Finding Readers

[Michael W. Sherer]

Thanks for all the feedback on my blog posts so far. Some great ideas here. One thing I've encountered that some of you web-savvy writers and readers might be able to shed light on is 1) where you find time to devote to blogging, reading blogs, posting on forums and updating your own pages; and 2) where you learn/find the expertise to make your MySpace page look good. I find that it can take so long for pages to load (especially on MySpace, but also here on CrimeSpace) even with cable Internet, that I can spend an hour or two online and get little done. I feel I'd be more productive spending that time writing. Comments?

[Laura Root]

I rarely bother reading MySpace for that reason; the all singing/all dancing multi-media experience makes pages soooo slow to load up. How about changing to Facebook, the page are usually simpler and quicker to load.

[Tony Berry]

If you really want to write, I guess you will find the time by giving it your priority. All else can wait, especially MySpace, which is probably the biggest time-waster yet invented since the internet arrived and began stealing our time from other, much more worthwhile, activities. I have time to write this because today I have both a hangover and a severe case of writer's block - after 63,000 words of my second book. But really I'd rather be sending my hero on to the denouement.

[Hazel Edwards]

One of the major challenges for a fulltime writer is time and energy management. Which 'administrivia' is strategic in terms of PR or markets and what is just procrastination is a personal decision. An online presence helps but only if it is linked back to your published titles and ultimate sales. I have an author website www.hazeledwards.com which is updated monthly, and has FAQs so I only write things once. I think the personal 'blogs' are less useful than quick paras or hints on strategically chosen 'peer' sites. I tend to use January to catch up on bibliographies, bios, online sites and majorly updating the web entries on my own and links to other sites which will make it easier for me to stay in touch or publicise books during the rest of the year, when I'm travelling frequently. However, writing can be isolated, and the opportunity of sharing skills with international colleagues can be psychologically helpful. But an author must sell ideas and words, and that's our 'core business' and 'freebie' blogging unless it is exploring techniques in preparation for work, can be seductively time wasting but fun. PS I've just been seduced into writing this!

[helen black]

My kids are in bed and the husband is out on the lash so gotta ask myself why I'm fannying about here rather than writing...I think all the blogging, forums etc are displacement activity. I know - I'm the queen of not getting on with the task in hand.

[Mari Sloan]

"Displacement activity". I love that term. Now I have a name for what I spend too much time doing.
;-p Mari

[Newt Love]

Duh, I must be stoopud.
What does "out on the lash" mean?
What does "fannying about here" mean?
I have a Samollian; can I buy a clue?

[helen black]

Hi Newt.
You aint stupid ...
'Out on the lash,' refers to evenings when Husband Who Lives In Hope meets up with old friends to chat and net work ie drink beer til he falls down.
'Fannying about' means not getting on with the job in hand which for a writer means going on Crime Space, checking your sales figures, emailing old boyfriends, reading 'how to write' books. In fact anything that doesn't involve actually getting the words of your new novel down.
HB

[Neil White]

Prevarication is a great skill. I could spend hours perfecting the art, but I would find something else to do instead.