The first Wednesday of the month means it's time for another meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. This month's co-hosts are M. Pax, Karen Walker, and Melissa Maygrove.
During last month's IWSG, Ciara Knight posted about wanting to connect more with readers on her blog. This is an issue I've been thinking about a great deal. I feel very fortunate to have connected with so many writers through the blogosphere and I wouldn't trade the experience of being part of this amazing group for anything. But I also know I need to do more to connect with readers, most of whom are probably not writers and not part of the online writing community. As writers, we obviously want to reach as many readers as possible.
For me this issue brings up dreaded words like marketing and promotion. To say I am insecure about these things is an understatement. For months now I have been saying I am going to work more on marketing through social media, but I never seem to actually do it. It is definitely easier to say than to do! And I admit I have been guilty of practicing avoidance simply because the topic fills me with so much dread and insecurity. I often feel like there is just so much "noise" online that it's very hard to feel as if I am doing anything but yelling out into the abyss when I am using social media.
But the start of August has reminded me that 2013 is flying by and I really need to stop wasting time and kick myself out of the summer doldrums. While I still want to make better use of social media and stop just talking about it, I also realize that my blog is the place I feel most comfortable and the internet home that suits me the best. So I am also going to blog more regularly and get into a routine of posting about a variety of topics. I'm actually making a list of possible topics and blogging prompts to help me get my butt in gear.
I know marketing is something many writers dislike. If you are one of those writers like I am, are there things you have tried that have helped you overcome this problem? What marketing and promotion methods work best for you?
Thanks as always to Alex for hosting this great group. :)
