All us aspiring authors know that if we are to be successful we need to build a social platform. Every book or article on becoming a successful writer tells us this. Yet when we go out to create one there are almost too many options. I have a Blogger account and that's about it. I have personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, but I don't want to use those for networking because most people in my real life don't know that I write so seriously.
I'm starting to think I should set up writing accounts on Twitter and Facebook. But then there's Wordpress, Tumblr and personal websites. My question is, just how many of these things are necessary when you're still at the 'aspiring' stage? What tools do you all use?
that is a really good question. Wish I had an answer for you!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had an answer too. I really only have my Blogger account, some of my friends don't think that my writing is so seriously a part of my life either. I think at the aspiring author stage, we should be trying and one good step is to have a blog. A personal website can come a little longer when we are close to publishing, so it would be something that our readers could look at.
ReplyDeleteThe social media world is a new one, and it takes time to figure out how it can actually work for you as an individual--largely because of the zillion options. I'm not very experienced, but my take on it is this: A) Which media you choose isn't as important as using ones you're comfortable with. B) use whatever you can, but do it consistently--daily. C) Ergo, don't take on more than you can manage every day without feeling resentment. If you enjoy it you're much more likely to keep it up.
ReplyDeleteI don't use Twitter because I don't want to be on "all the time." It's also a learning curve I haven't been willing (yet) to take on. I know that Wordpress is better than Blogger versatility-wise, but I'm not sure it matters for my purposes, so I don't worry about it--staying with Blogger for now.
There's a lot to learn with each media option, so take your time and enjoy the ride. Each time you post you develop potential contacts. Good luck, and i hope this helps!
Thanks so much Heather and Krista! And wow, Helen. You've given me a lot to think about. Thank you so much!
ReplyDelete