The six of us had lots to talk about, and as you might guess, not all of it related to writing. But the majority of discussion slanted that way. One of the main topics of conversation, and the one most important to me, was social networking.
I've had this blog for quite a long time (since 2007), probably before blogging was as popular as it is today. I used to be a disciplined blogger and posted something Monday through Friday. My focus was writing. I still want to talk about writing on this blog, but I'm more than a writer and an author, so I plan to interject other topics from time to time. As you may have already noticed. :)
I do enjoy blogging because it's a wonderful form of self-expression, but it can be challenging to find something interesting to say. I could promote myself until the cows come home, but how boring is that? So I promise to keep the self-promotion talk to a minimum. You see my book covers in my header, and the link to my website.
I had a conversation with my editor on Monday about social networking, and discussed this with my friends over coffee and the best brownies I've ever had in my life. She made it clear that it's important I step up my game in the area of social networking, which means more tweeting, more blogging, and more facebooking (though facebook stumps me 95% of the time and I'm not sure how to use it effectively).
Plan on seeing more of my art on my blog and more about my personal life as it applies to my books. You may also find items about my pets from time to time because they inspire me. Interviews with my editor, Ann Leslie Tuttle, and with my amazing agent, Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, are forthcoming. I plan to post some deleted scenes that never made it into my books. And I'll have excerpts from DARKEST KNIGHT here just as soon as I get permission from Harlequin.
Oh, and one more thing. If you read KNIGHT'S CURSE and liked it, I would be so very, very happy if you'd post a review on Amazon and/or Barnes & Noble. I hate to ask, but it's become important that I do so. Stars make my world go 'round.
Huggles!
10 comments:
I know exactly what you mean. Without my writing friends my books would suffer. Because we're casually discussing writing, they are slapping me around making me better at craft, plotting and getting off my lovely ass and getting something done.
That brownie looks soooo good! One thing I did for my social networking was link my facebook page to my twitter, so every time I update the status on my page it goes to twitter.
It was fun hanging with you and the other ladies even if I had to leave early.
Social networking is the hardest part of writing in my opinion.
Thanks, ladies, for chiming in. I do have my twitter linked to my facebook, but not the other way around, mostly because I hardly use facebook. I need to. I just don't know how.
It was so fun seeing you too, Paty! We'll be doing it again real soon.
Hey, Karen! Those brownies were awesome! Facebook freaks me out. I think I'm going to have to get a book on it. My sister checked "Facebook for Dummies" out from the library and said it was very helpful.
Diana, if it has Dummy in the title then it's my kind of book. :) Thanks for the suggestion!
Karen,
Great thoughts. Social networking is definitely the hot topic these days. I'm new to it all, but find I don't mind it. I have to become more efficient and effective at it, as I tend to get lost in links and discussions and hours go by.
I'm no expert at Facebook, but I find it's more conducive than twitter for longish conversations and my personal friends are there. Whereas twitter is more about people I know from around the country and I only know them from social sites. So I comment on and share things that interest me. (One tip: I get email notifications every time someone comments on a conversation I've joined, making it much easier to follow up.)
Don't know if that's helpful or not.
Good luck to us all!
Thanks for dropping by, Chris! You're always so good at getting around to all the blogs and facebook posts. I see your name there all the time! If but I could be more like you. :)
I do have facebook set to email whenever anyone comments on one of my comments, so I at least have that figured out. Yay! But like you, it's the effectiveness part I need to figure out.
So many writers are being asked by agents and/or editors to increase their online exposure. It's going to be very hard for the holdouts to hold out much longer. :)
I agree, Pat. And many of those holding out are doing so mainly because they don't know how it all works. It can get complicated, and the ones who are technically challenged need a lot of help getting up to speed.
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