Success isn’t just about doing—it’s about innovating. It’s about creating something new or doing something in a new way. It’s not always mind-blowing. Sometimes it’s so obvious that it’s surprising no one had done it before. And yet, it’s the game changer. It’s the concept that makes you rise above all the hi-ho, hi-ho dwarves.
The New York Times recently published an article called “21 New Media Innovators.”
The article shows how writers—mainly journalists—use Twitter, “the art of multipurposed multi-platforming,” aggregated data, video, ereaders, text messages, crowd-sourcing, message boards, citizen journalism, sponsored posts (aka advertorials), widgets, slideshows, and other technological mumbojumbo to bring stories to you in new and relevant ways.
So, what does this mean for writers? How does a memoirist become a new media innovator?
For one, multi-platforming allows a memoirist to represent different facets of herself and her conversation. Here on my blog, you get my personal stories as well as updates and tools for writers, but if you “friend” me on Facebook you are privy to the more day-to-day goings on in my life and you have more opportunity to interact with me through comments and even live chats. I’ve also brought you audio via Broadcastr, as an experiment in whether voice allows for more connectivity.
What sort of new media do you think is particularly relevant for memoirists? Most of the memoirists I know stick to blogging and Tweeting, and I’d love to hear about any memoirists that are utilizing new media in creative ways.
How would you like to see me use new media?
Eugenides’ Vest
Stephanie Nikolopoulos 