal contacts too. (organisational, media, celebrity, relatives) who can help you market at no cost to yourself, whether through blurbs, promotion, podcasts or other means. Be willing to chat and message people, firstly introduce yourself and retweet and share and comment on their sites, pages and blogs.

*Involvement in any article or column writing.

*Public speaking appearances

*An impressive social media presence i.e -Twitter, Facebook, instagram, linkedin, pinterest, goodreads, youtube, google+. interacting with your followers, liking and sharing too.

*Further down the line another building block is media appearances and interviews—in print, on the radio, on TV, or online.

Not all of these methods will be of interest/relevance to you. As you learn more about how to find success in each one, some will jump out as practical and feasible, while others will not. My advice is to choose a few and dive in deep—and don’t be afraid to concede failure in one area, then shift gears and plunge into something else. It’s better to show impressive success in some areas than minimal success in all.

Lastly, know that building a platform takes time.

Presenting your work 
 What you do need to know is how to present your work in the most professional manner possible. While nothing can guarantee that your book will be published, check out all guidelines available for publishing a book beforehand.
 Write, and then write some more. If you haven't written anything yet, now is a good time to start, a few sentences each day will lead onto a few pages before you know it. Just keep writing, anything. Editors are interested in professional finished products. If you're a new writer, editors want to be sure that you have what it takes, unique idea's combined with discipline skill,to not only complete a full-length book, but to edit and be able to change and take things out when needed. Once you have finished your first write up then the work really begins.  Have you got what it takes to have a book published? Let us look at some basic points to consider and research and make a layout of. This will be your basic foundations you will be working from.

Getting back to marketing and your book.
 Know your audience. What is your book about? Who is the intended readership? What age range? Illustrated, children's, young adult, adult fiction. These are questions an editor will ask; being able to answer them will help you choose an appropriate publisher. If your book is a novel, to what genre or category does it belong? Make sure you have one particular genre and then learn that market well. Research it.

 Research the market. Publishers do not just want you to email them to say will you be interested in my book, Instead, they want you to find the right publisher for your book. Find out who produces books like yours. Browse your local bookstore, and make a list of publishers who offer books in your category. If you're writing a children's book, for example, note who publishes books for the same age group or of the same type (e.g, picture, thriller, mystery).

 Do your homework. Look up promising publishers in the current Writer's Market or Literary Market Place in the library reference section. There, you'll find the publisher's address and the editor to contact. Specialised market books are also available for poetry, novels and short stories, children's books, romances, mysteries, and science fiction. Writer's Market also tells you what a publishing company is buying, its rates, and how to approach the editor. For example, some publishers want to see your entire manuscript, others want a query letter outlining your story idea, and still others want a book proposal and a chapter outline. Some accept unsolicited manuscripts; others only accept books from agents. If you need more information, write or call the publisher to request writer's guidelines.

 Prepare your manuscript. These days, editors won't even look at a manuscript that isn't prepared professionally. Print your manuscript on high-quality white paper. Get someone else to overlook your work. Get it proof-read. Double-space your manuscript and leave a 1-inch margin on all sides. Number your pages. Check your spelling  Don't mix fonts, and don't overuse boldface or italics or exclamation marks, try not to repeat words too often too close together.
 Submit your package. Always send the editor exactly what is requested. When emailing manuscripts, go over exactly what they ask for, if they want the first three chapters, then that is what you send, or the first 1000 words, or even just the synopsis. If you are mailing a large manuscript, use a manuscript box. Address it to the correct person, check and use names of the person.
 Include a large stamped, self-addressed envelope.

The waiting game. It may take up to several months or longer to hear anything at all. Longer for entire manuscripts. Because of this reason it is  acceptable to submit your manuscript to more than one publisher at a time. Make sure, however, that each is open to "simultaneous submissions."

 Keep going with the writing While waiting for a response to your first manuscript, get started on your next. Or, build your portfolio with articles, short stories, or other material that will put forward your skills. Start up or keep up your social media platform.

Don't give up. If your manuscript doesn't find a home right away, and nine times out of ten it will not, you just keep trying. Don't take rejection personally; sometimes you are just not in the right time at the right place. just move on to the next publisher on your list. Often it takes time, effort, and many submissions to get published. Successful writers are those who don't quit. The very act of putting your book, article, story or poem on paper places it under your copyright. You can formally declare copyright ownership by typing the words "Copyright, the year and your name on the first or title page of your manuscript You can also substitute the copyright symbol for the word "copyright." It is not necessary to register your work with the Copyright Office to protect it.

Should I get an agent? This depends to a great degree on what type of book you are submitting. Often, you do not need an agent to submit a nonfiction book to a publisher. Check the publisher's requirements first. If you find that a large percentage of the publishers in your chosen genre or subject area require agents, then you should look for an agent first.

Should I publish my book myself? With today's electronic publishing technology, it has become easy and relatively inexpensive to produce your own book. Well-targeted nonfiction books often do well; self-published fiction, however, is very difficult to market. Unless you're experienced in graphic design, it's wise to hire a professional to produce a quality product.
Be aware that self-publishing means more than getting your book printed. It also involves marketing, advertising, distribution, and sales which means setting yourself up as a small business, with all the tax and accounting responsibilities that entails. http://www.wikihow.com/Self-Publish-a-Book

http://readwrite.com/2013/07/22/10-simple-steps-to-self-publishing-your-book-on-amazon


Is it better to self-publishing or go with a vanity publishing house? Vanity presses take your money, bound to you to a lot of rights, take others from you, and give you little in return. If you're willing to pay money to have your book published, do it yourself so that you can retain full control over the process, the rights, and the proceeds. For more information on vanity publishing, see http://www.vanitypublishing.info/
 Publishing it yourself means you get all the satisfaction, all the money, and you are not bound by certain elements and rules. Self-publishing in itself is a whole new business for you to research, it can be very hard to get your social media platform going but also very rewarding if you are dedicated and strict with yourself and have the passion to keep it up.
remember,  a well-written, interesting, original manuscript is what you need, to take it forward in self-publishing, or to a publishers. Even before you think of sales there is so much to do. most of all, ask yourself, so you have the passion and commitment? Do you have skills in writing an original manuscript?
A last word for writers, do not give up at first hurdles, all of those famous authors are only famous because they did not give up. Remember to write because you like to, expect nothing in return and you will be rewarded, surprised or more one day!

More blog articles for writers by Karen Emma Hall  http://kidliteraturetoday.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/a-letter-to-my-younger-self.html
http://kidliteraturetoday.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/successful-writers-are-those-who-dont.html
http://kidliteraturetoday.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/an-authors-life-and-social-media.html
http://kidliteraturetoday.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/are-you-meant-to-be-writer.html

 some of Karen Emma Hall's platforms on twitter and facebook  https://twitter.com/KidLiterature
https://www.facebook.com/KidLiterature/ https://www.facebook.com/ColouringInWithColor/  https://www.facebook.com/OwlsILove https://twitter.com/TeenyPheenyOwl

Spring has come Marching in.

Spring has come Marching in

and they are messing with the time again.

We are always thankful for any extra hours which feels like a little luxury when the clocks go back in Autumn.
But when they take one away from you. Well it just doesn't seem fair.

Snow gives way to flowers and greenery. Wildlife comes alive and is active with birds out singing songs. The warming, mild temperatures also mean you can finally put away your winter coat and break out your summer dress. There are so many reasons to love spring.

Why do we love spring?

It's spring again — a time of rebirth as the natural world wakes up and revives after going dormant in the winter months. In spring, our days start getting longer andflowersbegin to bloom and warmer weather allows more time enjoying the outdoors

March Blog>  In like a lion and out like a lamb -goes the old saying.
We love March because it is a farewell to Winter in the UK (hopefully) and the nights get lighter and we all feel better when the sun shines longer.
We are told it should came in like a lion and out like a lamb ...but mostly it always seems to go out like a lion too. But the only thing I don't look forward to is when they take an hour away from you. We need more hours in a day not less.


Also they say the UK is going continental now. The little tin island is looking uncannily like the continent in a manner of speaking in regards to the weather. We all listen to the weather forecast but they are usually only right 50% of the time, and that sounds like good guess work to me.
You should always listen to your Auntie Mary when her arthritis plays up. You know there is a storm heading your way when she hollers.

I'm still hoping they stop taking that vital hour off us in Autumn when the clocks go back. And oh boy, do we need more time. 

Time is indeed going quicker and quicker it seems for many of us. I did wonder if  it was because my life was so fulfilling, but apparently it isn't.
The reason why it seems that time goes quicker can be explained scientifically. (Leans to sceptic side here) Scientists explain it like this: As you get older your memory capacity shrinks and you have less memory cells, so you don't hold as much information.

Therefore the older you get, the less time you think you have, because you don't store it as well. But you wouldn't remember all that anyway, so let's not worry too much.
I still feel as if I am missing out, hmm.

As I sit up in bed contemplating the day as the new sunrise appears over my bedpost I look forward to the sunshine days and hope I manage to fit in at least some of the schedules I have planned on my list. Yes it is March already and how frightening to know the months seem to bump into each other, forever in a hurry to come in quickly like a lion and out like a lion too!
So take time out in your busy day to take a moment and consider what you have done and savour it all.


So where does this time go? The time leaves us and goes to the young ones, as they seem to have oodles of the stuff.
What do I do with my spare time? I create ,write, blog, illustrate and promote. Then I schedule so many items in on 10 sites it is scary. So I have to schedule everything in really well to get through my work load. All subject to change of course, as it is with any family and also when life gets in the way. 
I love to illustrate, watercolour, colour, design templates and learn new skills in design and video. But most of all I love spending time with the family, looking at art and nature. Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons.

If there was such a thing as a pause button in a day I would definitely try it out. Maybe my buttons are on fast forward.


Read some fascinating links about the science behind the reason you actually think time goes too
quick.                      why-time-goes-by-faster-as-you-get-older

A letter to my younger self

So if I could send my younger self a note of advice or a letter, what would I write down apart from some winning lottery numbers? How about writing some life lessons in the hope that your younger self learns something... Yes, I think I can manage that, but I do prefer my chicken story I wrote in the letter too..
Available to read further down.

How would this letter go?
Well maybe something like this.

Dear pen-pal self, I know you very well, but now wish you to know yourself.

It is so good to be your own person. Keep focused on making time for you and keeping yourself happy with hobbies or pastimes or treats you enjoy.
 Try not to worry or get anxious.
Find a hobby or life passion and pursue this, just do whatever makes you happy. Life is too short to waste with fear, hate, greed or hanging around negative folk. Try not to be overpowered or influenced which can lead to being overwhelmed. Do not change who you are to fit in. Never feel guilty for anything or allow others to make you feel bad. If they do, it is their problem to deal with not yours.
Do what you feel is ok. Even if you make a mistake, this is a way of learning, and the first thing to learn is not to feel bad for making them! Then you can move forward in life. It is also ok to share emotions and thoughts, as that is just as much a release as laughter and crying. Right then, that's the sensible part out the way, but there is more...

 If I'd want you to change anything it would be to say avoid boys in the years while studying and close your ears to negative people and don't get married! If you get to read it before your Thirteenth Birthday I reckon you are still in with a good chance.
Concentrate on your studies. Not only that, but keep with your first career of choice.
 You may find there are days you want to give it all up, but persevere. So the key word to repeat like a mantra here is PERSEVERE.
Now write that word down 100 times, and never forget it. I can't tell you how important this is!
Then print it out several times (you will have a cool printer in a few years time, so you can do this task). You are already looking forward to this I can tell :D No rushing to get to this stage, all in good time my dear.

Ooh one more thing, Save! Treat yourself like an employee and pay yourself first, so what money you get in, put a small amount of it away and continue to do this. Always save. Even when you get a little, give yourself a wage, even if it is a £1 every week or month. It soon adds up. Also do not compare yourself to others, as they are on a different journey. If you want to be a writer, all you have to do is write, nothing more than that.

I just checked your life back over (I can do this) and although you have some red *see me* teacher ticks on parts of your life chapters, I find that changing major life events wouldn't be ideal. I know it may stop those negative things happening, but you will not have your children and will also not have learned  valuable if hard life lessons.
Also, I know if you get a chance to do it all again, you would do it all exactly the same.. so to save me beating my head against that same brick wall, lets stop with the headaches and understand that if you could choose you'd do the same thing again!

If I could give you something important what would it be?
Hmm...
As I'm not allowed to give out big lottery numbers as it will change the course of your life, I can only dish out advice about the next issue - stress.
But if in the meantime if  you happen to win the lottery or get left a windfall then good for you and keep doing what you love.
You could always also buy the library or bookstore instead of just the book, just a thought..

Worry warts
The next thing to know is life is too short to worry. Worrying is a needless life sapping sport that has no room in life, and that whatever worries you at any given moment to just NOT.

Points to consider if you find yourself worrying over nothing most of the time.

Listen up! By the time next week comes around or next month you will have forgotten about the little niggle and moved onto another worry. There is nothing quite like a new worry to stop you thinking about the other worry. Then after years of worrying you will have tallied up so many worries, that you will not remember them all! so you see, what is the point of collecting worries you would never remember!
Pointless.
Yeah what's the point?
It will only sap energy you need.
Take each day as it comes, and as you wake up to embrace each new day, see it as a day you feel free of everything. You only take into each day a positive outlook and a smile, so then the possibilities are endless.
The world is yours to be discovered.
Somewhere along the way this can be forgotten, so make that notice, hang it up loud and proud and write on it  -  Catch one chicken at a time. Persevere.
You will often find you take on too much and you are doing too many things, so then you need to take stock, take a back seat and re-evaluate. Yes, plenty of breaks. If you look after yourself, you are in a better place to look after your family or friends.
So to help you understand I have written the meaning into a little story.

                             One Chicken at a time.

                                                            By Karen Emma Hall

Before breakfast every day from now on you have to (without fail) catch six chickens before you can start the day.
The chickens reside in a communal coup that measures approx 14 x 14 square feet.
The quicker you catch them and place them in a smaller pen that holds within a chicken laying house, the longer you have to take a moment to yourself and luxuriate in a long leisurely breakfast before starting the day.
If you fail in the required time, you must go without breakfast and go without any moments to yourself for the rest of the day.
 The first morning comes quick and shining bright, and you find yourself all eager out in the coup contemplating chickens.
As you have only a small window of time to catch these feathered beasts, you need to be motivated and willing to get on with it.
At first you try to outfox them and maneuver them into one corner to catch them quickly.
You soon notice this isn't working.
Well, let's see it in action so you understand better.

So you are out in the chicken coop, you have stretched out and limbered up briefly ready for some catchy chicken action while trying to act all calm. No point in getting those chuck chucks agitated.
It'll be a walk in the park.
You unsuccessfully tried to huddle them into one corner and do a group grab, but the chickens have other ideas. They jump up feathers splayed, squawking as if their heads are on a block. You think you have a chicken in your grasp but when you look down you see you only have 2 feathers in your grasp. How hard is this going to be?
The rest of that little cootie went flying off on one, eyes popping, running around the coop while bellowing out bawks and hollering at the other varmints,"run for your life, the mad cat lady is onto us!"
So you have wasted some time. But with no time to ponder on lost breakfast time, you head back for another try.
You turn slowly away from the chickens and try and act invisible until the clucking dies down. At the same time, breathe slowly and try to recover that calm cool exterior that had all but up and left you a moment ago. Then your belly gives out a grumbling noise.



"Here here chicky chicky,"
you find yourself saying out loud.
 Did they understand you? Well, they look at you with trepidation and more than a touch of something resembling horror.
You go towards them, but they have learned! Darn it, they scoot off in different directions. Time is up! You missed out that day and the thoughts of dippy eggs and soldiers fading fast.. so you need to take stock and act smart if you are to catch them tomorrow morning.


So another new day and you are back in that chicken coop, and you have an idea. The chickens are scattered but don't seem to be looking too pensive. You dismiss the group, and head for the one by the corner. And because she is by herself, you are focusing on one chicken only, and as this little clucker heads into the corner of the coup, you swoop down and grab her with ease!
Yeh! woop woop chicken soop! She is then placed in the hen house. Good work.
You then do this with every chicken in turn until they they are all assembled together again, this time in the hen house.
Which gives you half an hour for breakfast and an extra moment to gather your thoughts.

You succeeded and you are more likely to succeed if you go after one at a time rather than the whole lot in one go. It may seem a longer task, but you will get there quicker in the end. That's how you succeed at life too - you focus on one thing at a time, until that job is complete. You finish the job properly, THEN you go onto the next one. If you try to do too many at once, they are all in the air, and they will fall down around you dispersing confusion and negativity with it.
So remember, one chicken at a time.

To help you remember this life lesson I made a colouring in page and hung it up. I have also posted it in the colouring group I started in September for all to print and colour, so you can also hang it up somewhere if you wish.
You can find all about how colouring in books and pictures results in many health benefits and evokes relaxation and tension release Colouring in with color

Please also find me here daily instagram owlandcatbooks & KidLiterature
and here https://www.facebook.com/KidLiterature
Plus my twitter and good reads and most other of my links are on the bar at the top of these blogs.

The grass is never greener on the other side, yours is green all along once you tend to it.

Please read some more letters to your younger self from some fellow bloggers and children's authors. 

Letter to my younger self by Carmela Dutra

A blog for your thoughts

How a Forgotten Journal Helped Me Move Beyond a Painful Past

Cat shares excerpts from a journal written by her painfully insecure 15-year-old self to Older Darlin’ — the adult she wished to become and hoped she would do proud.

A Letter to Your Younger Self

Corrina Holyoake enlightens her little mini-me with plenty of gems of wisdom learned along the way during her colorful and fulfilling life.

Listen to Your Inner Beach Bum, Younger Self

This year, Leigh Shearin turns 50 and reviews her life journey and what she’s learned as a writer of historical fiction that she would share with her younger self.

Letter to My Younger Self 

Auden Johnson encourages her 15 year old self to embrace her inner nerd, keep on writing and, above all, never give up hope: “You may not see daylight now, but it’s coming.”

Letter to my younger self by Julie Gorges

http://babyboomerbliss.net/letter-to-my-younger-self

Join Carolin Palmer as she hops on with a letter to her younger self blog hop > http://creativeillustratingandwriting.com/help-me-to-send-a-letter-to-my-younger-self/

If you would like to write a blog letter to your younger self , get in touch or leave a message and

I can add your blog link under here. 

An Authors life and Social Media

A children's book and toy giveaway!

Hosted by Sondra Robbins Rymer 

Sondra Robbins Rymer from Fairy Tales Imagery, Inc. 

has kindly put out a giveaway rafflecopter,

 so you can enter if you wish to win

 Teeny Pheeny book and a plush owl, plus three colouring pages.

https://fairytalesimagination.wordpress.com/…/enter-to-win-…

In this article you get to see the name of the new colouring book.

Thank you Sondra!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway






An authors story about the Social media commitment~By Karen Emma Hall 

Why I headed for twitter after writing a book and starting a blog site.

After writing a book what next?

Even before I had edited my stories I was researching the best way for my book to be seen, so it was research, research, research. From googling a few words about how best to promote your own book, I discovered quite a bit and found would-be authors and established authors on twitter. It all looked rather confusing but I wanted to know how people got their followers and how to get retweeted. So hold onto your seats as you are about to go on a social media journey and it is a bit of a crazy rollercoaster with all of the fun, frights, and the odd bumper car thrown in.

I had no idea about hashtags or their purpose before heading to twitter, so I learned most of my skills from twitter I would say. I wanted to learn the highs and lows of the indie author and set out to research and see what worked and what didn't. I now believe one day something works so well, the next day it may not. It can all depend on so many factors. I soon discovered ebooks on Amazon kindle had really starting to take off and I was looking forward to putting my book out there. So it was twitter that was my only social media site at the time and that was where I met like-minded people who were wanting to make a way in the 'twittersphere' with their book. I also enjoy writing blogs about literature, reading, books, authors, and various other topics of interest. I get a staggering amount of hits on my blog and sometimes it still takes me by surprise and it is so good to know this kid literature blog and the sites from this blog spot go straight to the first page of google searches very regularly when words like Kid Literature, writing children's books, children's author are put into google.

As my twitter account grew, I was pulling in more tweets. And this is the thing. 

We all love activity with retweets or likes, this is our interaction, we strive for it and try to maintain this. 

But this is not the most important thing. DO NOT think about the amount of tweets you have, or likes. The majority of people who are clicking on your link and reading or checking out wherever that link takes them will not have even stopped to like or retweet, no, they have gone straight to the link. The ones who click 'like' or the new heart favourite (as Twitter now has) on your link can generally be the folk who support you. I have found out that the majority of people who can see your post from twitter or Facebook bypass the 'likes' and go straight onto reading your post which is after all the object of intention. 
 So they still leave their print when you see stats charts. Now you may not agree with this, after all everyone is different, but after working Twitter for so long I have found in my experience this is the case. Even if it is just my case.

So when you have built up your followers, and that takes real commitment you will start to see results, and hopefully before you reach this point you hadn't thrown the towel in, walked away, therefore not hanging around to find out.
 Commitment as in you are on there every day like a job, you are retweeting, putting tweets out, and eventually working a scheduled app like hootsuite for example. Now with hootsuite and similar apps you can schedule posts in to come out for the times you are not around. Some people put them on all the time, they don't get the time to hang around twitter or whatever social media place they prefer. 

 I worked twitter manually because I wanted to, I had the passion for it, others do it only because they feel they must.. its a chore to them.  Some people prefer to post or to retweet scantily. This is worth trying, but doesn't necessarily mean it is better. You may have read that engagement decreases slightly after the third tweet. I have found this works on Facebook but not on Twitter, so I post less on Facebook and more on Twitter.This is what works for me. It took a year before I learned this. Also it's worth following a group hashtag, and you have to make sure you retweet them. Keep searching for the hashtag in twitter on the day you retweet as it is a lot easier and takes up less time. Try to make sure you always retweet them. It is heavy work, but you either get their slowly, or get there quicker with the hours you put into it. Some days, what works one day, doesn't always work the next. One day you have worked hours on a blog or a sketch for example and you can't wait to show it off! You put it out then, bang, nothing.
The next day you put it out at the same time and hey bingo! 20 tweets in a a few minutes. so you just have to go make a cup of tea/coffee put some music on, or whatever soothes the soul, and then take it all as it comes. 

  So view it as a chore and it will become a chore, and view it with pleasure and it will become a pleasurable place to be. Positivity grows positivity and the same with negativity. Which leads me onto negative people. You must not allow negativity or green monsters to bring you down. It happens, but you have to move away and steer towards the positive ones. There are more positive supporters who will always be with you, and you have to group together and embrace the writers life.






Mistakes

I didn't really have a structure at first. And I can tell you now it is not for the faint hearted. Many lessons were learned, and also many positive things came out of making mistakes. I believe making mistakes is a good thing. Making mistakes allows you to learn and grow and become more knowledgeable. Then there are times you'd happily go back for more even though you have worn the T-shirt out. 

Life does tend to get in the way though, as I found, and before long I had to take a long break. It was such a long break, I didn't feel like coming back, I had got so used to being outdoors most days, concentrating on my health and my family. When I did come back after a break I wanted to concentrate on my art for my next book, maybe squeeze a bit of writing in, and definitely make sure I had me time and plenty of family time. 

The challenging part was learning not to take on too much at once when I had already set a schedule. It is so easy done. Everyone wants to support each other in the author community,  and the challenge is not to feel bad if you say you can't do an extra task for yourself or someone that week.  Just do what you can easily manage, otherwise you may feel guilty if someone is disappointed or let down. Know it is ok to say you have a full workload on and you can't take on any more for the time being. It is essential to take time out for anything to work and have direction.

So I set out a schedule, checked it over with some friends and decided if I stuck to it it would work.

 Maybe.

Write down the things you wish to achieve with your stories then research them. I started off on twitter first, but some people prefer Facebook, or other social media site. Everyone is different. 

Even if you have done a few words and they don't make much sense, just keep at it, keep on writing.

File things carefully so you can refer to anything if needed. There is nothing worse than spending half the day looking for a notepad, or piece of paper you had quickly jotted down the items you had intended on ticking off that day! So organise yourself. You will be chilled and relaxed with things in the correct place and that means a better frame of soothed mind to work with!
Give yourself a big teacher tick when you do this.

Me time.

Definitely take breaks and do something different that you enjoy.  Spend time with family, go out for walks, catch up with people or have a  pamper day to yourself.

And if needs must do what I did once and take a three month break during which I travelled round Italy. It takes a little while to come down from writing or working at full tilt, so one or two days off sometimes isn't enough. When you know your mind is not going back over your writing or editing, or what emails need answering, then you know you are more relaxed and the mind thinks clearer again. You need to think clearly if you are at a block, or are overwhelmed with tasks, so it is important to take breaks. I can't stress this enough, so I did a blog about it.  Writing   Are you meant to be a writer   

When I opened a kid literature authors page on Facebook it became an exciting and very demanding job. Many people wanted to support, so there was so much daily retweeting, sharing, reviewing, blogging, logs to keep, updates to do, meeting people, chatting to people, working with passionate people to support a kidlit community. http://kidliteraturetoday.blogspot.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/KidLiterature
You will find them on twitter, I tweet them! Tweet tweet!  https://twitter.com/KidLiterature

A passion

Once you have a passion to try anything new and to have the audacity to feel it will work, to know it in your bones you're onto a winner.  I felt it strongly so I simply went with it. If I am passionate about any one thing I will see it out and give it my all. That's what I did with the colouring group. So it is definitely the want and the passion that keep me going. If what you are doing inspires just one person, then you know you're doing something right. Be grateful for everything, and then whatever comes along is enough. 

 I decided to open a group for colouring art therapy as it is such a stress-relieving pastime, and I was surprised by how many wanted to join up and post their colouring pages and photos. It just grew in a moment, and many love to post their art or their photos and links.  Everyone is welcome to join and see what all the fuss is about. People have been picking up a pen or pencil for the first time and colour in from a variety of pages and books. Once you discover adult colouring it is very addictive and relaxing.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Colouringinwithcolor

Now Teeny Pheeny is to be in a colouring book! This is to go out very soon. The link will be on my author page and all my other sites later in December. You must look out for it, and see it for the first time! Author page 

Teeny Pheeny loves to bring teeny bits of teeny magic, follow his hashtag  #Teenypheeny

Teeny Pheeny also has two twitter accounts and two Facebook accounts! 

Owls on Facebook   twitter.com/KidLiterature


Group support 

It is very important to grow a group support. It offers advice, moral, and even on occasions good friends.  who you can share things with and have complete trust. You need these basic things for any author relations and when building a community. It can also be overwhelming and everyone has their own schedules and you find life gets in the way on occasions. But that's ok, as long as you have support from like minded people you know you can take a break, and come back and if they are there for you that is very securing to know. I have supported so many wonderful folk, and I know they would do the same for me. 

About 'Hello Teeny Pheeny'

The first thing you have to know is that Teeny Pheeny is an owl.

A magic owl, who captures hearts and he is the main character in a series of tales. In the first  book  'Hello Teeny Pheeny' you are introduced to some of the other owl characters who reside in Boohoo  village.  This series brings you teeny bits of teeny magic. The owls are almost living and breathing as they're very endearing, funny and even a bit grumpy! It's all about the owls!

 The idea for Teeny Pheeny came about all of a sudden. I have a passion for owls as we used to visit rescue owls and still support wildlife. One day I came across a beautiful owl called Phoenix and an idea formed. I wanted a special name for the main character, a baby owl, so my children named it Teeny Phoenix. Later I changed it to Teeny Pheeny, and his mother became Mrs. Phoenix.

While writing the first few stories in the series I found that I just sat down one day and wrote and wrote. It was as if the idea had been there all along, waiting for me to put it down on paper. Teeny Pheeny books on Amazon 
Click here for details to win Teeny Pheeny plush like owl and book plus three colouring pages.https://fairytalesimagination.wordpress.com/…/enter-to-win-…

 As well as facebook here https://www.facebook.com/KidLiterature   https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKarenEmmaHall and twitter twitter.com/KidLiterature  twitter.com/TeenyPheenyOwl  Owlsnbooks  I also have social media sites on pinterest, instagram, google+, goodreads,  blogspot website and www.kidliteratureauthors.com This website has various links and blogs from kid lit authors and inspiring people, as well as art games and typing fun for kids! But at the moment I'm not in a position to update this website as my work load is to the max. I am sticking to that schedule I mentioned! If anyone wishes to contact me to offer support feel free, I am always happy to chat.

Thank you for taking the time to read this as I know how precious time is.