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| Tools and Tidbits for Writers #toolsandtidbitsforwriters by JQ Rose 🎥🎥🎥🎥 |
Hello and welcome!
Want to get into the "spirit" of Halloween? Good spirits that is--friendly and fun during the Coffee Time Romance and More Hocus Pick-It Contest. You can win a gift certificate!
Today on Tools and Tidbits for Writers, we're talking about creating videos.
Getting into the spirit of Halloween, I have no tricks, but I do have a reading treat for you after the info on videos. Terrific! (Okay, enough with the T words already...)
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| Coffee Time Romance Hocus Pick-It Trick or Treat Contest October 12- October 31 |
Enter to win an eCopy of my terrifying, paranormal novel, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard or one of the other eBooks in the contest. Read an excerpt following the blog post and discover how to win a gift certificate when you take part in the Hocus Pick-It contest sponsored by Coffee Time Romance and More magazine. Plus you will discover new authors and eBooks for entertaining reads this fall.
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How to Create Videos for the Non-Professional Video-maker (like me) by J.Q.Rose
I am no expert at making videos, but I am learning because the people-in-the-know tell us videos keep visitors on a page longer than just text or photos. Look how popular Reels on IG, FB Live and YouTube are. Even Canva.com has added video-making for their paying customers. Authors need to embrace videos in order to gain more exposure for their books.
I love re-purposing my videos. I can add them to my blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, newsletter because those are the places I go to find my audience.
If you are camera-shy, you can make videos using slides/pictures without showing your face. I would advise you have a photo of you on one of the slides so people will see you. Viewers like to feel connected to you.
Here are a few of the tools I use for making videos:
*Facebook Live
*YouTube
*Streamyard
*ZOOM
*Powerpoint
Facebook Live--I have become more comfortable with this program. I hate to admit I use it most often inside my FB group, Telling Your Life Story and Memoirs Circle. See how cleverly I mentioned that group?? I am more comfortable there and my members are forgiving. If I like the video, I will download it and then upload the video to Youtube and other places. From what I have read, Facebook likes to have "native" videos and plays them more often than videos uploaded from YouTube.
YouTube--Speaking of Youtube...According to the article at Forbes.com, it is the "second-largest search engine on the Internet." Click here to read the article. Now that reach means we should all make an effort to use YouTube consistently for book marketing. It also has an easy-to-use editing program and free music to add to your videos. I am in the process of creating new channel art for my channel using canva.com. They have templates if you choose to use them. And guess what? There are lots of videos on YouTube on how to create that cover for your channel.
Streamyard--The bottom third of the video is valuable. Streamyard provides the banner to use to add the link your website, links to books, links to FB groups, etc as you talk. When doing a tutorial, you can put the talking points on the banner. It takes a bit to get the hang of talking and remembering to actually get the correct banner on the bottom third though. !!
ZOOM-- I imagine you have some experience with ZOOM as an attendee for a class or meeting or family get-togethers during this time of COVID. I have taught workshops on ZOOM, but I have not personally recorded on ZOOM to use as a video, but I plan to. I like the idea of the easy screen-share and seeing the presenter at the same time. This can be done on Streamyard also, but they suggest using two monitors. I finally have two monitors, a second-hand one from my nerdy grandson. (He won't mind if I call him a nerd. He's happy to be one and so am I.) So I may experiment with that and will update you when I do.
Powerpoint--I must admit, this is my go-to program. Probably because I have been using it for a long time. I use it for teaching and for travel videos. There are all kinds of tutorials for PowerPoint, so I won't try and teach it to you. (I'm still learning too!) On Office 365, design ideas for your slides are provided for you. That really helps to make eye-catching slides. I also like to add music and narration to add a more professional feel to the show.
The easiest way to make a video is to turn on the camera on your phone and just talk. Then upload the video to Youtube or other places like FB Live.
Please consider using video. Yes, it's a learning curve and kind of scary. But once you try it, and delete it if you wish, keep going. You will feel more comfortable the more you do. Remember "practice, practice, practice."
Do you make videos? Drop your Youtube channel link in the comments so we can visit you there.
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| Coffee Time Romance Hocus Pick-It Trick or Treat Contest October 12- October 31 |
Click here to learn more about the contest!!
Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose
Paranormal Suspense
Excerpt: Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by JQ Rose
A few nights later, Mr. Tweeble woke up with a start when his dog Jingles began barking loud enough to wake him even if he wasn’t wearing his hearing aids.
“Jingles! Jingles! Hush up, will you? It’s three o’clock in the morning. You’re going to wake the neighborhood with your barking.”
He remembered Jingles barking and whining like that when he drove his electric scooter near George McConnell’s house that afternoon. He had to finally pick up the feisty terrier and put him on his lap to join the other curiosity seekers near the house. The dog jumped off and raced the other way until he was brought up short on his leash. He howled until his master turned the cart around and left the area.
Jingles’ pitiful yowling broke into Mr. Tweeble’s memory.
Fearing his dog was sick, Mr. Tweeble rolled himself out of bed, fumbled putting on his glasses, and shuffled into the kitchen. Using the night light in the hood vent over the old stove to see the dog, he discovered the animal scampering back and forth near the back door.
“Jingles, come ‘ere, boy. Are you sick?” Mr. Tweeble picked him up and gently held the dog close to his chest. He switched on the ceiling light and studied the precious face he dearly loved. He checked Jingles’ brown ears and his brown and white furry body for any injuries and then cradled him to his rotund belly.
“It’s all right, little guy. Come on. Come on to bed with me. You must want to go out to chase a rabbit, eh?” As he slowly shuffled his way back to his bedroom with the dog, he wondered what was wrong. Mr. Tweeble made a mental note to check behind the couch for an “accident” in the morning.
He lay down on the rumpled bed and enfolded the trembling dog in his arms. Suddenly, Jingles wriggled free and sprang up barking non-stop. He leaped from the bed and raced out of the room. A flash of searing yellow light filled the room blinding Mr. Tweeble. The smell of his own scorched flesh burned his nostrils.
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| Meet Jingles 🎥🎥🎥🎥 Still time to sign up for the October edition of the Rose Courier to be delivered to your inbox this Friday, October 15. Contests and photos and news! Oh my! Click here to get your copy.  |
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