A Time For Everything

 

My in person conference didn't happen last week, but a virtual version is going on this week, starting today. I won't participate in most of it because of work, but I'll try to attend some of the online live author presentations after work.

I've got my own scheduled as well for Friday evening, so I've been preparing for that along with Saturday's promo opportunity.

So all was not lost since I published this last book to actually coincide with the conference.

It's going to be interesting considering the condition of my mouth at the moment. But I have a temp appliance, so I guess I'll wear it for the first time. The surgeon told me not to unless absolutely necessary. And I haven't, so I think I'll be all right for my allotted thirty minutes.

Have a super rest of your week.

So I participated in my first Facebook Takeover Event to celebrate the release of the anthology I participated in. The book is 99 cents for purchase with proceeds going to Pets for Vets.


I'd never done a Facebook Takeover Event, but the gist is you takeover someone else's FB page or a group page for some allotted time period. I hung out all day trying to support the other authors, but they were thin on the ground during time slots not their own and so were the other 220+ members of that group. What a shame.

I did learn how to do one though, so there's a bonus. I learned what would lure people to participate and what wouldn't. GIFs of celebrity crushes for the win; hockey talk, not so much, lol...

Anyway, that's it for today. Catch you on Friday.

As an aspiring author, I've avoided the whole gotta be on social media hype. Had no interest in it, didn't care much, had no desire to spend hours and hours participating in online platforms that didn't work for me and didn't feel comfortable with my personality. So I didn't.


I've written this blog since 2007. The first four years were hit and miss and then became a bit more diligent and regular about it. I like the platform.

I resisted Facebook for ages, but broke down mostly as way to be in regular contact with my half of the family, none of whom live here in Texas. I added a few close friends who are fellow authors, but I don't use it as a networking tool, and I don't have a fan page. I'm not sure about going that route at this point. Since I don't have a work of romance fiction out, I'm not overly worried about it.

I don't tweet. Don't think I'll ever tweet.

I've had a Goodreads account and generally keep track of the books I've read as well giving them a rating, although I've avoided reviews. I think I've written one or two for the over 200 books I've read and tracked via the site.

This past Saturday, the speaker at my writers group spoke to us about how to harness the power of Goodreads. Since I'm already on it and I don't have issues with it, I'm going to implement some of her suggestions immediately, some later. I'm not ready to jump in and get super active and social in groups. I've got enough on my plate at the moment. That'll have to wait a bit until life calms down. Although Murphy may move in and I won't be able to catch my breath until August.

Anyway, I'm trying to decide what and how much works best for me. Of course, if I never finish a fiction book, the point is mostly moot.

Are you active on Social Media? Select platforms? How much time do you spend per week?

I'm back on the happy train after it came to a complete halt the other day due to a branch on the tracks.

Yesterday, I was able to break the 10K word mark on a different manuscript from the one that hit the tracks on Sunday. Not by much, granted, but I deemed it ready enough to be sent forth to my critique partners for a very thorough raking over the coals and I sent it out. It's the first thing I've sent along in quite some time and it completely made my day to do so.

Am I ready to dive back in to the other manuscript I've been going round in revision circles on yet? I don't know. But as soon as I'm done working today, I'm going to give it a try.

Follow Me - Why?

Follow me or don't. To be honest, I don't really care.

Last week I got caught up in the social media trend, thinking that because I was so close to finishing and submitting, it was about time I waded in. So I did. I got on Facebook and updated my profile a bit and friended a few people. I was then friended in return by many others. I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now. It's not intuitive to me. My original intention was to connect with my family, which I have yet to do because I can't find them. (Mom, please find me and friend me: Jen FitzGerald in Fort Worth.)

Following a person here on Blogger or on Wordpress or Pinterest or wherever doesn't really mean people are actually reading what you have to say. Of my seventeen followers, two of whom are the same person, how many of them do you think read this blog every MWF? Five or six maybe? Eight on a good day?

I joined another group although I wondered what the purpose was and still do. This group seemed to me like all those other things all wrapped up in one package. I was sort of gung ho, reaching out, making friends, joining a group, creating a group. But this week? Meh. I'm not feeling the love. I have other things that are more fun for me. Visiting all these people's FB pages is not fun. It's a time suck and one I have no interest in. Am I shooting myself in the foot? Maybe. Am I showing my age? Quite likely.

I'm not really sure social media is my thing. I like my blog and I like blogging. I have a website that needs a bit of updating, though not much, and I have Facebook, with which I'm going to connect with my family, because that's what they do (obviously not what * I * do since I can't find them without help).

If I get lucky enough to develop a readership, I'll reassess my needs at that time. Otherwise, I'm just going to do what I've been doing.

How do you feel about social media? Are you knee deep or neck deep? What do you like about it? What don't you like about it?