Sarah Gibbard Cook
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Limited Time Exclusive, Today Only

6/26/2017

14 Comments

 
Do you know the uneasy feeling there’s something everybody but you understands or has or is doing? Gurus say fear of missing out, or FOMO, is one reason this week’s blog post title makes you more likely to open it. Another is that social media algorithms pick up on keywords denoting urgency. If you came here via social media, the keywords may deserve credit for the link showing up in your feed.

Did the goofy title work? Data from Weebly and Facebook will show whether traffic goes up or down this week. Articles online debate the best time of day to post on various social media sites. I cringe at the very idea. I’d so much rather write, trust you to read what strikes you as interesting, and respect your choice to skip the rest.

A Peanuts cartoon shows Snoopy on his doghouse, typing a letter about the novel he just completed. It’s so good he won’t even submit it; the editor or publisher can come and get it. What a delightful fantasy! Who wants to spend half their time promoting their work, as authors may in order to reach an audience? Why do so many choose a profession where they’ll spend half their time doing something they dislike?

Volunteering for not-for-profits, I’ve had assignments that involved fundraising or sales. On a good day a switch flips in my mind and suddenly it’s no longer about pushing a product. It’s about hospitality in helping people connect with something they want, whether it’s a glass of wine or a way to support a cause they value. On a good day as a writer, reaching out to readers isn’t about goofy blog titles. It’s about extending an invitation to connect. As I wrote a year ago, connections are what writing is all about.
14 Comments
Jan
6/26/2017 07:55:54 am

It made me look, and while I was here I read a couple more. I appreciate how you can say so much in so few words.

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Mary
6/26/2017 08:05:35 am

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Sarah link
6/27/2017 07:00:12 am

Hi, Mary. Looks like it made you look, too?

Sarah link
6/27/2017 06:59:20 am

Thanks, Jan. Interesting to know that it did make you look. Sometimes I have trouble finding the line between invitation and manipulation.

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Lisa
6/26/2017 08:52:27 am

"Extending an invitation to connect." I love that. Thank you.

(I receive your blog notices via email, tho you show up on FB as someone I might like to investigate... connect with.)

But I do wish we could click LIKE for replies. I'd click LIKE for Jan's.

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Jeri Parrott link
6/26/2017 09:31:45 am

Ha, Ha. I thought what is this all about? I always enjoy reading what you are thinking.

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Sarah link
6/27/2017 07:09:00 am

Jeri, I'm so glad you aren't ticked off because you didn't get the special deal you'd hoped. Glad you enjoy.

Sarah link
6/27/2017 07:02:08 am

Grin. Your "like" for Jan's comment noted. Having readers comment on other readers they don't know is a blogger's dream, so double thanks for that!

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Rhonda Peterson
6/26/2017 11:39:51 am

Ditto on Jeri's comment on enjoying reading what you're thinking. On this one, though, the subject line made me hesitate and wonder whether your account had been hacked!

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Sarah link
6/27/2017 07:16:44 am

Rhonda, too true, it's exactly the sort of title for a hacker or spam who just wants people to open it. Fortunately, the email notification that goes out to people who signed up for "Get Updates" on this website (or just asked me to be added to the list) is sent by me personally each week, not automated, so should be relatively hacker-proof.

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Walter Hassenpflug link
6/26/2017 03:25:27 pm

Limited time exclusive. Today only. That sense of urgency from someone I know tells me: OPEN THE MSG NOW! Without that sense of urgency, I most likely would have waited a day or so b/4 reading it. We live at a pace far too fast and are forced sometimes to prioritize "events" That was excellent salesmanship (or saleswomanship).

Makes me thins about writers who want the public to buy the book on first impulse. Catchy phrases on the front and/or back dust cover CAN and DO grab the reaser's eye and invoke a Lebensfunk (spark of life). I personally have bought a book just by the design of the dust cover and the stimulating verbiage. I have been duped sometimes and learned that the book was not all that great. And I shelved it without reading more than a chapter or two.

Presentation and panache can amazingly move people to respond.with the greatest enthusiasm and interest. Your intro caused me to open and read your verbiage with great interest.

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Sarah link
6/27/2017 07:25:00 am

Walter, thanks for the affirmation. I don't really disapprove of sales so much as I'm shy about it and don't want to put people off. That's where thinking of it as invitational helps.

An extended class discussion yesterday morning focused on opening sentences and paragraphs of novels. Openings cross the boundary between product and marketing. The opening IS the book, one of the most crucial parts of the book. It's also what is likely to guide a reader's, agent's, or editor's decision whether to keep reading.

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Rhonda Peterson
6/27/2017 10:07:05 pm

I hope it's OK to comment on your comment to someone else, but what you say about first lines made me think about the fact that, despite having many beloved novels, there are only three whose first lines I remember--Tale of Two Cities, Little Women and Pride and Prejudice. It would be interesting to do some kind of poll to find out how many other people have first lines they remember -- and then to try to figure out why those first lines!

Sarah link
6/28/2017 08:00:13 am

Rhonda, absolutely, comments on comments are wonderful! Five that stick with me are Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca, and two for which I haven't read the book: Moby Dick (despite several attempts), and Anna Karenina. Had to look up the opening to Little Women.

Given this week's discussions (in UW's Write-by-the-Lake program), I've been thinking of doing a blog post on opening lines and what makes a good first line. But so far haven't figured out where to go with it. The good ones are so varied. Any ideas?

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    I'm a historian who writes novels and literary nonfiction. My home base is Madison, Wisconsin. 

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