New chronversation - 11th January 9pm GMT

[Juliana]

One of my WG members stopped by. No idea who else was watching; questions all seemed to be by Chrons folk. Anyone know how to check traffic? Dave??

 

[Dave]

Unfortunately, I don't know a way of telling how many people "Favorited" Tweets, or how many people read the Tweets. I only know 23 people Tweeted or Re-Tweeted using #SFFChrons (I think most were "Chronites".) I also think many more people must have been reading and possibly still are now of course. If you add up all our followers together you get 9,174 (although that repeats the same "Chronites" many times as we all follow each other so the actually reach is probably around 6K.) Jessica Negrón (with 2559 followers) would have spread the Tweets furthest.

 

[HareBrain]

If you add up all our followers together you get 9,174 (although that repeats the same "Chronites" many times as we all follow each other so the actually reach is probably around 6K.)

In theory. However, I have quite a few "followers" who "follow" about a thousand accounts, and I guess the rest of us do too, and there's a good chance that anything we tweet will be swamped in their timeline (if they even check it).

 

[Dave]

That is true with all Tweets, they are 'of the moment', but I'd like to think the #sffchrons tweets stood out from the others for their enlightening, educational content and sheer brilliance.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

I tried to go back and read the chronversation later on Tweetdeck but found it impossible to follow. Just have me a headache because questions and answers came across all mixed up together. Most frustrating. Next time, I hope the wind doesn't decide to turn gale force and give us flickering lights and no wifi just when a group is about to begin.

I was sat there with my laptop, all set up with both Tweetdeck and Twitter online in case one was better than the other, when either the local poltergeist decided to step in or the elements conspired against me. Don't think I'm meant to be a part of all this.

 

[Mouse]

Ok, I'm going to say what I think, even though I wasn't involved. Also, please bear in mind that I'm honest and that sometimes makes me sound like a bitch. I'm really quite nice.

It's no good people saying they forgot. If you've signed up to do something then, in my book, that means you do it*. I have the worst memory. When I had to do all my recent promo stuff, I set alarms on my phone, on my emails - I even wrote it down on my notepad beside my bed so that I wouldn't forget.

Also, yes, I did completely forget about this but hadn't agreed to participate and luckily happened to log in to Twitter and caught it going on. So I posted a promo Tweet for a bit of support. I'll always try to support the people who've supported me - and as Jo and Juliana in particular are awesome, I'd do anything just for them. Maybe if other Chronners had been around and didn't want to get involved, they could've just sent out a plug?

Also, also... I'm still not entirely sure what the point of the whole thing is. Because if it's to promote Chrons, then, sorry, but I'm not massively interested. (Bitch, see?) I thought it was to promote members. And if it is to promote Chrons, then I don't think anybody has once mentioned the actual forum and its address (possible I've missed that, though).

If only Chrons members are involved then, again, I can't see the point in using it as promo, unless we just use it as fun and information for ourselves. How to get other people involved, I don't know, because I suck at promo. (I see a lot of you have addressed this and some of what I'm saying is irrelevant twaddle, but I'm on a roll now...)

Erm... I had other things to say but I've forgotten what I was talking about, really. Oh, I know that if I was an outsider, I wouldn't like to get involved in a discussion where all the people were members of a forum, because I'd kinda feel like it was none of my business.

The actual tag 'SFFChrons' probably means nothing to anybody but us. As the original usage of it seems to have evolved into the panel thing, then I'm not sure about it. I know it's good because there's no other tag like it, though.

Ok, so the dog's staring at me and wants to go out so I'm gonna wrap this up by saying - I don't have any expertise. I can't help run panels or talk about anything interesting. But, if ever the topic of 'romance' comes up, I'll join in and see if I can get some interest from the Dreamspinner people too, because they love Twitter.

*this applies to panelists, particularly. I think I read somewhere that not all panelists were there?

edit: oh, also! The only people who looked properly active on there were Jo, Juliana, Teresa and Moonbat, which was kinda disappointing - with Moonbat asking the questions. (I only caught the tail end though, so probably missed a fair bit!)

 

[Hex]

No, honest. HB and I were doing some talking too, and millymollymo was probably the most interesting and active of all of us (maybe especially interesting because I don't know her as well as I know the others).

I don't think anyone who was going to be on the panel missed it; it was just people who'd said they come along and chat.

I don't know where it's going; I know that any positive publicity is likely to be a good thing for those of us who would like to sell squillions of books, and also that it's fun and nice to have a chat outside the usual environment of the Chrons.

I can do one, Jo er springs. Maybe worldbuilding, if Teresa is doing space opera?

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I'm not usually unreliable but it was snowing which kicks off a massive flare up of my illness. My face is swollen and I'm having trouble seeing so I think my mind probably took some relief in being caught up in the story.

 

[Hex]

I think Mouse thought the apologies were from people who'd agreed to take part in the panel. Speaking as someone who'd offered to take part and then had a panic in traffic halfway between Dundee and Edinburgh, it's good to do the things you offered to do!

There's no way these things are compulsory for nice supportive question-askers and observers! It was lovely that you planned to come along, Anya, and of course you shouldn't feel bad that you missed part of it. Sorry you're not well. I hope your flare up goes away soon.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Absolutely - there is no obligation for anyone to turn up. Even the panellists (that's why I go with five, so that if something happens...)

 

[Abernovo]

I was there for the whole thing, although I didn't participate, other than to favourite a couple of Tweets. I didn't have anything to contribute, as I've never been part of a writing group, and I didn't have any pertinent questions. Mind you, even when I do, I don't seem to ask them - I've never dared speak up in an #askagent.

One thing I did find interesting was that if you use Tweetdeck (and I did for the first ever time last night), you see what the people you're following are Favouriting in (almost) real time. I know a lot of people do use Tweetdeck, so if they saw #sffchrons coming up a bit, they might look closer. That is, if the thing being Favourited or Retweeted are reasonably interesting and it's not some obvious clique conversation. I don't think chronversations are cliquey, but...

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I am going to work on my writer's group though - I'm trying to walk that line between an old guard who love the social aspect and the newer members who actually want to write. I think Chronversations would be incredibly useful for a lot of us.

 

[Mouse]

I think Mouse thought the apologies were from people who'd agreed to take part in the panel.

I did, yes. Sorry, my fault for not paying more attention.

 

[millymollymo]

Eh. Thank you Hex. I've been called many things in my time. I've not had "interesting and active" used in that context before


I've tuned in for #askagent a number of times. You'll find if you search Twitter, the same questions are asked by different people, worded slightly differently. #askeditor and even @hodderscape ran #askhodder (I think ) a few times last year. All informative, but all with the same questions.
My point being: You can learn, research and explore without actually posting questions.
#sfflunch is run by World Weaver Press once a month - mostly its about promoting either a book launch or a sub call. Its still worth watching to pick up the odd nugget of c̶̷r̶̷a̶̷z̶̷y̶̷ knowledge.

Due to the panel I picked up some new followers, but I don't do Twitter for personal promo. (3 of those followers are trying to sell me something, or after my soul for something nefarious.)

Jo, thank you for organising the panel, despite being there to "share" my experience I was also reminded about a number of choices we writers make and why I chose the path I did. Editing, sharing, knowing your voice (does anyone know their writer voice?) Also, although everyone's journey is unique, we have a lot in common. (Introvert much?)

I think if the panels continue, (and they should) a reputation will grow from it... as #sffchrons will offer something the other regular hashtags don't. A variety source for info within the genre. Which, pretty much mirrors what the forum does (tell me if I am wrong). If you pull that off you've re-invented a use for Twitter.

It's easy to forget we as writers/authors/creators need an audience - a route to that market is right there on Twitter, engage. Don't bore.

 

[Hex]

Oooh intriguing. In what context, then? ;p

 

[millymollymo]

Well.. Um...

It involved babies.

¬.¬