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That's What She Said

by Michelle_Buonfiglio 04:04 PM
Categories: historical romance, romance, romance fiction

It doesn't take much to get Aussie superstar historical author Anna Campbell to be joyful, but NY Times bestseller Lori Foster's teaching her the American game of "That's What She Said" (TWSS) did it in spades today as we lunched together after presenting our morning workshop, "Online Promotion: B(u)y the Book."  I believe the TWSS in this case answered the guy taking this photo's statement of, "It sure is hard to get you women all at once!"

Our ribald, sophomoric humor aside, Anna, Lori and I were dining cause Anna'd 'won' lunch with me in a Romance Writers of Australia benefit for folks affected by the bushfires last spring. You still can help the cause by donating new books, and info's here. RWAustralia is the Down Under equivalent of RWA, and many of its members belong to both groups. Anna's historicals are extraordinary, and her "Claiming the Courtesan  " is one of the best romances I've read. Yet even if her books, well, weren't so hot, I'd be thrilled to be pals with a colleague like Anna cause she's a compassionate, caring, straight shooter in the best sense of the term.

That's why Lori and the rest of us chose her to be part of our workshop that stressed the importance of being ones self online, yet remembering that, online, everything lasts forever -- so try to use that to your advantage, rather than the opposite.  Kinda "use the Internet, don't let it use you" -- but never use, take for granted or disrespect the communities or individuals hosting you. Award-winning historical romance novelist Jenna Petersen (who writes historical erom as Jess Michaels), and Danielle Jackson, publicist for Sourcebooks -- one of the best publicists I've seen in any industry -- also helped develop and present our

team workshop.

So many authors, pubbed and YTBPs, are curious as to how to access the online romance community, and we decided to pool our areas of expertise to offer our two cents 'bout how to garner the notice of romance readers and online media -- and build online "personas" and marketing plans.  The consensus?  Write the best book you can, have a web and social-networking presence even if you're not yet published, research online communities before you try to get promoted there and, oh yeah, remember the Internet's huge and lasts forever.

 

'Least that's what she said. 

Message Edited by Michelle_Buonfiglio on 08-14-2009 11:58 AM
7 comments
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by Moderator becke_davis on 07-17-2009 06:00 PM
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Anna Campbell, Eloisa James and Melanie Murray are the reason my TBR pile is suddenly overflowing with historicals. Anna's books are amazing!  My favorite is her most recent one, Tempt the Devil, but I love them all. Love Lori Foster's books, too -- I have a soft spot for Say No to Joe?
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by Author Keri_Stevens on 07-17-2009 09:20 PM
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I was doing so well today. Stayed off the twitter. Swallowed my #RWAenvy--but now, knowing that y'all are in your boogie shoes after such a cool workshop, I am burning with jealousy.  The solution? Write my tush off and join up with you next year.

 

I am amazed by the difference in social networking in the summer of 2009 versus this time last year. What a fascinating topic to cover! I hope you do something similar in '10, because I strongly suspect that what we're doing now will look very different then.

 

I find it funny that among my personal life, my day job, my writerverse and two volunteer positions I hold five different online personae--and that splitting myself up this way is actually healthy:  It's not split personality disorder--it's the internet!

 

Every blog I post and every tweet I twitter must follow the "morning after" test. I'll admit I've put a few things out there that have me wanting to brush my teeth afterwards, but in the main I'm very careful--because someday, my kids (or their friends) might be reading, well . . . this post!

by amyskf on 07-18-2009 12:04 AM
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I'm with you Keri, next year I'm there, and I hope they do the same workshop. And Becke, I know what you mean -- I still have Anna's latest to read (need to savor) I love Lori Foster.

 

I can't see the photo, though and I reallyreally want to.

 

Michelle don't you think Keri's right, that social networking will continue to grow exponentially. My 86 year old Mother brought up Linked-in to me the other day at breakfast, I had never heard of it! That afternoon, I see it on the cover of Forbes and by that evening I've talked to three other people about it.

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by TAMARA4KU on 07-18-2009 02:31 AM
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Love Lori and Anna! I just won a book in one of Anna's contests and have had the pleasure of corressponding with her a few times. She is a very nice, funny and talented lady.

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by Author Annacampbell on 07-23-2009 02:46 PM
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I'm late to the party - I've been off email and then in transit. But, Michelle and Lori, I wanted to say what a fantastic workshop that was and how beautifully everyone on the panel came across. Honestly, though, I think it's something you could have done a whole day on and still scratched the surface. I remember it nearly turning into a riot when I said last questions please (you'd think I was saying last drinks!). And Michelle, lunch was a buzz. Thanks for your generous support of the bushfire appeal. It's much appreciated down here in the land of the kangaroo!

 

And thanks, everyone, for your kind words on the books! One of the real benefits for a writer with the explosion in internet communication is that it's really opened up the pathways between reader and writer. 

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by Blogger Michelle_Buonfiglio on 07-23-2009 06:31 PM
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Ah, becke, my fave always will be "Too Much Temptation." There's this scene where the hero's standing up w/his back against the bedposts and...

You're right, Keri, and it's fun to see how the face of sn is changing and how rapidly.  My husband's and Internet guy, and I love to hear what the folks he works w/ have to say about what's coming down the pike. 

 

Soc networking is exciting, as you Amy and keri say, but I think not all demos are interested in it, and I suspect there always will be folks who'd rather go face to face if they're able. But for many who're isolated -- or who love the idea of being hooked up as many ways as possible at once -- it's ideal.   ANd, yes, keri, I'm laughing over your split-online personalities.

 

tamara4ku, congrats. isn't it always surprizing how romance authors will take their time to connect with readers?  That's part of the reason I started doing what I do.  I thought it was very interesting that there was an industry that attracted women who wanted to reach out to other women both by their product (books) and through social contact.

 

The workshop really was a blast, Anna.  I wished we could have taken more time for questions, too.  But I know folks were furiously taking notes!  Lori's been talking about replicating it online, and we maybe we'll do it right here at H2H, allowing folks to pop in to ask questions over a period of days... 

 

Really, anna, how could we not help the koalas? Ok, and the humans...

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by Moderator becke_davis on 07-23-2009 08:25 PM
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Keri - I totally relate to the split personality issues. I was vaguely aware of it before, but at RWA National it really came home to me that my alter ego is beginning to merge with my real self. At least as many people knew me from Facebook, where I use my pen name, as knew me here. I'm starting to think I'll have to hyphenate or go mad.
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