Tips on Creating a Facebook Author Page

I will be doing a book signing January 19^th (more details to follow) and was discussing details with my host when she asked me if I have a facebook page.

Of course I have a personal facebook page, but I had never set up anything specifically for my books. (My facebook friends have always been kind enough to cheer on my writing efforts.)

However, as I prepare to reach out to the community for my book signing, I realized that I needed to make a distinction between my personal page and my author page.

Yes, I should probably have done this a long time ago. I could make excuses as to why I haven’t, but I won’t. Instead, I want to share two things I learned while setting up my author page that some of you may find helpful (if you ever decide to set up your own page).

Choosing a username

I originally skipped this step, because 1) I wasn’t prepared for the question and 2) my first idea was already “taken.”

Facebook usernames are not transferrable, so whatever you pick should be memorable and something you’ll be happy with for a long time.

You don’t have to register a username, but after finding the below facebook information, I decided it was something worthwhile.

Creating a cover

For those of us who don’t have photoshop, creating an attractive cover picture for our facebook page may seem like a challenge. However, a quick search on the web reveals several sites that offer the opportunity to create your own cover.

After testing a couple of them, timelinecoverbanner.com seemed the most user-friendly. (And by the way, it’s free.)

The site offers 90+ pages of creative cover designs for your background. Once you select a background, you can then add text and make other adjustments as well.

One word of caution: There is an annoying pop-up that appears every time you select a new page, asking you to like or follow the site. Hoping to get rid of the pesky pop-up, I liked the site, but it still continued to appear with every new page I selected to view.

Still, it’s a free service with artistic cover background designs, so I’m not complaining. And apparently, this pop-up is working in the site's favor, because the website has over 215,000 likes.

To check out my new facebook author page, visit facebook.com/kristenhogrefe.author.

Writer's Life and Dealing with Distractions

With the start of the New Year, I am feeling slightly overwhelmed with the goals I’ve set combined with commitments and well, just life.

For example, aside from my 40-hour weekly job, I’ve signed up for a night class to develop another interest (not related to writing), am becoming involved in the youth ministry at my church (which I’m very excited about), and oh yeah, by the way, there’s this goal called writing book three and developing my blog… not to mention family time, friends, spiritual growth, personal development, and travel plans.

Before you start calling me overcommitted or an overachiever, jot down your own list. If I were a betting person, I would wager your list is just as complicated as mine.

In our busy lives, there is relatively little “down” time. So how can we make the most of the precious time we have without getting distracted? Here are two rules I’ve set for myself this year.

Identify what I want to accomplish before I turn on the computer.

Yes, the internet can become a big distraction. If I’m not careful, I may be drawn into a news advertisement on Yahoo or caught up in the newsfeed on Facebook. What may start as curiosity can turn into a big time-waster.

If I’m going to write a blog, I need to write a blog. If I’m going to catch up on news or social life, I need to give myself a time limit. Otherwise, an hour will be gone, and my post will still be unwritten.

Say no to “good things” that don’t fit my goal parameters.

This may be one of my biggest struggles. Someone will come up to me and say, “Hey, do you want a part in the Easter drama?” The Easter drama is a wonderful program, and I have enjoyed being a part of our drama program in the past; but I can’t do everything, and I have to remember that saying yes isn’t just saying yes to the performance. It’s committing to the practices and dress rehearsals as well.

You fill in the blanks. If you and I are going to be successful in meeting our goals, we will have to know the limits to our time and energy – and define our priorities in advance.

What about you? What kinds of distractions do you face, and how do you find ways to deal with them?

Submerged by Dani Pettrey - Book Review

If you enjoy Dee Henderson’s books, you will love Dani Pettrey’s first book in her new romantic suspense series called Alaskan Courage.

Summary

In Submerged, Pettrey introduces you to Bailey Craig, a woman with a past she has tried to forget, and Cole McKennna, the man who loved her before she broke his heart.

When her aunt’s tragic death forces her to return to Yancey, Alaska, Bailey wants to settle the estate quickly and make her stay as short as possible. She dreads facing the people she fears will only remember her as the teenager the boys nicknamed “Easy Bay Lay”– not the new woman she is in Christ.

But was her aunt’s plane crash really an accident? And is there connection between the photo of a missing Russian icon and the deaths of two deep-water divers? Bailey reluctantly agrees to assist in the investigation, only to find herself increasingly drawn to the man she feels unworthy to love and into the path of a ruthless killer.

Review

Pettrey combines a story of second chances with a page-turning mystery you won’t want to put down. Her vivid imagery and descriptions make you feel as though you are living the adventure along with her characters.

Speaking of characters, they are believable and lovable. Your heart aches for Bailey and the mistakes she’s made. You respect and admire Cole for raising his younger siblings after their parents’ deaths. Even though this story focuses on Bailey and Cole, Pettrey begins to develop the personalities of Cole’s younger siblings, so that by the end of book one, you’re eager to read more about them.

And Pettrey is happy to deliver. Book two Shattered is scheduled for release in February.

Learn more by visiting Pettrey’s fabulous website.

Finishing Well

If you do an internet search on “year in review,” you’ll see some interesting results – everything ranging from the election to crazy celebrity hair styles. I think that looking back and learning from history is a worthwhile exercise, but I’m always amazed at what this world considers newsworthy.

But let’s take a step back and make “year in review” more personal. How was your year? How was my year?

Finishing well has become a focus of mine since one of my college professors first introduced me to the expression. Usually towards to the end of the semester as finals were fast approaching, she would tell us students not just to finish, but to finish well.

There is a difference. Most people can finish something. In college, most of the students stayed with the class to the end. However, when the end of the term neared, it was easy to tell the difference between students who had stayed on top of the coursework and those who were frantically cramming to get a C. The library became an unusually popular place the last week of school.

Yes, finishing is one thing, but how you finish is another matter entirely.

If you finished the year well, congratulations. If you didn’t, take an honest look at your goals and priorities, and evaluate how you can do better next year.

Whether you’re ready to put the year behind you or sad to let it go, the New Year is just a day away. Take your time to reflect; but then, close the chapter and pull out a fresh page.

We can’t rest on laurels. We can’t hide behind the past. We have to look ahead and ask God for the humility, grace and perseverance to meet whatever task He has for us.

The Apostle Paul understood this concept. One of my favorite verses is Philippians 3:13-14.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

So finish well! I'll look forward to seeing you again in 2013.

Have a Thankful Noel

Have you ever heard the alternate lyrics to the Christmas carol, “The First Noel”? They go something like this:

“No Well, No Well, No Well, No Well. We’ve got no water ‘cause there’s No Well.”

I can relate. Last week, we literally had no water at my home for an evening, because something malfunctioned with our pump and well.

All of a sudden, simple things like brushing teeth, bathing, doing dishes and flushing the toilet became more complicated.

Fortunately, a plumber fixed the problem first thing the next morning, but the experience made me think about all the conveniences we take for granted – running water being one of them.

This time of year, we can easily become wrapped up in the holiday shuffle of parties, gift exchanges, and programs. None of these things are wrong, but if we’re not careful, they will wear us out and cause us to overlook the real reason for the season: Jesus' coming to earth as a baby, the first earthly chapter in God's redemptive story. 

The word "Noel" means Christmas, and "The First Noel" refers to Jesus' birth. The most well-known account of the first Christmas is recorded in Luke 2.

7. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord...

This Christmas, set aside some time to reflect on all the blessings God has given you - the first and foremost being the gift of His Son. 

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

The Story behind My Cover

“Are you awake, Sis?”

I was, but I didn’t want to be. The minute my toes touched the cold, wooden floor of our family cottage, my first impulse was to retract them back underneath the warm comforter.

But I had promised my brother I would go fishing with him before sunrise. I pulled on a pair of blue jeans, slipped into an old pair of flip flops and grabbed my jacket. Then, I helped my brother pull our life vests and paddles out of the shed before starting for the beach.

The grass was cool and damp with dew as we made our way to the shoreline. The first light peeked behind the mountains that formed the backdrop to Lake Winona. Radiation fog danced across the water’s surface, and the gentle colors of dawn beckoned the start of a new day.

My brother pulled our burnt orange canoe from the bank and slid it into the water.

“Hop in,” he said.

“Wait,” I said. “Just look at that.”

My brother paused to take in the grace and beauty of the scene before us. He grinned, “Aren’t you glad I asked you to come along?”

I ignored him and fumbled for my camera. Never before had I seen such a breathtaking sunrise.

I honestly don’t remember if we caught any fish that morning, but the picture I took has been a favorite of mine ever since. And years later, it made its way onto the cover of my second book.

A friend and talented graphic artist combined stock art elements with my picture to design the cover of Secrets Beyond Lake Winona’s Shore. And yes, there are some “true life” experiences from my childhood at the cottage that slipped into my story as well.

Lake Winona is truly a testament to the handiwork of the Creator God. My hope is that my story will be pleasing to Him and afford my readers with the enjoyment of engaging in a Christian fiction mystery staged around this beautiful shore.

CreateSpace Kindle Conversion Service

As of November 16th, my print sequel Wings of the Dawn, Book 2 became available on Amazon, and less than a month later, is now available as an e-book, published through Kindle Direct Publishing.

Amazon's CreateSpace makes converting your print book to an e-book easy. For a conversion fee of $69 (very reasonable compared to the hundreds of dollars other self-publishing companies want to charge for the same service), CreateSpace handles the file conversion and uploading of your book to the Kindle Direct Publishing site. (Authors, please note that you must first set up the account and then complete the "rights and pricing" portion before you can publish.)

The "learning curve" for me was familiarizing myself with some e-book basics, since I actually do not own a Kindle, and sorting through Amazon's two royalty options - 35% and 70%. (The 70% option is somewhat of a no-brainer, but conditions do apply.) If you're an author and would like to learn more, here are some helpful links:

• Amazon's Sales and Royalties FAQ page
• Amazon's List Price Requirements page

I also learned some new terminology, namely, DRM or Digital Rights Management. Amazon gives authors the option to enable DRM or not. If you opt to enable DRM, you prevent the sharing of your e-book. If you do not enable DRM, users can share or send your book to their friends for viewing.

For more information, check out this helpful article called Amazon add optional DRM for Kindle publishers which does a nice job summarizing this option.

From what I have read, the conversion process can also work the other direction. In other words, if you start with an e-book through Kindle Direct Publishing, you can then create a print book with CreateSpace.

Have you converted your e-book to a print book, and if so, do you think it's easier to start with an e-book or with a print book? I welcome your feedback.