Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Danica Davidson on October 19, 2010 at 8:30pm

I know what you mean. I feel a need to network, because how else will people know about me? On the other hand, it can be very time consuming and I don't like it when it takes me away from my writing. You're not alone!

Permalink Reply by Jane Baskin on October 20, 2010 at 5:00am

I can relate. It's a tough question, because as writers, we need to write AND market, unless we want to keep our work in a closet. I find myself spending increasing time networking and less time writing, but the good news is, I think the balance shifts back and forth. Right now I'm doing a lot of networking, as a way of working off my anxiety about imminent self publishing, But the pendulum will swing the other way soon. And back and forth it goes. :)

Permalink Reply by Cathryn Grant on October 20, 2010 at 5:58am

I've struggled with this same issue and for a long time, like you. I tried setting specific times for social media, which has helped some, although Twitter in particular has a way of inserting itself at inopportune times!

What's worked best is not opening a web browser during my morning writing times. If I need to do "research" I make a note to come back to it later. What I've noticed is when I hit a snag in my writing -- words not flowing as I'd like, unsure how to edit a line, I drift to the web and it's almost as if I go into a stupor, waking up 20 minutes later! So not having it open has really helped.

Of course, here I am, on social media ... all I can say for myself is I did complete my page count for the morning. Still, I had a few extra minutes that could have been spent on a new project.

I do think something valuable comes out of it, but I haven't yet figured out the ratio -- 30 minutes/day? 3 hours/week?

Permalink Reply by Kateena Hayes on October 20, 2010 at 8:33am

I completely relate to everything that has been said. Social media, it seems, is a necessary evil but as a blogger, it's very much a part of what I do, so there's no way around it.

I follow a well-known writer on Twitter and just the other day she announced she is going to limit her time on social media because it has gotten in the way of her writing. Her plan is to log on only a couple of days out of the week and not at all on the weekend. I'm not quite sure how successful I would be in implementing said plan, but it sounds good--in theory.

Permalink Reply by Lynne Morgan Spreen on October 20, 2010 at 8:44am

I have struggled with this, too, Tracy. I've posted about the very same thing, and anguished about it, because my "product" is fiction, and all the social netting in the world isn't going to be productive if you never get around to creating and polishing your product.

Assuming you're speaking of netting as a way of building a platform for your writing career, I've come around to a structure for myself, and it's based on my circadian rhythms (i.e. I'm smarter in the morning). It also doesn't include the fact that some days I've got other activities that completely blow up the structure, or the fact that I'm self-employed and work from home. If a person were (as I was, for 30 years) employed fulltime outside the home, or raising young children, she would have to develop something quite different. Bottom line: develop limits and goals that feel right to you, and try to stick to them. That way you'll feel that your time is constructively spent, as opposed to frittered away. Here's mine:

First thing in the morning: coffee and the Jumble. I call it the Jumble because it's so unstructured. I may read email, comment on blogs, read online newspapers, whatever. (Productivity note: if I take the time to read a person's blog post, I'll comment, and my comment will always include, at the end, a link to my blog, www.AnyShinyThing.com, A Blog for Smart Women of a Certain Age. This way, even time spent in the Jumble is productive.)

Nine to noon: this is the period in which I (strive to) write my original fiction.

Afternoon, early: learning, adding to my body of knowledge, reading books about the craft
Afternoon, late: move my @$$! Get up and do something physical.
Evening: relax and spend time with my husband. I'm off the clock.

So that's one woman's program, arrived at after lots of soul-searching re your exact question. Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Tracy Slater on October 21, 2010 at 12:55am

Thanks for all the great insight, everyone! On a related note, I'm just wondering if anyone has had any specific gain from social media, like connected with anyone where it really made a difference, attracted a following that proved useful beyond being just able to know "I have x# of people following me," etc.

I run a literary series in Boston, Osaka, and Tokyo, and I've gotten some real, tangible results from the networking this has provided. I've met numerous editors, authors, and agents and a number of these have led to positive things, such as signing an agent, getting new publications, etc.

But the online networking, I'm just not sure how much really tangible stuff I'm going to get out of it. Although I have started using one of my Twitter accounts as a way to record short snippets about expat life in Japan that I think I can go back to some day and find useful.

Other than that, though, even if I have CNN or some newspaper editor following me, I'm not sure it really matters--especially not since they're following hundreds of other people, too!

Anyway, thanks again for the thoughts everyone has provided so far, and all the best,

Tracy

Permalink Reply by Lynne Morgan Spreen on October 21, 2010 at 7:10am

In the latest issue of Writers Digest, author and super-platformer Christina Katz wrote an article called "Elements of a Successful Fiction Platform". It's really comprehensive and includes comments from successful authors who might answer your questions. Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Deborah Batterman on November 2, 2010 at 4:51pm

This is a good question. . . . As a relative newbie to Twitter, etc., I am finding some interesting people/sites to follow, and the follow-up has resulted in some potentially tangible results (I stress potentially). That's not to say it isn't time-consuming. I read recently that writers who do their own marketing can expect to spend 10-20 hours a week on it. That certainly cuts into productive writing time, and, yet, how could it be otherwise? Maybe it's more a question of prioritizing than procrastinating. Every day is different, and there is some part of every day that, like Cathryn Grant comments, I just say no to web browsing.

Permalink Reply by Lynne Morgan Spreen on October 23, 2010 at 6:48am

Hey, everybody, Jane Friedman, who is a real authority on this topic, and who also is practical and down-to-earth, posted this blog post on the very subject. Two take-aways: your efforts should be enjoyable, not just "sell-sell-sell", and netting is a long-term proposition; it's not effective as an overnight solution. I hope you enjoy the article.

Permalink Reply by Tracy Slater on October 23, 2010 at 6:32pm

Thanks, Lynne--for both your comments! I'll check them out now. (But will make sure I'm enjoying myself while I do!)

Permalink Reply by Christa Mastrangelo on October 25, 2010 at 6:34pm

I too can relate to this really well, as I'm sure most writers can. And the thoughts about keeping things structure--so not open web browser at all during certain specific writing times, I think is so important. So having a plan, a routine to stick with, especially when we're often answering to no one else but ourselves is really important. There's great tips for this, on creating this kind of plan based on what is most important to you, at the site www.literaryliving.com The info is based on Leo Babuata's 9 simple habits idea. It offers really great tools to get structured and started if you're not already.

Permalink Reply by Tracy Slater on October 26, 2010 at 12:14am

Thanks, Christa! Checking out the link now.

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