"Classic Ginger" Is Social Media too Social? #gingersimpson #socialmedia

 Social media has been the main manner most author's use to promote their work. Besides, promoting our work, do we share too much about ourselves, our lives, and our feelings? I'd have to say after losing Facebook friends, the answer is yes.  Obviously there are people who don't share or see the same humor in Memes, make assumptions that aren't true and see meanings you never intended.

Using places like FB has led to criminal cases of bullying, stalking, robbery, rape, and even murder. Maybe each of us needs to stop and examine the types of posts we make and who we are friend's with. Last night I saw a post from someone frantic to find a co-author.  He ended his plea with a suicide threat.  Did he mean it?  I really don't know him so I unfollowed him.  Could I have done more?  I really don't need more stress in my life, so I did what benefited me.  Hopefully, he wasn't serious.

I've stopped accepting friend requests from men with no obvious connection to FB because I'm sick of them using FB as a dating site.  My profile clearly says I'm married, so why they assume I'm looking for someone remains a mystery.  It's easy to tell, just my looking at their profile.  I urge you to take the time to check out those seeking you friendship.

How social should we be? Or should be just put our feet up and relax?  As an author, my contracts state that I will promote my work, but I just gathered my tax information together and discovered I spent more on promotion than I earned.  That's disheartening.  I know I can write because I've received award nominations and positive nods from other...authors and readers.

Every day, I share my own blog posts, those of my fellow bloggers and also those on my publisher's blog.  I use Google, Pinterest, FB, and my two blogs feed to Triberr where the posts get shared by my tribe mates.  I tweet the BWL posts manualy.  What I see at the end of each day is that no one else, save the same handful of faithful authors, are sharing anyone's post.  Some I never see on FB, nor do they accept my invitation to blog.  Their response is always, "I'm too busy _____,"  fill in the blank.  I fume everytime I share my 100 posts per day on Triberr wen I see my posts aren't being shared, and because I'm not on Word Press, there is no program to allow pictures to come through.  I'm a visual person, but not energetic enough to move my blog to a whole new site and expect everyone will follow me.  I've had a hard enough time earning the followers I have, and I truly appreciate each of you.

So, now I wonder, why I'm going through all the paces, but others aren't.  Are they earning money? Do they care?  I know life often gets in the way of our best intentions, but to totally ignore what I consider authorly obligations, doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's time for me to close down my computer and focus my life on something more fulfilling.

I've recently changed my view of FB.  It's a giant time-suck where I've spent way too much time trying to insert my point-of-view on politics or sharing photos others find offensive. The result:  arguments I never intended to engage in or discussions I never meant to join.  I've totally lost sight of what I signed on to do  Aren't I supposed to be talking books?  But then, the question arises...how much can other people take.  Groups of authors, threads of promotion for new and old releases, cover reveals, EVERYTHING author.  Even I get tired of the constant barrage.  Seems everyone has written a book these days.  Try getting a review on a site and you'll see what I mean.  Unless you know someone, or submit to sites that charge a fee, you'll never get a response.

 From now on, I won't be posting political opinions on FB, and I'm going to try hard to avoid any topics that may be offensive.  I lost a FB friend I valued this past month, and let's face it...trying to change someone's political viewpoint is like spitting in the wind.  I'm thinking 2016 will be the year I retire from writing, but withdrawing from the arena will be tough.  Being a creator of stories is in my blood  I start writing, and it was never for money.  Maybe I can return to the outlook and just be happy with my accomplishments as I once was.  Hey...there's always self-publishing.  I may try that.

Check out my books on Amazon.

Sunday Snips & Stuff #sundaysnips

Okay, you want to write, but you can’t. Every time you sit down to it, you freeze or else write badly. Maybe you’ve always been prolific, but suddenly it’s as if the well has dried up. Is it really writer's block? 

The allure, for me in blogging, is the thought-provoking questions topics available to write out.  Even when I'm without a muse, I can still blog.  ;)

Writer's block for me really isn't the correct term, although it does describe what happens to me.  I prefer to think that my characters turn mute.  *lol*  When I say, I hear voices, there's no need to call the men in white coats.  Without the chatter in my head, I wouldn't have written 99% of the novels and stories I have published.

 I've often blogged about the imaginary revolving door in my head through which my characters pass.  It has no lock, and sometimes, it spins so fast, it makes me dizzy. However, recently, I think my current character put a wedge in the door and then decided to stop leading me on her journey.  Usually when a character pops into my head, they come with a title, cast in tow, and a story they tell that leads me to an unknown conclusion.  I view each novel I've written as a fun experience because I've not known my final destination until I arrive.  Writing for me is sort of like telling myself a long bedtime story.  I'm excited as it unfolds, and I can't wait to see where I'm headed.

Thankfully, my muse is speaking to me again, and I'm writing what will probably be my last novel.  I have no idea what made my main character turn silent, but through some brainstorming with friends, I was able to jump start Clara's story again and now am pretty clear on where Desperation's Bride is headed. When the voices in my head turn mute, I start to worry.  Without them, I'm lost.


My books are all available on Amazon.

If you'd like to see what my friends are sharing this week...then "hop" on over using their links:

http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)

http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Juliet Waldron) 

http://triciamg.blogspot.com/ (Tricia McGill)

YOUR WEBSITE IS YOUR ELECTRONIC BUSINESS CARD – By Rita Karnopp

In today’s world you need to meet the needs of the public.  If you don’t have a writer’s website, you are missing a great opportunity.  Let’s face it – your website is your electronic business card to the world.

It should develop along with your writing career. Your website should offer— all your books, articles, or writing and editing services.  Unlike the purpose of a blog - to involve people in discussions - the purpose of a website is to inform people about who you are and to market your books to potential readers, also to entice agents, editors, and even publishers.

Don’t worry, your website will reward you many times over for the time and money you invested in it.  Make sure you keep the information on your site up-to-date, make sure the content is professional and sells what you are offering, spice it up with a little tech flair, and maintain a robust effort to direct people to the site.

How can you tell if your website isn’t working for you?  

Follow the basics.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner writer or a multi-published author building a platform, your website should fuel basic expectations.

Information should be structured to easily guide a visitor from step one to the final click without angst or confusion.

·         The home page needs a welcoming message.

·         Provide an ‘about the author’ page exhibiting published fiction/nonfiction (and easy ‘click’ links to them).

·         Set up a current ‘reviews’ page.

·         You will want a ‘Books’ page with story blurbs.

·         Provide a contact page with your contact info.

·         What about an events page and/or book signing calendar?

·         How about a ‘services page’ where a visitor may leave a ‘review’ or ‘comment’ about your books?

Once you choose the pages for your website, verify the data and setup:

·         Use high-resolution book cover images and author photos.

·         Use current menu names.

·         For drop-down menus – simple is the key.

·         Double-check and make sure all links are working. 

·         Keep in mind Flash and music intros will slow down page-load time – I never use them.

·         Periodically verify your site loads properly on all popular Internet browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome).

Polish the site from time to time.  Once you have your site up and working, don’t forget about it.  The basics are good but updating and making it a fun experience will bring a visitor back time and again.  

Why not create a ‘reveal secrets’ section on your site?  You might reveal a character’s history or share pictures or trips that inspired the setting for a book.

You might have a ‘history page’ that deepens a visitor’s knowledge of a subject or place you’re writing about. Create a ‘behind-the-scenes’ info sheet – include information or quant data that you didn’t use in the book, but are fun to share.

Trailers or video and audio clips are a great tool.  Always keep a link to your website on Facebook and Twitter.  Did you know you can record fan and visitor numbers?  It’s a great way to know if your site is working for you.  These number come in handy when a prospective publisher asks; “How do you have a website and how successful is it?”

 Never forget it takes but one click for visitors to go elsewhere.  They will, too, if your site is not kept up-to-date.  If you have a site, never leave it dormant or your numbers will reflect it.  I often ask, “Why have a site if you don’t care to make it work for you?”

Create a ‘call to action’ or a ‘do it now’ prompt on your site.  Why?  It will lure visitors to get involved – maybe they will win a book or a box of chocolates!  Sell books and build a platform by including  “buy” links to purchase books; e-newsletter sign-ups; contests for excitement; and so on.

Mark your calendars to review website material monthly and mark down when/what contests or new additions you want to make on the site. Keep in mind you don’t want to give everything away at once or have too much happening or it will be confusing.  Connect fun events that coincide with book releases.

Familiarize yourself with Internet search engines? - Even if you hate technology – if you want to use the internet and all it has to offer - you must learn to be savvy.  Search engines scan content on websites in response to queries typed into a search field. When ‘keywords’ are a relevant match, that site appears in the search results.

How can you be sure you are using a relevant keyword?  The most important keyword for an author is your name, book titles, even character names. So make a list of your keywords and tweak your own website code to put the keywords in. 

You can find tutorials online, and can learn more about this topic in resources such as Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (available for free at http://bit.ly/d29DIe) and the Yahoo! Style Guide (free articles are available at styleguide.yahoo.com).

You may hire a web designer or design your own.  I designed my own and it was amazingly easy.  The upkeep is equally fun and simple.  The choice is yours.

Remember to track your results by watching how many monthly page views you get, the number of people signing up for an offer, the sales of books or services—all part of what is called Web analytics. Track your stats, then modify your keywords accordingly … and save the data.

Don’t forget, Agents and publishers are impressed with great website stats because numbers drive business. Showing your numbers provide conclusive proof you market your work.

The bottom line is no matter how many visitors you get a month, make your site an important asset worthy of your time, energy, and money.  More importantly, use your website to show just how proud you are of your work.  And, if you create a traffic flow that reaches people and sells books – great!

Tis the Season for Melancholy

My oldest son lives in Sacramento. Way too far from Tennessee. I keep tabs on him by reading his blog. 2007 has been hard on him, and he very recently overcame a horrible bout of anxiety that kept him sidelined for most of the year. While I'm reflecting back, and trying to deal with the fact that I've suddenly become so old, I realize that it isn't something that happens just to parents. Children have their own anguish, memories, and regrets. I hijacked my son's blog, but I don't think I risk threats of a lawsuit by sharing it with you. I hope after you read it, you'll take a look at the Myspace page he created as a tribute to a dream that failed. The success he was denied by the public will always be recognized by his mom. I love him so much, my heart hurts.

SKID'S BLOG:
Okay...The other day, I noticed that a magazine called Alive & Kicking had posted all of the covers they have had over the years. A band that I used to be in was on a couple of them, so I checked it out...even added the photos to my Myspace page.

And it got me feeling nostalgic. And then it got me feeling sad. Mostly because, while I thought we were a fantastic band with a lot of fans, nobody had ever made a Myspace page for us.

And so I did...I created a Myspace page for our band...a band that broke up over five years ago.

But while I was doing it, I felt like a loser. I felt pathetic because I was spending my time showing off something that doesn't even exist anymore. And I realized that the greatest achievement of my life has been dead for a long time.

And I guess I just wanted to be remembered. I mean, as time passes, people are going to forget that we actually accomplished something, once upon a time. Since we don't play anymore, nobody buys our records...our website was removed a long time ago, due to non-payment, and even if I Google the band name, the thousands of hits that were once there are dwindling.

Its like my own personal "Back to the Future" and the photo of my past is slowly disappearing. And I will never be that guy again.

So I created a page for this band, but I felt so ashamed that I pretended that I was someone else while I was doing it. I wrote the whole thing as if I were an outsider.

I was trying to hide my ego and my embarrassment. I didn't want anyone to know that I actually spent all that time on my past...who does that?

I'll tell you who does that...a loser, that's who.

So there...I have confessed. And I don't feel any better, either.
Confessing is bullshit.

But anyway, I'm leaving the page up...and I will add to it. And I will pay attention to it, regardless of if anyone else does. But I will still pretend that I am someone else when I do it.

I have to.

Check it out...add them as your friends. They were great guys.

Magnolia Thunderfinger (http://www.myspace.com/magnoliathunderfinger)

Tag, I'm It!

Okay, Carol Shenold tagged me and now I have to play. This is a wonderful way of getting to know people and also sharing your blog information on the web.

Rules for people I tag: Link to the tagger and post these rules on your blog. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. My final goal in writing is to have ONE book published by mainstream, and I ain't getting any younger.
2. I still believe in Santa Claus.
3. I cry every time I watch "It's a Wonderful Life."
4. I think my sisters are prettier than I am and it makes me mad.
5. I've believed in ghosts ever since I smelled Bengay on the staircase the night of my grandmother's funeral.


I'm tagging the following people:

Vicki Gaia
Cheryl St. John
Dorice Nelson
Anne Whitfield
All of them are linked in my faves, so have at it.

IT ALL ABOUT BLOGGING

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I found a very interesting comment on my blog. Helen Ginger from Straight From Hel tagged me. As I understand it, this honor is described as a 'meme', but it really isn't about me, it's all about blogging. Since this is my first attempt, I simply followed the instructions, copied the five questions I found on Helen's blog and I shall answer them below. I believe my duty at the end is to tag another three people. Tomorrow, we're gonna play Red Rover, Red Rover. *lol*

1. How long have you been blogging?

Not long at all. Only since the very end of September. I began in 2004 with a monthly newsletter and my membership grew to over 550. Although I enjoyed producing a monthly rag, I hated the bounced emails, the constant changing of them, and just the general headaches. So, when blogging became all the rage, I decided to give it shot. The downside was losing all my subscribers, but I found a way to add a subscription link and I actually forced everyone to sign up. Not really, I thought I could import my addresses but found I couldn't, so I spent three nights typing in addys complete with those stupid spam guard letters and numbers. When I went to bed last night, I swore they were tattooed on the inside of my eyelids. I'm happy to say that most of the people I subscribed, confirmed and have signed on for another round of torture.

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?

As an author, you have to establish a fan base and I like to know mine. I love interacting with people, and blogging makes that easier. The newsletter was fun while it lasted, but this allows people to comment back to me and let me know what they think. I can also invite other friends to come and share information on days when I'm just too lazy to blog myself. Mentors? I didn't know many people who blogged until I started myself, so I guess I'm my own mentor.

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?

You can make money doing this? Since I had no idea, I suppose I should be truthful and say I do this for the fun of it. I also write because that's what I love to do. If I was in it for the money, I'd have hung up my keyboard a long time ago. Despite all the promotion I do, my last royalty check barely covered a Happy Meal.

4. What 3 things do you struggle with online?

a) The biggest struggle for me the lack of tone in email. There is none and it's hard to keep from adding my own. You know we all have those days when we're pissy and it's very easy to beat myself up with my own attitude. I think I'm insecure and I need my Mommy!

b) The next hardest thing for me is saying no when people need help. I'm not a computer geek by any means, but I seem to have a tad more expertise than some, and I find myself fixing boo boos, moderating, doing videos, and tons of other things that take time away from my writing.

c) The final struggle for me is finding time to visit all the networking sites and being able to keep my own pages current. We have BEBO, BOOKFACE, BOOKPLACE, MYSPACE, SHELFARI...just to name a very few. It's almost impossible to be visible on all of them if I want to keep up with my blogging. I've yet to find a happy medium and I'm driving myself nuts. Good thing it's a short jaunt.

5. What 3 things do you love about being online?

a) It takes away my feelings of solitude. Since I retired from my academic counseling job, I'm a stay-at-home "Nee Nee" to a five-year-old grandson. I hunger for adult conversation, and email and my networking sites is how I get my fix these days.

b) I'm a closet comedienne and I love to make people laugh. I have a serious side to my blog, but I also like to blend in a lot of humor. Everyone needs a chuckle now and then, and if I can brighten someone's day, I do. Blogging gives me a chance to laugh at the world and myself.

c) One of greatest thing about being online is learning new things. Of course then this takes me back to one the struggles of being on line...saying no to people. I've learned to do video trailers, even started a little side business called, TrailMix, Videos. Setting up a Myspace page wasn't a daunting task, but you'd be surprised how many people can't figure it out. I've mastered moderating yahoo groups and setting up my own, and it seems that either people are playing dumb or they really find it a challenge. Nonetheless, I guess I'm destined to be a patsy for anyone in need. There's a lot of satisfaction in it. Makes an old gal feel smarter than she really is. :)

I guess now, what I need to do is tag three more people for you to meet. Hmmm, let me see:

Yvonne Perry is is a wonder. She's one of the busiest people I know but manages to organize and involve people in great blog chains that connect one to another. I've met some great people and drifted to spaces I would never have found on my own.

Vicki Gaia is a good friend and fellow author I met on a critique group. I admire her positive attitude and spirit, and she's been a tremendous help in honing my work for submission to publishers.

Anne Whitfield is another good friend and fellow author who started a Historical Fiction critique group and invited me to participate. I've made great progress, good friends, and turned out some pretty decent books thanks to Anne and her group. I owe her a lot.

So there you go. This was fun. Thanks to Helen Ginger for recognizing my site and awarding me the 'meme'. I titled this "All About Blogging" but it really was all about ME! Hope you enjoy visiting the other sites and learning about how other people blog. Probably not as crazily as I do, but as entertaining I'll bet.

Ginger