In the last few years, major changes have occurred in the publishing industry, particularly in regard to author promotion.  Numerous socia media venues have arisen that are now being strategically used by writers to establish and maintain a platform.  Most of us very likely have blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and many of us probably use venues like LiveJournal, MySpace, LinkedIn, Plaxo, and other online methods for getting our name and our work out there. 

If you’re like me, you may very well at times feel overwhelmed by all of these opportunities. So let’s explore ways to ensure that we make right choices regarding if, how, and when to advertise ourselves. 

First of all, as followers of Christ, we are privileged to be able to tap into His wisdom re: the decisions we make, including decisions about our writing. As James 1:5-6 promises us, we can ask our Lord for His wisdom, and He will generously give it to us. 

Next, we need to determine the vision and mission for our writing. IOW, why are we writing? If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you write to promote His kingdom, not your own.  This is our purpose as Christian writers.  At the same time, each of us fulfills that purpose in a different way.  So take some time to determine your unique purpose as a writer who follows Christ. 

Once you have prayed for wisdom and determined your unique vision for your writing, you will be in a better position to determine which social media venues are best for you. 

In the next few weeks, we will explore each of these social media venues and consider their pros and cons.  I encourage you to share with us your experiences using each venue as we discuss them. 

We’ll start next week with the question: Is it right for me as a Christian to promote myself?