This was going to be my year to shine as an author! I planned more time for me. More ideas to grab attention and pull readers to me blog. More activities to involve peer authors... More, more, more... But somehow my real life keeps putting my penname on the back burner. At this point I feel that Dayana has slipped into a deep very dark void.
I wanted to talk about something of dire importance to anyone who depends on 'visibility' to survive in this cyber world we live in. We all know that money, for most of us, is tight and our only venue for promo and advertisement is the internet. So how to keep a consistent presence across the net is a big challenge. I have inadvertantly tested this and found that slipping into the oblivion is so very easy to do and unfortunately, you sink fast!
Over the last several months, I've noticed even my most dependable followers have moved on. It is not a good feeling being alone and unheard, especially for a writer. My views and comments on this blog have dropped drastically and are non-existent on my website. So what is the problem?
- Updates. This is something that is a necessessity, and I make every update to religiously keep up with. Fresh conversation and topics draw your readers and show them you are out there. Show them a piece of you, who you really are. So, I know I'm okay in this department.
- Topic/Content. Maybe my topics are uninteresting to others? Could be an issue but I wouldn't know that unless someone said "Hey, you're boring the bejeebers out of us, already!"
- Visibility. Bingo! This one is a biggie. I have been so tied up with other responsibilities that my overall visibility had dropped excessively. What does that mean? Well, for instance, I have not spent the time needed to visit other blogs, give interviews, hold contests, author spotlights have slimmed out, and hold the occasional give-away to draw interest. I have attempted to visit my favorite blogs in the last couple of weeks and comment but I suppose because I cannot do this as a daily routine my visitations may be lost in the mire. I am only able to follow through on this on a weekly basis.
- Loops and Blogs. Another major problem for me is finding the time needed to remain visible on the loops and blogs I belong to. Whew! this is a major challenge for me. I have attempted to incorporate one morning a week to do this. But again, it seems futile as I don't really see any gain from this. Not complaining. Will keep plugging and keep working at it. Solutions are hard won especially with life biting at your heels. Everyone has one and all the demands that come with it, so I'm not alone. Were there an easy solution, it would be a perfect world, would it not?
- New Material/Releases. Another huge obstacle. I have been pulled from my personal works for sometime now. I haven't been able to write except in limited spurts of time, nor am I the type of writer that can force the muse, so much of those times may produce nothing, nada, blank pages... I will say that I have no less than five/six projects in different stages! I just need to sit down and get them going. More likely--get them finished! New releases regularly are the key. Each new project, its promo, etc. bring potential new readers and bring back your faithful followers. Without fresh material flooding the saturated market, you are guaranteed a nosedive into oblivion. Trust me, I know...
D~
Whew, that's a lot to do. I suppose I m doing all of the above more or less. Sometimes less. I focus more on myspace and Facebook than visiting a ton of blogs. Although I do try to pop into a few every day or so. Good luck! Go for it. Or we could all just retire.
I like the retire idea from the day job, Beth. Lord would I have so much more time! 40+ extra hours a week? Yeah! I could definitely get more done with that, LOL.
D~
Hi Dayana,
Online presence is such an interesting and strange thing. I only started getting an online presence last May when I landed an agent...before that, well it sounded like it took too much time...time I could be dedicating to writing. The most frustrating part for most authors is at the end of the day not knowing if their online efforts made a difference. And yet, not making the effort isn't really an option.
I agree with Beth - I check in to a couple of blogs every day or every other day, but the majority of my online presence is spent on Facebook and Twitter. I don't know if they work, but I figure they can't hurt:)
Hey...2010 is just beginning...I'm betting this is still your year to shine.
Hi, Joelle. Thank you for dropping by and commenting. Yes, I do utilize Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter as well.
Appreciate your thoughts:)
D~
{{{{HUGS}}}}} Dayana! It *is* hard keeping up with everything. I dabble in Facebook (Twitter I find to be too time-consuming), comment when I can (subscribing to my fave blogs has helped me remember), and blog as much as I can without jeopardizing my writing. I don't know how much it helps my visibility, but I do love the constant communication that goes on. I started doing all this for promo, but the social aspect of it turned out to be far more fun than I expected.
Heh. Yeah, retiring from the day job would help. As it is, though, it's just a case of do it, do some more, and do more again and again.
Dayana, I agree that it's a must to remain visible on the internet, but I struggle with checking in with all my blogs and loops. It usually takes me an hour and a half to comment on them all, and there's not that many. This was too much of my time. Now I limit myself to thirty minutes. It helps me to stay focus and I keeps me from lingering.
Being unpublished I question the value of a web-presence and internet persona. I think one of the most difficult things for a published author is to figure out where to focus their efforts. I worry that our blogs are just preaching to the choirs. What one would need to do is to find a way to interface with readers. There is only so much good that comes from a presence in the writers sphere. When it comes to sales, you need to reach out to potential readers. Now, if I could figure out how to do that I could write a book about it and be set!
Hey Barb, Pam and mystery commentor:) Thanks for dropping in. Yes, MC, I totally agree. If we could find the recipe and compile it for all to know we'd definitely be very popular!
I think the key still stands with time management. Easy to plan but hard to carry out:)
D~
Hey, Dayana, glad to see you today! Excellent blog. Joelle is our newest blogger and she's a sweetie!
I love to go read blogs. For me I like the ones that are not traditional interviews. How many are you a plotter or a panster can you read before you're sick of it? I like innovation. Something that teaches me, but doesn't preach to me.
To me the rest will take care of itself. I like to visit the blogs of friends like yours Dayana, I have made so many great friends this way. But then I have to admit I don't work full time! I keep myself very busy and that's the way to a happy life.
Still I read my friends blogs, except when something comes up and I can't.
Hi, Dayana. I know exactly where you're coming from. Cyber-presence is a neccessary evil. Handling life, writing and promo is definitely a balancing act. I really hope you find your balance soon.
AJ
Did you notice Cathy Spangler and Margie Lawson were here earlier?
Hi Dayana! I've noticed that the same people are all over the internet and while I think it's important, I also think it's important to limit the time I spend on blogs, etc. so that I have time to do my main job, which is writing. Some of the loops I belong to say the most important thing is to keep writing and get another book out there. It's a dilemma, for sure. Good luck with everything.
Hi Dayana,
You're right about spending time on the various blogs--but I wonder how much time spent is too much. Sounds like you and Beth have the right balance.