And I urge new, serious writers to do the same. Yes, the network I’ve built is wonderful. Yes, social media sells books–to an extent–but it is more about building an audience and engaging those people. And in this over saturated environment, blogging is becoming less and less effective. 

I know some will disagree, and that’s fine. We are all entitle to our opinions. I’ve been blogging over two years, and I am getting ready to publish my third book. I am certainly a work in progress, but I know what is working for me now and what isn’t.

I do think blogs work better for some genres than others. I think they are more effective for young adult readers simply because of lifestyle. But my target audience is a bit older and many don’t have time to keep up with blogs, FB, etc. 

For me, Facebook has been the best way for interaction with my readers, and even that is limited because of their parameters and, let’s face it, people are busy, busy, bust. So, unless you are a lucky duck with a bestselling book right out of the gate (and yay! if you are), your best bet is to spend as much time writing and working on your craft. More books, better quality books = more reviews and more readers.

I don’t believe indie authors will rise to compete with the quality (or sometimes, perceived quality) of traditional publishing unless we continue to hone our crafts and treat our writing as a business. That means in investing in editing, craft books if necessary, and great cover artists. 

And my goal as a writer is for each book to be better than the last, and to continue to earn great word of mouth by good reviews. 

Which means I will continue to keep the blog on the back burner. This summer I am editing the second Delta Crossroads book, SKELETON’S KEY, and I am also plotting two new ideas I am really excited about. 

I will continue to post the occasional Thriller Thursday, and you can absolutely stay updated with me on Facebook and Twitter. I’ll also be posting every few weeks on the misterio press blog, which is the amazing publishing co-op I belong to. 

So to wrap this up, I’d urge new authors who are being bombarded with the call to social media (and more experienced who may have fallen into the habit) to make sure they are spending the vast majority of their time and energy on their writing, period. 

That’s our best chance at success. Good luck!

Some business next, but make sure you check below to find out how to snag some free and cheap stuff. Subscribers, make sure you read!

But what about content? Here’s the thing: my writing has to come first. I’ve got two releases slated for 2013 and will likely be adding a third. And whether you are a writer, reader, or casual observer, you don’t have any more time to read my long posts than I have to write them.

So we’re shaking things up. Most of you know I’m a research nerd, so we’re talking Twisted Facts on Monday. Short, interesting, (sometimes) fun facts on history, crime, technology, and whatever else catches my eye that day.

Thriller Thursdays will still feature Twisted Minds, but they’re going to be shorter and much easier to read through. I’ll also be featuring Thrilling Reads on my Facebook Author Page on Thursdays, highlighting some of my favorite suspense/thriller writers as well as up and comers, so don’t miss that.

Finally, I’m introducing a new feature I’m really excited about: Twisted Reads – Author Book Lists. Two Saturdays a month, I’ll have a guest author talking about the last great book they read and why it twisted their minds. If you’re an author and would like to sign up, please email me at stacygreenauthor@gmail.com.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVES

Subscribers: I’m going to be moving the blog to my website soon, so you will need to resubscribe through Feedburner for blog updates.

Because re-subscribing to the blog is a pain and my Feedburner is lonely, I’m entering everyone who signs up for the blog by January 17th into a drawing for a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

All you have to do is CLICK HERE and Follow Instructions. You can also go to the link in my right sidebar and SIGN UP FOR FEEDBURNER UPDATES VIA EMAIL.

You’ll also receive an invite to join my newsletter. By joining, you’ll not only get first crack at all contests, but you’ll also receive exclusive pricing on all future releases. The newsletter is monthly, and to sign up now, head on over here. You can also wait for the email, but I WILL NOT subscribe you without your permission. The party is no fun if you don’t want to be there.

Everyone who joins by January 31st will receive a free digital copy of my short story, Welcome To Las Vegas.

Thanks so much for making 2012 an amazing year, and I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings for all of us.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions or changes to share?

This post by R.J. Ellory is a month old and was posted before the disappointing news broke about his poor choice of leaving himself 5-star reviews under fake names. Even worse, he attacked fellow authors. Ellory has since made a statement, but in light of his mistreatment of fellow authors, I’ve decided to remove this post. Sorry to all who didn’t get to read it.

Stacy

That means I’m going to have to go through and get rid of a lot of the pictures, because however unlikely it is, I don’t want to get sued.

So here’s the dilemma: Thriller Thursdays are long posts. The pictures break up the text. I want to hear from you guys how much of a difference the pictures make. Would you still read without them? Do you you like Thriller Thursdays because they’re longer and researched, or would you be all right with the posts being shorter and more discussion oriented?

Looking for all opinions so I can keep this feature going on the website.

Thanks so much, guys!

In celebration of the official release of A Spy Like Me, Laura Pauling is hosting a three-week blog series: A Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. Woot! Woot!

Authors galore, guest posts and book giveaways almost every day!

Gemma Halliday, Cindy M. Hogan, Elizabeth Spann Craig,
Nova Ren Suma, Elisa Ludwig, and Anne R. Allen….Just to name a few!

And here’s why she’s celebrating!

Stripping your date down to his underwear has never been so dangerous.

After dodging bullets on a first date, Savvy must sneak, deceive and spy to save her family and friends and figure out if Malcolm is one of the bad guys before she completely falls for him.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

Head on over to Laura’s blog for the start of the Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon. You won’t want to miss this sizzling series as we head into summer. Stock up on some great thrilling reads! If you dare…

Random, but now you’re beginning to see how my brain works!

Onto Row80 Update:

On Sunday I mentioned how the Snowflake Method helped me with my plotting. I was able to take my list of ideas and get about half the book plotted. I had the first turning point and the midpoint; all I was missing was the second turning point. I have to give a huge shout out to Kait Nolan here—she very graciously has several of her writing worksheets available for download. I tried her plotting blueprint, and by the end of the day, I had my final turning point as well as several more important details. So after feeling stalled on the writing of The Prophet for a while, I’m finally ready to dig into it.

And thanks to the Snowflake methods and Kait’s worksheets, I was able to come up with a rough synopsis for The Prophet, which led to a blurb for the blog. Check it out here. I’m ready to write today, and I hope to report a few thousand words by Sunday.

As for Light and Dark, I’m going to be working on an updated blurb for it as well, and my query letters are getting close to being finished. I’ve sent out another 50 pages to my final critique partner, and I’m slowly assembling the list of agents I want to query. Still on track to get started in a few weeks.

On the personal front, Grace and I painted pumpkins last night. As you can see, we’re serious artists. Don’t you wish these babies were on your front porch?

Quick blogging update: I’ve decided to shelve Tempting Tuesdays for now. They usually get low traffic, and I’m not sure if that’s because of the day or topic. Anything I’d talk about on Tuesdays could easily be moved to Monday, and I want to focus on getting Thriller Thursdays more exposure. With Row80 updates, I’ll still be blogging 4 times a week. Speaking of Thriller Thursdays, I have something special planned for next week, so mark your calendars!

Discussion question of the day: what do you do to get your butt in the writing chair and achieve your daily goals?

Hope you’re having a great Row80 week!

On Writing

Beverly Diehl’s Downloading A New Vocab – a fun post about the ever changing English language and the Urban Dictionary.

Donna Galanti Celebrates Signing with Echelon Press! Her book, A Human Element, drops March 15, 2012. Congratulations, Donna!

Kitty Bucholtz stops by Writers In The Storm and shares her inspiring story in
How I Became  Publisher

Piper Bayard had a great guest post at Writers In The Storm: How Writers Learn What They Need To Know. I loved this because we all have to find what works for us as individuals.

The Bookshelf Muse’s Weather Thesaurus Entry: Vortex. Angela Ackerman shares some great examples of using weather in our writing without being cliche.

Social Media

Jenny Hansen’s 8 Ways To Grow Your Social Media Imprint. Jenny always has great ideas and is willing to help other authors. She’s got some great ones here.

Laura Pauling talks about branding in The Friday 5 – tough questions about “brand.”
This post really made me think about my own brand and has some great responses.

Just Plain Fun

I have to give Jenny Hansen another shout-out. Her post Do I Have A Dirty Mind had tears of laughter rolling down my face.

Natalie Hartford’s made the discovery of the year—the Booze Belly!
No More Sneaking Pints Into The Concert!

The always funny Tawna Fenske had me laughing again with
Are They Perverts, Or Am I?

Tiffany White’s Friday FabOoolous – Friday Night Flicks For Fall reminded me of one of my favorite 90s movies, Varsity Blues. Hello, Paul Walker!

Amber West’s Friday Inspiration Posts always make me smile. Don’t forget to visit #Gowithout while you’re visiting!

K.B. Owen loves to dig back into time and research crime and mysteries. Her post,
Red-Headed or Red-Handed, 19th Century Bank Robberies in Fact and Fiction is a fascinating read.

Catie Rhodes gave me chills with her personal experience at The Devil’s Backbone Tavern. The name itself gives me the creeps!

Deborah Dale posted another edition to her Ghosts of Gettysburg Series. Spooky Stuff!

Julie Glover shares her personal inspirations in Why I Walk For The Cure. A wonderful post for anyone whose life has been touched by cancer.

Ellie Ann Soderstrom brings the laughs with Bible Stories You Won’t Hear At Sunday School.

Lyn Midnight (Violet Nedkova) has a fun Monday Mistletoe post: Memorable Smooching Scenes.

I hope you enjoyed the mash-up and found some new, fun stuff to read. Don’t forget to update your links for Turning The Page and add yourself as a follower here.

Do you have any links to add? Any great posts I might have missed?