Good Morning, Faithful Readers!
First of all, I want to thank all of you for your support. As of today, there are 143 of you who have subscribed to receive my blog musings by email. In my opinion, that's an amazing beginning for a blog that's only a few weeks old. I greatly appreciate your willingness to take this journey with me. Writing on a regular basis was something that I did frequently before my illness. Now, almost 12 years into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, writing regularly is an act of faith - and hope. Thank you for giving me a reason to do this. After all, who is a writer without readers? So, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Today's post is kind of a "catch all" of things I want to share with you - the first of which are the results of our online poll about future blogging topics. I appreciate those of you who took the time to weigh in. If you didn't get a chance to participate, don't worry, there will be other polls down the road. Reader input is something I highly value.
Online Poll Results
First Place:
* My Anti-Bucket List (Things I Would Never, Ever Do)
Second Place:
* My Experience of Living With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Third Place (tie):
* My Adventures in Crock Pot Cooking
* Someone Who Has Inspired Me
So be on the lookout for these topics in coming days and weeks.
Kindle Giveaway Ending Soon
The contest for the free Kindle giveaway is still ongoing and will continue through January 31st, next Friday, at 11;59 p.m. To be eligible for the free Kindle giveaway, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option. Also, you will receive an email confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription. If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so. I notice that some of you who have subscribed to the blog have not yet confirmed your subscription. Please do so by this coming Friday.
If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them. Let them know about the free Kindle giveaway and encourage them to subscribe before Friday. This really helps me build my audience.
Check Out My Website
I have a professional writer website. This is a key component of my online platform. If you haven't seen it or visited it, then I encourage you to do so. The address is: http://stephenarhodes.com/Home_Page.html. There is information about me, my first book, and my upcoming book projects.
Social Media Connections
If you are a Facebook or Twitter person, then I invite you to follow me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenarhodeswriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephenARhodes
Why All This Online Activity?
One of the main reasons why I have started a blog, created a professional website, and have become more active professionally on social media is to create what the publishing industry likes to call "an online presence or platform." At the end of March, when I submit the first 100 pages of my newest book to a literary agent in New York, one of the things that she will want to know beyond whether I am able to write well is if I have an online audience for the potential book. Agents and publishers want to know if an author has a following and a possible audience so that my book will be successful if published. In the current publishing environment, it's just not enough for a writer to write, but to also be able sell the book after it is written. This is why I am so active online even as I plug away at my manuscript.
Thanks once again for your support. If you would like to contact me, feel free to email me at: stephen@stephenarhodes.com.
Cheers,
Steve
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