Neil Gaiman “The Graveyard Book” and living

On June 30, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

“You’re alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you’re dead, it’s gone. Over. You’ve made what you’ve made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is finished.”

If you only read “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman, for that one quote, it will have been worth it. The book is glorious.

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Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase
Great post on Mashable.com today about the Twitter tech elves and what they’ve added in terms of functionality to the platform.

“For example, on the page listing your followers, Twitter now shows a check mark of the people you follow back. There’s also a pull-down menu that includes options for direct messaging them, sending them an @ mention, or following them (if you’re not already doing so).”

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Twitter Funding, VCs and Tweet-perspective

On June 30, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase
In my first incarnation as a tech journalist for the decade of 1995-2005, I learned very quickly that all VCs are human too and don’t always bet on winning horses. Check this story out about one of Twitter’s largest investors and keep the hullabaloo about Twitter in perspective.

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Cult of Done Manifesto

On June 30, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

Cult of Done Manifesto - Color
Image by grasshopperlibrarian via Flickr
I found this via my pal Steve Kayser who posted a link to it – @stevekayser on Twitter- very cool ideas.

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Claim your Own Page at Alltop.com

On June 30, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

Image representing Alltop as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase
I’m giant fan of all that Alltop.com does and one of the coolest things they have going is a way for you to claim your own Alltop.com page. Go and do it. (Or don’t, but remember I told you to – which means you probably should really do it.)

Here’s the link to do it (she says in her clean up your room voice.)

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Alice Hoffman, Twitter, Yikes

On June 29, 2009, in Books, Featured, Twitter, by Nettie Hartsock

hoffman-twitters

Ok, I’m pasting this for now and a link to the story about Alice Hoffman and the Twitterboxing and then I’ll be back. Talk amongst yourselves. I will say in reference to the above image, you can take down a Twitter page (which has now been done with AliceHof) but the cached page is still available!

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Paulo Coehlo and Neil Gaiman

On June 29, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

At the LitAgents conference in Austin, I referenced Paulo Coehlo and his superb use of Twitter and his blog for communicating to his readers. Here’s a link to his blog and how he writes from the heart.

I also referenced Neil Gaiman whom I’m a giant fan of and wanted to put a link to his blog as well.

By the way, if you’ve never read, “Good Omens” by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, you absolutely should.

Here’s one of my favorite excerpts from the book, “It wasn’t a dark and stormy night. It should have been, but there’s the weather for you. For every mad scientist who’s had a convenient thunderstorm just on the night his Great Work is complete and lying on the slab, there have been dozens who’ve sat around aimlessly under the peaceful stars while Igor clocks up the overtime.”

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10. I’m funny.

9. What’s a query? Can you define it?

8. I have no experience in that subject, but I know I could write an amazing book about it.

7. I don’t need no stinkin’ editorial suggestions.

6. When you say, “That’s not funny,” are you kidding?

5. Couldn’t you just take this book idea because you like me, you really like me?

4. It’s like we’re on a first date, and my Southern accent is overwhelming you.

3. But if you just spent a day with me – you’d know how funny I am.

2. If you don’t take this book I WILL FIND YOU.

1. It’s just like Eat, Pray, Love but less eating, much less praying and bereft of love.

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Literary Agent Conference, Social Media and positive mojo

On June 28, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

LEGO Star Wars
Image by Official Star Wars Blog via Flickr
Loved every moment of the Literary Agents Conference and presenting on Social Media – Web 2.0 session. Also feel very humbled by Jeff Salamon’s story and was crazy about meeting Michael Murphy and hearing his brilliant keynote speech. A true industry veteran with a great wit and intellect!

Will post several tips, snippets and links during the week to catch you up on the conference and all the really great wisdom the agents were willing to impart!

The conference due to Cyndi Hughes and her staff just was phenomenal. Do not let people tell you that publishing is dead, agents don’t care about you and that you’ll never get your book published! These are definitely tough times, but stay true to your goals, work really hard, write tons and keep forging ahead!

“May the force with be with you.”

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Social Media and Fab Tools

On June 26, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

Social Media Marketing Madness Cartoon by HubSpot
Image by HubSpot via Flickr
I hope this list of tools to tap into for empowering your social media jive will encourage all of you to take a trip on the social media plane and see how far you can fly!

Social Media Must-Haves:

1. HARO.comPeter Shankman‘s site – free to subscribe to and well worth it!

haro

2. PitchEngine.com – everything you need to know about the social media release. Fantastic resource.
pitchengine

3. Wefollow.com - Wonderful Twitter app for keeping track of all things “following”.

4. Twellow.com - register on it! Don’t ask questions, just register!

5. Pressreleasegrader.com – Free your PR releases of gobbledygook and empower them with keywords!

6. Friendfeed.com – get all your tools on speaking terms!

7. Mashable.com - amazing content all the time to keep you up on social media.

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Roy Blount Jr., Settling with Google and Orphan books

On June 25, 2009, in Featured, Google, by Nettie Hartsock

Google, Inc.
Image via Wikipedia
Read this post by Roy Blount Jr., president of the Authors Guild in regard to the digital settlement with Google and orphan books.

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Is Google a Digital Vampire?

On June 25, 2009, in Featured, by Nettie Hartsock

Google in 1998
Image via Wikipedia
Interesting article on Google and how traditional publishers view the mother of all search engines.

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