Valerie Ormond's Thoughts On …

Writing Tips from Valerie Ormond

Tag: #authorsunite

  • Podcasts for Writers

    Podcasts for Writers

    As a writer, I’ve found podcasts to be an excellent way to learn from other writers – what works, and what doesn’t work. I enjoy watching YouTube videos, classes, and interviews, but there is something about listening to a podcast while working out, walking the dogs, or driving in my car that helps the information settle in my brain differently than watching and listening at the same time.

    One of my favorite podcasts is Carly Kade’s Equestrian Author Spotlight Podcast, and I recommend this to writers all the time, and not just horse book authors. Carly’s guests include tips on writing routines, marketing, and more from authors of all genres, and she makes the sessions fun and supportive. Her favorite hashtag is #authorsunite.

    I’ve been fortunate to have been a featured guest twice including the most recent episode, “On Revisiting a Series, Awards & Dude Ranch Research Trips with Valerie Ormond.” I hope you will enjoy the show!

    Or, listen to the podcast via Carly’s website.

     Need some ideas for more podcasts for writers? Check out DailyWritingTips’ 8 Great Podcasts for Writers and Book Authors.

    If you have any thoughts about Carly’s podcast or recommendations for others, please leave a comment!

  • Book Trailers – Yes, or No?

    When I published my first book in 2011, book trailers were all the rage. They were relatively new at the time and came in all shapes and sizes. Then, it seemed they went out of style. I remember hearing, “No one does those anymore.”

    I did my own research and found, as is often the case with “intelligence,” the first report was inaccurate. Book trailers are still alive and well, which didn’t surprise me due to the growth in video popularity across all platforms. Armed with this current marketing news, I set forth to create a trailer for my latest book.

    I share this story with blog readers, many of whom are writers, because I wished I’d read a post like this before I started. I tried a variety of software programs recommended online, but none clicked with my non-tech brain. Then, a writer friend recommended I try Microsoft’s built-in Video Editor program. Why not? So, I headed to my best source for learning things like this, Kevin Stratvert, followed his directions, and created a decent trailer.

    I say “decent” because one of Microsoft Video Editor’s shortcomings is the lack of transitions between video frames. The harsh transitions didn’t work for this project, so I consulted Kevin’s YouTube channel again to watch 5 BEST FREE Video Editors video. I now had small moving images created from my first effort and applied them to the OpenShot video editing program which allowed me to create the needed transitions. Yay!

    I also decided at this point that the free music clip I’d included from the Microsoft Video Editor program wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I purchased a new clip from AudioJungle for a reasonable price, and I was happy with the outcome. I mention this because I’m glad I didn’t settle with what was easier and sort of worked the first time around. Here is the result for the Believing In Horses Out West book trailer. My answer is to the title question is – yes to book trailers.