(The box had a pair of plastic eyes in it, doubtless because of the blinding of poor Gloucester in the play, and a theatrical dagger which had a contractable plastic blade. The two youngest kept stabbing themselves with cries of "Farewell, cruel world." If those two don't join their elder brother on the stage, I'll be a monkey's uncle.)
Anyway, back to the writing biz. A whole bunch of people gave good advice on my query over at Matthew MacNish's QQQE blog, and a whole bunch became followers of this blog. (Massive thanks.)
Blogs are funny babies, aren't they?
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| Some Funny Baby Blogs |
Over at agent Rachelle Gardner's blog last week, she asked her readers what they were sick of reading on blogs.
A fair number complained about "self-promotion" by blog writers. Which immediately got me to thinking whether they were pointing fingers at me (see, what did I tell you, it is all about me!). I admit that when I started this blog a year ago, an evil gremlin squatted on my shoulder and whispered "get your name out there. This is the best way to get people interested in you."
The problem is why, really, should people be interested in me. I'm not an authority on anything. I'm not an authority on writing query letters, or getting an agent, or planning the perfect book tour. (I guess I am an authority on plugging away in the trenches, while chanting the mantra "Never give up.")
Which leads me to the real meat of today's post. Should I take the Twitter plunge? Here are the PROS, to my mind:
- I can get the word out about my blogs, particularly my newly envisioned middle grade blog (yikes! more self-promotion!!)
- Twitter seems to be an amazingly fast way to get information. I can't count the # of times I've read in blog comments things like, "I saw this on Twitter."
- I can
stalkfollow agents, editors, and fellow writers to my heart's content.
- I will never write another word on my WIP, as I will be sucked into the Twitterverse 24/7
- My family will find me one morning at the bottom of the garden, slobbering and unshaven and whimpering "Must. Find. My. Tweetdeck."
- That way madness lies
I won't be voting, because I'm rather ambivalent about Twitter. I have it, but I rarely use it.
ReplyDeleteI think judicious use of Twitter is awesome. I have had an abundance of extremely pleasant exchanges with people I never would have interacted with otherwise, including agents, editors, published authors, and folks just like myself--those of us who'd like to be published and are milling about in the waiting room together. I've gotten book recommendations, interesting information, and encouragement. And a great deal of my blog traffic comes from Twitter. I do think it can be distracting, so you have to control it a bit. I have to turn it off a lot because it does keep me from getting things done IF I LET IT.
ReplyDeleteI tried to vote in your poll but my vote didn't get through, I don't think.
Twitter is to writing as American Idol is to singing.
ReplyDeleteI always thought of you as a Tony Bennett.
Give it a try and quit if you don't like it (or find it's wasting too much time). No one will hold it against you :).
ReplyDeletei have had a hard time with twitter not really having the time to make it effective.
ReplyDelete