Oh wow! This is fun! And EASY! Who knew?
But it's more than just playtime for me, it's also letting me connect with a lot of the other geek-minded (I still prefer the term Space Chic) pinners out there who love space, Sci-Fi, the stars, sweeping landscapes, ancient civilizations and profound sayings.
I'm in heaven.
And as I begin my evolution from writer to author, I'll be able to post my cover images and other related specifics that pertain to my books. And share those of other authors, too. In fact, I already have a few book covers included in my Sci-Fi Culture board, but I'll be adding many more.
What I really enjoy about Pinterest is it seems to come naturally for me. It's not a struggle like putting together words for this blog can sometimes (*cough* often) be. In a little over 24 hours, I've already collected a nice little gallery. Want to check it out? So glad you asked! Be my guest:
Visit Laurie's profile on Pinterest.
If you're one of my peers or you have an account, it's likely I've found you already. If not, please send me a subspace message (or follow me or my boards) and I'll be sure to return the favor asap.
If your focus is only on particular things, I'll post my individual boards below. (Sorry, no foodies or fashionista, but I'm guessing if you're reading this blog there will be something you'll want to take a peek at.)
STARS, GALAXIES AND SCI-FI (54 pins)
SCI-FI/SFR CULTURE (149 pins)
GREAT QUOTES (14 pins)
RANDOM FUN STUFF (21 pins)
ON BOOKS AND WRITING (1 pin) << Needs a little help here
PYRAMIDS AND ANCIENT CIVILIZATION (119 pins) (Some modern coolness too)
TOO CUTE (9 pins) [I can't resist this stuff!]
STORY INSPIRATION (33 pins)
INSPIRING LANDSCAPES (26 pins) Landscapes=real and created, indoor and outdoor.
So how exactly can Pinterest be of value to authors and readers? Well, for one, so much can be communicated to others via images and like interests. It's a way to paint a picture mosaic of what your passions are, what topics you love, or what your books are about. So it's all about reaching out with pictures and graphics, which is what you probably already do on Facebook and Twitter, but with words.
You can find a plethora of user tips about Pinterest...on Pinterest. :) I followed this board which has quite a few:
PINTEREST FOR READERS AND WRITERS
Many bloggers have weighed in on Pinterest too. Just Google "How Pinterest Helps Writers" or something similar to find assistance and information.
Rachel Gardner gives a few tips and cautions in a blog, but the post is over two years old, so I've followed up with a second blog that explains the major copyright issues have been resolved, but also spills how law enforcement is using Pinterest. (I wanted to include historical information on the copyright thing, because this is another reason I've avoided Pinterest for so long. I imagine it might be why others have too.)
Rachelle Gardner: What Every Writer Should Know About Pinterest
Pinterest's Most Wanted - March 2104, The Daily Beast
Do any of you pros and long-time users out there have any must-know tips or must-read articles? I'm eager to learn all I can.
PING PONG
Pippa, I hope you're having a blast with your Restless in Peaceville tour. For any readers who may have missed it, Pippa's zombie-esque story has been out a little more than a month. Check it out here (love the uber cool cover!): Restless in Peaceville by Pippa Jay.
In case you missed last week's discussion with author Pauline Baird Jones on the newly dubbed category of Top Gun SFR, you'll definitely want to backtrack and give it a look. Until now, we had no solid identifying tag for these edge-of-your-seat, turn-and-burn Science Fiction Romance reads. They feel the need...the need, for speed!
Wishing all the best to Sharon, who's probably up to her ears in edits, and Donna, who's no doubt up to her ears in boxes! Looking forward to hearing more from you both very soon.
Have a great week!
~~~ * ~~~
I love Pinterest, though I'll admit I've neglected it lately (I have a batch of new covers to add, and I plan to start boards of images related to my stories that I've previously only shared on Facebook). The problem is it's a very shiny place that can suck you in and keep you distracted for hours, time I haven't had to spare lately as you know.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shoutout on Restless. Another week and I'm straight into the next tour. >.<
I love pinterest. I have craft boards and food boards and holiday boards and pagan boards. I also have inspiration boards, and boards where I keep track of things in my universes. I even have a review and interview board. Come for the cookies, stay for the books
ReplyDeletePictures of player bases (actors who, in our heads, are the characters), pictures of locations, pictures of objects. Sometimes even particularly inspiring video clips (season 3 finale of Smallville, a Pyro-Magneto scene from X3) that define a scene in my books.
It's spreading the word to people who otherwise have no idea who I am, but we both like cheesecake.
I'm valarltd there.
LOL, yeah Pippa, I can totally relate to getting sucked into the time warp on Pinterest. But it's inspiring!
ReplyDeleteAngelia thanks for letting me know you're there. I followed some of your boards and re-pinned a few of your pins. Fun stuff!
I adore Pinterest way too much. I've gone down the rabbit hole too many times. I use it for collecting images. I'm not a visual person or writer. I need to see something to describe it (description is one of my weaknesses), and it helps having a board with cool settings and characters to pull from. My big problem with Pinterest, though, is all the kid stuff on it. I'm always looking for things to do with my twins, and there's just so much cool stuff on there!
ReplyDeleteSandy, I can totally see what you mean about the Rabbit Hole. It is way too easy to get pulled in to browsing and pinning images, but...oh yeah, it's fun!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'd rather spend a half hour on Pinterest re-pinning cool pins that strike a chord with me, than spend a half hour struggling to say something effective on Twitter in 140 characters or less, or posting something on FB that's just going to get lost in the tsunami of other posts.
I really enjoy communicating and connecting through images. :)
Thanks for your thoughts!
I go back and forth with Pinterest. I do it for a while and then I realize it's taking over my life and I have to step away from the mouse. Also it makes me hungry. But it certainly is fun! This was a good reminder to go in and put up my new covers.
ReplyDeleteHave fun!
Oh yeah, Sharon, I can relate. It is easy--and so enjoyable--spending time on the boards. I'm going to try to be disciplined, but I think Pinterest is going to be my "go to" social media site.
ReplyDelete