Mysterious Musings

What is especially wonderful about the new world of social media — the world of blogs, Facebook and Twitter — is that you can use it to fuel your creative spirit, find confidence in your own voice and make connections with others who are creative and artistic. It is liberating because you no longer need someone else’s “permission” to publish. Instead, you can upload your photographs and video work to your Facebook page, share your quick thoughts and views through your Twitter tweets, meet other writers and artists through online groups, and market and sell your work at your own online store.

In the past year or so, I’ve become increasingly interested in how to energize my writing through my social networks. By creating a Twitter account for Pepper Morgan, the main character in my book, for instance, I made her more real to me. When she tweets that she is lounging poolside with a martini, shopping in downtown Palm Springs or trying to evade a potential killer, those characteristics become part of who she is. I have a separate account for my mystery-writing self in addition to my regular self.

I’ve also seen some very interesting ways that other writers and artists are using Twitter to market their work. Some have actually tweeted their books, unveiling the plot in 140-word entries. Others have had virtual book tours, meeting their fans and potential readers through online Twitter sessions. Others have created fan pages for their work through Facebook.

Here are five ways I suggest using social media to support your work as a fiction writer.

1. Publish yourself to find your voice: By starting my Mysterious Musings blog, I invested in my voice as the author Kelly D. Palmer. And it was a huge step toward taking myself seriously as a mystery writer. My blog makes me realize that I am already a writer whether I get published in a traditional fashion or not.

2. Tweet your main character to make her real: Pepper Morgan is real to me, in part because I, her author, get to read her tweets. There she is interacting with people, having opinions, trying new things. She has a voice that is different from mine. She is her own person.

3. Build a following through Twitter, Facebook and  your blog: I follow many writers on Twitter. When they write about facing writer’s block or having a plot breakthrough or celebrating publication, I feel more invested in their success. I become a more loyal reader.

4. Support other writers — and get their support — virtually. The best thing about my blog is that other writers have commented on it and have shared their own experiences. That has been an awesome boost for me. In turn, I hope I can support my writer and artist friends with my enthusiasm and ideas.

5. Market your work before and after publication. Every once in a while I google “Kelly D. Palmer” or “Pepper Morgan” and hope for a few more hits. I also watch my stats on my blog to see if I’m picking up more visitors. I have a long way to go but I’m making progress on establishing my brand as Kelly D. Palmer, the author of the Pepper Morgan mystery series. And, best of all, I am having fun marketing my work .

I would love to get more ideas from all of you. How has your blog helped you as a writer? How have you used other networks, such as Facebook, youtube and Twitter? How do you use social media to support your creative work?

I really did do my research. 

Before I chose my pen name, I googled a lot of candidates. The name Kelly D. Palmer generated  few hits. I did find a nice poem by a Kelly D. Palmer. But that’s about it. 

And then I made the mistake of moving very slowly. Like a snail, in fact. By the time I got around to creating my blog and creating a Twitter account, I was shocked to find another Kelly D. Palmer had appeared. She has a Facebook acount and the actual KellyDPalmer Twitter account. I had to set up my Twitter as KellyDeePalmer. 

Aaaargh! 

The lesson here is to move quickly between research and execution. I really do wish I had the KellyDPalmer Twitter account.

Still, it’s OK. Kelly D. Palmer, the Southern California mystery writer, is my brand. I’m sticking with it. It’s me. 

I send a shout out to the other Kelly D., hanging out in North Carolina.

This weekend I tweeted about my participation at the California Crime Writers Conference. Minutes later, I had a new follower — Drew Peterson. 

Yes, that Drew Peterson — the former Illinois cop accused of murdering a wife or two. 

Now I’m wondering. Do accused and incarcerated inmates have access to twitter from prison? Or maybe Peterson’s defense team is using social media to get their message out? Or perhaps someone has just grabbed the Drew Peterson name for the publicity? 

Help me please … I want to know …