Brag? Who...me? Never!

It befuddles me to hear a writer shy away from an opportunity to 'brag' about a publishing credit, regardless if it's a short article, a book, or even a 50 word flash fiction piece.

If they only understood the benefits of boasting about your bragging rite, then perhaps more would come out of their shells and do it more often.

Let's talk about the benefits of bragging:

1- you allow readers an opportunity to get to know you, as a writer, to read your published article/story. Whenever you brag make sure to add the link back to your credit.

2- by posting your bragging rite and its link, you are offering an opportunity to another writer to link to this publication venue and to give them a submission of their own. Never thought of doing this? Well, here's your chance.

Below you will find bragging rites of some fellow writers from the Muse. Click to the sites and why not give yourself an opportunity to try a new venue.

BEVERLY PAPIZAN - FLASH FICTION - FLASHSHOT

LEA SCHIZAS - FLASH FICTION - FLASH TALES

MARY ANDREWS - BOOK CONTRACT - SWIMMING KANGAROO BOOKS

GLORIA WATTS - SHORT STORY - BEWILDERING STORIES

MIKE KECHULA - SHORT STORY - CRIMSON HIGHWAY

SUSAN STEPHENSON - SHORT STORY - SWIMMING KANGAROO NEWSLETTER

ALAN TOBACK - POEMS - MUSEITUPCLUB VALENTINE'S EBOOK ANTHOLOGY

LEA SCHIZAS - BOOK CONTRACT - ETREASURES PUBLISHING

RAYMOND GRANT - FLASH FICTION - COFFEE CRAMP MAGAZINE

CHERYL M. - ARTICLE - WRITER2WRITER

These are just some of the 'smart' writers who bragged about their published venues and offered others an opportunity to link to the sites and check out their guidelines.

These are also the 'smart' writers who understand that by bragging your publishing success you are not only motivating other writers to get up and write but you are giving a reader the chance to read you, to attach themselves to your writing style and seek out more from you in the near future.

There's a beginning for everything and in order to build your reputation you need to brag about it. Not spam! Don't start flooding the writers groups with bragging rites if their rules state none will be allowed. But do it smartly.

When you read discussions within your groups about topics related to the theme you have within your book, then mention how you came up with the theme, the character, and mention your book. You are still keeping to the rules of the group but have also 'smartly' placed a seed within that group to look up your book.

Another tip: Please don't forget to add that all important and FREE promotional opportunity at the end of your signature in every email - a link back to your site/book/publisher.

I change my signature depending where I'm emailing, for example:

if I'm in a writer's group discussing where they can get info on such and such a topic, and I know one of my sites has an article to help them out, then I place that site's link with a neat headliner/tag to stand out right after the name:

The Muse Marquee: FREE Writing Tips

https://themusemarquee.tripod.com/

THIS MONTH'S PROMPT:

I'd like to know if ever you've read a bragging rite, linked to the site and submitted your own work.

Send it to me at: museitupeditor@yahoo.ca

Make sure to place BRAGGING RITES LINK

Well, that's it for this month. I hope I've stressed the importance of not shying away from your success. Afterall, if you don't brag, don't expect the neighbour to do it for you.

Lea Schizas