Once Written, Twice Shy: social media for writers

by Amy Atwell

Big thanks to Becky for inviting me to join you all today. I don’t think of myself as shy, although I tend to be very quiet in situations where I’m a newbie. I’m so fearful of offending or doing/saying something “wrong” or “dumb.”

I’ve recently been researching the social networks for my new website Author E.M.S. (Entrepreneur. Management. Solutions.). I’m building an online library of business resources for authors so they can find answers to their questions and get back to writing. As I thought about blogging here, I recalled how awkward I felt (still feel, to be honest) on some of the social networks out there. So, here it is—

An Introvert’s Guide to Social Media

The cool thing about online social media is that it allows you to connect with other people without that live interaction some of us find overwhelming. No speeches, no cocktail parties, no worrying what to wear or whether you’ve got spinach in your teeth. And in today’s world, if you’ve published a digital version of your book, social media provides a relatively low-stress, free way to promote your book.
But where do you start? And if you’re not naturally outgoing, how do you go about broadening your connections so you really take advantage of a social network’s reach?

1. Identify which social networks will work best with your personality. There are many social networks, and each has a slightly different approach and feel. You’ve probably heard of most of them: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Goodreads, Shelfari, KindleBoards, eHarlequin.

2. Focus on one social network at a time as you get started. By focusing your time and attention, you’ll learn to develop efficiencies faster. You’ll also avoid that overwhelmed feeling when your email receives two dozen notifications and you can’t even figure where exactly the messages are coming from! (Been there, done that.)

3. Create a short profile bio for yourself. So many introverts hate to talk about themselves, but on a social network, people want a feel for who you are. Choose details you’re willing to share across the world wide web (hint, I avoid sharing my exact birthday, my current city, I don’t mention family members by name). Have a little fun with it. You should also get a photo, what we call a headshot is best. But you can also use your current book cover or find a public domain photo of an animal or bird or sunset or some strong visual image. Work from this same bio for each of the social networks you join. You want people to recognize you from network to network.

4. Seek out friends by being social and supportive. This is key. Don’t join a social network and start blasting promotional messages to visit your blog or buy your book. You want people to pass along your social messages, so pass along theirs. Congratulate others when you see their good news. Visit other people’s profiles to view and comment on photos, leave birthday wishes. Repeat things you find clever or funny—and always thank whoever provided it. These people will want to be your friend. Plus people who receive it from you may pass it along, and those people will want to be your friend. Hey, you’re the life of the party now!

5. Be consistent. This is another reason to start with one social network. You want to check in every day if possible. Once you get efficient and consistent with one social network, you’ll be ready to add a second one.

6. Be positive. We’ve all seen people rant on social media, but remember that thousands of people might see anything you post. It might get shared well beyond wherever you post. As a published author, everything you say becomes part of your brand. Be cool, be generous, be upbeat.

7. Join groups. Most social networks have some way of creating groups. Even Twitter allows people to group by creating a hashtag for their Twitter stream of conversation. (Check out things link #RWA2012 or #NINC or #fridayreads.) Find people in these groups that you want to connect with.

8. Introduce your promotional messages and good news with joy. People love to share in good news. Just released a book? Share how excited YOU are. The focus here is on you, the person, while the book is secondary. See? Social. Amazed by your new book cover? Share the picture. Got a terrific review? Link to it.

9. Not sure what to say? Ask questions. Others on a social network will be happy to answer your questions. In fact, you may be surprised at how many people rally around you if you ask for help or admit your newbie-ness. People join social networks because they want to make connections, and most people will remember how awkward they felt when they first joined. (Confession time here: Twitter scared the living daylights out of me when I first joined!)

10. If you try social media and you don’t like it, then stop doing it. It won’t be a career killer if you don’t Tweet five times a day or have 2,000 Likes on Facebook. Put the energy and angst you save into your next book. Find more traditional ways to promote your book that don’t require the personal connectivity and time, like buying ads or requesting book reviews. But forcing yourself to be on social media if you don’t enjoy it isn’t necessary.

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I hope that helps take some of the mystery out of social networking and gives you some concrete ideas on how you can broaden your circle of contacts and spread the word about your books. If you’re looking for a source of regular information on topics like social media, business, promotion, website and blogging and more, check out the

Author E.M.S. site or watch our Intro Video. We have a Daily Tips blog and lots of public (free) resources. We also offer our full library of resources and a searchable database of book reviewers to our paid members.

Feel free to ask any other questions you might have. My question for you would be: Which social network is your favorite or the one that you feel you’ve conquered?

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Amy Atwell worked in professional theater for 15 years before turning from the stage to the page to write fiction. She now gives her imagination free rein in both contemporary and historical stories that combine adventure and romance.

When not writing, Amy runs the

WritingGIAM online community for goal-oriented writers and has recently launched the Author E.M.S. online resource library. An Ohio native, Amy has lived all across the country and now resides on a barrier island in Florida with her husband and two Russian Blues. Visit her online at her website, Magical Musings, Facebook, Twitter and/or GoodReads.

If you want more of Amy, visit her here today.

Please help me welcome my sister and fellow romance author Laurie London. A graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in BusinessAdministration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie now writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children. Her debut novel, Bonded By Blood, A Sweetblood Novel, releases February 2011 by HQN. Embraced By Blood, the second book in the series, releases July 2011. When not writing, she can be found running, reading, or riding and showing her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again. You can learn more about Laurie at her website, on Facebook and Twitter.

Here's Laurie:
Thanks so much, Becky, for inviting me to talk about Social Networking. One of my favorite topics!

Social networking is THE perfect way for shy writers to network. Where else can you meet new and interesting people, reconnect with friends and acquaintances, come across as fun and engaging (hopefully), and edit yourself before you say something you’d regret—all while wearing those PJs and fuzzy slippers you have on right now?

Why should you care about social networking? After all, it’s writing the best book you can possibly write that really matters, right?

Well, you know what? I totally agree. Before I sold, I did not have a website, blog, author Twitter account, or author Facebook page. For the exact reason I rarely play video games any longer, I knew that I’d get sucked into the world of social networking, and I wanted my writing to come first. With a finite amount of creative energy inside me each day, I didn’t want to spend it all on social networking, when what I really wanted to do was write a book.

This isn’t to say I didn’t do any social networking prior to selling. I did have a Facebook page and Twitter account under my real name, but I tried to limit my time so that I could write every day. When I sold, I felt comfortable with these methods of communication and was able to jump right in with my author name.

In this interview on Murderati, Neil Nyren, Editor in Chief at Penguin Putnam, says word of mouth is an essential ingredient in selling books and the author plays an important role in this process. He goes on to say, “As a writer, you are the CEO of your own business. You should make it a point to learn that business and to do whatever is necessary to make that business succeed.” But then he adds you need to write a good book which is tough to do if you’re spending all your time on promotion.
So what’s a writer to do when you want to do both?

Seven Ways to Make Social Networking More Productive and Spend Less Time Doing It
1. Don’t waste your time posting something boring. I know this sounds blunt and mean, but social networking is all about making connections and providing good content. Unless you’re someone famous, no one, except maybe your mom, wants to read on Twitter that you’re having your second cup of coffee ten minutes after you posted that you were having your first. If you really want to tell people, then try to make it interesting. If not, stay offline and write instead.

2. Know who your readers/followers/friends are and provide content for them. Becky does a great job at this. I doubt she’d let me blog about my horse or my bathroom leak. You don’t come here to read about that. When I find an interesting article online, one that I think my followers or friends would enjoy, I twitter the link or post it to FB. Always ask yourself, “What’s in it for them?” and post accordingly. That’s not to say I don’t tweet about my horse or my bathroom leak, but I try not to do it too much.

3. Observe those who do social networking well and copy them. (Conversely, when someone says something that makes you cringe, make a mental note not to ever do that either.) One thing that totally impresses me is when people who have a lot of followers take the time to comment on something others have said. It makes me feel special when that happens, so I try to do the same for others. If someone retweets something I’ve said or comments on my FB page or blog, I always acknowledge it. If someone thinks you care about them, they’ll keep coming back. Conversation matters.

4. Pay attention to what makes you click one person’s link or comment on their status, and try to do the same. On Twitter, don’t just say “Interesting blog” and post the link. As a follower, I want to know if it’s worth my time to click. My opinion on what’s interesting may be different than yours. For instance, if I tweet about guest blogging here today, I might say, “Social networking for shy writers” or “7 ways writers can make social networking more productive” and give the link. It makes it easy for people to see if they’d be interested or not. Sure, I might also post, “I need your help. I’m hearing crickets on this blog. Please come visit me.” But what I won’t do is link only the URL, thinking someone will click through just because. Conan O’Brien has Just Because status. I don’t.

5. On Twitter, take advantage of hashtag topics to connect with like-minded people and see real-time publishing information. One of my favorite people on Twitter, Debbie Ridpath Ohi (@Inkyelbows), has a great list of hashtag topics for writers on her blog. (http://tinyurl.com/lzp9w8) In fact, check out her blog for loads of other Twitter tips. I’ve learned a lot from her (see items 3 and 4 above). If you’re posting something that pertains to a particular topic, use the appropriate hashtag. That way even people who don’t follow you will see your tweet. I’ve met the nicest people this way. Also, many agents post what kinds of manuscripts they’re currently looking for under #pubtips.

6. Build your followers/friends list with people who have similar interests. Don’t just limit yourself to other writers. I like wine, horses, and cooking, so I’ve sought out other people on Twitter and FB who like the same things. As far as I can tell, people who like wine, horses, and cooking also read books. ;-) Take the time to read their blog if a post sounds interesting and comment if you have time. Don’t forget to track back so you can tell if they replied. I love it when people comment back on a blog post or comment I’ve made.

7. If you link your Twitter and FB updates, don’t link every tweet. Facebook isn’t as real-time as Twitter and it will just look strange to your FB friends when you use twitter-speak.

Since seven is a nice number, I’ll stop there. Do you have any tips you’d like to share about social networking for writers?