New Author Website in the Works

Photo credit: Stephanie Scott via Instagram

You may see changes or experience delays on my Blogger site due to the awesome and exciting developments going on behind the scenes with my domain name! I'll be debuting a brand new website in the next few months. The team at Atmosphere is working on it as we speak!

Most likely my blog will be a Wordpress blog connected to my new site, but there's a chance this little old Blogger may hold on :)

Photo credits: Leah Lewis, Jason Scott

Meanwhile, I'm blogging in these places:

The YA Buccaneers! I'm so happy to be on board with this most excellent crew of young adult writers. I'm Boatswain Jayne, and even have a my own pirate portrait! Here is my intro post on the blog.

I will be posting about writing, reading, and I'm helping out with their writing bootcamp challenges!

You'll also find me every so often with Writing With the Mentors, including my post on Writing a First Line That Hooks.

You can find me elsewhere online:

Twitter: @StephScottYA

Instagram: @StephScottYA

Facebook Author Page: Stephanie Scott


Exciting things to come as my book debut nears! Thanks loyal hangers-on to this blog. I'll keep you all updated.

Insecure Writers Support Group: February

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Be insecure no longer! Commune with fellow writers. Find your place and your tribe. Join the IWSG Facebook Group here. Writers of all skill level and background ask questions and offer support.

Follow the monthly IWSG blog hop here. Pick a number and visit  a few blogs. Comment and make a friend!

Twitter and Facebook and Tumblr and Instagram and Oh God What's Snapchat, 

Oh My!

My Instagram Mantra

There is a lot involved with being a modern author these days. Often it's all the EXTRAS outside of writing that wakes us in the night with panic (did I schedule my blog post for 6 AM or 6 PM? Did I cross-post my Tumblr to Facebook but not Twitter? WHAT EVEN DAY IS IT?)

My debut YA release is forthcoming mid-year 2016 (!) so I've been poking around at marketing and social media advice sites looking for direction. Here are a few resources I've found helpful so far in planning out how to best focus your social media efforts. I don't know these individuals personally, nor have I paid them any money. My recommendations are all based on the free content they provide on their websites:


Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Etc:
Peg Fitzpatrick: Author, speaker, social media marketing pro
I found this advice-giving entrepreneur linked on twitter. She has posts like The 12 Most Strategic Ways to Use Pinterest for Marketing and The Simplest Ways to Make the Best of Goodreads. Her twitter @PegFitzpatrick links to all these articles. 

Kristen Lamb's Warrior Writers blog. I love her take on how social media should be SOCIAL rather than automated (organization tools=good, autopost=not so good). 
She is my one exception to the paid content comment; I purchased her ebook Rise of the Machines: Human Authors in a Digital World and found it worthwhile.

Blogging, Various Social Media:
The Social Media Hat
This website features articles like 2016 Social Media Predictions (always fun) to practical advice like How to Focus on your Blogging. 
Rebekah Radice
How to Grow Your Blog the Right Way

Instagram:
Alex Tooby
Five New Instagram Features and How they Benefit You 

You don't have to do everything. Recently, in a forum of YA authors, Snapchat came up. Someone said: oh great, is this yet another social media site I HAVE to sign up for? No, you don't! If you don't want to use Snapchat, then don't! It's a waste of time to grumble through using a tool meant for social interaction if you hate it and have no vested interest. 

Find what YOU like and go from there!

If you have a blog and want to focus your efforts, look into what components make a good blog. I personally don't like Facebook much, though I use their group functions quite a bit. I love Instagram and Twitter. Because of what I like, I focus efforts on those sites, and have more meaningful connections there. Farming for followers on any platform won't lead to lasting connections.

What social media tips and strategies have helped you? What overwhelms you? Maybe we can help each other out! I'd love to hear from you in the comments.