Slipping into oblivion: How important is visibility?

We're going to leave the ghosts, asylums, and other paranormal entities behind for a bit.  I wanted to talk about something of dire importance to anyone who depends on 'visibility' to survive in this cyber world we live in.  We all know that money, for most of us, is tight and our only venue promo and advertisement is the internet.  So how to keep a consistent presence across the net is a big challenge.  I have inadvertantly tested this and found that slipping into the oblivion is so very easy to do and unfortunately, you sink fast! 

Over the last several months, I've noticed even my most dependable followers have moved on.  It is not a good feeling being alone and unheard, especially for a writer.  My views and comments on this blog have dropped drastically and are non-existent on my website. So what is the problem?

• Updates.  This is something that is a necessessity, and I do religiously keep up with. Fresh conversation and topics draw your readers and show them you are out there. So, I know I'm okay in this department.
• Topic/Content.  Maybe my topics are uninteresting to others?  Could be an issue but I wouldn't know that unless someone said "Hey, you're boring the bejeebers out of us, already!"
• Visibility. Bingo! This one is a biggie.  I have been so tied up with other responsibilities that my overall visibility had dropped excessively.  What does that mean?  Well, for instance, I have not spent the time needed to visit other blogs, give interviews, hold contests, author spotlights have slimmed out, and hold the occasional give-away to drawn interest.  I have attempted to visit my favorite blogs in the last couple of weeks and comment but I suppose because I cannot do this as a daily routine my visitations may be lost in the mire.  I am only able to follow through on this on a weekly basis.
• Loops and Blogs. Another major problem for me is finding the time needed to remain visible on the loops and blogs I belong to.  Whew! this is a major challenge for me. I have attempted to incorporate one morning a week to do this.  But again, it seems futile as I don't really see any gain from this.  Not complaining.  Will keep plugging and keep working at it. Solutions are hard won especially with life biting at your heels.  Everyone has one and all the demands that come with it, so I'm not alone. Were there an easy solution, it would be a perfect world, would it not?
• New Material/Releases. Another huge obstacle.  I have been pulled from my personal works for sometime now.  I haven't been able to write except in limited spurts of time, nor am I the type of writer that can force the muse, so much of those times may produce nothing, nada, blank pages... I will say that I have no less than five/six projects in different stages!  I just need to sit down and get them going. More likely--get them finished!  New releases regularly are the key.  Each new project, its promo, etc. bring potential new readers and bring back your faithful followers.  Without fresh material flooding the saturated market, you are guaranteed a nosedive into oblivion.  Trust me, I know...

Well, that said, I am going to pull out one of those projects I mentioned and get to work. As Nike says: Just do it!

D~

Happy Autumn! Updates and an important follow up on the "A Word About Reviews" Post.

Yeah! My favorite season and holiday is coming at me fast. Got to get busy with my decor! I love this time of year. A northerner at heart, fall is such an awesome time of year. Still warm with Indian Summer yet so very vibrant. Living in Southern Florida, I truly miss it but this is the time of year that is most comfortable in the south. We get cold fronts that give us the most delectable weather. Breezy and much cooler temps from October through just about May. Ahh...Wintering in Florida is heaven.

I want to mention that this week's Author Spotlight didn't work out. Kelley Heckart's new release has been slightly delayed so her spot will move to November 12th. Be sure to mark you calendars of the change. The first and second week of October are open. Any paranormal authors interested in jumping in to be spotlighted? You don't have to have a new release to be interviewed so don't hesitate to contact me ASAP ( gothscribegirl@aol.com ) if you are interested in some free promo.

I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who jumped into the review conversation below. If you have not read this post, please do. It's something that touches all of us as writers and reviewers alike. I've even had two reviewers step up to the plate and talk to us about thier perspective.

An update: The author that I talked about who was given a "0" rating on her book has had yet another review by the same reviewer none-the-less at a different review site! This time she was awarded a 1.5! How is this fair practice?

Reviewers out there, a question. Do you review the same books on different sites? I've never come across this practice before. Please pipe in and let us know what's up with this?

Dayana~