In some ways today was just another day, May 5, 2012, but suddenly I thought about all I was doing without much of a second thought. I just updated my Facebook status, on my Publishing Facebook page to announce that I was finally starting to use Twitter, thus I’d be sending out tweets. I also added a widget to my website via my ftp account in order that folks can now follow my new Twitter account. Good grief, the above combination of social media options and web functions seem like a mouthful. There’s no doubt about it, I have come along way in this world of working with storytelling.
Hey that’s not all I did today, it get’s worse, or better, depending on your point-of-view, I also posted my latest tweet using my wi-fi iPod with a Twitter app. Gez-louise I’m not even tech-savvy and I do all this.
I am just old enough to remember taking a brush up course in talking to the media, when we actually had face-to-face conversations. I recall the use of the US mail system to get publicity out, faxes were high-tech. I recall how I agonized over half-tones when including photos in books. Scanners were a remarkable idea, heck, email was a breakthrough, attaching a file to an email even more amazing.
I’m not even fifty years old yet, but believe me, I’m ancient in some ways. I am so proud of myself for creating a QC code in my next book even though I know this is as commonplace as a text. I am getting in the groove with eBooks. I heard a comic the other day, who joked, as he was involved in a text message session, comment, someday we should invent a thing that you can use to talk to people directly with.
What surprises me is that the variety of ways to share information still hasn’t become any easier in the world of publishing. We still need to devise sentences and paragraphs and chapters and books that read well. We still need to format text blocks that suit the subject matter, calculate margins that present the words wonderfully. Covers whether matte, or gloss, eBook, hardcover, or paperback must be well-designed and attractive.
The trick is that everything can’t have the same priority. I can’t ignore the physical book in favor of Facebook likes. I can’t ignore the paper type in order to increase my email marketing list. I can’t ignore speaking directly with authors and instead reply to emails. The variety of things to do is exciting, but I do need to remind myself that the thing that matters the most is the story, if I forget this all the tweeting in the world won’t make any difference.