Friday, December 16, 2011

Welcome Guest Blogger Glynis Smy: Online Friendship and Promotion




Finding friends on the Internet with the same interests as yourself is rewarding. I met Jan Harper (Louie Jerome) about four years ago while writing poetry for a website. She came from the UK and with me being a Brit we found our humour matched. We gained a reputation on the writing site for being supportive and fair in our critique. Gradually we were known as the Two Ladies. Every day we made contact and had fun. My husband found it incredible how we got along so well but had never met. We planned to meet on my next visit to the UK in 2011. Jan published one of her books and asked if I would help her promote it. I did so willingly. She read a short story of mine and said it was the start of a novel and I should write one. I did so...warily. She mentored me all the way. Cajoling and pushing me to have faith in myself.

We then joined forces to promote other authors and that is how New Book Blogger came about. We never promoted the blog and just added a few books here and there for friends.

Jan felt ill in May 2010 and by August of the same year had sadly passed away. She did not know she had a body riddled with cancer and a brain tumour. She also did not know that I had written The End on my novel the day she died! I was devastated. Her family contacted me and told me how much I had meant to Jan. I was humbled. I knew how much she meant to me, but never realised my value in our friendship.

New Book Blogger sat there untouched until one day I decided to pick it up and promote it in her memory. I changed the look and the way in which I could assist writers to promote their books for free. Slowly the word got around and one day I woke up to six submissions, then ten and so on.
Now the blog thrives. I have gone from promoting one a week/fortnight to promote two authors a week (Sunday to Sunday), and am now ready to accept requests for 2012. It is Tweeted and Facebooked around the world by the followers it is now collecting, and by myself.


I made the decision not to review the books on the site. It is too time consuming and I have my own writing to deal with. I receive all the information sent to me (side bar on blog explains all required), and I layout the post. I am in the process of laying out pages for easy selection for readers. Several authors have emailed me to say they had noticed a small rise in their sales since I had promoted for them. I do hope that will be the case for all who share their work.


It delights me to think a small venture by  The Two Ladies has taken off and I know Jan would have been thrilled.


Please take a look at the blog. There are many interesting books to choose from.  I would love for you to follow the blog and keep  yourselves updated with what is newly showcased. Free advertising support for authors of all genres is the aim of New Book Blogger

 ***
The long hours of nursing finished in 2005 when I left my home shores of England and emigrated to Cyprus, along with my husband, our dog and a container of belongings.  I spend my days writing in the sun. My articles have been published  in magazines in the UK and Cyprus. I have completed two novels and am hoping to see them published in the near future.

A Poet’s Word and Glynis Smy –Writer are my personal blogs.

New Book Blogger is a blog I run to promote books free of charge for writers.

8 comments:

Glynis Peters said...

Thank you for having me as a guest and sharing New Book Blogger with your readers, Natasha.

Natasha Larry said...

It was my pleasure! Thank you for doing it!

Nova Sparks said...

Awesome post, GLYNIS!

Glynis Peters said...

Nova Sparks, thank you so much for reading. :)

Penumbra Publishing said...

Glynis, thanks so much for sharing that touching story of the unique and wonderful friendship you shared. Also, it is a great gift you give other writers!

Pat

Glynis Peters said...

Thanks, Pat. I miss Jan and our daily banter. Supporting authors is important to me. I hope to be a published one at some point, and would hope someone would do the same for me.

Natasha Larry said...

Well, you have a supporter right here! =)

Glynis Peters said...

Thanks, Natasha! :D