By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Evaluating our professional writing life can leave us at a crossroad. Do we continue with the same social media, marketing, and branding methods as 2016, or do we dive into new or enhanced methods that have the potential to raise our visibility? How does a writer compare the work involved in developing content and meeting reader needs?
On December 30th, I took a hard look at my professional life and how I could write a better book while reaching out to readers with solid content via social media. These sites offered outstanding information and instruction:
- www.socialmediaexaminer.com
- www.hubspot.com
- www.novelrocket.com
- www.thewriteconversation.com
- www.problogger.com
- www.publisherweekly.com
and more.
I realized I must continue to learn professional blogging techniques at:
- www.problogger.com.
I must develop the craft by reading books, blogs, and taking online courses as well as attending conferences to sharpen the tools of the craft.
I saw a need to become more involved with Instagram.
Other shortcomings hit the radar. I wasn’t visiting local bookstores enough and making friends with the managers and clerks.
Why hadn’t I done Facebook or Twitter Live? And I wasn’t creating videos and posting them online regularly. Videos are a growing trend, and I’d slipped in keeping up with my own platform.
I thrive on organization. Without it, I’m like a goldfish, always swimming on the same path and never getting anywhere. What I discovered through my end of year evaluation and plans for 2017 might help you too.
To document and follow-up on tasks, I created a spreadsheet to record monthly activities. Items are posted before, during, and an evaluation at the end of each month. Dates are included to show if my time is spent wisely. Columns include:
- Money earned
- Mentoring students
- Professional development
- Social media development
- Create videos
- New platforms
- Conferences attended
- Conferences taught
- Speaking engagements
- Blogs written
- Books read
- Physical bookstores contacted
Your monthly task list may not be the same as mine, but I encourage you to evaluate what you’re doing and be prepared to make changes. Our success in the world of writing is based on how we spend our time and if our efforts are productive.
How do you choose the tasks to enhance your writing career?
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. Her 
titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson. She teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.
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