The Queen's Chair: Have You Googled Yourself?
A friend asked me this the other day. I hadn't thought about doing it either. Until the seeds got planted in my head. So one day, I did.
Here's what I found. I share my name with over 750,000 people. I'm used to sharing it with one or two people in high school (as many as eight when I was graduating from college.) Some of the Marsha's spelled their names Marcia. A few were doctors: physicians, surgeons, pediatricians, psychologists, and Ph.D's, a couple home decorators, a few were actresses that I was unfamiliar with, one was an architect, and yet another, an interior designer with a website.
I also found my own stuff: complete with newspaper articles and editorials by and about me, high school photos, magazine articles, etc. I couldn't fathom how my writing dream turned into a "reality" right before my eyes. In a funny way, it also was nice to see what my "namesakes" had accomplished as well.
Other than Marcia Brady (actress Maureen McCormick of The Brady Bunch fame), I never heard of let alone knew a "famous" Marcia. In my mind, I always thought there was only one Marsha Jones. The day, I googled my name that all changed.
Here's what I found. I share my name with over 750,000 people. I'm used to sharing it with one or two people in high school (as many as eight when I was graduating from college.) Some of the Marsha's spelled their names Marcia. A few were doctors: physicians, surgeons, pediatricians, psychologists, and Ph.D's, a couple home decorators, a few were actresses that I was unfamiliar with, one was an architect, and yet another, an interior designer with a website.
I also found my own stuff: complete with newspaper articles and editorials by and about me, high school photos, magazine articles, etc. I couldn't fathom how my writing dream turned into a "reality" right before my eyes. In a funny way, it also was nice to see what my "namesakes" had accomplished as well.
Other than Marcia Brady (actress Maureen McCormick of The Brady Bunch fame), I never heard of let alone knew a "famous" Marcia. In my mind, I always thought there was only one Marsha Jones. The day, I googled my name that all changed.
Hi Marsha:
One thing I learned when i attended a Writer's Digest conerence on the changes in the publishing industry is how the internet has revolutionized publishing. One of the first thing publishers look for in potential writers is: what kind of platform does the writer have?
The whole concept of platform was new to me. Essentially, it means your web presence.
One agent told about calling an editor on the phone to push a client and the minute she mentioned her client's name the editor was Googling the name on the spot. The editor wanted to see that writer's platform!
That is why it is a good idea to manage your web profile and enhance your platform!!!