# Starting to build my social media stuff



## sashamerideth (Dec 29, 2011)

As I am prepping to put my first story up on Amazon and anywhere else I choose to put it, put up my first blog post, two tweets, and will be getting my Facebook and Google+ set up soon as well.  I will try to keep it up to date with what I get up to, etc.  I just need to find other people to follow as well.


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## fleamailman (Dec 29, 2011)

("...I have googled your username which turns up many of your posts, capital indeed, as anyone interested in your posts will do exactly this same googling then..." mentioned the goblin taking up sashamerideth invite to contribute more, saying "...soon you won't even need that link to your blog and the weakness it shows, as the forum itself will have much of your stuff on it, which is turn will pull those readers towards your persona instead, where your blog will be as a storeroom of your works, but first and foremost you will be known by your posts alone, so should I mention the livewriter's tripod now, or would you prefer my leaving be here...")


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## sashamerideth (Dec 29, 2011)

A. Smith is so common, but Sashamerideth is fairly unique, pretty much everything that Google shows is hers. Not so with A Smith.  Sashamerideth has many online identities, most people from them the Goblin has never seen before. 

What is this livewriter tripod of which the Goblin speaks?

Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


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## Telcontar (Dec 29, 2011)

Best of luck! Doing the same thing right now. I have to admit I've rather enjoyed twitter so far. I was skeptical when I registered for it, but it has turned out to be a lot of fun. Blogging as well, though I admit I think of it more as a personal journal right now seeing as nobody currently reads my blog...


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Dec 29, 2011)

I've got a *blog* and I'm on *Twitter*, so far. Since I haven't actually released anything (aside from a *couple*of *sample chapters*), I'm reluctant to spend too much time on building up a social media empire. It would feel like putting up a lot of road signs that lead to a construction site. But I do make a habit of tweeting each new blog post, and the blog links to Twitter.

Once I do publish, I'll make some kind of Facebook presence, but right now there's not enough reason for me to spend time on it.


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## sashamerideth (Dec 29, 2011)

Expect me to start stalking you too.

Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


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## fleamailman (Dec 29, 2011)

("...someone said that I have six million friends or whatever on facebook, not that I ever go there now..." replied the goblin, adding "...no, the livewriter's tripod has three legs, _traceable username, recognizable persona,_ and _a slow but steady flow of content_, where the first and the last are self explanatory, so I'll skip them, but where the middle one is simply based on the understanding the most forum readers do not remember member's usernames either straight off or if at all, but they do remember that which they come across in dailylife such as someone's dog or their cat or that occasional goblin now, so it's product marketing where you fill in the blanc of their identification of you by choosing a loose association with a object, one's persona then...", but in fact the goblin also knew too, that one's persona is actually made up four different aspects here, saying "...but I'll explain that another time if you wish...", but the goblin's time was fast running out it seems, things were afoot that were beyond his control now)


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## fleamailman (Jan 1, 2012)

> I've got a blog and I'm on Twitter, so far. Since I haven't actually released anything (aside from a coupleof sample chapters), I'm reluctant to spend too much time on building up a social media empire. It would feel like putting up a lot of road signs that lead to a construction site. But I do make a habit of tweeting each new blog post, and the blog links to Twitter. Once I do publish, I'll make some kind of Facebook presence, but right now there's not enough reason for me to spend time on it.



("...ask yourself why then, why do people generally dislike other people's blogs, as reflected in their meager hitcount in comparison to open threads on forums, ask yourself too, why in your passing day you see so few people reading those books you aspire to write for them now..." mused the goblin, not caring if this was going to go down well here but still feeling that it needed airing all the same, adding "...could it be that those readers don't like the fact that however one looked at it, those blogs were not about their readers but instead they were centered upon their author each time as in _I write and you may read or comment if you like_, and then again, yes I know, we all like books, but in these on-line days we want our own voice too, we want to reply to that which we read then...", so the goblin merely summed it up in one line saying "...look around you now, see it for what it really is, it's _forum/venue thread/stage and persona/act_ and btw, welcome to your readers here...")


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## sashamerideth (Jan 1, 2012)

I am hoping that my blog will be less about me, more giving other writers stuff of interest. Not sure how I am doing so far, but with 2 posts and 5 hits per post, it's not up to a lot.

I also get the point about the importance of forums, they allow for more interaction than a Blog does. That interaction is quite important, and just throwing a forum together just won't work. I like this one, a couple of others I have been on have banned people for just discussing their published books. Blatantly advertising is bad. Heck, I just put my first thing up on Amazon. No, don't go looking at it, I haven't finalized the version yet, some of my formatting is wrong, and the corrected version hasn't cleared review yet.

Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


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## fleamailman (Jan 1, 2012)

("...even your thread here alone will out-hit both your blog and your ebook..." mentioned the goblin without malice, adding "...but please don't shoot me for pointing out that which most writers don't care to admit to themselves as yet, and which that publishing world doesn't want you to see for yourselves either, in that forum readership is the growing readership between the two, that's why I've been trying to get the posters here to think about their personas and their forum readership instead, because here my dear humans, is not some writer's workshop for yesterbook, no you are bang smack in front of your readers on this forum now, where if you want to be read by your readers you mustn't ask them to go elsewhere to read you now, you must write within your posts or lose out to someone who will write in their posts here in your place then...", but the goblin had great faith in the writers here, adding "...and I hope too, that to be allowed at one point to repost a few of my works here, but I would like it to be a shared thread amongst us where we all post excerpts of ourselves pooling our readership together then, knowing that the very nature of those excepts are reposts simply because everything posted to forumland is in fact a repost of something first written upon a screen and then uploaded to the forum...", and with that the reposted this text by hitting the "post quick reply" button to prove it)


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Jan 1, 2012)

fleamailman said:


> ("...ask yourself why then, why do people generally dislike other people's blogs, as reflected in their meager hitcount in comparison to open threads on forums, ask yourself too, why in your passing day you see so few people reading those books you aspire to write for them now..." mused the goblin, not caring if this was going to go down well here but still feeling that it needed airing all the same, adding "...could it be that those readers don't like the fact that however one looked at it, those blogs were not about their readers but instead they were centered upon their author each time as in _I write and you may read or comment if you like_, and then again, yes I know, we all like books, but in these on-line days we want our own voice too, we want to reply to that which we read then...", so the goblin merely summed it up in one line saying "...look around you now, see it for what it really is, it's _forum/venue thread/stage and persona/act_ and btw, welcome to your readers here...")



The blog is a marketing tool, nothing more. Right _now_ it gets less traffic than any thread on Mythic Scribes, true, but so what? The goal is that eventually, if someone wants to know more about me as an author, they'll go to my blog instead of wading through dozens of threads on a message board.

Also, why is everything you write in parentheses?


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## Devor (Jan 1, 2012)

fleamailman said:


> ("...ask yourself why then, why do people generally dislike other people's blogs, as reflected in their meager hitcount in comparison to open threads on forums, ask yourself too, why in your passing day you see so few people reading those books you aspire to write for them now..."
> 
> . . . .
> 
> "...could it be that those readers don't like the fact that however one looked at it, those blogs were not about their readers but instead they were centered upon their author each time...



People don't read blogs because they're slow, unpredictable, boring, a chore.  Because they're updated infrequently, they take too long before you start to connect.  If I had six hours of a web-guru's time I would create something that's a bit more than a blog to promote a book, it's true.  But I think you're wrong; it's not because blogs are personal.  If anything, that's the strength of a good blog, and why many of them do, in fact, do very well.

Also, the hit count on forums is highly inflated.  Every time a thread is updated with a new post, every viewer gets to count _again_ as a unique view.


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## fleamailman (Jan 1, 2012)

("...wrong, because the book, the blog, and the forum are all cross promotional here..." replied the goblin, who winged his posts in brackets and published without them, adding "...and what your readers see of you here, is just as important as your blog is, if not moreso even, why, because readers quickly want to talk to you as an equal where these posts we see here, are as much you to them as anything else is, simply _as your posts go so goes you by them_ now...", and with that the goblin repeated the other point that the average person does not have to the time to read at length, explaining "...I'm sure you don't need me to remind you once more how that bookworld is going, instead the question is who is going to become known across forumland by their posts alone where the readers numbers are actually growing and where they seem starved of content, and yes, this won't make you a penny for you either, but I'm anonymous so my motives were never _fame and fortune_ here...")


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## Devor (Jan 1, 2012)

fleamailman said:


> "...and what your readers see of you here, is just as important as your blog is, if not moreso even, why, because readers quickly want to talk to you as an equal where these posts we see here, are as much you to them as anything else is, simply _as your posts go so goes you by them_ now..."



Well, not really.  Very little of what's posted here has anything to do with the actual quality of your book, and nobody cares about speaking to an author they've never heard of.  What you need is to _direct_ people to a location that will help you to _hook_ them on your book.  A forum post is not itself the hook.


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## fleamailman (Jan 1, 2012)

("...agree to disagree then..." replied the goblin, thinking the author had better start doing posts to the quality of their books then, explaining "...because if I knew that I had found a great author on this forum and got him chatting to me too, well, I'd find that very interesting indeed, knowing too that I would never get that _off the camera_ moment either on his blog where few readers visit anyway, or just by sending him a letter, which no one does these days...", so no, the goblin didn't want to go to the blog upon reading the book, no, instead he wanted to meet the author in his posts on an even keel here, and if the goblin felt that way, then he suspected that those humans might try their luck now, adding "...your readership are not readersheep, they will wade through the forums to find their preferred author unguarded...")


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## sashamerideth (Jan 1, 2012)

How's that working out for the Goblin then? I've been around quite a few forums, not always as Sashamerideth, and have seen my share of people claiming to be social media experts with nothing to show for it. I've seen someone who has never completed a book, or never work for a publisher, claim to be an expert on getting published. As he was a moderator with a free swinging ban-hammer, those that knew better couldn't correct him without having their post deleted, edited, or permanently banned from the forum. 

The Goblin is easy enough to find, his mannerisms stick out in forums, but that's all I've been able to find. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the advice seems sound, and the Goblin is quite friendly, if mischievous. It's one man's (Goblin's?) opinion. 

Seems to me the truth of it is, we need to be active in the community, we need to have other places where our writing can be found and purchased. Even if we play by the book and even make new rules, we may never sell more than to just our family. I'm only starting to branch out, but I want to make sure that I am doing the best I can.

Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


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## Devor (Jan 1, 2012)

fleamailman said:


> ("...agree to disagree then..." replied the goblin, thinking the author had better start doing posts to the quality of their books then, explaining "...because if I knew that I had found a great author on this forum and got him chatting to me too, well, I'd find that very interesting indeed...
> 
> . . .
> 
> ...so no, the goblin didn't want to go to the blog upon reading the book, no, instead he wanted to meet the author in his posts on an even keel here...



I'm writing a story about Breldin the gardener and talking in a forum to you about web-marketing strategies.  A little bit of a genre cross there, don't you think?

_How_ can my posts here _hook_ someone onto a story?  All I can do is use my personality to _direct_ them to another website that might actually have enough information about the book to do that.  Admittedly, I probably wouldn't use a blog, per say.  I would set up a site with character profiles, sample chapters, short stories, the world map, a bestiary, any details I might have about the setting, writing tips, and so on - in fact, it would probably include _both_ a blog _and_ a forum.

But anything I posted away from that location?  All about directing them there.  If people want to ask me about the book, let them ask on _my site_, where they can be inundated with the material I've created, and not somewhere else.


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## fleamailman (Jan 1, 2012)

> How's that working out for the Goblin then? I've been around quite a few forums, not always as Sashamerideth, and have seen my share of people claiming to be social media experts with nothing to show for it. I've seen someone who has never completed a book, or never work for a publisher, claim to be an expert on getting published. As he was a moderator with a free swinging ban-hammer, those that knew better couldn't correct him without having their post deleted, edited, or permanently banned from the forum.
> The Goblin is easy enough to find, his mannerisms stick out in forums, but that's all I've been able to find. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the advice seems sound, and the Goblin is quite friendly, if mischievous. It's one man's (Goblin's?) opinion.
> Seems to me the truth of it is, we need to be active in the community, we need to have other places where our writing can be found and purchased. Even if we play by the book and even make new rules, we may never sell more than to just our family. I'm only starting to branch out, but I want to make sure that I am doing the best I can.


("...easy to find indeed, for one only has to goggle my username and up comes those forums I am on..." replied the goblin, enjoying this thread and this forum for its rapport, adding "...where my readership adding up those forums now, speaks for itself, substantiating me perhaps, but doesn't actually mean anything because at best I will become a known unknown across forumland, or at very least if would have been an adventure by it, I mean does anyone on this forum have a thread that make a hundred hits per post I wonder, or a thread with 25555hits for 307posts, but I'm not the _livewriter_ with the highest hitcount, nor the most famous one either, no in fact I'm just another poster like yourself, save that whatever I am I am not me here pointing to elsewhere, naming names or linking links in signatures, I'm merely_ me by my posts_ now, well can I ever be anything else I wonder where I am anonymous on forumland...")


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## fleamailman (Jan 1, 2012)

> I'm writing a story about Breldin the gardener and talking in a forum to you about web-marketing strategies. A little bit of a genre cross there, don't you think? How can my posts here hook someone onto a story? All I can do is use my personality to direct them to another website that might actually have enough information about the book to do that. Admittedly, I probably wouldn't use a blog, per say. I would set up a site with character profiles, sample chapters, the world map, a bestiary, any details I might have about the setting, writing tips, and so on - in fact, it would probably include both a blog and a forum.But anything I posted away from that location? All about directing them there. If people want to ask me about the book, let them ask on my site, where they can be inundated with the material I've created, and not somewhere else.



("...how about giving them a taste of yourself within your posts, where it's as if you all write as you weren't writers at all..." replied the goblin, noting that nothing stopped anyone here form varying their writing style form the norm, or from adding pictures, or from storing their posts to polish into something more in tune to what they were originally getting at, simply your posts are very _human like_ humans, sorry, so where is the mystic scribe within your posts...", and with that the goblin returned to something before, saying "...if a mod or admin bans you, just move to another forum that is more tolerant of you, where you can then show how wrong that first forum was by producing that very same readership on the second forum that was denied to you on the first forum, where there are more forums on forumland than stars in the night's sky...", at which point that sandman showed up with a big bag marked goblin again and some sleepydust too, so the goblin adding "...I'll be back in the morning Zzzzzzz...")


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## Devor (Jan 1, 2012)

fleamailman said:


> "...how about giving them a taste of yourself within your posts, where it's as if you all write as you weren't writers at all..." replied the goblin, noting that nothing stopped anyone here form varying their writing style form the norm, or from adding pictures, or from storing their posts to polish into something more in tune to what they were originally getting at, simply your posts are very _human like_ humans, sorry, so where is the mystic scribe within your posts..."



So . . . we're supposed to give a taste of ourselves while hiding behind a persona and pictures or posts that are really designed to be updated later in a guide or a blog?  I really like your creativity, here, but I think that's the wrong promotional mix.  A forum isn't really a great medium for narration, especially when people expect you to be yourself, and a content or posting style which conflicts with basic expectations is going to be more jarring and unappealing to potential readers than a simple, common link in your signature.

I will say one thing for forums.  They're great for developing a voice that you can translate into your blogs, which will help you write faster and update more often.




> "...if a mod or admin bans you, just move to another forum that is more tolerant of you...



If you're doing something that warrants being banned - and I don't know that you are, mind you - then you're doing something wrong.


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Jan 1, 2012)

I have so much trouble reading fmm's posts that I really have no idea what he's trying to say. Can anyone else summarize?


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## Devor (Jan 1, 2012)

Benjamin Clayborne said:


> I have so much trouble reading fmm's posts that I really have no idea what he's trying to say. Can anyone else summarize?



Essentially, he thinks:
 - Forums are replacing blogs as a web medium because forums speak directly to other individuals while blogs are too much about the writer.
 - Your forum posts will be more important than your blog because readers want to talk to you as an equal.
 - Forum posts should match the quality of your book, that he would hunt down a great author if he found him
 - After reading a book, he would rather meet the author on a forum than a blog.
 - Nobody's preventing us from doing creative things with our posts to give people a taste of our skill
 - He is storing his posts to update later and, _I think_, post them on something like a blog.
 - Apparently he's been banned or is worried about being banned somewhere and will or has, at such point, just move on.
 - He doesn't like people who link in their signatures.

My apologies if I've missed something or made any mistakes; they're really not an easy read.

What I've been saying is that your forum posts will be so different from your work that they won't really hook readers by themselves.  You need to use your forum posts, your reputation, your "likability" factor, to direct people to a location which will hook readers because it's actually kind of about you and your book.


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## Telcontar (Jan 1, 2012)

> My apologies if I've missed something or made any mistakes; they're really not an easy read.



At least you read them. I stopped bothering to try. 

I think the general thing he's getting at is that encountering an author on the forums is sort of like meeting them at a bar - hanging out, mixing with them in an informal way. There's a lot to be said for such interaction. I think he underestimates the fact that - much like at a bar - there are a bunch of other people there, many of whom are annoying or also vying for the person's time and attention. Blogs on the other hand are focused on the audience - more formal, but you get what you expect.

Doing creative things with our posts is well and good, but his 'creative thing' has made his posts too much trouble to read to bother with. Seems counterproductive. A forum thread is not a collaborative story (except those that, you know, _are_). It is a discussion. Communication should be simple and direct.


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## Devor (Jan 1, 2012)

Telcontar said:


> Doing creative things with our posts is well and good, but his 'creative thing' has made his posts too much trouble to read to bother with. Seems counterproductive. A forum thread is not a collaborative story (except those that, you know, _are_). It is a discussion. Communication should be simple and direct.



I once put together a story in a forum.  We created fictional accounts for the characters involved and created a thread where each post was a character commenting on the events happening around them.  It was a battle scene, so certain characters would post narrative scenes from the battle, but each post developed the story a bit.  I remember one post went through a series of "communications" showing how the battle was getting steadily worse.  It was pretty cool.


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## Benjamin Clayborne (Jan 2, 2012)

Devor said:


> Essentially, he thinks:
> - Forums are replacing blogs as a web medium because forums speak directly to other individuals while blogs are too much about the writer.
> - Your forum posts will be more important than your blog because readers want to talk to you as an equal.
> - Forum posts should match the quality of your book, that he would hunt down a great author if he found him
> ...



Hah, thanks, you just saved me a lot of trouble.


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## fleamailman (Jan 2, 2012)

(and with that the goblin returned looked over the posts and just continued, by saying "...there now, if any potential reader turns up they'll understand your thinking better now, so a lot can be said for this...", and yet, too many things had been said for the goblin to reply to all of them it seemed. so instead he just answered a few of the points, saying "...if you go back to one of sashamerideth's posts, he recounts that there was a mod who banned one solely on not being liked by him, so no, it's often nothing to do with whether one's writing is wrong and everything to do with whether one is accepted or not, so simply my advice remains that of non compromise where if the price is too high or where one is banned just move on anyway without regret, if simply because you will outlive all those forums you're on like I have those bbs boards of way back now, none of them remain, but I'm still here you see...", and then the goblin smiled, replying to Telcontar "...these posts are not what I publish, I think the hitcount of what I publish runs into hundreds if not thousands of readers by now, where my being anonymous means I'm not interested in creating a readership like you, so now, if this is communication between us and I don't want a readership too, then what do I want you're asking, me, I want a replyship now, why, because you don't want to read this either, no, you want to form your own reply back to me now, so welcome to forumland dear reader/authors...")


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## Xanados (Jan 2, 2012)

Okay, I'm sorry, but I'm finding Fleamailman's posts to be rather obnoxious now. I didn't even find them intriguing in the first place. I don't think we should have somone on the forums who doesn't speak with even a modicum of coherency. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is true. He/she doesn't even add any clarity to the topic on which she is commenting.


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## sashamerideth (Jan 2, 2012)

Xanados, could I get your opinion on the current state of my blog? It currently needs work, more posts, more information, etc.,  and I'd like to know what people think it needs.

Edit: I plan on additional information fir each story. Longer synopsis, character info, maybe more status updates. 

Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


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## Xanados (Jan 2, 2012)

sashamerideth said:


> Xanados, could I get your opinion on the current state of my blog? It currently needs work, more posts, more information, etc.,  and I'd like to know what people think it needs.
> 
> Edit: I plan on additional information fir each story. Longer synopsis, character info, maybe more status updates.
> 
> Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


Sasha, I think your blog is okay. I think that it could benefit with a more interesting theme, but if you want it to be spartan, I think that is quite alright. I'm certainly not an authority on this, but you can check out my blog which currently doesn't have anything on it. I think adding a picture banner that relates to your interests is a good idea. I dislike the standard blog themes. 

Your "writing resources" post is quite nice. I'd make sure to put in your word processor of choice because some words are mispelled. The first word I noticed was the contraction "don't".


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## The Blue Lotus (Jan 2, 2012)

Xanados said:


> Okay, I'm sorry, but I'm finding Fleamailman's posts to be rather obnoxious now. I didn't even find them intriguing in the first place. I don't think we should have somone on the forums who doesn't speak with even a modicum of coherency. I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is true. He/she doesn't even add any clarity to the topic on which she is commenting.



Agreed, I stuck them on my ignore list days ago...  
I just don't have time to wade through the filler stuff to figure out what they are trying to say.


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## sashamerideth (Jan 2, 2012)

Rats, I guess I really can't proofread my own stuff  I will get that cleaned up.

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## The Blue Lotus (Jan 2, 2012)

Sasha, 
I checked out your site last night... Looked nice and normal. I read fluent typo so I missed what Xan seen. 
However, I presume it is a WIP?
It seems a little too safe, dull etc., when you consider that I know how vibrant your work is. Just stuck me as odd is all but, that is just my Opinion.


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## sashamerideth (Jan 2, 2012)

Thanks for the look. I am going to try to tweak the layout and theme.  I am also working on a third post, first experiences with Amazon KDP. Hasn't gone as well as planned, so I wanted to talk about it. 

I like spartan blogs, lots of white space, just the content. No ads.  A whole redesign will take a while to get right. Right now, it is a standard template with a few tweaks. 

I haven't figured out how to make it as vibrant and interesting as my stories and posts here.  The blog is a bit more formal than I like, maybe it's my attitude that needs to change. 



			
				The Blue Lotus said:
			
		

> Sasha,
> I checked out your site last night... Looked nice and normal. I read fluent typo so I missed what Xan seen.
> However, I presume it is a WIP?
> It seems a little too safe, dull etc., when you consider that I know how vibrant your work is. Just stuck me as odd is all but, that is just my Opinion.



Sent from my Blade using Forum Runner


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## Devor (Jan 2, 2012)

sashamerideth said:


> Thanks for the look. I am going to try to tweak the layout and theme.  I am also working on a third post, first experiences with Amazon KDP. Hasn't gone as well as planned, so I wanted to talk about it.
> 
> I like spartan blogs, lots of white space, just the content. No ads.  A whole redesign will take a while to get right. Right now, it is a standard template with a few tweaks.
> 
> ...



You should post more about your work directly and not just about the writing process.  What did you write recently, are you happy with it, are you learning new things about your characters, did something surprising happen in the story that you weren't expecting - that sort of thing.  You shouldn't give too much away, but that's what you should talk about if you want a wider audience to connect with your work.  You want _fans_, not just followers.


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## fleamailman (Jan 2, 2012)

("...any chance of seeing some excerpts of you blog on this forum then..." asked the goblin now)


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## Black Dragon (Jan 2, 2012)

fleamailman said:


> ("...any chance of seeing some excerpts of you blog on this forum then..." asked the goblin now)



As long as they are brief excerpts, that may be fine.  See the following item from our site guidelines:

*3.  Avoiding Duplicate Content*

Please do not repost anything which has previously been posted elsewhere  on the Internet (including your own sites or blogs).  Google has a  policy of penalizing sites which repost content which has already  appeared on other sites, and this could result in serious consequences  for our community.

If you wish to share an excerpt from an article or page which is located  on another site, the excerpt must be no longer that 3-5 sentences, and  must include a link back to the original article.


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## sashamerideth (Jan 2, 2012)

fleamailman said:
			
		

> ("...any chance of seeing some excerpts of you blog on this forum then..." asked the goblin now)



OK then, have a preview of an as-yet unpublished article. I don't know what the forum software will do with my tags, may have to edit it again. Posting it as it came out of my blogger phone editor so it may go horribly wrong. 


I've added in the rest of my crew complement in episode two. I need to revise them a bit, they may be a bit too stereotypical for my liking.

The first to make an appearance is Ferrer. He is the ship's mechanic. I will admit to lifting his character straight from a few of the Ghibli Studio films. He is similar in personality to Kamaji, the boiler man from Spirited Away, and the Dola Gang mechanic from Laputa Castle in the Sky. This mechanically inclined character seems to be a recurring theme in the Ghibli films, especially those where flight is a central theme. There is a similar character in Porco Rosso, and probably others. He is sympathetic to Rosy's plight, he has known her longer than anyone else, and just like her, he came with the ship.


edit: here's the link to where this came from, now that my blog post is up.


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## mythique890 (Jan 2, 2012)

I like reading favorite authors' blogs. Blogging isn't so formal that there's no interaction between author and audience; that's what the comment section is for.  This is just me, but if I were a well-known author I'd probably prefer to be anonymous on forums like this so I could get unbiased advice and reviews from my peers.  I think for those of us who are trying to establish ourselves, a blog is the best bet.

I've "watched" a friend of mine create a blog and become pretty successful at it.  Last time I asked, which was a year ago or more, she was getting 7,000+ hits per month, and I'm sure she's getting more now.  If anyone is interested, here's what I've learned from her:

1) Start commenting on popular blogs that have a high volume of traffic.  Many of them allow you to link your own posts, which will start bringing a higher volume of traffic to your blog.  Build a relationship with well-known bloggers so that they will mention your blog in a post, link to your blog, twitter, or facebook page, or (best of all) allow you to guest post on their blog.

2) Create a facebook page that people can "like" and always post a link to your blog entries as you put them up.  Post a link to twitter for every new blog entry, as well.

3) Most importantly, have something for people to read so that you keep the traffic coming.  Post twice a week minimum.  Four posts would be even better.  My friend posts five times a week on average.  When people comment on your blog, respond!  Especially in the beginning.

If anyone wants to take a look and see what she's doing, her blog is called Musings of a Marfan Mom.  It's a blog about parenting special needs kids while being special needs yourself, so it's not about writing, but it's a great example of how to create and maintain a successful blog.  Recently she's guest posted on WebMD and some other sites, so obviously she's build a decent name for herself.  It seems to me that it's all about putting in the time (it takes more than you'd think) and self-promotion.  Anyway, this is what I've observed and what she's told me.


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## sashamerideth (Jan 4, 2012)

Two more posts up. I really need to get my first episode ready, need to take it off Amazon, noticed a dozen typographical errors on my last read. Oops.


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## fleamailman (Jan 5, 2012)

("...that is why reposting is so important then, basically it's air/edit/backup, as in _people take interest, you edit your typos, and there's a copy somewhere in case of mishap_..." mentioned the goblin again, adding "...better if you also have a universal avatar across forums too, because the lines between _the work the forum and the author_ are blurring as we speak now, and if the reader won't go to your work then your work must come to the reader...")


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## Xanados (Jan 7, 2012)

Since this is the only operating blog thread I can find at the minute and I've got a question: is anyone named Graham Irwin from MS? If you're Graham, please reply. I'm just curious because you left a nice comment on my blog.


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