The infamous "P" word.

And no, it's not the same "P" word that I was awakened to last week in my toddler's hand.

(Yes. Yes. And that's all I'm going to say about it on this blog. I try to keep all the happy and crappy details - pun intended - about my life to my personal blog). ;)

No, the word we are looking at today is "PUBLICIZING".

I do hate that word.

I am the worst person in the world at publicizing myself. But along the way, I've picked up a few tricks of the trade that I would love to share:

Create a Blog.
Do it. Write about nothing. Write about your life every day (I do this and it's wonderful because now I have basically a diary that chronicles every major and un-major event in my son's life!). Write about writing. Write about something that pertains to what you write about (are you a doctor? Write a medical blog. Are you a history buff writing historical fiction? Write about random tidbits you uncover.)

Create a Facebook page.
It's life these days, friends. EVERYONE is on Facebook. And the best way to get your writing out there is to be where everyone is (the Cheers theme song is now running through my head). If you are concerned with personal privacy, there is a way to create just a fan page where you can have just your public persona who interacts with your potential readers without needing to include a lot of personal stuff.

Create a Twitter account.
I'll be the first to admit that I can't stand Twitter. It's like 2,856 thoughts at once and I already have some problems focusing. BUT - I just recently discovered that I could link my Facebook fan page with my Twitter account and I love it so much more now (yes, I am severely behind the times when it comes to Twitter and it's inner workings). Plus, there are a few dashboard widgets you can add to your computer and it also makes it easier to stay connected.

Create a website.
You can even do this through Blogger with your blog. It doesn't have to be extravagant, but it is helpful to have one. Even if you've never published a word, the goal is to be published, right? At the very least, go ahead and purchase the ownership of .com. 

Create a business card.
There are a million places to do this. Try to connect with other writers. Meet potential readers. Go to conferences and be generous with your charming personality and your business cards. Be open and friendly. Email people you've met or heard of or people who are in your same situation on the road to being published. Some of my dearest "friends" in the writing world are people I've never actually met in person or people I've only spent a very few hours talking to at a conference.


The bottom line is that publishers LOVE seeing writers who have already taken some initiative with their publicity because, let's face it, a LOT of publicity after you are published is something that is done by you the author. If nothing else, it's fantastic practice for the future!! :)