How Writers Can Use Pinterest

Way back in March, I wrote a post about Pinterest.  At that time, I had been contemplating using it to save images to use in my research.  Given potential copyright issues, I decided it just wasn’t worth the bother.

That was then.  This is now.

I still don’t use Pinterest to save images found while researching various writing projects.  Instead, I use it to pick new topics.  After these projects are published, I use Pinterest to attract new readers.

Research

If you aren’t familiar with Pinterest, members visit this site to do image searches on anything that interests them.  There are categories for Animals, History and Science and Nature.  You can also do keyword searches.

When I am researching new topics, I click on “Popular.”  Granted, this isn’t as focused as a search on Photography or Weddings, but it does tell me what people are Pinning (this is the Pinterest term for copying an image to your own page, called a Board).

One of my primary writing gigs is for Education.com.  If I click on Popular and see numerous pins that involve initials or various words or blocks of text used in craft activities, I brainstorm something along these lines for grader school students.  The same goes for string art, polymer clay and food served in ice cream cones.

Pinning Down New Readers

Once Education.com publishes my activities, I Pin the images back to my own boards.  I have a board for Activities and Crafts and another for Science Projects.  Because I took the photos and link back to Education.com, with their permission, there aren’t any issues with who owns what and thus no copyright hang ups.  And, if someone repins an image to their own board, that’s more traffic driven our way.

I don’t stop there.  I’ve been taking a lot of nature photos to use in my blog posts about writing.  A board labeled, obviously enough, Nature Photos links back to my personal blog.  Another board, What I’ve Been Reading, links back to either my book review blog or my personal writing blog.  On days someone repins one of my photos, I see a bump up in traffic.

What if you don’t write book reviews or crafts?  Then think about what you do write.  If you write fiction, where is your novel set?  If it is a real place, and it is someplace that you visited and took research photos, then put up a board.

Maybe you took scads of photos of clothing and furniture so that you’d be certain to get period details right.  Create a board.

Food.  Animals. Health and Fitness.  Geek.  All of these and more are categories on Pinterest. Not that this has to limit you in any way.  After all, people can find you with a keyword search.

Get out your camera.  Brainstorm about your book and start promoting yourself.

–SueBE

Author Sue Bradford Edwards blogs at One Writers's Journey.