Writing is baring the soul, painting with words. Write freely, and discover yourself on the page.
I have that quote from a conference pinned on my wall. I don’t even remember who said it.
But this week, the writing has been hard. My anxiety has pushed back. My attention has been distracted. And my interruptions have been many.
Still, like all writers, I sit and type.
I mentioned a few weeks ago I had deleted the Twitter / X app off my phone. I haven’t logged in or checked it much since. It’s kind of sad to be honest. I opened my twitter account in 08, and at one time had well over 7K followers. However, like so many other social media spaces things change.
My reasoning for leaving Twitter has nothing to do with Musk. To be honest, it has to do with my philosophy of social media. My philosophy of social media is to be authentic, connect with others, share my story, and have fun. I have a personal policy that I don’t discuss or comment on politics, culture wars, social justice, and / or controversial discussions. I’m of the belief that social media is not the place for those topics to be chatted about. Many probably disagree with that line of thinking, that’s fine. I’m okay with that. But for me I’m in a much happier mood when I steer clear of it online.
Lately Twitter has been less fun. None of the authors I once connected with seem to be there. None of the community that I once goofed off with are around. And the only thing showing up in my feed are topics I could care less about. Even the hashtag search seems to be irrelevant anymore.
The fact of the matter is Twitter is dying and it’s not because of Musk. It’s the same reason authors who use to get 40k advances from big publishers as a mid-list author in the 80’s and early 90’s now only gets about a 5k to 10k advances from those same publishers. The world changes and so does competition.
Back in the day you had Facebook, Twitter, and if you were lucky a slow dying My Space (because of all the tech gurus Tom seems to have been the only smart one.) Today, you have Facebook, twitter, Instagram, TikTok, BlueSky, Mastodon, Threads, YouTube, and about 10k others.
The problem is the internet is no longer independent. In the early days we as authors had our own website, our own blogs, all interconnected to RS feeds, with multiple forums. Today, we must choose which sandbox to play in and hope our audience shows up and our stories make it past the algorithm.
But that begs the question- If not twitter: Where?
Author marketing is changing. And if I’m being truthful it’s going to get tighter and harder to reach readers. As TikTok gets banned for national security purposes (and it most likely will happen in the next year) and Twitter drains itself of any usefulness whatsoever, different groups will gravitate to different places. Heck, it’s happening now.
For me the question I need to answer is: Where will my readers be? Or better, as a Middle-Grade author: Where will those that have influence power over my readers be?
My online strategy for the time being is simple.
One: For Marketing I’m planning on using Instagram and Facebook online. I’m marketing to parents, and primarily to mothers and this is where they are at.
Two: For connecting with other writers- I’ll be on Threads and in Facebook groups. I enjoy Threads, but the initial hype seems to be waning. There are a few things I don’t like about it but I’m having fun there. (And yes- I know all about their terms and conditions. I just don’t really care and don’t post anything there that would affect me in that way). I would personally love it if the RealmSphere for realm makers became more active with both readers and writers!
Three: I will be utilizing my website and blogging more. This year alone I have had 7k hits on my website and 1K on my online store. So, traffic comes when I blog. Therefore I plan to keep the content up.
The thing is- Just like some book’s stores collapsed, along with the Mass Market Paperback market, so there will be changes in social media for authors. My advice to authors is if you want to reach readers, stop thinking about what you enjoy or the places you enjoy being, and start asking where your readers are. Because you might need to shift your mindset and step into a new realm.
Writing at times is like navigating a jungle full of keyboard warriors. You guessed it! We’re talking about Trolls. You know the ones. They’re like the colorful parrots squawking in the trees singing trying to gain attention.
Here is some facts about trolls. First they come in different shapes, and with different tactics. Sometimes they try to seem like they’re being nice and helpful, but in reality they’re belittling and condescending. Their words sting often. Other times they don’t even try to hide who they are. They want you to get upset, and that’s their goal. To knock you off your game.
Here are four quick points I want to make about trolls.
Remember, “Can’t please everyone” isn’t just some dusty saying in grandma’s cross-stitch. It’s the secret recipe to being the Indiana Jones of your field!
So write for that small niche audience and ignore the rest.
“What if people hate it?” That’s a question many of us ask every day. What if our ideas, opinions, our views, and art get rejected by others? That’s life. Because in this crazy dance of life, every significant step we take, sooner or later, is rooted in two fundamental forces.
Fear: It takes many shapes – the dread of embarrassment, the sting of rejection, the ache of loneliness, the shadow of death. These fears linger in the back of our minds, haunting our choices, shaping our paths, and often holding us back from embracing the fullness of life.
Dreams: These are the lights that guide us, the aspirations that fuel us. We dream of recognition, independence, conquering our anxieties, and becoming something more than ourselves. We long for acceptance, to be seen as unique, to matter to someone, to be cared for and loved.
Between these fears and dreams, our lives unfold. They are the compass and map, the obstacles and the goals. It’s a delicate balance, a continuous struggle, and a journey we must navigate. Our dreams drive us, yet often held back by our fears. But in understanding both, we find our way, we make choices, we take actions, and we shape our destiny.
I’ve blogged recently about my decision to scale back my time on Twitter. I haven’t decided yet if I’m deleting my account and saying goodbye, but I finally nailed down what bugs me so much about being on that platform lately.
You and I aren’t wired to walk in someone else’s shoes. The sin of self runs deep through each of our veins. In our fast-paced world, the warmth of empathy often grows cold. The rush of daily life, the virtual connections, and the ever-competitive nature of society can erode our ability to understand and feel for one another honestly. Empathy, a gentle whisper of shared experiences and compassion, is lost in the noise of individualism and self-preservation. We become isolated islands, longing for a bridge yet hesitant to build one. The lack of empathy in our world is a silent wound, festering in the hearts and minds, leaving us disconnected and hollow.
Yet, we must also heed a caution: too much empathy, a complete immersion in another’s pain or joy, can sometimes blur the lines of objectivity. Too much empathy can often replace truth.
