Lights, Camera, Action - Video Conferencing Tips for Authors

Welcome to the new normal that includes working and connecting in different ways. A lot of us aren’t YouTubers or TikTok experts, so it’s tough to get the right lighting and look. And you don’t have to invest in fancy cameras, microphones, or ring lights. Here are some tips to help you look and sound your best.

Location, Location

Find the best spot in your house. If you’re using a phone or tablet, you can be mobile. Experts suggest that you turn your phone on with the camera facing you. Then walk around your house and find a good spot with a lot of natural light. If you need your laptop for the meeting, you’ll need a spot where you can still type and use the mouse. Being in front of a window is good (unless the sun is shining directly in your face). You don’t want lamps/lights that are above or on the sides because they cast shadows.

You want your camera to be just above your eyes/forehead. You don’t want to be looking down (too much saggy chin), and you don’t want the camera pointing up your nose. You also don’t want to be looking off camera. Use books or other items to adjust the height of your camera. If you’re using a phone with a pop socket, you can hang it on a mug for an easy tripod.

Make sure your video spot is not in a major thoroughfare of your house. You don’t want interruptions or photobombs.

Check your background and make sure there’s no junk or clutter. Remember that sometimes, the camera picks up more than you think. I have a whiteboard in my office where I plot the next mystery. My team is always trying to see what’s on the board behind me.

Your Look

Ladies, you do want to wear some makeup, so you don’t look washed out on camera. Wear solid colors (but not white or black). Wear jewelry. My friend wears hats when she doesn’t want to do her hair. One team recently had crazy hat day, so everyone had an excuse to cover up a bad hair day. A lot of YouTube stylists suggest dry shampoo or wetting and styling your bangs on days you don’t want to do a full wash and style.

They Can See You and Hear You

They can see you, and sometimes, we forget that. Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen kids and pets photobomb calls. We’ve been interrupted by phone calls and delivery drivers. I try to remember to close the door, so they don’t see distractions behind me. Use mute when you’re not speaking to cut down on background noise. Also, if you’re multitasking, they can see that, too.

Practice Makes Perfect

Do a practice session and check your video and sound. If you’re working with a group of people, you may want to have a mini session to make sure everyone can logon, work the equipment, and host the meeting.

Make sure you know how to adjust your sound and camera. If your internet is slow, you will have issues with your video quality. The sound and the video may not match, and it will look like a 1950s dubbed movie. If you need to stream video, make sure no one else at your house is streaming or gaming at the same time.

Practice with the video conference tool. Most have similar features, but buttons, views, and functionality will vary. If you’re going to share your screen, make sure you have the files open and ready.

Some days, I get video conference fatigue. I never imagined that I’d be popping in to one video chat after another at the day gig. But it is a good way to stay connected and to see others when we’re quarantining.

Y’all be safe, and hopefully, we’ll be back together in person soon.

Stuff I Learned during the Pandemic

This has been a crazy, sad, and trying time, and we’ve all be asked to do things differently. And there have been many disappointments and cancellations. I hope you and your family are safe and healthy!

I was reflecting on this and wondering if I should have started a journal. Life was so busy (my day gig is in IT), and we were working long hours getting ready for a massive work from home effort that I didn’t have time. We’ve settled into a routine now. My big days out are the ones where I’m manager on duty in the office or when I head off for groceries.

Here are some of my learnings or realizations…

1. Do not put on lipstick before you put on your face mask. (I’d never worn a mask before.)

2. Wood glue works great for making crafts with wine corks. I made a Christmas tree and a heart-shaped wreath.

3. I miss my stand-up desk that’s at the office. I have to figure out new ways to stand and stretch at home. My job and writing time are very sedentary.

4. I bought a pedal exerciser that fits under my home desk. I put long conference calls on mute and pedal. It helps me get moving.

5. I do like the extra writing time each day because I’m not commuting for two hours each day.

6. My fuzzy coworkers like to hang out in the office where I work. But sometimes, they snore loudlyTrying or pick the worse time to play with the loudest squeaky toy.

7. I am halfway through my Goodreads reading challenge already for the year. And I’ve made a huge dent in my TBR pile. Who’s on Goodreads?

8. We finished a large jigsaw puzzle (covers of the early Hardy Boys mysteries). I wanted to frame it to hang in my office next to my Nancy Drew one. My husband figured out a quick way to flip it to put the sticky backing on it. We slid it on a large piece of cardboard and sandwiched it with more cardboard. Then it was an easy peasy flip, and none of it came apart.

9. My two favorite social media updates are from Pluto Living (a schnauzer in Candaland who gives pandemic advice) and Moonpie Starbox (several doxies dubbed with kid conversations). These are the highlights of my adventures on the big wide web. Check them out. They are both good for lots of laughs.

What I Learned about "Stepping up to the Stage" from Joan Bowling - Public Speaking Tips for Authors

This week, I attended the James River Writers' Writing Show, "Stepping up to the Stage" with Joan Bowling. She had some great presentation and public speaking tips for authors. Here's what I learned...

1. Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Make sure that you're ready for your event. 
2. Relax! You are more confident when you feel comfortable.
3. Make the butterflies you feel fly in formation. Get control of your nerves.
4. Breathing helps. Calm your thoughts.
5. Nervousness means you care. Use that energy in your presentation.
6. You need to create an impression or mood with what you're going to say.
7. Start off with a question or an "imagine a time when" story. You want to draw your listeners in.
8. Practice your opening. 
9. You want your presentation to be an easy conversation. She said to avoid the "wind up." "Hi. Thank you for having me here. I am so honored to be here..."
10. Know your audience and have questions prepared.
11. Listening is crucial. 
12. Be present.
13. If you're on a stage, do a sound check. Walk around and get to know the environment before the event. 
14. If you've not used to using a microphone, practice at home with a hairbrush.
15. The microphone is an extension of your chin. Hold it below your chin. Your audience needs to see your mouth.
16. When it doubt, use a microphone. It's hard to sustain a voice loud enough for the audience to hear for 45 minutes.
17. Mingle with the audience before an event.
18. When you are on stage, scan the audience. Don't do a windshield wiper thing with your head. Scan in a slow "W" formation, so it looks more natural. 
19. If you're terrified, look at your audience's foreheads. They can't tell that you're not looking directly at them.
20. Be hydrated before you speak. Stay away from dairy. 
21. If you're doing a reading, animate it. Leave them with an emotion. Read a funny, scary, or sad excerpt. 
22. If you're reading, hold the book so they can see it, but don't cover your face. They shouldn't see the top of your head during the entire reading. 
23. Some people print out the excerpt and read from the paper. (Just make sure that you have your book on the lectern or table, so they can see the cover.
24. Know the power of a pause. Pause from time to time to let your audience catch up and to draw them in.
25. Don't do accents in readings.
26. Get comfortable with the sound of your voice. Tape yourself and listen.
27. If you're doing TV, make it a live conversation. 
28. Always have your book with you.
29. When you're doing a presentation, don't end on a question. End where YOU want to leave the audience. Leave them with an impression.

Joan had some wonderful advice. Check out her website and her newsletter. These are all great ideas that writers need in their toolbox when they're doing a reading or a presentation. 

19 Things I Learned about LinkedIn

This week, I attended a seminar, "The Power of LinkedIn" by Bridget McGovern, Senior Nonprofit Relationship Manager for LinkedIn. She provided a good overview of the platform and a workshop for us to improve our sites. Here's what I learned...

1. Your profile is your professional brand. How do you want to look to others? Your brand is your promise of what others can expect of you.
2. Your LinkedIn profile is not your resume.
3. Follow organizations and causes you care about.
4. You are the brand ambassador for you and your company.
5. Networking is key. Make connections.
6. When you send a connection request to someone, make sure to personalize it (e.g. Hi, John Doe. I enjoyed meeting you at the ABC Conference in Atlanta.). I sent one recently from the mobile version, and it didn't let me personalize the request.
7. Your profile should show where you've been, where you are now, and where you're going.
8. Seventy-five percent of hiring managers use LinkedIn to look for and at candidates. Hey hiring managers, candidates look a your company and profiles too.
9. Make sure you have a professional looking headshot. It can show your personality. Just be careful with selfies. Profiles with pictures get 21x more views.
10. Your photo should be from the shoulders up, and you should smile.
11. Your summary should be short - no more than two paragraphs. This should be your elevator pitch about you. What do you bring when you walk into a room?
12. Add a custom headline under your photo - not just your current job title. This allows you to be creative in your description of yourself. State the essence of what you do.
13. Keep your experience concise (about two sentences). Highlight the value of what you brought to the team.
14. Think about publishing content, photos, and videos. This increases your reach.
15. Your skills tell your story. If someone endorses you for something, and it doesn't fit, you don't have to accept it.
16. Make sure to include your volunteer experience.
17. Connect with people you know, people who belong to similar organizations, and your alumni groups.
18. Look at groups and join what interests you. This is another way to network.
19. Be creative and don't be afraid to show your personality in a professional way. You don't want to look like a robot. Sometimes, we're too formal in our descriptions, and when others read it, it's bland or boring.

I learned a lot from Bridget McGovern. I've had a LinkedIn profile for a while, but I don't do that much with it. I have noticed over the last year that I'm getting more and more recruiters send me information on jobs they think I'm a fit for. It's nice to be noticed. I'm off to revamp my profile.

How Working Full-time Helps My Writing Journey

I am IT manager by day, and writer the rest of the time. My dream is to one day retire and write full time. While work gets in the way of writing more than one book a year for me, and it sometimes wears me out to the point that I don't want to look at a computer screen any more that day, it does play a role in my writing journey.

Work limits my writing/free time, so I am more apt to use my available time to its fullest. My work day is regimented, and I tend to structure my writing time out of habit. (When I'm off for holidays or vacations and I have multiple days to write, I'm less structured.) Most of my days start at 5:00 AM.

I get some great ideas, character traits, and quotes from my co-workers. I have even been known to name characters after some of my co-workers.

When I'm home working when I have more than one day off in a row, I'm usually sequestered with just the pair of Jacks. Working keeps me plugged in to trends, discussions, and other social interactions. I think the solitude and the social parts of a writer's life need to be balanced. I'm an extravert, and I get my energy by interacting with other people. I know that when I do decide to write full-time, I'm going to have to include other social activities in my week for balance.

Riley: "I'm bored with writing time."

Yes, when Disney was a puppy, she chewed on the corner of my desk.

I work in IT, and my team gets to test lots of new technologies and hardware. It's fun to try out cool tools. Plus, I have a whole team of SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) if I ever have technology, computer, or geeky questions.

My company is very volunteer-oriented, and it affords me a lot of service opportunities and experiences that I wouldn't normally have. Trying new things, meeting people, and making a difference in our community are always good. Plus, they often generate ideas for my writing.

I commute to downtown Richmond. Our office is on a hill above the James River. We have one of the best views in the capital city. It's a great place to walk around at lunch. There's lots to see, and the cityscape and river-view are inspiring. Plus, changes in scenery can spark your creativity. Downtown Richmond is full of activities, great restaurants, and lots of historical sites.

This is a view of downtown Richmond through the Virginia War Memorial.

Going to work every day, keeps me in a routine and provides lots of social interaction.  I'd like my writing life to become my job when I retire, but for now, I like the balance that my work life provides.

Professionalism Goes A Long Way...

I thought when I became an author that I would sit at my desk and write one brilliant book after another. I had no idea how much marketing and publicity were involved. Then there are royalties, contracts, tax implications, and sales tax that make your head spin. I quickly learned that as much as I loved books and writing, this was a business, and I needed to treat it as such.

1. Know when to consult lawyers, CPAs, and tax professionals. Make sure you know about your tax bracket, deductions, business licenses, and sales tax rules.

2. Get a professional headshot. It's an investment, but it shows that you are serious about your writing.

3. Get an author website. Make sure that it has your biography, photo, link to your books, and a way to contact you.

4. Be prompt when responding to emails and phone calls. Publishers, publicists, agents, and book store owners expect to be dealing with professionals.

5. Always meet your deadlines and commitments. This goes for volunteer work too.

6. Thank people who help you, provide good reviews, and share your social media.

7. When you contact booksellers, reporters, agents, publishers, etc., be prepared. Make sure you have a polished biography, synopsis, and links to your social media sites.

8. If you're going to create a blog, website, or social media sites, make sure that you post regularly. If the content isn't fresh, visitors won't come back, or they'll drop you.

9. Proofread your stuff. Make sure that your sites, emails, and marketing materials are organized, easy to read, and current. You really only do get one shot at making a first impression.

Best wishes with your writing. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it.

What I Learned from David Casullo about High-Energy Cultures

I read a lot of books on leadership and customer service. David Casullo's Leading the High-Energy Culture is a good reference for new or seasoned managers. But his life lessons also apply to writers. Here's what I learned...

1. "Raise the Bar" should be your rallying cry for yourself and your team.

2. Energize those around you.

3. Communicate clearly and with purpose and passion.

4. Behave consistently with your values and beliefs.

5. Know the lay of the land at your organization and adapt as you need to.

6. A successful leader demonstrates Character, Commitment, Competence, Courage, and Communication.

7. People are fascinated with secrets and mysteries. As a mystery reader and writer, this was my favorite.

8. Focus on face-to-face interactions. Important information should be delivered face-to-face and not through email or texts.

9. Communication is an art and a science.

10. Simple is hard. People don't have time for elaborate explanations. It takes longer to craft your communication for your audience.

11. When people remember your story, they remember the point, and they remember you.

What I Learned from Starbucks and Joseph Michelli

My niece landed a job recently in a Starbucks, and it was interesting to hear about life as a new barista. Coincidentally, I finished Joseph A. Michelli's Leading the Starbucks Way: 5 Principles for Connecting with your Customers, Your Products, and Your People. Check out his website and blog.

1. Love, Humanity, and Humility should be your performance drivers.

2. If you don't have passion for your product or service, why should your customer?

3. Your customer service behaviors should include anticipating, connecting, personalizing, and owning.

4. You need to cherish and challenge your legacy. It's not just today's sale.

Michelli's book focuses on customer service and leadership, but the advice works for writers who are trying to market their work.