As I’m sitting here contemplating the topic today, it dawned on me that really so many things in life could be categorized as pains in the ass. I’ve dated a few men (once each) who should just be stood up against a wall. They would qualify. But, alas, this isn’t about men. No it’s about the second most dreaded thing after a bad date.
A new social media platform.
Okay, maybe I’m overstating, but seriously? I’m a Twitter quitter. I started Facebook all wrong: I have a personal page with 5000 friends, most of whom I’ve not had the pleasure of actually meeting in the flesh. I do have an author page that is an afterthought because I have so much fun chatting with all my new friends. I’ve been told I’m doing this backwards. So what else is new?
I’m invited to so many events on LinkdIn and Goodreads I can’t possibly RSVP to all of them. My grandmother with her Southern manners would be dismayed.
I’m in several circles on Google+, but I can’t even remember my password to get into the thing.
And let’s not forget all the groups and chats I’m supposed to participate in.
I receive endless alerts that my “friends” have started following me on Pintrest. They really shouldn’t follow me, I have no idea where I’m going.
And now I get invitations to Ripple and Riffle and….oh, you name it, each touting their abilities to make me a bestseller.
The whole thing smacks of late night television with it’s Hucksters trying to sell me products guaranteeing my overnight financial independence.
And it makes me want to scream.
Really this social marketing thing has just become too much, almost to the point that it is just white noise. When I get invitations to events from folks I’ve never heard of, or a come-on for the latest and greatest web-based thing that is the next “FaceBook but even better” I’m tempted to hit the delete key even though I’m genuinely interested in what folks are both reading and writing.
It is truly TMI, not to mention a pain in the ass to try to participate everywhere. And the flood of info is so great, the voices are muted, lost, in the white-noise of digital chatter.
But, I know some of it is valid and beneficial. Some of it connects readers, writers, booksellers, librarians and all other story-lovers. And god knows, if there is anything I can bore you to death with it’s talk about stories! I’d love to join in.
But on which sites, which forums?
As writers, which platforms do you like and why? As readers, same question.
My mother tells me I was born a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I currently reside in Las Vegas, where my friends assure me I cannot get into too much trouble. Silly people. I am the author of WANNA GET LUCKY? (A NY Times Notable Crime Novel for 2010 and double RITA™ Finalist), LUCKY STIFF, SO DAMN LUCKY and two digital novellas, LUCKY IN LOVE and LUCKY BANG. My upcoming releases are tow digital novellas, LUCKY NOW AND THEN, Parts One and Two (March and April 2013) and the fourth Lucky novel, LUCKY BASTARD (May 14th in hardcover). I can usually be found at the bar, but also at www.deborahcoonts.com.
I’m a reader and while I have several of these social accounts, it’s to get points for contests or to get coupons, otherwise I ignore them. The people I really want to communicate with I call or e-mail and vice versa.
Anne–I’m like you except I do enjoy the “conversations” on FB. Tell me this, if you will, how do you find books and new authors?
I get daily blog newsletters from over 40 book review blog sites each day (that’s another story, finding time to give them more than a quick glance) and I do visit a few sites like MSW, Omnimystery.com and The Plotmonkeys where authors promote and also have visiting guests. My local paper has a tiny 2 page section once a week on books and I cruise the new book shelf at the library like a shark. (Insert Jaws theme here)
People who know I’m a voracious reader occasionally make suggestions. When I read author interviews and they recommend their favorite authors I’m very inclined to look up those authors mentioned if they are new to me. Who should know about good reads more than an author I like to read is my feeling.
It’s much easier finding romance blog sites than mystery.
The basics: Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Toni–how do you choose you hashtags on Twitter? I think I would like it more if I could follow threads of conversations. Do you do that?
Use the search option on Twitter to find what you’re searching for. For example, I love Project Runway. If I search #projectrunway, I can see every tweet posted with that term in the tweet. And if I want my tweet in the feed I add the hashtag. “I disagree with the Tim Gunn save! #projectrunway.” Now everyone who searches that hashtag will see my comment. Or if you see a hashtag in a tweet, click on it and it will take you to all the comments with the same hashtag.
I’m talking myself into try Twitter more and with more purpose….God knows I do love to chat:)
I use my personal page on Facebook a lot, but I have the security set pretty high. I only post writing related things on my author page. I’ve been told to make my author page more personal, but I have a hard time doing that. I use Twitter a tiny bit. Most of my news feed seems to be everyone saying “buy my book!” I have a rarely used Instagram account, and I refuse to go near Pinterest because I KNOW I can get sucked in there.
I checked out Pintrest once…and lost two hours in the process. I downloaded tons of “healthy” recipes….and I don’t often cook:) I also found shoes I can’t afford, and dresses I never had the figure to wear.
Usually I play on my personal page on FB. I tried the author page, but then i couldn’t see what everyone else was posting and talking about! to me, that’s the whole point of FB–find friends who like the same stuff you do, books being only part of it.
I only use Facebook and the reason I got on there was to be able to talk to my niece and nephews who live far away. Now I follow a number of authors on FB and talk to some of them regularly. I have been on Pinterest but not in a long time. I do the Goodreads site but not as much as some.
Goodreads is o difficult for authors, at least to me. Some of the folks have gotten downright nasty of late, so I plug the books I’ve read that I love and leave it at that. Facebook is my hangout.
Love, love love this post, Deborah. I started on Twitter, and didn’t jump onto FB until six month later, because I felt it was easy-peasy to maneuver. Also, I like that my pithy bon mots (as if) had to be contained in 140 characters.
Ironically, now that’s I’ve made it a point to reach out on FB, too, like you, I’ve made a lot of cool friends there. It’s cools to reach out with things that strike me during the day as something I’d like to say something about.
We authors create in a vacuum. Both of these networks are, for me, my little window on the world (virtual, if not “real”).
I would have to say that, when it comes to FB, I’m in need of a 12-step program. I LOVE that I can stay in touch with farawy friends so easily….
I joined facebook originally to keep with my family members, and all there pics! I didn’t really get it at first.. Now that I’ve starting following and becoming friends with so many of my fave authors I love it! It still blows my mind that I can comment ones status or page and they will respond to me! Goodreads is my big obsession. I’m sad that people are being nasty there :/. Shame on them. I never understood what LinkedIn was. Or Google Plus. I have a Pinterest page and I follow people and they follow me but I still haven’t figured what that actually means….
Writers started out as real people…..Kidding. Most of us are just like your hometown friends…with a weird job. I like Goodreads, too, but I tread lightly. It’s funny, once one becomes and author, everyone forgets we are readers, too…..
Great post! Confess that I’m only on Twitter, and I’m not faithful there. People are always giving me a hard time about not being on FB, but I just see it as one more place to have to keep info posted and updated…and I can’t take on any more. It’s not that I don’t think the various platforms are useful or fun, but I’ve found the hardest thing to do is protect my writing time, so something has to go or be ignored…and for now, for me, that’s social media. I love, love, love my readers, but I primarily correspond with them through newsletters.
See now, I don’t do a newsletter except when books come out–so it’s not really a newsletter but more of an announcement. But FB is like a continuing newsletter…at least I see it that way. so I made the opposite choice: FB but no newsletter. When the Universe FINALLY grants my wish for an extra 12 hours in each day, I’ll probably get better at this stuff…and maybe even do a newsletter….then again, I might just catch up on my sleep.
Great post! I had to laugh. I still don’t get Linked-In. Does anyone? But I’m like Deborah, I don’t want anymore social media I have to do. I need to write books!
I also don’t get Goodreads. I’ve been told I need to go there. But like Deborah, I’m not sure how to. 🙂
I do love FB and have made some great reader friends there. It is all I do. My daughter set up my author FB page so I Tweet. But where it goes or what happens to it after that…I don’t know. So I don’t “follow” anyone.
I try to keep my webpage up to date, blogging about one a week. Other than that and FB, I write books because I’m a writer. If I did all the social media stuff, I wouldn’t have time to write. It’s insane.
It is insane. I saw an interview with a bestselling author the other day. She said she works 10-12 hour days….but out of that she may write for an hour or a little more, but never two. I was waving my hand wildly wanting to ask, “So who writes the stuff you are killing yourself to sell?” If I only wrote an hour a day….that would be like a book a decade…..
And all I really wanted to do was write……and read some. And hang with my weird writer friends….
I hit up MSW, blogs from a few authors, FB on author page with a few authors and have my personal FB page. I have no interest in twitter, Pinterest looks interesting (but, yes, I’d get sucked in for hours–better skip that) and I do post on my FB. Cuz really, how many non family people want to know my daughter scored 3 goals in her soccer game?
As to why do I like….. Author FB– updates on WIP, funny stories ( Toni McGee Causey is great for funny little things and her glorious pix)
Author blogs–again WIP updates, new author info (Roxanne St Claire is featuring “shout outs” to some of her fav’s this month)
The one thing I appreciate the most in author blogs are when the author does respond back to each blog comment– responding to over 25 comments is not always feasible.
I really haven’t done much with WIP updates, but I’ve been thinking about doing that–now I know I will. I love FB. And I love funny little things. Toni is great! And, to be honest, I believe an author really ought to try to answer everyone who takes the time, energy and interest to write a comment to a blog. That’s part of it…the fun part for me.
I started out really liking Twitter, but I have too many people I follow to be able to follow them, if you know what I mean?! I love Facebook. Post a couple times a day, see what others are up to, and check out the funny cat photos. LOL