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In this episode we cover: 

• The foundations of managing social media
• How to track social media progress
• What content should authors produce
• How to create a social media strategy
• Social media mistakes to avoid

This week’s question is: What has surprised you recently?

Recommendation of the week is: How To Write A Successful Series: Writing Strategies For Authors Helen B. Scheuerer

Apple

Kobo

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

***this show uses affiliate links

Links I mentioned:

Joanna Penn’s Podcast episode

Find our more about Suzie on:

Suzie Speaks Blog

Rebel of the Week is: Samira Lloyd

If you’d like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com

No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you’d like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

The post 151 Social Media for Authors with Suzie Speaks appeared first on Sacha Black.

Do you want feedback on your writing? Are you unsure whether your characters are fleshed out enough? Or worried about your description? Maybe you’re ready to submit to a traditional publisher, but would like a second opinion.

I can help.

My feedback will objectively assess your writing while providing constructive and useful guidance on how to improve your work.

I will provide both an overall assessment of your work in the form of general comments as well as an in-line commentary on your text. I’ll also give you helpful examples and specific guidance on how to improve your writing across a range of topics, including but not limited to:

• Your strengths and areas for development
• Story structure
• Style
• Pace
• Characterisation
• Plot
• Description
• Dialogue

Want to know more? Want feedback on your writing?

Click here to find out more

The post Do you want feedback on your writing? appeared first on Sacha Black.

Now in its fifth year, the Annual Bloggers Bash returns bigger and better than ever. The venue is booked, the date is set for Saturday 15th June 2019 and the committee is busy working behind the scenes to ensure the day is full of fun, learning opportunities, networking, and, of course, the Blogtastic award ceremony. For more information about events on the day AND TO BUY A TICKET FOR THE EVENT, click here!

But even more exciting than that…

THE AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN

We have a whole new bunch of awards this year. We listened to feedback and decided to change up the way they work. The categories are:

• Best Blogging / Writing Blog
• Best Book Blog
• Best Entertainment Blog
• Best Fashion and Beauty Blog
• Best Food Blog
• Best Lifestyle Blog
• Best Parenting Blog
• Best Personal Development Blog
• Best Photography Blog
• Best Travel Blog

If you want to find out more information about each of the categories, or nominate one of your blogging buddies then check out the nominations post right here.

The post The Annual Bloggers Bash Nominations Are Now OPEN @BloggersBash appeared first on Sacha Black.

If you’ve never heard of the Bash, then let me enlighten you:

The Bloggers Bash is a social event for bloggers created by me. With the help of my amazing committee, Geoff, Hugh,  Suzie, Helen, Graeme and Adam, its purpose is to bring together the blogging community and provide an opportunity for everyone to meet the friends they’ve made online.

And if you haven’t been, you’re missing out.

I can’t quite believe that what started as a quest to meet my strange computer-shaped bloggy buds, has bloomed into a half-decade old bash toddler. Guys, FIVE FREAKING YEARS. FIVE. Half a decade and we’re stronger than ever. Not only has The Annual Bloggers Bash become The Bloggers Bash Ltd, it now has it’s own website.

Now, I know that I need to keep the pretense up that I’m dead on the inside, but indulge me a moment, will you?

The bash has hit its fair share of bumps along the way, but we wouldn’t be here without you guys, and without the genuinely amazing committee.

Every member of the committee works exceptionally hard to create the bash each year, but I want to take a minute to specifically thank Graeme who has taken over the reins for chairing this year, and secondly Suzie who has spent weeks coding and programming the frankly stunning new website. It’s totally on brand, on color, on style, on everything point.

The need-to-knows:

For the old timers of you who are used to coming over here around feb/march and seeing the nomination and voting process roll out. This year, it will be run from the bash website itself. It’s time the bash has its own home and a professional front.

Without further ado, please go check out the new website

http://www.annualbloggersbash.com

SPEAKER ALERT

We’ve also secured our first speaker. I am so super excited for you all to hear Laura Creaven, creator of the hugely popular Full to the Brum blog. Laura will be sharing her blogging success story, answering questions and participating in a panel discussion during the event.

Tickets won’t go on sale until January 1st 2019, and the date of the Bash is 15th June 2019.

Don’t forget to join the Bloggers Bash Facebook group here.

The post The Bloggers Bash has a new home! appeared first on Sacha Black.

Don’t take our word for it! Here are just a few of the testimonials we’ve received over the years.

‘There was so much food for thought at the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards event in London last Saturday that I came away positively bursting at the seams.’

 ***

Between the presentations and celebrations of the awards, there were very interesting talks by Suzie and Elena on how to monetize our blogs and make good use of Pinterest. With around four decades of training experience, military and technical, Suzie made me realise that there are real opportunities to use that experience to earn myself some cash. And having only used Pinterest to search for nice images, my eyes were suddenly sprung wide open by Elena’s descriptions of the possibilities. Quite amazing!’ LANCE MITCHELL

***

‘The Bloggers Bash is an amazing event which is held annually in London. It is organised by Sacha Black and a wonderful team of authors/bloggers. I have had the pleasure of being a bloggers bash attendee since its inception and I haven’t missed a single event. I would thoroughly recommend attending. It is a wonderful way to meet authors, writers and like-minded souls in a friendly environment. You won’t regret it.’ MARJE MALLON

 ***

‘I had an amazing day at the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards in London! I was very nervous about going (as everyone can tell if they’ve watched the videos taken by Hugh throughout the day!) but I had a great time meeting lots of friendly and supportive bloggers!’ JO ROBERTSON

***

Even when you can’t attend in person there are plenty of ways to get involved as ROSIE AMBER points out in her post. ‘As many of you will know, the recent Bloggers Bash award ceremony took place in London, with many bloggers attending, even from far flung places outside the UK. I was unable to be there in person, but kept an eye on the proceedings via Twitter and videos kindly posted by the organisers.’

***

‘2017 was my first time attending the Bloggers Bash. The occasion was well worth attending. All the people I met were warm, welcoming and inclusive. We listened to informative talks about all aspects of Blogging, social media etc…  and had a super Q and A session at the end. I for one learned useful tips that I still refer to a year later. Meeting virtual friends in the flesh and swapping ideas was wonderful. Winning first prize for my flash fiction was pretty damned good too. The award presentations were exciting to be part of, we all swapped cards and swore allegiance and became great supportive friends. This function is certain to leave you inspired, informed and proud to be part of.’ ELLEN BEST  

 ***

Two years ago, the nervous trepidation of meeting a whole lot of virtual people gave way to the immense pleasure of finally putting faces and voices to names and blogs. Last year, the build-up was the excitement of seeing those faces once more. This time it feels like I’m getting ready for a long-awaited family reunion!

The Annual Bloggers Bash had been a fantastic opportunity to meet bloggers I have admired for a long while. There have been opportunities to network with like-minded individuals, learn a lot of ‘tricks’ to boost blog reach and performance, recognition for bloggers via the ABBA’s (the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards), and most importantly, certain individuals may say, a chance to eat CAKE! RITU BHATHAL (BUT I SMILE ANYWAY)

 ***

‘The Annual Bloggers Bash is a fantastic event that I look forward to every year. It’s a great opportunity to mingle with fellow bloggers and exchange views on all things blogging.
As most of us know each other only online it’s fabulous to meet in the real world and discover the face behind the avatars.
It’s a well-organised and well-run fun event with excellent information panels and enjoyable networking sessions.’CHRISTOPH FISCHER

*** 

‘Attending the Bloggers Bash 2015 was the turning point in my blogging career. From that day onwards, I became connected to some great people, I learnt new skills and my blogging confidence grew. It’s like you become part of a blogging family when you attend the Bash. Everyone looks out for each other and the help you get from the experienced bloggers is priceless.’ 

 ***

You can pay hundreds to go on a one-off blogging course and learn some skills from someone who may or may not have had blogging success or you attend the Bash and hear first-hand accounts of how bloggers have got near one million views or have over twenty thousand followers. They share their best practices with you and the talks are amazing. I know which one I would rather attend…’ LUCY MITCHELL (BLONDE WRITE MORE)

 ***

 ‘I have attended the Bloggers Bash twice so far and each time I have come away having met old friends and found new ones. The atmosphere is friendly and informal, with good deal of laughter. The inclusion of speakers who share their expertise adds an extra dimension to the event and the awards themselves are both fun and a serious attempt to recognise the work of the blogging community. But the best thing about the Bash is the people you get to finally meet and connect with.’  SUE VINCENT

***

‘Although I was pretty new to blogging, I attended the 2016 Bloggers Bash. I had already made lots of friends and was excited to get to meet them in person; I was so glad I did. Relationships already formed became stronger plus I got to meet some new and interesting people. 

The committee worked hard to ensure that everything ran smoothly, and we had a good time. There was plenty of blogging advice available from other bloggers and a guest speaker, there was even cake made by the lovely Geoff!  

The one thing that I loved more than anything was the friendliness of our blogging family. Everyone is exactly the same as they come across on their blog, so you already feel that you know many of them.’ JUDY MARTIN

 ***

‘This year will be my third Bloggers Bash. If you have not been to a Bash before I am here to tell you that the Bash is the best way ever to meet other bloggers, learn skills and it’s a darn good way to network.

All you need to do, is to attend, I can promise you will not regret it. Bring your business cards, pen and paper and a big smile. 

I love the Bash it’s the highlight of my year.  So, I look forward to meeting you there. All of the Committee are lovely friendly people, in fact, all the bloggers there are lovely people.

Looking forward to seeing you all there.’ WILLOW WILLERS

 ***

‘I’m fortunate to have attended all three Blogger’s Bash events and can’t wait for this year’s on May 19th. Through these events, I’ve met many of my online fellow bloggers in person, and each year is now a fantastic reunion with ‘old’ friends and a great opportunity to make new. A wonderful panel of highly respected and knowledgeable bloggers shares great blogging tips with time for a Q&A session, and of course, always great excitement with the announcement of the Annual Blogger’s Bash Awards. I am not a prolific blogger lately due to writing and family commitments, but I am no less welcomed at every Blogger’s Bash with warm hugs and happy smiles. The Blogger’s Bash is for bloggers everywhere, an event not to be missed if you want a whole lot of Friends Fun and Photos!’ SHERRI MATTHEWS

 ***

How can you get involved in the Annual Bloggers Bash 2018?

• BUY a ticket.
• Cast Your Vote (voting opens 6^th April).
• Spread the Word – blog about it, tweet about it, Snapchat it, Instagram and Facebook it, climb on your roof and shout about it!
• Check out our fabulous sponsors (Greenstory).
• Join us for a wonderful day of networking.
• If you can’t be with us in person then follow proceedings on Facebook or Twitter

Be the first to find out the latest news and updates by signing up to the bloggers bash mailing list HERE.

WHAT IS THE BASH?

If you’ve never attended a Blogger Bash event before then you’re in for a treat. Created by Sacha Black and aided by her intrepid committee of eight bloggers, the Bash is open to any blogger, regardless of age or niche. Previous events have included speakers, competitions, a panel, and attendees from all over the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada.

There will be an opportunity to network, eat cake, and meet some amazing online friends in person! The event takes place in a single day, and you’ll be guaranteed a fantastic time and a sore face from all of the smiling that you’ll do!

Timings and the exact breakdown of the day will be available closer to the event, but it will start mid-morning and end in the evening. We will also announce the winners of the Bloggers Bash Awards, which you, the blogging public, vote for. You can see last year’s winners here.

 WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Join Sacha and the committee on our Facebook Group

You can also join us for our Twitter Hour on the first Sunday of the month from 7pm-8pm using the hashtag #BlogBashChat or join in the conversation on Twitter by using the #BloggersBash hashtag.

DON’T FORGET TO BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW, find out how, here.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET INVOLVED THIS YEAR?

The post Why Get Involved In The Bloggers Bash? @bloggersbash appeared first on Sacha Black.

And today is the day you can nominate…

WHAT IS THE BASH?

If you’ve never attended a Blogger Bash event before then you’re in for a treat. Created by Sacha Black and aided by her intrepid committee of eight bloggers, the Bash is open to any blogger, regardless of age or niche. Previous events have included speakers, competitions, a panel, and attendees from all over the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada.

There will be an opportunity to network, eat cake, and meet some amazing online friends in person! The event takes place in a single day; timings and the exact breakdown of the day will be available closer to the event, but it will start mid-morning and end in the evening. We announce the winners of the Bloggers Bash Awards, which you, the blogging public, vote for. You can see last year’s winners here.

Click  here  to buy a ticket for the Bloggers Bash. 

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Join Sacha and the committee on our Facebook Group.

You can also join us for our weekly Twitter Hour every Sunday 7pm-8pm using the hashtag #BlogBashChat or join in the conversation on Twitter by using the #BloggersBash hashtag.

HOW DOES THE AWARDS PROCESS WORK?

Each year we stage a two-step awards ceremony.

• STAGE 1 – You ‘NOMINATE’ who you would like to see listed in each category.
• STAGE 2 – You vote for your favourite bloggers.

WARNING – MUST BE READ BEFORE NOMINATING

Now, a word of warning before you get nomination happy. In previous years, lots of you failed to read the rules or provide the correct information. That led to extra work for the committee who needed to take a full week to track down the information for all the nominated bloggers. We are a non-profit, voluntary group of bloggers, therefore we have taken the decision that we will automatically disqualify any nomination that comes in with:

• The wrong information
• Incomplete nomination
• Breaks the rules listed below (or in the terms and conditions linked to at the bottom).

We will not chase you for missing information and we will not notify you of any errors. It is your responsibility when nominating to triple check the rules and the nomination entry.

NOMINATION RULES (AKA THE SMALL PRINT, OR THE STUFF YOU NEED TO READ)

Complete the nominations form at the bottom of this post – it will ping an email to the bash inbox, job done. It will only allow you to nominate for one award at a time, sorry, but that’s the way it is, if you want to nominate in every category you’ll need to fill it out several times.

Information Required:

• The Full Website address of the blogger you are nominating
• The full name of the blogger’s website (this is the name that will be on the listing, if the nominator gets it wrong, tough).
• The category of the award you are entering them for.

NB: The committee members cannot be nominated. Members include Sacha Black, Geoff Le Pard, Hugh Roberts, Suzanne Elliot, Helen Jones, Graeme Cumming, Adam Dixon, and Shelley Wilson.

If you do not submit the required information, your nomination will be disqualified.

• You cannot nominate yourself.
• To ensure a spread of winners, you can only win in one category. Therefore, if you are nominated in more than one category we will attempt to contact you to ask what category you would prefer to be in. If you don’t want to choose, or we cannot reach you, then the committee will decide for you.
• You can only nominate ONCE in EACH category.
• You can only vote once in each category
• You can only win three years running. Should you win for three consecutive years, you will not be eligible to be nominated the following year – sozberries, but we want the awards to recognize as many bloggers as possible.

***

NOMINATIONS CLOSE at 23:59 (GMT) on 20^th March 2018

***

GREENSTORY SPONSOR THE BASH

This year, the awards are being sponsored by Greenstory – a fantastic eco-friendly company who are awarding each of the winners with a STONE notebook… Yes, a notebook actually made of stone. For more details, check out Suzie’s review of the notebook here or their website here.

***

Award Categories:

BEST OVERALL BLOGGER 

Who is the blogger that excels in a variety of categories? Who provides excellent content, is sociable and engaging with readers, shares other posts, or has a writing style that keeps you coming back time and time again?

Whoever you choose needs to be an all-rounder. A blogger that is head and shoulders above the rest as that’s what makes the Best Overall Blogger.

FUNNIEST BLOGGER

Which blogger always makes you laugh the most? Whether that’s through humourous content or their blogging manner. A blogger that has your sides aching from laughter and brightens up the blog-o-sphere is what makes the Funniest Blogger.

MOST INSPIRATIONAL BLOGGER

Who inspires you? Is there a blogger that’s thought-provoking and inquisitive? Perhaps they’re a muse to you with the constant provision of inspirational content or imagery. Who’s the one blogger that touched your heart? This is what makes the Most Inspirational Blogger.

MOST INFORMATIVE (Original Content) BLOGGER

This award is for the blogger with the most informative and original content. Who creates fascinating content that you find yourself longing to read? Perhaps they’re a history blogger or they write about the craft of writing/blogging, or maybe they like archaeology or wine tasting. They could be an artist or musician. The topic is irrelevant, it’s the original content that counts. A blogger who shares a wealth of knowledge in an informative way is what makes the Most Informative & Original Blogger.

BEST BOOK (Review) BLOGGER 

There are so many wonderful book bloggers out there, but which one stands out for you? Whose book reviews do you enjoy reading and engaging with? It’s not the number of reviews that are important, but more about the quality of them. Who has you clicking the ‘buy now’ button after reading a riveting summary, or who has the most thoughtful reviews? A blogger who shares an abundance of book reviews in a memorable way deserves the Best Book Review Blog.

SERVICES TO BLOGGERS

Which blogger goes out of their way to help others? Maybe this is someone who helped you kick-start your blog with tutorials or how-to guides. Perhaps they continually reblog your posts. It could be a blogger who consistently provides useful posts on how to boost your blog. Or maybe you want to nominate someone who provides an engaging platform for others.

Someone who selflessly dedicates themselves to other bloggers is who deserves the Services to Bloggers award.

HIDDEN GEM

Have you stumbled upon a blog by chance and discovered useful information or thought-provoking content? Is there a blog that doesn’t get the notoriety they deserve? Maybe they have such an original style you can’t help but read their posts. A blogger who you believe should get the limelight for a change is who deserves the Hidden Gem award.

NEWCOMER BLOGGER

A category for those bloggers who have been blogging less than a year (joined the blog-o-sphere after 1^st June 2017). Did they join with a bang? Have they made an impression? Do they engage with readers? Are they funny, or well designed, or maybe share posts that make you smile time after time. A newbie blogger who deserves recognition makes the best Newcomer Blogger.

BEST PAL 

Which blogger do you want to go to the pub with? Or maybe have dinner with? Who never fails to reply to comments, and has thoughtful things to say? Maybe they encourage the community through weekly challenges or blog parties. A blogger who makes the blog-o-sphere a better place is what makes the Best Pal.

***

To read the terms and conditions, i.e. the rules of the awards please click here.

Click  here  to buy a ticket for the Bloggers Bash. 

Click here to enter the Bloggers Bash Blog Post Competition.

***

To nominate use the form below:

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

The post NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE BLOGGERS BASH AWARDS (ABBAs) @bloggersbash appeared first on Sacha Black.

Licenced since the 1770s, this charming pub is known for its excellent menu and comfortable surrounds, which make it the perfect venue for our upcoming Bash. Located close to transport links in leafy Chiswick, there is also plenty of accommodation nearby for anyone planning to make a weekend of it.

Address: 185 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London W4 2DR

Closest Tube Station: Turnham Green Tube station

Closest Overground: Kew Bridge

Nearby accommodation:

• Best Western Chiswick Palace and Suites, 71-73 Chiswick High Road
• Premier Inn Chiswick, Hogarth roundabout, Axis House, Chiswick
• Clayton Hotel Chiswick, 626 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick

WHAT IS THE BASH?

If you’ve never attended a Bloggers Bash event before then you’re in for a treat. Created by yours truly and aided by my intrepid committee of eight bloggers, the Bash is open to any blogger, regardless of age or niche. Previous events have included speakers, competitions, a panel, and attendees from all over the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada.

There will be an opportunity to network, eat cake, and meet some amazing online friends in person! The event takes place in a single day, and you’ll be guaranteed a fantastic time and a sore face from all of the smiling that you’ll do!

Timings and the exact breakdown of the day will be available closer to the event, but it will start mid-morning and end in the evening. We announce the winners of the Bloggers Bash Awards, which you, the blogging public, vote for. You can see last year’s winners here.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Join me and the committee on the bash page.

or our Facebook group

You can also join us for our weekly Twitter Hour every Sunday 7pm-8pm using the hashtag #BlogBashChat or join in the conversation on Twitter by using the #BloggersBash hashtag.

The post Bloggers Bash Venue Announcement appeared first on Sacha Black.

Let me hand straight over to Suzie to explain all the details and let you know how you can join in:

One of the earliest (and most fun!) ways that I learned about networking and boosting my Twitter (and consequently, my blog) following was through the use of Twitter chats. They’re exciting, fast paced and a great way to meet new bloggers without leaving links or spamming the community with content. It is important to note that there any no links allowed until the very end.

The premise of a blogging chat is simple: the person hosting the chat will ask a question and include the hashtag associated with the chat eg.

Q1. What’s your favourite social media to use for blog promotion? #BlogBashChat

Everyone participating in the chat will answer the question and include the same hashtag eg.

Q1. My favourite is Twitter because… #BlogBashChat

You can then use that hashtag to see everyone else’s answers – if you type in the hashtag in the search bar at the top all of the answers that have included it will appear and the you can individually respond to others, again using the hashtag eg.

(In response to someone’s potential answer that Pinterest is their favourite) I don’t understand Pinterest – have you got any tips? #BlogBashChat

This creates a bucket load of conversations with people who you may never have met, which then leads to connections and networking, which then leads to following etc.

There are usually five to six questions asked by the host, with 5-10 minutes left in between each question to give time for people to answer and chat etc. The person hosting the chat can retweet some of the best answers, and individuals can too (this doesn’t mean that you retweet every answer, just some). At the end people are asked to leave their links, again using the hashtag, which allows everyone to check out each others Twitter accounts and blogs…

Here’s where it gets exciting – The Annual Bloggers Bash will be hosting their very first Twitter chat tonight from 7-8pm BST, and this will become a weekly event – every Sunday at the same time.

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Bloggers Bash (and if you haven’t, where have you been) – the Bash is an annual meet-up for bloggers that takes place in London. Now in their fourth year, the Bash hosts their own awards – nominated and voted for by the blogging community, a writing competition, presentations and networking opportunities, with attendees from the U.K, Europe, the U.S. and Canada, and it is rapidly growing in popularity, with over 5,000 votes being made last year. You can find out more by clicking on the link here

Join us tonight where I will be asking the questions for the first ever weekly Bloggers Bash Chat on the @BloggersBash Twitter account, using the hashtag #BLOGBASHCHAT.

Remember:

There are no links allowed until the end

A question is asked by the host using the hashtag #BlogBashChat

Participants respond to the question using the question number and the same hashtag #BlogBashChat

The hashtag can be used to find others participating.

It’s a brilliant way to network!

If you have any questions about what to do, let me know and I will do my best to answer them!

You can also find me on Twitter and Tumblr @suzie81blog, and don’t forget to follow my Facebook page www.facebook.com/suzie81speaks, my Pinterest page www.pinterest.com/suzie81speaks and my Instagram page www.instagram.com/suzie81speaks

Who’s going to join us? TWEET me (@sacha_black), to let me know. Comments closed on the post.

SaveSave

The post Join the Bloggers Bash First Ever Twitter Chat @BloggersBash #BlogBashChat appeared first on Sacha Black.