As authors we want readers to find us and our books. There are a couple of sites that offer author profiles that you can set up yourself. Firstly, there is Goodreads. Not only can you create your own profile but actively promote your book(s) and also connect with readers and review other author’s books. As many f you know I review every book I read on Goodreads and Amazon. It is my way of giving back to the community.
The process to set up your author profile is pretty easy and there is a helpful guide on the site if your get stuck. Follow these steps and add another avenue to your author platform. You will also have a follow button so your readers can click that to keep updated on your new releases etc. You can also follow all your favorite authors.
How To Set Up Your Goodreads Author Profile
Step one: Claim your book (or manually add it)
First, search Goodreads to see if your book has already been added to their database. One of your readers could have already added it for you.
If you don’t find your book listed, take these steps to manually add your book:
Once you are on your book page, click on the link for your name. It will open up to an author profile page. Click on the link that says “Is this you? Let us know.” and you will be able to send a request to join the Author Program.
Step two: Customize your author profile
There are many things you can do to customize your Goodreads author profile.
Add your author photo.
Add a compelling author bio
Add your blog.
Add upcoming events, give away’s and/or teasers for your next book.
Add ‘ask the author’ questions for each book. Make sure to activate
Step three: Getting started on Goodreads
When you are first getting started on Goodreads, here are three things we recommend doing:
Rate at least 20 books. This will unlock additional features that are not available to you until you add and rate at least 20 books.
Start adding friends. Personally, I got started by importing friends from Facebook. This helped me add friends quickly.
Remember to ask reviewers to post to Goodreads as well. Get the URL of your book page and give it to reviewers who agree to post a review for you.
Now you have your author profile added here are several tips on using the site for promotion.
Getting exposure for your author profile on Goodreads can create interest in you and your books. Here are a 9 ways you can get your profile image to show up around Goodreads once you have your account set up:
Update your progress on a book you are currently reading. Click update status on that particular book’s Goodread’s page.
I wrote this book as a way to help people beyond what I share in a one-hour seminar or coaching session. The book takes a deeper dive into so many areas of nutrition and wellness. I have been a dietitian for over 24 years, and have a lot of nutrition tips and stories to share. Other books have motivated me to write my own. The Blue Zones books by Dan Buettner give wellness tips, along with vivid stories of his visits to some of the oldest and healthiest people in the world. I am fascinated by longevity, and when I read my first Blue Zones book, I loved that the book wasn’t just telling you what to do. The helpful wellness tips were woven into the stories that were shared. In my book, I wrote about a 102 year old man who is still driving and enjoying life. Another story is about a man I met who is now 98 and is still cooking for his daughter. When I first met him after a seminar I presented at a senior center, he appeared to be in his low 80’s, if not younger. I found out he was 95 at the time, and it was a surreal moment. I was just finishing up doing a presentation on the Mediterranean diet, and here in front of me was a living example of how this way of eating and living surely does lend itself to longevity. We have become friends. I’ve called him periodically during the Covid shutdowns to make sure he is okay, and we have exchanged fun gifts for holidays and birthdays. His friendship is the best gift of all. My mission is to learn and then share what I’ve learned in fun and meaningful ways to help others improve their lives. My book is one way to do this.
Is there a specific age group the book is geared towards?
I had adults in mind when I wrote the book. I have noticed that the book especially resonates for those 50 and up.
Do you feel nutrition should be taught in all grades of schools?
The first review of my book that came in mentioned how the information should be shared in schools. I wholeheartedly agree that nutrition should be taught in schools and for all grades. When I worked in school food service, I applied for grants that provided nutrition education in creative ways. One way was that I arranged for an entire elementary school grade to go on a hike, with healthy lunch provided, plus a nutrition talk for the kids during the day. Another way was to have a chef join the school food service staff to promote healthy meals to teenagers. I think that nutrition can be fun and taught in creative ways that appeal to all ages. I always liked show-and-tell as a kid, and my model of teaching for adults is show-and-tell model. I use lots of props and fun demonstrations. My virtual seminars have been a hit, as I have shown a lot of shocking things that make people think about their food consumption, such as all the sugar in one seasonal frozen coffee drink. It has more sugar than an entire container of ice cream!
Can you share a tip on how to eat a balanced diet?
I developed a plate to emphasize balance. It’s based on studying what people eat across the world to stay healthy. I call it the NuTricia’s Plate. See the graphic below. Half of the plate is vegetables. A great way to mimic this plate is to make sure that you vegetables cover half of your plate at lunch and dinner, and hopefully some vegetables during snacks, and maybe even breakfast, too. A quarter of your plate should be a small portion of healthy starchy carbohydrates such as whole grains (for example, brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat pasta), or potatoes, or corn. A quarter of the plate should be a protein rich food such as beans, fish, chicken, or turkey. People should consider having at least 3 small servings of fruit a day, and healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil as parts of meals and snacks. Water should be consumed throughout the day.
How can someone with physical restrictions improve their movement?
If you have physical restrictions, then focus on what you can do. Ask your doctor for guidance, and see a physical therapist. Physical therapists can help solve or lessen many pain problems. They are such a great resource. I have gone through many rounds of physical therapy over the years for different injuries and conditions, and some of the results have been pretty miraculous! Focusing on what you can do can have huge positive mental and physical benefits. Many fantastic exercises stretching and strengthening exercises can be done from a chair.
6. Did your parents encourage your healthy lifestyle? Somewhat. There was the good the bad, and the downright ugly. The good was that there were lots of health books and magazines around the house, and my mom made very balanced dinners. The bad was that the lunches I brought to school were often cold cut sandwiches on white rolls with no veggies or fruit. The ugly was that my family would have weekend “pig-outs” (junk food binges) that I think was at the root of my overweight status as a kid.
7. Who are your health gurus? I have several. Deepak Chopra kicked off my love of meditation. He periodically offers free 21-day meditation programs that are a fantastic way to implement or sustain a meditation habit. Dr. Andrew Weil’s book 8 Weeks to Optimum Health was very eye-opening to me. Elian Haan is a mind/body/trauma coach who teaches yoga and tai-chi at an addiction facility. I met her at an SCW Fitness Conference and have learned so much from her about the healing effects of mindfulness and mindful movement. Dr. Walt Willet is one of my favorite nutritionists. I love what I learned in the books, Healthy at 100 by John Robbins, and the China Study by T. Colin Campbell. These books have become guiding lights for me.
8. What part of your background do you feel had the biggest impact on your life? My dad’s work ethic and the Mediterranean way of living that my grandparents role modeled. My dad is an entrepreneur and a serial hard worker. My dad has been working long hours each day, mostly 7 days a week for over 50 years. Through his example, I learned that hard work pays off. I also learned key business skills that have helped me in my own entrepreneurial journey. My grandparents grew fruit in their yard, and went shopping almost daily for fresh vegetables. There were salads and raw veggies on the table at the beginning of the meal followed by tasty meals that included greens such as spinach and broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
9. Is there an age limit to creating a healthy lifestyle?
Never. it’s never too late to change your habits. Life is one long learning opportunity. There’s always room for learning and change.
10. What do you do to relax?
During the times of the Covid shutdowns, meditation has helped me tremendously. My favorite meditation app is Insight Timer. I use it a lot. It has helped me gain focus and improve my productivity, as well as helped me enhance my mood, and deal with stress. I have been working on earning my yoga certification over the last year, and learning new-to-me yoga poses has been invaluable. Two of my favorite poses are corpse pose (also known as shavasana—it’s when you are lying down at the end of a yoga session) or legs up the wall. Legs up the wall is what is sounds like. You are lying down on the floor, and your legs are resting up against a wall. I feel especially relaxed after doing this pose, and that effect lasts for hours.
11. Are you planning on writing anther book?
Yes, I have a lot of books in me, and will be focusing on the creative process over the next few weeks to get the next book moving along. It’s important to schedule creative days in your calendar. I have a few coming up, and am looking forward to it.
12. Is there a message you would like to send to your readers? Put the past behind you and make healthy choices going forward. Ruminating about the past can get in your way. Dream about your future, and create a vision of where you want to be, then live in the NOW. Make good choices in the NOW, to achieve your vision of the future
13. Where can readers find your book? My book, Healthy Dividends: Investments in Nutrition, Movement, and Healthy Habits that Pay Off can be found on Amazon.
Tricia has been a fitness and nutrition enthusiast, since she was a child. She is a registered and licensed dietitian, certified wellness coach, fitness instructor (certified as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor), and smoking cessation facilitator.She graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dietetics from the State University of New York and completed her dietetic internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She graduated with honors from the Babson College MBA program.
She has extensive nutrition education experience including time spent as the director of nutrition for the prestigious Canyon Ranch Health Resort in the Berkshires. During her employment at Boston Public Schools, she taught nutrition and was responsible for the operations of over 20 school nutrition meal sites which employed over 100 people. Her vast school nutrition experience also includes three years as the director of food services at Watertown Public Schools where she was responsible for operations and developed and implemented innovative nutrition education opportunities for the students. She has been educating clients and groups through her business for many years.
I don’t normally track my blog statistics but it was interesting to see how my blog has grown over the last nine years. From a tentative start to promote my first children’s book, Rumble’s First Scare, to currently connecting with my readers and the reading community ,as well as engaging and supporting the writing community, it has been a fascinating journey.
Through trail and error, I have found that posting twice a week is the most popular for my readership. As you know this year, I split the two weekly posts so they are specifically aimed at readers on Tuesday’s and writers on Thursday’s. This has proven very popular. Looking at the growth of my blog, the statistics speak for themselves.
First years stats: 2011 views 1424, visitors 0 posts 37
Last years stats 2019 views 14830 visitors 10640 posts 108
It has been a steep learning curve, and continues to be! I know there are things I should be doing, but with full time work, writing, publishing and promoting my books, as well as ‘normal life stuff’ there are never enough hours in the day. However, I am compiling a strategy to improve all aspects of my writing business, so watch this space.
For me the best part of having this blog is connecting with people from all over the world. It is so neat to see my flag map. I truly reach a global community.
In this time of COVID, we need connection and a blog is a way to gain that. Whether you post weekly, monthly or less frequently, you are reaching out to others. Stay safe, stay well.
I would love to know:
How did you start your blog?
How often do your post?
Do you have any tips for new and established bloggers?
I hosted a virtual workshop last Saturday for the Words in the Park event. It was fun to utilize Zoom so that participants from far and wide could join me. As the workshop was free, I thought I would share the bare bones of the workshop. Hopefully, it will give you some helpful information in creating a blog of your own.
There are numerous blogging sites but these tips cover the basics for you to start.
The number of blogs available on the internet is mind boggling – every topic you can imagine is covered. Whether factual, diarized, crafting, a myriad of interests or informational, you can find several postings about things you are interested in or want to know about.
So why should you blog? Or indeed why not!
The first and most important question is – why do you want to blog in the first place.
There is a huge range of reasons to blog but maybe the best idea is to ask yourself if any of the following relate to you.
1. To create something you are proud of
2. Challenge yourself
3. Strengthen your knowledge on a particular subject
4. Meet others with similar interests
5. Help other people in a specific field or topic
6. Gain confidence
7. To improve your writing ability
8. To learn new skills
Once you decide on starting a blog there are several key elements you need to decide on.
Name Your Blog
This may seem easy – however, you need to search what names are already in existence, will the name reflect the topic OR theme you will be writing about. Is it a personal blog, a business blog, or a specific interest blog? Does the blog name read OK when it’s in a domain URL format?
Later you may want to purchase your own domain name so consider how it will look.
Define Your Target Audience
For an author, this will be readers in your genre, for business people, it is who wants/needs your services. Will you mentor? Cover aspects of health, travel, personal training, or something else?
Tone Of Your Blog
What tone or voice will the writing reflect? Strictly business or more personal/friendly?
Reason For Your Blog
Will you be building your brand around your blog name or the other way around? Is the blog part of a website or standalone? What do you want to achieve with your blog? Choose one area you have the most expertise or interest in. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself straight out of the gate. Your passion about the subject will bring about the following benefits:
You’re more likely to put the time and effort into your blog to make it shine.
You’re less likely to abandon your blog in the future.
You’re less likely to run out of ideas.
It shows through in your writing, and your readers can feel that. This, in turn, will lead to a larger following.
Tips for Writing A Blog
Understand your audience
Write for yourself first
Build you
Love your existing readers/followers/clients
Focus on building an amazing call-to-action
Be consistent
Give away your knowledge
Be true to your voice
Give it time
Write catchy headlines
Be Yourself
Keep it short
Positives to blogging:
1. You’ll gain confidence.
2. It’s a form of diary.
3. Blogging is great writing experience.
4. There is potential financial gain if that is your future goal.
5. The blogging community is great.
6. It allows potential for self growth.
7. It allows development of technological skills.
8. It gives people a creative outlet.
9. Blogging is the current way to market a business or product.
10. And it creates opportunities. Whether in the form of friendships, financial gain or self-growth.
Key Elements for a Blog Post
Make sure to include images in every post. A block of text is seldom read. (Attention spans are very short). Rule of thumb is to use one every 300 words or so.
Format your blog post – longer text should be divided with headers and sub-headers
Use bulleted and numbered lists
Bold and italicize key points
Use short paragraphs – 3-5 lines to prevent ‘skimming’ by your reader
Stick to a theme
Don’t wing your content. Make a plan and schedule your posts.
I either write several blog posts at a time and then schedule them or create a draft when an idea pops into my head.
With the final editing revisions sent to my publisher, I am thinking about my next story. As with many authors there is a never ending project pile. So how do you to choose the next one?
1. You have submitted one part of a series – your choice is reasonable clear – write the next book in the series. This can depend on when the manuscript has to be finished obviously but readers want the next one pretty quickly.
2. You are committed to writing a story for an anthology. Ensure you make the deadline.
3. A new idea has ‘popped’ into your head – it is always tempting to write the newest and brightest. However, can it wait? Maybe ask is it reflecting a current topic? Would it be best to get it published sooner rather than later?
4. You have several unfinished manuscripts pending. (This is my current quandary.) How do you choose?
The above options do give us guidance but if you are not committed to a deadline then what options are open to you?
a) Write the titles out and pick one out of a hat.
b) Ask your readers on social media to choose by voting.
c) Gauge the current ‘popular’ genre and write accordingly.
I have opted for b) and received a flurry of votes on Facebook and twitter, which was a pleasant surprise indeed.
The choices were – A western romance or a suspense novel. The suspense won! So I will delve into The Giving Thief for this year and into next.
I have gained a new freelance client for August. So I am looking forward to working with this author on her novel from August onward.
My steampunk novel, The Commodore’s Gift is now with my publisher and set for a September 2020 launch. Unsure at this point what that will actually look like or compose of but we will see.
