After my peeps joined my campaign to bring Raven to Bedford Manor [Translation: When my family and friends supported my fundraiser to buy a new laptop], I was approached by several friends and associates who asked for advice on crowdfunding.
Now, before I get into all that, I need to let y’all in on a not-so-secret. I’ve been pursuing knowledge this year like never before. I’ve attended conferences, used Google like a best friend, and sought information from anyone willing to share it.
And I’ve learned that I’ve already learned a lot. It’s time to use my knowledge. It’s time to grow.
I’m a writer, right? So what’s This Girl to do with some of this wisdom, but, well, write it out? I know, bet ya didn’t see that one coming, did ya? [*insert snarky comment here*]
In a mutually beneficial effort to not only get my Social Media Ninja name out there, and to help others, I published a new Kindle booklet: Crowdfunding Your Way to Success.
I did this because my most recent crowdfunding campaign, Molly Needs A Mac, was so successful and I want to help others exceed their goals and needs. It’s also my second completed project on my new Mac (the first was setting up and producing last week’s Firsts In Fiction Podcast). See? I told y’all I’d continue to strive to be worthy of your investment.
So if you’re thinking of crowdfunding your next creative endeavor, you’ll find some helpful tips in my new Kindle booklet. Just click on the photo for the link.
Crowdfunding Your Way to Success by Molly Jo Realy
As always,
With a huge jar of pennies and quite a bit of sweet tea,
~Molly Jo
Exciting news: NOLA is nearly fifty percent written!
Josie and her new friends are going through the wringer (it is a mystery, after all) but still finding moments to enjoy the Crescent City. Would you like to meet her friends? You would?
How about one in particular? One very special friend.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Rain.
Meet Rain, from NOLA
Rain and Toni are best friends. He lives on the plantation he inherited. I could tell you more, but I can’t give away any secrets.
Josie is immediately attracted to him, and relishes in learning more about him every chance she gets.
What does he do for a living? Let’s just say food is involved. He’s also a take-charge kind of guy.
New Experiences in NOLA
Josie soon discovers some of Rain’s imperfections and struggles to make sense of the chaos surrounding these revelations.
But New Orleans is a restless environment, throwing Voodoo, hurricanes and Rougarous into the mix.
How is Josie going to learn all Rain’s truths? And does she really want to?
For realz. Who doesn’t love photos of cute kittens? (Which begs the question: Are there ever any ugly kittens? I think not.) And better ratings? And smart, helpful people? Those social bees will be swarming all over for a piece of this sweet pie.
Five Kittens
Just like with books on the bookstore shelf, a post on the blog is competing with many more like it. The reality is titles are the money-maker. You could have found the cure for the common cold, but unless your title gets the reader’s attention, no one else will benefit from your wisdom.
Hooking your readers feels a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle while blindfolded but like any puzzle, once you get the border established, the rest will fall into place.
Kitten Puzzle
Take a look at the title for this post. Got your attention, didn’t it? Let’s break it down into manageable morsels and get you some title honey to help attract your Swarm.
The Popularity Contest. Social media is interactive. Become a Bee Ninja and learn from the masters. Then share and share alike. Cross links, reposts, and mentions are a great way to let others know you recognize their sweet social media savvy, and they may return the favor. At the very least, your readers will know you do your research.
It’s a Numbers Game. “Five Easy Solutions” or “Ten Alternate Ways” gives your readers a selection to choose from. They may not agree with everything you say, but who doesn’t love counting the seconds when the Big Apple falls on New Year’s Eve? Give your Swarm a reason to see if their favorites made your list. And then ask them to leave a comment of what they would add.
The Numbers Game
Keep it Simple. Notice how often the words “easy” and “simple” are used in countdown titles. Would you read a post that offered 25 Complicated Steps to Brushing Your Hair? How about 31 Ways to Confuse Yourself in the Kitchen? Remember your Swarm is made up of worker bees. You want them to have time to promote you, not get frustrated and fly away. A short list plus easy options equals a happy hive.
Yes, I mean kittens. Cute, cuddly, attention-grabbing kittens. Do you have any idea how many posts generate kitten memes? I don’t either, but I hear it’s, well, a lot. Find something specific to your brand or subject matter that others will buzz about then stand back and watch them play.
The End Goal. Imagine a large stadium or court with the clock ticking down. Tick. Tick. Tick. The ball snaps or bounces and you leap out of the impending rush of opponents. Your teammates cheer and buzz as you reach the goal, make the pass. Even the visitors have to admit, you have what it takes. And you sweetly take the win.
MoJo Says: Five Simple Ways Counting Kittens Can Boost Your Blog Traffic
Not every posts needs every element, but a good title will draw your Swarm in. A great post will keep them buzzing.
With some sweet tea and a spoonful of honey,
~ Happy writing.
Molly Jo
Confession time: I haven’t known how to say everything I need to say. Pretty soon I’ll be rebranding the blog with a stronger focus on social media, writing, and editing. But now and then, I’ll still have some emo to share.
And starting two weeks ago it kept me company at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
Blue Ridge Ready
Since returning, my peeps have been asking me to share stories with them. What was it like? Who did I meet with? Did I pick up new clients? What are my favorite memories? How hard was it to come home this year?
First, let me say this, as I’m sure most, if not all, at Blue Ridge would agree:
It was life changing.
As for the rest of it . . . It’s taken me a week to remember. To be able to talk about it. To share it authentically, and even then I’ve yet to do a complete job.
Because this year at Blue Ridge was a hard one for me. This year, God grabbed me at the beginning and said, “This is where the healing starts.”
When Healing Hurts
Last year, Blue Ridge was new and inviting and full of connections and adventure. This year, some of my peeps couldn’t make it. This year I had the room to myself, and at the end of the busy days, I went into solitude.
From the first night away, I had bouts of anxiety. And I missed the FurFamily. Every few hours I was certain I just needed to pack it up and head home early. But who wants to admit that, at what amounts to a family reunion? These things are supposed to be fun, carefree. Not, “I need a hand to hold just so I know I have someone holding my hand” kind of moments. Right?
And the conference, well, it’s for writers, not whiners. So I sucked it up. Or so I thought. The thing is with me, and if you’ve hung around my blog for any length of time, you already know this: I’m a bit of a crier.
So there I am. At Blue Ridge and I’m overwhelmed with the responsibility to prove that I’m worth the collective efforts it took to get me there. And I want to make the most of it. And I’m afraid of letting people down. And I’m afraid of not gleaning every ounce I’m supposed to. And I’m missing my best friend who I met there last year.
And the hurts and struggles and trials of the last few years that have nothing to do with Blue Ridge or writing, they rise like cackles on the back of my neck. They surface, they grab for my attentions. They fight their way into every waking thought. They don’t even belong at Blue Ridge! But they don’t care. Stupid emotions!
And I feel misunderstood. Forgotten. Put down. Cast aside.
Worthless.
I. Am. A. Fraud.
Cloud of Negativity
Which is exactly what the enemy wants us to think, especially at a place like Blue Ridge, right? We’re not supposed to learn how to write for God, how to bring His message into the world, or think we’re worth the effort.
Right?
Wrong.
As difficult as it is, I celebrate the hard emotions. Sure, they were a distraction. A huge distraction. And when I say huge, well . . . Let me take you to Wednesday morning Group Meeting. Filled with people I know and love, but very few I felt connected to. So in a room of over 400 people, as I sat in the very back row between two of the ones I trust the most, the music starts. The worship music. The open-your-heart-to-God-and-let-it-go music. The it’s-too-painful-to-listen-to music. And for an hour, I cried. I just cried. Through the music, the announcements, the keynote speaker. I couldn’t stop biting my lip as the tears raced. I’m not exaggerating.
It was excruciating. And yet, now . . . I can see beauty coming from it.
I began to glimpse the bigger picture.
Blue Ridge isn’t just about learning to be a better writer. Of course it is that, but not just that. It’s also connections. Not just professional, either.
Me with the Ketchup Man – James L. Rubart
I was lucky enough to meet this guy, James L. Rubart. We’re going to be great friends, and he’s even forgiven me for saying he uses too much ketchup.
Aaron, Alycia and I are now known as “The Sibs”. We’re the siblings who weren’t born to the same family, but Blue Ridge brings us together every year.
The Sibs at Blue Ridge: Molly Jo Realy, Aaron Gansky, Alycia Morales
Blue Ridge is where I was able to meet face to face with some of our loyal Firsts in Fiction podcast viewers. Like Bruce, who took it upon himself to Big Brother me and grab me for prayer whenever we passed in the halls. And get this – one of the last minute conferees came all the way from Australia because he heard about it on the podcast. How’s that for connections?
When I realized I wasn’t going to be able to be all things to all people all the time (I know. You’d think I’d learned that one by now. But hey. Work in progress, here, okay?), when I gave myself permission to fail, it was like giving myself permission to grow. I opted instead to do what I could for myself, not the world at large. Because being better to and for myself is better for the world at large. Yes?
Removing the parameters of perfection opened me. It was okay to tell others “I’m not okay right now.” It was okay to miss a few minutes of class and grab coffee with the Seesta. It was okay to sit in a corner, or in the front row. It was okay to say, “No,” or “Not now,” or just “Catch me later.”
And being not okay made the other things okay. I’d been fighting myself all week, and not paying attention to what was happening. And what was happening was confirmation.
Confirmation that I’m supposed to be there. That what I’m doing for my writing, editing, social media and marketing are spot on. That I’m getting better at what I do. That people believe in me and want to help me on this path. That I have friends-turned-family looking out for me. That I have something to offer.
I took new classes with favorite faculty, made the one-on-one appointments, prayed, connected, ate, hugged, laughed, shared . . . Everything I thought was missing, was actually happening.
The lie was that it was a lie.
Are you tracking with me here? Everything I thought I wanted to happen but felt wasn’t happening, because I was wrapped up in my tears and loneliness and anxiety . . . It was still happening. I just wasn’t experiencing it.
Until Wednesday morning. Naw, I’m not saying it all worked out that quickly. But I am saying on Wednesday morning I found myself surrounded by my peeps. Who kept surrounding me. And in retrospect, they had from the beginning. I just hadn’t noticed.
So here it is, a week later and I’m home. And it’s taken me this week of remembering and processing to realize, I still have so much to unpack.
Was it overwhelming? Yes. Would I do it again? As soon as yesterday. I know I’m not the only one who left the mountaintop and fell into the valley. We’re all gonna help each other back up.
“Next year, at Blue Ridge . . .” (Thank you, Lori.)
This is the song that did me in, Wednesday morning. God uses everything for His good.
“Blessings” by Laura Story. [How cool is her last name?!]
You know that old phrase, “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade”?
Lemons
I’m not sure who coined that phrase, but I’m pretty sure he must have been pelted by a few lemons when he said it.
But then he probably made enough lemonade that the throwers decided it wasn’t all bad and they probably drank some of it.
Everything works out in the end, yah?
I’m in between the getting-hit-by-lemons and making-lemonade-out-of-it stages.
Babycakes, my precious MacBook Pro of over eight years, is beginning to fail me. She no longer has the software or capacity needed to do what I need her to do for my social media clients and my writing/editing.
She overheats more than she used to, and it ain’t the California desert that’s doing it to her.
And you thought I wasn’t blogging just because I was too busy. I’m never too busy for you, my Swarm!
But Babycakes, well, I have to be gentle with her. Gone are the days of easy newslettering, fast posts, and faster photos.
And I don’t mind telling you, business has picked up since Blue Ridge. I can’t afford to have my computer slow down.
So after much prayer, and nudges from several people unaware (“You should start a GoFundMe!”), here I am.
I’ve made a list, ran the numbers, and I think I’ve come up with a decent game plan.
My goal is incremental:
Replace laptop
Purchase external optical drive
Purchase office software
Replace mic/headphones
Purchase carrying case/backpack
Purchase protective sleeve/skin
In just four days, I’m nearly 25% funded, which is very exciting. It’s so exciting, in fact, that I want to give something back.
But what to do?
Lo and behold, my Swarm has the answer. What would I use a laptop for? Writing, editing, social media, and photography.
How would you like a sampling of all of the above?
You would? That’s awesome!
NOLA, Chapter One and Other Writings
I just put together a 64-page digital download that includes
NOLA, Chapter 1
Four short stories
Ninja Bee Social Media Tips
Two poems on Faith
Three recipes from The Unemployment Cookbook
A dissection of Jeremiah 29:11, NIV
A few photos
My thank you letter
This is a free offering to everyone who donates to my Molly Needs a Mac campaign.
Here’s the kicker. I just spent a good two hours inserting hyperlinks into the document and saving it, only to find my Word software isn’t updated and the links won’t work. There’s no small irony in the fact it’s 2:30 am PST and I’ve been working on the download and this blog post for over six hours. Which just proves my point that I need a new computer as soon as possible.
If you would like to receive your free copy of NOLA, Chapter One and Other Writings, just visit my GoFundMe campaign and make a donation of any amount. Once I receive notice of your donation, I’ll email you the PDF within 24 hours.
And please share this post and the campaign with anyone you think might enjoy a good read.
