Connie A. Thompson

As writers, we spend a great deal of time alone working in our writing spaces crafting stories, essays, or poems. Utilizing social media is a wonderful way to engage with others. You can learn about the craft and wonderful books which have influenced others. You can help others promote their books and other creative endeavors. Agents and publishers prefer to sign authors who have a social media following, so these activities won’t be a waste of your time.

For example, last week, Therese Walsh’s first novel, The Moon Sisters, was released. I was amazed at how many shared the news of her novel’s release. I read the linked review, and immediately added it to my goodreads list of books to read. Personally, I am drawn to fiction which explores the family dynamic, so I was glad to both learn of a new book that interested me and help a fellow writer promote her work.  When my first novel comes out, I hope many people will do the same for me.

When you invest some energy in social media, you never know who is paying attention. Jessica Gross was one of the first to tweet wishing for Amtrak to offer writer’s residencies. Within days of that tweet, she found herself aboard an Amtrak train, writing as the train passed through snow covered hills. Amtrak is now launching their #AmtrakResidency program, offering writers a free space to write away from their normal lives and routines.  All because of a tweet!

So, how do you get started on social media if you don’t already have a presence?  I suggest starting with Facebook and Twitter, two of the most popular social media sites.

Facebook is used for posts, links, videos and photos. Users typically interact with family and friends adding them to their friend networks. You have the ability to like, comment, or share the posts of others.

Twitter is text driven. You can share a link to a video or add a picture if you like, but this affects your character count, which is limited to 140. Spaces and punctuation count as characters.  Twitter is driven by hashtags and retweets.

A hashtag is the # sign. It is predominantly found on Twitter, but Facebook users are adopting it. A hashtag is a short description of the point of interest of your post. Popular hashtags for writers are: #amwriting, #amediting, #writingtip, #writerwednesday, #fridayreads, #bookgiveaway, and #nanowrimo. And specifically for poets, April is national #poetrymonth.

You also have the option to retweet. Below each tweet in gray you will see three icons. The first allows you to respond to the tweet. The second allows you to retweet sending the tweet out to all your followers. The final, the star allows you to favorite a tweet that you find interesting.

90% of your efforts on social media should promote others. You should promote the posts you find interesting and/or enriching. You want your followers to value your opinion. In turn, when you have something personal to promote, your followers will help you by getting the word out.

Be warned!  Even though social media can be useful, it has the propensity to engulf you. To preserve the sanctity of your time, you might look to a program such as HootSuite to help you manage your posts. You should never let social media interfere with your writing time. Set a timer. Limit yourself.

That being said, social media is a great way to interact with others. Connect with writers you admire and find interesting. Connect with your peers and see what inspires them. Help them promote their work, and you will find most reciprocate. And you never know what opportunities you may discover.

Connie A. Thompson is the Social Media Director for South85 Journal.  She is currently enrolled in the MFA program with Converse College.  Her primary literary interests explore the lives of Southern females as portrayed by Southern authors. She and her husband, Chuck, reside in Upstate South Carolina. She is a mother of three and grandmother of three.