Change of Address

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Most people have a lot of homes in their lifetimes. These days, a lot of us have internet "homes," too - spaces where we can interact with those whom we might never meet except for the magic of the Internet.

This has been my Internet "home" for a couple of years - 95 posts, blogged more or less weekly, so you do the math. However, they time has come for new digs. I've moved to another place in my writing career, and it is only fitting that my blog come with me.

I have a newly redesigned web site at marysuttonauthor.com, which now has my blog as an integral part. I think it looks fabulous (and if you want the name of a good web designer, let me know). I invite you to come and check out my new digs. All the old information and comments have been ported over there. I'll leave this site for archival purposes (some of my old Scrivener posts are still getting decent hits).

I look forward to keeping connected with you in my new corner of cyberspace!

Ooo, and be sure to come visit tomorrow. I'll be sharing big news for a friend of mine - very exciting stuff!

Updates on My Doings

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, it's been a busy week.

I received feedback on the ebook I sent out a couple weeks ago - the one I continue to call Young Adult fantasy because I think that's the most accurate genre (what else would you call a book targeted to the 8-10 age range about a girl who gets transported into a video game? Okay, maybe children's fantasay.). The publisher was very positive and is looking for cover art. Look for updates here soon.

I'm still slowly importing my novel into Scrivener scene by scene, which is giving me a great opportunity to examine the story in a new light. I just completed a "How to Make a Scene" workshop, so the work is very topical.

I've also had an unexpected non-fiction opportunity. On a whim I sent in my resume for a blogger position for The Motley Fool - and they accepted me! I put up my first post today. So if you've got an interest in investment/finance news, check it out. I will probably post weekly or bi-weekly, depending on if I've got a good blog post idea.

And I'm chugging away on a new romance story. By the way, did you see the news about how educated women read romance? I've discovered that it is an unexpected pleasure for me. Perhaps what was lacking all those years ago was an actual story and not just sex on the page.

Finally, I'm trying to work out this newsletter thing. If you read this blog, would you subscribe to a newsletter?

Navigating Social Media

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, most of my day today was spent revising, but I stumbled across this gem of a post from Jungle Red Writers - the ins and outs of social media.

If you're like me, things like Facebook and Twitter can be a total time sink, taking valuable time away from your primary goal - for me, writing fiction. For you it might be something else.

But if you're trying to sell something - yourself, a product, a service, or a book - what do you get told? "Have a social media presence."

For a writer, this is daunting (believe me). I mean, you wouldn't think writing a blog would be difficult - but it is. What's the difference between a Facebook fan page and a personal page? Why do I care? Should I be on Twitter or not? What about Pinterest? I have no idea what to do with Google+ - is that a problem?

It's enough to drive one mad, I tell you.

And that's if you're a published writer with, you know, actual books and stuff. What about poor, little old me? Just an unpublished gal hoping to break into the big leagues (or even the minor leagues) some day. Write a newsletter? Why would anyone care what I have to say?

But I have to break that train of thought because if I'm hoping to sell my stories, I must believe that someone wants to read my words. And words are just words. They are all stories in some way, shape or form. So if I can't see a story in a newsletter, how do I sell it as a novelette?

So for the first time, I think I have a plan. I'm concentrating, for now, on Facebook and this blog. Yeah, I'll still be on Twitter, but I find that more useful for making professional connections, not selling things. And look for a newsletter soon - just as soon as I figure out what to say and how to say it.

For now, if you haven't, toodle off to my Facebook author page and give me a "like" - pretty please with sugar on it?