Websites
Facebook
Twitter
Blogs
Online forums and email loops
The internet, and specifically social media has brought the world together. Literally. We can watch the Superbowl in our home, yet share Tweets and FB status updates with any one who is connected. At home alone watching The Oscars? You're not alone if you've got your smartphone (iPod, iPad, etc.) on your lap and you're logged into Twitter.
With published (and unpublished) authors now more accessible than ever, I'm curious to know which social media site people flock to.
I love Twitter. I can follow anyone I want and am able to read what's on their mind. From pubbed authors, agents, unpubbed authors, illustrators, screenwriters, and editors, I can learn so much about the publishing industry just by reading the timeline. It doesn't hurt to have a few celebs, columnists, artsy, and regular people in the timeline as well. Sometimes I'll tweet someone and they'll respond. That's always a plus.
Blogs are also a great tool. I can visit, leave a comment, and check back to see what's going on with the discussion.
Facebook, for me right now, is good for connecting with friends and family. I'm "friends" with many authors who I don't personally know. FB is easy to use and I like the run down of status updates. Many post the same thing on Twitter, but if you aren't watching the Twitter timeline feed constantly, you may miss important announcements.
I think the best thing about social media is that it opens up discussion. We writers can be solitary individuals. We spend so much time in our heads that it's good to be able to "talk" with other writers, even if it's just online.
What's your favorite social media outlet?
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Kris, I'm definitely a Twitter fan, and I really resisted it at first. LOL I think I finally took the plunge last summer or so and now I can't imagine not being on it constantly.
ReplyDeleteI also feel the same way about blogs. I love the interaction, and I really love when people find my blog in unexpected ways.
I'm not on Facebook, and I really WANT to like it, but I just can't get over all the privacy issues they have, along with their lack of concern about those problems.
Donna
Kris: I'm impressed. I too have FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, a shared blog and a private blog and I'm not sure what else. But, it's overwhelming. I need to write my stories. I am always amazed how long it takes to do my email, face all of the social media bits and pieces, then get to work. Forget dinner, running the vacuum cleaner and answering the phone. How do you do it??
ReplyDeleteLike you, Kris, I love twitter. I find that I'm always connected to the writing and reading community. Most everything discussed (within 140 characters) has to do with upcoming books, book reviews, inspirational quotes, to name a few topics. Plus, it's a great way to motivate each other when you know other BC Peeps are writing along with you. I've met so many great people who share the same love of reading and writing as I do. And for this, I am so thankful for the twitter community.
ReplyDeleteFacebook is more for my friends and family, although I do have a facebook page for my writing. :)
Donna, I hear you on the FB privacy issue. I try to have everything as secure as possible, but that doesn't mean that a friend will post a photo of me. Then I have to find it and then figure out how to get my name off of it. FB is fun, but I don't have a "fan" page yet. Maybe FB will be more useful at that point.
ReplyDeleteYes, I really (heart) Twitter. It's so much fun!
Thanks for chiming in!
Kris
Cassy, Opps...I forgot to mention LinkedIn too. Ack! There's not enough time in the day for me to visit every place, every day. I pick and choose. Typically though, I'll check FB a few times - because people tend to send me messages there. And, I check Twitter a lot. I don't blog as much as I want, and I don't visit as many blogs as I'd like to. On days that I'm not writing (like today) I'll blog.
ReplyDeleteDon't be too impressed...you can't see my house right now, thank goodness!
Thanks for stopping by!
Kris
Taryn, you are my Twitter buddy - Donna, too! Yes, I love, love, love Twitter. Makes me feel so close to everyone who loves writing and reading.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Twitter can help us writers be more concise. Those 140 characters make you more concise unless you write multiple tweets at the same time.
Glad to see you here!
Kris
Hey Kris....Twitter baffles me. Though, I have to admit I haven't spent all that much time on it. I should just grit my teeth and bear it...throw myself into the pit, so to speak. I'll need a crash course first though! (:
ReplyDeleteE.C., It baffled me at first, but it was so easy to pick up once I spent some time with it.
ReplyDeleteI especially like the tweetchats that happen - like #kidlitchat and #yalitchat. There is a set topic and people from all walks come and chat away. I've learned soo much from these chats.
You should try it sometime.
Thanks for stopping by!
Kris
Even after 3 years, I haven't found an elegant way to pop in and out of the convos on Twitter. I do stop in regularly, often to support other writers (right now I'm sporting pink hair), but I'm not a devotee. I think that might be different if I wrote YA or MG. The only FB app I use is networked blogs, and my participation is minimal. Overall, I prefer blogging. It's not easy to reply to every post and to reciprocate by reading and commenting on others' blogs, but I've learned a tremendous amount and the community has been v. supportive of me.
ReplyDeleteViva, It can be hard to get into a conversation on Twitter. I think the best are the chats. There I really feel like I'm talking with a great group of people. Tonight at 8pm EST is #kidlitchat. I'll pop in to see what the topic is and stay if it's something I'm interested in. Daily, though, I'll scan the timeline for anything of interest. Some days I'm a Twitter voyeur, watching all the tweets go by.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's hard to keep up on every single blog. There isn't enough time in the day for that. I try to pop in once a week and leave comments if I have something to say.
Thanks for popping by!
Kris