In my previous post, I talked about ongoing projects, and a bit about the process of writing as it plays itself out in my life. Today I am going to take a look at how I plan to network as a writer/author. Through working as a professional Tarot reader, writer, and reviewer, I found that it was important to make connections that were consistent, and when possible, in person.
To that end, I created a presence on social media sites as they presented themselves - first Facebook, then Twitter, the Google +. Somewhere along the line I created a Linked In profile, although it took years before I (or anyone else in the Tarot community, actually) began to really work in creating a presence there. With each of these sites I have tried to learn the process, to dig into what the site has to offer, and to consistently post on both a personal and a professional basis. I try to engage in group pages and communities that peak my interest, and that I feel I have something to offer to.
I have found that if something doesn't work for me, then to quietly leave the group, or discontinue the practice (such as the #FF on Twitter) works well. My time is well spent, and I am getting energy back from my efforts. I have connected with some totally awesome people along the way ... people that I would not have otherwise met.
I have also made good use of my RSS feed - following blogs that I really don't have the time to be checking on daily ... or even weekly. They pop up on my feed as a new post goes out, and I can read it or not, depending on my interest level and the amount of time I have available. This keeps me connected with the work that other people are doing, and the ideas that they are developing. I try to leave feedback when appropriate. Me being me ... I try to make that positive feedback.
I am following this same process with my presence as a writer/author. I have created a presence on social media sites, added to my RSS feed, and edited my profiles accordingly (especially on Linked In). Something that I did not mention above was joining organizations appropriate to my interests. I belong to two Tarot organizations, because I feel that they represent the field well, and that they work hard at maintaining their integrity. I plan to do the same thing within the field of writing. My search involves two major criteria: organizations focused on women writers, and organizations focused on the mystery genre.
Another aspect of networking for me is attending seminars/conferences. I have done this in the field of Tarot, and am looking for conferences that I might be interested in in the field of writing. It provides a bit of "down time", a bit of travel (unless the seminar/conference is in the city that you live in), a way of expanding my knowledge, and a way to meet other writers/authors in person.
It's all a process ... and the process is intriguing!
(c) January 2013 Bonnie Cehovet
Ah-ha! Been trying to figure out how you maintain a nice regular presence and are responding to things daily. Seems like it's just a question of making decisions and looking at things when they come in, and if you can't get to them the same day?, letting them go, is that correct? I find myself accumulating too much to read "later" and later never shows up. :) If I either read right away or at least the same day, then I don't accumulate a back log.
ReplyDeleteHow many hours do you think you spend time with social media a day, and do you post once to a place and then have it automatically post elsewhere, like your daily Blessings into Your Day, or do you post at each social network while in the process of looking at stuff in your news feed/home page there?
Still trying to get the most out of this, but somewhat efficiently....:)