Welcome to Social Media Mondays on my blog—a series created with writers in mind.
Having spent the last two years in one of the steepest learning curves I’ve ever undertaken, I have amassed mountains of information about social media and marketing for writers. In the spirit of paying it forward, I’ve decided it’s time to share some of what I’ve gleaned with other writers—particularly fiction writers.
And before you go all cranky on me about how you’re a writer, not a marketer, I know. And I get it, because I’m primarily a writer, too. But like it or not, the publishing world is very different from what it was 20 (or even 10) years ago. The ivory tower (or remote seaside cottage) we writers used to be able to inhabit is an ideal that has passed. Whether you’re self-published or with a traditional publisher, you’re going to need to do your own marketing (unless you’re J.K. Rowling or Stephen King, of course!). Your editor expects it, your publisher expects it, your agent expects it, and increasingly, your fans expect it.
Which is exactly why I’m starting this blog series. If you feel as I did when I started out, the whole social media thing can seem pretty overwhelming. You know that you need to be “out there”, building relationships with your fans and potential readers, getting the word out about who you are and what you write, and just plain being seen…but where do you even start?
There are many, many, many platforms to choose from: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+…and the list goes on. The truth is, if you try to put yourself out on too many of them, chances are that you’ll run into one (or more) of these three issues:
- You’ll be spread too thin and you won’t be effective on any of the platforms
- You’ll spend all your time on social media with no time left over to write
- Because you’re feeling stressed and you’re not seeing any benefit, you’ll give up.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Done right, social media can be a highly effective way to interact with your readers, build a supportive community, and boost your online profile—all of which translates into improved book sales. It can also be a great deal of fun as you become more comfortable with it.
My theory is that if it’s something I need to do, I’m going to: (a) do it as well as I possibly can, and (b) have as much fun with it as I possibly can. Fortunately, (a) has led quite naturally to (b) for me, and I’m betting that it can for you, too. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will share as much as I can with you to help make social media work for you as well.
Take a moment now to sign up for email updates on this blog (look for “Subscribe to blog via email” in the right hand sidebar). Each Social Media Monday, I’ll tell you what I’ve tried, what I’ve like, what’s worked, and what hasn’t. If you have questions along the way, please ask…and if you have suggestions, please share.
See you next Monday! 🙂
P.S. If you know a writer who might find this blog series helpful, please share this post with him/her!
P.P.S. I’d love to have you join my online communities, too — follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook. 🙂
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