T.M.I. When is too much info more than enough?

T.M.I.

Too much information.

When should you hold back and when should you share information?

The culture of the writing community is as intertwined as any I have ever seen. With the advent of the Internet and search engines, off the cuff comments made ages ago can come back to haunt you. Information shared a decade ago can lead to a breach of privacy in modern times. That crit group you joined years ago? One of the members may have borrowed your ideas.

How do you protect yourself?

First and foremost, limit the information you share. If you have a career or a home life that could be made uncomfortable by the news that you are a romance writer, choose a persona or pen name now. It doesn't matter if you sign your first contract ten years from now under an entirely different name. This persona will keep your private and writing lives apart.

Don't share home phone numbers, addresses, etc. with large groups of people. It is probably common sense to say never post this information on a website or message board, but I had to say it anyway. Get a Po Box, an unlisted number. These ARE legitimate busines expenses.

Be careful when being critical of a publisher or an author. The Internet and web engines allow for endless archiving. Do you really want a submissions editor to read how much you hate her publisher's work? That's a career limiting move!

Guard your work. Don't be too eager to share the fruits of your labor with every crit group around. Find a trusted group of friends and form an intimate professional partnership. You'll be able to find people who will focus on the strengths of your work and create a relationship with them.

Make sure that you're very clear when being sarcastic or funny online. The powers that be haven't invented a sarcasm of humor filter yet and the meaning behind typed words can sometimes be misread.

When on public mailing lists or blogs, be aware that people (fans and potentially industry professionals) are reading. Nothing turns an editor off more than reading a gleeful post about what copyright infringement Author A has engaged in, or, God forbid, the personal foibles of Author B's intimate sex life.

If Author A and B can't comport themselves as professionals when they've got everything to lose, why should an editor take a chance that these authors will be a professional match for the publishing company?

Protect yourself from the T.M.I. disease and strive for success!