Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Janet Ference on January 28, 2011 at 4:30pm

How do people balance writing with social networking? I'm just jumping into the networking pool, and it seems it can keep me more in the pool than out in the ocean swimming with my own work.

Permalink Reply by Stacey Donovan on January 28, 2011 at 5:55pm

Hmm. Isn't your website and/or blog aspects of your social networking? Can you say more, Nonqaba?

Permalink Reply by Nonqaba waka Msimang on January 29, 2011 at 12:01am

i just find that face is nibbling away at the time i used for research and writing.  I'm blogging less now than i used to.  I suppose i should take a time management course or something.

http://sweetnessthenovel.com

 

Permalink Reply by Stacey Donovan on January 29, 2011 at 12:09pm

Oh! Now I understand... Time management is tricky. The thread just came up in another discussion elsewhere. I am cutting & pasting the original q followed by three separate responses. Hope it's helpful:

 

Any time-management tips on how to keep up with your website and social media "to do" list and still have time to write your book?

 

Here are 2--hardly comprehensive. 

1. Choose a consistent time (hour and length) to log in & update, do it then and don't look back. Use the notifications sent to your email to monitor things if you must but recognize that unless you're writing on a very hot topic you don't need to update your sites as frequently as they refresh. 

Remember also that one of the most annoying things for readers (well, for this reader) is to have the blog or forum owner post after every comment. You want to encourage social interactions among your readers, not just between you and them. 

2. Keep a reserve of material. Write up blog posts when the mood strikes you and use those during your busy periods. Shorter is usually better too: consider posting pieces longer than 700 words or so in two parts. 

If you use twitter to remind people you're around and available, compose some tweets that you can recycle, -- an artist colleague does this with links to his work and it's especially effective as he adds new followers. 

None of this may be appropriate if your social media uses are personal rather than professional.

 

 

Set aside a day of the week, and ideally a certain time, for website updates. If it distracts you from writing, ignore social media until specific times - either first thing in the morning and again last thing in the evening, or only in the evenings. Most of it has nothing to do with real work and, even if it's interesting, doesn't require instant responses.

 

 

I'd suggest that a day a week is probably either too frequent or too infrequent. If you are trying to create a blog that people log in to check regularly, then you really need to be posting at least 3-4 times per week. Setting a static schedule is not bad, either (remember, you can always write a blog entry days early, and set it to go on a certain day). If people know you write a new article about X subject every Thursday, they'll make sure to stop by and check it out. Consistency is key. 

If you don't want that sort of site, don't feel the need to have high daily hits and people checking in often, then you really don't need to post even weekly. Just post news when it happens - new book releases, new editions available, what conferences you'll be speaking at, and such. Not as effective, but still useful. 

Remember though: the single best marketing tool you have in your arsenal is your next book! Other marketing tools are useful, but nowhere near as powerful as just getting more works out there for sale. Don't let things distract you from your primary job: writing.

 

Permalink Reply by Janet Ference on January 29, 2011 at 4:02pm

Wow, Stacey, thank you for posting this! I appreciate your time in offering it on this thread.

Permalink Reply by Stacey Donovan on January 29, 2011 at 4:36pm

You bet - glad it was helpful

Permalink Reply by Stacey Donovan on January 28, 2011 at 5:57pm

btw, Nonqaba, your website link does not work...

Permalink Reply by Nonqaba waka Msimang on January 28, 2011 at 11:56pm

http://sweetnessthenovel.com

 

Thanks.  Stacey, let's try this.