Tag: Twitter

How to avoid the dreaded over 140 warnings

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell11 Comments

Yes, we all get the red warning from time to time. 

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Within Tweetdeck or Twitter, I use bitly  to automatically shorten my links. But, there are several to choose from such as Ow.ly, or TinyURL.com, all you need to do is to search for one that will work for you.

Everyone knows how to shorten your own post within WordPress. Use the Get Shortlink button!

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But how do you shorten a link that is not yours?

What do you do when you want to share a link plus add comments?

I use goo.gl URL Shortener which is an add-on to my toolbar. Here is a few of features for the Google shortener add-on.

► Features
  • Official goo.gl API support
  • Official goo.gl history/dashboard support with OAuth
  • Auto copy to clipboard
  • Keyboard shortcut
  • Context menu
  • QR Code
  • Highly customizable
  • Incognito mode
  • Share with your default mail client
  • Share with many different services 100zakladok, AOL Mail, Baidu, Bebo, Blip, Blogger, Bobrdobr, Delicious, Diaspora*, Digg, Diigo, Evernote, Facebook, Formspring, FriendFeed, Friendster, Gmail, Google Bookmarks, Google+, Hatena, Hyves, Hotmail, Identi.ca, Instapaper, iWiW, Lifestream, LinkedIn, LiveJournal, Mail, Mail.ru, meinVZ, Menéame, Mister Wong, Multiply, MySpace, Netlog, NUjij, OKNOtizie, Orkut, Oyyla, Ping.fm, Plaxo, Plurk, Pocket, Reddit, Segnalo, Sina Weibo, Sonico, Springpad, studiVZ, StumbleUpon, Technorati, Tuenti, Tumblr, Twitter, TwitThat, TwitThis, Viadeo, VKontakte, Wykop, XING, Yahoo! Bookmarks, Mail, Yammer

(Hate to admit this but I’ve never heard of some of these.)frog-sad

Don’t want an add-on? 

Well, Google may still be the site for you.

Just head over to the Google URL Shortener web page. Bookmark this page and use it to shorten the links. Super simple.

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Have you ever failed to share because the link is too big?

Do you think using one of these will make it easier to share?

Do you already use a link shortener? Which one do you like best?

Talk to me in the comments section, I’d love to hear from you! You can also click the “write me” tab or contact me onTwitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps andFacebook fans.

Do you want a creepy and disturbing book?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

If you are squeamish,

don’t read:

The Butterfly Garden

The book is written in two different POV’s, the FBI investigating the crimes and one of a surviving victim. The author hooked me from the beginning. Changing point of views made perfect sense as the story unfolds. I had no problem following what was happening. It is a dark, disturbing, methodical and well-written story. I usually can’t finish a book that deals with sexual violence because I find the subject distasteful and hard to stomach but I couldn’t put down The Butterfly Garden. I finished this book in one day, not because I didn’t know how it was going to end, but because I wanted to hear the rest of the victim’s story. So, if you are the least bit squeamish about the treatment of women, you may want to take a pass. However, if you can handle the subject, the writing is worth the journey. This is one book that will keep you up all night.

Dot Hutchinson kept me turning the pages late into the night and the story haunted me long after I turned out the light. The Butterfly Garden gets 5 Stars from me. It is available now, for FREE through KindleUnlimited.

Read any good books lately? Do share… 

Have you read this book? What did you think?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab above or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

Do you know how to give away your book for FREE?

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

Well, I didn’t either until today.

Free-download-300px

Kindle Edition : “free kindle books”

But a big thanks goes out to fellow bloggers the big Ape and   for sending out much-needed information. A post – Molly Greene’s Advice on Going Permafree on Amazon.

Most of us have a WIP and one day may want to make it FREE for a day. But if you’re like me the process has baffled me.

A short while back, my friend Charles E. Yallowitz decided to make the first book of his fantasy Legends of Windemere series permafree. This is something I’ve been considering myself, but I&#… Continue reading–

Source: Molly Greene’s Advice on Going Permafree on Amazon

Molly discovered the process when she wanted to make Mark of the Loon free.

Here is a breakdown of the steps:

  • Log into Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
  • Click the “Help” tab in the upper right-hand corner.
  • On the left menu, scroll to the bottom and click “Contact us.”
  • Again, left menu, click “Getting Started.”
  • Then click “Pricing Your Book.” (One of the “Answers to common questions” options under this category is “what is price matching.” That link will take you to Amazon’s policy page.)
  • Under “ask your question here,” use the subject line: Price Matching. In the body of the message, include the title and ASIN of the book, plus links to retail sites where it is currently free: iTunes, Kobo, Smashwords, whatever. Tell them you’re running a free promo and you need Amazon to price match.

The NEW Easy Way To Go FREE On Amazon  by Molly Greene @mollygreene

Now I don’t know about you but this seems all a bit convoluted. Before long I expect a few more hurdles will be added, such as:

  • Use starter pistol at “Starting Point”
  • Hop on one foot as you log on
  • Scream bloody murder when clicking on “help” key

So what do y’all think?

Have you succeeded in offering a book for FREE?

Will you in the future?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

If not, now you may need one in the future.

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell11 Comments

So get prepared for your —

Beta Readers. fish-bowl-846060_640

Yes, you read that right. Plural, you’ll need more than one.

Why? Because beta readers are different from editors or critique partners. They are readers. But they are an invaluable tool for a writer.

That’s why I’m passing on a great post by Jo Robinson as well as a couple of other great posts on the subject. Check out the links below.

Although, a beta reader can and should point out glaring typos and comma splices, that’s not their primary purpose.

No, the primary purpose of a beta reader is to give you a reader’s perspective of your book, what they might see and think.

A beta reader reads like a consumer not an editor.pennies-15402_640

With that in mind, I’d like to add my two cents.

Make sure you are clear on what you expect from the beta reader. Make a list of questions you’d like answered, but don’t make it too long. You don’t want it to look like a college assignment. There are a few basics every writer wants to know, but maybe you are looking for a particular reaction. If so make sure you ask a question that would reflect it.

Here are a few questions to get you started.

  1. Did the story hook you?
  2. How far into the story before you were hooked? 1st paragraph, 1st page, 1st chapter?
  3. How quickly were you anchored in the story? Or did you get lost in a maze?
  4. Did you relate, understand the characters?
  5. Which character stood out the most?
  6. Could you envision the characters and settings?
  7. Any discrepancies or inconsistencies of details? Descriptions, sequences, places, details? (House on wrong side of road, hair color changed along the way)
  8. Does the story and writing style fit the genre or age group aimed?
  9. Did you skip ahead through any parts? Where?
  10. Did you savor any passages? Where? Why?

Have you ever used Beta Readers?

What was your experience?

Want more questions? Go to the bottom of this post for a link to 15 more.

I’d love to hear from you! Click to write me or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at  jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.

BETA READERS by JoRobinson

What the Heck is a Beta Reader? Do I Need One?   by SHEILA M. GOOD

15 questions for your beta readers – and to focus your own revisions by Jodie Renner