Angela Scott - Whimsy & Writing - Blog

How do you market Contemporary YA in a fantasy/paranormal driven world?

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:52:59 -0800

With my contemporary YA book, DESERT RICE, scheduled for release on June 26th, I'm freaking out a little.

I can't help but wonder how a book without paranormal elements will fair in a market saturated with angels, devils, shiny vampires, werewolves, time travel, or being the only person to possess the keys or powers that will save the world from utter destruction.

There's nothing paranormal here. No magical necklaces with a secret. No "average high school student who finds out they are anything but average." No falling in love with a supernatural creature. No bumping into the new student at school who also happens to be SUPER gorgeous and mysterious. And no, not even one zombie (yeah, I know. Sorry about that).

I've got nothing.

But before you start thinking, "The author is telling us she's got nothing, so this must be a super lame book" I just want to let you know that of all the books I have written, DESERT RICE is by far my favorite. Twelve year old Samantha (or Sam as she likes to be called) is the only character I have ever created (do we really create them or do they simple find us?) who sat on my shoulder, day after day, whispering her story in my ear, and forced me to write words that pained me to do so. Her story took a turn I hadn't expected, and honestly, it was a subject matter I had never planned to write about.

But it was her story not mine. (Readers may not understand this, but every author will be nodding their head).

As much as I love this book and love Sam and her teenage brother Jacob, I wonder about the market place for this kind of book. I love contemporary fiction, especially YA, but what about everyone else out there? Are we so anchored in paranormal and fantasy fiction that books based on every day living, coping with everyday struggles have no room in the hearts of readers?

Many a book store shelf would lead me to believe this is true. Walk into Barnes and Noble lately? What do you see on the shelves in the YA section? Lots of girls in flowery dresses who are either: a) a witch
b) in love with a vampire
or
c) who had a vision of a loved ones death that they, and only they (with the help of a magical necklace or ring) must stop.

Despite the uphill battle I face bringing this non-magical book to the marketplace and hoping there will be an audience for it, it's one I'm willing to climb. I'm passionate about this story. There might not be any sexy aliens in it or talking squirrels, but I think it's pretty damn good without them. I'm not a market chaser, never have been, nor will I ever be.

I write the stories that I'm meant to write--zombies or no zombies. That's all I can do.

All I know is that Sam chose me to write her story, and I'm damn glad she did.

What's your take on contemporary YA fiction? Love it? Hate it? Oh, and if you happen to be a lover of YA fiction, check out my DESERT RICE page. If you think it might appeal to you, let me know. In the next few weeks I will be looking to gather some feedback and reviews, and I would love to give you a copy (ebook format of your choice) for helping me out. Just let me know in a comment below, and I will be in touch with you. Thanks.

I'd be a polygamist simply for the peanut butter bars alone

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:40:24 -0800

This blog post came about after I left a comment on Facebook saying I have Blog Block (inability to blog due to lack of creativity) and asked my followers and friends to toss out a blog topic for me to write on.
So this is what you get :)

Big Love

I don't understand polygamy. I don't. I guess that's why I find myself obsessively watching Big Love, season after season. (If you've never heard of the show Big Love, you can click HERE to learn more. Warning: it will suck you in).

It isn't as though I've never heard of polygamy--heck, I live in Utah (not that all Utahns are polygamists; that's a myth. In fact, most are NOT polygamists), but still, I don't get it. I guess it has to do with the fact that I love my husband. Even after all these years, I still like that guy and so, should he ever get a vision or revelation that he needs more wives, I would most likely go to jail for poisoning my sister wives (much like Wanda from Big Love). I guess I'm just not the sharing kind of type :)

Crazy Wanda...gotta love her.

I was discussing the show and its premise with a good buddy, ol' pal of mine, and asked, "Why would anyone want to be a polygamist?"

And to my surprise she answered, "Well, I bet polygamists make really good peanut butter bars. I'd join just for that reason alone."

That got me thinking...I, too, like peanut butter bars, and home cooked meals, and clean sheets, and crafts, and ironed clothing, and obedient children--things I know nothing of.

Hmmm...lets think about this...on one hand you have to share your man, but on the other there is peanut butter bars. This is tough.

My friend makes a good point.

I wish someone would explain to me the hair.

Now the clothing and hairdo's alone really sway me into just saying NO. I'm not sure I have what it takes to done such attire, BUT if a group of sister wives surprised me with clean sheets, folded laundry, and peanut butter bars, I'd probably say toss me a dress and let's flip up my bangs.

There's a lot to consider for sure. So the question changes from, "Why would you want to be a polygamist?" to "Why wouldn't you?"

I totally wouldn't join for religious aspect of it (that's weird), but for a home baked treats...I just might give it a go :)

So leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on this subject (play nice, polygamists have guns and stuff. We don't want to tick them off). And if you leave a comment, you will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Brady Udall's book called THE LONELY POLYGAMIST, because I'm nice like that.

Oh, and I'm still looking for some interesting blog topics to write about and could use your help. Toss out some ideas and lets see what happens.

Thea Isis Gregory's Video Review of WANTED: Dead or Undead, The Zombie West Series by Angela Scott

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:28:33 -0800

Down with CORN! Get it out of our public schools! It's dangerous stuff! #funnytruestory

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:12:57 -0800

I'm not very political. I hardly, if ever, watch the news. The world could be ending tomorrow, and I would never know it. I'd wake up (saying I survived) and wonder where everyone went.

Democrat? Republican? Liberal? Honestly, I don't know.

And heaven forbid any of my children come to me with homework concerning the various branches of government--boring stuff in my mind. I don't know that stuff, and really don't care to. Should someone ask me to name my city's Mayor or who the Governor of the state of Utah is...well, I couldn't. It is what it is.

So when I found myself stuck in a car, listening to the conversation between two good friends over the plight and effects of corn on our children and how the legislative got involved to ban it, I sat up a little taller in my seat. I hadn't realized that corn was so dangerous or so problematic. I love corn. Corn on the cob is my favorite. My family and I enjoy corn on a regular basis.

The conversation mostly centered on how one elementary school got the legislative involved after a slew of students came to school, day after day, bringing corn onto school property. When the children were questioned about the corn, the school found out that right next to one of the bus stops just so happened to be a corn stand. The kids had easy access to the corn, which the school did not want them to have. So the school PTA got involved, contacted the state legislative (still not sure what that is, but sounds impressive) to have the corn stand shut down.

NO MORE CORN AT SCHOOL.

Everyone was thrilled when the corn stand was put out of business--the school, the parents--but I couldn't help but think about the poor farmers who all they wanted to to do was sell some corn and make a living. Darn those kids for snagging their corn and bringing it to the school! Didn't anyone think to punish the kids?

"Stop bringing corn to school or no recess for you!"

See, totally effective, and the government wouldn't have had to spend precious tax payer dollars on something so dumb.

AND, why did we care about kids bringing corn to school anyway? If my kids walked into school carrying corn, just tell them to put in their backpacks and take it home. We don't mind corn at our house.

I looked at my crazed friend in the backseat of the car and asked, "Why such the uproar over corn? What's the big deal? Were the kids making a mess in the halls or something?"

She looked at me as though I had just grown an extra head. "I don't want my kids having corn! It affects the chemicals in their brains and they'll get addicted to it. It's not good for them!"

My friend was a health-nut FREAK!

Don't get me wrong, I get that corn syrup isn't good for you and that it just so happens to be in EVERYTHING. I try to buy foods with little or no corn syrup in them, but CORN? Really? Come on!

"Well, I, for one, love corn. And my kids can have as much corn as they want. I don't think it's as bad as you're all making it out to be. Utah's gone crazy!"

"Angela! You'd seriously let your kids have corn?"

"Everyday if they wanted it! It's the only vegetable I can get them to eat!"

"Wait...Did you say vegetable? Are you thinking we're talking about CORN?"

My friends began to laugh, but I still didn't see what was so funny. "We're talking about PORN. Porn-og-raphy. We don't want the kids to have access to porn and especially not right next to a school bus stop."

Okay...that made better sense. I was seriously thinking I needed to get new friends.

Hilarious.

Wanna know what #zombies buy when they go grocery shopping? #funvideo

Tue, 08 May 2012 07:16:35 -0800

These fantastic zombies are my across the street neighbors. They are zombie fanatics, so when I had my book signing for WANTED: Dead or Undead, I HAD to have them come and help me out. They were amazing and everyone loved getting their pictures taken with the zombies. When the book signing was over, they decided to do a little grocery shopping and pick up a few things--to a lot of "normal" customers surprise :) Gotta love the zombie baby in the shopping cart.

Oui, Oui! Zombies invade Paris!

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:10:32 -0800

Standing in front of Notre Dame holding my book

To celebrate turning the big 4-0, a good friend of mine (buddies since kindergarten) decided to head to Paris and bring in this new stage of our lives with a bang. And let me tell you, it was a BLAST. Paris is absolutely beautiful, and as I walked the cobbled stoned streets I found myself becoming lost in the whole French experience. I couldn't get enough of it. I wanted to eat every French pastry and taste every type of bread. I wanted to see it all. I'd never been overseas before, but my experience in Paris makes me want to see more of this amazing world we live on.

Since I knew I was headed to Paris, I decided to try an experiment (it's really rather early in the experiment so I have no idea if it will be successful or an utter failure just yet). I decided to take four of my books to Paris with me and leave them in random places. I included a note inside each book, letting the finder of the book know they can take the book, read it, come to my blog and leave a comment, and then pass the book onto someone else.

The Catacombs. Over 60 million skeletons are kept in this tomb. Incredible to look at.

It was slightly tricky to leave books around Paris. You'd think it would be easy, but not so. The first big problem is that is rained every single day that I was there. I couldn't leave a book outside because with the on and off again showers the book could be ruined in a matter of seconds. So I had to be crafty and clever. One of the first places I decided to leave a book was in a book/gift shop just across the alley of The Catacombs. When you exit The Catacombs, the gift shop is right there. And because of the creepiness of the store, of course we had to go inside. The girl that worked in the odd, skeleton decorated shop was friendly and helpful. When she turned to go help another customer, I placed a book on the counter and then took off (I'm a chicken like that). She didn't chase me down to return it, so I assume she still has it.

This is one of Paris' above ground cemeteries. Creepy yet beautiful all at once.

Another place I left a copy was on a little cement bench in front of Notre Dame (See above picture). The place was crowed with people, and despite the threat of rain I decided to go for it and set the book on the bench before heading inside the massive, beautiful, and awe inducing cathedral. Let me tell you, Notre Dame is AMAZING. If you go to Paris, it is a must see for certain. And as beautiful as the inside was, I think I most loved the outside display of the flying buttresses and gargoyles--fantastic. Notre Dame is one of my favorite sites in Paris. When we stepped outside after spending a great deal of time looking at the stained glass windows and side areas, we checked the bench where I'd left the book and it was gone. Sweet. (See that colorful bag--it's full of books. Heavy books. I should've been smarter. It's not fun carrying a bag of books around Paris for a great length of time).

Paris McDonald's are different. Try a McBaguette if you get a chance. Kinda cool.

Okay, I know what you're thinking...you went to Paris and you ATE at McDonalds???? Are you nuts??? Now, let me just say in my defense, I was hungry. Many days we would get up, get ready for the day, take off and go site seeing and then look down at our watches and realize it was 4pm and we hadn't ate a thing. This was one of those days. We happened to be in an area where there were very few cafes or anything other apartment buildings (we got lost). It was more residential than commercial. We were hungry. We were soaking wet from a day of walking in a rain so cold you wished you had gloves. No joke.

So when we saw the golden arches, we headed inside. After eating at the very busy fast food chain, I left a book on the seat.

The last place I left a copy of WANTED: Dead or Undead as on a subway train. At first I thought no problem, just leave it and go. The reason I thought this was because for once the train was rather empty. Then two stops before we were to get off, a slew of people entered and crowed around. I worried. I began to wonder if this was a good idea or not. Let me explain...most people we came across in Paris were friendly and wonderful. If you dropped something, they chased you down and handed it to you. I didn't want anyone risking death by jumping off a train to give me back the book that I was trying to get rid of :)

Our hotel was located near this metro stop, Place D'Italie. This was our stop.

So when the train came to our stop, my friend and I stood, grabbed our bags, and hoped off the train without looking back. But from a distance we heard a woman shouting, "Madame, your book! Madame, your book!" I didn't turn around, but my friend did and saw a woman standing near the train door holding my book. What a nice person. We were rude though and just kept on walking--Americans. I wanted to leave the book. In my mind, this kind woman has taken the book home and is reading it as I write this (ideal, huh?). What will happen to these books...I have no idea. My hope is that people will read them. That is the hope of any author. The reality...well, these books could very well be inside a Paris garbage can, but I refuse to let me mind linger there.

Versailles. I LOVED this place. Amazing. My favorite. A must see.

A couple of quick things about Paris that I loved (besides the wonderful sights) was that on the metro (and we rode a lot of metro--LOTS) was that people were reading. Really reading. With REAL books and not on electronic devices (of course, the metro is a scary place and you could very well be killed for you Kindle, so paperback books is a smart way to go). Many people read paperback books. It was a wonderful thing to see. Also, there were little book stores EVERYWHERE. There was one street (in our moment of being lost) in which we saw three book stores all kiddy-corner of one another. They also have a lot of open markets in Paris where used books are spread out on tables to rummage through. Parisians obviously love their books.

A small section of the Versailles gardens--so beautiful.

As a side note, I wanted to share a few pics of Versailles. This place was incredible. Look at the garden--this is only one section of this massive, beautiful garden. There is so much more. The palace was breathtaking. The entire time I walked among the rooms, down the halls, and then ventured into the gardens to see the fountains and sculptures, I kept thinking, "I want to write a book about queens and kings." The desire was HUGE. Here's the problem...I know nothing about kings and queens and that era of history other than what I've seen on HBO. So we will see. I still think I want to give it a try, but I know I have a lot of research ahead of me should I take a project like that on. But Versailles had that effect on me :) Want to know more about Versailles? Click HERE

I had an amazing time in Paris. It will forever be a powerful memory, to be treasured. Here is a slide show for you of some other pictures from my time in Paris. Enjoy.

3 Easy Things Readers Can Do to Support Authors (& Break Their Faces at the Same Time)

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:07:28 -0800

It doesn't take much to put a smile on an author's face. Believe me. It's the small things that we authors live for that keeps us motivated and willing to rise from our beds and sit our butts back down at the computer each and every day (basically, it consists of someone--anyone--letting us know that what we've created wasn't a big ol' waste of time and effort).

So if you want to put a smile on an author's face, then do one of these three things, or better yet, do all three (an author's face just might break from continual grinning. So go on...break an author's face).

#1: Buy their book. So simple and yet, so very effective. Authors are obsessive souls. We know when our books sale (we can watch our seller rankings) and we know when our books don't (so sad). For most authors, we dream of selling kabillions of books, but the reality is that for most authors that will never happen. So selling one book or two books or maybe even ten books here and there is a VERY BIG deal. It's the only tangible thing an author has to hang onto. So if a book looks great then download a sample from Amazon, give it a chance to draw you in, and if it does...then click BUY IT. Did you know that every time a book is bought an angel gets their wings? Okay, that's not true, but it does make an author's day and that is no lie.

#2: Review their book. The percentage of people who buy books and read them is something like 87.56% of the world's population. The percentage of readers who will leave a review, even for a book they absolutely love, on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble is roughly .000567% (percentages are completely made-up, but for the purposes of this argument, it doesn't matter. Just go with it). So as you can see, many people read but very few leave reviews.

But did you know that reviews, even the bad ones, are just like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or the creamy peanut butter center in the middle of a candy bar, or the prize in a box of unhealthy (though, oh so delicious) cereal, or your significant other letting you know that THEY will make dinner tonight. Reviews are awesome. Reviews are necessary. And the more the merrier. Readers base a lot of their decisions on whether to buy a book or not on the reviews left by other customers, so their importance is crucial. Authors love reading reviews--even the bad ones. It's instant feedback to let them know if what they are doing is working or not. The biggest reason that so many readers don't leave a review of any kind is the fear that they will not write a "good enough" review, or that they simply don't even know HOW to leave a review.

As far as being good enough, don't worry about it. Just be yourself and be honest. I'm telling you, as an author, those are some of my most favorite reviews. They are pure and they are genuine. You don't have to dissect the story or use elaborate words to describe your feelings for the book--just be you. I promise that being you is perfect.

Now for not knowing how to leave a review, it's actually pretty simple. Most sights such as Amazon and Goodreads will require you to set up an account. Then just search out the book you'd read, near the top will have a button for leaving a review, click it, title it, and then write about what you liked and didn't like about the book. It doesn't have to be long. Even just a sentence or two will do the trick. Pretty simple. For more information on How to Leave a Review, click here.

#3: TELL EVERYONE. If you read a book you love, then tell your friends! Heck, tell your enemies, too. Authors don't mind. The biggest thing an author has going for them is word or mouth. It's more powerful than any marketing plan will ever be. Imagine for a moment, if you will, having read a book you loved and then letting your friend know about it, "Oh my gosh! I just read this amazing book about zombies and cowboys! It was so cool, and Trace is SOO hot! You gotta read it!" (Shameless plug here).

Now think about it, your friend is more likely to read the book because a) she/he has built a relationship with you based on trust and b) she/he secretly wants to be you and reading a book that you just read gets them one step closer (kinda creepy, huh?).

An author can promote and market and talk about their book all they want, but you're more likely to try a new book based on the recommendation of a friend you trust and who's opinion you value. Word of mouth has the ability to spread like wild fire. Did you know that in nearly half of all product purchases (books included) was done based on word of mouth alone? (This is a true fact. Not made up like the above statistics. Click here or here if you're not quite wanting to believe me based on previous misleadings). If you tell one friend and then that friend tells a friend, and so on and so on...then imagine the possibilities. It would be a dream come true for an author. An author's face will break for certain from all the smiling they would do. Read a book and then help spread the word.

So as you can see, readers can do A LOT to help and support their favorite authors and they're not even all that hard to do. The power to break faces is yours. Go out and see how many author faces you can break today :)

What other things can readers do to help support an author?

Paris, France...Here I Come!

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:25:18 -0800

Today is my birthday. Yep, the big 4-0! And because this is a monumental birthday (I'M STILL ALIVE), I wanted to do something big. Not just cake. Not just some balloons. Something BIG. So, I'm off to Paris and London for a fun-filled week. I can't wait. So au revoir USA and Bonjour Paris!

I will see the Eiffel Tower. I will eat cheese and french chocolate. I will walk by the Seine River, perhaps even take a boat ride. I will watch artists paint and visit gardens and museums.

The thing that is slightly scary about this whole trip is that despite having had 3 yrs of French classes in high school and enough French in college to earn a BA, I can't speak a lick of French. I can count to ten. I can ask, "Parlez vous, Anglais?" But that's about it. Still, I can't wait to get lost in France.

A taste of Paris for you, my friends. Enjoy! When I come back I will post pics of my time there. Not a lot-- I won't bore you to death like relatives who make you watch hours and hours of vacation movies :) I promise.

HELLOOO, Mr. Postman! Ain't you sweet, delivering me some goodies? wink, wink

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:28:05 -0800

Actually, my postman is rather...shall we say...unattractive, but BOY, today I found myself swooning over the guy as he carried this lovely box up several flights of stairs (we live on a mountainside and we have a good 20 or so steep steps to the front door). I was all giddy, knowing full well what the box he carried contained.

And as soon as he rang my bell, I flung the door open, snatched the box like a greedy little child, and tore through the packaging tape. Then I breathed in...the glorious smell of years of hard work come to fruition. It smelled SO good!

This box was more than a box of books to me. It was everything I had ever wanted from the time I was old enough to string words together--an impossible dream come true. In a lot of respects, I still struggle to wrap my mind around the idea of it. Me, an author? It's much like a child playing dress-up in their mother's clothing. It's fun and it feels so grownup, yet there is still so much growing to be done before the shoes, the hat, and the dress fit properly.

The one thing that really amazes me is that a little over two years ago I told a few people that I would love to have my first book published by the time I turned 40--ideal, but seemingly impossible in a topsy-turvy publishing world, especially when I just lost my agent (she quit the literary biz due to the publishing world being upended) and had to start the entire process over. I will turn 40 (yes, the big 4-0) on the 16th of this month. The ebook went live the end of March, and I received this box of books exactly one week before my birthday. Amazing. I want to hang onto this feeling for as long as I can.

My not-so-attractive postman also brought me this lovely piece of happiness the same day as the box of books--->

I'm not one to litter my car with bumper stickers and whatnot (though I REALLY do like reading them--I will speed to catch up and read your sticker) but as a zombie writer, I HAD to have it. I live in Utah. Everyone has the cute little family stickers on the back of their vans (and some families stretch from one side of the window clear to the other--big families). But when I saw this lovely zombie family, I slapped down my money and then slapped it on my car. It brings tears of joy to my eyes, which is a weird thing to say, I know, but it does.

My kids love the fact that they are zombies. LOVE IT! And then look, there's me, with a missing leg--so cool! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the whole zombie phenomenon. Also, anyone who knows me knows I won't make it longer than 10 minutes in a zombie apocalypse. I'm a survival wimp, but I WILL make one fierce zombie, I'm warning you. Anyway, this week has started off amazing, and several days into it, I still feel glorious (just ask the random lady at the dollar store who I showed my book to after she asked me why I had a basket full of brains and body parts--toys for my book launch party at the end of the month. What were you thinking?).

Next week will be pretty freakin' amazing too--I'm going to PARIS! Oui Oui! That's how I'm bringing in my 40th birthday. I'm one happy lady right now! (More on that another day).

I look like a big grinning idiot, and I'm loving it!

How's your week going? Anything exciting? Tell me all about it.

I'm applying a NINJA SLAPDOWN on Twitter, Triberr, Facebook & Karma gathering...

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:38:50 -0800

(I may get some backlash writing this, but I must speak my mind--I must. So if you feel the need to fight me, then lets do it in a pillow fight kinda way :)

"That's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more"--Popeye

I'm up to my eyeballs in crazy social media, and author/writer online shenanigans, I tell ya! And yesterday, I completely lost it! No one knew I lost it (I'm a master of disguise), but I did, and let me tell you why...

About a year ago, I thoroughly enjoyed Facebook. In fact, I loved it! I loved chit-chatting with distant friends and family members. I played a few games, and I commented on friends baby photos and even poked a few people. I had an awesome farm with a big house and plenty of pumpkin patches on Farmville (yep, I played that game for a very long time, and I ain't afraid to admit it).

Then, when I delved more heavily into my writer/author career, everything changed. I was told by various advice-giving sites that to increase my online presence and create a better platform, I needed to befriend other writers. So I did. It started off slowly, a few authors at first, and then a little more. It was nice and rather pleasant. I enjoyed discussing writerly type things with them and loved the support we all gave one another, because we all know that the life of a writer can be rather lonely.

Then I was told, join Twitter--Twitter was where the action was, and my platform would be bigger by joining. And since we all know that bigger equals better (ask an Texan) I jumped on board. I loved it even MORE than I loved Facebook! It was cool! It was instant! I was meeting other writer/author peeps from all around the world, people I wouldn't have met any other way. It was awesome! We asked about each others works in progress, about each others families, and even had some inside jokes. We shared and we interacted.

But then I was told having only a few writer friends on Facebook and Twitter wasn't enough--I needed MORE.

I wasn't popular (Klout told me this--dang you Klout!)

Ack! Not popular? Shoot!

For a little nerdy girl who played the clarinet all throughout her Jr. High and High School years, and was the Vice President of the FBLA club (Future Business Leaders of America--yeah, you heard me), the idea of, once again, not being popular brought back horrible memories causing me to start clicking away on everyone and anyone on Twitter who looked remotely interesting. I followed and followed and followed...(see where this is going?) and as people returned the gesture, I became even more addicted to the process. WAH-HA-HA-HA!!

Then someone on Twitter (not exactly who, since there are just SO many of you there) mentioned using Triberr to extend my reach. Extend my reach...that sounded FANTASTIC. So I joined one tribe and then another and then a another. I bought 40 dollars worth of bones so I could join various tribes, thinking this was the way to go.

Right now, I'm a member of 8 tribes and have well over 160 tribe mates. Pretty cool, huh?

Well...I'm not so sure anymore (I will tell you the reason why in a minute).

Then, to top it all off, I joined various Karma chains--I like you, you like me kind of thing. I created a Facebook Author Page and stared LIKING other author's facebook pages and loved watching my number of LIKES on my page increase. "People like me! People like me!"

It was super cool...for a bit.

Now here I am, with a twitter reach (per the statistics on Triberr) of over 300,000 people. I have over 6K followers on Twitter. I have nearly 400 LIKES on my author facebook page, and I feel less connected to people, and less happy, than I was a year ago.

You wanna know why?

Because quantity (sorry, Texans) doesn't equal quality. I think in the process of trying to become popular, trying to increase my online presence, trying to get my name out there, I shot myself in the foot. At least, this is my experience. Maybe it's just me, and maybe I went about the process all wrong. Yes, the hits on my blog have doubled. That's great. But the number of comments I receive to my blog posts have dwindled. How can this be? It doesn't make sense!

But it does. It really does. I'm blasting my twitter followers with random tweets from tribe members--in other words, spamming them. I've been told on Triberr that I shouldn't be reading the posts I tweet, not to pick and choose, but to select them ALL, or I will be kicked out of the tribe for not playing fair. Heck, I wanna play fair. Since I'm tweeting all of these random tweets and links for tribe members, my own blog post links are becoming lost. No one trusts me anymore it seems. My followers don't know which links are mine and which are going to take them off to some other blog which very well could be full of erotica posts and other kinds of weirdness (not that I'm calling erotica writers weird, because I'm not). But do you see where I'm going?

And, by LIKING so many author pages and using my personal account on Facebook to do so, I have littered my stream with so much promotional, random information, that I no longer see posts from family members announcing they're expecting a new bundle of joy. (I actually ran into a family member, noticed her belly was rather large and decided to be brave and ask her if she was expecting. She was 7 months pregnant! She asked me how I didn't know this since she was posting weekly pics of herself). I'm missing out.

Twitter is much the same way. I can literally scan tweets for pages and not find one tweet that is interactive. Not one. As I said before, I like chit-chatting. When someone says, "Hey, how's the weather?" or "My dog just ate my cookie!" I will reply. This is how I build relationships. This is how I make friends. This is how I love my social media life.

So onto the ninja smackdown...

Yesterday, I unfollowed probably 1000 people on twitter and I plan to do more today--mostly unfollowing people who only post links and have no interaction with their followers at all. It amazes me when you scan someones tweets and see link after link after link and nothing else.

I also went through my facebook stream and clicked HIDE ALL on many author posts. It amazed me how much this cleared out my stream and how many posts from people that I actually wanted to hear from came into view.

I had had enough! KARATE CHOP! I can't keep up with all of it anyway--Pintrest, Goodreads, Google+, etc.... It's TOO much!

Now, don't get me wrong, I know I'm just as to blame, doing some of the same things I unfollowed other people for doing, and I promise to be better. I will be picky on Triberr. If the post interests me, or think it will be beneficial for my followers to read, then I will share it. Otherwise, no. If that gets me kicked out of tribes, so be it. On Facebook, if an author/writer interacts with me, then I will click like on their author page and become a fan. Otherwise, no. TALK TO ME! Don't blast me with links and promotional junk 24/7! And I will promise to return the favor.

If this causes my quantity to falter and people to unfollow me, so be it. I'm looking for quality anyway.

Quality is far better than quantity anytime. My experience proves it. I just had to learn it the hard way.

So let the pillow fight begin! How is your experience with social media? What ticks you off and what do you think works best? Let me know. I want to do my part and fix myself.