And what's your take on this frenzy of social/business networking, anyway? I'm on Facebook, JacketFlap, LinkedIn, Filed-by-Author, Goodreads and Twitter, mostly just so I can say I am. I feel it would take all day EVERY day to effectively exploit the various platforms.It makes me tired just thinking about it. It's enough of a commitment for me to maintain a blog. But you guys tell me: Should I tweet (or facebook, or etc)? Why?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The All Access Pass
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I do a ton of those things (most notably Twitter and blogging), but I firmly believe that you only get out of them what you want to put into them. Sure, it's easy to make an account on all of those sites, but unless you enjoy putting the effort in, it just becomes tedious additional work.
I enjoy using Twitter, but it's really a pretty pointless application. It's just insta-blogging to a larger audience. I just end up using it to talk about what I'm reading and what's on teevee, then converse with other teevee and book people.
What I'm saying is that it comes down to you. If you're super busy (which, yeah, you obviously are) and don't have the time to put into it, you're not losing anything by not being on all those social networking sites, save for avoiding people constantly asking you, "Oh my god! Why aren't you on Twitter?"
Only if your heart is in it, because let's face it - neglected or half-hearted social networking presence can be far worse than no presence in the medium. Once you're out there, people expect things from you (rightly/wrongly is a different debate).
Under-promise. Over-deliver. Good old fashioned advice.
I really don't see the point in twittering, or facebooking or any other so called promotion. Your book sells because it's good, right? I think this is still true even today with all the technology at our fingertips.
LA BUG
Re: Anon 11:55; actually, I've been working on my dissertation evaluating the connection between book marketing and book sales. And unfortunately for all of us authors, there is a HUGE connection between marketing and sales. A full 80% of the time an un-marketed book, no matter how good, just doesn't sell.
Kerry, interesting. But *whose* marketing?
The professional sales team at a publishing house or author's own efforts? Which is more crucial? If you say "author's" (or at least half and half) then I'm doomed. I live in Indonesia and can only rely on the web for PR -- no beating my drum in real life person.
Twitter is great. I like its immediacy and have "met" lots of cool people. I had an editor contact my agent and request my MS. It's quick, easy and doesn't require a lot of upkeep.
Facebook is scary, like stalker, high school flashback scary. I "deactivated" my account after three months.
I can't keep up w/ Goodreads and have no idea what those others are.
I'd say, do it if you want to, and I won't be following your efforts, because I don't have time to learn/keep up with every format.
Only you can assess what your time allows.
I've made the decision to focus on one platform only (my blog), although I'll keep my finger lightly on the pulse of my Facebook profile, otherwise I'd never have time to actually write (let alone fulfill the commitments real life requires of me!) When I'm published, I may reconsider.
But for now my motto is: focus.
Good luck in deciding what your personal motto is to be! :)
Twitter is utterly pointless. I never tweet fifty times a day. No no no....
I read some good advice somewhere in the interwebs about doing one thing well.
You're doing this blog darn well.
I use Twitter as a news feed more than as social networking, so I find out very quickly when a big publishing story breaks, like amazon delisting gay titles or #queryfail. Facebook is great for keeping in touch with friends without actually having to put in much effort.
It can be overwhelming--especially when so much social networking is idle chat or ranting.
Tools like this one posted on 'Kathy Schrock's S.O.S.: Help for Busy Teachers' can help
Posterous
http://posterous.com/
"...easily post all types of items online in a single blog-like interface via email; you can also post simultaneously to Facebook, Blogger, Twitter and other sites."
I don't post enough to use it myself.
I use Twitter and if you care why, there's a whole piece on my blog (just click on my name to get there and scroll down). But here's something I want to say about social networking and blogging. I don't know if you've seen the video called Editing Letter. It's a hilarious vid by debut author Lara Zielen. We share an editor. My editor sent me a link. At that time, the video had had about 300 views. I blogged and tweeted about it, but then I sent it to Janet Reid, who also blogged and tweeted about it. And then another agent picked that up from her. Lara was also tweeting about it and I'm sure lots of other people were too. It showed up on the Longstockings blog shortly after that. Within just a few days the views jumped from a few hundred to over 5000! It is now at 7242 views, just two weeks later. Many, many people have said on Twitter or their blogs, "This person is hilarious. I am so going to buy her book when it comes out!" Probably not every thing you do will sell books, but there are ways to make things like Twitter and blogging pay off.
In all seriousness, I use Twitter and syndicate to my other blogs so there's at least some content on them all. Maybe not great content, but la. I'm a much better Twitterer than I am a blogger, alas.
Kerry, where can I get my paws on a copy of your dissertation?
:-)
I used to twitter, but it was way too spastic for me. I couldn't keep up. It felt like a crowded room with a bunch of people talking at each other...
I'm on Facebook and enjoy that more, and if I'm ever published I have ideas for using it. I also have what I think is a terrific online marketing idea for children's books, and I'm only sharing once I'm published.
:-)
The fun thing is, this area is still so new and open, there's plenty of room to make a mark.
Should you? Only if you want to, and have a vision for how you'd want to make the most of that network.
Every time this question is asked in the blogosphere, the responses range from raves to put-downs of every one of the networks. There's no single place that's perfect for everyone. I suppose that's why there are so many choices!
I'm the one who asked this question and I have to fess up: I've since activated my Twitter account, and . . . it's not nearly as time-consuming as I thought it would be: quicker and easier than checking emails every morning.
I'm trying to keep my "follows" to fellow authors, illustrators and industry types, and I heartily recommend an organizing system like TweetDeck. We'll see.
You'd be first on my list to follow, EA--but, heavens, don't do anything that would take you away from the blog!
BTW, Facebook still eludes me.
For now,
@BonnieAdamson
I should clarify that I'm not attempting to actively market myself or a book with Twitter. For that, it seems to me you'd really have to game the system--amass huge numbers of followers, etc.
I'm enjoying the small (ha!) window on the industry, following links to some great sites I never knew about, finding interesting people, feeling "connected," however tenuously. There's ALWAYS a good conversation going on.
Okay, I admit it.
I love Twitter. :-)
I use facebook exclusively for personal stuff-- trading photos and updates with old friends and family.
Twitter is.... odd.... for me it ends up being part communication tool, part to-do list, and part free-telegrams-to-my-husband since he checks twitter at work but not email. So I'll sometimes twitter "Kids sick, out of Tylenol" and then he picks some up on the way home.
Personally, though, I HATE it when my favorite bloggers take up twitter-- It takes time away from their blogs, and I prefer reading posts to tweets! So don't do it, EA!
You might enjoy facebook if your college friends are on it, though. It's a great way to keep up with people on opposite coasts.
If you want to Twitter, do it for fun, maybe even as someone other than Editorial Anonymous. I enjoy interacting with pals and making new ones, getting info on hobbies and interests (just bought a Holga camera via a Tweet).
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