Social Media for Writers: Speaker Carol Doane

Vancouver Writer's Mixer

Social Media for Authors

Saturday, December 4

5-6:30 pm

Featured Speaker: Carol Doane

Saturday Carol Doane speaks to the Vancouver Writer's Mixer. She's got the internet wired for fun, for feedback and success! She's the doyenne of Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, and many other virtual publicity websites.

Carol will be demonstrating the basics of navigating these treacherous technical waters. Find out why you should dabble, even just a little, on-line. By the time we're finished, you'll be amazed and eager to get out there and start networking!  It's so easy, even Smedley the bookstore cat tweets. Carol will touch on hot social media topics such as Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, YouTube, Plancast and blogging.

Learn quick tips, easy to use shortcuts and what to do if you hate the idea of marketing yourself.

Carol was a top finalist in the 2010 SoMe Awards (Social Media Awards of the Pacific Northwest) for her volunteer campaign for the Southwest Washington Blood Program. Winning campaigns awarded to Air New Zealand, Travelocity, PAX East, Mio Gelato, Portland Fit, Hotel Max, Mio Gelato, a worthy group to be included in!

Carol Doane is also a published writer (chapter in Laughing Nine to Five: The Quest for Humor in the Workplace) and has two completed fiction manuscripts now in the hands of literary agents on both coasts.

Many, many thanks to Angst Gallery owner Leah Jackson for allowing Cover to Cover Books to hold their monthly mixer in the gallery. The bookstore remains closed due to smoke damage until renovations can be completed. Cover to Cover is taking special orders via email: mail@covertocoverbooks.net.

If you want to chat with Carol after the event we'll be taking over the couch in Niche Wine & Art next door.

Online event registration for Social Media for Writers powered by Eventbrite

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Carol previews how to party

"I've donated blood before. It doesn't take very long. The needle prick is just that, a teeny-tiny, little momentary sting. It won't even make you blink," reports Carol Doane. "Really, the worst part is sitting through all the questions they ask. Once you've heard them, it's pretty boring."

We wondered why Carol chose to celebrate her birthday by asking her friends to donate blood.

"My heart is truly vested in Be The Match, the National Bone Marrow Registry and especially to raise awareness of people of color registering—half my family is of Asian descent. I would be the un-Asian half," Carol noted, and rubbed the inside of her elbow likely in anticipation of the blood donation adventure. "But @SWBlood sent me a direct message on Twitter and asked if I would spearhead a drive. I am a big believer of accepting the pie on your plate, so I gave them an enthusiastic yes and starting pressing friends and strangers into service."

How many friends have signed up?

"I keep checking the online appointment scheduler and I'm still seeing some open spots, but I'm hoping to fill the day to keep the Puget Sound Blood Center busy. I want it to be successful for the time their staff invests. My other desire is that it will encourage my friends to pause and think a moment about what their gift does during everyday life or disaster.

"It's just incredible how a simple, simple thing changes the world. It costs you your gas, your time to get to the center, maybe a little anxiety, but what you give is unmeasurable."

Carol shared pictures she snapped during her last donation that occurred at her office. The Blood-Mobile drove up, parked in front of their building and opened for business treating donors with juice and cookies, rockin' music and friendly, encouraging smiles.

"I like to engage people in conversation and one of the personnel had worked with me previously, so we spent time catching up. I met another phlebotomists and learned she was married to a youth minister and had just returned from a church retreat. She and I had an interesting conversation in a different way. I talk to everybody who enters my circle."

You mentioned three social media circles where you are promoting this event. What others are you using?

"Oh, my gosh. I am leveraging everything! I posted on LinkedIN, Plancast, created a 'poster' and uploaded it to Twitpic. I'll be writing about it on Blogger, and I'm asking friends to blog about it. I've got a steady chirp of tweets happening, too.

"We made event pages on local social media spots like Guerrilla-Media, and national hubs like Meetup and Upcoming. We actually have two Facebook pages, one through my Facebook fan page and another Facebook event page that the Blood Center set up, which is a lot cleaner than mine. I tend to get too wordy. Oh, and check out my Schmap! What else..." Carol scanned her open laptop to aid her memory, but before she got distracted with gmail, we asked what happens after the event. Her head bobbed up and a big grin covered her face.

"I'm taking a few days off and enjoying spring break with my daughter. Hoping to get a little travel time in. I'm always up for adventure. I'll post pictures either on Twitpic or Flickr and you can watch us on the road via Foursquare. And, of course, if anything extraordinary happens we'll upload it to YouTube!"

We think Carol should pace her social media pursuits, but this project is too good not to throw your whole heart into.

Join Carol on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 for

Carol's Save a Life Birthday Party

Puget Sound Blood Center - Vancouver
9320 NE Vancouver Mall Blvd
Suite 100, Vancouver, WA 98662

Follow the Schmap to the Blood Center
Follow Google map to the Blood Center


Make your appointment online: http://bit.ly/9MBoxg


Want to, but can’t on the 31st?
Call 360-567-4800 for an alternate date.

EACH DAY Western Washington needs 900 people to donate blood.

1. Eligibility: http://www.psbc.org/programs/blood.htm

2. First Time Donors: http://www.psbc.org/programs/drives_first_time.pdf

3. Donation FAQs: http://www.psbc.org/programs/faq.htm

If you would like to see the lives that are touched by blood donation visit the Puget Sound Blood Center patient videos page.