Get Thee To An Editor

Today's Indie Roadshow stop is at Sandra Ulbrich Almazan's blog where I talk about the hardest job in the world. Editing.

I hope you'll stop by for a topic that's sure to spur some discussion and maybe even some dissension.

***

In other news...
Like my friend James Garcia, I too have decided to turn over a new leaf. For me, I'm giving Twitter a second third chance. 

I have a love/hate relationship with Twitter. I see these people with hundreds, if not thousands of followers, and it makes me sad because I know they're only paying attention to a fraction of those tweets. 

This is the reason why I'm rather particular about who I follow. If you mention or message me regularly, then yes, I will follow you and pay attention to your tweets. I follow a few people with scads of followers but only because they tweet information that interests me. Other than those few, I only follow people who want to have a relationship with me.

The other thing that is unavoidable with Twitter is that tweets are ephemeral. If you miss a conversation or only catch the tail end, it's a bear to catch up, especially if several people are involved in the thread. That's why I don't like following chats and Q&As on Twitter.

But I'm going to give it another try. Before, most of my tweets involved retweeting other people's messages. Occasionally, I added a few original ones, and my blog feeds through there so I have an automatic tweet every time I post.

This time I will make a concerted effort to have more conversations, even with strangers, as long as they're saying something interesting and not grousing about their toenail polish or their boss.

How do you feel about Twitter? Is it easy for you to chat with total strangers?

***

Finally, I have no idea if Friday's post will appear on schedule. I've tried contacting the host several times, but I still don't have confirmation that she got my files. Keeping my fingers crossed.

In the meantime, visit me at Sandra's blog and let's talk editing.

Comments

Sarita Leone said…
Good for you, giving something a third try. I hope it goes well for you.

How are you feeling?

Me? I don't tweet. Just don't have time for anything more.
Dru said…
I have a twitter account and so far my book musing and goodreads automatically get posted. On occasion I tweet, but if you have a lot of friends, it's so hard to follow the conversation and besides by the time I go on twitter (at night), every thing that is or being said is over and I have nothing to add.

Hey, maybe we can tweet with each other.
Angelina Rain said…
Hello Maria.

I'm not a twitter fan. I used to tweet more often than I do now becauase I would chat with one aspiring author on there. She was really cool. Well, she got a contract with Evernight so now I do my chatting with her on the Evernight facebook group. Twitter is now abandoned.


PS: I sent you a reply to your email but I wrote down the wrong date. Oops, that's what happens when I try to think before having my coffee. Anyway, I meant 8 AM on July 20.
Sarah Ahiers said…
i'm not on the twitter. Yet. I told myself if i get an agent, i'm allowed to give it a try, but until then, it's just another distaction.
Misha Gerrick said…
The way I see it, blogging is for the relationship building, tweeting is sort of throwing out a wide net to draw people in (eventually to your blog).

And although there's no way for me to focus on every single tweet, most of the tweets that I respond to are people that would have taken me forever to meet another way. :-)
I have a twitter account but I only stop in once in a while. I think the people who get the most out of it are people who can spend time online all day long.
Raelyn Barclay said…
Yeah, love/hate relationship with Twitter here too. I started out auto following anyone who followed me but I'm more picky now and will clean up when I find the time. I'd rather have a smaller number that I interact with than a hoard :)
Tony Benson said…
I haven't ventured into Twitter yet as I'm afraid of the drain on my time. I just read "How I sold 1 million ebooks in 5 months" by John Locke and he has what looks like some really good advice about using it.

Despite the title, I found the book to be an interesting insight into marketing and how he's used social media sites to promote his work. His thoughts on the subject seem wise.

Good luck with your venture back into the aviary.
Angela said…
I don't spend a lot of time on twitter. Just check in a few times a day usually. But I did win a book from Harper Teen through twitter and that was kind of cool.
I love Twitter, but it's not really about building relationships like blogging is. Twitter is a fascinating place, it's hard to capture and describe.
Maria Zannini said…
Sarita: Feeling better. The husband and I have a debate raging whether it's an infection or allergies. I think it's allergies, but apparently Greg has a doctorate in medicine. LOL. Who knew?

Thanks for asking.

Dru: I'm kind of in the same boat. Why clog the system with 'me, too' tweets? But we can go in a corner and tweet among ourselves. :)

Angelina: Between you and Barbara Ann Wright I might never recover. LOL. Thanks!

Sarah: Definitely a distraction. I usually look at it first thing in the morning and late in the evening. Most of the chatter has died down by then and I usually talk to people from the other side of the world when they're just getting up.

Misha: I think you're on to something. It is a different sort of relationship. While I can wrap my mind around 140 characters, it's more like drive-by comments, mostly good for spreading late breaking news.
Maria Zannini said…
Susan: I watched a friend once while we were at a book signing stop every few seconds to answer a beep and tweet. It was very annoying. I couldn't do that all day long.

Krista: I'd prefer to club it. (wish I could post a picture of a club)

Tony: I would LOVE to read about what you thought was useful about John Locke's book. I hadn't bought it yet, thinking it would be one long commercial. At least, that's the gist I got when I read the blurb.

Angela: I've never won anything through Twitter though I like to follow the links to various contests.

KarenG: Tweets are word bites. It's okay, if I catch some good ones, otherwise I'm lost as to what the thread is all about. Right time, right place, I think.
Carol Kilgore said…
I just this week signed up on Twitter. I have no idea how I'm going to work it into my schedule. I signed up, but haven't been back yet. Sad.

Thanks for commenting on my blog yesterday.
Mike Keyton said…
I signed up for twitter for one reason only. In Britain some people were defying super-injunctions to publish the names of powerful people who were using the courts to suppress their misdeeds. I noticed you signed up to follow me, Maria, for which I'm both grateful and guilty - because, truth be told, I have nothing of worth to say in 140 characters or whatever. It's a mental block. I can't do it. And as for following other people...I get frightened at time wasted. I know my weaknesses :)
Maria Zannini said…
Carol: Welcome! I've reconciled myself to just visiting for a half hour a couple of times a day. If I catch a Twitter stream I like, I'll participate. If I miss it, oh well. I'm not going to fit my life around Twitter.

Mike: I was wondering why you never posted. I followed you because we're friends and I never know when you're going to say something brilliant. :)
Jackie said…
Good, bad and ugly old twitter is a true fun time waster... I use it to promote books, authors and their respective giveaways... Have a few people that I tweet back and forth with a little bit and of course have my blog feed sent to it every day automatically. I have even had the luck twice to win a Twitter contest, once for a book cover signed by author and once for an actual book... Recently have been seeing a trend that my followers are Indie authors, cool with me as more new to me reading material is found that way...

Maria as far as you having an infection or it being allergies only a real licensed doc can determine that... However since Greg knows you pretty well he might be right, after all he has a 50/50 chance! LOL

Heading over to Sandra's.
Maria Zannini said…
Jackie: You're really good at Twitter and Goodreads too. Sadly, I wish I knew how to use Goodreads to better advantage. For the most part, I just post the occasional review and feed my blog through there.
Jackie said…
Goodreads is my nemesis right now, have too many events to set up and not one done yet... Of course I also have Book Blogs and Blogaholic Social Network to set up events on too and they are a different group to reach out to and have participate... Twitter is easiest one as mostly I use the tweet buttons on blog posts and my Add This buttons on my browser to send my tweets and facebook shares and Tumblr and Buzz directly from whatever blog I am reading and promoting for...

That is why it takes me so long to get off my blooming computer, too many places to play on!
James Garcia Jr said…
Wow, Maria! That was a very nice surprise to find my name on your blog. *bows*
You should give Twitter a re-try, but don't stress about it. Just say hello, post some links to what you are up to and find a bunch of your friends *waves*. You just do as little or as much as you want.

-Jimmy
Maria Zannini said…
Jackie: I still don't know how you get everything done.

Jimmy: I got to thinking about what you said the other day and I thought, you know, he's right. I need to reach out a little more effectively.

I see so many people use Twitter like pros and I stumble along. I finally decided just to embrace it while I was on there, but not to fret about it when I'm not.