Don't Forget MySpace Promos

The Writing Doctor says,

"The magic words are promo, promo, promo!"

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That includes doing interviews on blogs like Much Cheaper Than Therapy, booksignings, getting to know your local booksellers, giving away those bookmarks, magnets, pens, etc., holding contests - which can be advertised at Coffee Time, and one of my favorites - MySpace.

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Some of you may know I list the links to MySpace readers, writers, editors, publishers, reviewers, and booksellers on my other blog http://www.suspensebytina.blogspot.com/ The links make it easier for the writing community to find each other on MySpace and I only post a link if the owner has agreed to it, so you know they want you to add them. There are 1100 links now. In the past I mainly listed the romance community. Recently, I decided to extend the lists to the entire writing community.

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If you want your MySpace link added you can leave a comment here, or add me on MySpace and send me a message. http://www.myspace.com/suspensebytina. While you are there you'll find Kathryne, Kim, Carol, and Judy on my profile page. Make sure you add them, too.

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Let's review the updated top ten reasons you should promote on Myspace.

(Half-serious, half-not. You guess what is which, or which is what.)

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10. Promotion! Promotion! Promotion! Download/upload a picture of your book instead of your smiling mug and leave it with every comment, message, and request to add friends. You want to get your name out there! Also, when you make a change on your profile, such as adding pictures, everyone in your network receives a notice and your name is shown AGAIN!

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9. Networking is great! I have “met” some incredibly nice people who have offered to do cross-promotional work. I’ll blogroll you, you blogroll me. Kinda kinky.

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8. Speaking of kinky, cute men will hit on you! Okay, they want your money, but hey, no one else needs to know that. Brag about all the men who want to be your friend, then change your age to 90 if it bothers you. (Use common sense. I know someone who was conned. I never met anyone who really fell in love on MySpace and needed money for legitimate reasons to be bailed out of some catastrophe.)

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7. Speaking of men, you can spy on your old boyfriends if they have a MySpace page. Create a fake account with a picture of a buxom blonde, then befriend your ex. You can see all of his photos, read who is leaving comments, and then get mad, throw pillows, and devour twelve gallons of Ben and Jerry. Okay. Maybe you shouldn’t do that, after all. You'll gain 1000 pounds and the MySpace police will get you.

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6. Bulletins are a great promotional tool! Stamps will soon be $20 each. Instead of mailing out your newsletter, you can send your latest news to all of your friends for free. Simply type a message on the bulletin board and click send. It automatically goes to all of your friends. Can't beat the price! (Note: Once you have over 1,000 friends, you no longer see your bulletins automatically.)

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5. Explore new technology. (Sounds like Star Trek) I’ve learned so much since I’ve started my blogs and playing on MySpace. Play with all of the links and doohickeys, see what they do, then call in a teenager to fix the mess you made.

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4. Invites are even better than bulletins! Bulletins can be ignored. They go away, eventually. The message that you have an invite sticks around until you can’t stand it anymore and you have to go delete it, which makes you read the invite post. Invite all of your friends to your book signings. It doesn’t matter if you live in Fargo and they live in Hawaii, they will see your name and the name of your book. More name recognition! See how this works!

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3. Multi-tasking takes on a new meaning! While you’re up watching movies on a weekend, you can add friends while you fold laundry and cry over the tragic love story on the TV. I once painted my living room, while adding friends and watching a Murder She Wrote DVD. Okay, my computer screen ended up with a lovely smudge of green. I put a smiley face in the middle and it looks like I did it on purpose. (Do you really believe that? Paint comes off.)

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2. Forget stamps and coins, collect friends! I’ve seen people with tens of thousands of friends. The reader/writer with the most friends WINS! (Don’t forget to leave comments on profile pages. It’s all about promotion.)

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And the number one reason to create a MySpace page is…

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1. You can become friends with famous people! They’re all over MySpace. Or maybe nerdy guys in Fargo are pretending to be famous people. It doesn’t really matter. If I want to look lonely and desperate, I can tell everyone I’m friends with Will Smith, the women of Sex and The City, and Dolly Parton and it’s no lie. I have proof.

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If you don't have a profile page, go to MySpace and start one now. Don't let the computer intimidate you. That's what the delete button is for.