To self-promote or not, that is the question.
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I just finished an interesting article. It was much like a lecture I sat in on at last winter's residency at Lesley University - self-promoting and self-marketing. The idea of getting out there is a bit daunting and certainly can eat one's day, take time from writing, and connecting with people on a face to face basis. As I felt after the lecture, I bristle a bit at the idea that the writer must be master of all aspects of publishing from Writing to Marketing. If I'm going to market myself, the next step is to publish myself. Rather than take the time to rush into gaining a "following," I'm taking a more laid back approach; hence my note of caution to emerging writers.
I follow, look up, read, and occasionally post to sites mentioned in my alum group (The Marran Group) as well as those offered by She Writes. After all, once it's on the internet, you can't take it back. It was uncomfortable at first but I realized that what I had to say was important to me and I've found through feed-back, has been important to others. But I don't feel like I want to brand myself just yet as I would really like to avoid a brand. Terry Brooks, one of my favorites though his style is slipping (he killed off four characters in his last book), stated in an interview that his publishers want more of his Shannara series and he wants to write other things. He's been branded and thus, in some ways, limited. I wonder if Rowling will write again. She's mentioned that she's concerned with publishing again under her name as it will sell by name rather than by being good and she wants to be good.
As to "friending" unknown entities, I'm reminded of my mother's adage, "Don't talk to strangers." Now I do talk to strangers when I post and I do talk to strangers when I'm out and about, on planes, etc. but I like to feel some control of the situation. I'm not suggesting "stranger-danger" but I just don't "friend" people unless we have a mutual organization or mutual friends that I trust. It's too easy to get sucked into a bad situation.
Along with a fellow writers, I think that our time is best spent writing and honing and producing a good solid work. Many very popular writers were published first and marketed later - Rowling, Meyer, etc. I'll end with rewording another old adage, "The world will beat a path to the doorway of (S)he who builds a better mouse-trap or writes a better book."
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