Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Wonderful World of Blogging

Into my second week of blogging, and I'm beginning to realize how much time I could spend online.  Blogging alone could be a full-time occupation if I had the luxury, not to mention the world of Twitter which I'm still not sure I understand.  I've had to physically pry myself away from my computer on more than one occasion just to get a few things done that I've been neglecting.

As I mentioned last week, I just finished my first YA (young adult) fantasy novel, see earlier post.  I am so excited to take it to the next level!  The closest comparison I can make to my series is if C.S. Lewis': The Chronicles of Narnia  met  Alyson Noel's: The Immortals.  However, my characters are slightly older, there's a dark edge to the plot, and a fated romance, what could be better?  These characters and creatures have been a part of me for so long.  I can't wait for them to come alive for you, but I want to do this right.

I've been spending a lot of time on the sites of fellow bloggers, such as Nathan Bransford,  Robert Kroese,  Jane Friedman, and more.  They all seem to be saying the same thing.  Whether you're a published or indie author, social networking plays a vital roll in your success.  I'm up for the challenge.  I've had a Facebook account for years.  It's always been a private account for family and close friends, one where we exchange picts of our kids and talk about our day.  However, I'm eager to become more social, hence this blog and a public Facebook page.

I'm no stranger to marketing and the hours you must invest.  Having been a Real Estate Broker in a previous life, I'm well aware of the importance and time it takes to cultivate a following.  Although I'm at a bit of a loss when it comes to building a virtual presence.  I've read the blogs of other independent authors who have credited their success to their followers and book bloggers.  Each has said you need to find your target audience and blog about things that interest them. 

I'm a mother of two and plan to blog about the joys and challenges of having two, tween girls.  Being a writer, I will be blogging about my journey, frustrations, goals and anything else pertaining to writing.  My questions are these.  Where exactly do you find this following?  Better yet, how do you know if you're saying something they want to hear?

This isn't exactly like my old profession where I had concrete structures of glass and concrete to build from.  There are no neighborhoods to canvass with postcards or full page ads to rotate.  I can't exactly plan an event at our local board office where I can network and establish relationships as I have in the past.  As far as technology goes, I'm not a total clod.  I've kept up to date, having had my own website, virtual tours, and  monthly newsletter, but this is still different.

If any of my fellow bloggers are willing to share their experiences and offer me any kind of advice, I'd be eternally grateful.

1 comment:

  1. I'm not so good at this either, but reading other blogs and commenting on them is helpful (especially if your comments are interesting, it prompts people to click back to your site ;)

    Also giveaways are popular on craft blogs, there are a few sites that list the blogs with giveaways and you get a lot of traffic that way. I'm not sure if that would work for this kind of format but it's an idea.

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