Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about getting started on Red Room? Don't worry; we have the answers here. If you are unable to find answers to your questions in our FAQs below, contact us. Please let us know when you need help and what we can do better to become your favorite community. Our friendly team is always happy to help!
HOW TO BECOME A RED ROOM AUTHOR
What are the criteria for becoming a Red Room author?
I already have a personal website. Why should I create a Red Room Author Page?
How can I get my own Author Page?
What if I’m not selected as a Red Room author?
MY ACCOUNT
Is redroom.com free of charge?
How do I change my password?
How do I change my email address?
How do I remove or hide my profile?
I forgot my password. Can you help me?
I forgot my username. What should I do now?
MY PROFILE
How do I set up my profile?
How do I upload an image to my profile?
I can't upload a photo to my profile.
MY WRITING
What is a published work?
What if my published work is not a book?
How do I add published works to my profile?
How can I find book cover images?
How do I upload or change a book cover image?
How do I edit or delete a published work?
How do I add my unpublished articles, short stories, or other writing?
MY BLOG
How do I create a blog post?
How do I add hyperlinks to my blog posts?
How do I include images in my blog posts?
What does RSS mean?
Can I import posts from another blog onto Red Room?
How can I promote my blog?
What is the social bookmarking toolbar?
MY IMAGE GALLERIES
How do I create an image gallery?
How do I add an image to one of the galleries?
How do I edit or delete an image from a gallery?
My image file size is too large. How do I reduce it?
MY VIDEOS
How do I add video to my page?
How do I delete a video?
How do I edit a video's title or description?
My video never loads. What's wrong?
MY PODCASTS
What is a podcast?
How do I add a podcast to my page?
How do I create a podcast?
I can't upload my podcast to my page. Why?
How do I edit a podcast's title or description?
How do I delete a podcast?
MY GENRES
What is a genre?
Why should I select a genre for my work?
MY ACCOUNT
Q: Is redroom.com free of charge?
A: Yes, Red Room is free to use. Join today .
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Q: How do I change my password?
A: To change your password, go to http://www.redroom.com and select My Account. Choose Update email address or password and make your changes. Be sure to click the Submit button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
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Q: How do I change my email address?
A: To update your contact email address, go to http://www.redroom.com and select My Account. Choose Update email address or password and make your changes. Be sure to click the Submit button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
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Q: How do I remove or hide my profile?
A: To hide your profile, select My Account from the top of the Red Room homepage. Next, select About Me and then choose the Private option located at the top of the page. Click the Submit button located at the bottom of the page to save your change. Your profile will become hidden and not be visible to anyone but you.
If you would like to cancel your membership and be completely removed from the website, please contact us for assistance.
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Q: I forgot my password. Can you help me?
A: While we can't tell you what your password is (only our system knows that), we can send you to a special page that will let you create a new password. Please click here and follow the on-screen directions.
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Q: I forgot my username. What should I do now?
A: Don't worry. If you have forgotten your username, click here . After you enter your email address, we'll send you special links that will allow you to retrieve your member information.
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MY PROFILE
Q: How do I set up my profile?
A: To create your profile, select My Account from the top of the Red Room homepage. Next, select About Me from the My Profile section. Complete the following sections: About Me, Work & Education, Reading Interests, and My Photo sections. Don't forget to click the Submit button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
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Q: How do I upload an image to my profile?
A: To add an image to your profile, go to http://www.redroom.com, select My Account and then chose My Photo. Click the Browse button on the My Photo page to navigate to and select the picture file from your computer. Don't forget to click the Submit button to upload your picture to Red Room.
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Q: I can't upload a photo to my profile.
A: Your photo may be too large or in the wrong format. Please make sure your photo is in JPG, JPEG, or GIF format. Your picture should be no larger than 4MB in size. If your photo is the correct size and format, the culprit may be the file name. Make sure there are no spaces or symbols in the photo's file name (for example: MyPhoto.jpg not My Photo.jpg).
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HOW TO BECOME A RED ROOM AUTHOR
Q: What are the criteria for becoming a Red Room author?
A: Red Room encourages writers from all walks of life and all areas of the globe to be a part of our community. Below is what we consider the minimal requirements to be considered for an Author Page. Having these requirements is not a 100% guarantee that we will approve your request.
In general, authors should have one or more books published by an established publisher or small/ independent press to be considered for an Author Page. Self-published authors are considered based on content, distribution, sales, and professional presentation. Journalists should be or have been a features writer/editor, columnist, or regular bylined reporter for an established periodical. Poets should have been published in a book published by an established publisher or small/independent press. Television writers, screenwriters, and playwrights should have at least one work that has been professionally produced and or published.
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Q: I already have a personal website. Why should I create a Red Room Author Page?
A: Red Room Author Pages aren’t just for authors without websites. Several of our Red Room authors have existing personal websites, but have chosen to set up a Red Room Author Page in order to become part of a larger online literary community. This allows them to gain new exposure (and new fans), as well as giving them a place to upload all of your published works, published reviews, interview transcripts, videos, podcasts, as well as blog entries.
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Q: How can I get my own Author Page?
A: In order to request an Author Page, you must first create a full member profile and add at least one published work. After you do this, click on the Become a Red Room Author link located at the top of our homepage and submit our brief application.
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Q: What if I’m not selected as a Red Room author?
A: If you are not selected as a Red Room author, it is still beneficial to you to maintain a presence on redroom.com as a member. Our growing Member Community includes published and self-published authors, agents, publishers, editors, interested readers, and aspiring writers. Members have access to many of the same features that authors do, including blogs, image galleries, podcasting, and videos. Some members have even formed relationships with established authors and colleagues. In fact, we are creating new social networking and career-building tools every week.
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MY WRITING
Q: What is a published work?
A: A published work can be a book, screenplay, poetry, edited anthology, or any other example of your work that has been made available to the public by a publisher.
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Q: What if my published work is not a book?
A: The published work feature can be used to add many different types of work to your Author Page. This includes but is not limited to audio CDs, screenplays, stage plays, and graphic novels.
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Q: How do I add published works to my profile?
A: First, go to http://www.redroom.com. Next, select Add Content from the top of our homepage. Choose Published Work, from the Add Content page. A new window will open; enter the Title, ISBN, and Synopsis into the appropriate fields. Finally, upload a book cover image for your work. Don't forget to click Submit to save your entry.
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Q: How can I find book cover images?
A: If you don't have digital files of your book covers, it is best to contact your publisher and request them.
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Q: How do I upload or change a book cover image?
A: First, go to your Red Room page and select the published work to which you'd like to add this image. If you are logged in, you will see an Edit option located at the top of the page; click this option. Scroll to the section that reads Attached Images. Now click the Browse button. Navigate to your images file on your computer and select the photo you want add. Follow the screen prompts to complete your photo upload.
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Q: How do I edit or delete a published work?
A: First, go to your Red Room page and select the published work you would like to update. Next, select the Edit option located at the bottom of the page. You will be taken to a page that will allow you to change any of the information for your work, including the Title, Synopsis, ISBN, and Book Cover .
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Q: How do I add my articles, short stories, or other writing to my profile?
A: Our Article/Story feature allows you to upload your writing to Red Room. Just go to http://www.redroom.com, select Add Content, then select Article/Story. You can also create a writing profile, My Writing , where you tell us about yourself as a writer.
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MY BLOG
Q: How do I create a blog post?
A: To create a new blog post, first got to http://www.redroom.com. Next choose Add Content, located at the top of the homepage. Select Blog Entry. A new window will open. This is where you can write your blog post. If you are copying and pasting from Microsoft Word, please click the Paste from Word icon. If you are pasting content from another website please use the Paste as Plain Text button.
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Q: How do I add hyperlinks to my blog posts?
A: First, highlight the text you would like to use as a link. Then click the Link to button on your textbox's toolbar (it looks like a chain link). In the Link URL field, type the address of the website to which you are linking. (Don't forget the http:// at the beginning.) Then click the Insert button. Don't forget to click Submit to save your entry.
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Q: How do I include images in my blog posts?
A: To insert an image into a blog post, first click Insert Image from the blog editor toolbar. Next, insert the http:// address of your image into the Image URL field. Enter a description and title for the image and click the Insert button. Use your mouse to resize and move the image if necessary. Don't forget to click Submit to save your entry.
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Q: What does RSS mean?
A: RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. It is a protocol that automatically distributes web content to those who sign up for it. Those subscribers are notified when subjects they are interested in are published on the web. There is an RSS button located near the bottom of all your blog posts. Anyone wishing to subscribe to your blog feed may do so by clicking this button.
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Q: Can I import posts from another blog onto Red Room?
A: We are working on this feature; however, it is not yet ready. For now you can copy and paste text from your other blog into a blog entry template as a temporary solution.
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Q: How can I promote my blog?
A: We've noticed that those who blog frequently seem to drive the most traffic to their respective Author Pages. Leaving thoughtful comments on other Red Room members' blogs is also a way to generate traffic to your own blog. Also make sure to bookmark your best posts, using the social bookmarking toolbar at the bottom of your posts. The toolbar contains icons for the major social bookmarking services, including Yahoo,Google,and Digg.
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Q: What is the social bookmarking toolbar?
A: The social bookmarking toolbar appears at the bottom of every Red Room blog. Visitors can use this toolbar to store, organize, and share their favorite links. Bookmarking allows your best content to be shared with a wider audience. This can increase traffic to your page and create more interest in you and your work.
(We strongly advise that you tag your best posts to get the ball rolling. You may also want to encourage your family and friends to tag your content as well. Tagging is easy to do. Just scroll to the bottom of your post, and click on one [or more] of the bookmarking services listed there.)
MY IMAGE GALLERIES
Q: How do I create an image gallery?
A: The image gallery allows you to share photos with the entire Red Room community. Upload photos taken during readings or book signings, and/or other images you'd like to share. To create an image gallery, go to http://www.redroom.com. Select Add Content, followed by Image Gallery. Enter a title for your gallery and enter a brief description. Don't forget to click the Submit button located near the bottom of the page to save your changes and create your gallery.
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Q: How do I add an image to one of the galleries?
A: First, go to http://www.redroom.com. Next, choose Add Content from the top of the Red Room homepage. Select Image from the Add Content page. Enter a title and caption for your picture in the appropriate fields. Scroll to the Upload Image area and click Browse. A new window will open showing the files on your computer. Navigate to your photo file and select it. Enter a photo credit and copyright information if necessary. Press the Submit button located at the bottom of the page to complete your upload.
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Q: How do I edit or delete an image from a gallery?
A: Select the image you would like to delete from your gallery. Choose the Edit tab located at the top of the images page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and locate the Delete button. Press the Delete button to permanently remove the image. Please be very careful when deleting an image. Once an image is deleted, it cannot be retrieved.
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Q: My image file size is too large. How do I reduce it?
A: If you are using Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can easily resize your photos. Right-click on your photo and select Edit. A new window, with options for editing your picture, will open. Choose Compress Picture and next select Compress for Web Pages. Click Ok to save your changes. The picture should now be compressed to a smaller size and be ready to upload.
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MY VIDEOS
Q: How do I add video to my page?
A: Please upload your video to YouTube,Google, or Yahoo Video and get the embed code that they supply to you. Next, go to http://www.redroom.com and select Add Content from the top of the page. Select Video from the Add Content page and paste the embed code into the Video URL field. Enter an appropriate title and description. Finally, click the Submit button located at the bottom of the page.
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Q: How do I delete a video?
A: First, go to your Red Room page and select the video you'd like to delete. If you are logged in, you will see an Edit option located at the top of the page; click this option. At the bottom of the page, there is a Delete button. Click Delete to permanently remove the item. Please be careful when deleting content. Once an item is deleted, it cannot be retrieved.
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Q: How do I edit a video's title or description?
A: First, go to your Red Room page and select the video you would like to update. Next, select the Edit option located at the top of the page. You will be taken to a page that will allow you to change any of the information about the video including the Title, Description, Keyword, and URL.
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Q: My video never loads. What's wrong?
A: If your video is not loading, you may have entered the embed code incorrectly. Go back to the video's hosting site, and make sure that you selected the code correctly. Also, remember we only support the following video hosting sites: YouTube,Google,and Yahoo Video. If everything appears to be correct, it is possible that the video may have been deleted or had its sharing options changed by the person who first uploaded it.
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MY PODCASTS
Q: What is a podcast?
A: A podcast is simply an audio file that has been made available on the internet. People can listen to podcasts on their computers or transfer them to a portable device to listen to later.
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Q: How do I add a podcast to my page?
A: The first step is having your audio clip saved as a .wav or .mp3 file on your computer. Next, please go to http://www.redroom.com and select Add Content. Choose Audio from the Add Content page. Fill in the title, description, and any other relevant information. Scroll to Audio File Info and select the Browse button. Navigate to your .wav or .mp3 file and select it. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Submit .
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Q: How do I create a podcast?
A: To create a podcast all you really need is a computer, a microphone, audio recording software, and of course your great ideas. While we can't provide you with step-by-step instructions for creating a podcast, here are some links to two fantastic resources: How Stuff Works: Create Your Own Podcast, APPLE SUPPORT: Recording Your Podcast with Garage Band.
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Q: I can't upload my podcast to my page. Why?
A: If your audio file is not a .wav or .mp3 file, it will not upload to Red Room. Also, files larger than 100MB will not upload. We plan to expand the types of files we can support soon.
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Q: How do I edit a podcast's title and description?
A: First, go to your Red Room page and select the podcast you would like to modify. Next, select the Edit option located at the top of the page. You will be taken to a page that will allow you change any of the information about the podcast, including its title and description.
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Q: How do I delete a podcast?
A: First, go to your Red Room page and select the podcast you'd like to delete. If you are logged in, you will see an Edit option located at the top of the page click this option. At the bottom of the page, click Delete to permanently remove the item. Please be careful when deleting content. Once an item is deleted, it cannot be retrieved.
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MY GENRES
Q: What is a genre?
A: For our purposes, "genre" is simply a way to categorize writing by content and subject. For example, a novel with a love story as its central plot would most likely be considered Romance. A fictional story centering on an actual historical event is probably Historical Fiction. Reflecting on your long and adventurous life? That style of writing may best be categorized as Memoir. If your writing covers a broad spectrum of genres, don't worry; you can select more than one genre. If you feel your writing style is not accurately represented, contact us , and we will modify our list.
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Q: Why should I select a genre for my work?
A: Adding genres and tags makes it easier to search for and find your work. Remember, the genre you choose is not only searchable on Red Room, but may also appear in search results on search engines such as Google, AOL, or Yahoo.
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