Thanks for being here, David!Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Laura! *Looks around* You have a really nice pad here!
Why thank you, David. Now tell us, who are you (what do you write, what are your personal stats)?
I’m a guy with broad storytelling interests. You want stories of dragons, princesses, dogfights in space, epic wars, MG kids who discover magic, or zombies? I’m your writer. I write for the MG, YA, and Adult markets in the science fiction and fantasy genres. Some of my favorite books include The Books of Bayern, The Giver, The Lord of the Rings, and Ender’s Game.
Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?
You can find my blog here, my twitter here, and my facebook here.
When did you begin your online platform building?
I didn’t think about it as “platform building” at first. It was at the Life, the Universe, and Everything symposium a few years back when I saw a panel of authors speak about blogging and social networking. “If you write, you should blog,” was the impression I got. I found some blogs, checked into what made them so cool, and then I made my site. It looks very different now, three years later. It wasn’t until last year when I finally figured out how to use my blog effectively.
What is your message, if any (is your blog about anything specific, for example)?
The Cosmic Laire is a haven for all things science fiction and fantasy with a writing focus. The message I hope to promote is to motivate others and give them tools and highlight my personal writing mistakes and lessons learned so that others might be wiser than I when I started. I have a weekly advice column, a weekly storytelling device (trope) post, and random book reviews, fun things, and movie/book trailers. In short, my message is to write and enjoy doing it.
How have you built your followers? What have you done that has been the most successful?
I’ve found the best way to built followers is to be genuine. No one is going to find your blog if you never venture off your page. Browse the blogoverse. Find blogs with writers who write your genre. Follow them. Comment on their posts. They will likely do the same in return. If you are genuinely interested in other people and their writing success (not just your own), people tend to reciprocate. Show this by hosting giveaways, reviewing books, hosting interviews, and maybe offer your time by critiquing (or offering to critique) people’s work. Pity posts and rants (for the most part) turn people away. If writing is your passion, show it! Be lively, genuine, excited!
What have you done that has failed?
Not doing what I said above for the first two years of my blog. 50 awesome people joined my blog in that two year period (mostly from meeting them in person at conventions). One night, we watched Julie & Julia, which made me I rethink my blog. It needed a purpose, so I created one. I needed to explore blogs, so I did. Over 600 members have joined my blog since then, and I am lucky to have maintained many awesome friendships that allow us to learn and grow together.
How much time do you spend blogging? Reading blogs? Commenting on blogs?
On average, I spend about an hour every day blogging, reading, and commenting. I try to have at least three posts up each week (sometimes more, when surprising or cool stuff happens). As more people join my blog, it gets increasingly difficult to be as active a commenter as I used to be. I have a job and a family, plus my writing. When I do comment, it’s a special event for me.
What else should we know about you? What makes you unique?
I’m an incurable movie buff (raised in LA, what can I say?), an occasional gamer (FPSs, mostly—you probably won’t want to play Halo with me…), and I took linguistics in college so I could develop five original languages for one book series. Not an easy feat, but it sure was fun! I also enjoy cooking and experiment in the kitchen, if I ever have the chance to knead. When it comes to writing, I always strive to create stories that no one has ever thought of before.
Any additional advice for our readers?
Writing is an art. Publication is a business. If you want to be a successful author, you need to embrace both worlds. This means no more hermitism, shyness, or fear that people will steal your items (they have their own). I was in that boat. The more you blog, meet writers, and attend conferences, those insecurities will eventually fade away. Be about others—not about you.
Thank you again for having me, Laura! If you’re ever in the neighborhood, I’ll bake you a pizza. No anchovies, though. They’re super gross.
Nummy, David. I'm totally hungry now. And thanks for stopping by. We've all really appreciated your super savvy insights!
