When I started writing, I had no idea that it
would take years of trial and (mostly) error to even finish one manuscript.
And, that completing a novel was just the beginning. The hard work comes after
that. A story has to be shaped and edited and vetted. There were times when I
just gave up. It was too much work on top of being overwhelmed with job and
family tasks.
To date, I’ve finished three novels, two of which will never
see the light of day. The third is being commented on by a few trusted “beta”
readers who, hopefully, will catch the mistakes I missed. After they are
finished, it gets another round with a brilliant copy editor. Then the fork
meets the grits. I’ll have to start sending out query letters to agents and
publishers.
While I’m waiting for all this to unfold, the word at conferences and critique groups is: you need to build an
“author platform” on social media sites. Great, but where do I start? Which
ones? What works the best? How much time does it take?
If it were built with nails and
boards, no problem. The Hunter has built shooting houses, tree stands, and a
chicken ark. But, the raw materials for a social media platform are things like
Facebook, Twitter and blogs. That’s one of the reasons I started writing this
one. That, and I wanted to show off my new chickens.
Any time you build something you need to have a blueprint or
at least a plan. Building a social media platform seemed like an overwhelming
task. To add to the confusion, the traditional publishing industry is in a state of flux right now because
anybody can write a “book” and fling it up for sale on Amazon/Kindle.
You know that old saying, when the student is ready the
teacher will appear? I can tell you it holds true in this case. I don’t even
remember where I came across Kristen Lamb's blog, but reading it has taken some
of the anxiety out of trying to build a social media platform. She also blogs about
the craft of writing, the state of the publishing industry and other subjects
writers love to read about while we are procrastinating, I mean studying.
Kristen also offers what I needed the most, a detailed plan
of how to build a social media platform, an e-book called, We Are Not Alone. I’m
making my way through it, step by small step. When my “work in progress” is
ready to be unleashed onto unsuspecting agents and publishers, I’ll be ready!
