Un-Platforming

Here is something I've been thinking about a bit lately - the frenzied buzz among writers about their platforms, marketing, how to get exposure, and on and on and on. I grow weary of it, even as I half-heartedly pursue the same ends.

Basically, I am a child of punk rock. I hate commercialism, hate advertising, am so not interested in shilling anything for anyone, including myself for myself. I'm a terrible salesman, even though I am really good at it (I've tried it, of course. I annoyed myself.)

My idea of really effective sales is to produce a product that sells itself. Do a good job, price it right, be pleasant. This is all that should be necessary. And is, as far as I can tell.

All the look at me, look at me, like me, friend me, re-tweet me is just off-putting. So I don't do it. Much. I'm not perfect either, being human is always a limiting factor. But I do try to avoid that sort of thing.

So, what about this blog? What about the twitter feed I have? Well, basically, this isn't meant to be advertisement. I am not setting out to build a platform. I do hope to provide some content that is of interest to other people, new writers especially. And, this is fun for me. Yep, fun. The main reason for all this.

Also, the writers who have helped me so much, with their blogs (Dean Wesley Smith, J A Konrath, in particular) have inspired me to try to do whatever little bit I can to help anyone I can. If this gets me readers and makes me friends, so much the better.

But that's only tangential to the real goal. A great perk, sure. But no heartbreaker if I never get there.

If I never get to the point where I can write full-time, because I don't write enough well-crafted fiction to make a minimal living, because I'm too busy trying to convince people to join my network, that's a heartbreaker.

Don't worry, the one post a day challenge still stands. This blog only takes me about 15 minutes a day. Cake. And I'm actually learning a lot writing it, so it's educational cake, the best kind.