I’ve been hearing a lot of grumbling from writers lately. Many are fairly new to the craft, or are finally getting serious about it, but they feel overwhelmed with the barrage of advice explaining how to build an author platform:
Write the book of your dreams…EVERY. SIX. MONTHS!
Start a blog and post on it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!
Post on Facebook, tweet on Twitter, and pin on Pinterest…MULTIPLE. TIMES. A DAY!
It’s too much.
It’s also….Not entirely true.
Let’s explore this closer.
Building an Author Platform
What exactly does this term mean? When I googled, ‘build an author platform,’ it gave me 48,500,000 responses — 48,500,000!
If you feel inundated with information it’s because you are.
I clicked on the first site, Build Author Platform (buildauthorplatform.com). It says, “With hundreds of thousands of books being published each year, building an audience before your book is published has become a necessity. Authors must realize now that it’s not only great writing that makes a successful book.”
I agree. To succeed, you must find ways to connect with readers who then become fans of your work. I don’t know anything about Build Author Platform, but I do not believe you have to be on social media 24/7 like so many gurus are advising — posting, tweeting, pinning, instagramming and everything else.
At least three times a day. Everyday. Holidays included.
You cannot do everything at once: write epic content, create the wittiest tweets, and gather more Likes than stars in the heavens. Over time, you’ll burn out until you have no energy left for what’s most important.
Your writing.
It takes time to hone your voice and to share your best work. It takes time to grow an audience. It takes time to dream and ponder for both your art as well as your career. If you want to be published, if you want to make a living from writing, then you must be in this for the long term.
Otherwise, you won’t survive.
If building your platform is consuming too much of your writing time or draining your creativity, then it’s okay to scale back and refocus your attention on your writing instead.
In fact, it may be necessary for your sanity’s sake.
I’ve let myself become too scattered. I felt too pulled in different directions. Overwhelmed was my middle name.
I’m stopping.
Maybe you should, too.
Make the Most of Your Time
There are only 24 hours in a day. You’ve got to eat, sleep, do what you do to pay the bills, then live the life you’ve created. All that cuts down on your writing time.
I am a huge fan of Jane Friedman. She’s the former publisher and editorial director of Writer’s Digest, with expertise in digital media strategy for authors and publishers. The woman knows her stuff. She’s one of the few industry experts who says you don’t have to be on social media 24/7. Or, at all. It depends on where you are in your process.
How do you know the answer to that?
How do you strike a balance between your writing and your platform?
Here are Jane’s suggestions from her 2012 guest-post, Should You Focus on Your Writing or Your Platform, at Writer Unboxed. The information is still quite relevant and helpful.
When to Focus More on Your Writing
- If you are within the first five years of seriously attempting to write with the goal of publication.
- For novelists: If you have not yet completed and revised one or two full-length manuscripts.
- If you can tell that what you’re writing is falling short of where you want and need to be.
- If you see a direct correlation between the amount of writing you put out and the amount of money that comes into your bank account (the JA Konrath model).
- If you are working on deadline.
When to Focus More on Your Platform
- If you start to realize you’re on the verge of publication.
- If you have a firm book release date of any kind.
- If you want to sell a nonfiction book concept (non-narrative).
- If you intend to profit from online/digital writing that you are creating, distributing, and selling on your own.
- If you need to prove to a publisher or agent that your work has an audience. (Marcy’s side note: you still must have strong writing skills to gain attention in the first place).
Use these guidelines to analyze where you are in the process. It’ll will help you find your priorities, or even remind you of them if you’ve gotten sidetracked like me. Upon reflection, I’m choosing to refocus my efforts more on writing. It’s like the weight of the world has lifted from my shoulders. I’m a woman on a mission once again.
Why I’ve Scaled Back on Social Media…For Now
It was killing me. I could feel it sucking my soul dry.
How’s that for dramatic?
Here’s what is interesting. I am very relational. I’m an ambivert (a combination of both introvert and extrovert). I write alone happily for hours, but also happily interact with people. That is not my problem with social media (I share what is on #5). I’ve made several online friends and add to that number every week. I just want/need to focus more on writing than platform these days.
Here are my priorities…until I decide otherwise:
1. Publish two books in 2015: my debut novel, Pennies from Burger Heaven and My Still Untitled Nonfiction Book for Writers. My early morning writing session (5 – 7 am) will be devoted to this.
2. Write posts for Mudpie Writing and monthly guest-posts for Positive Writer and The Write Practice.
3. Answering Mudpie Writing emails. This is my #1 favorite way to connect with you (+ comments through posts). Love it!
4. Reading for pleasure. I have not being doing this enough and it showed through my irritability. I’m hungry to be inspired, entertained and informed.
5. Everything else. I know I’m not utilizing Facebook or Twitter the way I should. I struggle with Twitter. It’s like entering a screaming room and I’d rather have one-on-one conversations. For Facebook, Mudpie Writing is a fan page and not a personal page, so I can only connect with you if you reach out to me. I’m considering scrapping it and combining MPW with my personal FB page, so we can friend it each other and engage more.
I’m trying to take a more systematic approach in building my platform, rather than trying to do it all at once. I encourage to find what works best for you. The time it takes to discover this is worth it because you’ll be happier and more productive. Your attitude adjustment will show on and off the page.
How much does social media suck up your writing time?
Please leave a comment. I’d love to chat.
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How much DID it suck up my writing time? For the last few months, it sucked up 80% of it; I was almost squeezing in my writing around the social media WORK … yes, it became work.
Don’t get me wrong. I met some wonderful people in that time. I also managed to get some much needed attention for my “baby blog”, but if I have nothing left for my writing … well, then there isn’t any point.
In the last couple of weeks, life has forced me to step back and take a good long look. There are only so many hours in a day and days in a week, and I’ve been growing increasingly scattered and grumpy without proper writing and reading time. It’s time to tip the scales in the other direction for a while: 80% writing, 20% social media. Let’s call it the new “80/20 rule”.
Thank you for a fantastic and very timely post. Writers need to know its okay to take back their time!
Hey T.O.
You bring up OUTSTANDING points. If we’re not careful, social media can become WORK instead of FUN. I made the same mistakes as you. I’m on the road to recovery in reclaiming my writing time and am soooo much happier.
I LOVVVVVVE your term, “The New 80/20 Rule.” YOU should write a post on that. Really compelling.
I’m glad you’ve recovered your writing time and am glad I’m doing the same. Thanks for stopping by!
Isn’t that funny … I didn’t even think of that. You’re right!! I’ll get on that post now!
T.O. I will connect with you on twitter – want to read the post asap! Good luck!
Thanks Julie! (Found you on twitter)
Love this! 80/20 indeed 😉
I’m definitely in the focus on your writing phase! I use social media just for entertaiment and at times when it doesn’t interfere with my writing. I do think that’s a good way of building your platform as well, though. When people follow you because they like what you post, even if you post it just because you want to and not to be followed, things go in a much more natural way than if it were the other way arround.
And on a side note, I didn’t know there was a word for that introvert/extrovert middle ground! Ambivert describes me perfectly…
Hi Luana,
I must admit I’m both impressed and jealous at how balanced you sound between your writing and social media. And you touched on something important…NATURAL. Connecting to others, whether is through their writing or something on social media should be NATURAL. They write what we’re thinking or feeling. Not FOLLOW MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I’m delighted to teach you a new word today. I learned about ambiverts in an AMAZING book called QUIET, by Susan Cain. She only briefly mentions ambiverts (the books focuses on the overlooked awesomeness of introverts). It’s a great read.
Haha, I’m not sure if I’m that balanced. I just treat them as different things. There are days in which I spend more time on social media than on writing and others in which it is the other way around. I can’t say I’ve never chosen twitter over some writing time, but I usually keep them from interfering with one another. Doing them at different times of the day does help.
Now procastinating my writing, whether it’s with social media or not… That’s another story. I’m learning to check myself on that.
QUIET sounds like an interesting book! Being quiet can really be awesome 🙂
Ambivert – that’s me too. I have to schedule time with my friends to make sure I don’t turn into a complete hermit. My writing time is sacred. I have 500 or so followers on twitter, gaining them 1 by 1 with painstaking slowness. I’m selective in whom I follow as well. I’m sure this is breaking some social media rule and not the proper way to use twitter, but buying followers or connecting to thousands by follow/follow-back feels fraud-ish (yes, I think I just made that word up!) Anyway, best of luck to you Luana 🙂
500 Twitter followers? Are you kidding me? I am MAJORLY impressed. It may be painstakingly slow, but in my opinion, you’re earing them the RIGHT way. What you’re saying connects with these people and they want more of where that came from. Keep up the good work, Julie!
I don’t think you’re breaking any rule! Follow/follow-back is just a shorcut and doesn’t even work well. And is does feel fraud-ish (yay for made up words!) Thanks, and good luck to you too!
And I thought I was the only one.
Blog comments & email are the only social media worth the effort. I ask myself – what’s the purpose? People who like my writing will subscribe to my blog. I will communicate with them using the social media channels I set up (Slack group/FB pages/Twitter chats).
To me SM is strictly for communicating with my tribe. It is useless for building a tribe
You definitely have your priorities straight, Phil. Congratulations. I’m trying to get there and your awareness inspires me. Thank you!
Good points, Phil!
Marcy, are you hiding out in my brain or what?! I really really needed this, and especially those clarifying points from Jane Friedman. I am definitely in the former category and have been feeling scattered and distanced from my novel because of it. Thank you for this! I’m going to share on social media, lol 🙂
Sounds like we’re a lot alike, Dana. Since you are writing a novel, let me confirm, your book is your #1 priority. It’s a HUGE undertaking and requires so much creative energy.
Social media is way down on the priority list. Do your best to write when you’re most productive and only read blogs, leave comments if you truly have something to add to the conversation (or ask questions).
I’m trying more and more to move away from the SHOULDs. I should do this…I should do that. Good luck!
Moving away from the should a is a great idea! Thanks Marcy 🙂
That’s why I like follow a few writing blogs because we all learn from each other. The key for me is to not let it become a time suck. 🙂
Me too, Dana! And Jane Friedman gives excellent advice and info in her posts! good luck to you 🙂
I’ve definitely decided to focus on the manuscripts first. Regarding social media, I only do what I love (plus my gig moderating the Writer Unboxed FB group, which keeps me closer than many might find comfortable). But I find that connecting with other writers (including you) has made all the difference in taking my work to each successive level. I learn, commiserate, am encouraged and support, and occasionally teach and encourage in return. It’s strange to think, something that must be done alone, and takes so much space in one’s head, can really be so enhanced by connection with others. But it makes sense. After all, what I want for my novels is for them to connect with my fellow human beings.
I’m glad you’re finding your comfort zone in this crazy-making writerly whirlwind, Marcy! Thanks for sharing!
My friend, Vaughn! I’m SO HAPPY to see you here because you (and others here today) are examples of friendships through social media.
I don’t recall which Writer Unboxed post you commented on that I first noticed and liked, but I saw you more and more. I thought…I can relate to this guy. Somehow, we became friends.
What I’m needing to be reminded of today is to only pursue the parts I enjoy. Otherwise, it’s a waste of time and energy. But even then, I must protect my writing time above everything else.
Thank you!
Isn’t it cool how the little things (noticing and relating to one another’s comments on WU) can lead to friendship? It’s truly a blessing. But needs to be kept in check to keep it from becoming a curse. I have to continuously remind myself to step away, to moderate my time spent.
I honestly don’t know where I’d be as a writer without WU–but that particular platform isn’t the key. Each writer has to find the home-base that fits them. I’m glad I found mine, and thereby you. Thanks again! (I do lurk here quite a bit, btw. I’ll try to comment more. 🙂 )
All lurkers and commenters are welcome here at Mudpie Writing! The only thing I won’t tolerate are haters, but we haven’t had any of those here + I’m learning to stand up to them more elsewhere.
I seem to get sucked into the whole social media circus, and end up feeling guilty for spending so much time on f/b and trying to get my twitter acct to be beneficial. Thanks, Marcy, for these helpful hints. They are like a kick-in-the-butt for me mentally to quit procrastinating and just write! I will remember the joy and frustration, my reason for being…
I have to remind myself that building a platform, like writing, is a PROCESS. It doesn’t happen overnight. I like your comparing social media to a CIRCUS. That’s perfect. There’s all the noise…and the different animal performing cool tricks…there’s so much to watch.
In small doses, the circus is great, but too much, you leave feel strung out from the
Clearly, I am in the first category, but my problem is that I ENJOY sharing wise, warm and witty insights. I feel guilty otherwise – lol
But you are right – more time for writing and less time for social media.
Your word is my command 😉 (or something like that – haha)
LOVE YOUUU
Kitto
Some of it (like this, talking to you now), I love, but I HATE posting or tweeting something and feeling like it’s lost among the masses.
But, you know what? If you LOVE all of social media, then DO IT. Your passion will ring through. Just don’t let in take away from your writing time because it’s important, too.
Love you back!
Marcy – This post really struck me! I think social media work/play is the ultimate rabbit hole where countless hours of precious writing time slip away. I would write more, but, as our friend T.O. suggested, I need to adhere to the 80/20 rule and get back to my fiction writing! Thanks for a great article!
Hi Julie,
I’m delighted this post resonated with you and that you took time away from your fiction to say so (GOOD FOR YOU for protecting your writing). I also appreciate the support you’re showing everyone else here today.
U. ROCK!
Yes, I’m sucked dry by it, so I’ve cut back. I was in a lot of FB groups and would post each blog piece in several groups. I’d get sidetracked by interesting posts and discussions.
I quit most of the groups and only spend a few minutes a day on it. I reached almost 900 followers of the blog in a year, without much effort, and I’ll let it go by word of mouth, now. It’s time for me to start writing books.
Like you, I crave to read, and I don’t. I also got sidetracked by following other people’s blogs. I can’t even read them all. My blog is mostly about the New Earth, guiding people from 3D to 5D reality. It’s the mission I came in to do. I had started keeping up with the latest changes and passing on the info. It got me out of the Vortex of Creation, in which a writer must be, before writing. Now, having had my fill of reading what other bloggers write and pass around, I’m ready to live my life in a more peaceful way.
By May 1, when I leave Florida for my tiny house in the country, I’ll have my rhythm worked out.
It helped to hear this issue discussed. Thanks to you, Marcy, and to all the commenters.
Wow, Rosalie — 900 followers. That’s impressive. Congrats.
It sounds like you’ve been through the social media wringer with all those groups, etc.. I’m glad you found your way out.
Everything you shared was terrific, but here’s the most important part: “It’s time for me to start writing books.”
Yeah, baby! The time is now. I hear it in your voice. Good luck in making THAT a reality.
Great post. I am at a point where I need to do more social media and platform work in general. The thing is that I HATE social media in general. I’m good at creating content for social media. I just hate the actual management tasks – posting stuff and wading through mostly pointless notifications and following and unfollowing. So last night I decided to hire a social media manager. That sounds way more glamorous than the reality. I will write content and create images. The voice will be mine. But I’m hiring someone to spend an hour or so doing the tedious, day-to-day tasks that I not only don’t enjoy, but actively avoid doing. The fact is that someone else could do this stuff for every network in an hour. But between avoiding the task and getting distracted in the middle of it, I spend over two hours, and sometimes as much as three hours, accomplishing the same tasks. I’m certainly not suggesting every writer should hire a social media manager. But for me, right now, it’s exactly the right option.
Great to hear from you, Angie.
Because I know where you are in your process, I know that you do need to focus much of your time building your platform.
And, sorry to say this, but a social media sounds both GLAMOROUS and TOTALLY AWESOME! I want a social media manager, too!!!!! Without getting too personal: How does one know how much to pay a SM manager?
Marcy,
I’m hiring a and Filipino outsourcer. You know how trendy I am 🙂
Seriously, I read an article years ago about the grinding poverty there. It showed a photo of families living in aboveground tombs because the tombs provided shelter. This was at least five years ago, but I’ve never forgotten it.
I saw a lot of Internet marketing gurus talking about outsourcing there because it’s cheap. I decided that when I could I would do two things.
I would work with a charitable organization to help children in the Philippines, and I would donate a portion of book proceeds. I’m researching an organization now.
And I would hire as many people as possible and pay them fairly.
Then I found out my friend Aimee is from the Philippines. Her dad is American, so her name wasn’t a clue, and she lives in the US. We were in a coaching program together.
Aimee has an enormous family in the Philippines. I mean, probably everyone is related to Aimee. Well, dozens, seriously.
So I have a message out to Aimee describing what I want a virtual assistant to do as a social media manager, and asking what I should pay.
An expert in outsourcing says $3 – $5 an hour is fair for a general VA, and I’m hoping to hire a general VA and train him or her to do my basic posting and maintenance tasks.
I suspect the true fair wage is closer to $8 – $10 or more.
The problem is that my best applicants right now, through a job site, are asking $1.50 and $2.
Of course I’m not paying that.
I will ask Aimee how to offer a fair wage without insulting Asian pride or seeming suspect by offering so much. I imagine that would involve hiring at a low wage and giving raises and bonuses.
People in the Philippines looking for the jobs are very educated. My current favorite teaches college part-time. They have solid English skills, can generally write pretty well, know the Internet, and have various other valuable skills. This is a great source of good help, and it fits my life.
And I have a trusted resource to make sure I’m paying enough.
Unfortunately, my trusted resource is traveling Europe with her family for several months. I think they’re in Germany now. So I don’t have an answer about pay yet.
Aimee is researching Books for the Barrios for me, as well, through her little family in the Philippines 🙂
Not the answer you expected, I know. This wouldn’t work for everyone.
If I were hiring a trained social media manager from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, etc, I would ask Danny Iny of Firepole Marketing to either recommend a manager or recommend someone who could guide me in how to hire one.
Sorry this got so long.
I hate to travel and I’m pretty emotional, so I have no desire ever to visit the Philippines. But part of my heart is there ever since seeing people LIVING IN FREAKING TOMBS. So I’m excited about this.
I’m doing something else as well. I’ve wanted to write a couple of short books on frugality for empty nester, just simple, short books. My best friend since high school is underemployed, her husband is disabled and she’s in doctoral school. I want to just put out some good but fast books in popular niches, and give them the proceeds, but I simply cannot find time.
I got an application from an outstanding article writer. I’ve asked him if he’d be willing to write basically a series of articles for each book. For example, 30 articles on frugal but great eating, totalling 40-50 pages. I have all the research. He would draft something and I’d polish it. Then I’d market it and surprise her with a late birthday gift. It won’t amount to a huge amount of money, but when you drop basic cable to save $10 a month, an influx of $200 is a big deal.
So, yeah. I’m discovering the wonders of outsourcing 🙂
And it does feel a little glamorous and it is exciting 😉
As always, Angie, you are a WEALTH of information. I love how you’re not only helping you’re own biz, but helping folks in the Philippines, too. Good luck!
Apparently you’re reading a lot of minds. I feel out of control and I’ve just started my Tweeting. The blog I’ve had for 2 years and is fairly manageable. Tweeting, on the other hand, quickly got out of control. I followed a lot of people at first, but now have cut way down. I completed my novel, but can’t seem to get started on the next one. I get 100-200 emails daily w/ blog, email, and Tweet notices. I have 2,000 emails in my queue! I might look at 50-100 some days and skip others. Only 6 months ago, I had less than 100. I will read your column again. This is the lengthiest response I’ve written to anyone. Most of the time it’s click “like” and move on. Thank you for such a timely post!
OMG, Connie. Your comment made me break out into a sweat. 2,000 emails?! No wonder you can’t start your next novel — you’re caught in a Twitter Tornado!
I just googled, “How to get Twitter under control” and got this, article by PR Tools: Killer Twitter tools to die for by PR :
http://www.prnewsonline.com/featured/2011/11/21/get-your-twitter-efforts-under-control-killer-twitter-tools-to-die-for/
Maybe you should turn off your Twitter notifications? That way, you control if you want to go check it out or not. Good luck!
Hey, Marcy!
And there I was thinking I was the only klutz in Creation who has NO IDEA how to USE any form of Social Media to my own personal ends / advantage! Seems there’s some merit in my instinctive scepticism after all! lol
With half a dozen novel-length MS completed and a similar number of WiPs DEMANDING to be the next one I drag out to work on, I quite simply haven’t got TIME to Socialise (electronically or in Real Life).
And as far as “reading for pleasure” is concerned, don’t even GO there! My current stock of unread books (ALL bought at Signing Days organised to benefit other local Authors) has taken over my bedroom floor – I had to go to IKEA last week and buy a new BOOKCASE to keep them in/on – my flat [that’s “apartment” in the US, I believe!] is beginning to look like a scene from an episode of the TV series “Secret Hoarders”
Thanks for making me laugh, Paul. I’ll watch for you on Secret Hoarders. I don’t qualify for that show, although I do feel I’ll never get through all my “to be read” stacks.
However, you ARE participating in social media. It’s what you and I are doing RIGHT NOW. Somehow you found Mudpie Writing (and I’m very grateful) and you decided to leave a comment. I’ve enjoyed learning about you, so I’m responding.
This, I LOVE.
Just random tweets and Facebooking, I do not understand and am struggling to find value in that. I’m still finding my way, but decided to write about it and am so glad I did. This definitely seemed to strike a chord with people. Thanks for stopping by.
I can definitely relate to this! Twitter is my main weakness. I don’t tweet a lot, but I do spend hours trawling through agents’ timelines, seeing what advice and quotes other writers are posting, reading reviews and articles, getting sucked into silly hashtags and debates, etc. Some of this stuff IS useful, but if I’m honest, a lot of it it is just time-wasting and distraction, because I’m too tired or bored or scared to work on my novel. I’m resolving to be more mindful of what I’m doing on social media. I’m trying to catch myself looking for the hundredth time at a writing contest page to see if the results are out, and ask myself if this is really the best use of my time.
Great to see you, Catherine. I appreciate your honesty in time-wasting on Twitter (we all have our vices). The most important thing I needed to hear from about social media (and writing and life, in general) is MINDFUL.
Am I doing this to be PRODUCTIVE or am I using it as a DISTRACTION. If I’m being the former, then I’m being more mindful, which I do to a whole lot more of. Great stuff. Thank you!
I am SO excited to read this post as I am EXACTLY there. Consumed, overwhelmed and my writing is suffering. The problem. I do marketing and public relations. I love it. But I love writing more. Even though I am ready to market my book- I don’t have a book to market yet. Its frustrating- so frustrating. My issue is that I already had a blog out there before my TRUE commitment to writing, so I went this way and that way with it- and now ( I may or may not) have followers, but I feel an obligation to keep it up without losing what I have already started and still WRITE! Not write blogs or fb posts or twitter tweets, WRITE MY BOOKS! Where do I go now?
Hi Heather,
Take a deep breath. I know it’s frustrating because it feels like you’ve so much wasted time (why, oh, WHY didn’t you realize your love writing sooner)? However, it took what it took for you to learn this, so be it.
And, how lucky you love both marketing and PR because those are VERY important skills for the business side of writing.
Let me ask…what is your blog about? Is it a PR/marketing blog, writing, what?
You know you do NOT have to blog all the time. I only publish posts ONCE or TWICE a week. That’s it. You could easily get away with one post every 7 – 14 days. That’s doable. Keep a running list of possible blogging topics, so when it’s time to create a post, then you already have ideas.
Good luck with it all — the posts, the followers, and mostly, writing your books.
Marcy- thank you so much for writing me back. It is nice to feel that you are not alone in this crazy writing world. My current blog is called- are you ready, wait… daily wine and chocolate. ha ha Don’t worry, it is now my name- heatherhrhodes. After doing a family blog for quite a few years, I wanted a new change and felt that a lifestyle blog about my current lifestyle; which ends with a glass of wine and chocolate “most nights” would be funny. So, here I am. 🙂 I do talk about writing, but I also talk about traveling, my family and my kids. Do you think this is bad? My travels are where I get my inspiration and also from my children- of course. I just don’t want to be heading down this road for all the wrong reasons and of course be…wasting my time? I am looking forward to reading your ebook, Writing Naked!!! Cant thank you enough for your quick response! Have a wonderful evening and a fabulous weekend! 🙂
Daily wine and chocolate! Ha. I popped over to your blog and think it’s great (LOVED the post-Spring Break pic with the wine bottle, allergy meds, but ESPECIALLY the baby doll that looks passed out by the wine bottle). Your sense of humor and wit shine through.
I think talking about all the things that interest you is terrific. Keep up the good work. Be patient with yourself and your craft and I’m always here if you need me: marcy@marcymckay.com. 🙂
Thanks so much Marcy! 🙂
This is eerie. You describe exactly how I feel. In fact, I just published my manifesto (inspired by Jeff Goins’ 48-hour passion challenge) on a related topic.
Bloggers, authors, solopreneurs – we’re all one-person enterprises. There’s no WAY we can do everything the gurus say and be true to our craft.
Last year I took a break from the online world. I returned recently. This time around I’m doing things on my own terms. Which means less social media, less blog posting, and less networking. But more connecting via email and more helping people. I know this means slower growth. But I don’t care – it makes me happy!
It’s good to know I’m not the only one who feels this way.
First of all, Sally, THANK YOU. This comment made my day, “This is eerie. You describe exactly how I feel.” That’s every writer’s dream. 🙂
Good for you for taking that break and giving yourself the time and space you needed to real decide what kind of writer YOU wanted to be. Regardless of what the gurus are saying.
Lastly, since you are spending less time on social media. I’m both flattered and grateful you’re choosing to spend some of it here @ Mudpie Writing. I’ll take to make it worth your while.
THANK YOU for stopping by.