Thursday, August 28, 2008

Networking

I'm very resistant to MyFaceTwitter sites. So far, no one has been able to convince me of the benefits of any of them beyond this nebulous "networking" thing. Though my cousin has been trying. (I think living and working in the D.C. area is affecting her brain. ;-)

I do see the benefits of networking. I troll along crime blogs and other places, looking for interesting things to read and places where I can hang out among other nut cases. This often brings a few folks back to my own blog. But would they read my fiction? If not, then what am I doing?

If I'm doing any sort of pimping, I want to pimp my writing, and someday my novel(s). That's my goal for this networking stuff. Especially since I'm about as social as a porcupine.

I also don't have any kids or marital stories that I feel make good conversation. Part of the reason why there aren't many such stories on here. (The fact that I don't HAVE kids is a seperate issue!) I honestly think that there is little in my life that is that interesting. And who the HELL cares if at this minute I'm baking bread or if I just finished rearranging the piles in my office into other piles or if I'm sitting down to watch a movie? I see some of those Twitters... and honestly, there is no one that I'm that intersted in keeping that close of tabs on. Including Hubby. Unless I'm trying to plan something with him. (And it's okay if you're mind goes to the gutter-- mine does. =D)

So what would I do with a MyFaceTwitter? I'm not going to spend my time trolling other profiles, looking for people. I'm not going to update it often-- I have this blog and that's really plenty. Sometimes it takes all day to think of something for my scheduled post. But I'm thinking, with a twisted scowl, that for networking purposes, that once my book gets a publication date, I will stake my claim in the anti-social networking lands. For promotional purposes. I may be resistant, but I'm not stupid. I know that I have to suck it up and think like a business person at that point. Schmooze and get my name out there to the masses who may or may not read my book.

Though I may just pose nude for my author photo. That would generate plenty of buzz for my book.

4 comments:

Bill Cameron said...

Sometimes it's good to pull back and say, "I'm not pimping anything right now. I'm just relaxing and enjoying myself." Not everything you can do on the internet has to be about selling yourself. I'm not saying you should take up one of these sites, but I am saying it MIGHT be fun to play with one just for the sheer, silly pleasure of it. Tweet on Twitter with a few friends not because you think it will sell a book, but because it's fun. Update your status on Facebook with goofball one-liners not to grab audience share but because every now and then you need some meaningless goofballism. Heaven knows when you're limited to 140 characters at a time, the pressure to "think up something to blog about" is just about nil. That can be very freeing.

Here's the thing. Not everything has to have a value or a benefit, at least not in a bottom line sense. You're allowed to enjoy yourself too.

So either take up YourFaceTweet or not, but if you're only doing it to sell yourself, then maybe you're right. Maybe it's not worth it. I know that I certainly get tired of being sold to all the time, and that's perhaps the main reason why I make a conscious effort not to sell myself with every breath and mouse click.

Clair D. said...

I'm not sold yet on that "fun" part, but I see your point, Bill.

Maybe I'll get on one of these (maybe Facebook so cuz will stopp bugging me ;-) and see what it's like.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I joined or whatever you call it Facebook but I don't really know what to do with it. I just can't think of clever things to post on it every day. Even the one sentence challenges me. In a way, it's harder than a whole post. I feel like I'm in fourth grade and signing someone's yearbook. Or asking them to be my friend.

Barrie said...

Ha! Ha! on the nude author photo!!