I have been involved in several conversations lately where the topic of Twitter comes up. Sometimes I tell someone I’m on Twitter and sometimes that person asks me if I’ve heard of it. In both cases, the person I’m talking with sometimes says something like “I don’t bother with Twitter because it’s just for sharing inane information” (i.e. what the tweeter had for breakfast, tracking naps, having bowel movements, etc.). I always find these conversations to be an uphill battle because I have to first convince the party at hand that while there is something to what they are saying, that isn’t the end of it all. Note that I didn’t say those sorts of tweets don’t happen. In point […]
Read moreCategory: Promoting Your Book
Conventions: Not Just for Dressing Up
Who here has ever gone to a convention of one kind or another? Don’t be shy, raise your hands high if you have. Now, how many of you have been to a convention where another writer or a publisher or an editor or an agent has been a guest, a panel participant or a known quantity? And what did you do at that convention? Did you meet any of the aforementioned people? I attended ConVersion (a local SciFi/Fantasy convention) not too long ago. My goal was to meet one of the publishers who I knew to be coming and maybe meet Terry Brooks. Let me begin by saying that I am not the most outgoing person alive. Still, I went […]
Read moreWhat Exactly is an Amazon Rush?
I’ve talked about Amazon Rushes a few times, both on this blog and with various people. Quite often the first response I get is a blank stare. People know what Amazon is and they know what a rush is but put those two words together and you get confusion. So what is an Amazon Rush anyway? In its simplest terms, an Amazon Rush is an event held by an author where readers are encouraged to buy a copy or copies of a specific book on a specific day at a specific time (or during a period of time). It should also be mentioned that an Amazon Rush is a social media tool. From that brief description several questions arise. The […]
Read moreThe Value of Community
The craft of writing can be a solitary one, but it doesn’t have to be. The Internet provides a means to always be connected to friends, family and colleagues. It can also be an enormous time-sink but that is a conversation for another time. I want to talk about the availability of community, both writing and otherwise through the Internet and daily life. Is community really important? I know of writers who prefer to be alone and separated from their writing peers at work and in everyday life and I respect that. I also think those people are missing out on something; the ability to talk the craft and exchange ideas. “What kind of ideas?” you may ask. Well, speaking […]
Read more