• Louise’s Bio
  • Manuscript Development
  • Writing Retreats
  • Writing Workshops
  • Contact
  • My Books
  • Mentoring

Writers: Working with Louise Cusack

~ ifyoumustwrite

Writers: Working with Louise Cusack

Tag Archives: networking

Writers Festivals: the 2% of glamour that comes with the job

28 Monday May 2012

Posted by louisecusack in Writers out in Public

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

behaviour, doing the work, glamour, gold coast, literary panel, literati, networking, rewards, rock star writers, surfers paradise, wiriters, writers festival

The other 98% of the time you’ll be sitting in front of a computer (see previous post about Doing the Work).  But all that hard work reaps rewards, and if you are curious to see what 2 days in the life of an author at a writers festival is like, click over to my For Readers website (louisecusack.com) and see my latest post: Literati – rock-star writers descend on the Gold Coast.  We had fun!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Camp Twitter vs Camp Facebook

18 Tuesday Oct 2011

Posted by louisecusack in Ramble, Writers out in Public

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

brevity, connection, conventions, debate, enjoyment, facebook, happy, networking, pleasure, social networking, twitter, writers, writing

No need to read to the end.  I’ll tell you straight up.  I’ve fallen hard for Twitter.

In the brave new world of social networking it’s a bit of a love triangle, with those of us who want to engage with our readers picking our platforms.  And I’ll freely admit I stuck with Facebook far longer than I should have.  We could have parted company while we were still on civil terms.  But I was too “I don’t get Twitter,” to even try it, so I hung around at Facebook with my personal profile and my author page, trying to engage with the tsunami of information (often duplicated) being uploaded by my peeps.  I’d sigh when the feed rolled out, daunted by the distinction between ‘top stories’ and the others, which were clearly ‘not top stories’ although I couldn’t work out why.  I liked these people.  That’s why I’d . . . liked them, so why wasn’t I getting all their stories?  Why was my feed top heavy with “popular” people.  And who decided who was “popular” anyway?

It was like being back at high school!

Anyway, in the end I just needed some time apart.  You know.  Not breaking up.  Just a break.  I had to open a Twitter account sooner or later because all the authors were expected to, but I had no clue that within a fortnight I’d be spellbound.  I mean, it’s so quick!  There’s no picture-heavy feed to wade through, and every single post is short.  Of course, everyone knows that.  140 characters, right?  But it’s not until you start interacting inside the format that you realise how awesomely fabulous that brevity is.  Refreshing doesn’t begin to describe.  I just felt . . . at home.  Really.  I just relaxed right in.  People found me.  I found people.  It was like being at a convention or a conference where you know “your people” are around somewhere, so you just settle at the bar with a scotch and chat to whoever’s there.  They’re sharing pics of their new puppy (and btw, having a new window open for every link is gold), so you can say, “Aw, check those floppy ears,” or if you’re feeling particularly clever you can say “got a bit of a Yoda thing happening there,” or when you want to slap your connections card down you can say “Oh yeah, Tara’s got a puppy like that.  You know, Tara Moss.  We share the same agent.”

Actually, I have no idea what sort of pet Tara has, but I’m just tossing it in there.  Then before you know it someone else comes along, someone you know and then you’re exchanging info on upcoming book launches or who’s had a new cover arrive, or a book deal, and it’s just so relaxed.  So cool.  So understated.  There’s no try-hard thing happening.  Well, not after the first fortnight.  You’re allowed a few “well I thought it was funny” posts as you settle in.  And it’s easy.  The set up is intuitive.  The posts are quick.  The conversations funny.  You get to meet people.  Really meet them, who they are, what they’re interested in.  Not their ‘author’ persona.  Just them.  Eating raw cookie dough.  First swims of summer.  Kids birthday parties.  Crazy hangovers.  Sleepy goodnights.  Boring stuff.  Funny stuff.  Interesting stuff.  Insightful stuff.

Real stuff.

I don’t know all the techno details about Twitter.  Can recommend Alan Baxter’s blog So you don’t understand Twitter? Read it before you get started.  But do.  Get started.  It’s fun.  You’ll love it.  And if you follow me (I’m @Louise_Cusack)and sit at the bar I’ll shout you a drink.

Promise!

P.S.  Just because Twitter gets the girl, doesn’t mean that Facebook is out in the cold.  I’m hanging in there.  I know there are readers who love it.  But don’t forget Goodreads.  It’s AWESOME too.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Writers Conferences

17 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by louisecusack in Writers out in Public

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

behaviour, conferences, networking, writing

I’ve just spent five days at the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Melbourne, and thought it was worthwhile blogging about that.  I’m sure a lot of folk came away enthused and inspired, but a proportion were also overwhelmed and jangled.

The difference seems to be related to personality, as International guest speaker Bob Mayer pointed out.  Introverts tend to become overwhelmed and go home exhausted, whereas we extroverts soak up energy from others and go home tired but also elated and buzzing to get back to work.

The lesson seems to be, if you’re an introvert you need to plan for that.  Make sure you have blocks of time to be alone and regroup, even if that means pretending you’re going on a tour and then sneaking off to a coffee shop or park bench to get some peace.  You’d need a thick overcoat in Melbourne in August, but luckily for me I’m an extrovert (despite the fact that the MCG was across the road and I was desperate to see the spiritual home of cricket in Australia).

So that settled, what are some of the things all writers should be doing at a conference?  Bronwyn Stuart has some great tips here, but these are some of mine:

Learning from the workshops and plenary sessions is a no brainer – and I’m assuming you carefully selected your sessions prior to the day to suit your current needs for industry info or craft.  Take a notepad or recording device to keep gems from slipping out of your overstuffed brain.  I heard so many great things in the very first session that I was sure I’d never forget – life-changing pearls of wisdom – and luckily I wrote them down because two sessions later I’d forgotten them completely.  And add to this, don’t be afraid to change sessions if you learn something that makes you think “Jeez, I need to hear more about that.”  I’d imagined one session on digital publishing would be enough to fill me in on developments, but the question of territories in publishing was confusing enough for me to realise I really needed to know more about that before I sold my next book, so I asked and was allowed to change to sessions that suited my changing interests.

Networking.  I hear you groaning from here.  But it’s part of the deal.  You’re wearing a name badge and so is everyone else.  You’re in the middle of the common area waiting in the line-up for coffee and someone strikes up a conversation (or if they don’t, you should).  Unless you really need ten minutes to clear your brain – in which case you’re better to sneak back up to your room – you should be chatting, and with anyone.  Prior to the conference you might decide there are key people you want to introduce yourself to – a published author in your genre, a publisher, an agent, a NYT# best selling author, and by all means do that.  But those conversations will be brief because everyone wants to talk to them.  In between the “important” conversations you need to make connections with other writers, because you never know who you can help, or who can help you, and if you don’t ask, you don’t get/give.  Put faces to names, have a laugh and share the camaraderie.  Romance writers are renowned for their generosity and Melbourne didn’t disappoint.  It was funny, and heart-warming and hard to leave.  I do fantasy now, but I started with romance and I miss those guys.  They know how to work hard and how to let their hair down.  And so should you.

A note of caution however, you don’t want to be the person who gets so drunk other people discover you on your arse in the lift unable to find your room.  I’m not mentioning names, but it happens.  Don’t let it be you.  A conference is WORK.  Don’t confuse ‘relaxation’ with ‘recreation’.  It might be called a cocktail party but you’re there to work: to meet people, to exchange information and yeah, to have some good, clean (one glass of wine, not six) fun.  And to prove that I did have fun, here’s a photo of me looking like a complete doofus in my Roaring Twenties outfit.  Thanks be for dim lights in the ballroom, that’s all I can say!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Welcome Writers!

I'm Louise Cusack, an Australian author of fantasy and romance published by Harper Collins, Simon and Schuster, and Pan Macmillan. I also mentor and tutor other writers like yourself. Please avail yourself of the resources on this website, and happy writing!

Subscribe to blog via RSS

  • RSS - Posts

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,696 other followers

Follow on Facebook

Follow on Facebook

Follow on Twitter

My Tweets

Blogs by Category

  • Getting Published series
  • Ramble
  • Reading
  • The Publishing Industry
  • Uncategorized
  • Understanding Ourselves as Writers
  • Workshop Wednesday series
  • Writer's Self Sabotage
  • Writers out in Public
  • writing tips

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: