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So, here it is, the first blog post actually written at the farm!

Good thing I waited, not much else to do here this week with all the rain and damp and cloud cover. Not to mention the temps—brrr. Never thought I’d be considering buying a DEhumidifier. . .

We got here yesterday afternoon, unloaded, arranged and re-arranged, made up the beds, and built a campfire. After dinner, we played cards and I got skunked again. Sigh. Maybe next time?

Oh, and we kinda have furniture: besides the airbeds, I have my antique table/desk, and of course the new fridge and kitchen table and chairs we brought down last time. And the two antique folding chairs in the living room.

Stayed pretty chilly all night, but I was toasty—the puppy snuggled down inside my sleeping bag. It was like having my own personal, furry water bottle.

Two deer this morning, in the side yard where we spend most of our down time. I knew if I put in a garden, they’d show up! Spent the morning hauling the trees we cut and trimmed last week, and put a definite location on the campsite. Very close to the last “definite” campsite, but smack in the middle of the property.

And let me tell you, I had to a bit of math to figure that one out!

We’re also freshly supplied with purple paint to mark the west boundary. It’s called, kid you not, “Posting Purple.” Wow.

Time to go light the bonfire. Thank goodness—still about 55 degrees, inside and out. Sure wish I’d brought my little space heater instead of all the fans!

I got to thinking today, and reading social media, and there are tons of ways to get your name noticed—and, by extension, your books. So I decided to list these, in no particular order. Some will work better than others, some might not work at all, but I know authors who have used them all. It’s up to you to decide what works for you, and which ones are worth your time.

Speaking of time, do keep that in mind—if you spend your entire day looking for publicity, you’ll have no time to write. And, too, some of these may only target other writers and not readers. Sure, writers read, but don’t focus all your energy on “exchanging” links and books with writers.

Social media—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and many others

Local author fairs

Book signings

Interviews

Blog tours

Your own blog

Your website

Make yourself an expert on____

Local libraries

Library associations

Writers guilds

Writers groups

Bookstores

Other retail stores

State book associations

Speaking gigs

What will keep any of these from working? You. Your lack of consistency, your lack of trying—or only trying one thing, and waiting for weeks for it to “work.”

Take advantage of every free and cheap resource—and I define “cheap” as anything under $50. Avoid expensive marketing and gimmicks and packages—the exception being hiring a publicist, a good one.

Run far away from expensive contests—do your homework and check out the company sponsoring that contest. Too often, I see authors all excited about “winning” when all they’ve won is a sticker that the legit publishing industry will laugh about.

I’m sure there are many more ideas that you’ll come up with—try them all, and keep track of what works best for you!