This week members of RWA/NYC
will be discussing
Social Media and sharing
their tips.
by Robin Lovett
For some writers, social
media is something they enjoy. It jives with their personality, a desire to be
social, to share their ideas with the world and talk about their books on a
public forum. For others, it's a struggle with the introverted desire to remain
private, to observe but not interact, and to stick to writing rather than
talking about our books to total strangers.
Many of us fall into
both categories, depending on the day of the week and what's going on in our
lives. But the fact of our professional publishing world, from every corner we
hear: we have to do social media if we want to sell books.
So for those days when
the introverted side of you is screaming, DON'T MAKE ME DO IT, here are some
suggestions.
1) Think Small – One of
the overwhelming things about social media can be the sheer number of people
who could potentially see you posts. A writer friend, C. L. Polk reminded me
that her strategy is remembering that there is so much chatter on social media,
the reality for most of us is that relatively few people will see what we post.
Think about posting to those select few and it can be less overwhelming.
2) It doesn't have to be
PERFECT – Adding to number one, there is so much noise on social media, one
post will not make or break you. Not everything you put out has to be witty and
earth moving. Talk regular speak. Be real and don't over think it. People just
want to hear what's going on in your life, even if it's just how badly you
needed your last cup of coffee. Be relatable.
3) Talk to Your Friends
– The best way to feel comfortable online is to have a tribe of friends you
regularly interact with. On the days when posting anything feels like torture,
think of something you'd want your friends to know you're up to. Or, don't talk
about yourself at all that day. Comment on other people's posts and post about
one of their books.
4) Look Through Your
Photos – Many of us take a lot of photos we never get around to posting. I got
this tip from Alexis Daria. Scroll through what pics you've taken and pull out
something amusing, cute, normal, or a previous memory. Photos in posts
generally get the most interaction and very likely someone will enjoy it.
5) People Expect You to
Talk About Your Books – This is courtesy of Kimberly Bell. You've been
upfront with your account in your bio. People who follow you know you're a
writer, it's ok to pimp your book every week. (This is the hardest one for me.)
Reminding people about your latest series, or your past work, or upcoming
releases is expected of you. There's nothing wrong with talking about your
books.
6) Try the Twitter chat
for romance writers #RWChat – This is a shameless plug for the chat I help out
with that's run by Kimberly Bell, C. L. Polk and Alexis Daria. Every Sunday evening we get together on Twitter and talk romance with dozens of
other romance writers. Answering the questions creates content for your Twitter
account, helps with exposure and making friends. It gains you followers and
impressions. Best of all, you learn by observing how to do social media from some
very awesome romance writers with experience.
Even when the
introverted urge has got you wrapped up and is keeping you blocked on what to
post on social media, there are things you can do. Be nice to yourself. Posting
everyday is hard. Pressure to do it can often make the avoidance desire worse.
Do it gently and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.♥
Robin Lovett writes romance to avoid the more
unsavory things in life, like day jobs and housework. She's written a series of
dark suspense romances for SMP Swerve and has an upcoming sci-fi erotic series
with Entangled Publishing. She's represented by Rachel Brooks at BookEnds
Literary Agency and can be reached on Twitter @LovettRomance or at RobinLovett.com.
READ
ROMANCE!
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