It’s that time of year again.  The Children have hung their stockings by the fireplace with care and I’m on my fifth rum and eggnog.  Ah, the holidays!

But what do I really want for Christmas?  Should I go with the tried and true “Peace on Earth and good will towards men (and women)”?  I think I’ll pass on that one because that’s something I wish for every single day.

Should I ask for a new job?  Yup, that’s right at the top of the list if for no other reason than it is tough to do the things you love if you don’t have any money to do them with.  I’ll call that one an obvious request and move on.  After all, I’m allowed more than one item on the list aren’t I?

I suppose I could ask for several new toys:  iPod touch, new Macbook Pro, a good microphone for podcasting, but those things aren’t necessary for me to be successful in my writing.  I already have enough tools to get the job done.  Those things would only be shiny things to play with.

What do I really need?  Hmmm.  The question requires some thought.

I could ask for a publishing contract, but those things need to be earned.  Instead, how about I ask for a better writing routine?  Perhaps I should also ask for an innate and powerful ability to edit my own work to make it something better?  And while I’m at it, I want the charisma to charm everyone I come in contact with to want to follow me on twitter and facebook, read my work and listen to my upcoming podcast.

Now I’m talking.

Oh yes, and one last wish:  I want my new podcast to be something people find useful.  And I want it to help me to grow as a writer and make the transition from amateur writer to professional author and podcaster.

Those are my Christmas wishes for myself.  And for you, I wish for a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Happy Holidays!

Personal Update

I am very excited to report that I have finished the rough edits on my first episode of my podcast.  I am doing the post-production work on it right now.  I am also writing the next two episodes for recording in the next week or so (I’m following the advice to have several episodes in the can before I release my first one).  My targeted release timeframe in third week in January.  That will give me time to work out all the bugs (I hope).

The podcast is titled “Get Published” and is intended to help the fledgling writer get his or her work into print (mine included).  It will offer tips and tricks to contacting publishers successfully, interviews with established and up-and-coming authors as to how they achieved their success and will answer those nagging questions many new authors have.  I’m excited to report that I already have one publisher willing to help on the project.

I have already received one early Christmas present.  Jack Jaffee of 12 Volt Theater fame cut me a promo for my new podcast.  It was totally unexpected and full of awesomeness.  You should check Jack’s work out at http://www.12vtheater.com/ if you haven’t already done so.

Have a safe and joyous holiday!

The days when an author’s only job was to write books and leave everything else to the publisher are long over if they ever existed at all.  I learned that long before I had any aspirations to become a professional writer.  If this is a revelation to you, sorry for the spoiler, but it’s time to face reality.

The reality is, authors have to wear many hats:  writer, publicist, marketer, spokesperson and advertiser.  Some publishers are able to help out with some of the aforementioned activities, but the truth of the situation is, most publishers have limited dollars to spend on a single book’s promotion.  That means it’s up to you, the author, to promote your book.  When you think about it, who better to do so than the individual who wrote it?

The question becomes how to do it?

In the old days (let’s call it pre-Web 2.0) authors could do television, newspaper and radio interviews.  An author could go to schools, libraries and bookstores to do signings.  Publishers might have money for advertising, but those were the majority of available choices.

The Internet brought a few more alternatives.  Writers could blog and create web pages and publishers could do the same.  Advertising went online.  The problem was getting people to see what was out there.  Search engines could be tweaked to make it easier for people to find the material, but the key was getting them to look for it.

Then along came web sites and applications that we would now recognize as Web 2.0:  MySpace, Instant Messaging and Skype, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Second Life, podcasting; authors could interact with readers in a way they never could before.  Even with all the Web 2.0 technology, the same old problem are still there; for people to find you, they need to know you exist.

That isn’t a big problem for established authors.  Their fans will always find them because they know about them.  For a first-time author or even worse, one who isn’t yet published, the challenge becomes one of discovery. 

The same questions come up that you would have asked in the old days.  How do you let people know about you and your books?  Who should you talk to?  When should you start talking about yourself and your work?

In other words, new technology, same old problems.

A new breed of author is using the social aspect of Web 2.0 (or social media) to involve existing fans and entice new ones.  Podcasts are one medium where authors are sharing their expertise to the masses and gaining audiences for their books.  Books are being podcast to get new followers.  Facebook groups and MySpace pages have sprung up to reach readers in different ways.

With all the new tools at an author’s disposal it should be easy to gain readers, shouldn’t it?  I suspect if you asked any podcaster if the amount of effort to self-promote has gone down they would probably laugh.

The truth is, Web 2.0 is not a magic bullet to success.  Any of the people who have achieved success because of it have done so with a lot of hard work.  The real benefit of it is with that hard work you have the opportunity to reach a global audience.  You are able to connect with the people in a profoundly personal way.  The possible downside is that you will share more of yourself than you would have in the old days.  For some, that is a scary thought.

The question then becomes, how do I help people to find me?  For you social butterflies out there the answer may be terrifying.  Just like in the old days, you have to reach out to strangers and say hello.  Oh sure, you can start with people you know and be introduced to others through them, but eventually you need to take the plunge and say hello to someone you don’t know.  I said it was scary, didn’t I?

Just keep in mind that the person on the other end of the connection is probably shy too.

There is one more thing to ask yourself.  When should I start networking via social media?  My own suggestion is start immediately.  So what if your masterpiece is still an idea in your head.  Making friends takes time and social media is all about connecting with people and making friends.  When the day comes that your first or fifteenth book is coming out, your friends will be there to congratulate and support you.

Now with all the wonder that is Web 2.0 (or social media), should you forget about the traditional methods of promotion?  Not at all!  I personally believe that the new tools are there to enhance and supplement the tried and true.  Making a living as a full-time writer is difficult at best.  I know several authors who supplement their living with school visits, conferences and teaching.  For most people that means tapping into the local market.  To properly access that market you need to use more traditional methods of promotion.

Make sense?  It can be pretty daunting, I know.  The best way to approach it is in baby steps.  Pick something you know and work forward from there.  If you know someone who is already doing it, get him or her to show you the ropes.  You’ll be glad you did. 

What methods are you using to promote yourself and/or your writing?  I’d love to hear from you.

Personal Update

Just got a rejection back for ‘Summer Camp Secrets’.  It’s only the second rejection so I have plenty more to go before it finds a home .  I’ll be sending it out again in the next day or so.

Editing is going well on my fantasy novel.  I’m more than half-way through the major edit.

Have a terrific week and a fantastic holiday!