Did you know you could win a free audiobook, just by commenting on this post at Audiobook Heaven? I think this is the seventh audiobook giveaway this year. Every first of the month a new book is offered and while in the beginning he was getting emails like crazy on the post, the numbers seem to be dwindling.
Everyone likes something for FREE, so why the dwindle of responses for a free audiobook? Maybe people fear giving out their email? It’s not like millions of people will see it! So go give it a shot, you have nothing to LOSE and a FREE book to gain!
In other news, I’ve found a new place to meet like minded people. That would be Twitter. Unlike facebook, Twitter doesn’t allow you to write a whole bunch, just 140 characters I believe, so what you post must be tight and concise. Twitter isn’t bogged down with ads and very rarely am I offered porn. Erotica to me is soft porn and I do find people who are suggested to me who are into that sort of thing, but that is NOT for me. For anyone who knows me knows I’m a prude when it comes to that stuff, so I stick to ‘following’ the audiobook industry, writers, authors, publishers, and a few causes to stop child abuse. Porno freaks beware, I WILL NOT follow you just because you follow me, sorry!
I’m also a member of LinkedIn and there are discussions on writing that will keep you busy for days! LinkedIn, yeah it’s one word, is an insightful site with groups galore where very intriguing discussions are had about the writing industry. I don’t see many in the audiobook industry there, but if you’re a writer and heading into the ‘Professional Writer’ status, then LinkedIn might be something you’re interested in to get your career headed in the right direction. At least you can share your opinions, craft tips or whatever you wish. A pretty cool site for the networker in you!
Well that about covers what I’ve been doing these days to further my career in writing. Facebook I leave for socializing with friends and family (far and few between, I might add) Twitter I like to call the meeting of the mind space, for me. And LinkedIn is all about discussion of the field out there for us writers! I seem to have all my ducks in a row, as they waddle to a new future away from the village that kept my lil ducks busy for years.
Onto brighter and better waters!
Just the word sounds important as it stands alone up there.
Networking is defined as: the practice of making contact and exchanging information with other people, groups or institutions. Usually, networking occurs with other people who have interests in similar areas. The goal of the networking relationship may be to further your personal employment opportunities or to cultivate new clients or the expansion of business relationships. Networking is also a term of art used in the computer industry.
Monday we figured out that we have the procrastination bug, and I devised tricks to get that little thing nipped in the bud! Then on Tuesday, I gave a few tips on how to Prioritize your schedule so that you’ll have the time to write and take action instead of putting things on the back burner and making all your time about playing on facebook.
Now today I’m here to tell you, to GO to facebook. But I’m also here to tell you that you will not be going for fun and games. You’re not going to visit your friends, wink, hug, LIKE, and pretend you’re in the worldwide playground of the internet. You my friend, are going to NETWORK! If you want to do all that stuff, go ahead, but if you’re a writer and trying to NETWORK, I would not advise making Facebook a Farmville of a place with animals popping up, crops of people on your list (unless they are writers), and the abundance of games absorbing your wall.
Networking with like minds takes a certain finesse. When my friend from Finland told me about facebook and how I should network to jump start my writing career, facebook was the place to do it. Another writer friend, M.D. , introduced me to things like Twitter and Weebly, and Ping! All in my arsenal of networking my way into my writing career.
Someone had briefly mentioned MySpace but I quickly learned that place should have been name MySmut! So I quickly blocked that place and all the trash it carried with it. Facebook quickly became my virtual world for networking. But I was new to the scene and did all the wrong things that got me nowhere in my writing. I played game upon game, I poked, preached, ranted and raved, hugged and ignored, only to realize, I’ve lost the Networking battle.
Or did I? Something happened a few months back; I realized I was NOT prioritizing and making my writing come first. While I was off mentoring and facilitating, helping out other writers, editing and whatnot, I lost my love... of writing. I got so caught up in being self-righteous, I lost something along the way and only recently found again. Something I’m not letting go this time in my pursuit of Networking.
My list of five things to propel you into NETWORKING on facebook?
1. Accept friends of like minded ability. Not the ones who want to play; the ones who are as serious and professionally minded as you!
2. Make a separate account for family, games and the playground mentality.
3. LIKE, everything Writing related!!! Then your HOME wall will be filled with vital info, instead of game updates or who went to pee and felt you needed to know this.
4. Participate! Actively participate in your writing pages that you have LIKED. These people are professional, welcoming, and they love sharing.
5. If you want to rant, rave, preach, and stand on a pedestal, either make a blog for just that, or make sure your network of friends is of the like mind, or surely you will lose some portion of your networking capabilities.
Maybe this warrants another post...at another time. :)
SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW WRITER and THEY’LL SUPPORT YOU!
