Honestly, the Writer’s Block Party whizzed by! So, when I offer this list of things I wish I had shared, it’s because there was no time for more. Social media is a sprawling topic. To cover all of the intricacies of the subject, we would still be at the Gail Borden library…

The panelists were provided the link to the Dan Blank video and a list of potential questions to prepare for. Having watched the video, I tailored my responses to reference Dan’s comments. I don’t think you have to watch his clip to understand my comments, but you might want to.

Three Things I think you should consider regarding Social Media:
1. In whatever social media you choose to use, be brief. Get to the point. What is it you’re trying to say? How are you hoping to engage your reader? If flowery prose is your style, go for it. But don’t go long…I can tell you, there is NO blog post interesting or beautifully written enough for me to spend ten minutes scrolling through. Hook me quick and I’ll be back!

2. I think people may feel intimidated by the idea of engaging beyond selling their book. Don’t be. Of course you want to sell your book! Shout it from the rooftops that you’re published! Instead of “buy my book!”,  when you meet people, or post on social media, engage in their interests. “You’re wearing a White Sox cap, how confident are you in this rebuild?” “Your vacation photos from Fiji looked amazing; I’ve always wanted to go there!” These are honest, genuine comments about the other person. Coming around to what you do, what you like, and what you write will happen organically. “I see you like pizza, have you been to Anna’s in Winnebago? Their breakfast pizza looks delicious. I mention them in my book.”

3. We are not our target market. I think this is so important–as writers, we surround ourselves with other writers. But to expect us all to buy them all is unfair to our pocketbooks and asking a lot of our time. Of course I want to buy and read your book! (As I want you to buy and read mine!) I always appreciate the support, but I understand your time is spent writing and reading books that you need to read to be a better writer, whether instructional or inspirational. This is why social media is so important. It helps expand your audience, your potential reader circle, beyond the people you see all the time. Don’t get me wrong, our writer peers are invaluable! Just not our target audience…unless you publish books on writing. 🙂

Tomorrow I’ll wrap up this blog-week with a list of what I learned from the panelists and audience members. Thanks for allowing me this social media indulgence.