If You’re an Author, Prove it

Authors work. So, if that’s your profession, why aren’t you doing it? Hanging out on social media all day is not how writers make a living. (And that's coming from someone who’s been making a living at it for a long time.)

I’m constantly picking on social media aren’t I? Well, there's good cause. I think it’s worth mentioning that these somewhat toxic sites do more harm than good for most authors, particularly those who are not yet established in the field. I’ll let you in on a secret…they never will be established if they don’t do an about-face regarding these over-hyped platforms.

Social media stands there as a beacon of hope to authors who want everyone to know how great their books are. Except that it’s false hope.

But we’ve already been over that; discussing how there’s no way to social media your books to bestseller status, and how a lot of what you do on these platforms concerning advertising is just wasting time–unless of course you’re paying to run compelling ads.

Many authors ascribe to the illusion that floating around from one Facebook “writing” group to another, talking about all things writing, is somehow good for their careers. The opposite is true.

Interacting with other authors and readers is fun–sometimes–but it does little or nothing to advance your career. It may also be a red flag that you’re going backwards.

There are many reasons for this:

For instance, why do you have that much time on your hands? Maybe it’s a good idea to evaluate why you have so many hours to devote to chit chat online that does nothing to further your WIP.

If you have hours a day to spend interacting in Facebook groups or responding to things other authors say, maybe you could pick up a part-time job and use the same few hours a day to earn money and save up some funds for a rockin’ ad that will actually get you some sales.

Image by Gerd Altmann

I think it’s especially funny when I see authors on Facebook every day saying how determined they are to succeed and doing post after post talking about their work when they should be DOING their work. If you want to have a productive day, give zero minutes of it to social media.

If you think I’m wrong, ask yourself what has ever come of that type of social engagement. Did it ever get you a sale? A review? An answer to a query letter? Did you discover “secrets'' or “tips” that led to a valuable change in your career trajectory? Of course not.

There’s nothing wrong with chatting, bouncing ideas off other authors, or showcasing your work, but spending more than a nominal amount of time doing any of those things is just a WASTE of time, pure and simple.

I know people whose careers would have grown exponentially if they spent as much time creating compelling ad campaigns as they did floating around online, engaging with other authors.

If you want to “be involved in the business,” there’s better ways to do it than jumping from one Facebook group to another, randomly talking to–or arguing with–other writers. Unless you truly enjoy it, just stop. It’s not going to do anything except slow you down.