As writers of the 21st Century, we face formidable walls to scale. Not only must be write our books, we must promote them as well. We are told to develop a platform, write blogs, promote our books on sites all over the Internet, come up with a brand and logo. The list goes on and on.
A new writer must at the least have some presence on the Internet before submitting to an agent or publishing house, we are warned. Whatever happened to the starving writer spending days, months, years in a garret pouring his soul out on paper? He went the way of Dickens and yes, even Hemingway. It’s a new world, writers. Catch up or be left behind.
For someone so developmentally unskilled as I when it comes to the electronic age (read Internet) this has been a difficult row to hoe or road to travel. I’ve had to learn about Squidoo, Twitter, blogs, podcasts, Facebook, Book Place, Ning, just to name a few. Each one seems to require a different level of competence. Blogs aren’t too difficult. Only took me an entire summer to figure mine out to the point where I could put photos where I wanted them and not just anywhere they might land. And this with a lot of help from fellow bloggers.
Now, you take Squidoo, I’m not sure I can do that one properly yet. The little picture looks like an octopus. Okay, I get it. Squid-oo, and its tentacles probably reach out all over the Web. Even though unsure what a lens has to do with an octopus, though I suppose the little fellow has one, I managed to create my first lens anyway. Only time will tell if it is effective.
These are so-called Social Networks. What are they? I’m beginning to understand that it’s a no-no to be too pushy about selling my books on these sites. It’s better to show that I’m educated in my field, that I have something worthwhile to share and am willing to do just that. And, oh, by the way, I can link to my website where, guess what? I promote my writing (books).
Okay, I clean up pretty good, so I’m finally able to share with my playmates without getting in too much trouble. A couple of neat cliches there.
I have to say, it makes me nervous that most of these sites want my email password so they can share my postings with everyone in my address book. But, hey, everyone’s doing it, and they have that little caveat that they will not share this information. Okay, if I’m going to do this, I guess I’ll have to grit my teeth and do it.
My advice to you, dear reader, is to check Google first, then pick writer sites to look at, check them out and find the ones that appear to be to your liking. Then, grit your teeth and begin.
Velda Brotherton 