This has helped clarify what it is I need to do in order to figure out what can I presence I should have on the net. I will be doin’ some old fashioned barn-storming ON papper to decide what it is that I seem to really need to do!

I’ve heard cross pollination success stories, all from pollination on blogs. So I have to think that there’s still much milage to be had here. But the passion needs to be there. You can spot the fake a mile away.

Today I read an interesting article that supposed the death of blogging as a result of twitter, and expands on Brenda’s post.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/05/20/technology/the_end_of_blogging.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009052011

It is interesting that at this point in time so many folks in different walks are coming to the same kinds of realization. Makes you wonder what’s next?

As to my site: I update the web site only when something new is happening, else I think I’d drive myself nuts.

Promotion has always been a challenge, and I think the trick with it is to try and stay sane at the same time you’re working smart, so trying to drill down on your return on investment is a smart strategy.

You also have to ask yourself: at what point is it all white noise? I find a lot of it to be just that. I had dropped out of on line activity because of family concerns regarding moves, and deaths and such. So now as I dip back in, where am I going? To the solid sites and communites that I’ve enjoyed in the past. I don’t know that they get me readers, but I do know I get myself renewal value from them: good posts, things to think on, to link to, to talk about.

I find that I prefer blogs to lists. The lists seem to be a lot of what I mentioned earlier: white noise. I like the blogs, and have bought books as a result, because it gives me a peek inside someone else’s head space. So if I find them interesting, or connect, and they’ve written a book, or suggest one, chances are high I’ll put it on my list to ‘check it out’.

All those messages to friend, and go here and there, twit and be fruitful – it’s like a tidal wave to me right now, and I am glad to know I’m not alone in that perception.

Again, wow, what a great post!!!!!

I feel like I belong to everything: FaceBook, MySpace, Shelfari, LibraryThing, GoodReads, publishedauthors.ning, bookblogs.ning… among others. Myspace frustrates me, I loathe FaceBook and rarely update the others. The only one I enjoy is BookBlogs. My website is up-to-date, and I blog fairly often.

I don’t tweet, don’t ask me. I shudder at the thought of staying so connected, and I just know how anal I’d get about tweeting, so I won’t be joining Twitter.

It’s all just too much, and I will be taking your advice! I need to find my sanity, because it is cutting into my writing time and distracting me from my writing goals.

I need to prioritize.

I do updates on my website when I get a new contract (generally once a year), have definite info on title/release dates, get a new cover, or when the book’s been through line edits and I can safely post an excerpt. So…maybe 3 or 4 times a year. As long as the site shares with readers everything *I* know, I figure it’s good. My Tweets go to what used to be my blog, which I know is a copout but I’m just blogged out.

Random pithy observations, I can do. Regular essays, however, take way too much time and energy.

Twitter (for fun with my buds) and Facebook (which serves several purposes: writer and reader connection as well as reconnection with old schoolmates, which is fantastic) are my social networking drugs of choice. Ditched MySpace several weeks ago (”cumbersome” is right!). I do participate on a few select reader/author venues (like here), so I figure my name’s out there.

But, yeah, we need to stop the madness. Every author has to decide which online promo methods best suit HER needs, and not succumb to the pressure to be everywhere, all the time. IMO, the only “must” is an easy-to-navigate website with info on all your books, upcoming as well as backlist, with excerpts and availability. Everything else should be on an as-needed basis.