Get Your Writing Noticed: Advanced social media for writers – what works and what doesn’t?
.
This is the last in a series of seven posts. The previous post on using emotion in your writing is here.
The question of what works and what doesn’t in terms of social media for writers is complicated by two key factors; each of us will have a unique social media experience based on our own situation and personal preferences, and each of us brings our own baggage to the social media table.
Luddites will deny that social media has any relevance to writing. Social media lovers will say it will change everything for writers and writing.
I fall in the middle somewhere. Here is what I can tell you that has worked for me, and what disappoints me:
* Social media helped me win a global publishing contract with Harper Collins and my first novel is being translated into 9 other languages, partly because I had a presence on social media, (Twitter, a blog, YouTube). I also had a good novel, but the publisher was interested in the fact that I had a following too. This may be unfair, but for me it wasn’t. I’ve been on the other end of unfairness too often in my life to complain about it when I get a break.
* Social media has helped me get through the day. I work at a desk in a small house in a bleak suburb. My social media friends make me smile, make me look at the world outside my little corner, and make me feel connected. Rubbish this if you want. But don’t try and take my social media away. I need it.
* My sales are good for my first novel, The Istanbul Puzzle, the novel has continued to sell nine months after publication and the presales of my new novel, The Jerusalem Puzzle, are surprisingly good too (order it on the right). Yes, you have to have a good novel to sell, but social media allows me to get the word out, to tell people it’s been edited within an inch of it’s life and it’s available .
* Not everything I have done on social media has been a success. I am on Pinterest, Foursquare, Empire Avenue, Sulia, Tumblr, Instagram and a lot of other sites. Their impact has been limited. Much of my time spent exploring the outer reaches of the social media universe has been wasted. The truly most important things I do are my two blogs, this one and www.socialmediaisdynamite.com, my Twitter profile and my Facebook page, because they generate a lot of interaction with readers all around the world. I got 400 hits on my two blogs yesterday. It’s not James Bond, but for me, someone who got only a hundred hits in his first month with a blog, it’s good.
So if you are a writer these are the things I recommend, stick to the main sites, develop a blog and follow people on Twitter and talk to people on each service.
If you want to know more about my views on social media come to one of the courses I will be teaching in Dublin from early next year, or sign up for my blog updates at www.socialmediaisdynamite.com.
Here is a link to my last post in this series on using emotion to keep readers involved.
Please leave feedback, make suggestions and engage. This series of posts needs you to get involved to make them fly.
And please sign-up using the secure sign-up button above right to receive notifications in your inbox when new post’s are released.
If you would like to discuss this post or for me to review your writing and give brief feedback without charge (page 1 of your MS only please) contact me via the comments below or by email: lpobryan@gmail.com
Here are some links to useful information for writers:
socialmediaisdynamite.com for my blog on using social media to get noticed.
The reality of being published – 2 months after my first book came out all over the UK I wrote this post
The Accessible Author – how the author’s role is changing
Frantic Editing – a post on the editing process my first novel went through in the summer of 2011
Finally, a big thank you to all my readers, everyone who comments and everyone who visits. I hope you find this information useful on your journey to getting your writing noticed.
Please reblog, link to, Tweet, post or mention this post. There are links to do that above and mainly below.
Your honesty is refreshing. Thanks. I guess what you’re suggesting is the KISS rule – Keep It Simple, Stupid.
Thanks for your refreshing honesty. I guess you’re advising the use of the KISS rule – Keep it Simple, Stupid.
Reblogged this on Joshua Lisec and commented:
Another brilliant post from bestselling Irish thriller writer Laurence O’Bryan.
Congrats on being shortlisted, and my social media results fall dead in line with yours! (Though I might have added Goodreads — I’m still undecided about its effect.)
Thanks, Stan. Yes, I am on Goodreads too. I tried sending invitations to a few thousand followers, but no one was interested. People go there to talk about reading and I don’t think they want to be bothered by authors. All the best from Dublin.
I’ve heard similar things. Of late, I’ve been looking up books that most match mine — in my case, Stephen Hunter’s Point of Impact is VERY similar.
And so, I’m finding folks who reviewed that book and engaging them in conversation. Nothing more. Nothing less. But I figure that this could lead to something, since his readers are clearly my readers.
If… If… (you know how that goes…) But, if, one were to become friends, read my book and love it, etc., etc., it could lead to a review or blog post that could… You know all that biz…
Will it? Probably not, but I must keep pulling that thread until I know otherwise. Good conversation, and I’ll put your stuff on my reading list.
Yours,
Stan
I’m glad to see you recommend sticking to the main social media sites. There just seem to be too many. I would think it would be a waste of resources to try to be everywhere at the same time.
I completely agree about sticking to the main sites. Even facebook isn’t giving me a whole lot of return because of the new rules. Twitter and Blogging all the way
Couldn’t agree more – I only use Twitter (mostly), my FB author page, and Goodreads. I’ve never even looked at all the others, but my books sell every day, and, like yours, my first novel published over a year ago is still selling regularly. I only started blogging in March this year and still don’t do it regularly, but my blog posts have between 50 and 300 hits, sometimes more (one has nearly 1000). I’ve found regular readers, and have loads of reviews. I do not, however, have a publishing contract! One day, one day, I hope. Many congratulations on yours!
I could not have got where I have without social media, and I think I use it wisely – and generously, too, which I think is important. However, like you, I like to keep it in perspective – no point doing so much of it that there’s no time to write!
Thanks Terry – your name is in the hat! Laurence
Good article. I agree that having a blog, Twitter and perhaps Facebook presence are the most important. Pinterest too, though less for marketing and more for research – there is so much information on that site and it offers a great way to store information too.
Crafty Green Poet
http://craftygreenpoet.blogspot.com
Great advice on the entire series. I truly enjoy and benefit from your posts.
I think it was very fair of harper colline to give you a contract: having a following on social media is hard work, although a very pleasant work for me too. Just like you, I need to keep in touch directly with people all over the world: I learn a lot and it makes me happy. Thank you for sharing your notes
my book is already available. i am very happy to be in this big family. i research one translator for my book. ETUDIANTS DE L’OMBRE. thank you for all Laurence
Good advice. Thanks for this! I’m slowly paddling round the social media shallows and find any advice on what works (and what doesn’t) invaluable.
Thanks for this post. Good advice! I’m paddling round the shallows of social media and I find others’ experiences of what works (and what doesn’t) invaluable.
Great advice, as usual, Laurence. Your last post on emotion was excellent and I’ve bookmarked it for future reference. I haven’t been able to figure out social media yet and how to use it properly, but am slowly learning. Finding the time to work on it, particularly with the blog, is an ongoing prob.