…I exchanged some views the other day with a fellow scribbler about the merits of maintaining a Blog… at the last count, there’s about a trillion, gazillion, squillion blogs swirling around in the internet ether… my discussee kinda wondered, ‘why bother doing one when there are so many already out there?’… well, I s’pose it boils down to yer own personal objectives… this ol’ Jurassic started doing one on the advice of many respected comrades-in-ink, who averred that ev’ry scribe WURTH her or his laptop-tapping salt needs to be present on the SOSYAL NETWURKS… whatever the truth or otherwise of that advice, I did begin to produce my blog, a mere two and half years ago… at the time, it made sense to me to try to broaden my ‘reader reach’, but since then, the blog has evolved into a creature with more elements than a chemistry professor’s classroom… the frequency of once weekly, stepped up to two to three per week, and now, almost daily postings… the over-riding, initial thrust to develop contact bases swiftly faded into the background… that now happens automatically, as a by-product of involvement in the other things that make doing my blog one of the central parts of my day (alongside actually writing my novels!)… first of all, amazingly for me, it gives me a discipline of producing something from a blank-page start every time… as a (hopefully) entertaining, and p’raps educational offering to like-minded Lads and Lassies out there, it gets me ‘mutually empathising’ with an entire universe of this virtual candle-lit garret-dwelling scrivener’s family of ours… but, the prime factor in all of it has become clearer and clearer as the months rolled by… the Blog has become my Author’s Brand… it lets people see glimpses of how I think… of what amuses me… of what I care about… of things that others can identify me with, and identify me by… an Author’s Brand is an instrument of recognition… an expectancy of a style, type, form, content, rythym on a regular basis… people are comfortable with any kind of Brands they like… and it brings folks into yer circle… reciprocally, yeez get invited into theirs… if I were to characterise my own Author’s Brand now, it’s more likely to be that of the ol’ Jurassic self-publisher, lately come to the wonders of the eBooks and writing gig, bumbling through the machinations of the SOSYAL NETWURKIN… and, importantly, enjoying that immensely… do yeez know yer own brand yet?… I’d be glad to hear from yeez… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!… oh, and it lets yeez plug yer books from time to time… see:
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THE VIOLIN MAN’S LEGACY: http://amzn.to/10wnMXB
VENGEANCE WEARS BLACK: http://amzn.to/W59BB3
SELF-PUBLISHING STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL SALES:
ALL MY BLOG POSTS ARE FREE TO SHARE/RE-BLOG SHOULD YOU SO WISH—BE MY GUEST!
I love rioting my blog and do it three or four or sometimes more. 🙂 I don’t have any books out, not yet, but who knows. I have been working on my brand, but I have two blogs now: one where I write fiction, memoir, reviews, and interviews. My website is a travel blog. My brand there is The Insightful Wanderer: painting a picture with words.
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…good for you, my friend… best of fortune with it all :):) cheers;)
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So far Seumas I’ve been writing mostly flash fiction pieces of various kinds: humor, horror, (sometimes a combination of both), nonfiction (mostly about family). I’ve only been writing about a year and have been experimenting with those different genres. Readers tell me they can hear my voice and style in my writing. I certainly hope so. I’m constantly attempting to learn and improve. I want to write longer pieces and am working on a memoir of my youth inserting as much humor as possible. My daughter seems to have inherited my sense of humor. She encouraged me to write. She’s a successful comedic actor and does standup in various clubs in Chicago, as well as commericials and voiceover work. She writes some of her own material. She’s presently playing “Tiny Tim” in a version of Dickens “Christmas Carol” in a large theatre there. 🙂
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…wow1… I’m pleased that your Author’s Voice is already developed and developing further, m’Lady… I differentiate my ‘Voice’ from my ‘Brand’… as for a sense of humour, to my way of thinking, it’s probably the most effective survival weapon we authors and poets have in our armoury … good luck with it all, and please pass my best regards to your daughter in Chicago… standup comedy is the most nerve racking of all types of performance,,, :):)
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I think those are really valuable points, Seumas. Come December, when i firm up, finish up and begin editing up the draft of my NaNoWriMo novel i need to keep these things in mind. Hugs!
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…cheeeeeers m’Lady, Teagan… :):)
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Like you , Seumas, I began through necessity with the blog… and now spend time here with friends, learning, sharing… just being myself from the daftness to the serious stuff. It has become the best way to get to know me for the readers… and the best place to explore facets of me for me too.
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…all Korrekt, m’lady, Sue… I find it a useful offset to the heavier-duty crime thriller writing for the novels… and it’s great fun ..:)
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* nods sagely in absolute agreement* The fun is priceless 🙂
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We love you all the more for your blog and your dedication to it, Seumas! Thanks too for providing the rest of us with a soapbox, and for reblogging what so many other scribes have to say, and for providing a forum here in the comments section. By helping other writers, your “brand” circulates that much further! Excellent work, kind sir!
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…mwaaaaah… just, mwaaaah 🙂
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I’m still searching for my “brand” as it were. I think it’s one of those things you sort of stumble upon by accident. One thing is for certain Seumas, your blog is always entertaining!
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…hi, Clive… I didn’t so much ‘search’ for the ‘brand’… i think it more or less evolved into a pattern of the way my communicating comes across… I’m glad I can raise a smile or two with you …cheers ,,, have a great weekend, that man :0
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Reblogged this on Random Ramblings and commented:
A little bit of sense wrapped up in humour.
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As much as I might enjoy more or less producing some content for the blog, what I thoroughly enjoy is interacting and meeting other bloggers. We’re a big family. And I also always enjoy your blog!
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..yes, m’Lady, Olga… it truly is a wonderful webby family LUVVIN IT! 🙂
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Reblogged this on blindoggbooks and commented:
I’m a firm believer in author branding…set yourself apart.
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…cheeeeeers, that man :
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mybrandofgenius was a joke between me and my spouse. It all started after reading about branding. Although I comprehended what I was reading, applying it and setting a plan in action never really came together for me. I have been blogging since April of 2013 and I still have no clue what my brand image is. Other people tell me that I have an image, but they can’t (or won’t) explain it to me. Whatever it is, I’m satisfied with it. I like connecting with people online and the comments and engagements make me happy whether on their blog or mine.
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..with you on that one, m’Lady … good to know you :):)
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Reblogged this on Palmcoastnow's Blog and commented:
From a person who has three blogs and possible a fourth and no time.
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..LUV IT, m’Lady ! :):)
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Reblogged this on Poet Plant Press and commented:
Some good thoughts of what it takes to be author is this brave new world of millions and millions of blogs.
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog….. An Author Promotions Enterprise! and commented:
AUTHORS – Seumas is PROOF that blogging can help you create your own ‘Brand’, practice filling blank pages with worthwhile words, get yourself in front of people (Marketing) and (slyly ofttimes) introduce them to your books WITHOUT DEMANDING that they BUY THEM NOW or suffer outrageous slings and arrows of misfortune 😀
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,,,great comment, that man 🙂 cheers 🙂
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Like you, I started my blog because I was told this is something an author needs to do. Like Olga, I’ve met some fantastic fellow bloggers whom I now consider friends and part of my blogging family.
However, I’m not sure if I have a recognizable brand through my own blog. Your personality permeates yours – I could read a sentence and know it was Seumas.
Working on that…
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..it all just evolves, I think, m’Lady, Noelle… the thing is to keep on being yerself! 🙂
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I used to think this too: ‘why bother doing one when there are so many already out there?’
Then I realized how important it is and remembered how tenacious I am.
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..well said, that man 🙂
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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