Social media does anyone read yours, let alone care?
IS IT AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING TOOL OR WASTE OF TIME FOR WRITERS?
Okay, I’m a writer maybe we are a boring breed but recently I’ve worked really hard trying to cultivate an interest on my Twitter and Medium site. I’ve almost given up on my Facebook site because people continually ignore my efforts and send me pictures of their dinner — or their bottle of wine.
The thought that someone will read and hopefully escape into my novels fills me with absolute delight but tell me am I wasting my time trying to use social media to find my readers?
NOT MANY PEOPLE CARE AND DOES IT MATTER?
Because of all my social media efforts I’ve become caught in the futile trap of checking constantly who might be following me, tweeting me, or reading my Medium blogs.
Mmn the results are disappointing stuff and the time taken to cultivate social media is eating into precious time when I should be writing my novel.
For whatever reason not many people care.
Does it matter? According to Tim Grahl it doesn’t. He says ‘that growing social media will not increase book sales, it’s all a lie’ (I like this man’s article - it certainly let’s me off the hook). http://timgrahl.com/3-myths-and-2-truths-about-social-media-marketing-for-authors/
Fauzia Burke the Founder and President of FSB Associates also reports that she is ‘seeing social media burn-out in authors and she points out that two of the top selling authors did not invest much time in social media.’ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fauzia-burke/book-sales-social-media_b_2616439.html
WILL I FAIL WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA?
Numerous articles tell me that if I don’t cultivate social media I might as well write my book and put it in a cupboard. Unfortunately that’s really not what I want for my writing. I’m not aiming to be the next JK Rowling (fat chance anyway) I just want to share what I write. I really want people to enjoy reading it.
What will happen if nobody buys my book? Oh calamity for my soul. I suppose from the outside it’ll appear is if nothing has changed, I’ll put on a brave face (Oh, well didn’t expect much . . .)
Under the skin however everything will change. If nobody reads what I write I’ll be asking myself why bother. What am I doing this for? Why waste so much time? Perhaps I’m no good at this? I don’t need this.
The big problem is I love writing, what on earth would I put it in its place? I escape from my own life along with my characters.
I know I’ll continue because whilst I really want to share my stories with others it’s not the reason I first started writing. I write because I have a passion and feeling that I want to express and because I love to do it, just like an athlete loves to run or a chef concocts a complicated dish
So, what happens when no one reads my blog?
Well after I’ve licked my wounds I hope, no I believe, it will make me improve my writing.
So I ask myself it worth it? My aim is to share my writing with others but sometimes it takes a supreme effort not to pack in all the social media ‘stuff’ and just continue writing my second book which is being starved of my company and creative input . . . Charlie my poor main character has been lingering in Barcelona waiting to move on for far too long — blame Twitter, nay blame me.
Fauzia Burke said that ‘writers absolutely need to focus on writing the best book first. Without that, what is there to talk about?’ Right on there Fauzia . . . Barcelona here I come.
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In case you want more statistics http://www.jeffbullas.com/2015/04/08/33-social-media-facts-and-statistics-you-should-know-in-2015/
