Tag Archives: self promotion

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Social Networking For Writers, Authors and Artists

Watch me Blossom!

I can honestly say that about 3 months ago I did not visit Facebook all that often.  While school, my research for several papers and a history conference took a large amount of my time, the remaining sparse hours was centered around the release of “The Forgotten Spell” in Legends of Green Isle series.  After the release, I sat in amazement as I held my paperback in my hand and could not stop smiling, ooohing and awwwing.

Then after the glow wore off, I found I was a little lost on what to do next.  It was by chance that I happened to stumble upon an article about social networking and marketing yourself.  It suggested that in today’s world, many authors need to rely on themselves to get the word out about their works. I decided then that I needed to delve further into other forms of social networking after reading this article, because I realized that according to the author’s format, I am basically anti-social in the internet social networking realm.  By concentrating a little more on Linkin, a professional website which host groups for writers, and then opening a Twitter account, I found a whole new world out there that I never realized existed.    While I have tried not to be the social butterfly by staying on at all hours, I have enjoyed talking to new friends.  It is a necessity for those who want to promote and market their books to make some connections with other like-minded individuals.  Not only that, but it is a way to find other outlets for promoting yourself by way of seeing what other writers, authors and artists have tapped into and following their leads.

I have learned a great deal from Twitter by reading articles and blogs posted by those who I am following.  This has led to other fun adventures of short story submissions and a collaborative venture  that I hope will turn out well.  So my recommendations to newbies just like me - is never be afraid of social networking.  It will offer lots, but most importantly it offers new friends.

Happy Writing All!

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Marketing you books – A Blogger’s view.

Feeling connected.

So, I’m really not expecting to make a Kazillion dollars as an author, but I do want people to read my books.  Without the big traditional publishing houses, marketing is going to be up to me.  I think I have worn out my friends on Facebook, and they are just about tired of the fact that I’ve linked my page to these blog post, and frankly I don’t blame them if they don’t want to read them, but I’m trying to follow the advice of articles and work on my blog at least two to three times a week, so that in a year, I may have a smattering of a following.

I find myself very repetitive and a creature of habit, so consistency is what makes my life flow.  Writing blogs was scary at first, but now it’s habit, and God knows, throwing a monkey wrench in my daily routine can flake me out in some respects.  (Thank goodness for Henderson, he’s about the only one who really understands that about me, and he just goes with the flow).  Blogging is perhaps a layman’s way of advertising, because of the TAG words you can post at this end of your thoughtful insights for the day.

My daughter, who I have the privilege of attending college with, is a wealth of information about stuff on the internet.  Today I established a Twitter account, and it felt weird, because I considered Twitter just about a goofy form of social networking.  But for marketing purposes, she told me it would a wise decision.  I already got a friend on the West coast, and another friend, so I am happy.  The “follow” thing is a little confusing, but I’m working through it.

I also was invited by someone overseas to join blur-media.  This is a site for freelance writers to participate in a creative circle for their clients, who have a need for creatives.  (I’m still muddling through that site too, but the best I can understand is you actually get paid for ideas which are snapped up by companies who present a “brief” and express a need for someone to throw something creative to them so they can advertise their product.  These are companies from all over the world).  I got into this site by involving myself in Linkedin.  Linkedin is a professional site which is like Facebook, but its a place for professionals to meet other professionals, and you can put your resume up for people to view, as well as your website and, hold on for this, your Twitter account.  I got on this because I connected with people from Hardin Construction, where I currently work so as to feed and shelter myself until school is finished, and I can then head on to graduate school.  (Which, I think, by the time I am 54 I will be out with a PhD, and off to teaching, if anyone will hire me.)

What is amazing to me is how all these particular sites connect to one another.  If you are on one, you can connect to this one and that one, and basically place yourself all over the internet by facebooking, twittering, linking, blurring, tagging, and so on, and so on.  They all have apps to interconnect and dissect each other.  Whoever spent time working on this did a wonderful job of making sure us little people, who want to market ourselves, have access to do it.  My hats are off to them.  Now it’s just a matter of me figuring out where to go and who to talk to and who to follow, and will these sites be something that help me get the word out about Legends of Green Isle.

So off I go.  Happy Writing All!

Connie