Social(ly Awkward) Media Part #4: The Changing Tides of Awkward (Shout Out edition)

   Hey folks! Remember me? I'm the author who can't write, promote, and manage a blog at the same time, so one of those things has to suffer. Okay, two of those things, if I'm being honest, but one of them always seems to be this blog. But I'm back for now and devoid of empty promises, so let's get right down to the meaty bits: It's time once again to talk about how social media has and has not worked for me.

   Now, this fourth edition of Social(ly Awkward) Media is special because it is also the Shout Out edition. What does that mean? Well, I'm going to be giving a special shout out to two lovely ladies who have helped me navigate this crazy world of tweets and shares and likes, oh my! But first, let's look at the platforms and what has changed...

Facebook
   I'm not gonna lie to you folks. What was at one time my simple to use, go-to social media platform is sucking eggs these days. And by that, I am not even talking about the absurd restrictions that were put in place this year to encourage 'vendor' pages like my own to pay for boosted ads. I'm talking about the fact that at some point, despite having my push notifications turned on, I receive no notifications from Facebook if there is interaction on my page. That means if you comment, like, post to my wall, or send me a private message, I have no way of knowing this unless I am looking at Facebook. Unfortunately, I can't spend all day refreshing Facebook and still get any writing done, so I tend to miss most interactions. Not only does this make me look like I don't  care, but it also means that I might also miss spammy posts to my page that may contain malicious code or simply unpleasant content.  Because of this, I've limited myself to one post per day, scheduled for 7:30 am Central time. For anyone who would like to contact me directly, well, read on...

Twitter
   I'd like to say that this is the year I finally got the hang of Twitter, but let's face it, I will never get Twitter. That said, I am finding that this is a fantastic place to connect in bite sized pieces to other authors. If someone has something to say, I will retweet it. If I have something to say, I can reasonably expect that some kind souls will retweet my blathering. The kind souls who are getting a shout out below are the ones who have done some extensive hand-holding for me as I earned my Twitter wings.

Goodreads
   In a surprising upset, Goodreads has become my favorite social media platform. It only took me a solid two years to figure it out, but now I can say that I'm actually a part of something awesome. Granted, it should come as no surprise that the social media platform meant to be used exclusively by readers and authors would be my favorite. After all, I am both a reader and an author. But I'm not going to lie here either. There are some dark places on all social media and Goodreads is no different. Fortunately for me, I have been able to find the beacons of light in the darkness. Early last month, I even participated in a Goodreads-based online convention for authors and had a blast. I met many amazing and talented people and next year's convention is already in the works. Of course, I can't mention Goodreads without mentioning the latest group to accept me and for some crazy reason, trust me with grown up responsibilities, so let's move right into the shout outs, shall we?

Support for Indie Authors

   Support for Indie Authors, or the SIA, which is not only shorter, but can be used to include other artists, is a Goodreads group that was started by one woman with a vision. Her vision was to... well, it was to support indie authors, obviously! But really, it's so much more than that. What began with featuring authors on a few blogs and offering reviews has ballooned into a one stop shop for any and all resources that indie authors could ever ask for.All indie authors as well as readers and reviewers are welcome to join. The only thing we ask is that you check your attitude at the door. We want all authors who come through the SIA to have a positive and uplifting experience. Even Herbie has gotten in on the action:

Ann Livi Andrews

   Ann is the mastermind behind the SIA. She's fantasy author who has dedicated herself to helping other indie authors navigate the crazy world of publishing, marketing, and all the other little things that come along with this business. Ann has has done a remarkable job at keeping the group going and growing. 

And last but certainly not least...

Chess Desalls

I've mentioned Chess before when I reviewed her debut book The Travel Glasses. All that marketing and promotional hand-holding that I was talking about above? That's mostly Chess. She's become my marketing fairy godmother. Were it not for her, I may never have heard of the author convention and I certainly would not have had the opportunity to be interviewed live on Friday evening. 

Oh yes, I suppose I need to mention that as well! This Friday, May 8th, I am going to be making my first live interview appearance on fellow author S. Evan Townsend's show, Speculative Fiction Cantina. The show will begin at 6pm Eastern. The show is roughly one hour and will feature me and another author. As part of the show, I will be reading an excerpt from one of my books, so if you want to hear some awful acting as I read a segment from Bogie's debut chapter, tune in!

If you can't, no worries, an archived file will be available after the show.