Monday, May 3, 2010

SIGNATURES! Folks, sign your dadgum name.

All right, this is a bit of a rant, but lemme say I've been doing the online thing for so long that I take it for granted that my fellow posters will use a surname, a pseudo, a webanated alter ego to surf the ether and post randy things on randy sites for randy eyes.

But this ain't a randy site, and it isn't some place you go to be ANONYMOUS!

You're posting on blogger to become KNOWN. To generate a crit group, to meet your fellow writers, agents, publishers. To NETWORK! To improve and grow. To discuss and discern and share.

Right? I am right, aren't I? I mean, I'm just guessing since the blogs I'm tagging are for writers who want to get their names out there.

So lemme let you in on a little secret, folks: Sign your dadgum name!

Wow. Prophetic, I know, freaking genius if you ask me, which nobody asks. So here I am, waving my cowboy hat and humping the elephant's leg, the one in the room that NOBODY NOTICED!

Look, when I post, I always have a signature at the end, don't I?

Why oh why would I do that? That's a lot of extra typing, I know, but I do it every time on every site, including facebook. I even post my pseudonym when I'm surfing with my mask on.

People on those sites know me as Saul. Saul Goode, to be exact. Don't google that, you won't like what you find. Saul's been kicked off a few sites, let's leave that yellow snowball on the ground, shall we.

Point is, folks, sign your name on your posts. ALL OF THEM.

Sign on your blog.

Sign on your comments.

Sign sign SIGN SIGN SIGN!

Otherwise you're a no-namer, and we only know you as your blog title.

Now watch me:

- Eric

17 comments:

Matthew MacNish said...

Saul Goode LOL. Is that like it's all good? Or 'sall good?

Very funny, thanks Eric.

- Matt

Theresa Milstein said...

I hear ya. We are writers, so we use our names or pen names. Unless you're The Authoress at Miss Snark's First Victim. I'd cut her some slack.

Jai Joshi said...

Good advice, Eric.

Jai

Anonymous said...

Eric, I love your sense of humor.

If you don't mind, I may steal that elephant line the next time I find myself in a situation that requires said elephant!

Thanks~ cat

Lisa_Gibson said...

Couldn't agree with you more. Great post! Very entertaining. ;)

Eric W. Trant said...

Matt: It was 'sall good. I've been using that one for years and years and years.

Theresa: Snark?

Jai: Thanks!

Cat: You can steal any of my work. I once had a professor steal my worms. Literally. She liked that my muse is a bunch of slimy worms and used it in her class for lecture. That same prof stole one of my words, too: deunconvolutionated, if I recall. I was talking about politics, if I recall, and how politicians deunconvolutionate everything they say to the media.

Lisa: Thanks!

- Eric

Nighfala said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré said...

Point taken. My guts been saying the same thing, so I'll listen and follow your advice. Dadjum it.

So glad we connected! Olivia Herrell

Nighfala said...

Hey Eric,
Thank you for your awesome comments on my blog post yesterday. They really boosted me up. I appreciate it!
I am your 50th follower. Do I get a prize?
Christine

Portia said...

OK, you've made me a convert. Here it goes ...

—Portia

Eric W. Trant said...

Olivia: Nice to meet you! I keep having to refer to folks by their blog, and I know I don't want to be known as Worms. ;)

Christine: Glad that boosted you, and THANK YOU for being my 50th! Wow. Maybe I do need to issue a prize. Lemme look that up.

Portia: Glad you're a convert. It's all about getting your NAME out there so people know you.

- Eric

Andrew Rosenberg said...

Good Advice.
-Iapetus999

Phoenix said...

LOL I honestly believe anonymous commenters frolic around blogspot just to be snarky without consequences, which I generally have a problem with. I'm sure some of them do it because they're shy, but good lord, didn't you hit the mark when you pointed out that blogging is about networking and creating a community, not isolating yourself.

Of course, even in real life, people don't realize that lesson. Sometimes all they do is push people away and insist on being obnoxious to prove their point that they are alone.

Poor souls, they missed the entire point of life.

Eric W. Trant said...

Andrew: What the heck does Lapetus mean, anyway?

Phoenix: Honestly, I think a lot of writer bloggers don't realize how anonymous they are. I can't imagine that's intentional.

Who was it who said: "Writing is like standing up in front of the world and pulling down your pants."

Yep. Might as well sign your name while you're standing there, don't you think.

- Eric

Andrew Rosenberg said...

It's not Lapetus!! It's iapetus! 19th moon of Saturn. One of the Titans, father to Atlas, Prometheus, and Epimetheus.
Jeez.
-Eye-ap-e-tus nine nine nine

dolorah said...

Well said Eric. Do you like my signature?

........dhole

Eric W. Trant said...

Andrew: Iapetus. Sorry!

Donna: Yeah, I like your signature. Catchy and smart and sassy. Like your writing.

- Eric