Recently, I had the opportunity to hook up with my friend and agent-mate, Sarah Forgrave. (Isn’t she lovely?)
Sarah and her family were vacationing in the area and she and I met for coffee and conversation one morning.
I hadn’t seen her since the ACFW conference last year so it was great to catch up and dish writing.
Sarah is one of those sweet, down-to-earth souls that you feel like you’ve known forever. We could have chatted for hours, but alas, our visit ended too soon.
I’m looking forward to seeing her again at the upcoming ACFW conference in Dallas.
Speaking of which, guess who this year’s fabulous keynote speaker is? Michael Hyatt!
Michael Hyatt is the Chairman of Thomas Nelson and the author of numerous books, including the current bestseller, Platform: Get Noticed In A Noisy World. I mentioned his book here.
Also, at over 200,000 subscribers, Mike Hyatt’s blog has amassed quite a following. There’s a reason for that. Once you read a few posts, it’s easy to get hooked. His spiritual, yet no-nonsense approach to writing, leadership, and matters of faith resonate with folks from all walks of life.
Last night, I enjoyed listening to his free teleseminar that closely mirrored the principles in his new book. It was a fantastic learning experience that seemed more like fun than work. (And isn’t it a great thing when you can mix the two?!)
For anyone who’s powering up to “launch,” reading Platform is a must. This book is particularly beneficial to authors and other creatives because it offers such practical advice when it comes to delivering our message.
Something to be considered when tiptoeing into the social media/blogging/platform-building waters, however, is the fact that while we’re doing this we still have to write. Name recognition and “brand” are important, but for prepublished authors, concentrating on the actual writing should come first.
Without a finished product (manuscript), it’s a little like putting the cart before the horse. Authors need platforms, but they need to have an idea of where they’re going with it, too. In other words, we have to work smarter–words you may have heard before. Don’t forget to check out Rachelle Gardner’s awesome post regarding her thoughts on this.
So, while we writers have fun networking and building our platforms, it’s also a good idea if we remember why it is we’re doing it in the first place: because we’re writing books.
And every now and then, mixing fun and work is okay. In fact, it’s a good thing!
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Remember, my June blog giveaway is coming up soon!
Check out the scoop here and make sure you’re entered.
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How do you mix fun and work?
If you write, how do you balance platform-building and writing?
Blessings Always,
Comments 10
Ya’ll are beauty queens! Love the picture! Can’t wait to meet, well, all three of you if you count Michael Hyatt at the conference. 🙂
I really do need this book! Now…I’m off to edit!
Author
Jess, Sarah’s a doll! And it’s going to be amazing hooking up with all our friends, isn’t it?!
Oh, and speaking about edits… 🙂
How fun!! And I love the photo.
Author
Thanks, Julie! Starbucks, scones, and friends–a terrific combination!
Aw, thank you for the kind words, Cindy. And I can say the same about you. 🙂 Our visit was a highlight of my trip.
Author
Sarah, wasn’t it fun?! Sooo cheering for you and I can’t wait to hug your neck again!
How fun! Sarah sent me an invite to let her know sometime when I’m “in town” visiting my kids – she lives in the same town as 2 of my kids – I’m going to let her know, and we will meet up…maybe for coffee while sitting lakeside at Eagle Creek.
Can’t wait to meet you guys at the AFCW conference!
Author
Loree, you’re in for a treat! Sarah’s precious!
And gal, I can’t wait to “officially” meet you, too! I’ll possibly get all weepy so bring a hanky. I’ll give it back. 🙂
I love it when fun and work collide. Working in my garden is pure joy, and the time goes by so quickly. I have allowed blogging to usurp a large chunk of my time, so I need to find a way to curtail some of that. However, in Romans 12 fashion, the gift of encouragement can be used in many ways. 🙂
Author
Patti, blogging can indeed become a time-buster if we’re not careful. I, too, have had to become a better time-manager of social media. Books don’t write themselves. 😉
Thank you, dear friend, for visiting and for your gift of encouragement!