Day 3: Online Presence/You Know You're a Writer When....

Think about your Online Presence

After you have your spreadsheet done and have your contacts in place.

I would recommend creating your online presence first.

Why? It adds to your credibility and gives your contacts a place to go to learn more.

At this point you know who your major audiences are so you can be sure your online channels target them. I say choose 3 online things to do and do them well. You can do more but sometimes it is too much work and takes away from your writing.

I would pick your top 3 and I would do 1 at a time. You want to do each one right and good. Don't do it half-a$$. It is better to do one thing well than 3 things average. And you will be very active in these. One you get up your web site - you may be able to pick up something else. But I would not overdo it. For example don't join twitter if you don't text message many times during the day. No one will follow you if you tweet once a week.

For example: If I am a knitting author, I may:

• Create an author web site (published or not - this is a non-negotiable item. You must have this. Take a look at Janet Reid's advice.
• Start a knitting blog (published or not). Livejournal or Blogger tend to be the more popular ones and they are free.
• Join bebo/facebook (or myspace or friendster) and begin building contacts (published or not). I think kids use bebo or facebook more than anything right now.

Other online connecting ideas:

• Join a national/local organization (preferably big enough to have an online presence) and volunteer. Local ones are good because they offer face-to-face contact. National ones are good because you can make more contacts outside your region.
• Join Goodreads or Shelfari or Library thing to see who may be reading knitting books and mystery books.
• Look for online magazines (ezines) to contribute articles to for free.
• Twitter (I personally do not recommend this until you have made some contacts that will begin following you.)
• Search for Yahoo groups with listserves where you can contribute
• JacketFlap

Tomorrow we will not have a tip because we have Jay Asher's interview as our Magnificent Marketer. :)

Tuesday/Day 4: I will talk about how everyone can create a simple 5 page web site for less than 20$ a month.

Wednesday: A special guest will be dropping by and doing a special Magnificent Marketer interview.


You know you're a writer when:

• You get excited about red pens
• You cant read a book without a red pen or highlighter in your hand
• Carrying a notebook to write down story ideas
• Anytime anything happens, you think "Can I write about this?"
• You think you see your characters out in public
• You talk about your characters as if they are real people
• You correct other people's grammar
• You get the Word for the Day
• You know 50 words for the word "said"
• You dream about book ideas
• You hang out in book stores instead of bars
• You have a flat bum from sitting at your computer all the time
• You would rather write than go out
• You can be in your pjs until 4 pm when you get the kids.
• You carry your laptop to the park
• When you are constantly pushing book you have read onto your friends
• when you say - the movie was not as good as the book
• ask your friends to repeat what they said b/c it you want to write it down and use it as dialogue
• when you sell an article - you finally pas the gas bill
• when people asks you what's wrong and you say: I have writers block
• you thank your parents for a crazy childhood
• You sign documents with a pen name
• Your clothes have ink stains on them
• You name your computer
• Coffee is your main nutrition
• You pretend to pay bills so you can jump on the computer to write or blog
• When your friends discuss books, you know everything about the author

I made these up but then I found this book which has some similar ones :) For more - check out this book.