I LOVE my new PC
Over the past 3 weeks, I’ve been having some problems with RSI (repetitive strain injury) in my wrists and shoulders. I don’t mean just a little bit of aches and pains… I was in a fairly crippling state for at least a week and couldn’t type anything without extreme pain. To make sure I didn’t damage my wrists, I refrained from typing for about a week, bought some foam wrist supports for my mouse and keyboard (which help a lot) and also a new keyboard that is much lighter to the touch. My wrists are feeling much better as a result, but I still have to take it REALLY easy so they don’t relapse.
Well, as it turns out, I also bought a new computer this past week (not planned to synchronise with my wrist problems, mind you!). It came a few days ago, and I am still installing all my programmes. I LOVE my new PC. It looks, sounds and behaves beautifully and I am totally thrilled with my purchase. AND I have to say, I really like Windows 7 so far. Very sleek.
While snooping around my new toy, to my surprise I found Windows 7 comes with voice recognition software (apparently it was in XP too, but I never noticed it)! I thought this might be a great answer to my wrist/typing problems, so I thought I’d try it out to see if I could dictate my upcoming classes from Spirit Authors (I have fallen horribly behind, owing to my inability to type).
Well, I have to tell you, my experience was pretty funny. I tried to get it to type the title of one of my upcoming classes, which is, “Module 4 Week 3: Creating a Twitter Campaign for Your Launch”. I repeated the title several times over. Here are the HILARIOUS interpretations it came up with:
- Nigel four week three creating a 20th campaign by on march
- 1 to 4 with three freeing it will account paying for your knowledge
- Marshall four weeks three creating a clear campaign by and large
- Nigel four weeks three creating a toilet campaign for young launch
- Nigel four weeks 33 minutes whether campaign for real much.
- Model for a week’s 33 minute whether campaign relaunch
- Nigel and a model for four weeks three creating a clever campaign for the launch
- Marshall for week three clear yet whether campaign for you Walsh.
- Model for a week’s free Wheeling and 20 campaign by launch.
- Marshall four weeks 33 minute winner campaign for your launch
Gosh, I wonder who Nigel and Marshall are? And why do they hang out with models? And I REALLY don’t want to think what a “toilet campaign” might be!
Don’t even IMAGINE I made these up. No way. I’ve been laughing so hard since Windows 7 wrote them, tears are literally streaming down my face. I couldn’t possibly have typed them myself.
You’ve got to bear in mind, I was saying the EXACT same line over and over in exactly the same tone of voice. People ALWAYS tell me I speak very clearly! In fact, it’s one of the key things that people note about me. What’s up with this “voice recognition” software?
I went back and “trained” it to recognise my voice, and I also “taught” the word “Twitter”. Amazingly, it “learned” Twitter ok, but it still couldn’t get the hang of the word “Module”, repeatedly choosing the word “Model” or “Models” instead. Not once did it understand the word Module, even after I taught it to hear it and spelled it out for it.
Needless to say, I typed this blog post.
P.S.: If you’d actually like to find out how to create a Twitter campaign for your book launch, you’ll just have to check out Module 4 on my Spirit Authors course. Visit http://spiritauthors.com and find out how you can take a 14-day Test Drive for only $1.
Posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago. 2 comments
Ok, now you are probably going to think I’ve lost the plot.
Twitter changed my life. Let me tell you how.
AND I am going to attempt to tell this story in lines of 140 characters or less.
It all started when I launched my book “The Garden of the Soul” in April 2009.
After a year of mastering this “thing” called social networking, I created an Amazon book campaign.
I found many JVPs (joint venture partners), mainly from Twitter.
Some who helped were @InspiredSheila @SuzieCheel @KSchulweis @BrendaAdelman @RuthHegarty @JoeRumbolo @LolaFayemi (see next)
AND @HeidiRichards @AwakenedWisdom @LindaClariPuig @jenngivler @audaciouseditor @GailSussMill @Gloreebe @jessicamcgj @SpiritCoach #ff
Also ran a Virtual Blog Tour with peeps like @MoonPoppy @DuncanBrodie and many others.
Also ran a Twitter contest. @JulieAnnTurner won a signed copy of my book.
Anyway…
Long story short, my self-published book became an Amazon bestseller in #spirituality #mind-body-spirit and #self-help.
When “The Garden of the Soul” made bestseller, Tweets and RTs went viral. #gots
I think it was June when @SouthsideBroadc contacted me to be on their radio show. I soon became a regular guest.
Thru @SouthsideBroadc I met @SpiritusShelagh who has since become one of my closest friends.
July 2009: blogger/editor @BookEditorLM wrote me on Twitter wanting to do a blog piece on me: http://bit.ly/c8hbCa
Aug 2009: @BookEditorLM asked @tonyeldridge if he would repost that article. He asked me to write a new one.
Oct 2009: @tonyeldridge published my new article “Pre-Natal Care for Your Book” http://bit.ly/bWCmQA
Same month @AllisonMaslan (whom I didn’t know) read that article. Sent me DM asking me to coach her 4 Amazon launch.
I put together Amazon campaign for @AllisonMaslan ‘s new #book #BlastOff!
Nov 2009: I asked @writersinthesky (whom I had met on Ning) to come and help us put the campaign together.
We put together another great team of JVPs.
If I named all the Tweeple who helped us on #BlastOff! I think I’d need another day to write this.
Meanwhile lots of people were asking me for book advice. I decided to start a new site called Spirit Authors. http://spiritauthors.com
Dec 20 2009: I set up Twitter profile @SpiritAuthors and Facebook fan page. http://facebook.com/SpiritAuthors
Started Twitter/FB campaign to drive people to fan page. By Christmas day there were 100 fans.
Jan 2010: Did another campaign to get 500 fans by my 55th birthday end of Jan. I got 600+
Jan 19, 2010: Allison’s book launched. Twitter & FB went viral. “Blast Off” reached #1 in US/Canada. http://bit.ly/RXpQu
RT @AllisonMaslan’s “Blast Off” reached #1 in US/Canada. http://bit.ly/RXpQu
Jan 21, 2010: Success of launch attracted attention of @AllisonMaslan ’s literary agent @wgtwelve. He’s also @EckhartTolle ‘s agent
As an author, I am now represented by @wgtwelve.
More and more #mind-body-spirit #authors come to me to create campaigns for them.
New Amazon campaigns: @AwakenedWisdom (April 20), @NeuroBooks (May 11) and @wgtwelve (Nov).
From Twitter contacts, I quickly assembled team of 18 VIP experts for Spirit Authors Grand Opening http://bit.ly/9pfpJV
VIPS: @wordywoman @BookMarketer @CaronGoode @DayaDeviDoolin @inspiredwriter @docmarion @AlanSeale plus many already mentioned.
Nearly 500 people registered 4 the #Spirit #Authors Grand Opening http://bit.ly/9pfpJV
My good friend @SpiritusShelagh was my co-host for the event. What a source of strength she is.
Oz Tweep @charlyjl was a wellspring of technical support in getting the site ready. Couldn’t have done it without her.
March 2010: Spirit Authors is now open and I have long waiting list of book campaign clients.
On #Spirit #Authors I teach new authors how to set use #Twitter to build a promotional platform and Amazon launch… as well as many other things (Oops! That’s more than 140 characters!)
Ok… enough with the Twitterspeak!!!
I am quite serious when I say Twitter has changed my life. Yes, my own book would never have become a bestseller without Twitter. Yes, I could never have helped Allison become a number-1 seller. Yes, I would not have gotten some fab new clients and an amazing literary agent. And yes, I would never have thought to create Spirit Authors and now have a blossoming new business as a result.
But it isn’t REALLY about business at all.
Have a look at all the Twitter links above. These are not just links. These are all REAL people whom I have come to know, respect and care about over the past year. Even though some of us are separated by tens of thousands of miles, we have all shared many a heart-felt conversation over the phone, and have been there for each other through the highs and lows.
And really, there are just so many other wonderful people I have met from Twitter (as well as Facebook, Ning and LinkedIn, in that order), I cannot count them.
When many people first come to Twitter, they don’t “get it”. How can you possibly communicate in 140 characters? How can you possibly make friends with people? How can you possibly build a business from it? WHY would you WANT to do this????
And I’m telling you now—it’s because of the PEOPLE!
I have made more close friends from networking on Twitter than any other form of networking I have ever tried… even more than “live” networks in my home town! While I do love Facebook as well, there is nothing (yet) that can beat Twitter for ideas going viral, and for meeting lots of people who share your interests within a very short period of time.
But as I said, it’s not just about the business. The friends I have met through Twitter are some of the most inspiring, supportive, positive and powerful light-workers I have ever met. That is why I have linked to EVERY one of them above.
So, if you are on Twitter, you should follow them. These are wonderful, beautiful people—get to KNOW them.
As always, your comments below are MOST welcome!
Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
@LynnSerafinn
@SpiritAuthors
P. S.: This article was inspired by a Twitter conversation I had a new friend on Twitter @WendyMWarden. Many thanks, Wendy. This was fun to write!
P. P. S.: Knowing HOW to make Twitter (and social networking in general) work for you, both on a business level and on a deeply fulfilling personal level, is something of an art form. This is why I teach it on the Spirit Authors course:
- In Module 2, I teach the fundamental principles of spirit-based promotion so you can create a fertile promotional platform for selling your book online using social networking.
- In Module 4, I teach the “how to’s” of creating an Amazon Book Launch.
- And, of course, there are 3 other modules on starting and writing your book, preparing for publication, and creating a brand and sustainable business from your book.
It’s my hope that by teaching authors (and authors-to-be) the techno-art of Twitter, they will not only find professional fulfilment, but they will also expand their world by connecting to others who understand them and wish to help them grow.
If this sounds like something you would like to explore, I offer a 14-day “Test Drive” on any Spirit Authors learning module for only $1. Visit the site at http://spiritauthors.com and check out the introductory audios and module overviews to see if there is something at Spirit Authors that can help you achieve your writing goals. And if you have any questions, please just fill out a contact form on the site and I promise I will reply personally.
Posted 6 months ago. 3 comments
…a completely random blog post that has nothing whatsoever to do with work, business or anything serious…
Well, Mercury is back to his old tricks again.
Do any of you remember back in February when there were so many problems on the Internet? Those of you who are on Twitter might remember when it went crazy for a few days. Well, as it turns out, the planet Mercury was in retrograde back then (retrograde meaning the time when it appears to be moving backwards from our vantage point on Earth). It seems to be a widely accepted explanation that when things like this happen in cyberspace, poor Mercury frequently gets the blame, especially if it is retrograde. In fact, every time I hear someone going through some sort of communication breakdown, I also hear people asking, “Is Mercury in retrograde again?”
So is there anything to this Mercury stuff, or is it all a story we use to explain away our own frustrations with technology? Continue Reading…
Posted 12 months ago. 2 comments
