Being Exclusive

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73


There's a lot of pressure these days for authors to be on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogs - it can be overwhelming. A lot of people ask you to "like" their author pages, follow them, whatever. But I read something very interesting today (ironically via Twitter): 7 Neworking Tips for Authors.

I especially like #2 - Be Exclusive.

That's right - be exclusive on social media. Don't like everyone, don't follow everyone. Get with a few key people, the ones who can help you grow your career and your platform. As your circle expands, add a few more people. But be selective.

So I am. Starting right now. I'm paring back to what and who I think is really important. The people I've connected with, who know me, the ones in front of whom I don't have to pretend to be someone/something else and obsessively watch my p's and q's. That's not to say I'll be rude to people, but I don't have to dance around on eggshells, you know?

It feels - liberating.

Navigating Social Media

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, most of my day today was spent revising, but I stumbled across this gem of a post from Jungle Red Writers - the ins and outs of social media.

If you're like me, things like Facebook and Twitter can be a total time sink, taking valuable time away from your primary goal - for me, writing fiction. For you it might be something else.

But if you're trying to sell something - yourself, a product, a service, or a book - what do you get told? "Have a social media presence."

For a writer, this is daunting (believe me). I mean, you wouldn't think writing a blog would be difficult - but it is. What's the difference between a Facebook fan page and a personal page? Why do I care? Should I be on Twitter or not? What about Pinterest? I have no idea what to do with Google+ - is that a problem?

It's enough to drive one mad, I tell you.

And that's if you're a published writer with, you know, actual books and stuff. What about poor, little old me? Just an unpublished gal hoping to break into the big leagues (or even the minor leagues) some day. Write a newsletter? Why would anyone care what I have to say?

But I have to break that train of thought because if I'm hoping to sell my stories, I must believe that someone wants to read my words. And words are just words. They are all stories in some way, shape or form. So if I can't see a story in a newsletter, how do I sell it as a novelette?

So for the first time, I think I have a plan. I'm concentrating, for now, on Facebook and this blog. Yeah, I'll still be on Twitter, but I find that more useful for making professional connections, not selling things. And look for a newsletter soon - just as soon as I figure out what to say and how to say it.

For now, if you haven't, toodle off to my Facebook author page and give me a "like" - pretty please with sugar on it?