I did a talk last night to a group of writers. They are of varying age, and in varying stages of their books and projects. About half the group has been very hesitant to venture online in any capacity. Some feared for personal safety. Some misunderstood Facebook as solely a way for Facebook to market to Facebook users. And some, have not even ventured online at all.
By the time the session was over, I think I was able to inspire this fine group to take the next step. Wheels were turning. Notes were being jotted down. Hands were raised, and great comments made. It was a successful event. And, if a dozen writers in Eastern PA feel this way, then I know others do as well. I think the tech-savvy writers need to act as patron saints of social media and help our writer friends realize the potential they have.
Let me address those fears. There is nothing to be scared of just by having a presence on the Internet. Phone books have been around forever, and they lists names, addresses, and phone numbers . Ads in the newspaper, on the radio, on television publicize the location of businesses. A website is really nothing more than a calling card for your business. I mean, it really is SO much more than that, but in simple terms, that’s what it is.
If your website is personal, as it probably is for a writer, you need not furnish your address, and with cell phones, Google voice, Internet phone service - people can’t trace you. In short, you have the luxury of putting only information you want on your site. Nothing to be afraid of! About Facebook only being interested in collecting demographic information? That’s silly. I mean, do they? Yes, they do. They offer advertising which can be targeted a good deal because of information Facebook users provide. That’s no different than the magazine industry, which has forever shared mailing lists with advertisers.
It makes sense because the most effective marketing happens when there’s a highly targeted audience. But, Facebook was not started with that intent; it grew into that. And there’s way more positive things to consider about Facebook - why not try this out? Besides, new studies show that most people ignore Facebook ads. Ignore them, too. People really want pictures, status updates, and to interact.
I understand their fears. I, too, am a very tangible person. (I actually blogged about this on my company’s blog today!) I like to hold my books and turn real pages that smell like ink (or a musty basement if it’s used) as I read. I like to shop from mail order catalogs. I love shiny, well-designed consumer and literary magazines. I like that intimacy with whatever work of art I am enjoying. However, you truly can have both.
And, as a writer today, you must embrace technology or you will fall behind. So many of the successful books I’ve read as of late are multi-media of sorts. The books have accompanying blogs (or in some cases, like IGNORE EVERYONE! AND 39 OTHER KEYS TO CREATIVITY, they started out as blogs) and/or the authors are so transparent through Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts that I feel MORE connected to them.
I don’t think print will go away. In fact, I think that social media and technology can help! After all, the more you market yourself, the more books you will sell. But, this post isn’t about print vs. digital. It’s about writers using social media to help.
This whole blog was started with the intention of helping writers learn social media, but this particular post is a reminder that it’s okay to be afraid, but as with anything, ease your way in. There’s a lot of cool things you can do; but guess what? You don’t need to be there yet. You can start simple, perhaps with a free blog from Blogger or WordPress (my pick) and Twitter. Or, maybe you even need to start more basic my getting e-mail - sign up for a free web-based e-mail through Gmail or Yahoo! You’ve got to start somewhere.
When you embrace social media (and the Internet) as a writer you can:
- Build your personal brand
- Ensure you show up in search engines when people search for you, the writer
- Ensure your projects show up when people search for them
- Connect with your audience
- Connect with other writers
- Connect with publishing industry contacts
- Find blogs, articles, and other resources that provide up-to-date information on publishing that is almost exclusively online.
- Have some fun!
Chances are, if you are reading this blog post, you are not scared of the Internet or social media and, in fact, may already be embracing it.
