cj Sez: Haven’t been feeling up to snuff for the past couple of
days so this post is going to be brief. (*See below for the reason.) What
follows are stream-of-consciousness thoughts about how to Support Your Local
Writers, whether you’re a writer or a reader.
Encourage each other. Writing is not a competition; everyone can be successful.
If you’re a writer . . .
. . . and have your own blog, invite
guests to post. Lyrical Pens does do that, though we haven’t been graced with a
guest for a few weeks. (Got a post to share? eMail me at cjpetterson@gmail.com) When you have a
guest scheduled, send out “Coming Attractions” promotions on Facebook, Twitter, et al.
Read and be willing to give your fellow authors’ work a fair
critique. Be kind but be honest.
If they want to just sit and talk, grab a chair and listen.
Writing is a lonely occupation, and most other people don't understand.
If you’re a yet-to-be-published writer, work on your brand.
If you don’t have a business card, get one. GotPrint and Vista Print can do a
bunch for not much money. (I paid $23 at GotPrint, which included about $7
shipping, for 250 double-sided cards.) Hand it out to agents, workshop
instructors, fellow writers, wherever you have an opportunity to network. Get
your name out there as early as possible so they can watch for your new
release. Some variation of the one that follows is my suggestion:
Name Jane Doe, Author
Writer of XXX
(literary fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction, YA, romance, whatever)
eMail address
website (or
Facebook) address
Now, if you’re a reader (and since writers are also
readers, this applies to everyone) . . .
. . . like and comment on authors'
posts on their Facebook pages. Facebook's algorithms only show posts that FB
thinks other members would like to see. That means the more likes and comments
a post gets, the more people will see it.
Go to book signings, even if you
can’t afford to buy the book at that time. Your attendance is encouraging. I’ve
been to book signings where the author and I were the only two people there. I
been the author at signings where . . . well, never mind. With a little
planning, you can keep that from happening to another author.
*Why am I not up to snuff, you ask? An army of ants marched
into my bedroom the other night to escape the rain and joined me under the
covers. When I dashed out of bed, I stepped into their path. Man, I’m hurting. I’m sleeping on the couch until I’m sure I’ve totally eliminated the invaders
from the carpeting, but I’m hanging in there.
That’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and
I’ll try to do the same.
cj
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newsletter sign-up at cjpetterson@gmail.com
I assume we're talking fire ants, or some other biting type? I see a short story on the topic in your future! Hope that you'll be feeling much better soon.
ReplyDeletecj Sez: Well, Becky, my previous reply seems to have gone into that little bit bucket in the sky. The ants were either little Asian buggers or something called "pavement ants" according to Google images. My allergies kicked up, but I'm doing a lot better. Thanks for asking, and yep, they'll be included in one of my stories, for sure. (Appreciate your taking the time to stop by and comment.)
DeleteExcellent advise to help writers spread the news about their work.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the ants. Gave me the chills.
cj Sez: thanks for stopping by, Mahala. The ant bites are fading away, so I'm getting happier.
ReplyDelete