by Expat Women Bloggers

I'd already connected with Olga Mecking on Facebook and knew she was a Polish writer based in the Netherlands. What I didn't know was that she had just co- edited and published an anthology of blogs written by expat mums living in the Netherlands. Olga runs her own blog, European Mama, while Lynn is an American who runs Nomad Mom Diary.

I love anthologies and this one attracted me more than most because I'd had this idea too, once, only I had never done anything about it. I mean, if you were looking for writers for your own anthology, surely the ideal contributors would be people with a track record for writing – bloggers. And surely they would also be already writing blogs with a focus that shared the theme of your book – being a foreign mum in the Netherlands?

So, with great writers like British Amanda van Mulligan, of Expat Life with a Double Buggy, Australian Renée Veldman-Tentori of Dutch-Australian and German Ute Limacher-Ribold of Expat Since Birth, Lynn and Olga had an impressive variety of proven writers in the talent pool.

Now, when I moved to the Netherlands myself, my kids were 13 and 14 years old, much older than the majority of the youngsters belonging to the book's bloggers. Further, unlike the most of the writers my husband is the same nationality as me. I opened the first page with sinking heart. What would I find of interest to me? Surely, I was not their 'ideal reader'? But then I spotted that the foreword was written by my friend, Robin Pascoe (it is this point that I must elaborate that I am lucky enough to have two friends with this name, and the foreword contributor is 'the other' one. The British one. The one who lives in Holland, has a Dutch husband and owns Dutch News). Robin is my age and with similarly aged children and, what's more, she claimed to have loved it.

Career opportunities take individuals and their families away from their home country. Their focus is on the new job and adjusting to life in another country. In most cases parents have encouraged their child to take advantage of the unique opportunity to work and live in a foreign land. Expats quickly learn that life in another country is exciting but more complicated. They have a new life to build and challenges to handle, so less thought is given to their relatives back home. It isn’t that they don’t care; it is simply a matter of human nature that if someone is absent the person may be overlooked.

Today most pensioners are leading active lives so we don’t have to worry about them. However, a relative’s health status can change suddenly and dramatically. When we live on the other side of the world we feel helpless. When our in-laws are from another culture, expectations and approaches to end of life may conflict with our own values. Caring for your loved ones from a distance or where cultural variations exist is a multi-faceted issue and there isn’t one right answer. 

Expats and immigrants dealing with a frail or ill loved ones around the world have commented that they were managing but there are challenges. These individuals living abroad described unexpected challenges, frustrations and a desire to have known more about what to expect and options in advance.  
Very little has been researched and written on the topic of caring for aging loved ones from another country or culture. Consequently, a survey has been developed and is being distributed around the world. This questionnaire examines a number of areas including: grasp of situation, communication, family dynamics, finances, and more.

The research is being undertaken by Elizabeth Vennekens-Kelly, Director at Cross Cultural Consulting and author of Subtle Differences, Big Faux Pas. Are you an expat grappling with this issue? If so, Elizabeth invites you to have your say by completing the online survey. 

The survey is open until the 31st May 2016.

Publish a Website
Typical website content includes author page, book page, reviews, contact details, writing portfolio and buying links. The best websites let visitors connect with you on social media and share your content to their own networks. Make sure your site looks good on all devices.
 
Start a Blog
Blogging will help you establish a fan base. Also, search engines love content that’s new, fresh and frequently updated. Your website and blog should complement each other. Auto-share your posts to your social networks to save you time.
 
Join the Main Social Media Sites
Join the big three social networks to grow your fan base and increase your web visibility.

• Create a Facebook page and join relevant groups.
• Join Twitter, follow Tweeters and start a conversation.
• Join Linkedin to establish your professional reputation.
• Use similar imagery across your networks to establish your brand.

 
Get Interviewed

• Get interviewed by fellow bloggers and other relevant websites. Offer to write guest posts and articles. Most will be happy for you to mention your projects and add links.
• Contact local and online radio stations. If your writing is topical or has local interest, they may invite you in for a chat.

 
Join Goodreads
Join Goodreads, the largest and most credible book site. Add your book(s) and reviews for books you like. Engage with the community by joining forums and run a book giveaway competition.
 
Enter Competitions
Find a list of 2016 book awards on Almond Press and 2016 short story competitions from Christopher Fielden.

Hot off the Press
New online services are being launched all the time. Some endure and others fade. Here's a couple in the news right now:

• Medium – a community of readers and writers.
• Reedsy  – online collaboration for writing, editing, designing, formatting and production.

To read Jack Scott’s series of articles on Displaced Nation – his thoughts on writing, publishing, blogging, publicity, fame and fortune – please take a look at Jack Scott Books.