Day in the Life of an Idiot

So I (as Tate) posted a very similar "whine" over at MySpace about the article on self-promotion/author websites that I did here, except I asked my blog readers what they were looking for in a MySpace blog. Did they want more content? Did want contests? That sort of thing.

For one, I got a response. Relatively large response, too, give how little traffic the MySpace blog usually logs. Maybe six people answered, and they all pretty much said the same thing: "Nah, don't work that hard. We kind of like hearing about the weather."

First of all... there are still people on MySpace? Actually, I knew there were. Tate has more MySpace friends, and I have more Facebook friends. I'm not sure what that really means, other than the fact that once I realized that, I started making sure I put up new MySpace content more for Tate. The Lyda MySpace page is really pretty static. Both Tate and Lyda are fairly active on FB. I talk myself, if nothing else.

Anyway, I found that fairly fascinting. It continues to prove my point that what *I* think readers really want from an author's website or blog is just a chance to see who they really are... you know, sneak a peek into their daily life (which is why cat/dog/pet pictures are popular). I know that when *I* google a new favorite author that's part of what I'm looking for. I usually also want to know what else they've written, where I can buy it, and if they have any short stories squirreled away in anthologies I've never heard of... so I can run off and get those too. (Sometimes, admittedly, I google other authors just to see how they've designed their web site an if they seem cooler than me, and if so, by how much.)

But that's just because I'm totally unprofessional like that. Speaking of articles that made me sit up an take stock, kellymccullough posted this link on Wyrdsmiths to Lilith Saintcrow's blog, and now I'm paranoid that I'm totally "Z." (Okay, not really, but as I said over at my Tate blog, I can completely understand the impluse that produces "Z." I've handed out my share of business cards. I think I'm awfully cool and usually have no compulsion about sharing that fact with everyone I meet.)

Anwyay, I need to eat. My folks are coming up from LaCrosse today in order to take part in "grandparents' day" at Mason's school tomorrow morning. I've mowed and tidied up, but if I don't get food into myself I'll be more of a babbling idiot with them than usual...

Hey, salad anyone?