Handy ways to keep up with virtual gossip:
1) Use a blog reader. It helps you keep track of all of the blogs you read. The tech genius at my house made handy instructions you can get here.
2) Sign up for Google Alerts. Google will alert you anytime the key words you plug into their form come up online. You can find out who’s talking about you or your book.
3) Become a Twitter follower. Twitter is like a mini blog. You just type in a line or two whenever you feel inspired to do so. You can follow other people and find out the minutia of their days too.
4) Get Google Analytics on your blog. You can track who’s going to your blog and how they’re getting there. Not exactly a way to find gossip BUT you can discover a lot about people from how they find your blog. Obsessive self-googler anyone?
5) Sign up for Facebook and keep up with what all of your friends are doing. I JUST did this. It wasn’t hard to do at all. Friend me please!!
6) Sign up for GoodReads and get book recommendations from your friends. I’m really bad at keeping this one up to date because I read so many books so quickly, but it seems like a great idea.
Hi Bridget,
I like your new profile photo! Very friendly looking. And I am totally going to put those RSS instructions to use… I’ve always wondered how to do that. You guys rule! Lush does not.
Those are great instructions! Kudos to your tech genius. I’d already signed up with Google Reader, but I still picked up some pointers from that document. BTW, I love the look of your website. Very cheerful.
Lisa
Hi Amanda! I’m glad you like my new photo. It’s all Barrett’s doing. I think I look like a nut. But at least I don’t look like a vampire any more. 🙂
I hope the instructions work out!
Thanks for the compliment to the site, Lisa! I was going for cheerful, so I’m glad it’s coming across. 🙂
Bridget
I hate to say “me too!” but the Tutorial about RSS is excellent! Thanks.
And I have to add that I love Google Analytics, even though I don’t have a clue how to use all of its features!
Hi, Bridget. Wow! Thanks so much for the demystifying, and for bringing up this whole cyber-presence thing on the listserve and here. I freaked out at first to think this is something ELSE required of us, but your alpha-user experience and tips makes me think it won’t be as hard as all that– just a way to get involved and stay up with the field, make friends, and self-publicize acceptably. I think your new picture is really a good pick. I guess one person’s cheery is just another person’s nutty, but I think it represents you well. Thanks again for all the pointers. Now to get myself to use them. . . My best, Julie