It is said that when an editor gets a manuscript/query letter/partial from an aspiring author, they read it first, then they Google you.
How many friends do you have on Facebook? How many followers on Twitter? How many hits on your personal blog?
How active are you with social media?
What comes up when they Google you?
That’s why hanging around Seekerville isn’t just fun (though it is). Isn’t just educational (though it is). It’s also helping you sell books. That's right, this is WORK!
Seekerville is a hit. We’re doing great over here and that is because of two things.
First and foremost Tina. (she’s not just the wind beneath our wings, she’s the wings, and probably the sky, too, and maybe our nest, and possibly the whole darned bird)
But secondly it’s YOU. It’s the folks who hang around Seekerville, stop by everyday, leave comments, join the party.
This gets your name out. Even before you’re published you are MARKETING by being involved online.
Just because you are having a great time doesn’t mean this isn’t a serious place of business here. Your participation tells an editor you’re studying, you’re involved with social media, you know how to leave a comment on a danged blog! (it’s often a huge accomplishment, Blogger being what it is!)
So, do you ever Google yourself? Go do it. All these comments will come up. If you’ve got TONS of hits then they’ll be pushed way, way, way down. And if you’re using a fake name then they may not pop up, I’m not sure how that works (though once I waded through a ton of Google hits and FOUND A COMMENT I’D LEFT ANONYMOUSLY! So be aware that anonymous isn’t all that secret, nothing’s totally secret online.) I’d never post anything online that I wasn’t willing to admit to in front of the world.
So if an editor Googles your name, what’s he/she going to find? Something I hope.
Google yourself (Is it just me or does that sound kinda dirty!) then come back here and tell me how many hits you got, and what you can do to up that number and make those hits count. It’s all part of marketing, and if you’re not being deliberate about marketing yourself (whether you’re published or not) then get started.
I Googled Julie: 95,100 hits. Wow, you are everywhere, girl. They seem to all be YOU. No Judge Julie to be found anywhere.
Ruthy: 691,000 hits? Yeesh—and everyone of them is of her whining.
Tina Radcliffe: 13,400,000 hits? Good Golly Miss Molly. Tina-the-Genius Marketer….
Also, here’s some advice…no matter how much you love your name, if your name is Nora and you’re married to the love of your life, Bill Roberts, just change your name NOW. You are never going to come up first in a Google search. NEVER. If your name can be twisted into something suitable for a porn site, just change it. I’m sorry but you have to, you’re going to need to lead people in a different direction.
You just open a whole can of worms if Googling your name leads them straight to something with a Triple X rating.
You need to name yourself and start building awareness online for that miraculous day, when some editor Googles your name.
CHANCE TO WIN! To get your name in the drawing for a signed copy of Out of Control, AND a second drawing to get your name in a drawing for an AUDIO VERSION of Out of Control, go Google yourself and report back how many hits you get. If the number is so low it’s embarrassing (like ZERO) you can simply say, the truth is too humiliating, I’ll count that as an entry and we can talk about what you need to do to change that. Include in your comments if you're rather have the print book or the audio book. If you'd rather have NEITHER, please just keep that to yourself.
Trailer for Out of Control
Mary what a fantastic idea! And a great post, too! I got 322,000 hits. I do a lot of playing around on Goodreads, too, because I want to connect with readers over there. It's fun!
ReplyDeleteIt's only 9 pm here in California so I'll set out the tea things rather than the coffee. I also have some homemade gingerbread that'll help you have sweet dreams.
Camy
Got you both beat. 13,500,000 in 14 seconds for Tina Radcliffe
ReplyDeleteTina Russo 17,500,000 in 17 seconds
Ok this is interesting as I am Ausjenny in most things its 24,600 although some are not me.
ReplyDeleteJenny Blake gets 22,900,000 hits.
of course most are not me.
Jennifer Blake gets 15,300,000
have to say this is way more fun than studying.
Okay so Connealy, the check is in the mail. But seriously, whatever you are buttering me up for, it's yours. But I do not do windows nor clean behind refrigerators. Do not tell Julie that either.
ReplyDeleteNow this is weird. I mean, Googling my own name...and I had 4,880,000 hits in 17 seconds.
ReplyDeleteOne of the names on the first page wasn't me - I guess I should look through some more of the pages to see what else I'm not doing! I'd hate for it to be something questionable and have it linked to my name...
Eye surgery went well this morning, so I went to the computer for a limited time this evening - and where do I go? Seekerville. Had to have the gingerbread and tea before bed - thanks Camy!
Great article! I'm new to the publishing world, but I still got 129,000. My e-book Delivery is listed at the Crawfish Bait Shop? Seriously?
ReplyDeleteHmmm... Maybe I outta change my profile to Moncado instead of M then.
ReplyDeleteBut I know Mary can say it right now ;).
I've got Panera set up.
[And I got 12,300 hits, but not all of them are me. The whole first page plus was, but there are a couple other Carol Moncado's out there - my website is first though :D]
Think I did. Wonder if it's retroactive...
ReplyDeleteWill this show up as Carol Moncado? We'll see...
So not retroactive :p. Ah well... At least on Pentalk it'll show up as Moncado now :).
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Mary! I've been thinking more about marketing lately and wondering how to go about it. Googled myself and came up with 3,160 results. Humbling, when I consider how many results others have. The first four results are mine, but because my last name is Ring, a lot of things get connected. Web ring, ceremonial ring, wedding ring. You get the idea. Any ideas how to up my number?
ReplyDeleteAnd BTW, I'd love any format of one of your books. :)
About 55,100 results (0.22 seconds)
ReplyDelete1,420 but when I google "Melissa Jagears" it takes off some of my relatives on the same page with some other Melissa and gives me 1,040 and I got to page 10 and besides one poor soul who's last name got mispelled, I'm all the hits. Jagears is rather unique (not many of us) and just googling the last name gives me the top 3 spots.
ReplyDeleteI love audio books. :)
ReplyDeleteUh, Mary, I found my obituary.
ReplyDeleteMaking coffee is tough under the circumstances, but here's a pot.
Print only please.
Helen
WOW, MARE, this is ULTRA COOL!!! I have no idea what it means, but it's fun to do. I googled myself (and yes,I agree -- that does not sound real good) and I came up with 223,000 hits, but I have to admit I'm not real sure what that means exactly. Are you saying that every time I leave a comment some where or post a review on Amazon or Goodreads, etc. that is one of the 223,000 hits?
ReplyDeleteWOW, this is beyond cool, kiddo -- thanks for sharing!!
Hugs,
Julie
TINA SAID:
ReplyDeleteI do not do windows nor clean behind refrigerators. Do not tell Julie that either.
What's the big deal, Teenster?? I don't either ... :)
Hugs,
Julie
Oh, 31,600 hits. But not really me.
ReplyDeleteI got 21 million hits. But that's because of my last name Queen. Hardly any of these are about me.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a blog. I don't twitter. I rarely get on facebook.
Not looking too good.
There were several from contests and some about my great danes. I don't think I'd make a good impression on an editor.
I love to win a copy of your book.
Connie Queen
Helen not so good about the obituary.
ReplyDeletereminds me of a friends whos brother was reading the death notices and found his own same first second and surname only differnce was the year of birth.
Its actually how I found out my friend had passed away by doing a search for her as we had lost touch. It was quite a shock but I was able to contact her husband and send my condolences.
1 of 10 of about 250,000 for KC Frantzen. Will have to check May and see.
ReplyDeleteWay fun!
Wonderful goodies Camy.
Whoa...
ReplyDelete1,430,000 for May the K9 spy in .08 seconds
:)
May just dashed by, doing backflips!
Print or audio, either way! Thx Mary!
Oh my stars, I love being everywhere. It's so... me.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS TRAILER MORE EVERY STINKIN' TIME I SEE IT. I LOVE BETHANY'S AD CAMPAIGN, (I LOVE THAT THEIR MARKETING TEAM IS COMING TO SEEKERVILLE NEXT WEEK, I'M SO PSYCHED!!!!!) I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THAT BOOK.
And now I'll stop shouting. It's 4:45 AM and my first cup of coffee is tastin' mighty good. I'm so stinkin' addicted. But safe to drive with, unless there's a great Brad Paisley song on and chocolate available while I'm applying mascara and sipping coffee at a short red light.
You get the picture.
Tina, I'll discuss your RAMPANT COMPETITIVENESS privately.
ReplyDeleteBragger.
Connie, LOL! The first thing an editor will look for are those heart-gripping pages...
ReplyDeleteThat continue chapter by chapter.
THEN they Google you. Politely, of course.
We all concentrated on the writing first, first, first and first.
Then the name exposure in CONTESTS. Finaling in contests gets your name on the Internet (they all publish online results) gets people talking, and gives a point of reference. If people Google Carol Awards (YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!) I'm there. If they Google Holt Medallion, I'm there. And that's never about bragging because...
Yes, yes, yes...
If they Google Bookseller's Best or RITA I'm SoOOOOOOo not there. Because I didn't final. But each little nugget of exposure provides the base for more, like building a pyramid. Really. Truly. So write, write, write, write.
And use your writing name as often as possible. You are key to becoming a household word.
Great advice, Mary! I don't think I'll show up though because some address has my name. Maybe I should've changed it. At this point I'll just try to become more famous than the other Jessica Nelson. Heeheeee.
ReplyDeleteHahaa, I meant "actress" NOT "address"
ReplyDeleteSheesh. I need my coffee.
Do refrigerators have a back side? Unless I'm moving one because it (or something else) died, I have not seen the back of a fridge in too many years to count.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm okay with that.
And short people DO NOT NOTICE the weird things on top of my fridge.
Tall people need to pretend likewise.
LOL, I think it's funny that May got more hits then KC, but that's as it should be, don't you think? Though May's cover is probably blown by now.
ReplyDeleteAhem. I am a dismal google failure. I gave up looking for me after ten pages. However if I put 'Kav' and 'Christian Fiction' then I got sporadic hits for my review blog and reviews at other places and blog comments. But they are not all strung together.
Please don't enter me in the draw because I have my own copy of Out of Control and LOVED it!!!!
Hey, if everyone starts googling everyone else does that mean we're stalkers?
72,100 hits for my name. And all the ones on the front page are me.
ReplyDeleteThough that's not unusual, I imagine, since there aren't too many folks out there with my name. Only one that I know of, and she's a teenager who found me on facebook.
Yay for Seekerville!
21,300,000 hits in .25 seconds for me! However, my last name is 'Chase' and well, my middle name is 'Victoria.' But links 3-9 on the first page are all about me.
ReplyDeleteI just Googled myself and I had 95,600 hits. I am glad I started a while ago, since my first book is at the editor now. I need to get busy compared to some of these comments. Thanks for sharing your post.
ReplyDeleteAll this drives me crazy!
ReplyDeleteHelen, so glad the obit wasn't about you!!! Any relation?
Once I googled my husband (he has an usual name) and found out he was on death row in Texas!!! Maybe he should chance his name.
I never noticed the stats before! 15,400 in .15 seconds....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Mary....
I can say this though....when I applied for my new job and mentioned in my interview I was a published author, after I was hired the HR rep assigned to my group TOLD me that he google me and I had an impressive list of publications....for what that's worth.
Have a great day everyone.
11,900,000 hits in .10 seconds, but not all of those me. At least a few of the top hits were actually me. Although, there is a Kirsten Arnold with a classical CD just released.
ReplyDeleteBut what an eyeopener about getting out there, so it's me (not the classical musician) an editor finds.
The print format should my name be pulled from the hat.
--Kirsten
Well, Mary, you've ruined my day. The number of hits for Janet Dean are an impressive 25,300,000. Sadly there's a ton of Janet Deans. A member of England's Parliament, doctor, nurse, someone espousing living green...the list goes long but thankfully no porn star. The first hit was my Web site so that made me smile and all the social media sites came up. Nice. But finding most of my mentions was like picking your way through a maze.
ReplyDeleteJanet
Jamie Adams got 34,200,000 hits. I was number 3! But that was find JamieAdams on Face book.
ReplyDeleteMary, loved how you used the title OUT OF CONTROL all through the book with the hero and heroine's control issues. A fabulous book.
ReplyDeleteHelen, you are a hoot! Sorry about the obit but we know you're very much alive and make wonderful coffee.
Janet
Sheesh. The total results was 1580. Less than twenty of them were actually mine. *hides face* Most of it was for a Wysong dog food company. And most of the rest of it was old records. lol
ReplyDeleteI'd love to win the print copy of Out of Control. I found it on the shelf at Walmart yesterday and read the back. It sounds like another awesome book. Can't wait to read it.
LOL, Mary!! Well, actually, I think you've increase in popularity today. When I googled you, I got 332,000!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first googled myself, an obituary came up at the top. Very icky moment! I decided then and there to do better marketing. I learned how to use metatags on my website. Started using my real name in places I hadn't before. Now I do much better.
Of course, I don't have near the Connealy numbers! I only had 75k hits. But I checked as far as the first 15 pages, and they're all me. No obits in sight! :)
Helen! I'm glad it's not just me! LOL
ReplyDeleteI guess I should have said that obit came up first a few years ago. Then I started trying to improve. Today was when I had the 75k hits. So it is possible to get your name moved up!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just googled myself. I got 18,800 hits in 0.21 seconds (what's that supposed to mean?) and they are all "me". I have a very uncommon name with spelling and last name, so... Is that good? :)
ReplyDeleteI would however, LOVE to be in the drawing. I guess I would like to enter for the Audio version. I'm usually a paper fan, but this will be something new and fun!
sheri(dot)salatin(at)gmail(dot)com
http://www.sherisalatin.com
Mary, How fun. I got 5,660,000 hits in 17 seconds but with a name like smith not all were me. One was my obituary. LOL
ReplyDeleteThat is why I use my maiden name for children's books, Sandy Wardman
And why I changed my pen name to Leesmith.
I better go check those hits.
Oh Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhat fun?!?
I couldn't find the 'hits'? Where is that number.
However, I did find that I'm rated as a 'hot' professor in Rate Your Professor :-)
Hot Pepper, eh? ;-) LOL
My website popped up first, twitter next, and my blog third.
And then your name is up there several times, Mary. Probably because I mention it on my blog so much... :-)
Oh wait, is it that little teeny number up top.
ReplyDelete163,000 in 5 seconds?
Would like the book in print, so few hits it's embarrassing!
ReplyDeleteOOPS, so upset over the "FEW" google hits, I forgot to leave my email address.
ReplyDeleteI would like the book in print please.
wfnren at aol dot com
I googled my full name "Janet Sumner johnson" (in quotes) because Janet Johnson is too common. I got 21,700 hits and the first page at least were all me. If I don't use the quotes, I had 3,770,000 hits, but one of the hits on the first page wasn't me. Guess I'm still building!
ReplyDeleteI followed Carol's example and put my full name on blogger. That should help. I'd love to be entered in the drawing for a book.
ReplyDeleteadamsfammys at yahoo dot com
If you DID clean behind refrigerators, Tina, I wouldn't let you clean behind mine. The truth of what horror you'd find would destroy our friendship.
ReplyDeleteDiana? The bait shop?
ReplyDeleteI got a lot of weird 'petticoat' hits. My book had nothing to do with it.
CarolM and I had a very interesting conversation yesterday about pronouncing our names.
ReplyDeleteI now see an avacado with dreadlocks when I think of her.
Mon Cado...Carol is buying a wig and green foundation makeup as we speak...just to maintain the image.
YOU FOUND YOUR OBITUARY!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSome other Helen Gray I hope!!!!
More coffee quick!!! You need to appear lively today!!!
I got 37,300,000 - what's doll domination?! I"m afraid to look..I think a porn star has my name :-(
ReplyDeletebook for me! I deserve one after this humiliation!
Susanna
Pepper you made a list of hot professors???
ReplyDeleteI can totally see that. Keep having your kids take your picture and it can only go up.
Erica Vetsch....see that name you may or may not feel 'saddled with' is to your benefit. I mean Sandra Smith????
ReplyDeleteI've got a sister with a common first name and more comment second name and when I google her it just kicks the request back and me and says...Please narrow search.
I don't even want to tell you how many Myra Johnsons there are in the world that I do NOT want to be! My search came up with 6,280,000. I have a Google alert set up and have seen "my" obituary and "my" arrest record, among other things.
ReplyDeleteAlso, there's a Myra Johnson who does a blog called "Picture My Thoughts." We've emailed back and forth a few times laughing over having the same name. I think she's in Florida.
Fun post, Mary!
P.S.: The first Google hit is my Web Site. The second is my appearance on Pepper's blog!!!
Also, kinda funny, our beloved Tina Radcliffe, the first name that comes up for her, on those zillion hits...tinarusso.com
ReplyDelete???
Oh, what Janet Sumner Johnson did with the quotes is important.
ReplyDeleteIf you put a name in quotes, then you won't get EVERY Connealy in the world and worse yet, every MARY.
So, yes, good work "Janet Sumner Johnson" Then Google will only search for names with that exact and entire string of words.
Hey, Mary!!! I love Out of Control! It was fun watching the trailer after I've already read the book. Poor Rafe! LOL! Out of Control is definitely one of my favorites of your books! And your trailer looks so sweet compared to the trailer for The Merchant's Daughter. The blood splattering on the screen, along with the high-drama/scary music, is a little over the top, especially since there isn't a lot of blood splattering in the story. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I googled myself and had 45,300 hits. I guess I need to get to work! Last year when The Healer's Apprentice came out, I was doing millions (okay, not quite millions but it felt like it) of blog interviews and giveaways. This year I haven't been soliciting those, so I have very few blog appearances scheduled. The book comes out in November, so maybe I should start doing something. Sigh. Or maybe I should just write another book. I'm so torn! :-)
I get Google Alerts and I sometimes get alerts for a woman in England named Melanie Dickerson who is a Councilwoman for some town there. I think she's also the mayor. I forget. But I'm very glad she is someone respectable and not a porn star. That would be bad!
I think what Carol did, changing her Google name to her real total name is a good idea, if you're an aspiring writer.
ReplyDeleteAnd exception, Ausjenny has become sorta famous AS Ausjenny and Kav you've worked to build up May the K9 Spy all lot. So it that's what you want to do, then you're succeeding.
Everyone who's posting with a sweet and funny fake name, consider if you need to change that.
Melanie, if you're getting tens of thousands of hits, but they're mostly you, then that's pretty good really.
ReplyDeleteI googled Janet Dean.
whoa.
Myra aren't you Myra Langley Johnson some of the time? That might be a good idea, though Johnson's really common I'd think Myra would be pretty unusual.
Okay, when I put my name in quotes, I get 52,600 hits. Just 2 of them on the first page are NOT me.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's this about cleaning behind refrigerators??? Isn't that, like, a black hole or something? WAY too dangerous!!!
I was always going to use Myra Langley Johnson as my byline, but when Abingdon put my name on the front of my first book, they left out Langley. I figured it was a sign and from then on I just went with plain Myra Johnson.
ReplyDeletehmmm, 135,000 hits under Deb Harkness and i gave up after not seeing me after 10 pages. the hits were primarily about a lady in CA who is a professor/writer or a lady in Canada who is a Blacksmith/Forger (which i think is pretty cool)
ReplyDeletei googled nm8r67 (a posting ID) and got 177 hits, all about me - mostly posting commentary stuff.
"debH" got 166,000 hits and too many different people to be worthwhile to search
Harkness is my married name. i'm seriously considering using a pen name since someone else is already a writer and has a pretty good web presence.
*sigh*
i think part of my problem is i have to keep a low 'net profile because of my real life job (security issues). so, i guess it's good i've a pathetic google hit count.
as for a shot a a writing career... *double sigh*
Woohooo, Myra!!!
ReplyDeleteI just LOVE those Seekers! :-)
I need to google my name more often - if only for confidence-building ;-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, that's better. I Googled my name with quotation marks and ended up with 3,140 hits. There's still that guy who works on cars in the Czech Republic, but I think the language differences will keep anyone from confusing us!
ReplyDeleteAnd don't put me in for the drawing - I'm reviewing the book for Bethany House. Can hardly wait until my copy gets here!
I got 26,000 hits, though some of them were for a chef named Walt who was talking about the proper way to prepare shellfish.
ReplyDeletePage 7 of about 9,420,000 results (0.15 seconds)
ReplyDeleteThat's how far you have to go to get ME, LOL, because there's a VERY GOOD Real Estate Agent named Nancy Kimball.
It's all good though... my blog is like my novel, not for the faint of heart =)
Walt, you mean you're NOT the shellfish chef? I'm sorry. I need to go cancel my order.
ReplyDeleteWow, Mary! What a great post (and a great idea). I did google my name, and found 895,000 hits....but I feel certain some of them were for a "Patty Jo" (I'm Patti with an "i"---I tell folks I'm more like a peppermint patti than a meat patty, teehee!). ~ Anyway, your post today is very thought-inspiring (and some of your comments made me chuckle). ~ You and Ruthy are both SO funny....are you sure you're not related??!! ~ Blessings, Patti Jo p.s. Please enter me in the drawing for a print copy of the book. :)
ReplyDeleteJan Drexler and Nancy Kimball, not to mention Pepper Basham...this seem like sort of unusual names. Big world I guess.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Susanna! I don't think I want to know either!! :)
ReplyDeleteRuthy, we got new flooring in the kitchen this summer. I'll have you know that I survived pulling out the fridge. Lots of nasty dust, but nothing fatal.
:)
y'all are making me smile this morning... Good morning again Seekerville!
ReplyDeletebut wow - talk about deflating - here we go - with "May the K9 Spy" it's About 7,420 results (0.21 seconds)
and for "KC Frantzen" it's About 3,170 results (0.14 seconds)
It IS rather amusing to see who all comes up with similar names! What's the list so far?
Obituaries, chefs, mayors, hot professors... SOMEBODY could use this in a novel. Sounds like a spy thing doesn't it? Hmmm... (But you're right Kav, don't want to completely blow May's cover!) BOL!! as she would say...
over 7 million hits for *lizzie starr. And for the first few pages, most of them are actually me. :) And a bunch of them I've forgotten about.
ReplyDeleteAfter a few other twitters named Lizie, a good share of the hits are for geneological information. That's kinda fun. Even if it isn't me.
Thanks for the reminder to go check myself out, Mary!
This was a great post, Mary. Amazingly, I had 187,000 hits! I didn't know I was such a blabbermouth!!
ReplyDeleteSince it's close to lunch, I've brought homemade chicken salad on croissants.
Thanks to Mary I know what I'm wearing to the banquet in St. Louis.
ReplyDeletewhew
That had been on my mind ;).
Didn't leave my email earlier. Would love a paper copy though I already have an ecopy.
Need to break out Sharpshooter. Need a Tom Linscott fix.
carolmoncado at gmail dot com
Well, apparently there are a few Sandy Nadeau's around. I had 3,610,000 hits on that name. But I don't play in the St. Cloud symphony, but it is my blog, my facebook page, my web site, so at least I'm shown.I have an identity!! Yee haw. Now I'm googling everyone I know just cuz. Can't wait to read your latest book! I always look forward to them. And I like books best.
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm dropping off cookies. Really, really good chocolate cookies. It was cool enough to bake, so I took advantage!
ReplyDeleteObits.... Oh my stars, Dave's Great Aunt Ruth died like fifteen years ago. She lived two miles down our same country road...
So the obit was Ruth Blodgett (my married name) on Parma Center Road...
Created a bit of a stir. ;)
Sweet gal.
7,440,000 hits in 0.11 secs.
ReplyDeleteSearched through ten pages and not a single one was me, even though I have a blog and Facebook. *palm-face*
My last name is the title of a very popular TV show and my first name is the same as one of the main characters' on the show. I once had a dental assistant pick up my chart, then apologize to me for my own name! :D Guess this means a pen name for me. I've thought about a pseudonym, but am a little scared that it will make things complicated. Any advice? Maybe changing my last name only would help.
LOVE the trailer! Call me old fashioned, but I love print versions you can hold in your hand.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI didn't get to a different "Pepper" on my google search until page 7 or 8 - and then it was some sort of criminal or football player
or both :-)
Chicken salad on a croissant.
ReplyDeleteI'm in heaven.
THANK YOU!!! Edwina, I'm only adding this to the long list of reasons I love you.
Seriously.
I think once you get published, the count goes up because of relativity to anywhere on the web they're selling your books...
But it's still GREAT to get your name out there as long as it isn't on the current list of San Quentin inmates or delinquent tax rolls.
Aim for positive feedback. Just a thought.
I share the name of the MOTHER of an area politician so he starts popping up pretty soon, even if I put my name in Quote Marks, plus that judge. I'm actually friends with her on facebook. She used to be a college basketball player and she got a LOT of hits for that.
ReplyDeleteNow she'll be handing down rulings on who knows what.
This was fun, Mary! I've never thought of Googling myself. I had 12,000,000, but most of those were not me! I saw a handful that were actually about me, which was fun. I just got my Bethany House review list and Out of Control was one of the choices...so...hopefully I'll have a copy in my hands in a few weeks! Yay! Now I'm off to the dr.'s office...just found out baby #3 is on the way! : ) God bless~Stacey
ReplyDelete1,870,000 hits for Valerie Comer. The first page is all me: my google profile, website, blog, FB page, twitter, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere are at least three others that I've found with my name, but one of us died.
I have a google alert set for my name. Imagine my shock to open a google alert email one morning to discover my obituary. They didn't get much right, either. Other than my name!
Oh, by the way, no need to put my name in the draw. I have the print version of Out of Control and love it :)
ReplyDelete(Or you could send it to one of my dopplegangers. You can probably find an address on spokeo. As a Canadian, I'm immune to that site at least.)
Hey, I found my obituary too! That should count as like double entry for the book drawing or something. So, with my name in quotes, I get 1200 results in .27 seconds (whatever that means). But since I found my obituary, they're obviously not all me. My website did pop up at the top of the list though. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I never once discussed my internet presence when I signed with my agent. I have no idea if she's ever looked at any of my online stuff. :-)
Well, I got 1,400,000 Google hits and quite a few on the top are me. Some are a couple other Cathy Shouse's, though.
ReplyDeleteI also muddied things by writing my photo history book under cathy duling shouse (My family's been in the area I wrote about for more than 100 years so I included my maiden name).
So, any suggestions on where to go from here? Should I go forward using my maiden name to distinguish myself on google?
It's a bit of a long name, so, I don't know.
I'd love to win a book, BTW. :)
Okay - did you put quotes around your name? When I DON'T, I get 2.6 MILLION (yikes!) - with most of at least the first five pages me. (I'm sure some of the later ones are Sherman or Sherwood, etc. etc.) When I put it in quotes, I get 26,300 with all the first five pages me (my blog, fb, guest posts I've done, faithwriters, etc, etc,).
ReplyDeletePLEASE enter me to win. PLEEZ!! Would prefer the print book :)
Great topic! And one I've been happily obsessed with (ahem!) for the last six weeks as a debut author.
ReplyDeleteGoogling Pam Hillman, typed exactly as follows yields (on my browzer, at least):
Pam Hillman 2,520,000 hits
Pam Hillman author 1,560,000 hits
"Pam Hillman" 36,200 hits
Personally, I like just googling Pam Hillman without the quotes, lol. And I am the top hits on all those searches.
And, fyi, I've been googling "Pam Hillman" "Stealing Jake" fairly regularly, and I'm getting 23,000 hits today. When Stealing Jake came out, there were maybe 1000-1500, so I've averaged 3,500 new google hits a week in the last six weeks. And it's like a snowball, yesterday, it was like...21,600, and today it's 23,000.
The more you yak, the more others yak, the bigger the snowball.
Or at least it seems that way to me.
Ah, poor Helen....
ReplyDeleteRIP
RUTHY!!! That's awful!! The same name on the same road would freak me out. Do you think someone has a death wish out there for you??
ReplyDeleteLOL
40,400,000. Wow.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to take credit for all of that, but then I wouldn't sleep tonight. :)
The first three are me (yay!) and then there's an interior decorator, the many Sally Bradleys on Facebook (mostly cute twenty-something British girls)and Twitter, and an OBGYN. So after the first three listings it jumps back and forth between me and other Sallys.
Mary, everyone lately has been telling me that I HAVE to read your books. Haven't had the pleasure yet but will soon, no matter what. So I'm in it for the paper book. sallybradleywrites AT gmail DOT com.
Whoa, Mary. Are you saying that by chatting with everyone from Seekerville that I'm actually doing work? Because if that's what's happening here....I'm gonna have to quit.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was goofing off...work is a different subject.
As for my google hits...37,700,000 people that are not me. There might be one that belonged to me somewhere on page 945,254.
When I use my name and a location, I got 7,460,000 hits. The top two belonged to me. Guess I better goof off a bit more.
Loved your post. Please enter me for the print book. jthompson711(at)gmail(dot)com.
Wow travelingstacey, congratulations on baby #3.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know, sweetie.
HI NAOMI!!! What's with all the obituaries, huh?
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid to look.
Jennifer you need to stay involved here in Seekerville. It's the RIGHT thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI have a question for Janet. When you search on your name, is there a note at the top that asks if you are looking for Jan & Dean? :-)
ReplyDeleteNot that I missed a ton but...
ReplyDeleteI MISSED YOU!!!!
It's pathetic really how tied we [and I say we not to implicate I] are to the internet world. Internet was down for about 2 hours because someone cut a cable :D.
I thought 'but I have a blog to post tomorrow!' and 'we're supposed to go to the Civil War reenactment tonight but the tech is coming sometime before 8' and 'Seekerville!!!!!'
But /big sigh of relief/ it's all good now :D.
I've tried this before and was astounded at the hits. Sometimes it feels like we're getting lost in a giant sea, but as you say, everything 'counts' in cyberspace ...
ReplyDeleteWeird, I googled Janet and this window opens suggesting who I might mean. Here's the drop down list.
ReplyDeleteJanet Dean
Janet Dean Fox News
Janet Dean fodor
Janet Dean Boulder
Janet Deangelis
I did it for Mary Connealy and look what I found!!!!
Aug 1, 2011 – Title: Out of Control, Hardcover, Author: MARY CONNEALY, Publisher: Baker Books - Subrights Mgr, Price: $14.99 with Crossings Book Club® ...
Did you get that???
HARDCOVER?
I think someone told me this already. It's rattling around in the back of my brain but there appears to be no passageway forward into a section of my brain where I can access it.
Hmmmmm....I need a google search of my Occipital Lobe
Also, I don't know what an occipital lobe is but I googled brain sections and looked for one way in the back.
ReplyDelete(snicker)
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should look at the frontal lobe functions, Mary ;-)
That's where I have my biggest trouble
I've Googled my name before but never paid attention to the number of hits - 421,000. I think most Sandra A's are Cajuns somehow related to husband. And, I'm sorry to say, I came up dead, too.
ReplyDeleteLove the trailer, Mary. Okay, here's that marketing you talk about: I'm running book trailers on my blog every Tuesday. I'm booked into January, but let me know if you're interested in being scheduled.
Well, I got 30,700,000 hits, about 5 of which are really me! LOL.
ReplyDeleteThe curse of a common name, I suppose. Oh well, at least my web page came up first. (That's with my full name Susan Anne Mason).
Then I tried just "Susan Mason" and got 35,700,000. Not a whole lot of difference.
Too funny!
Cheers,
Sue
sbmason at sympatico dot ca
504,000 and my top one is twitter, and how do you go about checking how many hits someone's blog/site has? Just curious. And if I win, I want a paperback copy, FYI and some of that homemade gingerbread...
ReplyDeleteOh Mary, how funny.....but the truth is too humiliating (for me)!!
ReplyDeleteWould love to win your book in print form! Thanks.
When I googled my name I got 1,650,000 results (0.21 seconds). The first page is all me, most of the second and then I start mixing with others named Eva Maria :) However, when I put my name in quotes I get a much lower number.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post Mary!
That is so cool to know!
ReplyDeleteI got 16,500 hits. Mostly from blogger or facebook. I'd love to read your newest book, Mary :)
154,000 Wow.
ReplyDeleteOk, 21 million but none of them were me... except for the jailbase.com where I have arrests for grand theft auto, hahahahaha! I do have an article up on a parenting site but that wasn't even the first 4 pages. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteRuthy, I see you mentioned contests and I have to say this. I sent out about a billion queries to agents last fall and got maybe 5 submissions requests. After I finaled in the Fab Five (not even winning) I sent out ten more. And got 8 requests in 3 weeks, with one rejection and one still out. Contests rule! I take back every mean thing I ever said about those judges, hahahahaha!
ReplyDeletePepper, I love that site! I used to rate my profs all the time, and then when I worked at a private college, I'd sneak on and boost the 'peppers' of the profs I thought were cute. :D
ReplyDeleteWow.
ReplyDelete22,200 hits with my name. However, if I add the word badminton, there are 44 hits, and the first page is all about me me me!
Print book please.
Virginia,
ReplyDeleteNever thought of myself as a 'hot' Dr. Pepper
Pretty nice :-)
Okay, so I've been waiting to do this all day... this is something I feel I'm always trying to tell people--get involved and start building a platform! =]
ReplyDeleteMy name with quotes: 10,700 and the 95% of the first 12 pages are me. Without quotes 299,000 with the same percentage.
Oh, and print version of Out of Control.
Well, I am not a google person. Yes, I know, I can hear the collective gasp. I’m a Yahoo! gal. At any rate, when I typed my name in google, it wasn’t pretty. There were 967 results (is that hits?) and only two of them had to do with me! Lol.
ReplyDeleteI need to market myself better! LOL. But, I almost feel like it’s the cart before the horse, you know? Ah well, interesting study!
Whitney
By the way, Mary, I like the book trailer! The guy sort of looks like Nate from the Love’s Enduring Promise movie and the girl on the cover looks like the girl from Tracie Peterson’s book, A Dream to Call My Own, WHO looks like the second Colleen from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.
ReplyDeleteWhitney
Just looked at my name Jenny Blake and after 10 pages of not finding anything about me I gave up. I guess I go by Ausjenny more so cos there were so many Jenny's on boards etc when I first joined the internet. Did fine out there is an author called Jenny Blake and we have a show here the farmer needs a wife (or husband) and one contestent was Jenny Blake.
ReplyDeleteI love this name hit thing. So fun.
ReplyDeleteSo the key is to USE your name.
Get it published (your name) even if you're not...
Establish a presence (doesn't have to be big, just steady)
Contest finals to get your name on the web more often.
Offer web classes or advertise classes you're doing on the web.
Website.
Chatting when you can with full name.
Sucking up to Mary.
Sucking up to Tina.
Do not suck up to me, just send chocolate with no reward expected, then neither of us will be disappointed.
I think it's pretty easy if you just make it a habit. Like writing, the more you do it, the easier it gets, right?
Great lesson, Mare. Good heads up.
Pepper, have you read 'Confederates in the Attic'? It's the best non-fic book I've read altely on the Civil War and there's a lot about re-enactments in there. Plus, the author is laugh-out-loud funny!
ReplyDeleteThis is really fun. I have 18,600 hits. Never even knew that about myself! Not even close to the rest of you gals but it should impress my grown kids! I'll let them know today. :)
ReplyDeleteNow I'm off to my first day of school this year working as a middle school librarian. Prayers please! I'd like the hard copy version of your books please. Thanks! Have a great day!
Wow! I got 24,500 hits...although many weren't for me. I counted mine for the first few pages and had 20 that were actually mine. I am surprised I'm out there that much... :)
ReplyDeleteI love print books.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com
Oh gosh! How embarassing. No hits. Couldn't find web site, facebook page, twitter page. I need to do some work on the social media.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I've been around for a long time, but I got about 7,250,000 results (0.22 seconds.) Hmm. It could be not all of them are me, but at least the first page is me. I never thought about this before or that it was important.
ReplyDeleteNow to actually publish a book.I do have articles around.
Interesting thoughts. Thanks, Mary.
Not all the hits were me, but when I retyped my name and state the number went up.
ReplyDeleteI need to come up with some interesting stuff to say. Maybe that'll help my numbers.
Have a great weekend.
Jackie
Awesome post! I've got 10,800,000. Of course because my name is so common--it's not all me.
ReplyDeleteWow, I googled my name and I got 28,900,000 hits!
ReplyDeleteWow!
ReplyDeleteI have 436,000! My blog is the 6th entry, and I found a blog by Jennifer Slattery that I forgot I had written as a response to a question she asked. I did have a few "mistakes" that I expected...My younger and improved version I met on face book. We share the same first, middle, and last name; our birthdays are just a few days apart (but different years, she's younger!) and we both have degrees in Child Development!There was a dating site entry I had nothing to do with, but if they find me a nice christian man we might be open to talking, lol! Clearly I speak my opinion freely, and love books about women in Petticoats!HaHa! cherihorgn@hotmail.com
601,000! Wow, didn't check out what many of them were... Would love to win a print copy of the book.
ReplyDeletePatty
413,000. I looked over three pages and about half were me. Very interesting exercise.
ReplyDeleteIf it's not too late, I'd love to win either version of Out of Control.
16,300,00 hits. Of course it wasn't until the 3rd page that I found anything about me! Afterall- Krista Harris is a very common name. Even though I did also find my friend (who happens to go to my church and have the same name!). Interesting though. Thanks for the fun read! And I would love to win a copy of your book! :)
ReplyDelete