Some recent observations I’ve posted on Twitter:

• Planning a novel is like planning a hike: too detailed and you lose the fun of finding your way; too vague and you risk getting lost.

• The trick is not to avoid distractions. You can’t avoid them. The trick is to know they’re there and not let them distract you.

• Rewrites are like glasses of wine: sometimes you only need one or two, other times a hundred’s not enough.

• Getting knocked down makes you tougher, and setbacks are opportunities in disguse.

• Forget all the other bullshit. When it comes to writing, it’s just you and the keyboard in a fight to the death.

I’ve been involved in a discussion on LinkedIn, concerning the marketing value of Twitter. Many of the professional marketers in the discussion seem hung-up on the number of followers they have, with one boasting that he has 700 followers, yet only follows 15 people himself. Others are seemingly prepared to dismiss Twitter altogether because they have too many spam followers, and have not thought to block them.

Continue reading “Twitter For Business”

A few days ago, publisher Angry Robot ran a competition on Twitter. The challenge: to write a complete story featuring a robot in 140 characters or less. It sounded like fun, so I decided to have a crack at it…

Now, the results are up on their website, and my entry can be found under the “Best Tales of Gore” category.

I’ve recently heard a number of conversations debating the relative merits of Twitter and Facebook. I use both sites, and find them both extremely useful as social networking tools. Until recently, I had a widget that let Twitter automatically update my Facebook status. However, it was jamming up the newsfeeds of my Facebook friends, so I removed it.

I use Twitter to talk to friends and build contacts in the publishing world. I post links to interesting articles, retweet inspirational quotes, and occasionally link back to new posts my website. If someone starts following me on Twitter, the chances are I’ll follow them back. However, the thing you have to remember about Twitter is that it’s a public forum, and anyone can read your updates, so it’s best to think twice before bitching and moaning.

I have a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. A Facebook page is different from a profile in a number of ways: It’s visible to everyone, not just your friends, and anyone can become a “fan” simply by clicking a link on the page – which means your page will be listed on their profile. There’s no limit to the number of fans you can have. You can post artwork, links and photos on your page, and you can send updates to all your fans in one go.

I use my Facebook profile to keep in touch with friends and family. I also use it to network with editors, agents, publishers, and other writers. It’s slightly more private than Twitter, as I’ve tweaked the privacy settings on my profile so that my updates and activities are visible only to people on my “friends” list.

In addition, I use a number of other sites, including LinkedIn, Goodreads, and Red Room. Each one has a particular purpose, so I use each one slightly differently. For instance, I use LinkedIn  as a kind of online CV, to which I can point prospective employers;  whereas I use Goodreads to attract potential new readers. It wouldn’t do to mix the two together. As with any other sort of tool, you have to select the right website for the task you wish to accomplish.

I just returned from four days at Eastercon in Bradford. I’m unpacking, looking after the kids, and sorting through all the notes and business cards I accumulated. Normal service will be resumed shortly…

In the meantime, please feel free to follow my updates on Twitter: http://twitter.com/garethlpowell, where I’ll be posting general news, inspiring quotes, and links to useful and/or cool stuff.

Are you on Twitter yet? If you are, check out Outshine, the Twitter-based magazine edited by Jetse de Vries. It currently features an untitled piece of fiction by yours truly – which at only 25 words is the shortest piece of fiction I’ve yet had published.