To blog or not to blog?

There is a debate going around with many answers to that question. When should an author promote their work and themselves?

On one side of the coin, we have those who believe that promoting themselves is a good thing. And when I say promoting, I am talking about having a web site or a blog. Putting ourselves out there can be good for us. It gives us a chance to start building our followers now. It gives people a chance to see who we are and what we are about.

In my blog, I have interviewed other authors, talked about the craft, posted some links that are interesting to me and hopefully interesting to you. This give you, the reader, a chance to learn about me. You can read my bio, see who is following me, and read my ideas. AND, if you can do this, so can an agent or an editor.

I have heard that if some agents are interested in representing someone, they will go in search of them on the Internet. Let's face it. Promoting is a big deal. It takes time and money, and if an agent is going to spend their time and money on someone, wouldn't it be nice to do it with someone who is serious and willing to help promote their own work?

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that people who do not promote themselves on the Internet are not serious writers. This brings us to the other side of the coin.

Other people believe that there is no reason to promote themselves if there is no product. What is there to advertise? And it does take time to blog. There's truth in that. It takes me about 20 minutes to post a blog and I try to do it at least twice a week. Some weeks are better than others. : ) That could be considered time taken away from writing. And let's face it, we all want to hone our craft and get the best work that we can.

Time management is the key. I write during the day and when I need to blog, I fit it in. On the days that I am to blog elsewhere, I try to write it out and then post date it.

I think the only answer is to do what makes you comfortable. Only then will the end result be the best that it can be!

WEB DESIGN

Are you new to the writing atmosphere? Maybe you have just gotten published and are looking for a way to promote you and your books. Let me first congratulate you on such a feat! Getting published isn't easy. But, you still have some hard work ahead of you and promoting with a web site is a great way to go. All of the famous authors have one. Veronica Wolff, Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon, and the list goes on and on.

Well, let me mention one other award winning author. I am sure some of you have read her work and if you haven't, please do so. I think you will be entertained. Her name is Kimberly Killion and you can visit her at www.kimberlykillion.com. 'My Cursed Highlander', 'Her One Desire', and 'His Magick Touch" are just a few of her books.

I haven't mentioned her here just to brag on her writing skills, but to also brag on her computer skills. Kimberly has also started up a web design company called Hot Damn Designs. You can find the link here at www.hotdamndesigns.com. Kimberly designed her own web page and I think it looks great! When it is my turn to come to a point where I will need a web page, this is the lady I will turn to.