What I Learned from Publicist, Joan Schulhafer

Joan Schulhafer skyped with our Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia chapter recently and provided great information about publicizing yourself as a writer and your book. Here are nine things I learned from her presentation:

1. Authors need to balance their online and in-person presences. You need a mix of both.

2. You can't do everything, but get out and get involved.

3. Attend conferences and network with everyone.

4. Build your email list. It's valuable for authors.

5. Blogging is important. It's a way to keep your website fresh. Blog posts do not have to be deep, witty, or perfect.

6. Pictures are important. Take lots of pictures. Post pictures with your content.

7. Make sure that your biographies and other information are current on all the social media sites where you have accounts.

8. Authors needs to be on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest. If your readers are younger, you need to be on Snap Chat.

9. Be polite on social media. Don't forget to thank those who help you.