The Tortoise and the Hare

When it comes to the Internet, Marketing, and Social Media, I confess I just can’t keep up. Facebook, Forums, fan-clubs, other authors’ sites, cross-linking, reblogging all take time and energy… and there’s only so much of them in a day.

Even more, I’m not sure I want to keep up. I’d hate to end up one of those people who thinks they have to fill every empty space with their opinion. Or view everyone I meet through the lens of my agenda.

I know I need to market and advertise. There are internet friends I actually like and want to be connected to, but day-to-day is always in my face and there is stuff to do, constantly. So I have to prioritize. Discriminate. More to the point here, writing is work, and learning to do it well is a lifetime endeavor. My question to myself is – which is it going to be?

Some dead white guy ( I think it was an American President, in fact) once said “Take your work seriously, not yourself” and it has always resonated with me. I’ve always wanted my glass work and my stories to stand on their own. You don’t need to know me to appreciate them; they’re a product, sure, but they’re separate entities. (arguable point, but that’s the way I see it)

That Tortoise and Hare fable is another reference for me. (a disabled guy) I realized long ago I’ll never letter on the Varsity team or throw down suave smooth and sexy out on the dance floor. Hell, stairs are a challenge. Instead, I’ve got to focus on what I can do – not what I can’t. At the end of the day, if I have to choose between the frenzied pace of Internet Marketing or the long-haul, labor-intensive task of writing, I’ll choose writing.

After all, my work will be here after I’m gone.