Social Media Insights from @JordanKRose syndicated from @PalomaBeck
The following is syndicated from Romance Beckons and is posted here with permission.
Marketing and promotion seem to be the bane of every writer’s existence. At times it feels like the constant need to market and promote is an up hill, never-ending, race toward insanity and if you try to stop you’ll fall into a pit of despair to die a lonely death while all the other writers of the world run past you to success.
Well, maybe that was a little dramatic, but I think it makes my point. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The first thing to realize is you don’t have to be everywhere and do everything. Not only will you make yourself crazy, but it’s impossible and you won’t do anything well if you try to do it all.
There are so many options from blogging to Facebook, Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, and several others. Do a little investigating to see what authors in your genre do that works and why it works.
Find something you enjoy. This nonsense I’ve heard at conferences from some writers of not wanting to share any part of your personal life with your readers is ridiculous. Readers buy our first book for any number of reasons: a great review, a referral from a friend, a spur of the moment purchase because the smoking hot cover caught their eyes.
They continue to buy all our other books because they like us. It’s not just the writing. It’s the writer. Our readers enjoy getting to know us. I’m not saying tell your readers your life story. God knows that’s craziness. But share bits and pieces with them.
You meet strangers all the time in a face to face setting and share information about yourself- like movies you’ve seen, books you’ve read, restaurants you’ve enjoyed. Share that stuff, the stuff you’re comfortable sharing at a cocktail party with people you’ve only just met.
Then decided how much time you’re able to spare on socializing.
You’ll get a different advice from every writer you ask, but basically you shouldn’t spend more time socializing than you spend writing. In fact, the vast majority of your time should be spent writing your next book, which is without question your best marketing tool.
Set a timer and when the bell rings, get off the Internet and get back to your writing. It’s the most important part of your job. There’s no sense in promoting a book that doesn’t exist.
I love Twitter. I like Facebook well enough. Pinterest is awesome, so much fun and an unbelievable time suck! What about you? What are your favorite social media tools? What’s working for you?
After trying her hand at many, many things- from crafting and art classes to cooking and sewing classes to running her own handbag business, Jordan finally figured out how to channel her creativity. With an active imagination and a little encouragement from her husband she sat down and began to write, each night clicking away at the keys with her black Labrador, Dino curled up under the desk.
Marketing and promotion seem to be the bane of every writer’s existence. At times it feels like the constant need to market and promote is an up hill, never-ending, race toward insanity and if you try to stop you’ll fall into a pit of despair to die a lonely death while all the other writers of the world run past you to success.
Well, maybe that was a little dramatic, but I think it makes my point. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The first thing to realize is you don’t have to be everywhere and do everything. Not only will you make yourself crazy, but it’s impossible and you won’t do anything well if you try to do it all.
There are so many options from blogging to Facebook, Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, and several others. Do a little investigating to see what authors in your genre do that works and why it works.
Find something you enjoy. This nonsense I’ve heard at conferences from some writers of not wanting to share any part of your personal life with your readers is ridiculous. Readers buy our first book for any number of reasons: a great review, a referral from a friend, a spur of the moment purchase because the smoking hot cover caught their eyes.
They continue to buy all our other books because they like us. It’s not just the writing. It’s the writer. Our readers enjoy getting to know us. I’m not saying tell your readers your life story. God knows that’s craziness. But share bits and pieces with them.
You meet strangers all the time in a face to face setting and share information about yourself- like movies you’ve seen, books you’ve read, restaurants you’ve enjoyed. Share that stuff, the stuff you’re comfortable sharing at a cocktail party with people you’ve only just met.
Then decided how much time you’re able to spare on socializing.
You’ll get a different advice from every writer you ask, but basically you shouldn’t spend more time socializing than you spend writing. In fact, the vast majority of your time should be spent writing your next book, which is without question your best marketing tool.
Set a timer and when the bell rings, get off the Internet and get back to your writing. It’s the most important part of your job. There’s no sense in promoting a book that doesn’t exist.
I love Twitter. I like Facebook well enough. Pinterest is awesome, so much fun and an unbelievable time suck! What about you? What are your favorite social media tools? What’s working for you?
Author Bio
After trying her hand at many, many things- from crafting and art classes to cooking and sewing classes to running her own handbag business, Jordan finally figured out how to channel her creativity. With an active imagination and a little encouragement from her husband she sat down and began to write, each night clicking away at the keys with her black Labrador, Dino curled up under the desk.
