But as any deep thinking parody songwriter would do, I began contemplating the “why” behind a lot of the things we do, including writing.

The other day an author and Facebook friend asked if I’d written any books and complimented my writing skills. My response was that I haven’t written a book because I don’t really have anything to say. When I have something to say, I might try to write one.

I’ve read too many books by people that really don’t have anything valuable to say, they just wanted to be published (for the first time or the 20^th). Tell 10 people you are an author or know an author, and you’ll get 8 people saying “I would love to write a book someday.” Ask them what they’d like to write about and only about 2 of them will know what it is they really want to say.

So I want to make a promise to myself and to readers everywhere, in rap song parody form, that if I do ever decide to try to write a book it won’t simply be to get published, it will be because I have something to say.

This is Why I’ll Write

By Rachel Randolph
(To the tune of Mims’ This is Why I’m Hot)

This Is Why I’ll Write.
This is why, this is why, this is why I’ll write.
I’ll write cause I care
About what I’m sayin’

Some other authors write
Cause they wanna earn a dolla’.
I’m gonna write to me a role model.

I want to inspire
And even educate.
Turn my sisters to God
And all that he creates.

If I have nothing to say,
I won’t try to write a book.
There’s too many good ones out there
To download on your Nook.

I won’t just write fluff
To fulfill a word count.
I want to write stuff
I feel led to share about.

This Is Why I’ll Write.
This is why, this is why, this is why I’ll write.
I’ll write cause I care
About what I’m sayin’.

This I promise you, I will not become a rap songwriter.

And to tie this back to social media and book marketing, this goes for status updates, blog posts, and anything else you write. Don’t post something just because you want to be in the scene, post because you have something valuable to say.

??? QUESTIONS ???

If you want to be published, have you thought about why it is important to you?

If you are already published, are you clear about the types of future projects you are willing to write and why you are continuing to write?

On a fun note, what’s the most unlikely thought-provoking song or movie that has actually made you reflect on your life?

I see past the labels, the jerseys, the salaries and see little boys who lost their dads and found male role models in their coaches or guys that just got engaged and are looking up to see if their fiancés are in the stands cheering them on. I get weepy at the former drug addict who breaks a record in a home run derby contest and even find myself quietly booing at the player recently caught cheating on his wife.

What does this tell me? If you want people to come to your games, read your books, buy your products, then it would serve you well to let those people know who you are. Social networking has made this easier than ever before.

Authors used to have to speak every weekend or get booked on a radio or tv interview in order to be seen as a person to their readers. Of course, speaking and interviewing serve great purposes, but they aren’t the only way your audience can come to know you now. They can follow you on Twitter, be your friend on Facebook, read your daily blog posts, see pictures of your children. As they come to know you on a personal level, and assuming you’re interesting and likeable (I bet you are!), they’ll want to support you on a professional level.

Are you on Twitter, yet? Do you have a Facebook? Are you blogging? If not, now’s the time. Don’t let someone pass up your book because they don’t know you. Be a friend, build a connection, and become a real person and not just an author promoting a book.

More to come on how to social network effectively in my upcoming posts.

Feel free to “friend” me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I can’t wait to get to know you!