Tuesday Tidbit: I’m almost ready to publish my memoir!

Look at this! After formatting all 42 chapters (or is it 43?) of my new memoir, Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go!, I just formatted the epilogue. Woot! Woot!

Now I need to format endnotes, glossary, author bio, acknowledgments—those things that go at the end of the book.

—And tweak the stuff at the beginning of the book, like Table of Contents.

—And resize photos to be sure they’ll work for the book and the ebook. That could take me a while.

—And do final copyediting.

—And buy ISBN numbers.

And then my cover designer can get to work. He says it might take up to three weeks.

So now you know what I’m up to these days. It’s a super busy time, but I’ve been having so much fun.

It won’t be long before I can hold a real book in my hands—and you can, too!

Check out my Facebook Page for Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go! and my author page on Facebook, Linda K. Thomas, Author.

Tuesday Tidbit: I need your help due to Facebook changes

HELP! Facebook has rearranged the content you see in your newsfeed. That means you won’t see Spiritual Memoirs 101’s posts as frequently as before.

If you’ve already “Liked” SM 101’s Page, keep it in your newsfeed by going to Spiritual Memoirs 101’s Facebook Page. Toward the top, click on “Follow.” In the drop-down menu, click on “See First.”

And if you don’t already follow SM 101 on Facebook, YOU’RE MISSING A LOT—quotes and quips and inspiration and instruction. Click here to go to Spiritual Memoirs 101 on Facebook. When you do, toward the top of the Page click on “Like” (you might also need to click on “Follow”). Then in the drop-down menu, click on “See First.”

And since I’m asking for your help: Please let your friends and relatives know about SM 101.

A family’s stories are so important!

There’s a reason God told us to always remember what we’ve seen Him do and to tell our children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9).

There’s a reason Jesus said, “Go tell your family what God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).

What’s that reason?

God created humankind to respond to stories.

God uses stories.

They are among His most compelling

and successful tools.

Learn more: Click on

Writing your memoir: A sacred calling.

There you have it: Your Tuesday Tidbit.

Tuesday Tidbit: Are you afraid to use social media to market your memoir?

If you hope to sell your memoir to more people than just your family and friends, you’ll need to learn about marketing—you’ll need to learn a lot about marketing.

Most if not all authors use social media to market their books. 

But the world of social media is huge—it’s more like a universe than a world. And it keeps changing.

Using social media can intimidate those who haven’t leaped into that universe. It can even cause lots of angst.

But don’t let fear of social media hold you back because I have good news for you:

You have lots of opportunities to learn about social media, and you can educate yourself for free if you want to.

For example, you can learn a great deal by following Laura Christianson’s blog, Blogging Bistro. Just check out her blog’s left column and you’ll see a long list of How-To-torials and past blog posts. I’ve followed Laura’s blog for years and she consistently offers a treasure chest of helps!

Laura’s recent guest blogger, Janis Fisher Chan, will encourage all who are stressed about starting to use social media, including those who want to market their memoirs. In My Social Media Marketing Fears and How I’m Overcoming Them, Janis discusses:

• You can’t farm it out (at least not completely, not in the beginning)*
• If you start at zero, be ready for a steep learning curve
• Apply what you’re learning
• Make a plan to achieve your goals
• To put your plan into action, you might need help
• Keep learning!

*Regarding Janis’ first point above, she hired consultants to help her get started. I recommend that you learn as much as possible from reputable websites online (which you can follow on Facebook) before spending money on consultants.

At the bottom of Janis’ post, you’ll find a link to a free action plan to develop your marketing strategy. Check it out!

Go ahead—be brave! Get started on your social media marketing. Start small. And remember, “Don’t despise small beginnings because God rejoices to see the work start…” (Zechariah 4:10).

On Facebook, I post many

links to helpful articles

and other resources

for those writing, publishing,

and marketing their memoirs.

If you’re not following Spiritual Memoirs 101 on Facebook,

you’re missing a lot!

Tuesday Tidbit - Are you following SM 101 on Facebook?

If you’re not following SM 101 on Facebook, you’re missing a lot! I post links to all kinds of inspiration for you memoirists.

For example, if you’re not with us on Facebook, you missed the announcement that West Coast Christian Writers (WCCW) is offering two scholarships for tuition for the 2016 WCCW Conference ($149 value), a one-year membership to Inspire Christian Writers ($50), and tuition to the 2016 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference ($800). Application deadline: January 15, 2015. Click here to read more.

Sharon Lippincott, at The Heart and Craft of Life Writing, shares her

2015 Writing Resolutions. They are sure to inspire you to keep working on your memoir.

Writers Write’s blog post has excellent and practical advice for memoirists in The Five Top Tips for Turning Memories into a Book.

And if you’re not following SM 101 on Facebook, you missed this Ernest Hemingway quote: 

"There is no rule on how to write.

Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly;

sometimes it's like drilling rock

and then blasting it out with charges."

I add stuff to Facebook several times a day so be sure to click on over to Spiritual Memoirs 101 on Facebook and hit the “Like” button. Under the “Like” button, BE SURE TO CLICK ON ‘GET NOTIFICATIONS’ so it will show in your newsfeed.

And feel free to leave comments. We all enjoy encouragement from time to time.

Happy New Year!

Happy memoiring!