Thanks for stopping by my new blog where I’ll be discussing my mystery novels featuring former teen idol Sandy Fairfax as well as my observations about the world.

In this digital age, many authors are cranking out blog posts as a promotional tool. But what bloggers are doing is nothing new. The use of social media to promote artists had its genesis in the teen fan magazines starting in the 1950s and still going strong today.

Ah, those were the days when young girls swooned over the likes of Bobby Rydell, David Cassidy and Bobby Sherman. The teen idol industry was in full gear, constantly cranking out new idols as audiences “aged out” into harder rock music and their kid sisters now wanted their own stars to follow.

Since the Internet hadn’t been invented yet, the studios spread the word and kept fans connected through monthly teen magazines such as Tiger Beat, Flip, Music Star and Seventeen. Some of the more popular performers had their own line of magazines, such as The Monkees and Starsky and Hutch.

In each issue, fans learned interesting facts about their idols, sympathized with their star’s feelings about dating issues, and looked at groovy photos. Fans could mail in letters for publication as a way to talk to their idol and get the addresses for fan clubs where they could meet similarly-minded youths.  

Fanzine articles were puff pieces about the idol’s life, such as a minute-by-minute description of a party at the star’s house, or what the singer did inside a recording studio, or his latest date. The purpose of the ‘zine was to build a bond between the fan and idol.

Of course each magazine also featured ads of various idol-related merchandise that fans could purchase to show their devotion.

Isn’t this what writers are doing today with social media, sharing their activities and talking about their feelings as a way to stay connected to their readers. Writers post photos from their personal appearances or daily home life. Readers can leave comments to directly talk to the author and meet up with other fans.

Some writers use Facebook to constantly update their online “friends” as to their daily activities. Some use their blogs to share their feelings about their personal lives. The goal is to present the author as more than just a headshot and a brief bio on the book jacket.

Of course each blog also features the author’s books that readers can purchase.

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