Networking

Since I first had a book published I’ve been working my behind off to promote myself and my work and a large part of that has been networking. Once upon a time social networking was being charming to people at a cocktail party, but life is more random (and, some would argue, less glamorous) these days and the world of networking has the emphasis firmly on the ‘net’ now.


First on my list was Myspace. Apparently it’s the site de-rigeur for the teen generation, but I have to admit it falls somewhat short of my expectations. A clonky interface, complex to navigate, constantly having to sign in again and it’s hard to find people you know. I have an account, but I hate having to check it and rarely update my blog on there.


Secondly was the obvious choice as far as I was concerned: Facebook. I love Facebook, have used it before and set up a writing-specific account within moments. Since then I’ve had fun logging in and adding all sorts of whojits and gadgets to suit my use. Possibly my favourite so far is their blog-following widget, which does exactly as it says on the tin.


I’m not sure if blogging can be rightly called social networking, especially since I’m having trouble finding other, similar blogs, or even getting people to comment on here! Still, I suppose it gets me out there, somewhere…


Manic Readers is a more specific site, but so far I’m finding it excellent as a promotional tool and great fun to update, too. I can add my books, links, bio and free reads to my ‘author page’ as well as photos and audio clips. It does reviews, interviews and other fun, writerly things – I love it!


I’m still getting the hang of this networking malarkey. I do wonder how many people on Facebook got offended when a slutty erotic author added them as a ‘friend’ out of the blue, but that’s not really my problem – they can always hit ‘ignore’! I’m always looking for new friends, buddies or fans, however, so why not hunt me down on a networking site and add me in – I very rarely hit ‘ignore’…