We can talk about this topic until the cows come home. You have to be old and pre-social media to understand that one--which means, take my viewpoint with a grain of salt. I didn't even have a computer until I was married with four kids, because before that, computers filled entire rooms. Ok, so you know where I'm coming from here.
Everywhere I turn, I am reading about Pinterest, Blogs, Facebook, Goodreads and how they help your platform. But if you're writing, you have to take time away from that to engage. Ugh! What's a shy writer to do?
I admit I like interfacing on Facebook and Pinterest. Two slightly different forums, but because I wanted to be a newspaper features writer (and was a sports editor/writer in HS,) this sort of satisfies that aspect of my personality. It's like having little features in a daily newspaper only you don't have to wait for the letters to the editor! Instant feedback!
And I like Goodreads because it satisfies my need to organize my reading, or at least keep track of some of it. I will never get to the end of my TBR piles (by my bed, nightstand or on my Kindle) but it makes me smile to see the books I'd like to read as well as the ones I have read. Books comfort me.
On Facebook I try to give a shout out to my friends as they promote their books. I've influenced a great deal that way because I have a lot of reader-only friends who have asked me for reading suggestions since my days of writing my book review column in a Christian magazine.
And I have a lot of pins of books on my boards--if I haven't pinned your book, just let me know. I cannot possibly keep up, but lately I've tried to click on links I've seen on the ACFW loop and other places. I never purposely avoid authors/books--I love you all. And I especially have tried to pin all of my Hoosier ACFW friends, but I do get overwhelmed. You're a productive bunch! I also am trying to do my own writing. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed there too. I"ve helped so many others--like helping (shades of being a mom, I guess!)--that I know I need to say no more. (And that hurts me! Ouch!)
I just put up my own "author" page in anticipation of having writing in the public, all the while I'm trying to "like" others' authors pages too. (leave me your link on here or Facebook and I'll reciprocate.) It was rather intimidating to me. I can get that deer in the headlights feeling just looking at my page. Yikes. And choosing your header can be hard to do, but it's not set in stone. Get creative and you will soon be at home and so will your readers. I've seen some great author pages and some that are not so great. One piece of advice says to not put your friends' books on your author page--save that sort of thing for your personal page. But it's up to you.
So, is it helping to be out there? I don't have a book out, but I am noticing I can really influence readers and get people engaged in topics/photos, so yes, I do think your efforts are working. I guess remembering The Golden Rule, being kind and helpful to your readers will be what they remember more than anything else.
What kinds of things are you doing? What works for you? What turns you off when (where you inwardly groan) you get on your Facebook page and see posts? What kinds of posts work best on blogs for you?
Whether we like it or not, social media is a part of the marketing strategy. You become the product. Just jump in! (And be my friend on Facebook! :D )
One more thing--I just got a timer and my next step is going to be timing each of the things I want to do on the computer. I'll let you know how that works out.
http://wheniwasjustakid.blogspot.com has a list of authors and kid interviews I've done, which get hits even years later. Email me if you want to do an interview! I will be featuring Deborah Dulworth and Linda Hanna, Indiana ACFW authors, on When I Was Just a Kid starting on April 15th. Be sure to check that out.
Be sure to leave us your links!
Interesting article, Crystal. Facebook is something that can take me away from writing, something I allow to happen to easily.
ReplyDeleteI just figured out I could reply individually to you, Jeff. LOL. I allow it, too, and often rationalize it as "checking in on my family and friends." Sigh.
DeleteHi Crystal! Nice to "meet" you. It took me a while to learn the ropes, but now I really enjoy FB and blogging...perhaps too much. My blog has a homeschooling mom theme, not writing, so I'm connecting with other moms, not writers, there. But hopefully, when there is a book out, they will become readers of a book and not just of the blog.
ReplyDeleteHi, Meghan! I will have to check your pages! There is definitely a great community with homeschoolers and you do need to keep a connection there.
DeleteJeff, I think it's a chicken and egg thing--which is more important? By being on FB, people feel as if they know you, which means if they "know" you, they pay attention to your writing.
ReplyDeleteMeghan, your homeschooling theme is where you connect to your audience, which is great! Usually homeschoolers are voracious readers, so you're probably where you should be.
Thanks for "connecting!" :)
Crystal, thanks for this post. I don't know how much a person has to commit to interacting on the social platforms to make a difference. I don't have time to do twitter and to reach more people on facebook it requires interacting with people in order for your info to appear on their feed. It definitely takes a time commitment and I admit I haven't figured out the balance yet.
ReplyDeleteJust an observation, Karla, but I think you have sometimes balanced it well. I enjoy all of your cyber-doings and keep an eyeball on you. :)
DeleteI struggle with the balance of social networking and writing--and talking to real, human people! Jesus told us to love each other, and that can be done to some degree per cyberspace. But there's no substitute for face-to-face, hand-to-hand contact. I'm fighting a major time crunch here, and would appreciate any suggestions. The timer idea sounds like a winner.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Crystal, for all you do to promote my books. You're a wonderful example of a cyber and a for-real human friend--although, lol, we haven't gotten together in awhile. Coffee? Ivanhoe's?
I sometimes get carried away, and often, I feel I haven't done enough for many. It's really hard. I think the timer is going to become my friend. I also have a clock on my computer so I can come back to reality.
DeleteRight now I'm feeling overwhelmed. Gack.
Yes, Karla, I'm not one much for Twitter because I sense a degree of separation there. On Facebook I feel like I know most of those people personally and do have "connection." It's like I can "keep up" with them. They used to say you had to comment on blogs to get that cyber-platform connection.
ReplyDeleteAnd sure, Rachael, Ivanhoe's would be great! Lately I feel overwhelmed with all that I do, so I definitely feel the pain of trying to stay connected when all I want to do is withdraw! :)
I use both facebook and pinterest and enjoy keeping up with people, but really don't see this as making a big impact on my sales. Probably my fault in marketing. With personal appearances I do well, but on-line is a good back stop. I need to do it better, but sometimes feel like what's the point.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of tips, guides and book marketing resources on Your Writer Platform. get more instagram followers free trial
ReplyDelete