Open Up!!!

 by Charlotte Bennardo

This month, the theme is "Open Up" to new ideas. Whether traditionally or independently published, authors have to be open to new ideas - how to write, how to revise, how to promote, how to sell... you get the picture. 

Photo by Alina Kurson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-teal-sweatshirt-with-open-arms-11044897/

One of the things I desperately needed to be more open about was learning to manage and expand my social media presence. I did this through my MFA program, taking a class in Social Media. Initially, I fretted over it; I'm not tech savvy, I don't want to spend hours learning then implementing things that may not have visible results or even be applicable, and I don't want to use valuable writing time on something that I don't really like. Plus, the course was geared towards business majors. Promoting a business or product is not identical to promoting books. 

However... there is enough commonality that I can use to my benefit. I've learned how to use Canva and now can make posters for Instagram, Twitter, my blog or website, or Facebook. I've learned that posting need not be complicated but it needs to be consistent, concise, and catchy. In the back of my mind, I probably already knew this, but the course made me comfortable using and expanding it, and gave me basic familiarity with programs like Hootsuite.

The publishing world (or 'landscape' as it's called in the MFA program), constantly changes and we as writers have to change with it. I'm finishing up my MFA in Creative Writing (July 1 conferral!) so as soon as that last paper is submitted, I have to return full time to my writer persona and employ all that I've learned. And once I reconnect with the writing groups and colleagues that I've stepped aside from while obtaining my degree, I'll need to play catch up with. Plus, I'll continue to look for books, speakers, and workshops- have to be open to change as is happens. Who knows what I'll learn? 

Charlotte writes MG, YA, NA, and adult novels in sci fi, fantasy, contemporary, and paranormal genres. She is the author of the award-winning middle grade Evolution Revolution trilogy, Simple Machines, Simple Plans, and Simple Lessons. She co-authored the YA novels Blonde OPS, Sirenz, and Sirenz Back in Fashion. She has two short stories in the Beware the Little White Rabbit (Alice through the Wormhole) and Scare Me to Sleep (Faces in the Wood) anthologies. Currently she is working on several novels for both children and adults, and her MFA. She lives in NJ with her family and her floofy cat. When they trimmed the backyard tree, the crazy squirrel couple had to move out.