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Giving Readers Novel-Boards on Pinterest

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By Jody Hedlund, @JodyHedlund

I adore Pinterest!

There's just something about seeing pictures that pulls me in. And that's really what Pinterest is all about. Pictures.

Think of Pinterest as a giant, unending virtual pin board. There are pins (pictures) of everything you could ever imagine. If you ever need help with wedding planning ideas, you'll find more than enough pins. And if you're bored (ha-ha!) and need ideas for how to make good use of mason canning jars, well, there are even pins for that.

As a writer, I love being able to have online pin boards of things that relate to me as an author. I've tried to shy away from making Pinterest an eclectic mixture of my personal tastes. And have chosen to focus instead on the things that define ME as an AUTHOR.

Therefore, if you browse my boards, you'll see that I have boards about reading, writing, inspiration, creativity, dream writing spaces, and even fabulous bookshelves.

As a mother of five, I also have several boards that relate to reading with my kids as well as teaching children to write.

I have boards dedicated to coffee and chocolate which everyone knows is the most important fuel of the writerly life. *wink*

I have a board displaying pictures of my readers (so make sure to send me YOUR picture!). And I have a board for romance (since that relates to the types of novels I write).

And finally, I have boards for each of the novels I've written.

Here's where I stop and preach to my fellow writers for just a minute. Pinterest is NOT a place to spam our books to our followers. Just like any other social media, our followers will gag if all we do is promote our books (and after gagging, they'll promptly unfollow us).

However, I don't think having novel-boards on Pinterest is spam. In fact, I think novel-boards are actually one of the coolest things EVER.

What are novel-boards?

Basically, they're boards that summarize the characters and events in a novel via pictures and snippets below each picture. (I also make sure to put the book blurb at the top of the board and make it clear that the board is a novel-board by using the word Novel in the title of the board.)

Novel boards are a great way to tease readers before they read the book.
For example, I have a board of pins put together for my upcoming release, A Noble Groom. I use the pictures to briefly tell the sequence of the story and give the readers some ideas of what takes place in the book.

The pins are hopefully a way to intrigue a would-be reader, to get them interested, even excited about the story.

But the novel boards can also be a place readers can go after finishing the book. Often if a book really resonates with a reader, they'll search out the author's website and want to learn a little bit more about the author and book.

If you'll notice a section of each of my Pinterest novel-boards is on my Reader Page. From there, readers can easily click on the link and delve further into each book via the historical photos, character likenesses, and extra resources.

Of course my novel boards aren't perfect. It's not always easy to find pins to match the story. And it's also challenging to get them in story order (since Pinterest still doesn't allow you to re-position pins on individual boards once you've pinned them).

But I'm also learning that with each book I write (while I'm in first draft mode), to bookmark pictures and even pin some onto one of my Secret Boards, so that I have them closer to the book release when I begin putting the board together.

So, dear readers, I encourage you to take a look at my A Noble Groom board. Let me know what you think! Does looking at the pictures spark your attention in the story? And what do you think of this fabulous pin developed by my publisher? Isn't it fun!?!



What do YOU think of Pinterest? Are you using it, and if so what do you like best about it? Do pictures speak louder than a thousand words for you?

23 comments:

  1. I adore Pinterest. But my boards aren't limited to just my writing. I use Pinterest as a place to pin lesson plans and crafting ideas. I'm selective in what and how I pin. I think it's a great tool to allow readers a peek into the writer's personal world.

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    1. Good morning, Lisa! Thanks for sharing!

      I think what kinds of boards writers have is completely up to them. I've chosen to limit the focus of my boards to represent my brand simply because then those who follow me know what to expect.

      If I want to get more personal at some point, I'd likely start a new account under a different name or something like that. :-)

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  2. Hi Jody! I just spent some time looking at your boards. I enjoyed seeing all the pictures you chose for your novels, and I can see how creating them is a great way to keep a visual of your story at hand at all times. (Can't wait to read A Nobel Groom!)

    I'm not on Pinterest, but the writing software Scrivener has the option for a corkboard-style display of photos and I use that all the time. I love how I can rearrange them as needed (I can't believe Pinterest doesn't allow that!?!)

    Yes, I think sometimes pictures speak louder than a thousand words. I've dabbled in photography and it's been a great way to see the world with new eyes. :)

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    1. Thanks for visiting my boards, Barb! And I hope it perked your interest in A Noble Groom!

      I think many of us have had our own private pin boards for our novels that we work from, pictures of characters, etc. But it's fun to now have a place to display them for our readers! :-)

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  3. This is one of the few social marketing frontiers I have yet to venture into. I am glad to know how to do so, if I choose this route. After reading your descriptions and categories, it actually sounds like it could be a fun way to get out there in a creative manner. Idea is now under consideration.

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    1. LOL! Well, glad I got you thinking about it, Julie! Let me know if you have any questions if you decide to take the plunge! :-)

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  4. Thanks for this post, Jody. I just started working on a novel board for Burning Sky, so these tips couldn't have come at a better time. And I SO agree with you about it being inconvenient to not be able to rearrange pins once they are on the board, so I created a secret board where I can dump them all together, and I'll work out the arrangement before it goes live. I have a very limited "sneak peek" public board up for now.

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    1. Lori, I do that too with my secret boards. Then I can "reassemble" the pins in book order on the real board in the order of the story (or at least mostly so). I just wish Pinterest would allow for moving the pins with a board! Not sure why they don't!

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  5. Jody, I agree with you that Pinterest is a visual feast for the eyes. My color boards are my favorite.

    I do have a novel board for my WIP, and I find it very inspiring. But it would be helpful if I could place the images sequentially.
    http://pinterest.com/jabrummett/novel-soul-salvage/

    I also have a board with pictures that have triggered future story ideas.
    http://pinterest.com/jabrummett/story-ideas/

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    1. Jenni, I like the idea of having a board for future story ideas! It might be a fun way to get readers guessing what's coming next! :-)

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  6. What a cute little button for your cover, I love that they poked fun of the cravat. :)

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    1. I fell in LOVE with the Pin the moment I saw it!! The bookmark is SUPER cute too! I should figure out a way to pin that so the front and back both show up!

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  7. I lurve Pinterest. I think, in the author/reading world, this idea is just beginning to really take off. Boards are awesome ways of giving people visuals, along with the obvious face that it's perfect place to store everything WE, as authors, use to inspire us! I also love that we can share each other's pins, though I try not to do that often because I feel like a copycat. ;)

    Jessica

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    1. Hi Jessica,

      Yes, I've seen Pinterest really take off among authors this year. If nothing else, it is a wonderful place of inspiration for writers!

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  8. I recently joined Pinterest, and I am really enjoying it! I only have four boards so far, but tried to make it my goal to enrich others' lives, rather than simply pinning stuff I like. I love your My Readers board! I'm going to steal that brilliant idea!

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    1. Hi Jeannette,

      So glad you're enjoying Pinterest! I could see you having boards for inspiration, humor, and other stuff that goes with your books and your brand. Yes, it's fun to pin stuff we like, but I like the idea of using our boards to inspire and encourage others!

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  9. I adore Pinterest. I've lost hours, if not days there. It was especially addictive when I first started... could it be 1 1/2 years ago? Good heavens!
    Such a great idea to create novel boards for readers. I've heard of writers creating working story boards for their WIPs, but not boards geared specifically for readers. I like! :-)

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  10. Love this idea! Am researching Pinterest this week and you have great information. Thanks!

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  11. I'm on Pintrest, but I've discovered that I'm more interested in words than pictures, so I don't visit very often. However, I get new followers daily, so I'm not sure what's up.

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  12. My understanding of photography rights makes me leery of using Pinterest. Don't photographers own the photos, and you need their express permission to post them? I didn't think crediting photos was enough, and that you could be sued for posting pics you don't own the rights to (unless they're free domain). I could be wrong about this, but that's my understanding at present, so it makes me very leery of using Pinterest. Plus I have this whole internal conflict that goes something like "If I as an author don't want people pirating my book and posting it free somewhere, then why would I take a photographer's work I don't have rights to and post it free somewhere?"

    But now after reading this post (and seeing the popularity of Pinterest) I wonder if I'm wrong? Maybe I'm missing something?

    Anyway, the Noble Groom board looked very nice. I can tell you worked hard on it, and I love the overall image it creates of Michigan farm life.

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    1. Hi Naomi! Yes, that's a good question. I tend to pin mostly quotes which are often made from Pinterest "pinstamtic" places. I also pin recipes which ALL come from sites that have "pin" buttons. And then if I'm repinning a picture onto one of my novel boards, I like to see what the original source says about their picture. What I'm finding is that most places are becoming more "pin" friendly. They realize the benefit of driving traffic to their site by having pictures that can be pinned. It's really to a website's benefit to have the ability to pin pictures. And then sites like flickr also have an arrangement with Pinterest for giving credit back to the original photo. I think things are getting better with the whole photo sharing process. But I think we still have to be wise about it!

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  13. I love the idea of novel boards. When the time comes...

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    1. Hi Antonia,

      Thanks for stopping by! I think that writers can start Novel-Boards even before their books are published (if they want!). It can still be a place to spark interest in your stories for people who visit your boards.

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