Social Media. Why bother? If you are a writer in this millennium and even more importantly, a book author, to not be doing social media is to be a dinosaur. Jus' sayin'. And even if you are not a writer but own a business or offer a service, social media is fundamental to your marketing program as well. (If I could grab some of my beloved nonprofits by the collar and shake this important message into them, I would.) Social media is not just time-twiddling Facebook fluff. It truly works in communicating your message and grooming loyalty and drawing in patrons and earning consumers. If you doubt–trust me. (And Facebook is not all fluff, either.)

So, my eyes are perpetually fixed on successful authors who are using social media to promote their work. Susan Gregg Gilmore—Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen and the forthcoming The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove–is a superior example of working it to spread her message.

Last September I reviewed here Building a Home with My Husband by Rachel Simon, another writer to watch. In an e-blast from Simon, I received the following delightful and most clever video of her book.

Bravo! And, yes, an excerpt from yours truly's review is embedded. Rachel also has a new novel expected out spring or summer 2011. Like her books Building a Home with My Husband and Riding the Bus with My Sister, Rachel's latest book either weaves into or directly focuses upon issues affecting those with disAbility. The author's sister has an Intellectual Disability and is the subject of Riding the Bus with My Sister , which was also made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame  movie starring Rosie O' Donnell and Andie McDowell.   

Hats off to Simon and especially newcomer (albeit not-so-new now) and trailblazer Susan Gregg Gilmore for clearing a path in this new terrain of must-do social media for writers and authors and others.

Another clever marketing note, according to Simon's e-blast, viewing the video in full-screen mode allows the viewer to virtually turn the pages of the book. However, I was not able to figure out how to do that here. But, my techno-knowledge void aside, I thought it worth noting here as a marketing footnote.

In my own  book news, I'm still busy securing signing and event dates for April, National Autism Awareness Month. We've got three possible From Heartache to Hope events literally from one end of the city to the other. I'm waiting to confirm one of them before I release all the details here. But, save these Saturday dates: April 17 & 24. (We've got nearly back-to-back events on the latter!) Some unique happenings, I assure. Details soon!