Wednesday, April 5, 2017

IWSG: Merry-Go-Round & Round & Round...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a community of writers who share ideas and encourage other writers. It's a great place to express doubts and concerns as well as offer and receive tribulations and guidance from other writers. IWSG posts the first Wednesday of every month. I think you'll find it to be a great writer's resource that's well worth your time. Be sure to stop by and visit with some of the other IWSG writers/bloggers at IWSG Members.

A great big thank you to our awesome April Co-Hosts:
Christopher D. Votey
Madeline Mora-Summonte
Fundy Blue
Chrys Fey


Everyone says Build Your Brand!  It's an absolute must if you want to connect with readers and gain a following with name recognition and book sales as an end goal.  They also say don't wait until you have a book ready to market!  Start making social media connections early and often - even as you start writing your book.  Webpage, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and so on and on and on . . . it's a spinning, out of control Merry-Go-Round.  How in the world do you manage it all on a regular basis and still have time for writing a book (along with all that pesky real life stuff)?  I understand the concept and the necessity, I just don't get the how.  There are days I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round that's wildly out of kilter.  I need to get off, slow things down, and gain control again.  But, I also want to go for the bling - the golden ring.

And while researching the efficient use of social media in regards to building an author brand, I found my efforts up to this point may be for naught.  Talk about feelings of inadequacy.  To do it "right", I'd have to start from scratch or come up with a plan to switch course - which will eat up more writing time.  It's a vicious circle.  My merry-go-round is running at warp speed, and it feels like all I can do is hang on for dear life.  I'm too stubborn (and yes, dedicated) to quit, but there's only one of me.  How do I get it all done?  I realize many established authors pay a professional Virtual Assistant to handle social media . . . and I will certainly consider it in the future.  But it's not an option for me at this time.

Insecurities?!  They're like a bad dose of medicine right now, choking me on the way down.  I'm normally a glass half full kind of girl . . . but I suddenly find myself thinking "half empty".  It's wearing on me mentally which affects me physically.  While I fully intend to grab that gold ring, I need some sound advice and a plan. 

So, tell me please . . .  how do you do it all?  I know many of you are masters at riding the social media/author brand merry-go-round while juggling everything else.  Share your best ideas before I'm tossed off on my behind.  My sanity is at stake! 



14 comments:

Nancy Gideon said...

Do what you can (and enjoy!) and don't sweat the rest! Every day it seems like there's some NEW and IMPROVED means of promoting yourself but first ask if it's something you'll enjoy doing, something you'll stick to doing and something that will reach your target audience. If not, you don't need it taking up your time. Write on!

Sandra Hoover said...

Great advice, as always, Nancy! I'm old school and jumped into social media as a promotional tool with my eyes closed. As a result, I've made mistakes in terms of "claiming my brand". I hope it's "fixable" as I know I have to branch out and claim "me". I'll figure it out - it's just time consuming, and the clock keeps ticking & ticking & ticking. Yikes!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I feel your pain!!! I don't know what the answer is. I feel like if I am doing well in one area-- writing, marketing, life-- then I am totally falling apart in the other places. And did I mention trying to do all the online/writing stuff I need to be doing is giving me a fat ass? Sorry, no answer...just throwing some whining in there.

Sandra Hoover said...

Thank God, I'm not the only one! lol Ditto on the fat rear end from sitting too much. What's a girl to do?? Thanks for the chuckle, Elizabeth.

Chrys Fey said...

Before I published, I started slow. I set up my blog and a FB author page. I focused on just those two things. After I published a couple ebooks, I created a website. A couple more ebooks later, I got into Twitter. After that came Instagram, which I didn't really do to build my brand, but then I found out that writers and readers have awesome communities on Instagram. I get far more likes on there than I do on FB. For me, it was all about going slowly and mastering one thing before adding another. Now, though, I do less on FB and Twitter. My blog and Instagram are the places I like to be the most. If you find what you like and what works, stick with it. You don't have to do it all.

Fundy Blue said...

I hear you, Sandra! I haven't published a book yet, although I'm writing one. All the social media I can handle right now is my blog and Facebook. Heck, I'm still learning how to use my iPhone! And I've let go worrying about the other things. I've been traveling a lot with limited internet connections, so I do what I can when I can. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward. I'd pick two or three social media things for now and focus on them. The people in your life plus your writing are the most important things. Good luck! Take care!

Sandra Hoover said...

Great advice, Chrys. I do feel spread too thin so concentrating on one or two things at a time makes sense. Thanks!

Sandra Hoover said...

Thanks, Fundy! I'm also trying to get my first book out there. It's all a bit overwhelming at times, but I'll continue taking it one step and one day at a time.

Crystal Collier said...

Recent experts have said it's best to pick one or two social media outlets and become a pro in those forums. It's impossible to manage a ton of them. It's better to do one or two well. =)

Sally Bend said...

I set aside one day a week to grow my brand. I look at my recent Twitter followers, check our their followers, and then follow accordingly. I check out my recent additions to Goodreads, and then look for those authors on Twitter and Facebook. So far I've only been building a reviewer brand, but soon it will be time to turn on the author branding.

Sandra Hoover said...

I've sure been struggling trying to do it all. I'm going to try concentrating on a couple and see how that works for me. Thanks, Crystal!

Sandra Hoover said...

I started the same way, Sally. I've built a good following as a reviewer, but now I need to start developing my author brand and following. I'll always be a reader & reviewer - I love it...but I also need to move forward with writing. Thanks for sharing what works for you!

Diane Burton said...

I don't do it all. I do what I can. I see opportunities for guest blog appearances and while it sounds great, I have to be realistic. Where can I fit it in? The important thing is to write, to finish a book. I know I have to do some promotion, but I can't fit it all in. As Chrys mentioned about, start slow. Do what you can. Expand as it feels right. Good luck!

Sandra Hoover said...

Thanks, Diane! It really helps to hear from those of you who have been there, done that. I'm so appreciative of all the good advice and will take it to heart.