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The Marketing Focus-Being Seen as an Expert

February 4, 2016
The Marketing Focus
2 Comments

Hubpages

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I have been on a number of article writing sites and the one that I have been on the longest is hubpages. The sad part is that last year I wrote only one hub on hubpages. I put most of my efforts last year on Bubblews which has now closed its doors.

Hubpages pays according to how many clicks you get per hub and how many ads get on a site. In addition, if you include specific amazon and ebay ads on the site, you get a commission from those also if someone buys from that specific ad.
On Hubpages about gardening, I included amazon links to my book Simply Vegetable Gardening. I have had them on their for over a year. Because the link is directly related to the subject of the article, no one has questioned the link.

EZine

Another article writing site that I just recently started participating in is Article EZine . This site doesn’t pay anything, but the articles written here are picked up by others and are put all over the internet. The idea is that the content is found and you become established as an expert regarding your topic.

Better Use of This Blog

A third and final way that I can get the word out there on the internet is to make better use of this blog. I have been thinking about different ways that I can work to get more traffic to this blog. in addition, I need to get more traffic going to my website. That is why I intend over the next several weeks to work on this aspect of getting seen online more as an expert in gardening, writing, marketing, and American History. I am going to make better connections between this blog and social media with my website. In addition, I want to connect a email marketing service. Although I would love to use AWeber, I have decided instead to use the free service of Mailchimp.

Offline Expert-Public Speaking

Having a book is indicative of an expert in a subject and so is public speaking. Speaking in public is part of what I do as a pastor, but is something I have neglected as an author. Getting out as an author of gardening books is easy. Last weekend, I participated as the Pastor of Faith in God Church, President of the Oregon County Writers’ Group (OCWG), as well as Author Cygnet Brown during the Ozark Sustainable Living University where I spoke about Simply Vegetable Gardening and my booklets Help From Kelp and Using Diatomaceous Earth around the House and Yard. I sold several books at the back of the room, and I made several connections including an heirloom seed company owner. All these are my initial open door to prepper and sustainable living events.\
Another place I am becoming a local expert is in the fact that people come to me for advice about various writing subjects, primarily publishing as an Indie Author. I am, after all, the President of a local writer’s group so I must know something about writing, right? Maybe I can take this experience online. . .eventually as a writing coach.
Finally there is all the historical research I have done for the books I have written. I need to find a way to incorporate that into public speaking. I haven’t thought of how to make that work yet. Perhaps I can share the stories that I learn from my research.

IMG_8330 final copy

Donna Brown is pastor at Faith in God Church  1 1/2 miles south of Brandsville, Missouri on Hwy 63. Sunday services are at 10 am and Wednesday night Bible Study at 6:30 pm.   As Author Cygnet Brown, she  has recently published her first nonfiction book: Simply Vegetable Gardening: Simple Organic Gardening Tips for the Beginning Gardener

She is also the author of historical fiction series The Locket Saga. which includes When God Turned His Head and Soldiers Don’t Cry, the Locket Saga Continues, and most recently, A Coward’s Solace, Book III of the Locket Saga

Her most recent publication were two booklets Help From Kelp and Using Diatomaceous Earth Around the House and Yard. Available in paperback.

.For more information about Cygnet Brown and her book, check out her website at http://www.cygnetbrow.com .

Worthy Endeavors

June 12, 2015
Uncategorized
2 Comments

By proving myself worthy of  daunting tasks, , I take myself from “I can’t do this” to “look what I have done”and in the process building my self- confidence.

What should I do now?

Busy at work

Keeping Up The Accelerated Pace

I have been pushing myself this month with my affirmation:” I am a prolific writer”.  so far I have managed to keep up the pace that I set for myself. So far I have 67 thousand total words on my current novel in progress. In addition, I have maintained the number of bubblews that I have said that I would write and, and of course, I have kept up with three posts here every week on my blog.

In addition to writing, I have been working on different aspects of my travel trailer. For the most part, I have been cleaning and putting things away so far. I also have been making plans to upgrade plumbing and wiring as well as I have been thinking about painting. I have not yet decided what I am going to do exactly, but I am definitely giving the insides of my cabinets a fresh coat of white primer just to make them appear clean and make it easier to wipe down when necessary..

Adding to that, I have been doing some public speaking. Well, okay, so  I spoke at one church. I have also been attending other churches so that people can get to know me so that when I do ask to speak, they are more likely to say yes.

The best about all of this that I am not making excuses for why something cannot be done. I am learning that if I want to do something, I can do whatever that is. I just have to want to.

Enjoying Nature

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You would think that as busy as I have been, I wouldn’t have time to spend in nature, but every day, I make it a point to watch the birds eating the mulberries in my front yard. I have seen a variety of birds as I have not seen before. We have bluebirds, indigo buntings, blue jays, whip-or-wills, Baltimore orioles, sparrows, and a pair of cardinals who seem to have made the tree their property. There is a chipmunk who has taken residence near the trailer and I see him every day as well. Once I looked out my back window and saw a tiny hummingbird sitting on a branch and taking a breather. What a beautiful place to get to do my writing!

Writing My Goals Out

Taking a break from writing and enjoying nature helps me take a breather from writing just it did for that little hummingbird. Another habit that I have developed is to write my goals out. When I write my goals, I write a goal that is specific, time limited, and something that I really want to do or at least be able to say that I have finished. Sometimes just the idea that I will have something done so I can cross it off the list is enough for me to finish that job. Having written it down and giving it a deadline  I have looked at the goals that I have set for myself at the beginning of the year and so far I am quite pleased with my progress. I cannot wait to compare what I have done with what I have intended to do at the end of this month. I am amazed at my progress.

Budgeting my Goals

A series of goals that I have to complete, that were not on the original goal list at the beginning of the year for 2015 involves the trailer. The other day I wrote down a number of projects that I need to finish at certain times over the next several months.

I have realized that certain things need to be completed by certain times during the next several months. I still have issues related to the water system in the house (need hot water heater, and toilet leaks). As well as electric (using temporary system for now. (I need to replace the old fuse box with a breaker box.) Also I need to figure out what to do about heating and cooling. (My son has a small air conditioner that I can use. Also I need skirting around the trailer before snow flies. All this is not only going to mean a budget of money, but a budget of time. There are only so many hours until winter comes again!

My fourteen year old daughter is coming to stay with me starting Monday, and I hope that I will be able to get her interested in helping me do some things. We will see how that works!

IMG_8330 final copy

 

Donna Brown is an ordained minister. As Author Cygnet Brown, she  has recently published her first nonfiction book: Simply Vegetable Gardening: Simple Organic Gardening Tips for the Beginning Gardener

She is also the author of historical fiction series The Locket Saga. which includes When God Turned His Head and Soldiers Don’t Cry, the Locket Saga Continues. Her upcoming book A Coward’s Solace will be available soon. Click here for more information about Cygnet Brown and her books.

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