My first Laura Kaye book, HEARTS IN DARKNESS, made me want to get stuck in an elevator with a hot guy with tattoos! Now, she’s tackling classic gods and demigods in her new, HEARTS OF THE ANEMOI series. Laura is a fellow Marylander, a prolific and talented writer and an all-around great person. I’ve admired her ability to juggle so much on her plate – multiple publishers, volunteering in the romance community, and social media – she was sweet enough to agree to come to RU today and give me her outlook on an important part of the writing business – social media.
Shifting Your Socia Media Perspective.
Most authors struggle with how to balance their writing time against their social media efforts. They feel that the more time they spend 
promoting their books on Facebook, Twitter, their blog, or other blogs, the less time they have to devote to writing. Some even go as far as wishing they could wash their hands of the whole business end of their writing career and concentrate on what they love best—writing books to put in readers’ hands.
I’ll admit, I’ve had these feelings sometimes, too. After all, there are a finite number of hours in the day. But I’ve come to look at it all a bit differently. I’m often asked how I juggle multiple book contracts and an active blog and an active social media presence and multiple promotional efforts all at once, and I’ve thought and thought about an answer that would be more useful than “I don’t sleep very much” LOL! I think I just might have found an answer that is more useful: I don’t see social media as a burden, and I don’t approach the business end of my writing career as being different or separate from the writing end of it.
Why do you write books? I write because, well, because I have to write. I can’t not write. But I also write because I hope my words and stories will bring a few hours of joy, happiness and pleasure to my readers’ lives. I do it for my readers. After all, if they weren’t out there reading and enjoying, I couldn’t do what I do. Therefore, when I think of social media, I see an opportunity to talk to and hang out with my readers and friends, not something burdensome or obligatory I have to do. I adore seeing how readers will react to my excerpts or status updates or posts or weird observations I tweet. Online reader feedback is the best kind of instant gratification, and I find it fuels me. It’s fun and serves as a great break from writing or a way to productively fill ten minutes I couldn’t use for other activities.
Similarly, I’ve learned that the business end of my writing career is just as important as the writing end. In fact, I’ve learned they’re equally part of the whole experience. One can’t be fully successful without the other—well, not for the vast majority of us (perhaps if you have a big enough name or a prominent enough publisher you can avoid more of the business end of things, but even the big publishers are expecting more author effort on promotion and social media these days…). Social media only distracts from your writing career if you see it as not being central to your writing career. I’m not talking about basic procrastination here (I excel at that, doncha know?)—yes, of course, procrastinating on the interwebz might thwart your writing goals for the day. Instead, I’m talking about a way of thinking about how the time spent on social media, blogging and other promotional efforts relates to your career itself.
I think attempting a shift in attitudes about the time spent on social media has the potential to make it more enjoyable, more productive, more consequential, and less overwhelming. Of course, sometimes you just have to say nope, no time for Facebook today! But that’s a different thing from saying Oh, gawwwwd, guess I have to go post on Facebook and twitter now (cue long-suffering sigh). LOL
So, what do you think? Could a shift in perspective make the business end of your career easier to handle, manage, accept, and enjoy?
Thanks for reading!
Laura Kaye
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How do you approach your social media? Do you think it cuts down on your writing time? What do you think about Laura’s paradigm shift?
Tomorrow literary agent, Sara Megibow, will be back with her monthly column, “Sara Megibow Sells Romance”.
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GIVEAWAYS!
One commenter who leaves their email address here will win an ebook of North of Need, Book 1 in my Hearts of the Anemoi series. Ends at midnight EST 4/16 and open to international. Want more ways to win? Check out my WEST OF WANT PREVIEW & PRIZES EVENT, which begins today to celebrate the coming release of Book 2 in my series, West of Want!
Bio:
About Laura Kaye:
Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is a bestselling and award-winning author paranormal and contemporary romance. Hearts in Darkness is the EPIC eBook Award Winner for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
Buy Laura’s Books
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Hi Laura,
Writing is a business and has to be treated as such. Publicity is a huge part. Congratulations for embracing it. For me, it’s a work in progress.
Mary Jo
Posted by Mary Jo Burke | April 10, 2012, 6:04 amI understand that, Mary Jo! It’s a lot of work. I just think it can *also* be fun, but every author has to find the balance that works for them! Thanks for commenting!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 10:37 amLaura – Thanks for being with us today!
Do you schedule in your time on social media? I know that I can lose so much time on FB and twitter because I’m having fun connecting with people.
What is your favorite social media tool?
Posted by Robin Covington | April 10, 2012, 6:54 amThanks for hosting me here today, Robin! I don’t schedule social media time. But I know some who do and it really works for them. I’ve especially heard some authors have good luck with saying, “Okay, once I’ve written 1,000 words, I can have 15 minutes on the internet” or something similar. That would require more discipline than I have! LOL Also, I find I can’t quite get settled in to writing when I know I have a guest on my blog I need to promote, and a guest post on someone else’s blog I should tweet and FB, etc. I need to get those out of the day, clear my head and desk, so to speak, and then I can write.
I really don’t have a favorite social media tool. I like both Twitter and FB a lot and find they create very different relationships – I would say I have fewer, “deeper” friendships on Facebook, and more casual friendships on Twitter, if that makes any sense. I find more loyalty on FB than twitter, too. But I enjoy them both.
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 10:40 amMorning Laura!
I wonder if celebrities feel the same….oh gawwwwd, I have to go on Larry King tonight! augh! =) I struggle with finding the time for it now, and somedays literally look at it as a chore – and I’m not even published yet! I can only imagine things will get crazier..
Do you schedule tweets etc in advance to sometimes give yourself a break? Or announce you’re “going dark” for awhile if you’re buried?
Thanks for a great post!
carrie
Posted by Carrie Spencer | April 10, 2012, 6:59 amLOL Carrie – maybe someday we’ll know how that feels, right??
I don’t schedule tweets, although I know some who do. For some things I think it’s fine, but it’s also clear if *all* you’re doing is posting impersonal scheduled tweets.
Yes, I’ve definitely said, okay, guys, I’m going to be quiet for a few days to finish this book. Wish me luck! type posts. People kinda love that because the really like to cheer you on through those moments and celebrate with you when you’re finished. And that’s exactly the kind of stuff that makes social media really energizing for me! Thanks for commenting!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 10:42 amHi Laura! I’ve never thought of social media as a chore. That being said, I often take breaks from Twitter or Facebook, which isn’t a great thing to do for an author! It’s all a balancing act and a huge, creative challenge to me.
jgbeads(at)gmail(dot)com
Posted by Janel Gradowski | April 10, 2012, 7:23 amI completely agree, Janel! And there’s no one right way to do it, either. Thanks for commenting!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 10:43 amHi Laura,
…attempting a shift in attitudes about the time spent on social media has the potential to make it more enjoyable, more productive, more consequential, and less overwhelming…
This definitely sounds like a goal I should get behind!
How/when do suggest a pre-pubbed writer take on social media?
Posted by Cia | April 10, 2012, 7:26 amOh, good! I’m glad that sounds potentially useful, Cia!
Pre-published writers should start building their social media presence immediately, in my opinion. Getting out there on Facebook, Twitter, or starting to blog once or twice a week NOW will build you a following before you land that first contract and then you won’t have to scramble to start from scratch when you all of a sudden have a book to think about promoting. Before I was published, I subscribed to an authors-helping-authors mentality (which I still do now), which meant I retweeted everyone else’s good news, new sales, blog posts, etc. I shared them on facebook. I followed their blogs and commented on their posts. I didn’t have as much they could help me out with just then, but I knew in the future I would, and I’d hope authors would help me out by doing those same things. And they do. It’s a karma thing, maybe? LOL But people remember who always turns out for them to help promote…
Thanks for commenting!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 10:47 amI know this is a sore point for a lot of authors, and it must be a nightmare keeping up with social media when you’re on a deadline. Even for those of us who aren’t published yet, building and maintaining a social media presence is a lot of work. Thanks for a great blog, Laura!
Posted by Becke Davis (Becke Martin) | April 10, 2012, 8:49 amI definitely agree, Becke. But I think authors are going to be expected to do more of this, not less. And for the large number of us who are primarily published with small presses, epublishers, or who are self-published, social media promotions are central to getting your name and book out there. It’s pretty much on our own shoulders to do…
Thanks for commenting!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 10:48 amLove this article and agree with it – totally!
Posted by Amber | April 10, 2012, 8:54 amAwesome! Thanks Amber!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 10:49 amI definitely struggle with social media, not only to make time for writing, but also having to deal with the everyday household stuff. After all, we only have to many hours in the day! I haven’t even tried Facebook, but did take a dip into Twitter. Other than that, I have the website, blog regularly on my own blog and others, especially when a book release is imminent and I also post excerpts on tons of promo loops. You have to get the word out, or no one will know your book exists. You just have to schedule in that precious writing time every day.
Posted by Susan Macatee | April 10, 2012, 11:50 amSo agree, Susan!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 4:19 pmHi, Laura. Social media–some days, it is hard. Others–easy. But why do it? Because it connects our work with readers. I, too, can’t not write, and want to share what I’ve finished with others. It isn’t simple, but nothing really worthwhile doing rarely is. Good post.
Posted by Vicki Batman | April 10, 2012, 12:00 pmThank you! Complete agree with you!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 4:19 pmHi Laura,
Reading anything you write just puts such a smile on my face–it’s probably that adorable author picture of yours.
This is great advice. Amazingly, I tell my children this ALL the time. “If you have fun with your math worksheets, you’ll do better at it” “If you get into your home work projects, they won’t seem like ‘work’”
They look at me like I fell off the moon and hit my head. But this is so true, social media is about connecting with readers, other writers, and really it’s fun! Too much fun sometimes. The real problem is not letting it keep you from doing real writing, right? Which reminds me…
Thanks for showing us how it’s done, with that big bright smile always in place (even virtually, it’s visible)
Sonali
Posted by Sonal | April 10, 2012, 1:49 pmAw, thanks Sonali!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 4:20 pmThank you for the reminder, Laura.I haven’t really taken to Twitter, but I love Facebook. I’m not published yet, and though I love my writer friends dearly, I do sometimes feel like they’re 90% of my audience right now, and I know they don’t need one more blog to read or post to comment/respond to. Fingers crossed that will change when (not if, I did not say if!) I’m published.
Posted by Ally Broadfield | April 10, 2012, 2:30 pmWe all start out with our writer friends as our main audience, though, so everyone understands that. But there are things you can do to start connecting yourself with readers–participate in big blog hops, or in memes like Six Sentence Sunday or Sexy Saturday Snippet or…there are a bazillion of them now. And Goodreads is a great place to be to get to know other readers. Join a genre discussion group over there and start talking to people. You’ll make friends that’ll be there to cheer you on when you’re published!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 4:23 pmI do my emails and social media first thing in the morning, then check it again in the evening.
I’m waiting for my first ebook to come out in August and working on the next one.
I’ve been hugely disappointed with my personal family and friends. Since signing the contract, no one is talking to me, except one sister and one cousin. I come from a very large family and have quite a few friends. In the past few months, not even a congratulations has been sent by anyone else. No one has visited my website or blog. When I ask them to share my posts, they tell me they’re too busy. They act as though I’m asking for a loan.
Have you ever had this problem?
I’m so thankful for my network of fellow writers. I’d be so lonely without them.
Sandra Dailey
sandy4lee@yahoo.com
Posted by Sandra Dailey | April 10, 2012, 3:32 pmSandra,
Some of my friends and family tell me they’re too intimidated to leave a comment on my blog because most of the commenters are fellow writers/authors.
Posted by Jennifer Tanner | April 10, 2012, 4:18 pmHi Sandra – that’s a great schedule – you get your writing time in but also make consistent time for social media. Sorry to hear that your friends and family aren’t turning out to support you like you wish they would. My family is supportive, but they never turn out to comment on posts, etc. However, I do know some writers whose families aren’t supportive for a lot of different reasons, and people in those situations–like you–really need to lean on your social media networks even more to get the encouragement and support you need. That’s one of the powerful things social media can do for an author–provide encouragement, support, and morale boosts when you need them, and often different from what you might get at home. We’re here for you, Sandra!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 4:25 pmHi Laura!
Great take on social media. I often wonder how authors interacted with readers before the Internet Age. FB and Twitter are useful networking tools, but I’m not sure how effective they are for promoting books. It’s annoying to see a flurry of posts or tweets by authors selling their books.
Thanks for being with us today.
Posted by Jennifer Tanner | April 10, 2012, 4:15 pmI rarely (maybe never?) have posted a tweet or facebook update that said, “Buy my books.” If people are doing that, they’re going about it the wrong way. But I have 100% confidence that I’ve sold books because of posts I’ve shared and interactions I’ve facilitated on both of those platforms. It’s not even a question in my mind. People outright tell me, I read this and bought your book. Happens all the time, and I’m not exaggerating. And I’m far from the most popular author out there. I also know that my weekly participation in Six Sentence Sunday sells books. Every week, whichever book I quote six sentences from sees a sales rank boost on Amazon. Every week.
I also have to say, I don’t mind seeing other authors’ posts about their books. I love knowing when someone has hit a bestseller list, or when their book’s price has lowered, or when they’ve received a great review. I love celebrating those things with them AND I *know* how exciting it is to experience all those little milestones in your writing career and want to share them. And, generally speaking, I get tons of positive feedback when I do. Frankly, if I occasionally annoy someone because I’ve tweeted a lot during a week-long blog tour or because my sales rank rocketed to 100 *overall* on Barnes & Noble (which recently happened to me, and I was gobsmacked), I kinda don’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be callous, and I’m not trying to annoy anyone. But the number of published authors NOT engaging in online book promotion is pretty small, I’d wager to guess, which means it’s hard to criticize other people’s promotional efforts when I’m turning around and doing the same thing down the line. That’s just my take on it though.
Thanks for commmenting!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 10, 2012, 4:34 pmi read an article once by nora roberts, and she says she treats it like a full time job.. she sits down at 9 and writes (with breaks) till 5.. i think thats dedication right there
i love finding new authors…and a lot of the time i do that by discovering them on facebook.. some social explorations online are a definate must!
Posted by Alaina | April 10, 2012, 5:37 pmWOW!! I never realized what all went into using social media as a writer. I am not a writer (Not good at it), but I am an avid reader. I love that social media allows me to “connect” with the writers and bloggers I love. I like being able to have a “convesation” with them. Makes the writer seem more real, not just a picture on the back of a cover jacket.
So I say, “THANK YOU!!!” to all of the authors who do spend the time to “connect” with us readers. It really does mean something that a person with so much talent would take the time to “speak” to me.
Thank you.
Mel B
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
Posted by Mel Bourn | April 11, 2012, 5:59 amAw, Mel, thanks for that! I’m glad you enjoy it so! I know I do!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 18, 2012, 10:25 pmAnd the winner is . . . Sandra Dailey! Congrats!
Posted by Robin Covington | April 15, 2012, 6:50 pmWoot! Congratulations Sandra! And thanks everyone for a great conversation! Thanks again to Robin for hosting me!
Posted by Laura Kaye | April 18, 2012, 10:25 pmCongratulations! Love your book covers. Gale pgan427@yahoo.com
Posted by Gale Nelson | May 2, 2012, 7:53 am