I Have Followers!
Okay, just 27, not a crowd. But it’s inspired me to post again and if you are one of those followers reading this, please comment to help me get to know you better!
Because my first reaction is to figure out what about you made you interested in me.
I am relying on a single resource (Wignall, 2013), at this point, to back my gut instinct that this is a good idea. Thank you, Nick Wignall
I had to drink a couple beers before I was up for promoting my novels on a booth at my first world con. I found the traditional promotional strategies unnatural. To be honest, I was less interested in selling books than I was in finding the readers who enjoyed what I was doing enough to get involved in a proactive way. I tried my best to cold sell, but it usually felt like doing more inhaling than exhaling, and hence inclined to make me want to run away … or faint.
That’s why my goal for being ‘out here’ again, with the latest incarnation of “Reality Skimming” is all about building community. The working label for the idea is word gaming, which I’ll develop in future posts. But in a nutshell, myself and the artist working with me on the wattpad release the Okal Rel Universe novels, want to see if we can spin up a transmissible model of how I evolved Okal Rel: a process I’m groping my way through elucidating on my Medium Publication Reality Skimming.
Getting back to the business of followers — thank you. I’ve checked some profiles briefly and will check out what you do. After all, you’re putting stuff out there already so the right move might be to go read it and comment on your stories, rather than asking you to say “hi” here.
But welcome. And just so you know, the exciting thing about being here, on a platform like this, versus the more broadcast ways I’ve worked as a published author, teacher, or before that in my newspaper days is — you.
I have always loved connecting with people I can learn from and be inspired by as well as share my own perspectives with and maybe even entertain! Conversation is a fine art. Not an easy one to master, but maybe — for me — the best way to connect with a fellow being (hey, I write scifi so I hate to be too specific) on life’s journey.
So here’s to getting to know my followers. And discovering new friends.
References
Wignall, N. (Jul 13, 2013). My “Secret” to Quickly Building an Epic Audience on Medium. https://writingcooperative.com/my-secret-to-quickly-building-an-epic-audience-on-medium-18688ecf5c1f
@okalreluniverse on wattpad (2020) https://www.wattpad.com/user/OkalRelUniverse
