I realize it has been awhile since my last post! I was beginning to wonder if life would slow down enough for me to ever get a new post up. Have I mentioned that marketing is the hardest part of self-publishing? Oh, that’s right, I did mention it! With that in mind, I thought the exploration of networking would be a great spring board for this entry…
Networking has evolved at an amazing pace with the advent of social media. Facebook, Twitter, Amazon Discussion Forums, Goodreads, and on, and on. No longer is the traditional face-to-face meet the standard for introducing others to a product or service. And, while I thoroughly enjoy in-person events, like book festivals, signings, and conferences, it is more often the case that authors reach out to their readers through a host of online resources. These web sources allow us the opportunity to link in with people down the street, across the country, and around the world. I have met new friends in Texas. I interact with people from Tennessee to New York, Washington State to Arizona! I communicate via Twitter and Goodreads with a fellow author in Australia. Amazingly, this is just a sampling of the people and places I have been allowed to experience through social networking. Truth be told, it is a lot of work keeping up with all the social networking sites, but I love the opportunity to reach out to readers!
My first three blog interviews were garnered through social media, and I look forward to many more in the future. These interviews allow readers to gain a better sense of me as a writer and learn a little about the inspiration behind my story. Access to authors is becoming increasingly important to readers, and I want to be a part of the generation of those authors who are interested in and enjoy interacting with readers.
In this day and age where face-to-face is not possible due to time constraints or distance, social networking allows a legitimate platform to reach far and wide into the hearts and minds of readers. I encourage all writers to research this incredible marketing strategy and connect with people young and old, novice or professional, reader or author across the globe. If you can touch just one heart with your story, you and your writing have made a difference. If that one heart happens to be located in a far off land, thank the advent of social networking for allowing you to share your story via the great wide web.
~Gale
P.S. I would love for you to check out my recent interviews!
http://www.forbiddenpassionsinterviews.blogspot.com/
http://paradox-theangelsarehere.blogspot.com/2011/05/up-close-and-personal-with-author-gale.html
http://indieebooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadows-of-destiny-by-gale-minchew.html