Do you ever reach a point in you blogging chores where you think, what am I going to write about? I do, with every blog. I ask myself who wants to hear what I think about anything. How much good does posting a picture of a book cover, blurb and excerpt do? Is it boring and something most people just skip over or don’t even bother to go look? What catches attention? What makes them read a short little thing and want them to read your book? If you think I’m going to answer any of these questions, you’re wrong. I don’t know. I just keep writing and hoping. I keep reading other people’s advice also. The amount of conflicting advice is almost as bad as politics. Everyone has a different opinion. Do loops, do conventions, do book fairs, join organizations, buy promo items, do book signings, social networking, do, do, do, and drive yourself crazy. I know. When I first started publishing, I tried doing it all and did nearly drive myself crazy. I belong to so many sites I don’t even remember all of them. At one time I was a member of nearly 100 yahoo groups and received hundreds of emails a day. I spend so many hours keeping up with them I never had time for writing even after I switched them to digests. I don’t believe I had time to do justice to any one site either. My advice, and admittedly this is from someone who doesn’t know all the answers, limit yourself to those pertaining the most to what you write. Several of the groups I belonged to were romance, but aimed at an erotic audience. Though some of mine are spicy, some are sweet, and I don’t write erotic. Now granted, there would be a few members interested in a spicy romance, maybe even sweet, but concentrating my efforts on a site geared for sweet or spicy romances was going to reach more. Among the things I write are ghost and witch stories, paranormal, but if a paranormal site is primarily werewolves, vamps, and shapeshifters, again, I’m not reaching a membership looking for ghost or witches to entertain them. This site, bless their hearts, are romance in any genre. Don’t think you’re going to get away without a promo.
In ‘Tarbet’ I mixed romance with historical western: Some men who carry a badge are no better than those they hunt. Words enough to frighten Susan into letting Tarbet die?
BLURB:
Forced to run the ranch like a man after her father’s death, whispers ran wild that Susan was less than a lady. William coming to call caused tongues to wag more. Taking care of a wounded man with only Blazer to help would totally ruin her reputation, but she couldn’t leave a dying man in the hands of delicate Angela or her bungling father no matter what the gossips said about him. How was she to know how much more was behind the attempt on his life? How was she to know she would have to take up a gun, as less than a lady, and fight to save herself and the man she loved?
You’ll notice a sub-theme of the inequality of men and women. Getting into that subject of then and now would be a whole other blog.
BIO:
Larion Wills, a multi-genre author, also writes under the name of Larriane Wills. From science fiction to western romances she holds up to her tag of ‘two names, one author, thousands of stories.’
Born in Oklahoma, but raised in Arizona she feels a native to the state and has settled in the high desert country. In a quiet, rural area with a family who tolerates her writer’s single-mindedness, she presents us with a series of unique westerns while still steadily producing contemporary romances, many laced with paranormal settings, all with strong characterizations and suspenseful plots, capable of dragging you into a story in a genre you thought before you didn’t care for.
You can read more about Tarbet and my other books at my website:
http://www.larriane.com. Stop by, I love visitors.
Larriane AKA Larion Wills, two names one author, thousands of stories
https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2 White Savage, Chase, Tarbet
http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com Mourning Meadow
My links:
http://www.larriane.com
http://www.facebook.com/people/Larriane-Wills/1535007230
https://twitter.com/#%21/LarrianeWills
3 comments:
I know what you're saying. When I joined the online community in 2007, 'blog daily' and 'spend time on the loops' was the sage advice. Now social media...but when is an author supposed to WRITE? I've noticed those who gave me the advice no longer follow it....or they're using other loops or blogs I'm not aware of.
I limited myself to 30 loops, and am on digest or special notice for most of them. I really only check in with four on daily basis; that's as much as I can handle. I spend too much time on FB, but am slowly 'weaning' myself, now that edits have arrived. And I've noticed blog topics are getting stale....but once in a while I hit a juicy one and promote it. It seems to be working for me, and sales are beginning to pick up, which is nice. Maybe after four solid years of blogging and books being published, my efforts are beginning to pay off:)
Female rancher, wounded gentleman, and town's wagging tongues....sounds excellent!
Your blog resonates with me. I'm currently cutting down on blogs to the ones I really enjoy, and try to be faithful to them. I suspect that actually many blogs are on their way out.
oh yes, but have you seen the new facebook groups? I've either joined or been added to several and now my inbox is filling up every day with those posts. I right back to deciding which i'll limit to keep from so many. there are so many interesting groups and blogs and loops, it is really hard not only to find one where you feel welcome but that actually promotes your work.
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