Hello, romance author. Since you’re reading this blog post, I’m assuming you’re comfortable navigating the internet. You almost certainly have your own website. You probably have a blog. And I bet you have a Facebook page or a Twitter account, don’t you? Maybe even both.
May I ask you a question?
Why?
Are you doing it to increase your book sales? And if so, are your efforts bearing fruit? How can you tell?
Maybe you’re beginning to worry about the huge bites of time the internet is chomping out of your writing day. But your editors and your agent and all of your published pals are telling you that an author must have a current website. They’re also telling you that blogging is a great way to engage with your readers, and if you’re not on Facebook, you’re missing yet another wonderful opportunity to connect with fans. And everyone who’s anyone is Twittering these days, right?
There are three kinds of authors on the internet: those who worry that they’re not doing enough to promote their books, those who are trying to do it all but are running dangerously short on energy and enthusiasm, and those who have found a comfortable level of involvement in online activities and are meeting the goals they have set for themselves.
We’ll get to the goal-setting in a minute. First, stop and think about how many times in the past twenty-four hours you have read notes like the following on writers’ e-mail loops and message boards:
“I’ve just totally redesigned my website. Please take a look and tell me how you like it!”
“Click over to my blog and register for my latest book giveaway!”
“Are you on Twitter? Me, too! Let’s ‘follow’ each other!”
“Hey, I’ve just set up a fan page on Facebook. Here’s the link!”
Unless you’re a paragon of patience, you might resent seeing this stuff every day, all day long. But admit it: you’ve sent your share of those messages. I have, too. They usually elicit a handful of responses, but what good is it, really, when romance novelists spend their time promoting to other romance novelists?
Yes, every romance writer is also a romance reader. But most of the time when you do a romance writer a favor by checking out her blog or her website or by “friending” her on a social network, aren’t you really doing it because you would expect her to do the same for you? Hey, there’s nothing wrong with mutual encouragement. But how many of your MySpace friends are actually buying your books and how many are just fellow writers reciprocating because you helped increase their own friend counts? Apart from those little ego boosts, what exactly are you doing for each other?
Wasting each other’s time, that’s what. You’re also helping to promote the ludicrous idea that an author’s popularity can be gauged by the number of “friends” she has collected on her social networking pages.
I joined Twitter almost a month ago and quickly learned that in general, people who “follow” you consider it the height of rudeness if you don’t follow them back. Why? Because they have done you a favor by adding to your follower count and they expect a favor in return. To play the game like everyone else does, simply follow hundreds of Twits; you can count on a large percentage following you back. Just remember that most of them will ignore all of your Twitter tweeting just like you ignore theirs. Which means that when you announce the release of your next book to your impressive collection of 2,798 Twitter followers, only a handful of them will actually read the message.
From what I’ve seen, the numbers race is as blatant and as meaningless on every other social network as it is on Twitter. Many writers who have discovered that fact have lamented the time they’ve wasted “building a presence” on those sites. And when their publishers and agents persist in pressuring them to step up their promotional efforts, the writers begin to grouse that those things are very easy for publishers and agents to say when they aren’t the ones footing the bills for things like web hosting and site design and when they don’t have to research and write the daily blog posts or even rack their brains to come up with interesting tidbits to tweet on Twitter.
Late last year, I was an exhausted Web 2.0 user who finally asked herself, What am I gaining from all of this? The answer I came up with was, Probably not nearly as much as I’ve been led to believe. So I slowed down. Now my website hasn’t been updated in eight months, but while that’s on my To Do list, it’s not a huge priority–and it won’t be until I am convinced that the site is selling more than a handful of books here and there. As for my blog, I used to post entries six days a week but am now down to fewer than eight posts a month with no mass exodus of readers. My MySpace page has lain fallow since last autumn. I have also abandoned a couple of online communities and reduced the number of e-mail loops I read. And my Twitter account? Well, that’s just for fun. As of today I am being followed by only 144 people, and about half of those are my writing pals.
At long last, I am comfortable with my level of activity on the internet.
How did I get to this comfortable place? The first step was paring down my online activities according to the e-mail I have received from readers. Since many of my incoming messages begin, “I’ve been reading your blog for a while and finally decided to try one of your books,” the blog is clearly helping to build my readership. Ditto, my website. But I bowed out of participation in at least three message boards (including–dare I confess–eHarlequin’s Steeple Hill Community) because I could not recall ever getting new readers from those places. It’s true that I’ve picked up quite a few readers from MySpace, but the cumbersome interface was a drain on my time and patience–and many of my 597 friends there are other writers, anyway. So I have all but abandoned that account.
After my internet housecleaning, I created a statement of purpose for each of my remaining online endeavors. I share the following list not as a recommendation, but merely as an example. Your own list might end up looking very different.
1. The purpose of my website is to give readers information about my books. The site includes one large section on writing tips and another on the subject of preparing and serving afternoon tea, both of which get very good traffic from the search engines. The purpose of those auxiliary pages is to pique interest in my writing and drive traffic to the main pages of my site. My referral logs tell me that’s working great. I can “see” when people have come in on a tea page and gone on to read an excerpt from one of my books.
2. The purpose of my blog is to engage with the writing community and other blog-readers with a view to mutual education and encouragement while also driving traffic to my website. Even now that I’m blogging only once or twice a week, I’m still receiving many comments and private e-mails from blog readers. And my referral logs tell me that traffic is flowing steadily to the website.
3. The purpose of my Twitter account is to trade news and quips with friends. If a little accidental promotion happens, that’s great; but right now, Twitter is mostly for fun and relaxation.
4. The purpose of my involvement in various e-mail loops is to become better known in the romance-writing community in order to make interesting new friends as well as to learn, to be encouraged, and to share my own experiences and encouragement with other writers.
Since completing that list, I am no longer shooting blind, but aiming at clear targets. Knowing why I’m doing what I do online helps me keep things in perspective and manage my time better. For example, since Twitter is just for fun, there’s no point in wasting time or using gimmicks to build my “follower” base.
Some might say I’m not doing enough to promote my books. Others might say I’m squandering time that could be spent writing more and better books. But I’m the expert on what I’m comfortable doing, and in the absence of any reliable information on the efficacy of websites, blogs, social networks, and the like in increasing book sales, I’m going to go with my gut and say I’ve finally found the perfect balance for my online activities.
I’m eager to hear what’s working for the rest of you. Please share your thoughts in the Comments.
No related posts.
Well, I do agree about Twitter being for fun & relaxation… but StatCounter says that the vast majority of traffic to my website is coming from Twitter. So, there’s a good bit of that “accidental promotion” going on.
Nice post. Thanks!
Anyway, if you’re an author trying to figure this out, the easiest way I can think of is for you to ask an author in your subgenre who seems to already have a handle on it. Ask her what works. Observe what she does and do it. Then, figure out how to work it for yourself. Secondarily, ask a blogging book reviewer, like myself, who interacts with authors in your subgenre all the time. We pick up on things. Actually, I might not be the best since I review across all genres, except Horror and Erotica. Better to ask a specialist in your subgenre probably.
As an aspiring author, I write on a schedule because I also have a husband and four children, one of whom is still in the womb and makes it very uncomfortable to sit up to a regular computer. I balance a mini-laptop while beached on the sofa. I’ve learned to prioritize my Internet time.
Readers aren’t dumb. They can usually tell when authors are participating for the dollars or for the love of it.
That’s why I usually only do ‘promo’ that I enjoy. I love blogging. I love chatting with folks online. I love hosting contests and sharing new-to-me authors with other readers. So that is what I do.
I hear tell I get more of a lift from these activities than others do. I figure it is because I love it so.
Your post made me chuckle–probably because you’ve said what a lot of people are thinking.
Some sort of online presence is necessary, but you’re right that a line has to be drawn somewhere.
I’ve done a little “cleaning” myself and primarily focus on my blog now. I enjoy posting and have met quite a number of readers through it.
Alessia, I do see traffic coming to my blog from Twitter; it’s just not a major referrer for me. But did you know you’re probably getting many more Twitterers than your referrer logs are showing? That’s because most Twitter users don’t use the clunky web interface, but third-party apps like Twhirl and TweetDeck. So when people click to your site, you can’t see that they’re actually coming from Twitter.
This post seems like an expansion on Malle Valliks ‘How Authors Should Use Social Media.’
Kimber Ann, I honestly didn’t write this as a rebuttal of Malle’s post. I was crazy-busy all weekend, so it wasn’t until late last night that I finished writing my post, which I’d begun over two weeks ago. When I went to upload it, I saw the earlier post titled, “How Authors Should Use the Social Media.” I read it and found Malle suggesting that authors who are serious about promoting their books should be doing this and this and this and this on the internet–which happens to make my point that authors are being pressured to “keep up” on the internet, regardless of their level of tech-savvy or even their desire to be online.
I respectfully disagree with Malle that there’s a one-size-fits-all internet promotion plan for authors. But that’s the fun of RTB–hearing from all sides.
Since people have to ask a bookstore to order my books, I rely on the Internet to create awareness that they exist.
I really don’t like all the time and energy spent on promotion. I know I’ve cut WAY back on the yahoo groups. I enjoy my blog, though, because it’s fun to do and it keeps me writing – it’s a way to ‘prime the pump’.
Website: Basic structure hasn’t changed, although I try to keep it current.
I have a Facebook page but don’t do a lot there. I have an old MySpace page that just sits there, although I’ll copy my blog onto my blog over there (haven’t figured out if I can feed it there the way it feeds to Facebook).
No Twitter. That’s too much for me so far, although I said the same thing about MySpace.
I’d rather write, but am resigned to the fact that the package includes marketing, especially if you’re with a small press.
Terry,
Here are the steps to feed your blog to your Facebook account:
–Go to your profile view and click on “Settings” just beneath the status update box.
–Scroll down and click on Imported Sites>>Blog/RSS
–Paste your RSS feed url into the box and click Import.
It will pull recent blog posts and create notes for the last 10 blogs you’ve posted and from then on it will automatically generate a new note for each new blog you write. (Tip: If you correct a typo on your blog after you’ve posted it, you’ll also have to manually edit the note in Facebook—it doesn’t auto-update.)
If you spend time writing a blog, why not get as much exposure as you can from it?
Great post on finding balance and focusing on the parts you enjoy.
Rachel – I’d already done the Facebook feed; it was MySpace I couldn’t figure out. I’ve just been cutting and pasting. And they’ve recently simplified the blog formatting process, so it’s not such a pain. But I’d still rather do the one click thingie.
I joined Twitter almost a year ago and I really love it. But I did quickly learn what a time suck it could be. (thank you Tweetdeck for saving me there!)
When things started getting out of hand timewise between loops, social media sites, website etc. I sat down and wrote up a marketing plan. With the help of a class by Lena Claxton I was able to narrow my focus just a little and make a commitment on how much time I wanted to spend.
For the most part I stick to that plan although somedays Twitter chit chat still sucks me in but it’s fun.
I blog because I enjoy it, not because I consider it part of my job. I just love talking about romance.
Twitter is something I started because “everyone was doing it.” And I don’t get it. It’s like eavesdropping on half-conversations that I’m not a part of. I feel very left out. : (
I think I’m the only person in the world who finds Twitter stressful!
No, I do too. I haven’t the faintest idea what it’s for or what I’m supposed to do with it. I’m much more comfortable talking to someone, than I am just talking into the air.
Um, I called this post an ‘expansion,’ not a ‘rebuttal’ and I think both posts are useful.
I am with you, mostly, on internet promo. The things I choose to do have to be fun.
I post a lot on my blog, because I enjoy talking about writing and reading, and I enjoy having interesting guests. Ditto Twitter–I like talking about books. And my LiveJournal account, much older than both of those things, is completely for social purposes.
Thanks for saying what a lot of authors–myself included–have been thinking for some time now. The “dance” is getting to be too frantic, and the returns are questionable for most of us. It’s great that you’ve reached a comfort level. Maybe we can learn from your example.
Wow. This article is right-on. I have recently come to the same conclusions. Bashing your head against the wall feels so good–when you stop.
I just dumped my old hard-to-maintain website and abandoned two Blogger sites, then created a new Word Press website/blog combination which saves me loads of time. I’ve all but abandoned MySpace (other issues with that network anyway) and I use both FB and Twitter as fun, comfortable networking tools. I refuse to get crazy.
I also pulled back on trying so hard to keep my two author names separate (Pam Ripling/Anne Carter). That alone was driving me nuts.
Thanks for a great, thoughtful post.
I have the website, blog, FB, MySp, Twitter and am on a very few loops and forums.
Nothing short of word of mouth generates sales.
Contests attract contest junkies.
Freebies attract “sweeps” seekers.
Only writing another book (wash, rinse, repeat as necessary) keeps readers’ attention.
Maybe.
While I agree with a lot of your points (especially about promoting yourself constantly and exclusively to fellow writers) I have to say the idea of a webpage 8 months out of date makes my eye twitch a little.
If I wander across an author website and can’t find any sign of recent activity or life I often wonder if that means they’re no longer writing. I can take or leave the rest of it, but an up to date website is important to me as a reader. Anything else seems unprofessional in this day and age.
I would think that perhaps the website is out of date because they’re busy writing! At least mine is.
Just about exactly what I was going to say. I use author websites all the time, to try to figure out book order, check out backlist, see what’s new. I think a good website is a very valuable tool for an author. And ones that haven’t been updated do give an impression that the author is out of the biz.
I play online (MySpace, FB, Twitter, GoodReads, website, blog, group blog, listservs, etc.) because I don’t do much TV. That’s my excuse anyway
I think marketing & promotion efforts, like production levels, are highly individual. Some people are hard-core, others aren’t. Nothing inherently wrong with either one, since no two careers are the same. I think it’s just frustrating that no one knows exactly what “works,” so authors feel like they have to do it all.
But I do know I’ve found great new-to-me authors (Jeri Smith-Ready, Maggie Stiefvater, Devon Monk, Marjorie Liu, the list goes on) when I’m messing around online, so maybe someday someone will find me.
Great article! I don’t think any time can be better spent than time actually writing books and if on-line activity is taking away from that, it might be time to take another look at your short and long-term goals.
What I’ve decided is to only do the things I enjoy. Stopped regular blogging because the promo payoff wasn’t worth the enormous amount of work involved. Never enjoyed Facebook so I don’t do it. Love Twitter so I do it daily. I do keep my website fairly current but am aware that the most important part of that is INFORMATION such as the Bookpage where all of my titles are listed with links to a page for each.
Great article! I think it has to come down to whatever works for you as an author and a human being.
Thoughtful post. I believe a lot of authors are struggling with this, and certainly a lot of aspiring authors who believe they have to network, network, network in addition to write, write, write.
I’ve pulled back from subscriptions to author newsletters and e-loops. I’ve recently joined Twitter and FB but I’m still working out the kinks of linking them, and my blog up, to make it all work as seamlessly as possible. It’s too easy to spend a lot of time on these sites with little return. At least through FB, I’ve been able to reconnect in a meaningful way with old friends in addition to networking.
Some of this might be repeated from my comments on Malle’s post, but…
I do updates on my website when I get a new contract (generally once a year), have definite info on title/release dates, get a new cover, or when the book’s been through line edits and I can safely post an excerpt. So…maybe 3 or 4 times a year. As long as the site shares with readers everything *I* know, I figure it’s good.
My Tweets go to what used to be my blog, which I know is a copout but I’m just blogged out.
Random pithy observations, I can do. Regular essays, however, take way too much time and energy.
Twitter (for fun with my buds) and Facebook (which serves several purposes: writer and reader connection as well as reconnection with old schoolmates, which is fantastic) are my social networking drugs of choice. Ditched MySpace several weeks ago (”cumbersome” is right!). I do participate on a few select reader/author venues (like here), so I figure my name’s out there.
But, yeah, we need to stop the madness. Every author has to decide which online promo methods best suit HER needs, and not succumb to the pressure to be everywhere, all the time. IMO, the only “must” is an easy-to-navigate website with info on all your books, upcoming as well as backlist, with excerpts and availability. Everything else should be on an as-needed basis.
Thank you, Brenda, for succinctly saying what I have been fretting, moaning, bitching and complaining about recently.
I feel like I belong to everything: FaceBook, MySpace, Shelfari, LibraryThing, GoodReads, publishedauthors.ning, bookblogs.ning… among others. Myspace frustrates me, I loathe FaceBook and rarely update the others. The only one I enjoy is BookBlogs. My website is up-to-date, and I blog fairly often.
I don’t tweet, don’t ask me. I shudder at the thought of staying so connected, and I just know how anal I’d get about tweeting, so I won’t be joining Twitter.
It’s all just too much, and I will be taking your advice! I need to find my sanity, because it is cutting into my writing time and distracting me from my writing goals.
I need to prioritize.
Just wanted to pop in and thank all of you for taking the time to read and comment on my post.
Great article, Brenda. I have cut back on the social stuff as well.
Brilliant! What a super post, and gave me some serious food for thought.
Promotion has always been a challenge, and I think the trick with it is to try and stay sane at the same time you’re working smart, so trying to drill down on your return on investment is a smart strategy.
You also have to ask yourself: at what point is it all white noise? I find a lot of it to be just that. I had dropped out of on line activity because of family concerns regarding moves, and deaths and such. So now as I dip back in, where am I going? To the solid sites and communites that I’ve enjoyed in the past. I don’t know that they get me readers, but I do know I get myself renewal value from them: good posts, things to think on, to link to, to talk about.
I find that I prefer blogs to lists. The lists seem to be a lot of what I mentioned earlier: white noise. I like the blogs, and have bought books as a result, because it gives me a peek inside someone else’s head space. So if I find them interesting, or connect, and they’ve written a book, or suggest one, chances are high I’ll put it on my list to ‘check it out’.
All those messages to friend, and go here and there, twit and be fruitful – it’s like a tidal wave to me right now, and I am glad to know I’m not alone in that perception.
Again, wow, what a great post!!!!!
Ah, one more thing: When my first book came out, Kimber C. actually posted me on her blog, and I got a fair amount of biz as a result. (THANK YOU!)
I’ve heard cross pollination success stories, all from pollination on blogs. So I have to think that there’s still much milage to be had here. But the passion needs to be there. You can spot the fake a mile away.
Today I read an interesting article that supposed the death of blogging as a result of twitter, and expands on Brenda’s post.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/05/20/technology/the_end_of_blogging.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2009052011
It is interesting that at this point in time so many folks in different walks are coming to the same kinds of realization. Makes you wonder what’s next?
As to my site: I update the web site only when something new is happening, else I think I’d drive myself nuts.
I am not a romance author, but tend to hang out with some. But I was pondering this very question on how it applies to my situation. Eventually I will be marketing myself and product on the web. So I signed up for twitter, my space, facebook , good reads, shelfari, and my librarything.comand read various blogs wondering how I was ever going to be ever so creative to have things on the web that others will actually want to read and help sell my product – be it book reviews, web site construction/maintenance, or blogging about what I am dooing and reading – How can I tell what anyone would be willing to read that I wrote?
!!!!!
This has helped clarify what it is I need to do in order to figure out what can I presence I should have on the net. I will be doin’ some old fashioned barn-storming ON papper to decide what it is that I seem to really need to do!