Idea for 'Plug' thread...

[Kimberly]

I agree with Candy on all accounts.

[Islandboy50 *]

Actually I've found that some of my best promotion comes from other travel writers. Think about it, one writer can easily reach 100k readers who may buy my book. I've had some of my best PR -- WSJ, NYT, MSNBC, National Geographic, USA Today -- from other travel writers who either reviewed a book I wrote, listed it as a resource or interviewed me. So i make it a point to let everybody know what I cover. Sure some folks are too preoccupied with their own work to look at what others are doing, but i've found that those are not the folks who really land the top assignments. I always take the time to do interviews, no matter how busy I am, as it's something that has really done well for me PR wise. And, I've also promoted other travel writers in my work.

Candy

Of course, what you say just stands to reason but then again it's a tested and tried method of promotion that you've been using. It doesn't depend on thinking because you have 15 live tags after your name that you'll automatically garner more traffic to your site, which is just still unproven theory no matter what anyone says. But I wouldn't bother much with thinking a thread on this site is an ideal venue to exercise your strategy for broadening your coverage, you'll do better at freelancesuccess or mediabistro or just going to a writer's conference. There are different ways to create your own community, but yours works. It's pragmatic and not based on cybervoodoo.

[candy harrington]

Of course, what you say just stands to reason but then again it's a tested and tried method of promotion that you've been using. It doesn't depend on thinking because you have 15 live tags after your name that you'll automatically garner more traffic to your site, which is just still unproven theory no matter what anyone says. But I wouldn't bother much with thinking a thread on this site is an ideal venue to exercise your strategy for broadening your coverage, you'll do better at freelancesuccess or mediabistro or just going to a writer's conference. There are different ways to create your own community, but yours works. It's pragmatic and not based on cybervoodoo.

I didn't mean to imply like I would put a lot of time in here specifically to promote my work, but just that it's another place to mention things from time to time. If you are a running commercial people tend to not listen that much. I guess as in all things, moderation is a good thing. But it's just like that old marketing principle -- folks have to hear a name/product at least 8 times before they will identify with it or remember it. I guess my approach is kind of karmic -- giving back to the community as well as doing the "me, me, me" thing. I think also that creating your own community (platform is what we used to call it) depends on your own personality, as if it's forced, you appear insincere and that doesn't work either. In fact the latter can work against you. In the end, it's all just one giant learning process, because nobody really knows the "great secret" at this point.

My main point is that I don't think folks should discount their fellow writers as a pr outlet, as they can be very helpful to you. Or at least that's how it's played out in my case.

Question: Island Boy -- It's early and I'm kind of nursing my first cup of coffee before we hit the road again, but what did you mean when you said "15 live links by your [my] name"? I guess I'm kind of slow on the uptake this AM.

Candy

[Islandboy50 *]

Hi Candy - for the sake of World Peace, I won't do any more of my rants about new media tag glorification. But to answer your question, all I was referring to was the notion that website traffic can be automatically boosted by joining up with scores of new media and cross-posting onto various blogs that cover the same topic as your page. Just a sore point with me having done one travel guide that suddenly shifted into the pay-per-view mode after some time on the conventional payment model, and then being lectured monthly about the need to join up with this and that or post - i.e., a whole new time and labor activity for way less money. I have nothing against the linkedin and twitter and FB, and in fact do all those but that apparently is still not enough for my cybersweatshop mistress aka editorial director. Your own approach to cross-promoting with other writers is something always worthwhile, and yes I also like the word platform and go on using that too.