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Notes from #ASJA2015 Annual Conference for Writers

dorriolds — Sun, 31 May 2015 09:56:08 +0000

Hi Fellow Writers,

I just finished editing My ASJA Conference Notes! Now they are legible enough to share with you in a Google Doc. This Google Doc contains my “scribblings” from the panels that I attended at this year’s #ASJA writers conference. I also added a few post-conference bits. Please note, these were written for myself but it would take me too long to go in and delete all of my side comments (Like, “Hahaha” or “Weeeee!”) so those were left in. Please feel free to ignore those side commentaries. I promise you there is a ton of useful info for all writers in this doc.

This year, I spoke on two panels, which I’ve done for many years. One panel was “Use Social Media to Land Writing Gigs and Make Money” and here’s a link to my social media handout.

My second panel was “Secrets of Interviewing Famous People.”

For any writer who doesn’t already know, ASJA is the American Society of Journalists and Authors. It is a non-profit organization for writers to network with each other and with editors, publishers, agents. This org has been incredibly helpful to me and is a big chunk of what helped me become a full-time freelance writer.

The other great boost to my writing career came after I’d published a few short stories and a couple of articles. I decided to get serious about full-time writing and took Susan Shapiro’s “Instant Gratification Takes Too Long” essay classes. The idea is to write and sell a piece during the class to pay for the class. She’s a phenomenal teacher and I love to tell people about her.

Speakers quoted in my notes include:

Susan Shapiro, author and professor

Daniel Jones, Modern Love editor, NYTimes

Honor Jones, Opinionator editor, NYTimes (no relation to Daniel)

Rob Spillman, editor at Tin House literary magazine

and many more…

Laura Shin, Catherine Dold, Linda Konner, John Hanc, Susan Lennon, Beena Kamlani, Kirby Kim, Renee Zuckerbrot, Victoria Moy, Katia Bachko, Whitney Frick, Molly Langmuir, David Lidsky, Jessica Winter, Royal Young, Kate Walter, Gabrielle Selz, Kevin Scott Hall, Sharon Goldman, Alicianne Rand, Clare McDermott, Laura Lorber, Allison Mezzafonte, Jack El-Hai, Tina Traster, Laurie Chittenden, Tracy Bernstein, Shaun Dolan, Kathleen Napolitano, Sherri Amatenstein

Tutorials

Please contact me if you’d like to learn social media tips and tricks that can land you writing gigs and sell your books. I give classes in person or via Skype or telephone. If you email me with the subject line #ASJA2010 or #BEA15 and let me know that you are contacting me to set up a lesson, I will give you the discounted price of $80 per hour. My normal fee is $100/hour.

We will discuss your specific business goals and who your target audience is. Then I will provide you with instruction tailored to your unique needs.

In addition to social media, I teach branding, marketing and SEO (search engine optimization).

Click here for my Google Doc of ASJA Conference Notes

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Social Media to Land Writing Gigs & Make Money

dorriolds — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 16:20:22 +0000

I am proud to announce my upcoming writers panel! Here’s a LINK to my panel info.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
ASJA 2015 Conference: Connect for Success at the Roosevelt Hotel (map)
May 1, 2015 • 11AM – 12:15PM
Use Social Media to Land Writing Gigs and Make Money (session: F06)
Do you not “get” how to use social media to make more money? Writers are pressured by editors, publishers and agents to build an online platform. Have you missed out on work because you don’t know the tips and tricks to build a better following — or even where to begin? This accomplished team of five, which includes writers, editors, social media managers, marketing and branding experts, a webmaster and a literary agent, will give you what you need to succeed.
Most ASJA writers are busy hard-working professionals who feel like there’s never enough time in a day. Between deadlines, creative pursuits, researching, and submitting pitches, who has time to blog, update their website and keep up with social media?
In this session you will learn how to use your time efficiently to get the best results. You will be given tips and tricks based on hard-won experience. We’ll talk about the best tools to use for your specific goals and how to stand out online amidst worldwide competition.
You’ll learn about improving your website, blogs, and social media accounts. Find out the different language and etiquette for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube. And, most importantly, you’ll learn how to use social media to make more money.
SPEAKERS:
Dorri Olds is an award-winning freelance writer whose work has appeared in book anthologies, and numerous publications including The New York Times. She writes about her obsessions: Movies, A-list celebrities and dogs. Olds is also a web designer and social media consultant with marketing and branding expertise.
Kirsten Koza is the author of LOST IN MOSCOW; A BRAT IN THE USSR, a humorist, Facebook junkie, adventurer and contributor of audacious stories to Travelers’ Tales anthologies. She is the founder of Writers’ Expeditions, which hosts writing and photography workshops while adventuring across exotic destinations. CHRY radio (Toronto) says, “Kirsten Koza is like Judy Blume on acid.”
Nikki M. Mascali is a New York-based journalist with 10 years of experience in print and digital media. She is currently the editor in chief of TheBlot Magazine, an online publication that covers arts and entertainment and social and political issues.
Jason Gross is the Social Media Manager for TheBlot Magazine, freelance writer (Spin, Time Out, Village Voice, Red Bull Music Academy, PopMatters, Film Comment, Book Forum), SXSW music panel moderator, reissue producer, and co-producer/compiler “OHM; The Early Gurus of Electronic Music.”
Tom Miller, literary agent, joined Greenburger in 2014 after 30 years as an editor at Simon & Schuster, Putnam, McGraw-Hill, Wiley, and HarperCollins. Tom represents projects in wellness, culture, self-help, business, spirituality, literary fiction, and narrative nonfiction. Tom has worked with Jared Diamond (winner of a Pulitzer Prize), Dr. Loren Cordain (author of THE PALEO DIET), Deepak Chopra, Steve Forbes, Ginger Rogers, Erica Jong, Judy Collins, Oliver North, Jack Cafferty, Milton Berle, Dame Beryl Bainbridge, Shirley Temple Black, Brian Wilson, Erich Schiffmann, and Roger Walsh.

CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Jennifer Finney Boylan is the author of 13 books, including the memoirs,Stuck in the Middle With You and She’s Not There: a Life in Two Genders, the first bestselling work by a transgender American. Boylan’s articles have appeared in GQ, Allure, Glamour and Conde Nast Traveler and she is the Contributing Opinion Writer for the New York Times op/ed page; she frequently appears on national television, including segments on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Live with Larry King and the Today Show. A writer and civil rights activist, she is the inaugural Anna Quindlen Writer in Residence at Barnard College of Columbia University and serves as the national co-chair of the Board of Directors of GLAAD. Boylan was also one of 24 writers chosen for the Amtrak writers residency. She lives in New York City with her wife, Deedie, and her two sons, Zach and Sean.

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Terms and Conditions May Apply is a documentary about how we agree to give up our information security (Video)

dorriolds — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 21:59:42 +0000

Every day, your online data gets more transparent. The laws about ways companies can use your information changes unpredictably and covertly. “Terms And Conditions May Apply” is a documentary by Cullen Hoback about what it means when you click, “Agree.”
Many fear we are moving towards a totalitarian world. This documentary exposes how often you sign away your privacy. With one click you are okaying complete access and control to companies that store your information. The film illustrates in a chilling yet humorous way that we are speeding towards an Orwellian Big Brother society.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW TRAILER
At 21, director Hoback answered a Craigslist ad looking for a director of photography. After meeting with the producer, he was given a budget and a chance to direct. Since then, shining light on unfamiliar topics has become a common theme for the filmmaker.
There are many cameos; the most interesting is Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg who does not know he’s on camera. Another highlight is musician Moby who has testified before Congress as a digital rights advocate.
The film covers a range of incidents including Julian Assange and Wiki Leaks, and Leigh Bryan, an innocent young man detained in an airport for five hours, then locked in a cell for 12 because he used slang in a tweet.
You’ll hear from Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine; Margaret Atwood, science fiction author; and Jerome Schwartz who was red-flagged after googling “how to kill your wife.”
Now it’s truth time. When is the last time you read the long terms and conditions on any website before clicking “Agree”?
This movie is a thought provoker.
“Hopefully this film will make people more aware,” said Hoback. “They need to know what’s happening with their data. I hope the movie inspires viewers. The issues [in the movie] aren’t going to be resolved anytime soon unless we see a real change in how people, and these companies, think.”
“Terms and Conditions May Apply” opens in New York City today, July 12, 2013 at the Quad Cinema. Documentary. Not rated. 79 minutes.
Suggested by the author:

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Social Media: Harvard Business Review Found Most Companies Use Social Media Inffectively and They Need Help

dorriolds — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:19:02 +0000

Although 79% of the 2,100 companies surveyed are either using or planning to use social media channels, a measly 12% of those firms feel that they are using them effectively.

According to research from a Harvard Business Review Analytics report, 58% of companies are engaged in social media networks like Facebook, microblogs like Twitter, and sharing multimedia on platforms such as YouTube but much of the investment in social media is future-oriented.
Business are opening accounts but not sure how to put together successful social media campaigns. They want to build their brand online and increase sales but they don’t seem to be using all of the analytics tools available and all of the social media strategies that are out there.
Social media “all-stars” engage beyond the tired method of “shout marketing,” by using social media more often to promote their brand, monitor what’s going on with potential customers, esearch new product ideas and keeping up with the everchanging technology landscape.
I can tell you from years of experience, businesses that succeed don’t say things like, “I don’t have time for social media,” or “I just don’t get Twitter.” They hire someone who knows the ins and outs of social media marketing and branding online.
If you are at a stand still and unsure of how best to use social media to market your business online, you can benefit greatly by learning tips and tricks from a marketing consultant. I’m here. Let me know if I can help!
EMAIL ME NOW

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Social Media Trends for 2012

dorriolds — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:21:37 +0000

Social Media and TV
You can already check in to TV programs for conversations with people around the world who are watching the same shows. Steve Jobs’s last project was Apple’s iTV and the buzz is that it may transform home entertainment.

Curation of Content
Curata is a web-based content curation tool that can help you streamline your online content marketing efforts. Now you can easily find, organize and share the best content for your blog. Curata helps you to achieve higher keyword ranking in the search engines and increase website traffic.

Location-based Social Media
The technology in mobile devices is more powerful and more affordable than ever. This combination of power and economy is contributing to an increase in mobile social activity. A large user base with geographic ties allows brands to target small, qualified groups of users with unique and relevant messaging.

LinkedIn
As search engines rely more on social signals, it is important to have an active presence in the channels that carry the most search engine weight. LinkedIn is one such channel, and can be a very effective tool for connecting with business consumers as well as getting yourself to rank higher in search engine results.

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Population and Online Statistics

dorriolds — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 08:38:33 +0000

According to Wikipedia, as of October 22, 2010, the world’s population—the population of humans on planet Earth— is currently estimated to be 6,876,600,000. Spelled out that number is six billion eight hundred seventy-six million six hundred thousand. That is one heckuva lot of people. Hard to wrap my head around it. This figure comes from the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the International Telecommunication Union’s October 19,2010 newsroom press release, the number of people online by end of 2010 is estimated at 2 billion. The number of internet users has doubled in the past 5 years. The number of people having access to the Internet at home has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. According to New Media Trend Watch, the number of people online around the world will grow more than 45% to 2.2 billion users over the next five years, according to a report by Forrester Research, Inc. with the global online population expected to reach 2.2 billion by 2013. Asia remains the biggest global internet growth market where 43% of the world’s online population will reside by 2013 with 17% of the global online population in China alone. Growth rates in the US, Western Europe and the major industrialised nations in Asia Pacific such as Australia, Japan and South Korea will slow to between 1% and 3%.

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Check Out My Brand New Facebook Business Page

dorriolds — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:00:54 +0000

Here’s a link to my NEW Facebook business page. Hope you “Like” it! I’d love to receive posts from you. My aim is to make this a forum for the following topics: Websites, Social Media including especially Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin, Google News, Design and Designers, Internet News, Writers, Books, Writer’s Events, Movies, Technology. I write reviews for magazines about new books, blogs, authors, NYC writer events, NYC art exhibits, travel and more. Let’s keep each other up to date on any and all of these topics.

On this new business page there are direct links to:

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A Note About Keywords

dorriolds — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:05:20 +0000

How does Google like you to use kewords? Include them in metatags: yeah, that doesn’t hurt; include them in page titles: very important, include them in website content: BINGO!

So, what to do first?

Wrack your brain and think of every possible search term that might lead users to find you over your competitors.

Use Google Search-based keyword tool

Read up on SEO (search engine optimization)

View the source code of your competitors’ pages.

Search Google with the keyword phrases you are considering and see what comes up in the search. Decide if that search yielded similar companies with similar services that you provide. This will tell you if you’re on the right track. If you end up with off-topic sites from your keyword search then you know it’s not a good keyword phrase for you.

Try to be as specific as you can. If a word or phrase is too general it will be very difficult to rise to the top of searches unless you’re willing to pay to appear in the top 3 on Google’s search results pages.

Google especially likes 2-3 keyword phrases that relate to your site. You must add a comma at the end of each phrase to separate it from the next phrase.

For my business, I chose phrases I felt best described our services:

Here’s what I came up with for social media consulting: social media strategy, social media consulting, social media agency, social media monitoring, social media advertising, social media network, social media training, social media services, social media solutions, social networking pr, social media company, twitter facebook and linkedin lessons.

For our web design services I arrived at: website design nyc, web design new york city, website designer nyc, web designer new york city, website maintenance nyc, website redesign nyc, web design seo, search engine optimization, keyword web content, write blog content, internet blogger nyc. A lot of my keywords are inter-related so there is a bit of overlapping.

For example I am also a freelance non-fiction writer, in addition to writing blog and website content. So here are even more keywords to consider: non-fiction writer nyc, creative nonfiction writer, journalist and reporter, nyc reporter and reviewer, NYC Resident magazine, Author profiles, book reviews, artist profiles, nyc events and movie reviews. Ok, well at least I hope you get the general idea about how you can use keywords in your website page titles, website content and keyword metatags. Was this post helpful?

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Dell's New Tablet vs iPhone/iPad

dorriolds — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:57:37 +0000

The iPad, though at first ridiculed for it’s name, and mocked for not having a phone, has now sold over 3 million units. This was a surprise because the most inexpensive iPad started at $499. Apple was on to something when it designed the iPad with more features than a typical e-reader (like the Kindle). However, the iPad’s fatal flaw is that it has no phone. For those of us who own an Apple computer, laptop and iPhone, the iPad seems unnecessary in all ways except as a reader. When I purchased my Apple laptop I decided on a 17″ screen because the computer I work on at home has a 31″ Apple monitor. I’ve become spoiled with size. Size does matter! Now, when I look at smaller screens they seem microscopic. A great feature of the iPad is it’s 10-inch screen. That size makes it light and easy to slip into a medium-sized purse but large enough to make reading ebooks comfortable. The new Dell tablet, called the Streak, goes on sale this Friday, August 13. It will be interesting to see how it does with sales. The Streak runs on Google’s Android operating system. For those who don’t know, Android is an OS for mobile devices (i.e., cell phones, tablets and netbooks). Android is based on the Linux kernel (Unix-like OS). The original Unix is an OS from 1969 created by AT&T employees at Bell Labs.

Here’s the bottom line on Dell’s Streak tablet:
5″ screen (iPhone is 3.5″)
6″ long and 3.11″ wide. (iPad is about 3x as big)
Much lighter than the iPad but due to its long skinny shape doesn’t fit in a shirt pocket or fitted pants’ pocket. For a phone it is big and awkward. The screen resolution is lower than an iPhone.
iPad is MUCH more comfortable for reading ebooks.

It will be interesting to watch the sales on this new product.

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Get Familiar with Google Business Solutions

dorriolds — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 12:47:22 +0000

To see all that Google has to offer you regarding your website and search engine optimization go to the links in their footer. The 2 you should start with are:

About Google
Business Solutions

This is where to learn about how to submit your website to Google, use Google Analytics, Access Webmaster Central, and Google Basics.

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