Guest Blogger Nicki J Markus

My good friend Nicki Markus is here with me again, welcome her please! We're relaxing on the beach while she discusses the importance of exposure for a writer. No, not that kind of exposure, it isn't a nude beach! 
Why don't you go ahead and get started, while I get us a drink, Nicki?












Thanks for inviting me over, Julie, and hello to everyone.

I was wracking my brains for a suitable subject for this guest blog as I went about my other work recently. In actual fact, I just finished the video promo for my latest release (the final part of my Time Keepers mini-series) and was starting to post it out and about around the internet. It set me thinking (and not for the first time) – how many blogs = too many blogs?

Now, I have my main blog of course. Only recently, I made the decision to close my website for now since I had found I was doubling up all the time between there and the blog. So the blog is now all I have ... kind of....

As a relatively new writer still (just a sweet little six-month-old), I realise the need to establish myself by creating a web presence and thereby a following (hopefully) for my work. So, I joined everywhere. Yes, you can reach me on: Facebook, Goodreads, Authors, SheWrite, BookBlogs, Amazon, Savvy Authors, Manic Readers, E-book Cafe....

I have posted on guest blogs before about how marketing has taken over my life and I get no time for actual writing, but I still find it a tug of war several months on. I want to have time to write new stuff or else there’ll be nothing for me to promote. But if I don’t promote, who will know my books are out there?

I only wish I had more hours in the day. Nearly all the sites I mentioned have wonderful discussion groups going on and I’m sure I could pick up some useful tips and meet some lovely new people. But I just don’t have the time. Today I went on to a couple of the groups that I visit more irregularly and found messages from two weeks ago. I read those, responded to some and posted my new video ... but then my time was up and I had to move on to the next thing.

There is such a wealth of resources for writers out there in cyberland. If I had the extra hours in the day, I could spend them browsing blog after blog, but sadly one must work as well to earn a living and pay the bills.

For those authors interested, here are my thoughts on three of the ‘additional’ blogs/sites I’ve found most useful:

Savvy Authors – features an Author page for you and also some wonderfully helpful and interesting articles and writing tips. Also gives you the option for blog posts and blog tours if you are a paying member.

Goodreads – still one of the best for author pages and also some great discussion groups to promote your writing and meet new people.

BookBlogs – connect with the blogging community and find potential reviewers and bloggers who’ll host you with interviews and guest posts.

Perhaps there are never too many blogs – only too few hours in the day in which to enjoy them!

Happy blogging everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post! ;)

Nicki J Markus was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her fiancé. She is the author of several e-books, including: Awaken to the Night, Dragon’s Heart and the Time Keepers four part mini-series. The first three parts of Time Keepers are already available and the fourth and final instalment is due to be released on 3^rd June 2011.

For further information on Nicki and her current releases, you can visit her blog (the main one!) at:

http://www.nickijmarkus.com

Or check out her Facebook fan page: (http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus)

Feel free to say hello to Nicki - she doesn't bite - ask her anything that's on your mind! You can check out her fabulous Time Keepers series at Wicked Nights!

Doesn't the water look lovely?  Last one in's a rotten egg!