Though it is unlikely that I will ever travel to Hong Kong, my book was there this summer as part of an international book fair. According to the publicist company that I hired to promote my book at this event, more that 2,000 people scanned the code on the back of my book. This took them to my website and my blog. Without leaving this country, people in another country connected with me. 

Linked Lives

After reading the reports from the publicists though, I wondered if my life has been reduced to a quick code. Is the sum of who I am just a strange looking symbol that someone scans with their electronic device? That was how I felt at first. But now that I’ve had a conversation with John, my publicist, I have a different perspective. 

“Driving people to your website, and to your blog allows them to connect with you as an author,” he told me over the phone recently. I agree. I’ve noticed, by reports, this time from Journey, the company I hired to design my website, that more people visited my website this summer than ever before. 

Electronics are a part of our present day culture and I am beginning to be grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me, to expand my small world. Although electronic devices themselves are impersonal, because of them, my book and my blog are now influencing more people than just a few of my friends who live in the United States. 

Though my preferred mode of connecting with people is face to face, personal conversations, and one on one, it is impossible to market a book that way. But, those opportunities still exist and when given the chance to do so, I do just that. 

For instance, a friend of mine, Suzy Prez, is the station manager at our local community radio station, KRFY. She interviewed me a few weeks ago and though interviews are always a little stressful, I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to touch base with Suzy again. 

Though I knew of her, I didn’t know her very well. Our sons attended college together, became friends and played in a band. But when Suzy agreed to interview me, I took the opportunity to give her one of my books to read. As a result of her reading my book and having me on her radio show, we got to know each other better. 

Another local, face to face and personal opportunity I took was to talk with Joyce Jowdy, the adult community coordinator at our public library. As a result of that connection, I will be having a book reading today at our library. I will get to see people face to face, have conversations with them in real time and shake their hand, my favorite way to connect.

Why bother appreciating the opportunities? As an author and a blogger, I am discovering a myriad of opportunities to link myself with others and I am grateful for them all.