My life of late has involved much learning. You’d think at my age of…senior…I would have enough in my brain to keep me going. But no. Instead of being content, I add another layer of data. It’s no wonder I keep forgetting people’s names; my brain is full.
I think this phenomenon is common to many of us in what has been dubbed the zoomers category. (Zoomers are trend-setting Boomers who are breaking new ground, redefining aging and reinventing retirement.) We are aware of a steady influx of information that we don’t want to miss, because to skip a step would create an ever-widening gap between what we know and what we could/should/may need to know.
Don’t laugh, but one of my latest challenges has been to start using Instagram. I’ve had an account for a while, but didn’t see a need to use it. After all, I have Facebook. But when I started to experiment, I garnered many new followers without even trying. What that means is that Instagram is an excellent tool for book promotion. And that’s something I need to do.
I recently received an email from our author group’s virtual assistant asking if I had decided on a name for the Facebook group that I’ll use to promote my latest release. Oops! I had forgotten I was supposed to create a group. Any ideas on a catchy name? The book is called The Road to Happenstance.
In the recent past, I began writing and sending out email newsletters, which is, apparently, another “best” way to connect with people and to promote my books. Having switched newsletter marketing sites, I am learning how to navigate my way through the newsletter creation process. “They said” it would soon become second nature to me.
One thing about newsletters is that they require giveaways in order to be most effective. I’m learning about giveaways. What are my reader magnets? What will draw interest? And if I decide to give away a book, that’s great, but how do I physically do that? Well, guess what? There is an app for that. It’s called BookFunnel. This great resource will automatically send out my gifts to readers, providing I’ve properly set it. I sense more learning ahead.
A writer-friend and I are “of an age,” and often compare notes on all this learning. Last week, we were both in overwhelmed mode. It’s easy for me to become overwhelmed, to throw up my hands and abandon all hope. Instead, I chose a couple of the aforementioned challenges and went to work. I’m not saying I mastered them, but I have made a start, and I know more now than I did a month ago. That’s progress. And it feels good.
Suffice it to say, I prefer the feeling of accomplishment to that of being overwhelmed. So, my friend and I continue to encourage each other to not give up. Learning has become and will continue to be a way of life for us.