As a wife, mother of two boys, small business owner, and java developer who moonlights as a fiction writer, I have a long list of responsibilities.
With the recent release of my short story collection, Moon Dust Castles (and other shorts), I've added one more item to my to-do list: marketing.
These days, authors are expected to handle their own marketing via social media.
Authors are also expected (though not required) to maintain their sanity at the same time so they can continue to write (while simultaneously holding down a day job, parenting their children, and making sure everyone in the general vicinity, including the cat, is happy).
This is no small feat, especially for writers, who tend to be of the introverted, slightly OCD variety.
As one who falls snuggly into the aforementioned personality profile, I've felt my fair share of social media fatigue; however, through trial and error, I've developed some survival skills that others may find useful. They can be summarized in three words: aggregate, consolidate, and hibernate.
Aggregate
I've spoken with many authors who prefer aggregating their favorite blog content via email subscriptions, but I'm not of that ilk. (Deleting takes too much time.) When Google announced Google Reader's demise, I was not happy. Luckily, Feedly swooped in to save the day.
My point is this: don't waste time pointing and clicking. (Been there, done that.) Aggregate your favorite content so you can peruse it more efficiently.
By the way, I'm not only a blog consumer, I am also a blogger. When Google ripped their reader from my cold hands, I switched my feed provider from Feedburner to FeedBlitz.
Yes, Google is still "supporting" Feedburner, but it's only a matter of time until they pull the plug. With FeedBlitz I'm able to deliver a consistent, reliable feed to my readers' aggregators of choice. And that means less stress.
Consolidate
I own the following social media accounts:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Tumblr
Pinterest
(plus a host of other lesser known platforms)
I use the following social media accounts:
Facebook
Twitter
As you can see, I've consolidated my social media usage to two platforms. This wasn't a conscious decision. Consciously, I intended to conquer social media one platform at a time. This obviously hasn't happened.
The key to mastering the social media survival skill of "consolidation" is to refuse to feel guilty about consolidating. Yes, "MeToob" is being touted as the next best thing since sliced bread, but go easy on yourself. Pick a platform or two and use them well instead of ineffectually spreading yourself thin across a dozen sites.
Hibernate
Several months ago, I realized I was thinking in Tweets and Facebook status updates. I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "This isn't healthy, Jessica. Please stop."
Since then, I've scaled back my time on social media and the results have been dramatic. For instance, I no longer check my smart phone every five minutes and I have the occasional private thought.
If you find yourself cursing your smart phone as you once again give in to the urge to check it for Facebook comments, I suggest the following protocol: Take breaks. Hibernate.
Make Saturday and Sunday "no social media" days if necessary. Take refuge in three-dimensional reality. Give yourself time to relax and refuel so that next time you visit the Net, you'll feel sharp-witted and refreshed.
Your brain and your Twitter followers will appreciate it.
P.S. Our guest post slots are filling up for fall so if you've been dragging your feet, now is the time to get your post idea on our radar! Just email Kate with your guest post idea to get the ball rolling.
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