Why networking is important

I read alot of other author's blogs. I don't often comment--sometimes because I have nothing to say but "Great post!" and others because there's no reason to comment. Such as a review. (Unless it's mine in which case I'll thank the reviewer.) But with reviews on other's works, I've read the blogger's words and either liked them (and the book) enough to put it on a To Buy list or didn't and will skip it.

But there's so much else out there! News on the publishing world, on what other authors are doing, on who signed with whom or who didn't sign with anyone to self-publish a novel.

That is the main reason I follow so many blogs and spend so much time reading posts on Twitter. Becasue it's important to keep up with the industry I work for. You might say writers work for themselves, but if the publishing industry isn't an industry, then what is it? A mish-mash of hapless people struggling to make a buck? Hardly.

It's a career just as any other. As a librarian I keep up with the latest books, movies, magazines, as well as budget news, state-wide happenings, and county-wide information. If I was a doctor I'd keep up with the latest research in my chosen field. So why not as a writer?

And that's why it's important to network. Even if all you do is 'Like' someone's Facebook post or retweet someone's Twitter posting. Gets your name out, their name out, and maybe it helps another author learn the latest bit of news.

(Picture taken on a Google Image search, from the site Rahmatan lil 'Alamin (Blessing for All Creation) Global Counter-Extremism Network because I liked it best.)

Things I learn from Twitter

I'm pretty up on the news from world headlines to local nonesense. But I rely on twitter for book-world stuff. Like the person using a real agent's name to contract books (so not cool) or even literary deaths.

But here's acouple things from yesterday afternoon:

douglassonders Douglas Sonders: Calling All Beards! Casting For New Facial Hair Personal Portrait Series http://t.co/GeYEHMX

VAStateParks Virginia State Parks: On 08/04/2011 At Hungry Mother - Snake Rattle and Whoa! http://dlvr.it/cXXmy

Dhympna Dhympna du Maurier: I tested my vocab and know 39,400 words -- how about you? #testyourvocab http://t.co/ZKpmyBJ

Georg_Grey Georg Grey: A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.

CarinaPress Carina Press:Did you add your opinion? You tell us: what should a digital book be priced? http://bit.ly/oScuzU

 

For that last one you really should!!

Monday Musings

Today I'm musing on why it's so important to keep up with social networking Which isn't to say that I do, or that I have all the secrets...or even one secret for that matter. Nope, today is all about why it's important but not necessarily how to accomplish this. important thing.
First and foremost, you must have access to social networks. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or any of the other hundreds of groups out there.

Which ones? I refuse to do Linkedin for the simple matter of yet another social network. Can't keep up as is, forget adding one more! I rarely update my facebook page and am only marginally better at Twitter. At least with that it's more a running commentary on what I'm do/watching/reading/thinking than profile update.

Then it's a matter of doing it. How often? I can just about (/movie or finally find the right words to describe it in any sort of coherent statement. Fun things are also done in advance, like last Friday's pictures. Likewise with guest authors. On an average week that still leaves 2-3 days. Updates and Progress are hard to do in advance.

So say you update your blog every day...should you post to twitter every day? I don't, rather I do go on Twitter, but don't share my blogs every day. Some days aren't anything more than Hey, this is what I'm doing. Other days are more interesting--those funny pictures from Friday or guest authors who are on my blog for the exposure (of their work, sheesh, not that way Mind-in-the-Gutter!)

Yes, even when I don't have the bestest blog out there I'm on Twitter. It's easy to update and interesting to read. There are a LOT of things on Twitter about the publishing world. OK, there are lots of things in general but most of the people I follow are in the publishing world.

Tired already? Yeah. My advice (okay so maybe I do have an answer...but only one!) My advice is to start small. Join ONE thing...Facebook, Twitter, start a blog, whatever. But then do that. Update regularly, find 'friends' with similar interests, share stuff and not just about you, you, you.

Then see what happens from there!

Log off and read a book

Read this on BBC last week. It's called Divided Attention Disorder? Log off and read a book. I took a couple excerpts from it, and agree. A couple of weeks ago I read the rather detailed plot of To Kill a Mockingbird on wikipedia rather than read the book. (I'd seen the movie, years ago.)

If you work in an office it's quite possible that you suffer from a condition called DAD. Now don't panic it's not serious and nothing a good book or a long walk won't cure.

My Internet browser has 24 tabs open. Among them are three separate attempts to reply to the same e-mail. My online banking session has timed out, and in the corner of my screen a Twitter feed is a never-ending scroll of news and links. Which I click. And click.

What's wrong with me?

What's wrong, is that I may have Divided Attention Disorder, or DAD. DAD encapsulates the growing phenomenon whereby the constant stream of online information could actually be changing the way our brains work.

I first read about this in a magazine while waiting to get my hair cut. The article is quite lengthy. Ironically the only reason I had the attention span to read all of it was that my local barber-shop has no mobile phone reception.

The most unnerving thing that I've read about DAD is the theory that the rewiring of our brains caused by all that time online is affecting the rest of our lives. It is, apparently, encouraging us to seek instant gratification at the expense of deep thinking.

To assess the state of my brain I read a book. It's an Ian Rankin novel. The hero, Inspector Rebus attempts to solve a number of murders in Edinburgh against the backdrop of a G8 meeting.

I haven't read fiction in a while. Something has changed about my response to what I'm reading. Before, I loved to create a mental picture of Edinburgh, of its streets and courtyards. But now in my brain a voice is whispering: "Look it up on StreetView and see for yourself". The story alludes to Inspector Rebus' colourful past: "Google the plot of other books," says the voice.

"SHUT UP!" I scream inside my head.

Eventually, my old brain wins out. After about half an hour, I'm lost in the book. I've
forgotten that it's even possible to communicate through a web of interconnected
computers.

It's a relief to know that my brain is not permanently changed. I can't wait to tell everyone - on Facebook and Twitter.

So the bottom line is: reading helps us relax, reconnect with ourselves and the real world, and entertains us as well. But then we readers knew that, didn't we.

And don't miss my Friday Guest: Dr. Laina Turner-Molaski