Twitter, Contests, and Some Links on Self-Publishing

Well, I am sorry to say I did not get as much done this week as I had intended to, and I haven’t had the time or motivation to think up anything particularly interesting to post on the blog today.  But I still wanted to keep up with my friday evening updates, so I figured I could at least give an update on what I did get done.

First and foremost, I finally joined Twitter on monday (or was it sunday… I can’t remember now…).  I’d been putting it off for quite awhile, not because I didn’t like the idea, but because, knowing me, I was liable to get rather addicted.  And yes, I am running the risk already.  But I decided to finally give in for two reasons.  First off, that book I’ve mentioned a few times, Kristen Lamb‘s We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media, highly encourages Twitter as a perfect place for a writer to start building a platform.  And second, I’m planning on entering a contest for which one of the requirements its to be following the contest on Twitter and facebook.  So yay for Twitter!  If you’re so inclined, you can follow me @Amanda_Rudd.  I will likely try to get one of those useful Twitter buttons added to the widgets next week.  When I have the patience to try to figure it all out.

Next on the list is that contest I just mentioned.  One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is art of Marina Bychkova.  I wrote a blog about her a few months ago.  She creates the most amazingly detailed and beautiful porcelain dolls anyone could possibly imagine.  Her website, Enchanted Dolls, is a wonder to behold.  And every year she hosts a contest for her birthday, the winner of which receives one of her nude dolls (worth somewhere around $2,000).  This year the contest is to create a concept or visual design for a new doll.  She doesn’t promise to actually make the doll concept that wins, but the winner will receive one of her dolls.  And I REALLY REALLY want to win this contest.  So I’m working a few entries — the due date is March 10th.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, or (if you want to ruin my chances and depress me greatly) you’re certainly welcome to enter the contest yourselves: Contest info.

On other fronts: I’ve just received word that one of my paper proposals for the University of Houston Graduate Conference has been accepted.  I will be presenting the paper I mentioned in my last post, which will be about Kimiko Hahn and zuihitsu and postmodern literature (as soon as I actually finish it).  And I’ve made plans to go to L.A. in a couple weeks to visit one of my best friends.  So that’s good.

Not a lot of writing got done this week, I’m afraid.  A couple thousand words in five days is better than nothing, but not by much.  However, I read some very interesting blogs about self-publishing that I would like to share with you.

1) Kristen Lamb compares self-publishing to American Idol.

2) Chuck Wendig explains why your self-published book may suck a bag of dicks.

3) Bob Mayer and Randy Ingermanson discuss the state of publishing.

They were all interesting and informative.  And Chuck Wendig’s has the added advantage of being absolutely hilarious.

Okay, I guess that’s all from me for now.