by KJ HowePlease welcome author Elizabeth Naughton to the lair. Today's topic--My Space vs. Facebook--should stir up some fascinating discussions. Take it away, Elizabeth!
Thanks to KJ and everyone at the Romance Bandits for having me here today.
My first book, STOLEN FURY, released in January 2009. It's a sexy romantic adventure about an archaeologist on the hunt for three ancient Greek reliefs, and the rogue thief who steals from her. They soon learn they have to work together to find the remaining relics if either want to succeed, and that they aren't the only ones on the hunt…other treasure hunters are after the prize, too, and they'll kill to get to the end first. As this is my debut book, I've been in serious promo mode the last few months, trying to figure out what works where. And I've discovered only one thing for certain after a year of research: I'm still fairly clueless. However, there is one promo aspect I am truly enjoying. And that is what has come to be known as my Facebook addiction.
How many of you are on Facebook? I must admit, I'm Myspace challenged. I spent hours creating a Myspace page, making it look nice, adding elements to jazz it up. And then I went looking for friends. I think I have like 30. Still. And I created my Myspace page months ago! Thing is…friending people on Myspace is a time consuming pain. I have three kids, a husband who travels and books that need to be written and promo'd. I don't have time to sit online trying to find people who like me! (Or pretend to.) And, okay, maybe I'm just too old for Myspace. My head spins when I log on because there are all these sparkly things flying toward me and pages that seem to take forever to load. (My attention span is obviously short.)
On the flipside though…Facebook is a piece of cake. And I can't believe how many people I've found that I thought I'd forgotten. My friend list is huge (in comparison to Myspace), and I often find myself logging on at odd hours just to see what my "friends" are up to. I've found and met lots of fans, get to talk about my books with people who are truly interested, and when I add writer updates like, "Elisabeth is stuck on a yacht off the coast of Belize, but this is an improvement because last night she was running for her life in a Mayan temple" people don't think I'm completely psycho but actually get excited over what I'm going to be doing next.
Recently, I read an article called Why Facebook is for Old Fogies. (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1879169,00.html), and it was so good, I’m going to summarize for you here (and add my additions in parenthesis):
Facebook is about finding people you've lost track of. (This is Facebook's charm. Other old fogies are on Facebook, too. Because, they can't handle the sparkles on Myspace either. High school friends, college roommates, sorority sisters, ex boyfriends. Facebook is very useful for finding all of these…especially exes (one friend of mine managed to locate all her exes)…and seeing how much hair they've lost or how much weight they've gained. You can either pat yourself on the back for ditching them when you did or kick yourself you didn't marry the nerd whose locker was next to yours because he's now a multi-millionaire.)
We're no longer bitter about high school. (Most of us, that is. But this is true. At 28, I didn't go to my high school reunion because I still harbored resentments. I didn't WANT to know what my old high school friends were up to. In my mid-30s finding old friends is fun. (And again it's fun to look for exes. And show them all our books.))
We never get drunk at parties and get photographed holding beer bottles in suggestive positions. (Okay, some of us don't. J But most of my friends are mature enough not to post those incriminating photos on Facebook…though one friend says she's saving them for the day I hit it big. I have yet to get her to explain what "hit it big" means.)
Facebook isn't just a social network; it's a business network. (Bingo. Did you hear me talking about books, readers and fans? I know people technically use Myspace for this, but Facebook is just more fun. And let's face it. The people who are going to read my books are, well, people just like me…and my friends.)
We're lazy. (We, meaning the old fogies. Facebook is not only fun promotion, it's mindless entertainment. I can waste two hours on Facebook without even realizing it, and at the end of those two hours don’t necessarily feel like I did nothing, like I would if I'd crashed in front of the TV. Compare that to Myspace where I feel like ripping my eyebrows out after ten minutes.)
We're old enough that pictures from grade school or summer camp look nothing like us. (Isn't this true? Not so for a lot of people on Myspace. Many of my friends have added old pics from high school that have made me laugh for hours. And last night I found myself going through old high school pictures myself to scan in and post to my page then stopped and said, "What ARE you doing?" (My kids looked at me quite strangely at that point.))
We have children. (Old fogies love to share pictures of their kids and make all their friends suffer. Every single person on my friend list has pics of their kids up on their site. Except me. Since I use my page for promo I don't add kid pics, but you can bet I would if it were just for fun. Suffer, friends!)
We're too old to remember e-mail addresses. (Sadly, this is true. It's EASY to find people on Facebook. Just type in a name, and voila. There they are. And for some strange reason, though I'm not sure why, people are more apt to answer emails through Facebook than through regular email programs. Why IS that exactly?)
We don't understand Twitter. (Ack! I have no idea how to use Twitter. If you know…please email me privately and explain how it works!)
We're not cool, and we don't care. (Cool is Myspace and Twitter. Especially if you're in that 20-something demographic, which I, obviously, am not.) That time has passed. Facebook now has 150 million members, and its fastest-growing demographic is 30 and up.
Okay, this is not to say that Myspace isn't equally as fun for those of you who aren't me. I've discussed the pros and cons of both with lots of authors. I'm just saying, for me, at my age and with my sparkle-aversion level, Facebook is easier for me to navigate. I hear a lot of authors talk about the "promo beast"…that necessary evil we all must endure if we want to spread the word about our books, and I'm in awe of writers who are not only successful at multiple methods of promotion, but who seem to enjoy it all. One thing I've taken from this past year is to do the promo ops YOU find fun and that you don't mind doing, because you'll be more apt to keep up with them. Surprisingly, Facebook has been a fun promo tool that I would continue to use even if I didn't have a book coming out, mainly because it's just plain fun. And really, after a long day of running for my life in a Mayan temple, who couldn't use a little fun?
How about you? Are you on Facebook? If so, come find me and friend me. And how do you feel about the social networking sites…either for promotion or fun or for spreading the word about what you're up to in your life and work?
And before I forget…I'm giving away an autographed copy of STOLEN FURY to one lucky commenter. Because, well, like Facebook, it's just a really good time. So comment away. J
We'd love to hear your thoughts on My Space vs. Facebook! Thanks to Elizabeth for joining us today! Don't forget to stop by the Romance Bandits on Facebook and say hello.
Elisabeth Naughton writes both sexy romantic adventures and paranormals for Dorchester. Her debut, STOLEN FURY, was a January 2009 release and a 2007 Golden Heart Finalist in Romantic Suspense. The next two books in her Stolen Trilogy are scheduled to release in August 2009 and early 2010, respectively, followed by an all new paranormal adventure series which will hit store shelves spring 2010. A former junior high science teacher with three young children who loves to travel, Elisabeth has served as a board member for her local RWA chapter for years and was the Mid-Willamette Valley RWA chapter president in 2008. Visit her website at http://www.elisabethnaughton.com/ for more info on her and her books.
106 comments:
Is he mine today!
Virginia, congratulations on grabbing the rooster!
Elizabeth, welcome to the lair. I read your blog with interest because I have yet to dip my toe into either of these ponds. I've faithfully promised high school friends as well as the banditas that I will jump onto Facebook and soon. Now that I've read this, Facebook sounds way easier.
I'm the techno person at our house--or I used to be, thanks to 3 years working in my college radio station. Now the boy often has to fill that role. Soundboards and electronics systems don't bother me. Websites with lots of bells and whistles, on the other hand, do.
So I'm neither for now.
Congratulations on your debut. It sounds wonderful!
KJ, thanks for having Elizabeth stop in.
Hi Elisabeth,
Congrats on the recent release of your debut. I used to have a My Space account, but I got rid of it because I wasn't updating my page. I have a lot of friends who are on Facebook, but I have yet to sign up for an account. I am curious to find out how many of my classmates I'll be able to rediscover.
Congrats on the GR, Virginia.
Hello Elizabeth, first off let me say congratulations on you debut book! It sounds like an awesome read. I do love to read a good Romantic Suspense.
I sorry to say I haven't got into Facebook or My Space so far. I spend way to much time on the computer as it is with my blogs and authors sites. I don't need to start up something else. But who knows what the future might bring. This old dog may change her mind one day and get into Facebook.
Congratulations Virginia on nabbing the GR. (Kim did explain about the Golden Rooster, didn't she Elizabeth?)
I never did figure out Myspace. I'm part of a group, Ohio Authors, with a myspace page but I couldn't figure it out enough to effectively use it.
I just joined Facebook (at Christine's insistence) and I can tell it's much easier -- but I STILL don't know what I'm doing. Thank you for mentioning how to find old friends because I didn't even know how to do that!
BTW - what nailed the decision to join the Facebook crowd was an accidental encounter with a fellow cub scout den leader (my son is now 24). She's on facebook - so I figured it was time for me to put the toe in the water.
So share - anybody - helpful hints about using Facebook because otherwise I'm known as "hide-my-face"book Donna.
Hi Elisabeth -- I read that article, too, and it's made me think about my choices. I use MySpace and Facebook for different purposes, although both are primarily for networking.
I use my pen name, not my real name, so no high school friends will find me unless it's through my husband or siblings. I prefer to keep it this way, because I keep my romance writing life separate from my non-fiction-writing day job.
I love all the glitter and music and fancy stuff at MySpace, and that's where I post blogs. On the other hand, Facebook is much more immediate. I joined less than 6 weeks ago and somehow have over 800 friends already (most are mystery and/or romance authors).
I'm in a lot of groups on Facebook, and I've hooked up with a lot of interesting blogs through Facebook invitations. Several people who were "motivation partners" of mine got together and formed a group called the Cherry Tarts on Facebook, where we talk about writing craft.
I just set up a page for my local RWA chapter, since a group of those ladies joined recently -- and they were the ones who persuaded me to join. I've had three people who saw my profile contact me, within days of my signing up, to ask about my local chapter. Two have since come to meetings and a book signing.
It's a little addictive, because it is so immediate. I tend to keep Facebook open in a separate tab, so I can stop in if I'm on hold on the phone, or waiting for a return phone call, or to kill time when I'm stuck on something I'm writing.
I had avoided Facebook for a long time because my kids are there, and I didn't want them to think I was stalking them. I needn't have worried: they friended me, but we live in our own worlds on FB, and it's working out fine.
Elisabeth, we are friends on MySpace already, and I just sent you a friend request on Facebook (I'm Becke Martin there). Your book sounds fascinating -- I will be sure to check it out. Thanks for a thought-provoking post!
Congrats on the GR, Virginia!
Great post, Elizabeth! :) I'm with you on this issue - Facebook all the way. I've had my account forever. As in - when it was a social network only for 12 universities :P
Have never liked myspace -it's too busy for me. And I have to admit, I've pretty much always had that bias. I basically heard about myspace first on the news, with all the pedophile busts, etc. Not good.
Still, more politicians/stars/musicians have/had myspace pages. Either way, I know social networking - even/especially online is a great tool.
Congrats Virginia have fun with him
Hi Elizabeth loved the blog love the sound of the book as well another book I will be looking for.
I love Facebook it took a long time for my kids to convince me to join but I am loving it even my hubby is on facebook now as well. I have found lots of friends and I have lots of family as friends I love posting photos and it is a great way to keep in touch. Two of my daughters have even started a page on babybook for my newest grandsons really cool.
A lot of my friends are authors and this keeps me up to date with new book releases blogs that they are visiting and all the happenings. The only time I tried my space totally lost me facebook I love.
Have Fun
Helen
Welcome to the Lair, Elizabeth! Thanks, KJ for inviting her (hope you're having fun on your trip!)
Your post said it all - I'm just like you - a young fogey *g*. I'm on MySpace but find it too difficult. Facebook is a piece of cake and easier to dip in and out of. In a soundbite world, Facebook is great for soundbite communication.
I'm sure Twitter would work for me too if I could figure it out. I know it's huge here in the UK with some big names really pushing it and utilising it.
I don't do much on FB at the moment, but I can see how it would be a fab tool for promotion. So, what I do now is in investment in the future for when I sell ... right *g*?!
I meant to say that I love the sound of your debut novel - as a former adventure gamer, it sounds right up my alley. Adding it to the TBR list.
Virginia, congratulations for grabbing the Golden Rooster!
Elizabeth, I'm an admitted Facebook junkie. I love it for all the reasons the article pointed out. I use my maiden name as my pen name and I initially joined Facebook to connect with other writers and with readers. Once I was on there under my maiden name, though, all these people from high school started tracking me down.
Some I was happy to hear from, some I had forgotten existed. I'm sure some of them had forgotten I existed, too. *g* It's been great fun overall. Now I'm trying to convince my next younger sister to go to a combination high school reunion for the high school we both graduated from. Of course, I only went there for about half a year, so I don't really know anyone, but it would be fun with her there!
I'm glad we old people have invaded Facebook. It's been a really good time!
Good morning! Elizabeth, I popped over to your website and it looks wonderful. Love the premise of your books, and the covers rock!
I am newly on Facebook, and am using it as a way to check on what other writers are up to, such as when they post the blogs they are visiting. I'm still getting used to it. But I'll definitely Friend you. :)
Hi Elisabeth! Welcome to the Romance Bandits! I am a huge fan of Facebook and have absolutely loved reconnecting with friends from high school and beyond. It is a great way to find people and perfect for us fogies. ;-)
It is a big Big Brother scary, but I've had to get over those fears. I guess that's just the world we're living in, right?
The only thing I don't understand about Facebook is why you'd friend people from your job. Unless you have the perfect job, of course. I mean, when I come home from work, the last thing I want to see is the faces of my co-workers. I want to COMPLAIN about them. Not see them on my Facebook page. ;-)
Hi Elisabeth! Welcome to the lair and congrats on your book!
I'm on both Facebook and MySpace but I only use FB. MySpace is too complicated for me. I've tried for over a year but I just never could get the hang of it. For me, that means it's time to hang it up.
Facebook, on the other hand, is fast, fun and easy. I remember back when my niece and nephew were college students on Facebook and how much they enjoyed it. I thought it was great (for them) but never dreamed I'd one day be on it too. Now I'm one of the Boomers who use Facebook to keep up with friends, family and authors. I've reunited with old college roommates and made new friends around the world.
An author I had "friended" used Facebook to let everybody know her book tour schedule. Without Facebook I probably would never have known that she would be coming to my area this week and I would have missed her. Instead, I'll be at B&N this Thursday night, buying her new book and getting it signed.
I loathe MySpace--for all the Old Fogie comments--and I don't consider myself an old fogie. I don't even have kids or any of the other excuses that article gave. I'm more like the Misfit/outsider kid in school; and MySpace is all the popular kids and I feel like hell trying to navigate in the "popular crowd." And even if I did figure it out, I'd hate it--because the glitter, the fakeness, the incriminating pictures--that's not me.
Okay, I have some incriminating pictures, but I don't post those. (My used-to-be friends have posted some though.)
And I too feel like pulling my eyebrows out after 5 minutes of MySpace. OMG.
Facebook, though, is just fun. Much more user friendly...and doesn't feel exclusive. And very little glitter, thank god.
Hi, Elisabeth! Congrats on your recent debut! I hope both Facebook & MySpace are pulling in the readers for you!
I, too, established a page on both sites, & I must be old as well because I think MySpace looks cluttered & junky. But then I don't even like to have music playing while I write. Too much going on at once. I'm clearly not of the multitasking generation. I prize my silence, especially with two little ones at home.
My husband, on the other hand, listens to music all the time--working, writing, thinking, working out, ALL THE TIME. I don't understand how he can think with all that going on. But if I want to know where he is in the house, I just have to follow the trail of media--TVs, iPods, stereos, computers--he leaves blaring away long after he's moved on to another room.
For the record, I can't get him to turn out the lights when he leaves a room either, but at least I never wonder where he is. :-)
Susan, my son multitasks that way, too, which makes me think the bit about men not being able to do that is as bogus as the one about women not being map readers. I love maps and am the navigator, mainly because the dh is a terrible passenger :-), when we travel.
I've seen the boy playing an online game with a music CD running and a video playing, and he knows what all of them are doing. Which boggles my mind. I can read and watch TV or listen in two directions at once while taking notes, but that's my limit.
Ho, Virginia! You got him! Congrats on the GR!
Elizabeth, I'm thrilled that you've dropped by the Lair. I think I just friended you on Facebook the other night. HA! I knew I recognized your name, so I sent the friend thing...then I looked at upcoming blogs and there you were!
That's a very long way to say WELCOME!!! Grins.
Your book sound fab. Drat it, another add to the teetering, towering TRB pile. Grins.
I totally agree with you on Facebook vs. MySpace. As everyone else said, it's too difficult for the pop-in-pop-out time that I have, and for the updating and navigating. Esp. once you've done FB.
MsHellion, I'm with you too on the "Popular" thing. What's up with that? Are we in second grade? I didn't like second grade when I was IN it, much less now! Hahaha!
I haven't connected w/ a lot of folks from high shcool on FB, but a couple have found me. (Mostly because I left a confusing trail of names as I divorced and remarried...) Grins. Found a couple of college buds, and old pals from "other lives." It's a ton of fun.
It's immediate too, as someone else said. And addictive. *grins* esp. for an extrovert like me. I HAVE to limit my time on it, but it sure was fun to watch the Oscars with about 100 pals on FB Sunday night. We were having such fun talking about the movies, the dresses...all that jazz. Almost as good as a party.
OMGosh, Susan, we married the same man....mine is a music king, and leaves music, tv, music-on-web, etc. on all over the place. If he's at the office on the weekend (Accountant+first quarter=work weekends) and I call, I can hear it just blasting.
I can work with music on, but it has to be either something I don't know and can't sing to, or classical I don't know and which I don't choose to conduct. Haaaa!
What a fun blog! And it's good to know I'm not the only old fogey who gets confused on these sites. I have a MySpace, but never touch it. Don't do a thing with it and no one ever sends me friend requests. I also have a Facebook, and though I don't understand all of it, I get friend requests all the time and it's less intimidating. To me anyway.
I have been found recently by some people I knew in HS and haven't seen since. It's odd since I've been away from my hometown for almost 20 years and haven't thought of these people in forever.
I know what you mean, Terrio. I guess when they contact you on Facebook, they WANT to know you now, right? At least that's my reasoning. And I have UnFriended and I have also not confirmed "Friends" that I had no desire to connect with.
Call me grinchy, but I don't want to friend someone who was so horrible to people in college that I couldn't stand her. Ha!
I like that control. See, Cassondra, I AM learning to say NO!
Heehee.
Welcome to the Lair, Elizabeth, and thanks for inviting her, KJ.
I do love Facebook. I've been able to contact old friends from many years ago. I'm still fiddling with it, but at least it's easier than MySpace where everyone who wanted to friend me had about 20 piercings in his/her upper body!
Congratulations on getting the rooster, Virginia. Keep him dry. We're having awfully wet weather in California.
So far, I've avoided both Facebook and Myspace (and now, on top of it all,Twitter) for the simple reason that I'm afraid it will eat even more time of the precious little I have on the computer. Twitter is the one I really don't get - if I've grasped it correctly, you're supposed to answer a single question every time: what are you doing right now?
How often a day do people really want or need to know that about ANYONE?
Ref: Furious Stealing (heh) - I like the idea of running around Mayan Temples.
Congrats, Virginia! Maybe we should set the GR up with his own FaceBook page! Don't tell him I said that. As I recall he has incriminating photos of ALL of us!
Hello Elizabeth! Romantic suspense with a touch of history? Hey, I'm in! Add this one to the TBB stack. I'm intrigued. Congrats on the debut!
Could you tell us a bit about your paranormal series?
I am a seriously devout old fogie. I have neither a FaceBook or MySpace page. My critique partner has to handle any change to my website. I am not to be trusted on the computer!
It might be nice to reconnect with some of my friends from high school and college.
I am with you Kirsten. I don't WANT to see, think, hear from or have anything to do with my co workers once I hit the time clock.
I like the idea of the networking potential of Facebook. Maybe I will let my nephew walk me through it. He is my computer guru. He tells everyone his aunt is computer challenged because his Mom told him it is not polite to say his aunt is an idiot.
Thanks so much for the great comments, everyone!
Okay, first of all, someone please explain the rooster! I'm lost.
And I have no idea why blogger is doing weird things with book cover .jpgs...but it did this to my cover on another blog I visited so...just a little FYI...those aren't the "real" colors of my cover. If you want to see the real (beautiful!) cover for STOLEN FURY, head over to my website at www.elisabethnaughton.com
(And yes, I'll admit it...I'm a little biased even though I had nothing whatsoever to do with the cover. I'm still in "first cover love" and reveling in my recent JABBIC win in RS. The cover goddesses (so far) have been very, very nice to me.)
Oh, and before I forget...those little "J"'s in my post *I think* are supposed to be smiley faces. Note to self...stop smiling so darn much!
Elisabeth,
Great post. I'm so bad. I'm going to have to get hip and get more online.
Thanks for the info.
CC
:) I totally agree, I am a facebook girl through and through. I'm only 22, but Myspace is way too glitzy for me. So many codes and things to remember to make it cool, a lot of spyware, and it's not nearly as fun. I am a crazy fantatic about the profile feed, telling what everyone is doing, and Myspace simply doesn't have that.
Facebook definetly rocks!
Thanks for the welcome, Virginia!
Definitely head over and give Facebook a shot. Took me about a day to work out the bugs. Unlike Myspace...which I'm still struggling with. Someday I have high hopes I'll figure Myspace out. (wishful thinking!)
Hey, I'm BAAAAAAAACCKKKKK! Watch out, you wotten wooster nappers! I'm gonna get him this week!
Hope you were all good in my absence. Note to self - clearly my optimism is misplaced. Hope you were all happy and well in my absence! Much more achievable! ;-)
Hey, Virginia, congrats on the chook!
Hey Nancy!
I'm the techno person in my house too. My hubby does the hardware stuff, but I'm usually navigating webpages for him. Our kids, however, are going to pass me soon (and the oldest is only 10). Maybe someday soon SHE can teach me Myspace?! (More wishful thinking.)
Thanks, Jane.
I've only been on Facebook a few months, but I've noticed a lot more high school friends since even I joined. I don't know what's happening, but it's spreading. Like a virus. But in a cool way. You should totally join (and then friend me!)
Hi Elisabeth! The Golden Rooster - or GR - is the virtual, naughty bird who goes home with the day's first poster. Virginia, in this case. Once there, he usually gets up to various nefarious, mischievious or otherwise disruptive behaviour. For some reason, we love him anyway. :>
He's quite coveted around the Lair, but as Louisa said, he MAY NOT have his own FB page. Too many incriminating photos from National last year.
PS - sorry to have spelled your name wrong! Its an S not a Z, right?
Elizabeth, firstly congratulations on the release of your debut. It sounds fab!
Love the post because it backs up a lot of stuff I've been thinking myself - and I'm definitely an old fogie! I only joined Myspace and Facebook around Christmas time and FB rocks and Myspace sort of lies in the corner and languishes. Love the Time article - thanks so much for posting the link!
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the welcome. One of the things I like most about Facebook is you can find a friend, look up their friends, and easily "friend" people with one click. It's a lot more work to find friends on Myspace. So for a new writer, the easiest way to get your friend list going is to go to another writer friend's site, click on their friend list and start adding people. You'll be amazed at how fast your list will grow, and how it will grow from there (with very little work on your part).
Oh, no, Elisabeth, I spelt your name wrongly too. Sorry!!!! It's very early here and my brain hasn't actually got out of bed, unlike the rest of me!
Myspace drives me bananas. I have an account there I never check. FB on the other hand I check daily. I've reconnected with some long lost folks there.
I kind of wonder if anyone from my civilian high school reads this... I hope not. Because I'm about to confess some stuff.
I really don't care that many of them have found me on facebook. Is that bad? Should I feel guilty for saying it? I don't think it matters, because, well, I just don't. In most cases, there's a reason I lost touch with them. It's because I didn't care all that much about them to begin with.
Callous, huh. Does it make me a jerk? Maybe. Probably.
Now, on the other hand, there are my military school buddies that have been crawling out of the woodwork. Now THAT I'm grateful for. I didn't intentionally lose track of those guys. We graduated, and we scattered all over the country. None of us were from Chatham, VA. We just went to school there in some rigid conditions. Most of us hated the place. A lot of us STILL hate the place. But when we talk now, it's like we pick up just where we left off. Some real brotherhood there. This experience of picking back up like exactly zero time has passed has repeated itself again and again. I find it odd. Inexplicable. But I'm not complaining.
I guess you'll have that when you live with the same guys for four years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Somewhat surprisingly, none of my military pals have shown up. Well, a couple of them have. I have to say though, that I'm not real interested in seeing, meeting, or hearing from the guys I served with overseas. It's not that I don't like them. It's not that they weren't fine Marines. To a man, they were good guys, and good Marines. And yes, some of them were extraordinarily close. But for me, that's a time that's gone, and I want to keep it gone. So I'm kind of glad they haven't shown up. The guys that have shown up have been folks I served with stateside. And they're cool guys. Just, well... I'm ambivalent.
And then there's a friend that found me a couple of months ago. She's like a long, lost sister. I'm really happy about that.
But NONE of this would've happened on myspace. People "jazz up" their myspace pages with flash, screwball backgrounds that make the text impossible to read, annoying songs and other clutter that just gives me a headache. You want a sure way to make sure I click the "back" button on my browser in record time? "Jazz up" your myspace page. I'll spend less time on it than I do thinking about what shoes I put on every morning. (I wear the same boots every day. It's a millisecond of thought.)
Fortunately, you can't seem to do that on facebook. Yay!
Hi Treethyme,
I, too, love the immediacy of Facebook. I think that's why I like it so much more than Myspace. With three kids, a busy hubby, books to write and promo to do, I don't have time like I did in my 20s, where I could spend 2-3 hours online being social. Sure, I can waste that time on Facebook if I let myself, but I can also spend 15 min. on Facebook, make my daily "appearance" and head back to my work.
Hi Limecello,
Wow, you have been on Facebook a long time!!! Okay, share with the rest of us the hidden secrets of Facebook...or what most of us may not know yet about the site. Even though I love it, I know there are aspects of the site I'm not tapping into yet.
ACK! I've become a technophobe in my old age. And, honestly, I can't imagine where anyone with children, a career, and a life find the time for all this extracurricular stuff. I suppose I shall have to bite the bullet soon, but am dreading it so appreciate you taking the time to expound upon the differences (My DIL wanted to make me a MYSPACE page--which I vetoed.)
As a card carrying member (no, not Medicare--yet) of the old fogeys' club, much of what I once knew without question to be correct is no longer so. That's daunting, I can tell you, and does tend to make one less confident so a bit of insider input is welcome.
Best of luck with your book!
Hi Helen,
Thanks for the post and for the comment on my book. I hope you enjoy it.
I haven't roped my hubby into Facebook yet, but his days are numbered. LOL!
Hi Anna!
I am definitely of the mindset that you should do as much branding/self promo as you can before selling so you have less to do after. So yes...get that Facebook page up and going!!!
Welcome to the lair, Elisabeth! Your debut sounds fantastic *g* What are you working on now?
I only recently joined Facebook - just over a month ago I think - and so far I really love it. I don't spend as much time there as I'd like but when I'm there, I get sucked into reading what all of my 'friends' are doing :-)
I haven't tried MySpace yet and I'm not in a hurry to do so. My son, on the other hand, loves MySpace and can't stand Facebook. He must like all the sparkly things *g*
Grins. P226, are we like long lost siblings or something? I feel the same way about a lot of the high school/college folks. I didn't post my alma mater on my connection thing 'cause I'm in contact w/ pretty much everyone I want to be from that time period.
Milliseconds. Yep. That covers it.
And the jazz on MySpace? Yuck. I'll leave FB if they ever muck it up with that.
Grins.
See, Elisabeth, a very opinionated bunch, 'round here!
Caren, I'm the exact same way. I write under my maiden name as well, and because of that it's been easier for my old high school 'pals' to find me. As I went to two different high schools, I've linked up with lots of people my old brain had forgotten about. But, it's been very fun, and I've found that old high school friends are quite eager to tell everyone they know that they went to school with someone who wrote a book...even if they weren't exaclty friends with me in school. And ultimately, spreading the word about our books is the point of even having a social networking page, isn't it? So in my mind, it's all good (and fun) promo.
Hey KJ, are you on Facebook?
Hi Gillian, thanks for the nice comments about my website and books!
Glad you're enjoying Facebook so much!
To Gwynlyn, Rachie G, and Christie Craig, Welcome to the Lair! :>
ROFL, Kirsten. I've often wondered why people friend colleagues as well!
Hi, PJ, that's great that you're able to follow your favorite authors through Facebook. I think that's one of the charms of Facebook...easily seeing what your friends are up to.
Have a great time at the booksigning!!
Hi MsHellion (great name!)
Here's what I like most about Facebook...all the pages look the same. Sure, different photos and info, but you don't feel like an outcast if you don't have the $500 professionally designed page. And I mentioned my glitter aversion, right? *grin* Glad to see I'm not alone.
ROFL, Kirsten. I've often wondered why people friend colleagues as well!
The president of my company, and my direct boss are in my friends list. I was setting my FB status to ".. is #%^@ing off at work."
*JUST* before I clicked submit, I remembered they'd see it.
That's what I call a "forehead slap" moment. When you ask yourself WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?
Heh.
LOL, Susan. I think that's a male trait. My hubby leaves TVs on all over the house...and the computer with a baseball game going, and the radio...
My laptop is always muted. I hate websites that have music running. If I want to hear something, I'll turn it on. And oy...I guess that does make me an old fogie! LOL
Hey Jeanne, thanks for the welcome (and the friend!) I hope you like the book!
The immediacy is great, isn't it? A writer friend and I were online at the same time last week and got into a discussion with an author in the UK about the romance genre. It was fun to get his take on different genres in different countries so quickly. No way could we have done that on Mysapce.
Hi Terrio. Thanks for the comment! It is definitely odd to get friend requests from people you haven't seen in 20 yrs, but kind of fun too. I wouldn't go back and do high school over again if you paid me, but it's entertaining to see where (and how) everyone ended up.
LOL, Jeanne. You're not grinchy. I've unfriended people too. Which is a nice part of Facebook. Not everyone can see what you're up to.
LOL, Jo, on the 20-piercings per person friend on Myspace!!
M...I'm so with you!!!! Okay, if anyone can explain Twitter to me and why it's good for promo, I'm all ears. But in my gut I can't see how anyone would want to know that between the Mayan temple and the yacht off the coast of Belize, I'm cleaning up spilled apple juice because the four year old didn't listen AGAIN when I told him no and decided he was big enough to get the juice container from the fridge himself and proceed to pour it all over my hardwood floor.
Hi Louisa, thanks for asking about my new paranormal series!
The first book, tentatively titled MARKED (though that could change) is set to release in April 2010. The series follows seven mythological warriors known as the Argonauts - descendents of the seven greatest heroes from Greek mythology...Heracles, Odysseus, Jason, Perseus, Theseus, Bellerophon & Achilles. In book one, the leader of the Argonauts must find the woman who unknowingly fulfills an ancient prophesy that will stave off a war with the demons of the underworld and protect his people from extinction. The problem, however (this is a romance, after all), is that he begins to fall for her even knowing she is marked for sacrifice.
These paranormals are a little darker than my RSs, but still adventurous, sexy and fun to read. And I'm very excited about both the new series and the fact I'll be able to continue to write romantic suspense.
Hey Christie. Thanks for stopping by!!
Hi RachieG. Yes! I love the profile feed that tells everyone what you're up to. I forgot all about that. Good addition!
ROFL, Jeanne. Thanks for the skinny on the rooster. I'm so looking for him in DC this year...
Hi Anna, Thanks so much for the great comment. Nice to know I'm not the only one who isn't in love with Myspace. For a long time I rebelled against all social networking sites because I thought there was something wrong with me in that I couldn't get Myspace to work the way I wanted it to. It wasn't until my 25 yr old friend (who is in-the-know on everything social networking related) showed me how great Facebook was that I realized I wasn't alone.
LOL, Anna & Jeanne, on the name thing. I'm used to the "z". In fact, in first grade, my teacher routinely sent my papers home with a big red check mark next to my name. Until, that is, my mother went in and explained the "s" was a family spelling and not me being too stupid to know how to spell my own name. ;)
P226, I don't think that's callous at all. I think it's real. And the nice part about Facebook is you don't have to friend people you don't want to reconnect with.
I'm also totally with you on the jazzed up myspace pages. (Part of the reason I don't spend time there like I probably should.)
Glad you've reconnected with some great friends from your past!
Thanks so much, Gwynyln. Everything new is always daunting, but I'm willing to give most promo ops a shot so long as they're worth my time. So far, Facebook has been worth it.
Hi Beth,
Right now I'm putting together a new RS proposal to send my agent and I'm doing some minor revisions on the first paranormal in my new series. After that (hopefully soon), I'm diving into book 2 of the paranormal series, so ideas for that are already popping.
As soon as I log off here I'm putting together a list of people to find on Facebook, so all of you who don't have pages yet...go create them!
LOL, P226...good thing you caught that before you hit send!
Hey everyone,
I took a boat into the larger island (I'm in the Exumas in the Bahamas where there is little more than water and sand...perfection!) so I could say hello. Elizabeth, great post. Lots to think about when you are weighing options about My Space and Facebook. I love Facebook myself. Congrats on your success this year! I have a feeling that it's a start to many good things.
A huge congrats to our Kate who hit the NYT Bestseller List. See what you miss when you're off on a desert island??? I'm super proud of you!!!
Thanks to everyone for stopping by. Very happy to see so many friendly faces. :)
KJ
Hey, Kim. I hope you are having a fabulous time! (Have I mentioned I'm jealous?) This morning I was online planning out trip to Hawaii in October...but, boy...October seems way too far out right now.
Congrats to Kate on hitting the NYT list!!!
Hi Elizabeth and welcome to the Lair. Your book sounds fab, and I love your comments about Facebook. I'm on FB, MySpace and Twitter and am... well, lame on all three *g* I have no idea what I'm doing there, so just sort of muddle in, make a dorky comment, muddle back out and forget about it for awhile, then remember I'm supposed to be social and muddle back in again.
I think thats my main problem - I'm not overly social when I'm writing LOL.
Hey KJ! Island hopping...OMGosh...its 29 degrees here. (Up from a balmy 19 this morning when I took the kids to school)
Elisabeth, I am SO LOL about the juice on the floor. Snork. This would be why I'm not on Twitter. I am not doing anything, at any given moment, that the majority would find interesting. Esp. when kids and dogs are involved. Now if you want to hear about WWE, 8-year-old league baseball, basketball, and flag football, along with potty training, dog training (very similiar, I assure you) and learning to groom a coated breed dog which I've not ever done before? You have no life and Twitter is juuuuuusssst fine. HAHAHA. Me, I've got to clean up the juice, not talk about it. Grins.
And I'm jealous of KJ too, Elisabeth...and your trip to Hawaii as well. :> However, being a snow lover, I'm thinking skiing about now. Grins. Not that a warm beach wouldn't be welcome too.
So sorry to spell your name wrong, Elisabeth! I'll bet you get that a lot. I assume the spelling on the book is correct LOL.
Congratulations on your debut book. Did anyone ask you to tell your journey to publication? I'd better scroll through the responses!
LOL on hide-my-facebook, Donna. That's the way I feel. I just friend everyone who asks, figuring they're all writers or readers -- can't go wrong with that group!
But other than that, I don't know what to do. Waaaahhh!
Good point, M., about Twitter. Can anyone explain more about how it works? Just the name gives me the creepies -- it conjures up all that adolesceng angst.
Jeanne, that's so cool!! I would loved to have watched the Oscars with some Facebook friends. Duh, never entered my mind. Boy, I'd better get on the ball!
Looks like no one explained the rooster to you Elisabeth. We award the "virtual" golden rooster to the first commenter each day. Shhh, the rooster believes he's real (and actually some of us do too!)
Hi, KJ!!!! Sounds lovely where you are. I'm sooooo jealous.
Elisabeth, don't forget to tell us about your Call!
Hey Tawny. I'm with you on not being overly social when writing. Hence my apple juice comment regarding twitter. LOL!
Sorry Elisabeth I too spelt your name wrong I have just asked to be your friend on facebook.
Twitter I don't know anything about sounds complicated to me.
I am still on a high after going to the first Australian Romance Readers Conference in Melbourne on the weekend what an awesome time I had. There are photos up on my facebook page and some of the delegates were twittering during the conference with their laptops so it seems to be popular I'll stick with facebook.
Have Fun
Helen
Just popping in to say HI to Elisabeth!! Welcome to the Lair!! I checked out your book cover on your website. Beautiful!
I really like Facebook but I'm so buried right now, everything's on hold 'til this next book gets out. As soon as that happens, I'm going to figure out how to navigate and use it to my advantage. :-)
Hi KJ! {{{Waving}}} Miss you! And thanks!!
Congrats, Virginia! Enjoy your day with the GR!
Yep, Jo, my name is spelled right in the book. My editor is fantabulous at making sure it's always right.
Okay, I wish my call story was more exciting but...it's sweet of you all to ask. I'll try not to bore you to death.
I used to be a science teacher (in the old days) and quit after my 2nd was born. A couple months at home with kids and I quickly realized I was going to go nuts without a job, so I started writing. That was back in 2003. To his credit, my DH did not laugh hysterically when I told him my new life goal - to be published - even though he very well could have (that first book was baaaaaaad).
The next two books I wrote had a lot of potential, but they had very category plotlines (secret baby, amnesia, etc....what can I say? I used to be addicted to Days of Our Lives) that kept them from catching attention in the ST market. My 4th book was a very dark and sinister RS that I didn't shop very many places. I still think it's good, but it's not the kind of RS I want to be writing right now. My agent has read it and agrees - my voice is more suited (now) for the lighter, adventurous, snarky RS, which is what I'm focusing on. I put that book away and may someday pull it out, but not right now. My 5th manuscript was STOLEN FURY (under a different name). It finaled in the GH for romantic suspense in 2007. A month after Nationals in Dallas I signed with my agent and she got busy shopping my book. It sold in Feb. 2008.
As for the actual call, well, my agent called on a Friday to ask for a short synopsis of the book. She'd had some interest and only had a long version. So going into it I knew there was *hope* but as I'd been down this road with other editors, I wasn't holding my breath. That weekend was actually my annual RWA chapter beach retreat (Thank goodness), so I was in good company, had lots of friends to "angst" with. Tuesday my agent called back with the offer. And while I knew it was a possibility, I didn't do anything but nod my head (which, hello, she couldn't see) and say "uh, huh. uh, huh." At one point I remember her asking, "You ARE excited about this, right?" And I know I must have said yes, but I was still too shocked to do more than that. I'm pretty sure I celebrated by cleaning the bathroom...which makes all my friends laugh to think about, even now. I have no come back for that except to say, real life goes on. And in the back of my head, I don't think I really believed the whole, you-just-sold thing yet and cleaning the toilet kept me from freaking out.
It wasn't until several days later when my new editor called to talk about the book that I realized it was all very VERY real. And that's when I really celebrated. Dinner, drinks, the whole shebang.
My second call came in November when I sold my paranormal series. And THAT one I jumped up and down and screamed over, because I was so happy it sold. I also knew what to expect at that point, so it was a completely different experience.
Hi, Helen. So glad you enjoyed the Australian romance readers conference. I'm going to head over and look at your photos. Thanks for the heads up!
Hi, Kate. Aw, thanks. :) Good luck on finishing the book!
Thanks for the rooster explanation, Jo. Too funny!
The GR has been a very naughty bird today! He has decided he wants his own Facebook page so he can keep in tough with The Little Red Hen. He has been mad at me for not having her over today.
Hi Elisabeth, and welcome to the lair!
This is a great topic and a great blog, so thank you for explaining some of the differences. I'm being dragged, kicking and screaming, to Facebook. We have a Romance Bandits page of course, and I'm probably the last Bandita holding out without a social networking page of my own.
Something about the viral capacity of it makes it feel sort of...I dunno...out of control maybe???? To me anyway, and I think that's what's a little scary for me. I tend to be really security conscious...but I also know that's stupid nowadays. We live in an internet, and thus information-available-world. I guess a presence is better than no presence.
I also know that when I first started blogging under my name, I gave up all possibility of privacy. *sigh* The first time I googled myself was a few years back. I'd won some contests, and finaled in the Golden Heart, and I googled my name on a lark. OMG!!! There was a whole page. I was listed under "contest divas" and articles I'd written for chapter newsletters had been assimilated and liked to from other sites I'd never heard of. Scared the bejeebus out of me. Now there are pages and pages of stuff, and my name is unusual enough that most of what comes up is actually me.
So I need to get over it, don't I? There's just something about my husband's teenage nephews seeing links to my blogs (which of course, will get announced on Facebook, since that's the point, right?)on Facebook, then going to read some of my snarky writing, or the blog from last Christmas about the candlestick cookie cutter that looks like a male body part.
*sigh* Obviously I belong on Facebook, as I'm sounding more and more old fogey-ish with every word I type.
Oh, and BTW: I love it that you're doing both--RS and Paranormal. Very cool. You must be a fairly fast writer! How are you juggling your multiple projects now?
Jeanne said:
Call me grinchy, but I don't want to friend someone who was so horrible to people in college that I couldn't stand her. Ha!
I like that control. See, Cassondra, I AM learning to say NO!
And GOOD for you! I'm the same way. And with regard to P226's comment as well..
That makes three of us! I hated high school. I didn't hate the people--at least not many of them. It was fine. But I dreaded every day of it mostly. I loved art and my ag classes and beyond that, Ugh. I was the weird kid who hung out with (mostly) the other weird kid. Hated the gossip, hated the cliques. Hated it. Don't wanna go back there. And for the most part, I don't have much in common with those people. Some of them I'd just as soon never see again. But there are a FEW--and a few college friends-- I'd like to find again. In fact I've tried in other ways, to find them, and I've failed. So maybe.....
Hi Cassondra, thanks for the note!
I'm pretty careful about security as well, which is one of the reasons I don't post pics of my kids on my website, blog or social networking pages. I do talk about their antics sometimes because, well, anyone who has kids knows they're funny and good blog fodder, but I don't use names. And when good friends post pics with my kids in them on THEIR pages I always track them down and delete the links back. It can be a little time consuming, but most of my friends now know I want to keep my kids sheltered from the public, and that part of my life, at least,(somewhat) private.
As for being a fast writer...I wish! I'm not nearly as prolific as some of my writer friends. I was lucky in that I had just finished the sequel to STOLEN FURY when the book sold, and my editor picked that up as book 2, so in my original 3 book contract, I only had one left to write. Then, as luck would have it, I was already halfway through the paranormal when I got "the call" for STOLEN FURY, so I finished it before I dove into my contract work. Of the five books I sold in 2008, I only have one left to write, which puts me ahead, and I'm oh-so thankful. This past year I've been glad I haven't been under a tight deadline as I deal with new author promo, book releases and learning the ropes. Juggling is something I'm trying to train myself for, because, as my agent keeps reminding me, I will never be in this position again, so to enjoy it. (I'm trying, but that's easier said than done!)
Elisabeth (spelling it right this time!), I'm a serious sucker for Greek mythology. I love the tale of the golden fleece. Except for the part where Jason dumps Medea after she gave up everything for him. Not that she was Ms. Sweetness and Light, as I recall. I'll be looking for your Argonauts.
Anyway--your paranormals also sound terrific. I'm seeing a motif here between your debut and your forthcoming books. How did you become interested in Greek archaeology and myth, and what inspired you to take your writing in that direction?
KJ, have I mentioned that you take vacations I deeply envy? Between you and AC, I do a lot of vicarious traveling! I hope you're having a great time and the trip home will be smooth.
Nancy...you get the golden ticket! (Okay, not as good as the golden fleece...but still. LOL)
Actually, you have a keen eye. I LOVE Greek mythology. I think it's a combination of my science background (archaeology is a first love of mine), my fascination with history, and the creativity of a culture that created such a diverse mythological world. The idea for the paranormal series hit me when I was researching STOLEN FURY, but I didn't start writing it until much later.
And, oh, you are sure right about Medea. She was quite the witchy woman. Talk about a woman scorned and all that.
Thanks for the comment!
Just dropping in for a quick visit,
just to say "Hi" to Elisabeth and
all! No to Facebook (cause I have
not gotten around to it) and yes to
MySpace (which I never use!) Now I
have to get ready for choir practice!
Pat Cochran
Elizabeth!
Your social networking experience and assessment mirrors mine exactly. I've been on Myspace at least a year longer than I've been on Facebook... and I'm not sure I even have 30 friends on Myspace while I have a scary-huge number on Facebook w/o even trying.
When I tried to customize my Myspace page I got angry and quit after a very short time... and I know HTML.
I don't get twitter, either. Maybe you need to do it on a phone? I can't figure out who's replying to whom on what message and so 99% of the posts sound like gibberish to me. Will figure it out, some day, maybe.
Hey, Pat. Thanks for popping in. Sing strong!
Maureen, I don't know how people find others on Twitter either. So far no one has emailed me with the secret to Twitter, but I keep waiting...
Okay, P226, you had me right up until the shoe thing. Only one pair? OMG... I can't even start to comprehend that.
HAHAHA, Tawny, I LOL about the one pair of boots too. Although he could have meant that he had several pairs of the same kind...
Either way, it's a guy thing, you know? Grins.
Elisabeth, I was LOL about cleaning the toilet keeping you from freaking out. HAHAHA! I wish I'd thought of that, 'cause I pretty much DID freak out! :>
I'm on myspace. I haven't made it to Facebook yet. I need to. Stolen Fury sounds great
Hi Amy, thanks for stopping by!
Thanks so much to the gang here at Romance Bandits for having me today. It was great fun! And big thanks to Kim for not only inviting me, but for taking time out of her vacation to pop in and say hello!
Now..those of you not on Facebook yet...what are you waiting for????
Congrats on your debut, Elizabeth. Just trotted over from LL because I found your post most timely.
I'm a happy Facebook-er, but I too hate MySpace. Too many things flying at you, as you said. No sooner am I on there than I want to get off. I thought I'd have to get a page for my book promo (my debut was September 08) and I just kept dreading it and putting it off until finally, in defiance, I decided I darned well wasn't doing it.
Off to Facebook now to 'friend' you...
Liane Spicer
I'm a FACEBOOK addict. I have a MySpace because authors I enjoy reading. I never go to it. I dislike the interface and find it clunky and a lot of unwanted ads that get in my way.
I know that Facebook has ads but I can tune them out much better.
Thus I'm happy to see authors I enjoy reading moving over to FB.
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