First Site

Hello dear readers!


You join me tonight on the eve of a brave new era, a time of opportunity and hope in these days of panic buying and disease.

I am, of course, speaking from a completely personal point of view but personally I'm excited. and if you would be so kind as to read on, I'll tell you why.

No Tech
I've never been a man who feels all that comfortable with technology. I remember well (sort of) the slightly alcohol fuelled evening when my phone was taken from me and I was forced to sign up to Facebook. Since then I have of course joined the 21st century (What?), and embraced social media including Twitter, and even Instagram. Snapchat and Tik-Tok, well no, now you're just being silly.

It was one of the aforementioned social sites that I joined a group set up to support and encourage people like myself who have reached the querying stage of writing a novel. It is something that has been a real eye opener, and in very little time I've learned so much more about the process, from how to write a query letter and a synopsis right through to what agents and publishers are looking for, and it's this last point that's prompted me into action.

Read All About It
Online presence is, apparently, hugely important to a would-be author. A book needs to be sold, and no matter how interesting the plot, how well developed the characters, and how twisty the twists that means getting the news of your page-turner out there.

You might think that this would be one of the boons of finding an agent or a publisher to fight your corner, but a modern author needs to be au fait with the subtle art of marketing too, and he, or she, needs to be willing and able to get themselves out there and do some of the hard graft themselves.

That means being seen. It doesn't matter how loud you shout about what your selling if no-one can hear you and if your social media chain only reaches as far as handful of friends, relatives, and of course those strange Facebook 'friends' you've never met and wouldn't know if you tripped over them while they were wearing a blue jumper with a white 'f' on it, and trying to share pictures of last nights tea with you, then you're shouting to the deaf.

No, online presence is vital and it is to that end that this last week has seen your friendly, technologically challenged, seated person struggle with the design and set up of his very own website.

Begging For It
This means that as well as seeing me post my blog, and post about my blog, you might soon see me do the same for my website as I try to spread the word far and wide to attract readers, and increase my reach into the invisible world at the end of our fingertips. I will of course at least try not to get too annoying with this but if you see such a post on your favourite flavour of social media I would take it as a great kindness if you could chuck me a like and a share (the share is important). I don't want to beg, but I will.

In the meantime I'm going to do my level best to entertain and inform the readers of the website in question and will be adding new content on a regular basis. There will be updates regarding my journey, a short story or several for you to consume, and even a blog (how novel, eh?)

Now I'm only dipping my toes into this marketing business, but hopefully I've sparked a little curiosity in this new venture, and perhaps you, my dear reader, would like to pay it a visit and experience my offerings first hand. What's that? You would? Well thank you. The site can be found here. Please enjoy your stay and, if you'd care to leave me a comment, please do. (nice ones would be, you know, nice).

Until next time!