new media – Catholic Writers Guild

The Value of Face-to-Face

I love how the internet and the media-that’s-not-really-“new”-anymore has opened many doors and windows in my life.

I’ve made friends who are not virtual in any way, though miles may separate us. We drink our coffee via Twitter, share joys via email, follow each other’s lives via blogs. We ask for sudden prayers through texts and even call from time to time to sob and pray out loud.

There is no doubt, to me, that the digital continent is a blessing in my life.

When I first started blogging, the Catholic Writers Guild began sponsoring the online conference. I attended, not thinking of myself as a “writer” in any serious way at all. It was a kind of playing for me, a hobby and a way of learning something new.

Five years and four conferences later, I’m a published author.

Last year, I put faces to names during my first foray into the Guild’s live conference. I said, when asked, that I think I might be addicted to it.

When I returned from the fun and adventure last year, I wrote a reflection on my blog, with my heart on my sleeve:

When I reflect on the Visitation, it makes perfect sense to me that Mary would drop everything and go to Elizabeth. Aside from the fact that Elizabeth was probably having a more difficult time with her pregnancy because of her age, there’s just something about BEING THERE, in real life, with someone else.

I’ve heard people argue that all this New Media stuff is a distraction from real life, but, for me, it has opened the door to many graces and blessings.

It’s common to be advised, as a writer, that you should go to a conference. You’ll hear that it’s beneficial to help you learn the trade and to meet the people.

Yeah, that’s true. But here’s my take, continued from last year:

Just as Mary rushed off to help Elizabeth, I feel like these events that bring us all together in real life offer an opportunity: to serve, to hug, to smile, to enjoy each other in the very best ways. I think Elizabeth must have been very blessed by Mary’s presence and generosity, and that’s just how I feel after a week around amazing people.

Why should you come to the Live Conference in Texas?

So we can SEE you and TOUCH you and BE WITH you.

The rest is important too, yes. Let’s not forget, though, that we are a people of senses. We are not operating alone. The Body is not all feet, all eyes, all mouth. It’s a combination.

I hope I see you there!

image source: MorgueFile

Managing Multiple Personalities

March 7, 2012/9 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

Usually, in this space, I give you advice and pointers, but I find myself needing some direction and insight. Hey, I thought, why not tap into that group of writer friends over at the CWG blog?

Besides, this may be a problem you find yourself facing someday, so here goes.

I love social media. Most recently, I’ve discovered Pinterest, but my first love is Twitter. (If you don’t like or love or even get Twitter, no worries. I advise staying away if that’s the case. Don’t force it. Not so different from my ongoing advice about blogging, actually.)

Since I have a strong background in marketing (a whole degree, as the case may be), the thought occurred to me that, though I had firmly established myself in the Twittersphere as @peerybingle, I should make sure I also had user names that were part of my “brand,” namely @SnoringScholar (my blog name) and @SarahReinhard (my name).

Now, some might advise that I should trash @peerybingle (which is a reference to The Cricket on the Hearth) and go with my name. I’ve seen other well-known writers do that.

We sell books by our NAME, after all. We market who we are by our NAME, right? We are selling US, as in the NAME.

But…but…but! I LIKE @peerybingle. It’s fun, and, more importantly, it’s ME.

Oh, and, I’ve noticed there are other Sarah Reinhards. It’s not a unique name, really (though I like it very much, all the same).

There’s a business side of things. But for me, so much of what I do is ministry. So much of what I do is personal. And to get through the low pay and long hours, I have to enjoy myself to some extent.

What I’m trying to say is that @peerybingle STAYS. Period. It’s the “me” I like, the “me” I choose to be, and, really, the “me” who is honestly more like the Real Life Sarah than any of the others.

I have been manually managing things with my other identities using HootSuite. I’ve come up with some “rules” for how I use each identity:

–> My @peerybingle identity gets everything. My blog posts go there, as do links to all my columns and articles in other places, as well as all my thoughts throughout the day, links I like, and conversation. I follow people back, chime in, and get all goofy, serious, and Sarah.

–> For my @SarahReinhard identity, I only include links to my blog posts and links to other writing work I’ve done.

–> For my @SnoringScholar identity, I only include links to my blog posts.

YOUR TURN: Do you have this problem? What solutions have you found? I’m all ears (and eyes, as the case may be).

Does Blogging Lead to Podcasting?

February 15, 2012/10 Comments/in Blogging/by Sarah Reinhard

A few years ago, I attended a new media event as a fairly new blogger. I was raring to go and excited about my part in the New Evangelization.

It was a sore disappointment to me that, among the folks in attendance, the attitude was almost one of “so, when are you going to start to podcast?” It was as though podcasting was something you graduated into from blogging.

Blogging, in other words, was a stepping stone to podcasting.

Recently, I was emailing a writing friend and I told her she should share audio of some of her talks. The conversation then led to a mention of podcasting.

Which brought me back to the question at hand: does blogging lead to podcasting?

Short answer: no.

Long answer: maybe. Sometimes. It might.

The answer is no different than the discernment that needs to happen when you decide whether or not you’re going to blog.

Podcasting, generally, takes a different kind of effort than blogging, but it also reaches a sometimes much wider audience. One well-known Catholic media professional told me recently that, when she was at her height with podcasting she reached FAR more people than she does with all of her writing efforts combined.

But wait…if you’re wondering what a podcast is, here goes: it’s (often free) downloadable audio content. I use iTunes primarily, but there are other outlets for podcasts as well, including PodcastAlley. You subscribe to a show and it’s updated on your computer or mp3 device whenever a new show is released. (Want to learn more? Start here and follow the rabbit trail.)

Last week, in the comments to my post about being comfortable with “small blogging,” Jen Fitz said of blogging,

If you love it and are good at it, it’s a lot of punch for little or no financial outlay. Because you can set the pace and the topics, you can choose the amount of time and energy you put into it. And anyone can start a blog, whereas not just anyone can book speaking engagements, open up a rolodex of client contacts, get a great newspaper gig, etc etc.

She makes a point that’s valid to a discussion of podcasting as well: anyone can do it. It can be a “lot of punch” for the amount you invest.

But…I think it’s important to be good at it. (I think the same about blogging.)

I have discerned, over many years, that I am NOT going to start a podcast anytime soon. That said, I do dabble in some audio stuff, which I call podsquatting.

Podsquatting, in my world, is where someone else has the show and the production, and I provide segments. If you want examples, you can listen to my latest Mary Moment over at iPadre or my latest Mary in the Kitchen at Catholic Foodie.

So when someone asks me (and I’m sure they will) whether I plan to start podcasting anytime soon, rest assured that I’ll be saying a polite “No,” just like I always have.

YOUR TURN: Have you considered podcasting? What’s your idea for a show?

A Resource for New Media Users

August 11, 2011/0 Comments/in Blogging, Catholic Writers Conference Live/by Sarah Reinhard

Last week at the CWCL, I received quite a few questions regarding new media. They seemed to stem around these themes:

What is it?
Why should I use it?
How does it work?

I watched people take notes on what “backlinking” meant and how to “schedule a post.”

We’re a group of writers here, but I do think there is a place for discussion about new media. The number of people who approach me about it, asking for help and guidance, is growing. There is a discernment process for deciding whether any of this is right for you, but the trend leads, more and more, to writers being online and having a presence.

Today at my blog, I have a review of The Church and New Media: Blogging Converts, Online Activists, and Bishops Who Tweet, by Brandon Vogt. It’s an excellent resource for anyone and it examines the use of new media in light of our faith. Check out the website as well for more about the book and some nifty features.

I mention it here as something that could serve you in your writing and in your interactions with new media.

I’ll be tackling some of the questions I’ve received in upcoming columns. If you have anything related to blogging or new media that you’re wondering about, feel free to leave them in the comments here.

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Be sure to check SnoringScholar.com for more of Sarah Reinhard’s antics, tales of rural adventure, and writing updates. Her newest release is Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent & Christmas Reflections for Families. You can also connect with Sarah on Twitter and Facebook.

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The Value of Face-to-Face

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