Recently I read a blog post about a writer who quit because she felt overwhelmed by the amount of time she needed to spend on promotion. The time she felt pressured to promote on social media had drained the joy of writing and only added stress to what had once been a dream come true. It was sad, and I've heard others express their frustration and distaste of that part of the business. Even authors contracted by the big traditional publishers must parcel out pieces of their writing time to promotion.
I have no easy answer because if a writer wants their work to read readers they must use social media to get their word out. This is especially true of indie-published authors and those published by small presses. But there are ways to lessen the stress. Don't do it alone. Be a group. A group blog. A group Facebook page. A group Twitter. Make a schedule and a plan so the group is active on whatever forum it is. What are the benefits? Most of the below refer to blogs but would be true for FB or Twitter also.
1. The most obvious is time. If you belong to group blog, instead of feeling like you need to post every day, you might only post every two weeks or even once per month. You're still active but not spending as much time.
2. Each member of the group brings their own strengths and widens the fields of expertise contributing to the blog. Do make sure the people in your group actually have something to contribute. Most writers do.
3. Having different people posting varies the 'voice' of the blog. Perhaps someone brings humor and another writes in a highly professional manner.
4. You have an immediate wider audience group. Each member brings their own friends, fans and contacts. Even if you start with mostly family, friends and known professional contacts, those branches will sprout and grow.
5. Each member will also bring connections to other forms of social media. Nearly all writers will have a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn presence. When they post and link their posts to those platforms, all members are appearing there too. It helps everyone.
6. Not to be overlooked is the security and comfort of being part of a group. You'll find support and assistance among your members. You'll learn things from them.
7. By having others depend on you to do you share, it will force you to stay active even when the business has weighed you down.
Please visit me today at the IWSG Blog, a group I'm very proud to be part of. Are you a member of a group blog? What do you see as the benefits? Does social media stress you at times? How do you motivate yourself to stay active?
15 comments:
I used to follow a group which had one writer who was far and away a better blogger than the other members. When she left the group it was as if all the energy went with her. The group dissolved shortly afterward.
The only thing I'd suggest is if you choose to join a blog group, read the posts for a while to make sure there's more than one good blogger in the group.
That's why I'm glad I belong to two groups. (And everyone at the IWSG rocks!)
I do like group blogs like Writer Unboxed. I think they're a great idea for writers who feel overwhelmed by all there is to do to promote a novel. There are times blogging even once a week feels like too much, so sharing the burden of promotion would seem a great solution. It would be a matter of finding the right combination of people though.
Reaching a wider audience is a huge reason. Our own circles are only so big.
This is great advice, something I wish I had been told years ago. I'm at a point right now where I feel the weight and pressure of the social media/platform building arena and I don't even have a book to promote. Back before I started blogging all I did was write, and I felt much more free, if that makes any sense. But on the other hand, it's blogging that’s connected to so many wonderful bloggers/writers and for that I am truly grateful. The trouble now however, is the guilt. The guilt I shoulder when I can't put in the time to give back is heavy. i've almost quit a few times, but I'm still hanging in there. I can see how belonging to a group can ease some of that stress. Great post.
Yes, it surely can drain all the fun out of why you began in the first place. Never thought of the group blog, thankfully I'm far ahead, only reason I haven't said screw it some days lol
This is a great idea Susan. I've been considering adding another blogger to my blog for that very reason it would take the stress off me. Time is such a precious commodity and in my life, it's finite.
It's going to take some thought to implement, tho. :-)
Sia McKye Over Coffee
Social media does stress me at times. I have my own blog, and I belong to a group. The group is awesome, and I should let it allow myself to cut back on my own blog. But sometimes I feel guilty when I do.
I agree that this is an excellent way to use your time without feeling spread thin. And, as you say, your reach is just that much further because people who like "other" authors will read you, too. For instance, I follow (but don't read daily) Writer Unboxed and The Kill Zone and the IWSG blog. I don't always comment (in fact, I usually don't) but the information is helpful.
These are all the reasons why I love IWSG. Thanks for putting it in perspective, Susan.
Groups definitely help and it's more fun being in a group too.
I'm sad to see writers quit for that reason too. Seems there are too many lately.
Some days I feel pulled in every direction. I don't know if joining or creating a group would add to the confusion or lessen it.
I wonder if she will find her way back to writing.
Hi Susan .. I can quite understand why people belong to a group and I've thought about it.
But equally I take your point about the IWSG and hadn't really considered IWSG that way .. and that's another real benefit.
Something to think about .. thanks - Hilary
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