Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Social Media Confessions of an Everyday #Tweep

Today I pictured myself at BEA, listening to the panels on Social Media, and tweeting.  Yes, my name is @erindealey but I'm NOT a twitterholic. I'm a regular Tweep. (Just ask my 390 followers--woot!)

Because of Twitter, this Tweep has met librarians, teachers, fellow authors, book reviewers, agents, illustrators, editors, and book store owners--not to mention moms and dads who read to their kids--and book lovers around the world who can still tell a book from its Kindle. Where else would this have happened?

Facebook? It's not the same--although I am friends with Beverly Cleary now. #howcoolisthat?
My blog(s)? no. Up until now, I'd almost forgotten about this one. And my other blog at http://www.erindealey.typepad.com/ is devoted to sharing fun, use-them-tomorrow lesson plans for teachers and librarians, and photos and fan mail from school visits.

On Twitter, however, I've met the kind of amazing people you would meet at BEA; the ones you might sit next to at a conference, or go up to introduce yourself to after their workshop session--like Anne Mazer and Jane Friedman. And consider the power of social media when all of us can congregate at #ArmchairBEA without leaving home?

Writing is no longer a solitary existence.  Those days went out with typewriters. And the job description of an author--in case you haven't noticed--is no longer just: If you write it they will publish. I caught some chat today from BEA (on Twitter at least) about how Social Media is a time-sucking drudgery. I disagree. I think of it as one more way to keep my writing career moving forward, and not merely in a networking-sell-thyself sort of way.

Agent tweets about queries and acquisitions remind me that their days are crazier than mine, and oh yeah, gee, that my own agent has more than one client. (Happy Launch to LaChanze and Little Diva!http://www.littledivabook.com/  !)

Editor tweets with links to their blogs give me insight into the even crazier world of publishing houses as well as which manuscripts are best for whom--(Okay yes, my agent knows these things too but see #nottheonlyclient comment above. It doesn't hurt to do a bit of your own homework. )

Book Reviewers like http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/ let me know what books are out there, as do my pals on #Kidlitchat.

Authors and Librarians who retweet the above-mentioned links also save me mucho cyberspace time and many search engines so that I have time to WRITE.

And Tweeps are helpful folks! When I put up The Writer's Rap on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYqMA2mPG7I  Hmmm...maybe tomorrow's post will be about hooks...), a lot of teachers couldn't access it at their schools. I asked one of my Twitter pals, librarian @mrschu81, who suggested http://www.teachertube.com/  which most schools can access and voila'.

Okay yes, I do confess the following:
1. I sign on to Twitter before checking email.
2. I #usehashtags in regular emails, texts, and posts. #whatandyoudon't?
3. The only thing better than #Kidlitchat on Tuesday nights is #Glee.
     (thanks @gregpincus and @bonnieadamson )
4. I actually feel like @MaureenJohnson lives next door--and I wish her well on her BEA Keynote. (Will she stop in the middle and announce: "OK I'm going to answer three questions now." Please tweet @erindealey if she does! )

But after my morning tweets, I back away and work on my manuscripts. Manuscripts that will become books and hopefully Book Birthdays to celebrate on Twitter (Thanks to Twitter pal @mitaliperkins). And you know where that leads. : )



See you tomorrow!

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