Speed dating? What? I’ll bet you are wondering what this blog could possibly be about since most of you know I am an old happily married woman who left the dating scene over thirteen years ago. No…I am not idiotic enough to lose my beautiful, wonderful, wife to some trolling lesbian!
This post is actually about a new sensation (well new to me)…Facebook parties. So why did I title the blog, Speed Dating? Well…I got to thinking (I know, very dangerous, especially since my tangential thoughts tend to be so bizarre sometimes) about my experience with the first Facebook party and it felt a lot like speed dating to me. How? Let me outline the reasons.
- I spent a whole lot of time preparing for the occasion like I used to do when I had a first date. I would imagine people try to prepare themselves for speed dating in an attempt to anticipate the kinds of questions that will be asked and to think up your own clever questions.
- All my preparations were for naught because the party went in a completely new direction. I’ve never speed dated, but I’ll bet those quick conversations go in all sorts of directions not anticipated.
- Rapid fire questions dominated the session, a lot like speed dating (at least the concept I have of speed dating).
- There is absolutely no time to censor your responses or try to be witty and charming. At least for me, it ends up being unedited, verbal meandering, that may or may not appeal to the masses. I suspect it is hard to prepare for speed dating either.
- Based on those responses, people may decide, I’d like to learn more about this author/person. In speed dating, I suspect you move to the next round, in a Facebook party, they check out your books or Facebook page.
- After you advance to the next round and maybe have that date, the person may buy a book. After speed dating, the person may buy me dinner, take me to the theater or a movie. Wow, I just realized how much of a femme I really am as I assume the other party would do take the lead on the date!
- If that book is enjoyable, they buy more books. Post speed dating…after that first date, I get a second or third date.
- The reader might choose to gobble up every single book I’ve written. We are now dating.
- Readers start sending private messages, e-mails or write reviews about my books. My new dating partner sends me love notes, texts, or calls me at all hours of the day or night telling me how much fun they’ve been having dating me or that…gasp…they are falling in love.
- Finally, I develop a loyal relationship with a reader who decides to continue to buy every single book I put out in the future. This is the point where perhaps speed dating and Facebook parties deviate…because I don’t have a monogamous relationship with readers, nor should I. I love reading many different books and would never only stick to one author. Yet, I do have my favorites, who I am very much in love with!
I’m doing another Facebook party this weekend and I sure hope I get a few more dates out of it! I hope those who I’ve not speed dated with in the past will join the party because it should be as much fun as speed dating! Wanna go on a date with me…you know the drill…just click one of the links below!
Facebook Party on March 25th Link
Affinity Author Page Amazon Author Page
Annette Mori 
I’ve done a couple of these speed dating events now. You’ve nailed them! In one, a Facebook Party, I was one of 10 or 12 authors. A new one of us was up to bat every hour. It took me a half hour after my ‘date hour’ to catch up to all the questions I missed. Fortunately, during the hour I had an old friend who caught a couple of things I missed who bumped them to the top for me and, in one case, even answered for me and did a fine job of it. I didn’t particularly care for that format because I was coming in as another author was trying to finish and then someone else was coming on as I was wrapping up. We were all over the place.
In the other, it was 3 hours focused solely on me. I liked that format a little better but wow, what a workout for the brain, fingers, wrists and bladder. It was non-stop for three solid hours. I’ve never had to talk that much on any date!
I have a feeling I know what event you’re doing this weekend. I considered it but decided against participating as an author. I’ll drop in as a reader instead. For now, I have a work in progress that needs more attention than I’ve been giving it. I wish you the best of luck. Happy dating!
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Good thing I am in-between books right now, so hopefully I’ll have fun tomorrow. I really wish I’d be able to participate yesterday and today to support the other authors but unfortunately the job that pays the bills made that impossible for me.
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