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There have been many posts already about HOW to do this. I can boil it down to A. Don't keep shoving your book under everyone's nose and "follow back" on Twitter just to up your follower count. And B. Make genuine connections with others by offering information of value, whether humor, support, or information.
But WHY? Why do this before we even get an agent? Isn't it a bit of a time waste?
Answer: Because by making GENUINE connections, you are gaining invaluable, reciprocal support from others like you. My writer peeps get me, and without them I might have given up at some point. Plus you demonstrate your ability to play well with others. Or not. (In which case, that's not as good for you as the agent or editor who may see that and avoid going down that road to begin with). But I digress and I suspect I'm preaching to the choir.
Caution! Don't get so wrapped up online that you get no writing time. It's easy to do. Set personal limits.
Yes. Emphasis on the word genuine! You can always tell when a writer is on twitter (or even blogging) solely to up his or her numbers, in which case I don't waste my time. But someone looking to make a real connection with other writers and to get their message across, those are the people I follow.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, yes, I do need to get some writing done! ;)
Love the shoes!
ReplyDeleteAnd real platform, for most people, takes longer to build.
I've basically decided I can't worry about "platform" too much and am mostly focused on maintaining the connections I've made in the past year. I've had to cut back on social media because of writing commitments ... and this post makes me feel all right about all of that!
ReplyDeleteCan people actually walk in those shoes?????
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, Lisa. I agree, it's all about genuine connections and not spamming. And I hear you about the writing time. That's the most important thing.
Very well stated. I began blogging/tweeting, etc... to discover the world of writing and hone my craft, learn from those who are ahead of me. The connections I've made are priceless, and I appreciate each one.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I did a platform post, describing what I learned from Agent Natalie Fischer, and I used that same photo. Love it!
I'd break my neck with that platform! ;)
ReplyDeleteBeing genuine is the key, for sure.
So true! For me, it's all about connecting with other writers, encouraging each other, and sharing information. By connecting with all you wonderful writer peeps, I'm less inclined to bore my poor family with my conversations about writing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really timely post for me as I continue to whittle down -- hear that agents, I said "down" -- my Facebook friends and Twitter follower lists to be able to experience less clutter and missed connections and make more true relationships happen. I think we get so caught up in "grabbing numbers" because we hear agents say things like, "Don't list how many Twitter followers you have until you hit 10,000" that we panic and just start following back, as you say. But to what end? I did that for about five months before I kept missing out on important tweets and shares and posts from actual REAL people I've met through social media and wasn't able to communicate with them properly/adequately. I'm trying to rebuild those lists from the ground up and create a much stronger platform in the process. So, yes, this post and othesr like it are a real validation of that point. It's almost like if you're building a platform *just* for the agents and publishers it's going to tumble like a deck of cards once you finally ask all those folks to act on buying a book or something, when if you're offering true value and feedback and relationships and conversation the platform almost builds itself. So, there's my bumper sticker moment!!!
ReplyDeleteSetting limits part ... that's really hard. But I love the support and connection so much!! But having a fire lit under you to write works wonders too...
ReplyDeletep.s. those shoes scare me. :)
First off, Loves The Shoes...
ReplyDeleteGenuine relationships is so key. And that takes time. I really hate it when people just try to up their numbers thinking it helps with their platform -- it's really obvious what they're doing and in the long run, I don't see how it helps.
Wow, those are some rockin shoes. I could never pull them off. As for writer platforms though, I couldn't agree more. It's all about personal connections, not just numbers. Great post! And speaking of personal limits to keep from cutting into writing time, I'm off...
ReplyDeletePut the Twitter down and back away slowly...
ReplyDeleteWriting is the most important part of being a writer. Connections to other writers and readers are a close second. I've been refreshing my stats on blogger for the past hour, so I'm no expert on balancing the two. Thanks for the reminder!
I started out my blog with the express intent of "building a platform." When I stopped thinking about it in those terms and thought about it as "building relationships," it became really fun. I've loved it since. Actually, I need to figure out how to stop loving it quite so much, because I'm spending so much time building relationships lately that I'm doing next to no revising . . . bad, bad, BAD!
ReplyDeleteBesides being awed by those blue shoes, you again bowled me over by the simplicity of your "absolutely right-on" post. Connect, be sincere, and support when you can. Remember it's about you sometimes, but it's not always about you.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Thanksgiving.
I just started blogging because I noticed on twitter it seemed all the writers I was following were blogging. It's been a great experience for me, and I don't feel like the only unpublished writer on the planet anymore, ever. I don't have a ton of followers (though I did just reach 50!) but I do feel like I know most of them, or at least their blogs, genuinely. That was the perfect word!
ReplyDeletePlus it was one more place to announce my birthday last week, which worked out extremely well. ;)
Twitter has been where I've made heaps of connections and loads of writer friends. I guess that's building a platform?
ReplyDeleteI don't bang on about my books, but I do mention things about writing, or have lots of fun and share 'me' around.
It doesn't happen very quickly. It has to develop at its own pace and be organic. Those 'buy my book on Amazon for 99c' tweets are not organic. Joining a writer # chat thread and getting to know people is organic.
Setting those limits is the hard part! It's easy to get caught up in the bloggy world and never come out again! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree! I'm watching a writer friend of mine on Twitter to see how she does and she doesn't get it yet. She's not doing the major no-nos we all hate (thank God!) but she's not jumping into conversations. She is posting info that people might find interesting and that's not self-promo, but she's missing that final interaction to make Twitter valuable to her. I've met so many great writers out there in the short time I've been on, and made some great connections too, and it's because I'm actually interacting...But, as you caution, we need to learn limits-- I was having so much fun interacting that I got obsessed with it. I've since calmed down and don't feel the overwhelming compulsion to read _every single tweet_ LOL...
ReplyDeleteWow, love those platform shoes! And, yes, it's not a comfortable feeling when we have to try to promote ourselves. I've always sucked at sales! I'm finding that the support and connections I'm making with new friends is just as valuable as making a sale. Actually, it's worth more to me. People come first in my book.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm doing my NaNoWriMo story, I'm getting ideas about how to try again at starting to build a platform. For some reason on my blog, I've retricted my silliness level, but the silliness and humor really come out when I do NaNoWriMo, and I think it should be a part of my platform. Besides, when I stay away from silliness, I tend toward negativity, and that doesn't help at all.
ReplyDeleteSo far I have to admit I crave those genuine connections. They're mostly why I'm on twitter and do blog hops as often as I can. I believe there are a lot of nice people/writers out there and I want to meet as many as I can (within reason). Oh and you are so right about the twitter thing. So right.
ReplyDeleteIt's a blast getting to know other writers online. It's instant inspiration and support when you need it. I dig those groovy shoes in the pic.
ReplyDeleteGoodness - those shoes! I think creating a platform through genuine connections with other writers is FUN. It's one of the reasons I'm so glad I started blogging. :)
ReplyDeleteTotally right! And I love that Caution line at the end, haha!
ReplyDeleteAnd girl, I wouldn't wear those platforms unless I want to trip over my own shoes, lol! :D
So very true! It's hard to get used to the idea of needing to sell ourselves, especially because it seems most writers are more introverted. But, when we come at it as a community building thing, it's so much easier to relax and make genuine connections.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about setting limits too. It's easy to get caught up in all the online stuff to the point where we shove aside our WIPs. That has to come first.
Those shoes are amazing! And you are so right about finding a balance. It's wonderful to make online connections, but none of that will matter if you're not making time to write!
ReplyDeleteGreat, attention grabbing photo =D
ReplyDeleteI resisted putting myself out there for a long time. When I finally began blogging I was amazed at how rewarding it is to connect with other writers, and surprised at how many friends I've met. Now the struggle is not to forget to WRITE. Thanks for the reminder.
Ah, yes, it's very important to be able to play well with others. There are so many benefits to having an online presence, but it absolutely should be give as well as a take.
ReplyDeleteLove the shoes, but I'd kill myself in them.
Love those shoes - do they come covered in chocolate?
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Thanks for the reminder to keep writing at the same time!