Wednesday 23 April 2014

Author on a mission?

Am I just waffling about
my favourite things?
Authors get a lot of advice about what to do with social media - all of it avidly read in an effort to crack that elusive something that will make your message stand out from the crowd. I've blogged on a previous occasion about the suggestion that all an author's posts, tweets and comments should conform with their brand - and the problems that causes me as a writer of romantic suspense who doesn't spend all of her time thinking about how to kill people. And wanting to talk to the world about it. It's only part of the time and it's not always killing. I get to make people fall in love too, you know. My appearances on  Facebook and Twitter can be a bit erratic, depending on what happens to be going on in the real world at the time. I try, but sometimes something has to give.

Like ice-cream.
I did promise myself when I started this blog that I would put up a post every Wednesday, if only a brief one. So far I've managed it, with a couple of extra ones thrown in, when there is something particularly exciting to say. There seem to be mixed opinions amongst the pundits on the usefulness of blogs - a lot of authors suggest that it's an optional extra, if you enjoy doing it. I do enjoy it, so here we are.

The latest piece of good advice I've read is that a blog should have a mission statement. All posts and messages should be part of it and should carry the mission forward. I can see the value in the audience knowing what to expect, but putting it into practice? I've been giving it some thought, and I haven't been able to come up with anything yet.

And walks on the beach?
When I started EvonneonWednesday my idea was that it would be a way of adding a bit extra to the books and talking about things that interested me and might interest other people. So maybe that's my mission statement? Maybe my message is 'Expect the unexpected?' Actually that sounds rather good, but I suspect that it's been used before. Perhaps the mission statement is 'This is a rag-bag of work in progress, or not in progress, art, history, places I've visited,or would like to visit, or have entirely made up, walking on the beach, gardens, parties, the weather, Christmas shopping ...'

And the occasional glimpse of mayhem and murder?

It would be nice to have a mission statement. Good advice should not be wasted. I'm still thinking about it, and inspiration can sometimes take a while to arrive

When I work it out, I'll be sure to let you know.


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