So today marks a new chapter for me . . . again. I woke up at 5:15 this morning and walked for an hour. I think I know the distance, but I really don’t care because that’s something Old Me would’ve obsessed over. Made charts and lists and plans to time myself, up my pace, shoot for longer distances, and put all sorts of pressure on myself. Um, yeah, I kinda tend to do that.
The sad thing is that I don’t just do it with exercise. I do it with EVERYTHING! I just can’t seem to give myself a break, and since I’m a perfectionist, often if I can’t do something awesome or can’t keep bettering myself somehow, I giveup. Or lose my passion for it at least. But this morning, while pounding the pavement, I decided that with all the things I’m stressing over right now, all I need to do is just take one step at a time.
So this week, my plan is to hash out all my issues publicly. I’d LOVE to get your advice, thoughts, input, and suggestions. Today’s topic is one that I’ve been obsessing over particularly . . .
Social Media
Okay, this one in particular has my brain juices sloshing all over the place. I don’t actually know what I mean by that, but the image seems to fit the whirly, confusing, stick-my-tongue-out-and-make-googly-eyes feeling that comes over me when I think of all there is to do and how to do it right.
Recently I jumped onto the Klout wagon. And my score was actually pretty good. But then I realized it was everything that was under the name “Ending Unplanned,” which I had stupidly put everything under last year when I started this whole writing/blogging/tweeting thing. To my defense I did try “Rachel Harris” originally, but there is a famous comedic actress who has my name–though she spells it differently–and she seems to have scooped up our name in all the various social type things. So I went symbolic.
Yeah, I know, bad for branding.
Anyhoo, so then I made a new account for my @RachelHarrisYA twitter name and my Facebook Page (which by the way, if you click on that link, would you mind liking me? *bats eyelashes and smiles sweetly*). And of course, my score dropped since its newer. Automatic deflation of high spirits. I shook that off and went on a mission to raise my score, by staring at all those grey boxes under my name, showing ALL the social media things I wasn’t involved in. Am I the only one who felt like a complete loser seeing all the things I’m not involved in–felt like high school or something–and the strong desire to hurry up and do all of them?
So then I joined Linked In. And promptly, accidently, sent invitations to 300 of my closest and some not-so-closest friends. Some of them got the invite twice somehow. Yeah I deserve a spazz award. But now I’m growing on there, getting some contacts, but I just don’t know how to work it properly. I know I can attach my twitter feed on there, but then I don’t want to bother people with random RTs and rambling stuff. And I’m sure there are really good ways to not just collect people’s names, but actually network, that I’m just not getting. Can anyone help a sister out?
Then back to my Facebook Page. I am so confused over what stuff I should post on my page vs. my normal “this is me”profile. Now that my book is actually going to be published (SQUEE!!), I’m hoping that readers eventually find my page and “like me” and start following me. But I write YA, so what types of things would they want to see on there? Obviously book news and where I’ll be if anywhere, but should I post things that are from pop culture? Do they want to know occasional cool writing tips I find in the blogosphere? Do they want to know my twitter ramblings, which occasionally are completely silly and about my children’s missing teeth? (just to be clear, they are five and six and are losing baby teeth . . . they aren’t like rotting out or anything lol) Then, where do I link my twitter feed to–my facebook page, or my regular profile? Do I accept all the friend requests I get for my regular page, and let them see family pics and hear about my game day meals for LSU and Saints football watching? Anyone? Advice? Please?
And then there is Twitter. I spent a year on my @EndingUnplanned account and have so many friends on there, but I know I need to be using the one with my actual name in it (no duh, right?). But @RachelHarrisYA is newer and at present only has a little over 500 followers. A few weeks ago I had tried to do what all the “experts” say : to try to keep your follower account way above the count for those you follow. But see, that just doesn’t work for me. Even before this past week when I reached out to a bunch of people to make connections (thus curently making my following count about 30 people more than being followed), I had a hard time not following back someone who follows me. That just feels like I’m playing elitist or favorites or just plain out being a snob. And I loathe snobs. So let me ask you, lovely blog reader: Does follower to followee ratio matter to you or affect your decision to follow someone? Do they look less cool if there numbers are roughly even?
And a talk of Social Media for Authors wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Goodreads. This is definitely one of my favorite sites that I grossly under used until the past month or so. I love seeing what other people are reading, salivating over books to come out, and discovering new treasures. I love following my favorite authors and getting a list of their blog posts sent to my inbox every Sunday . . . and I can’t wait to make my own Author Page. (for those lovely people who’ve contacted me to ask, I hope to have an Author Page in a few weeks, just as soon as I get an ISBN number for MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY). I’ve made some great friends the past month and found so many awesome groups, but it would be entirely easy to just stay on that site all day long chatting in the groups, looking at books, and forgetting about actually writing. Or showering. That’s important, too. I know there are other authors involved in groups and using Goodreads for promotion purposes, but it just seems like there’s so much to learn. How do keep up with all the groups? How do you use Goodreads?
Q4U: Well, this whole post is questions for you, huh? So after leaving whatever tips you may have on the above, I’d LOVE to know your links for the above social media accounts so I can follow, friend, like, K+, and whatever else there is to do out there, YOU!
