Being Social On Media....

            Being Social On Media

   

 It’s everywhere these days AND we're told, "It really IS necessary!" As authors, words are our chosen conduit for expression. We devote enormous amounts of time and energy to it, we craft and we mold, chipping away until we agonizingly send our 'darlings' into the world...but the world has changed.

Publishers today require more of their writers. Platforms, forums, followers, networking and the list go on. Why? Partially because the digital age has made self-publishing easier than ever. Today’s readers have more choices then ever, which makes finding your book akin to finding the proverbial needle.

So in publishing houses of all sizes, they require a…presence.

Facebook…Twitter…Pinterest…Google+…sound familiar? It can be overwhelming. Setting up profiles, what content to add, getting followers?! ARGHHHH!!!!

While I would agree that such profiles can be helpful and can generate word of mouth for your books, finding a balance will be challenging. Spending too much time takes you away from what you should be doing…writing your next book!

Indulging in repetitive self-promotion will quickly get you ignored or even BLOCKED!  I suggest a few simple things.

1.    Concentrate on ONLY one or two sites, making scheduled and relevant updates weekly or even monthly.

2.    Share things with your audience besides your product!

3.    Social means just that…you MUST remember that this is a PUBLIC forum… Ranting, raving or responding to negative feedback cannot happen!

4.    Breathe deeply and let it go.

The technology is here to stay folks…while we may not all embrace it; it’s a tool like any other. How you use it and how often are up to you.