Searching for SEO Content and Butter Knives

Indie authors, we are not alone!! I hear that even published authors, these days, are responsible for finding SEO content for their platforms.  Blogging and social media is not enough?  When do we have time for more?!!  SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, so isn't that just Google's problem or the spiders that help websites and blogs 'show up' in search results?  No.  Sorry.  We are now quite encouraged and motivated (as the results are often the difference between lots of fans and no-ownership platforms) to find content that brings in new fans, and helps us connect with readers.

In otherwords, the content part of the word SEO content is the hook: or, the reason searchers go to your blog from their search results page - or, your website, your fb page, and so forth.  So, a book-buying mother, who is looking up fairies might have typed in Fairy Birthday Parties.  She has typed just one of the reasons, as a book buying mother, that she might look up (and go to) my blog with a faerie-based book.

All this leads me to the reason I am writing this post.  If you are an Indie author, think twice - no 13 times - before choosing vlogging as your SEO content.  Shakespeare's Rosalind took up less of his time, honestly; and though he probably didn't shower as often, sleep in his own bed, or smell that good during his musings around between writing time; he did get back to writing as his focus.  Not so sure that vlogging as a mistress muse is as giving, forgiving?  Understanding?  No.  She isn't.  She is quite the demanding whore, as I have found out - and relentlessly impossible to ignore.

Run.  If you have chosen vlogging, you already know.  You need a shower.  You need your 4 food groups on a plate, instead of eating with just one hand.  You need two hand free, not just one holding a caffinated beverage.  We all have needs.  Vlogging extinguishes yours like a prima-donna girlfriend with a hot temper.  I don't want a girlfriend.  I wanted young readers to discover my books. I hope after bags of craft supplies, hours of crafting, videographing, editing, and drinking coffee, they do discover my Faerie Project and love my books.  Try the link if you don't believe me.  I have to go now.  Part I of a vlog post is requiring my undivided and overly-stressed out attention.

FYI: If you do choose vlogging, choose a topic you LOVE.  I'm not sure I even like Faeries anymore, and I have at least 2 more books to go before they love me back, if in fact, our relationships do last through the vlog years.

How to Code a Book Description on the Kindle Bookshelf

Self-Published and Indie-Published authors, watch this short video to learn the basics of coding your Amazon book descriptions.  If you hired someone to put your book into the Kindle book store for you, take a minute to check the look of your book titles and descriptive information to be sure they match with promoted books, which are offered in the online store's platform.  This video tells you how to put your book title listing in Amazon's branded orange, and your first line in bold for ratings within the store.  I put this video together, so comment if you have questions and don't forgett to click on the like symbol.

Watch: How to Code Your Book Description

Defining My Own Experience. The Differences Between Self-Publishing, Print-on-Demand, and Independent Publishing Explained

Last month, I went to Powell's City of Books.  Its an entire city block of prime real estate devoted entirely to books, authors, and the cute stuff bookstores sell, like cards.  Its a treat, in my city, to go to Powell's and its never a let down to the shoppers inside.

I went to a reading, but, I did not think I was going to a reading.  The event description read: Independent Publishers' Forum - or something to that effect.  It ended up to be a reading by many different authors whose books were Independently Published.  Its an annual event.  Once I was settled in and actually listening to the first, very humorous author, I remembered that I had gone to that same forum the year before.  I remembered this because the author was actually reading from the same book he'd read from the year before. Although very funny, it woke me from my 'horse back to the barn' type stupor, and I thought to myself - that's it! This year, I do not look down upon myself as though the very, very fine line between self-published and Indie published is going to:

1. hurt my feelings, anymore
2. lower my prices, authenticity, or cause me to make excuse-sort-of-talk about my being an author
3. I AM going to begin defining myself as Independently Published, period.

Up until the repeat author readings and the absence of any Q&A about Independent Publishing (also noted in the year before) I had called myself a self-published author.  Occassionally, I even muttered, Print-
on-Demand, as though a closet full of expensive, hardback books was keeping me apart from Self-Published Authors who had one of those, stocked, at home.  Like my vampire books for middle readers, the publishing arena had become a dark Underworld Castle with Traditional Publishers in the Conservatory, Indie Publishers in the Foyer, regular Self-Published in the Basement, and Print-on-Demand in the Dungeon. STOP!! I became an author to release myself from dungeons - dark and light. 

So dears, here, I have decided to actually utilize this blog to define - in my opinion - the differences between the publishing magic doors - which lead to selling books - and get on with the business of doing so.