☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ with M.C.V. EGAN: An Author's Platform by SHARON C. WILLIAMS

I started working on my social platform a couple of years ago. I was clueless at first. However I had read an article in Writer’s Digest that discussed it. In that article the author wrote down her Twitter account and encouraged people to follow her.

That was my first introduction. I had an account for a few years but never did anything with it. But now was the time to branch out with my brand. But I did not wait until my book was complete, revised, edited and then revised yet again. I did not wait until after my writer groups had taken a whack at it.

Instead about a year before I got to that point I tossed my name into ring and made my way to the center. There are so many avenues to get your name out besides Facebook and Twitter. The list goes on to Google +, Linked, Goodreads, Pinterest, and a Facbebook page that is separate from your main page. There is having one’s own blog. There are more out there.

The point is if you are trying to market yourself in any fashion you need to get wet. And do it well before the pond dries up. By the time my book will be coming out in late summer people will have an inkling of who I am. They will be able to go to my blog or where I am listed and read and get an idea instead of starting from scratch. That is a plus. It does take a lot of time and effort. But once you do that the maintenance is easy for you have laid the work out early.

It is absolutely scary to do this. For you are putting yourself out there for the world to see. But if you are trying to promote a brand, a book, or any other career it will be in your favor to do this and do it early.

The beauty is there so many authors out there who have done this before you. Writers who are willing to help you, answer questions and lend some insight. You are not alone in this. Being a writer is a solitary job. But once you have an online presence what you are creating is a community of writers. People who understand where you are at and where you are trying to get too. It is there waiting for you. All you have to do is dip your toe into the waters.

About The Author:

Sharon C. Williams is a native of New England, raised in Northern Maine. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and son. She is also owned by a flock of eight birds.

Sharon has a B.S. degree in Chemistry, but is currently disabled, so writing keeps her busy. She tends to lose all track of time. The world could be coming to an end, and she would be oblivious to it. When writing, she envisions the scenes in her head, and tries to imagine the reality of what is written down on paper. Different options, scenes, and problems are noted on the side in case she can use them later.

Sharon tends to write by long hand as the flow works better for her this way. Her bookshelf consists of works written by Stephen King, Agatha Christie, Bentley Little, and James Patterson. The best advice she has ever received about writing was to write about what you know. Her first thought was, “Yeah right,” but it really is that easy. A writer just needs to know a little tidbit to turn it into a short story, and soon enough, there's a book.

Sharon loves to read, sketch, take pictures, walk, exercise, go to the movies, and listen to music. She is a budding bird watcher, and knits on the side. She is a huge sports fan of baseball, basketball, hockey, and football.

Two of her short stories were published in the anthology, “Cassandra's Roadhouse.” She will be releasing several short story anthologies during the upcoming months. Her children's book, “Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure,” has just been picked up by Fountain Blue Publishing, and should be released sometime this year.

About her parrot:

Jasper

Jasper is a yellow cheek Amazon or also known as the Red Lored. He adopted us in Oct 1999. He is close to 19 years old and life has never been the same. He is the main character of my children’s book which has been picked up for publication.

Parrots are perceptual 2 year olds. Jasper has the ability to say a number of words such as: hello, hi. Mom, help, and even the word no. He has an uncanny way of being able to imitate any sound that he hears. His native home is the rain forest. Parrots like Jasper can live anywhere from 50-70 years old though some have lived longer. Generally when a parrot is purchased it is recommended to leave them in your will due to their longevity.

Jasper’s favorite foods are pizza crust, any form of potato, watermelon and any green vegetable. His favorite television show is anything that is in black and white on TMC, cartoons or nature shows.
If you have any questions about Jasper just leave a comment

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