Social media

Why writers should have a blog (and my first real rejection)

July 5, 2010

It was nearly a year ago that I was first approached by a literary agent. I hadn’t sent out any queries. I hadn’t attended a conference and pitched agents in person. I hadn’t even tried to get in touch with agents, because I wanted to write my manuscript first. So how, you ask, did this […]

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Why your biz or book needs a Facebook page, not a group

July 1, 2010

I don’t want to give away all my social media hints — I want people to pay me for this, remember? — but here’s a common mistake I’m seeing clients (and small businesses who should become my clients) make: creating a Facebook group or profile for a business, product or public figure when they should […]

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What exactly does a social media consultant DO, anyhow?

June 23, 2010

Since announcing yesterday that my doors are open to social media business, several friends and potential clients have written to me asking, so what does that mean you actually do? Like most consulting positions, social media consulting can mean a lot of different things. Consultants provide a huge range of services and their prices fall […]

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I'm open for social media business!

June 22, 2010

My job hunt has taken an unexpected turn. A good one. Though I’ve applied mostly for journalism positions, plus a few other writing-heavy jobs, something different keeps falling into my lap: social media gigs. I resisted it at first. I see “social media consulting” and immediately think snake-oil salesman. I mean, who really needs someone […]

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Finding my voice through blogging

May 20, 2010

Literary agent Nathan Bransford had a great post recently on finding your literary voice. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot as I dig into another revision of my travel memoir. One of the elements I’m focusing on is my voice. Rachelle says my voice is still too journalistic, not memoir-y enough. I […]

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Quick plug for @travelmemoir

May 13, 2010

If you’re writing a travel memoir or enjoy reading them, hope you’ll follow @travelmemoir on Twitter. We’ll offer tips, helpful links and book recommendations, as well as notes about what’s going on in the Travel Memoir Writers Ning group. [tweetmeme source=”alexisgrant”] Should be a good resource.

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Another reason writers should use Twitter

May 11, 2010

You all know I think writers should use Twitter. And Facebook. And other social media that helps you create your own community. Here’s yet another reason you should use Twitter: that’s how I connected with my agent. Well, not directly. I have long followed Rachelle because her tweets about publishing are helpful and entertaining. But […]

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The Baby-Sitters Club: Where are they now?

April 28, 2010

The release of The Baby-Sitters Club prequel got me to thinking: what are the girls doing now? They’d be in their early 30s, I believe. But beyond that, it’s all up to our imagination. Lots of women my age grew up reading — and, in my case, writing — because of the BSC. And I […]

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How to use social media to look for a job

April 21, 2010

Update: I’m now offering a social media course that will help you reach your job-search goals. It’s called Make Your Own Luck. Would love to have you! A lot has changed since the last time I was in the market for a job. Fresh out of j-school in 2005, I gave my resume and clips […]

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Do Twitter & Facebook help or hinder your writing?

April 14, 2010

The Los Angeles Times book blog ran a post last week about a writer who went off Facebook and Twitter for the first three months of this year to focus on her project. Edan Lepucki blogged about the detox, concluding that she didn’t miss the sites as much as she thought she would. Which begs […]

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