Comments on: Social Media: To Share Or Not To Share?

By: Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 14:02:35 +0000

In reply to Rekha.

Oh that’s great Rekha – I agree, it wonderful to be able to connect with people whose work you’ve enjoyed (and authors love getting tweets like that!) You’re right, it’s good to keep a certain enigma when you’re involved in the creative arts, so people can interpret your work without, as you say, knowing what day you put the bins out!! 🙂

By: Rekha

Rekha — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 19:42:23 +0000

I found your post really interesting. It was exactly this access to an author that got me started with Twitter just a few weeks ago. I had an account that I was doing nothing with, but on a whim tweeted a pic of the book thanking the author, and a massive thrill ran through me when just minutes later she liked my tweet. This actually started me off on a process of creating a blog and tweeting authors (I’m only four books down but the first author was the only one with a major Twitter presence.) In answer to the question you posed I would say that as with many of these things there is a fine line to tread. For an established author, a social media presence may not be a necessity so if they do abstain from it that’s simply their preference, but for those that either need or want to engage in it there could come a point where incessant updates are just too much. It’s great to be able to reach out and tell an author how much you loved their work, but finding out which day of the week they put their bins out just makes them lose their enigma!

By: Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 10:09:47 +0000

In reply to Linda Strader. That's true Linda, Twitter is a very different experience to Facebook and without feedback, it can feel a bit ridiculous sending tweets into cyberspace. It wasn't until I got the hang of hastags that I really started to connect with people. But having said that, I think you should stick with whatever platform you're most comfortable with. I have an Instagram account, Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, but I spend most of my time on Twitter and my wordpress blog. I resisted Facebook for the longest time and as a result, I'm still not 100% comfortable using it. But groups (such as Women Writers!) have changed my opinion completely, so, never say never I guess!

By: Linda Strader

Linda Strader — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 22:30:27 +0000

I guess I’m one of those who doesn’t use Twitter enough to ‘get it.’ Unlike Facebook, where you can tell when someone has connected with you, I have NO idea if anyone ever reads my tweets or cares.

By: Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 16:33:06 +0000

In reply to Terry Tyler.

I love that Terry – keeping your personal life behind your front door! And I completely agree with you, there is a way to engage and share, without burdening people with your personal details. Like you, I just can’t imagine that people would care or have any interest in the meal I had last night or where I went to have it! You’re right; you have to draw your own boundaries, before other people decide them for you.

By: Terry Tyler

Terry Tyler — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 15:49:00 +0000

I use Twitter a great deal, as you know, and, like you, it’s where I’ve found all my writing connections and most of my readers. But I think you can use it avidly without sharing personal detail. I don’t put anything much about my personal life on Facebook, either. I prefer to share stuff about books, writing, films, TV series, humourous bits and pieces, rather than tell people what I’ve had for breakfast or what I did last night. Who cares? My private life is just that. But I love Twitter. It’s where I find out what’s going on in the world, in general, and in the corner of the online world that I inhabit.

I used social media before I started publishing books (I was a MySpace addict, never liked FB), which is probably why I have less of a ‘thing’ about it than some; it’s been a part of my life for over ten years, now. But I don’t like author interviews that ask my about my personal life; I don’t answer the questions. As far as I am concerned, Twitter is about my writer self. The more personal side of my life stays where is should be – behind my front door!

By: Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 11:06:01 +0000

In reply to Lauren Denton. Very pertinent point Lauren and I think it is a constant issue for people who, as you say, want to participate but don't want to become completely consumed by it. Not easy!

By: Lauren Denton

Lauren Denton — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 01:24:55 +0000

I really appreciate this article. I think about social media a lot–mainly that I so strongly dislike it even though it’s a great way for us authors to connect with readers *and* a way for me as a reader to connect to authors I like! I dislike it because it can be such an addiction. For me, it’s not so much that social media takes away from writing time, but that it takes away from *my* life–because I’m perusing other people’s lives on Insta or FB. It’s a constant battle to try to find the right balance–sharing but not oversharing, participating but not letting it take away from my own life and family. Thanks for the article!

By: Evie Gaughan

Evie Gaughan — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 17:09:06 +0000

In reply to Felicity Banks. I love that Felicity - a few centimetres closer to actually working! That's such a good attitude to have, rather than stressing about it. In fact, I wonder if it has become the norm for writers nowadays, writing and scrolling, scrolling and writing?!

By: Felicity Banks

Felicity Banks — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 22:35:23 +0000

The good thing about social media is it gets me a few centimetres closer to actually working. I open my computer, wander around social media sites (not feeling too guilty, since it’s technically working), finally get around to opening my document, then wander the internet a little more, then finally get started. It’s the opposite of the bandaid approach to getting stuff done, but it works for me. Procrastination is a vital part of writing, and it may as well be connecting with other writers and readers rather than just staring at the wall.