This question was submitted by a reader who asked to remain anonymous, so I’ve given her a fake name. I answered her immediately but I’m changing my answer now after thinking on it a little more. Sorry, “Eudora”!
Hi Katie,
I am half way through your new marketing eBook and loving it. I do have a couple of questions though, if I may? The books is primarily aimed, I think, at someone about to publish their 1st (2nd, 3rd etc) book. I am just getting near the seek-an-agent stage (have been writing for a year now) am full on with: twitter, my blog, Facebook and Google+, but am really hesitant about starting a website and FB fan page. I see lots of folk in 12×12 all launching their FB fan pages, and while I see it as a neat way to get 150 or so folk to sign up, they are only posting their blog posts as they do on their personal FB page. I guess I’m wondering why do that as it is the same people who are on one’s personal FB page as on the Fan FB page, wouldn’t I just be repeating myself? I had thought it would be better to wait for a website and FB fan page until I have a book to launch and something to say, but would this be too late? Am I missing the bandwagon here? 🙂
Cheers,
Eudora
Dear Eudora,
I told you privately to go ahead and create your fan page. But on reflection, I’m not so sure. You are already building a community via social media through several good places. You have a blog so you might want to consider turning it into a blog site (mine is a blog site). That way you can have it ready when you are. There are certain things that are good to have when you get published, but you’re not at that stage yet.
Sometimes people get caught up in the marketing part of the business when they need to be concentrating on the writing and crafting end. When you have a contract for your first book, get a fan page.
I do think it’s important to be sharing now. You have something to say – every person does. This is all part of your journey and it is important, and I think people love going along on it with you. Watching you start out, seeing you fall, pick yourself up, and then succeeding is inspiring. And sometimes fail – that’s okay too.
It takes time to build a community and to make connections, whether you move to a new town (why can we as grownups have our moms make play dates for us anymore?) or to a new site or Facebook, too. But right now? Right now I’d work on your writing. Don’t worry about marketing. Yet.
To further contradict myself, you could read this post where I get yelled at for not having a Facebook Fan Page.
Hope this helps!
Katie
5 Comments
Joanna
Mmm, I feel like Eudora has been reading my mail. This issue seems to have been getting quite a bit of attention recently, certainly for those of us doing 12×12, and I have been asking myself this question. This platform building can feel pretty overwhelming at the beginning, as one tweets, blogs, Facebooks, not to mention Goodreads, Pinterest etc.. and the actual task of writing can all to easily take a back seat. It is easy to get caught up with what everyone else is doing and try to keep up. Sounds like Eudora was feeling the pressure.
While I realize each writer has to feel their own way, I think this advice is freeing!
katie
Wow, Penny and Joanna, I’m so glad I could help! It gets overwhelming for me, too. I swore I’d work on writing every morning after the new year. And I have, most of the time. But yesterday, as I wrote this post, I had to take care of stuff that kept me from writing. Frustrating!
Penny Klostermann
Thanks for the post, Katie. It helped me to move more toward a healthy balance of social media time and writing time. It’s so easy to get caught up in social media… especially with 12 x 12 right on the heels of PiBoIdMo. But, I am not published and since that is my dream, I need to have a balance with the scales tipped more toward my writing and a little lighter on the social media. It’s kind of like wanting to be a part of every conversation in a room and not focusing on any. So, I am focusing. Thanks, again.
Jennifer Rumberger
Thanks for the post, Katie. I’ve been wondering about this too and it’s nice to hear that it’s okay to not be “everywhere” yet, especially when I’m working so hard on my writing to get published. I just need to keep reminding myself to write, revise and write some more!
Julie Hedlund
Katie,
You raise a very good point. I just created a FB Page, but I’ve had Facebook for 3 years, my blog for 2+ and Twitter for 1+. I still haven’t succumbed to Google+ yet…
I think it’s important to start somewhere, with whatever feels the most comfortable, and then add as you go along. It’s much easier to add Twitter after you’ve already learned FB or a blog, etc. and vice-versa.
Now, I wish people would just stop inventing stuff! We have enough social media already!!!