Social Media

Tweets & Sweets: A See Jane Write Tweet-Up



Next month See Jane Write will host its second big event of the year — Tweets & Sweets: A See Jane Write Tweet-Up. This event will be held Friday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at The Wine Loft, 2200 1st Ave. North. The evening will feature drink specials and sweet treats from Birmingham-area shops and bakeries.

There is no cover, but cash donations to See Jane Write will be much appreciated.

Please click here to RSVP or if you’re not on Facebook just let me know in the comments section of this post that you’ll be there.

And here are three reason you should be there:

  1. You love networking. Well, maybe you don’t love networking, but you’re smart enough to know it’s an important thing to do. Tweets & Sweets will give you the chance to meet and mingle with other writers in Birmingham, some of whom you may have only previously chatted with on Twitter. Maybe you’ll meet your future writing partner — someone you can meet occasionally for writing sessions, someone to hold you accountable for writing regularly, and someone to critique your work. Because this tweet-up is also a birthday party for yours truly, there will also be folks at this event who aren’t writers. Bloggers, these people could become your newest followers and fans. So don’t forget to bring your business cards!
  2. You love cake. It’s the beginning of the year, so you’re probably on a diet. You’re trying to lose weight and get in shape. I am too. But it’s my party, I’ll eat cake if I want to. And I give you permission to do the same. We can go running together the next day to burn off those calories. 
  3. You love me! Okay, there’s a chance you have no idea who I am and this is your first time ever visiting this site, but hear me out. As I mentioned before, this event is also my birthday party. I’d love to celebrate my special day with fellow writers and bloggers. 


Hope to see you on Feb. 8!

3 Reasons You Should Join the See Jane Write Facebook Group



You’ve signed up for the See Jane Write mailing list and you’ve liked our Facebook page. And for that I am truly grateful. But, believe it or not, you may still be missing out on See Jane Write happenings. Here are three reasons why you need to join our Facebook group. 

Reason 1: You’ll learn about new events first!

Long before I announced the next See Jane Write panel discussion on this blog or via email, I announced it first on the See Jane Write Facebook group page. In case you missed it, the next See Jane Write event, Blogging and the Future of Community Journalism, is set for Thursday, Jan. 10. This panel discussion will feature editors from AL.com, Magic City Post, Southern Living, and The Terminal. This event is perfect for bloggers looking for a way to use their blogs to support and promote the communities they care about and for journalists wondering about the future of community journalism in the digital age. This event, like all See Jane Write programs, is free, but registration is required.  Click here for more details and to register. 

Reason 2: You’ll make new friends.

Last month I hosted a blogging challenge called #bloglikecrazy over on my blog WriteousBabe.com. The idea was to publish a new blog post every day for 30 days for the month of November. When some of the Janes found out about this they jumped on it, ran with it, and turned #bloglikecrazy into so much more than I could have ever imagined. These awesome women shared their #bloglikecrazy posts on the See Jane Write Facebook page and something beautiful happened. Not only were they reading each other’s blogs but they were having discussions on an array of topics and finding out they had much more in common than writing. For example, several of us discovered we had an interest in fitness. The result was See Jane Write’s first fitness event, See Jane Move, which was organized by Tanya Sylvan. If you missed it, you can learn more about that wonderful event here.  

For January I’m hosting another blogging challenge called 31 Days to a Better Blog. I hope you’ll join us!

Reason 3: You’ll find new readers. 

The Facebook group page is a great way to spread the word about your blog, but don’t think it’s for bloggers alone. You can also use it to promote other projects such as your latest published article or your new book. For example, check out Murder on the First Day of Christmas by Billie Thomas, a new book by See Jane Write member Stephanie Naman. I found out about this book via the See Jane Write Facebook group and bought it right away to show my support. I’ve enjoyed reading it so much that I was eager to interview Naman. You can find the Q&A on this blog and at WriteousBabe.com


And now that you are thoroughly convinced thta you need to join our awesome Facebook group, you can do so here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/seejanewritebham. 

Build Your Tribe (and Your Resume) With Twitter

Twitter escultura de arena
Photo by Rosaura Ochoa
Image via Flickr/Creative Commons

Believe it or not, there are still people who don’t understand the purpose of social media. Some people still think social networking sites are just a high-tech form of teenage gossip and a colossal waste of time. These people couldn’t be more wrong.

For writers, social media could be the key to landing your next freelance gig. For example, the editor for one of the websites I write for found me through LinkedIn. And last year I had the opportunity to write a few articles for my one of my favorite online magazines because of Twitter. I began following one of the site’s editors on Twitter and whenever she would post articles and encouraging words that really resonated with me I would let her know by replying to her tweets and she graciously responded. Then one day I decided to ask her, through Twitter, about writing for her publication. She sent me her email address (which I’d tried finding in the past to no avail) and I sent her a few story pitches. A week later my byline was on the site. 

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Through Twitter you can not only find writing gigs, but also other writing gals! I have met so many ambitious, creative, and forward-thinking women writers in Birmingham thanks to social media. I was inspired to write this post because of a coffee date I had last week with a new friend who goes by the Twitter handle @see_clair_write. 

We met a few weeks ago at a panel discussion on the future of journalism, but we truly have Twitter to thank for our connection. This event was thrown by people who actually do understand social media, and the organizers encouraged attendees to tweet questions and comments during the talk. Those tweets were projected onto a screen at the front of the room and used to help guide the conversation. Not only did @see_clair_write catch my eye because of her awesome Twitter handle, but I was intrigued by and agreed with her insightful tweets. So I retweeted a few of her posts. Then I saw she retweeted a few of mine. 

When the panel discussion ended I leapt from my chair on a mission: I had to find this @see_clair_write. Evidently, she had the same idea and we walked straight to each other. (This is why you need a photo on your Twitter account, people. If you still have that stupid egg as your avatar please fix that right now. Go on. I’ll wait…)

Clair and I exchanged information and last week sat in Urban Standard coffee house for hours talking about writing and so much more. 

This is surely the beginning of a beautiful friendship and we owe it all to you, Twitter! 


Crossposted at The Writeous Babe Project

My hair is my brand and other epiphanies

In addition to the change-your-life, Oprah-like sessions I’ve written about, the skirt! Creative Conference also offered very practical workshops on how to promote your writing, including one on social media. Session leaders Taryn Pisaneschi and Desiree Scales echoed a lot of the things I’ve heard at similar seminars, which was reassuring.

Social media is like a hearing aid, they said. You can use it to find out what people are talking about. You can also use it to find events you might want to attend, position yourself as expert and to build your brand.

Something that Twitter rookies always wonder is What should I tweet about? I even know some people who haven’t tried Twitter simply because that question has paralyzed their efforts. Taryn and Desiree reminded the audience that Twitter is just a way to start conversations and really is no different from starting a conversation at a bar or a networking event. You listen a bit to what folks are talking about and jump in when you can with what you have to contribute.  You can make connections through Twitter by simply starting conversations with people tweeting about things you’re interested in, conversations that can sometimes lead to business opportunities.

While we can use Twitter to promote our writing that shouldn’t be all we do.  With that bar conversation model in mind, remember that no one likes to talk to the person who won’t shut up about herself. Your Twitter posts shouldn’t have that “Look at how cool I am!” vibe. Instead focus on others. What information can you share? How can you help others find the contacts they need? This may seem counterintuitive but it will pay off in the long run. In that same vein, they added that the best way to increase traffic and comments on your own blog is to comment on other blogs and feature other bloggers on your site.

Taryn and Desiree then gave a session on brand building. In addition to recommending that we all purchase the web domain for our name and use it as a landing page with links to our blogs, Twitter accounts, Facebook accounts, etc., they also discussed things I’d never considered. You are your brand, they stressed, which means your physical appearance is essentially your logo. This sounded scary at first, but not so much after they explained. Basically you need some simple signature. Desiree, for example, has on a stylish necklace in every photo on her websites and therefore always sports one when she’s networking or at speaking events. Taryn usually wears something pink to match the dominant color of her website.

So I got to thinking: what could be my signature? My husband is community manager for an advertising agency and I instantly knew what his signature would be: his tie. He’s known for wearing colorful and stylish ties and he wears a tie to work every single day even on Fridays when his co-workers are sporting jeans. But I had no idea what my signature could be. 

When I told my husband that I had to sit and think about this, he actually laughed at me. It didn’t take me too long, though. In between sessions I kept meeting women who would come up to me and say, “You’re WriteousBabe!” which is my Twitter handle and the name I use for the blog I write for skrit.com.  “Yeah, that’s me,” I’d say. Then they’d say, “I knew it was you as soon as I saw the hair.”

Of course! My big curly coif is my signature! Ironically, as I type this I’m rocking straight hair, which I do only about three times a year. But don’t worry, I’ll be sure to bring back the curls before my next networking event. 

I tweet, therefore I am





Two weeks ago See Jane Write hosted a social media seminar called See Jane Tweet. Our dynamic speakers Erin Shaw Street and Kristen Record Heptinstall shared with attendees invaluable information about Twitter, why it’s important, and how we women writers can make it work for us. 


Since then I’ve attended yet another seminar on social media and the two things that keep coming up, the things that stick out to me most, are the ideas that your social media identity truly is an extension of who you really are and that social media tools do not cut us off from “real world” relationships but actually enhance them by helping us forge new connections. 

Erin shared at See Jane Tweet that she has connected with more likeminded people in Birmingham in two years via Twitter than in 11 years of living here.

With these things in mind it is thus so important that show our personalities when using Twitter and other social media tools. You can show who you are by what you tweet about.  Use Twitter to give attention to people, topics, and causes you care about. Sure, you want to share your own writing but also share interesting content produced by others because as Kristen and Erin said in their presentation, “No one likes a non-stop self-promoter.”  Tweet a news story, a photo, or a song lyric stuck in your head. Another way of doing that is by retweeting links. And don’t be afraid to share your opinions in your tweets. 

If you’re still not on the social media bandwagon, after the jump find 10 easy steps to hopping on the Twitter train, all tips from Erin and Kristen’s wonderful presentation. 





Step 1: Go to Twitter.com and create an account.
Step 2: Add a nice profile photo and bio.
Step 3: Have Twitter connect to your email to find people you know.
Step 4: Use Twitter search to find a specific person or people with a common interest.
Step 5: Use the “suggested user” tab to find relevant accounts.
Step 6: Use Twitter lists of local and trusted users to find more users.
Step 7: Use other social media tools (such as Facebook) to let people know you’ve joined Twitter.
Step 8: Add your Twitter account to your email signature
Step 9: Invite your friends to join. 
Step 10: Have fun! Interact and engage with other users now that you’ve found them and they’ve found you.