MySpace and its Drama

Well what repells you about the Myspace thing? I think that's the first thing.

The second thing you have to realise is that you can make it whatever sort of experience you like. I personally am not a fan of music on the space, so I don't have any. I make sure that my "friends" are either in the industry, or are people who seem genuinely interested in my page (and I theirs), and not just promoting their band (though I do have a few because I like their stuff). You can be there often, or just check in.

I dunno. It's the same with everything on the web. It isn't about the service, it's what you do with it. You get to make the choices.

I have a page and although I'm not convinced about its marketing/networking worth, I have made some interesting contacts, and I know for a fact that a few people have bought my book because they read about it on my myspace page. I can delete comments that are obviously spam, I don't have to accept all and sundry to be my friends, I can include just as much information as I want to...plus I have made contact with two (extremely acclaimed and much admired) of my favourite authors. In fact, I actually have two myspace pages - one for me and one for the character in my teen novel.

Yes, I have a MySpace page. Yes, at first the whole thing seemed so... ick. But I'm having quite a bit of fun with mine, I fixed it up pretty, and I am approaching the 300 friend mark. Some writers use software that sucks up the friends list of people who have pages like theirs and mass friends them. But I take a personal approach, and it's not too bad. The advantage is that I can send a 'bulletin', which means I can make an annoucment, like book releases or contests or whatever and it goes to ALL 270 people on my list.

And I'm pretty sure I've sold a couple of books because of MySpace. Plus there are some pretty neat groups; I'm a member of a couple of SF/Fantasy and writing groups. I can also put bulletins on the group, so I can contact a bunch of people who I know like the kind of book I write.

There are annoyances - the messages from the spammers looking to get you to view their porn site, or strange 'friends' with provacative profile pics, but overall it's been a positive experience. It's free and pretty easy to maintain, so I figure why not?

And I've found that there are a LOT of libraries that have a MySpace, so I can keep in touch with librarians and libraries across the country. Even the ALA has a MySpace.

I'm really going to see how well it works when my new book comes out in a few months. I'll let you know then.

Christine N. said:

Yes, I have a MySpace page. Yes, at first the whole thing seemed so... ick. But I'm having quite a bit of fun with mine, I fixed it up pretty, and I am approaching the 300 friend mark. Some writers use software that sucks up the friends list of people who have pages like theirs and mass friends them. But I take a personal approach, and it's not too bad. The advantage is that I can send a 'bulletin', which means I can make an annoucment, like book releases or contests or whatever and it goes to ALL 270 people on my list.

And I'm pretty sure I've sold a couple of books because of MySpace. Plus there are some pretty neat groups; I'm a member of a couple of SF/Fantasy and writing groups. I can also put bulletins on the group, so I can contact a bunch of people who I know like the kind of book I write.

There are annoyances - the messages from the spammers looking to get you to view their porn site, or strange 'friends' with provacative profile pics, but overall it's been a positive experience. It's free and pretty easy to maintain, so I figure why not?

And I've found that there are a LOT of libraries that have a MySpace, so I can keep in touch with librarians and libraries across the country. Even the ALA has a MySpace.

I'm really going to see how well it works when my new book comes out in a few months. I'll let you know then.

Click to expand...

Hey Christine, I was thinking of getting a Myspace webpage, but I'm not published yet. When would you suggest that I get one? I'd like to also try my hand with Mangas also. But again, not published. What would I put on my webpage? What do you think would pull folks in? I guess what I'm asking for is Myspace 101. Thanks.

kim

I have a MySpace page, but I've yet to discover what is so 'magical' about it. My little sister spends hours over there though, so that has to mean something -- that teenagers like it. I spent a full day there browsing around, updating my web page and making friends with Elvis and The Boring Dispatcher.

I mostly use YouTube. I have my own channel and make videos and am building up subscribers and my view count is pretty good. And I'm able to watch kids and teenagers and see what interests them.

There are many venues on the Internet. My MySpace has a link to my YouTube page, and I connect it to my on web page too. And then there is Stickam, where you're live that I've been trying to get into. One of these days...

If you don't like MySpace, just make your page and put it on your website, up date the blog when you have a new book, put a few pics and stuff up and leave it alone. Just answer the friend requests when they come up. You don't always have to be hanging around.

I don't bother with MySpace because I do have a personal website and a Livejournal page. I think adding a MySpace would be overkill.

Working in school libraries, I can tell you that school librarians (at least at an elementary school levels) who do units on author websites are VERY unlikely to use a MySpace page as an example for the kids. Instead, they'll use "legitimate" domain names, like lithgowforkids.com, Eric Carle's website, etc.

While MySpace COULD be a useful tool for marketing to teens, that goes on the assumption that teens on MySpace are actually looking for book-related information, instead of a place to just "hang out" online. My almost-15-year-old has about 150 friends on her MySpace, and they're all people she knows IRL and bands she likes. I asked, and there ain't a single book-related site linked on there.

Although she does have a banner up top that says "My Mom's Way Cool Web Page" with a link to me

Overkill? There's no such thing . I say that jokingly, but in reality I think the internet is such a vast place, and the more places you can leave your footprints, the better.

I have a personal webpage, an LJ, a Xanga, and a MySpace blog. I just copy the one entry to all three, plus a MySpace page. Mostly my profile is a little about me, plus links to my publisher's websites, my homepage, and links to my books on Amazon, etc. I treat it like an advertisement really, just one more place where someone can say "Oh, I've seen her before..."

And the advantage of MySpace is that while someone would have to specifically LOOK for my homepage, with MySpace, the odds are far better that people 'stumble' on it while surfing profiles. I noticed that my homepage hits went up dramatically after I got a MySpace page.

I wouldn't solely rely on it, but it's just one more way of becoming recognizable.

Dancre: You can put up a MySpace page now, I suppose, and just fill it full of 'aspiring' writer stuff, and samples of your manga work. Build up a friend base, so when you DO become published you have a pool of people already in place.

Yes, I do read the bulletins people send me on MySpace, especially if they look interesting to me. And while libraries might not use the MySpace as an example of an author page, there are a mighty big number of Libraries who HAVE pages - meaning that when I send a bulletin, every library on my Friends list is notfied.

You da bomb, Christine!! And just as an extra bonus, my co-workers and I had to sign a form at the accounting firm I work for saying we wouldn't use the internet for personal reasons. To many accountants hanging out at MySpace. Myspace?? Accountants on Myspace? Gasp!!! So I'm going to check it out. Thanks Christine!!!

kim

I have a myspace which I'm obsessed with. I signed up becuase my brother and sister had one. We use it to communicate without having to deal with our mom.

As for teens getting books from the myspace I can't tell you anything about that but what I can tell you is that parents are on myspace asking about books for thier kids to read. I'm in a few diffrent groups (one of them I'm really well known in) and there are tons of people there asking for something to read. If you have time to play on the groups theres oppurtunity there. And even if you don't promote your own work if you are an active member in the groups then people will go to your page to see what you're all about.

And besides, its fun

I'm at the tail end of the MySpace generation -- I'm 27, so I have some friends who are very much into using MySpace for organizing their social lives, and others who can't be bothered. I fall in the middle -- I have a page, but I mostly use it to stalk old friends and enemies from high school and college. Heh. People younger than me are very much into using it as an all-purpose social tool -- it's e-mail, IM, eVite, Flickr, and YouTube rolled into one. It's where teenagers go to find new bands and watch movie trailers, so why wouldn't they also go there to find out about books and authors they might like?

There's definitely a booming YA lit community on MySpace, and when I get closer to submitting my YA novel to agents, I'll probably start another MySpace page and "friend" my favorite YA novelists. If you cruise around the pages of some YA authors, you'll see that some are friends almost exclusively with other YA authors. But some authors do have a good numbers of young readers friended -- check out Rachel Cohn, John Green, and Stephenie Meyer's MySpace pages. They've done a good job of "networking" not only with their fellow YA writers, but also with their readers.

I started really using my MySpace page a few months ago. I had signed up under a goofy name to help a friend boost her "friend list", then got stuck with it. I'm seriously thinking of using it as a pen name!

I've made some great connections with writers there, one of whom I'm going to see this weekend at a writer's workshop she's headlining. As for marketing - I don't have anything to pedal (yet); I plan on developing that more as time goes on!

Spekaing of spam, I am now getting far more email spam since I started using myspace. It's not a huge problem but it is quite annoying.

Oh god. I'm going to get sucked into the Myspace vortex. I can see it coming.

A webpage, a blog and a myspace page are like the great trifecta of Internet self promotion. I don't think I can hold out much longer.

[shatner font]
must..... not.... build.... myspace... page....
[/shatner font off]

[jedi mind trick]

You want the MySpace page...you want the MySpace page...

[/jedi mind trick]

I am not a big MySpace fan-- so many pages are just hard to read with sparkles everywhere. I made an account to read a friend's page, and then got frustrated when I realized you can't actually reply to someone's comment in your own comment section. It just seemed silly to me, as I had a few people asking questions-- so you're really just supposed to go and reply on their page?

I don't mind the pages that are simpler (no music/huge videos/animated backgrounds), but I just can't figure out why it's so popular. Complete personal preference, I realize, but still.

I'd probably give it another try in the interest of networking, but really, in the end... I think I'd rather pay attention to keeping an updated website, or something. I can only keep track of so many things at once.

If you can't stand spam, haters, the 'honest but harsh' critics, it's best not to get too involved with MySpace or YouTube anyway. As much as it is a good way to get your stuff out there, you still have to deal with that.

My meager YouTube account deals with hater comments and all that stuff, I am sure those people are doing it for 'lulz' but that's part of what happens. You'll need to grow a strong backbone or just don't do it. Once you become popular, it just happens.

But, it's a lot of fun too, you get to know some people who may become friends. I've made a few friends on YouTube already and found a new and interesting hobby in making videos.

I have my own website, a blog and MySpace, but I end up spending more time at YouTube because I like it. Haters and all.