My Experiences with Social Networking - So Far

Last week I touched briefly on the topic of social networking.  This week, I want to go into a little more detail.

Blogging, as I mentioned last week, is my way of communicating with my potential fan base.  Although I'm always willing to communicate directly with readers (and would very much like to do so), I usually write these posts without feedback, hoping to gain momentum as I go.  I don't really know what people are getting from my content (if anything), but as a writer it doesn't really hinder me to keep writing, regardless of feedback.

Maybe I should leave an email address:  jdh112683@yahoo.com

You can contact me directly through my email.  Let me know what you think about my blog, my reviews, my experiences, my upcoming book, or whatever you want to talk about.  I'd be happy to hear from you.

Blogging is the best forum to leave a lot of raw information.  Sure, I clean it up a little, but this is basically like writing in a journal.  I get to write about what's going on in my life, with my work, or whatever I feel like writing about.  It's an outlet for me, and a window into my life for readers.  I love it.

Twitter:  I haven't been very successful with Twitter, but at least it's not hard to use.  All I have to do is log on whenever something significant happens (or if I feel like shouting something into the digital realm).  The truth is, I'm not really sure what makes good Twitter content.  I know it has to be short, it shouldn't be spam, and it should invite communication between the tweeter and the followers.  Beyond that, I'm not sure.  I do my best, but I just haven't picked up steam yet.

Then, of course, there's Facebook.  I use Facebook, and have an author page, but I tend to use Facebook as a tool to communicate with other writers.  I talk to them, find out about their work, learn from them, network with them, and my life is better because of them.  It really does help to know other people with similar interests, especially if you're a writer.  The art of writing is often overlooked by those who aren't directly involved with it.

That's pretty much the extent of my social media presence.  I do have articles on Yahoo! Contributor Network, but I haven't been active on that site in a while.  I prefer writing fiction, although my YCN articles have brought home more money at this point.  It should be noted that I only have two short stories available at the moment, and I haven't really broke out of my stable when it comes to my independent publishing potential.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

So, what is good content for social media?  That's hard to say.  I would guess that there are as many opinions as there are people who use the sites.  With so many opinions, how does anyone know how to catch the attention of potential readers?

That's something I'd like feedback on, because I'm still not sure.  My plan has always been, to write.  I will write the fiction I feel inspired to write.  I will blog about what I think is relevant and interesting.  I will tweet the more significant moments of my writing career.  I will update Facebook in ways that inform my friends about what I'm doing, and what to expect.  I will do these things to the best of my ability, and learn more as I go.

Although tedious at times, I view social networking as an overall positive experience.  I would have never been able to network with the writers I've met without Facebook, and I cherish being able to share my thoughts by blogging about them.

I always want more feedback than I get, but I think that's probably true for anyone in my position.  Therefore, I sit back, continue to write, continue to connect, continue to learn, and invite the opinions of others to share in my personal journey as a writer.

Once again, to contact me directly:  jdh112683@yahoo.com