The one thing that I am truly thankful for in selecting an online publisher (or them selecting me rather), is the gigantic push for me to establish my web presence.  Without daily entries to various forms of social media, I would not have been selected.  I was ever so hesitant to sign up for WordPress because I had never heard of them and the whole thing sounded like a scam.  This is what the news does to you, establishes a major sense of paranoia of whether to click on this or that.  Low and behold two months later, I have come to find the writer’s world-a fabulous place where people understand the words of Audre Lorde in “Poetry is Not a Luxury” or where they can read Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz and feel the power in her mere words.

Oh, gosh I am so thankful to my author friends who have shown me the guiding light.  Chelle Cordero, who immediately befriended me when I signed on with VHP and pointed me to where to go and what to do online.  Charmaine Gordon and Lauren Shiro who interviewed me on their blog and Charmaine pointed me in the direction of Weekend Writing Warriors, a Sunday writers playground where I met the amazing Teresa Cypher amongst many phenomenal writers & that has been ever so fun to take part in.  And then there is my bffaf Tamara Philip who has given me at least a tip or a lead a day and introduced Goodreads & Listopia (Goodreads affiliated list) to me (sites that I lose hours on end) as well as many other awesome networking sites, groups and adventures.

Anyhow, so the author do’s are do all sorts of networking to get the word about your book out there.  I’m sure there are people that don’t have to bother and can pay someone else to do it, but for poor chaps like me who can’t spare $5.00 for a book campaign, this is something that we have to do.  In fact, I’ve done so much of it that I think I’m going to form a group, SNA (Social Networking Anonymous).  This has become a place where I’ve lost hours of my life and have to get back to writing.  🙂

Ok so here’s the plan for us junkies trying to cut down or for newbies to jumpstart.  (Like that, it can go both ways?)

15 minutes of Twitter- two minutes to post a day, ten minutes to retweet, three to accept friend requests and manage your page.

3 minutes of Facebook Author Page- two to post a day, three to go to your various group pages or repost.

15 minutes of Goodreads- 2 minutes to accept friend requests or request people, 10 to find groups, type links on groups and go at it.

7 minutes of Listopia- a straight ten to vote your book or others to various lists

17 minutes of Blogging- Whether it is to write on your own, do a blog hop, etc.

3 minutes to like Amazon Author Pages.

And there you have it, an hour of Author Do’s.  Will you be able to keep it at just an hour, or at least an hour a day?  I don’t know!  But I know one thing for certain-I’ve already gone over my time limit!  Goodbye!  😉