Tags
author, book, book marketing, Facebook, fiction, Google, LinkedIn, novel, Pinterest, social media, The Brevity of Roses, Tumblr, Twitter, wasting time, Writing
Publishing The Brevity of Roses was the fulfillment of a dream … and then it became a nightmare. It’s been nine months since publication day, so I’ve had time to gain a new perspective on what I did wrong. One thing I’ve learned is that marketing advice—like writing advice—should never be swallowed whole.
Those of you still looking forward to publication are probably working to “establish an online presence” because that’s usually #1 on the advice lists. If you, like me, are not a social butterfly, you’ve probably discovered that being a social media butterfly is no easier. Well, maybe a little easier because you don’t have to worry about your hair and clothes—unless you go all out and do video interviews. In any case, it takes a lot of your time.
While I should have been putting all my time and energy into writing another book, I spent gobs of it on Twitter. Gobs. What did I accomplish? I amassed almost 1,700 followers! YAY—um, no. Most of those followers are other authors hoping to sell me their books. Yes, I have a few friends there. That’s good. That’s also maybe 2% of my “followers”. I don’t think Twitter has helped me sell many books.
I also created a Facebook Author Page. I’ve never really done anything with it. Who am I supposed to connect with there? My target readers? Nope. Haven’t seen any. Mostly it’s authors supporting other authors. That’s wonderful, of course, but I already have that here on my blog.
And I joined SheWrites, Women On the Verge, Google+ and LinkedIn because I was advised to get my name out there. Be visible is the command. And what about Tumblr? Hey, there must be a way to use Pinterest as an author. What next? What next? What next?
How much of the last nine months did I spend writing my next book? Not a lot. Here’s what I’ve learned: I put the cart before the horse. Maybe when I have three or four or five books published (and another nearly ready) THEN I should spend a big chunk of my time “socializing” as an author.
Until then, I’ve picked the single online place where I’m comfortable, which is right here, and I’m letting the rest languish. I’m the real me here. And just being me feels great.
If you’re an author, have you found significant time spent on social media to be a benefit or a drain?
I think as a whole the concept of social media is pointless until you have an audience. At that point it may be useful, but I can’t imagine myself bothering until that point. Then again I doubt most of the people I have as friends on facebook have read a book in the last five years.
Thanks for commenting, Stewart. That’s whole point, connecting with your target readers. I guess finding out which, if any, forms of social media help you do that is the problem.
In answer to your question, absolutely not. Social media, I should say, aside from the blog, is undeniably useless to me.
I built up my blog presence because it was fun. I have made a lot of friends, met a lot of colleagues, learned a lot by following agents and publishers, but other than that, Twitter hasn’t helped, LinkedIn offers me nothing. I figure if they don’t help, then all those others won’t either.
Being on the blogs, commenting, having good content, and making friends is a good way to start. Word of mouth sells books, nothing else. I don’t care what anyone says.
A few well timed guest blog posts, and interviews, along with a couple of good reviews has done it for me.And yes my reviews were written by my good friends, I’m not ashamed to say. If your friends can’t be happy for you and help you to get ahead then they’re not your friends right?
Stick with blogging. It’s so much easier.
I feel the same way about blogging, Anne. I’ve made friends here, friends who’ve been very supportive on this journey. And I’ve come to agree with you about word of mouth — and not words from my mouth — selling books. I just had it all backwards and upside down.
It does kind of feel like preaching to the choir, but overall, I’d say that writers are all avid readers (with a few exceptions). They may be trying to sell a book but they are also looking for more books to read. If we all read and reviewed just one book from our list of blog followers, imagine how many authors would benefit!
Yes, we are avid readers, Kate, so there’s truth in your statement. Twitter in moderation is fine. All social media in moderation is fine. I just don’t think authors need to spend as much time on that as some marketing gurus would have us believe. And yes, of course, I’ve read and reviewed the books of several of my blog followers. Writers supporting writers is definitely an activity I subscribe to.
Amen, sister! Yeah, it’s tough. I’m trying to maintain a balance, keep my options open and constantly re-evaluate. I recall when I signed up for Google +, thinking to myself: “What the hell are you thinking?” *Laughs*
Just don’t beat yourself up, my friend. We’re learning something new every day in this crazy business, aren’t we?
It’s always good to see you, Linda.
-Jimmy
You’re doing a fantastic job marketing as an author, considering your full-time work, Jimmy! Always good to see you too.
I had your experience with my brush with being published in 2000. What I love is writing, reading too. The rest is too distracting. I say “Do what you love.”
I agree, Mary Jean. Life is too short not to do what you love. Sometimes I just don’t realize how crazy I’ve let things get and then I have to stop the madness.
I decided just to have fun with my social networking and not use it as a tool, even though all the “experts” were saying to use it as a tool. But, when I did use it as a tool, I came across as “desperate” or almost fakey or just more noise in the already cacaphony of white noise. WHen I do SN for fun and how I feel like doing it, it feels better, more genuine. If people want to follow/friend/join, then good! They are getting me as I am, seeing who I am. If they don’t come by, then I certainly can’t spend all my time chasing after everyone.
I have a new book to write and it ain’t gonna write itself – with each book, it seems I am later starting because I’m so busy trying to “be out there.” I have deadlines. I have an online journal and a new project I’m thinking of — I have family and friends and little log house that I have sorely neglected. So, it feels free-ing to finally let go of the stress of “shoulds should shoulds” and instead do a little “cause I wanna!”
Your “having fun” with social networking makes you quite entertaining on Facebook, Kat.
That’s how I feel about my blog.
The “shoulds” get me tied in knots every time. I keep telling myself to forget the shoulds and do what’s right for me. Someday, my advice will get through my thick head.
Thank you, Kat, for writing the words that fit into my mouth: “I decided to just have fun with my social networking….” I’m an old-er writer, meaning I’ve written one memoir, liked the process (even throwing it in the garbage several times!), and am finally stumbling my way through self-promotional fogs. If I had not decided to check out Twitter a few minutes ago, I would not have stumbled upon your blog, Linda. You’ve given me much food for thought, especially the last two lines, “I’m the real me here. And being me feels great!” Perhaps it is time for me to set up my own blog.
Thank you, Doreen/Dody. If you set up a blog, come back and let me know, so I can visit.
I constantly have a tugging to “get back at the keyboard” to finish the manuscript I am now writing. The blogs are fun but I too find that beyond a few family members and other writers no one else is actively seeking a peek at my blogs. I will keep them active but they will not be my focus either…the writing is where I am and who I am and hopefully the audience will eventually develop once the “Right” person (whoever that is) makes my works known to the general public.
You’ve probably read enough posts here to know that I don’t really use my blog a professional tool, Kathleen. I once had aspirations of it being a real Writing Blog, but that’s not me. I have more questions than answers. I needed a place where I could relax and just exchange ideas with other writers. So I don’t have the stress some other bloggers do to craft meaningful posts. But yes, as writers, writing must come first.
I LOVE the new look of your blog. And I hate that you haven’t been writing your next novel. But maybe you started yesterday???
So interesting that both you and Cristina wrote blog posts on the same day with similar subject matter: “I’m the real me here. And just being me feels great.”
I’ve been so busy since April I could hardly breathe–so many different commitments that my writing time was shrinking and shrinking. At some point, I managed to step back and get some perspective. And I set aside 8-11 Mon-Fri for just writing. It feels good that my writing now has a safe place.
You may notice that it’s 10:30 on a Wed, and I’m visiting your blog : ) I’ve been hard at work, writing 8 hours + a day since I returned from VT, so I’m taking the day off today. Yippee!
It’s nice to see you here again, Cynthia.
Yes, Cristina and I are on the same wave length, and I’ve recently seen other writers say the same thing. It seems many of us have burnt out on the constant push to “get out there.” We just want to relax and write. I used to write so much I had no need for scheduling the time, but maybe that’s what I need to do now.
It’s good to have a day off. I hope you make the best of it and then get back to work refreshed.
What James said above is why I haven’t signed up for Twitter, Facebook, and G+. But, I did say, “What the hell are you thinking?” after I signed up for a LinkedIn page.
Blogging … that’s completely different. How much you add/don’t add and read is very manageable.
I agree, David, blogging is completely different than other social media. I don’t overwhelm myself.
I do agree Linda. We can waste so much time just chasing when we should be doing what we do best, writing.
BTW thanks for the heads up on the frivolous claims. I tried to respond to your email but it was blocked at your end. I appreciate that you took the time to send the email. I posted a retraction yesterday.
Chasing, Judith? So that’s why I’m out of breath.
Slowing down for sure. I hate to hear that email didn’t go through. It always makes me wonder what else I might have missed getting. I don’t have you blocked, so I don’t know what happened.
I think we all go through that stage of trying all the marketing advice from other authors in the hopes that we will have the same success they’ve gotten or fall upon that one marketing tip that works for us, only to learn that much of it won’t work for us that same because we’re different from them. Lately, I’ve been evaluating my own marketing and writing endeavors. I found that social media market wasn’t just a time drain for me, but that all the efforts I’ve put into marketing were of very little help. I find that most of my readers came through family and friends, word of mouth, people happening upon my books, or they read a review on a blog they frequent.
I’ve also noticed that few readers follow author blogs, so unless it’s something you enjoy, most often it falls into the same time-suck vortex as social media.
Stephanie, I’m coming to that same conclusion. What will work for me, I hope, is to quit wasting time trying to learn about marketing and just WRITE. Word of mouth sells, absolutely.
Well, as Kate pointed out above, writers are readers, so to that extent my blog is for readers. I blog because it’s my social outlet, so to me it’s not a drain.
Very true, writers are readers and as Jody Hedlund pointed out once, it was the writer’s reading her blog that would recommend her book to friends they thought would enjoy it. I’m glad that you enjoy blogging.
Complete drain. I’m pulling back as you already know. At the moment, most everything I do on social networks is for my own enjoyment only. I mention my books sometimes if there’s something worth mentioning. I am much, much, much happier.
Oh yes, Michelle, you’ve pulled back drastically. I’m happy to hear it’s working well for you.
I feel like I finally looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. I’m tired of trying to be what I’m not. I just want to write, and publish what I think is good. I’ll talk a little about it here and there and believe that the readers who are meant to read it will.
I discovered Twitter when I lived in a rural town, hours away from other writers. I used it and still do as a news feed of sorts — to find intersting articles. It is a balancing act. I think it’s best to live where you are most comfortable. I’ve enjoyed your blog, so far. I read this post on Tuesday, but just made my way back to tell you thanks for sharing your viewpoint. Happy writing!
Thank you, Stacy. Yes, I’ve found links to many interesting things on Twitter, but for me, usually when I assess the value of time spent on Twitter and following those links, it doesn’t balance out.
Hi Linda, I read through the comments here and found not one that said socil networking online helped them promote themselves. Intersting…I wonder if someone will show up who will say it helped them?
I have never ventured past blogging. No time for it. From what I saw around me, the time necessary to generate a following was more than a full-time job.
My blog is an outlet. I vent there, and I connect with other writers. I ask nothing more from it – glad you feel at home here!
I can’t say it’s not helped me promote myself at all, Jennifer. By tweeting links to my posts the past three years and those posts being retweeted, many people have visited my blog who probably wouldn’t have found it otherwise. So at least I may have gotten a little start on name recognition. But I have to weigh the effort against the benefit. I figure, if I’ve been on Twitter for three years and still feel like an outsider, I should spend most of my time elsewhere. All people can know of me in the virtual world is the personality I project. I don’t seem to project the real me anywhere other than on my blog. So I think it’s best for me to use Twitter, Facebook, etc. to draw people here where I can be the real me. Now, whether they LIKE the real me, is another thing.
What I have found is that time spend on social media is time not spent writing, and you’re right we do need to be writing more books not simply promoting the one that is out there. I’ve been doing less social media these days and happily more writing which is where I started. I’m rarely on twitter. I just never seemed to get the hang of it anyway. Facebook is fun but can be time consuming as well. Still, that is where many of the people who know me in and around the community hang out and I like to keep in touch. I’m not there as much as I used to be that’s for sure. I’m even rethinking blogging for the one hundredth time since I started. I honestly don’t feel like a “real” blogger. I’m not sure I ever will. I’m always amazed at the people who seem to be able to do it all.
So while I don’t feel like much of a social media butterfly these days I do feel like a writer and hopefully that is something I’ll stick with..
I’m glad you “feel like a writer” these days, Laura.
That’s what I’ve been missing. I’m a little slower to catch on, but I’m joining the writers who write, not “socialize”.