Twenty years ago, The Cluetrain Manifesto proclaimed, "Some of these conversations ended in a sale, but don’t let that fool you. The sale was merely the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence." With myriad social networks and online forums competing for readers’ attention, knowing which conversations to engage in—and on which platforms—can seem like an insurmountable challenge, but it’s one every writer (and publisher) has to figure out and develop a digital strategy that fits your goals, resources, and available time. Presented on Sept. 30, 2018 @ Writer's Digest's indieLAB conference.

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Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
September 30, 2018
GET A CLUE(TRAIN)
Developing an effective and sustainable digital strategy.

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As in “guillotine”
Old/new media pragmatist
Cluetrain Manifesto Acolyte
CONTACT
• Email: glecharles@gmail.com
• Twitter: @glecharles
• LinkedIn: guylgonzalez
• Web: loudpoet.com
guy lecharles gonzalez

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the cluetrain manifesto

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the cluetrain manifesto
we are not seats or eyeballs or end users or consumers.
we are human beings — and our reach exceeds your grasp.
deal with it.
Markets are conversations.

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the cluetrain manifesto
“Some of these conversations ended in a sale, but don’t let that
fool you. The sale was merely the exclamation mark at the end
of the sentence.”
Cluetrain Manifesto: Markets Are Conversations
Doc Searls and David Weinberger, 1999

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markets are conversations
CUSTOMERS

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markets consist of human beings
READER
MAGAZINES
WEBSITES
EVENTS
BOOKS
SOCIAL
SEARCH
EMAIL
IRL
REVIEWERS
PUBLISHERS
AUTHORS
BLOGS
EDUCATION
ASSOCIATIONS
BOOKSTORES
LIBRARIES
You Are Here
And Here?
And Here?
And Here?
And Here?

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which conversations are important?
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything
that counts can be counted.”
Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking
William Bruce Cameron, 1963

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so, which conversations are important?
• Authentic
• Sustainable
• Consistent
Photo by Daniil Silantev on Unsplash

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A WEBSITE
Your own website, hosted on your own domain, with interesting information about yourself, your
books, links to everything you’ve written elsewhere, and direct contact information. It should also
have a way to capture email addresses.
A DEDICATED EMAIL ACCOUNT
Whether you’re using Gmail, Yahoo or an email account associated with your website domain, have
one dedicated email account that’s specifically for your writing career. Keep it separate from the
one you use to communicate with family or friends, and make it the primary email address for your
contact information as well as any accounts explicitly related to your writing career.
A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT
Pick your personal favorite—not the one everyone tells you is the best one for authors—and make
it a part of your daily routine. Don’t worry about its marketing potential, focus on your own
engagement with it and make sure it’s a pleasure.
thebasics

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BE YOURSELF
Engage on your own terms—don't try to be someone else or follow some guru's marketing
template. Play to your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and always find opportunities to
challenge yourself and broaden your horizons.
OWN YOUR DOMAIN
Social media platforms come and go, but the website(s) you own will still be there when the latest
fad fades into the past. Establish a relevant hub and keep it up-to-date, linking all of your online
activity back to it. Keep it simple; if you can't manage it yourself, it’s not sustainable.
GO ANALOG
From industry conferences and book festivals, to personal relationships with your local booksellers
and/or librarians, never underestimate the value of the in-person experience. Attend readings, host
readings, support local bookstores and libraries, seek out fellow writers, publishing professionals,
and communities of interest. Maintain a physical connection to the world around you, and share
those experiences with your online community.
keytakeaways

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QUESTIONS?
CONTACT
• Email: glecharles@gmail.com
• Twitter: @glecharles
• LinkedIn: guylgonzalez
• Web: loudpoet.com
q&a
HANDMADE MEMORIES
Poems & Essays, 1997 – 2011
by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
Available at Amazon, B&N