Social Media

Yesterday, I attended a North Texas SCBWI class taught by author and social media guru Matina Boone. The information she shared was important, informative, and scary as all heck--I am a technotard squared. Some of things she spoke about felt like they were directed to me personally, like setting goals and creating a social media presence.

This is not something that is not new to me. Over the years, I've heard many authors, agents, and editors speak on this topic at SCBWI events, but was never broken down in the way Martina explained it.

How do I build ME as a Brand? I'm just Joanna. I have a few college classes under my belt, but I suck at math, I don't always appreciate my husband and children, and I swear to much.  How can I believe I should be marketed like a name brand soft drink or a kids' cereal?

Then Martina said, "Good material won't reach anyone by accident."

I've always known the message in my book is valuable. It's been an eight year journey of learning how to convert my storytelling into story-showing--which I'm still perfecting. However, if I want my book/message to reach the audience I would like it to reach, I MUST BELIEVE I'm as worthy of as much product placement as an expensive automobile.

How do I get there? I need to set goals, which Martina broke down for me. As she talked I wrote my goals down, which I share in my next post.

P.S. Social media still scares.