Signature Lines

I just joined a new authors' promotion group which I found through Shelly Munro's blog. At the moment the group is discussing guest blog spots (I'll post about that tomorrow) and signature lines. I almost always use a signature line except with my friends. It seems too pretentious. Even at the day job, I erase all the "manager" crap even though it comes up automatically when I pull up a new email, when I email my friends or my department. I only keep it when emailing other departments, mainly because our organization is getting to the point that managers only accept emails from other managers and directors only from other directors. My staff's not supposed to email other departments but funnel questions through me. Sometimes it's a pain but it's usually a help. Anyway, I'm more concerned with signatures for my other career, my writing career. On many loops, promotion is a no no, but signature lines are allowed. I'm shy of saying too much so I usually don't say too much on mine, but sometimes, when I have a new book to promote or when I'm trying to overcome my shyness, I'll get a bold moment and build up my email signature. At the moment, my main signature looks like:

"Ashley http://www.ashleyladd.com http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com http://www.myspace.com/ashleyladdromancewriter http://twitter.com/ashleyladd Heart and Soul - an MMF with a lot of heart newly released at http://www.total-e-bound.com"

I didn't add a quote about my book, "Heart and Soul" as it already seems so long. I have been advised to do so in the past. Should I now? Should I delete some of my links? I've seen some sig lines that are way longer than the one I have above. At times I've advertised my contests in my sig line (it worked pretty well). I've also had several different signature lines, one each for my different books. I have between 20 and 30 books still in publication so I'm not going to to make one for each - in fact, my aol email signature picker only gives me five automatic signatures, not that I couldn't save them in Word and just cut and paste. But I figure the rule of advertising is that a consumer has to see a name or product at least 7 times before it sinks in. If they keep seeing a different book, it might not sink in. I hope that if they visit my publisher or one of my websites, they'll see my other books available for sale and then check them out if interested. I haven't put covers in mine, mainly because I don't know how. So, what are your thoughts about signature lines? If you're a published author, do you think they help? (I'm sure they can't hurt at the very least.) If you're a reader, do you ever check out a book or an author's website because of a signature line? I know personally, that as a reader, I have visited some author's websites because of their signature line. I also visit new blogs when their blog links are given. I often send a friend request on My Space or start following someone on Twitter if given a link? What about you? You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Can you really go home???

I'm happy to be in Cincinnati with Dad and my loved ones here, and yet I'm sad. Sad that my time here is almost at an end. And sad at some of the changes and differences between here and where I live now. I went to Borders at 9:15 pm the other night (in Cincinnati) and it was closed! I just had to have a certain book. MY borders in Florida is open every night until 11 pm except for Sunday. And then Barnes & Nobles is open every night until 11 pm. This is definitely the dark ages. Yet, Skyline Chili in Cincinnati stays open till the wee hours. Skyline Chili in Cincinnati closes at 9 pm and 8 pm on Sundays. How awful! (Florida's, I mean. For shame!) Walmart in Cincinnati is never crowded. At least not the one on Colerain Avenue near Struble Road. It's practically dead. At least the 3 or 4 times I've visited. In Florida, I wait in line for an hour to check out. Towns like Finneytown and parts of Fairfield and Norwood where I visited this trip didn't look too good. They're going downhill. I'm not too thrilled with Colerain Avenue, either. And yet, I'd love to be here to be near family and friends. That's what really makes or breaks a place. Our loved ones. I haven't had nearly enough time with them, and yet, I've been away from my loved ones in Florida a long time. When I walked into Walmart this afternoon, and the greeter greeted me, "Welcome to Walmart. Have a good day." it reminded me of "Idiocracy" where the greeter tells Luke Wilson, "Welcome to Costco. I love you." At work we used to have to say something similar on the switchboard. I think the operator still does. I had a very vivid dream a couple nights ago, fueled by my visit here, and I'm almost done with an erotic short story I'm going to submit to Harlequin Spice Briefs. Wish me luck. I'm really going to do it. I have so much writing and submitting to do when I get home. I know I'll be chafing at the day job, wanting to get to my night job. I'm already chomping at the bit. So much to do, so little time. I've also been trying to get more into my My Space. Will you be my friend if you're there? http://www.myspace.com/ashleyladdromancewriter

My Space

Who here is good at working their My Space? That's if you have a My Space page. I do. But I hardly ever attend to it. I don't mean to be lazy - I don't think I am. There's only so many hours in the day and the day job and family and writing and this blog, take up a lot. I also try to squeeze in exercise - walking or the gym. It shouldn't be that hard, right? So why am I lacking when it comes to it? When I was at the conference this weekend, we were told to work our My Space page, that it's a powerful tool, that some authors, Holly Jacobs, whom I first knew as Holly Fuhrmann on a loop before she ever published as Holly Jacobs, used just recently. Supposedly, Holly thinks it's her use of My Space with this last book that made her most recent release sell out in 3 to 4 days and go to second print. Wow! I've got to get on board. It was also mentioned, by the lady at Author Island, I think, that there's a way to post just one blog and have it automatically distribute to our My Space, blogger, etc. blogs in one fell swoop so we reach 15 or more different audiences and not waste time. After all, we're not called "writers" because we play on line. Our job is to actually "write". (Not that I don't love to play online - it's addictive - and why I tend to take myself away from the Internet and go to Borders or Barnes & Nobles to write where I'd have to pay (a lot) extra to go online). Of course now, (sigh) I have to pay a mint for the gas to get to Borders. So, I'll check out Author Island and cos productions and Lucy Monroe's website, etc. where it was suggested we check for help with all this good promotion stuff, as soon as I can. I think Dad gets a bit irritated when I'm online or even the computer, too much, here at his house. Plus his connection is deadly slow and clunky. On top of that, I'm heading out to my aunt and uncle's house in a few minutes and I doubt Uncle Bill will let me on his computer at all. Yes, I'll be in computer and internet withdrawal for a day or two. The person who accused me of being "internet needy" is sadly right. Oh well, I accept it. I'm an author and I don't know any author who doesn't use the internet a lot. It's been our salvation as writing can be a lonely profession otherwise. Soooo, if any of my bloggy friends out there knows how to use My Space, all and any help will be greatly appreciated. Let me know. :)