How NOT To Use Social Media

Another week, another publishing kerfuffle. Thanks to the internet, there seems to be a new one every few days. This latest brouhaha comes courtesy of author Alice Hoffman who, after receiving a lukewarm review on Sunday, used her Twitter account to not only rage at the reviewer, but post her personal e-mail and phone number as well.

Plenty of bloggers have delved into the relative morality of Hoffman's actions, so I'm not going to go there. To find the full story and commentary, check out Gawker and Galleycat, then find Hoffman's apology here.

Ignoring the immaturity of this act (which is astounding) and the etiquette of the author/reviewer relationship (don't read reviews, if you don't have thick skin) this really boils down to the perfect case study of how NOT to use social media.

The internet is a great tool for the modern author. This is undeniable. We can network with other writers, do much of the career research we need with a few Google searches, and connect with our audiences in a way that was unheard of just 15 years ago. Building an online persona has become a crucial part of modern publishing. At the very least, we're expected to have a website. Even better, we should have a website, a blog, a Twitter page, a Facebook account, and our very own webmaster on call. It's not only overwhelming, but there's a steep learning curve. Plenty of workshops and books talk about how to put the internet to work for you. Many more specifically focus on how to use social media platforms, like Myspace and Digg, to reach your readers. Unfortunately, too few of these sources delve into the darker side of social media use. There is freedom in using these platforms, yes, but just like in the real world there is an etiquette in place that can be embarrassing, even career threatening, to ignore.

From watching these kerfuffles play out and using most of these platforms myself, I've seen such mistakes made time and time again. Authors who are perfectly sensible in real life, whom other writers gush about and who help octogenarians across the street, can still lose footing when faced with the vast web community. It doesn't need to happen, which is why I get furious when it does. Authors can maintain reputations and still have fun with all the internet has to offer. Professionalism doesn't need to equal boring web personas, but the opposite approach all too often leads to giant pitfalls. Alice Hoffman didn't need to have this blemish on her professional record and anyone with career hopes in this industry should take her lesson to heart. In that vein, I've compiled a top five list of common mistakes to avoid.

How NOT To Use Social Media:

1. Excessive Self-Promotion: Promotion is awesome. Every author should have her own personal marketing plan in place above and beyond what a publishing house may be doing for her books. Holding contests, getting involved in forums, and having an active blog are just a few of the ways to do this. But there is a line. How many of us have experienced the spam blog comments about book release dates? Or the unwelcome and unrelated author intrusions into reader discussions? Sadly, this happens so often it even has a name: introtisement. Watch out, it's the next truthiness. For the sake of this blog, I'm defining introtising as: entering web communities where you are not already active and posting thinly veiled advertisements for your work. Such as: Oh! You liked Joanna Bourne's historical romance about spies in Napoleonic France? Well you should try my newest release about spies in post-apocalyptic Venus!

Ugh! Just say no to introtising. Not only is it annoying, but when readers are having a discussion about books, they really don't want to wade through irrelevant book plugs. We know better than to insert ourselves into real life conversations and interrupt with our sales pitch, so why would it be okay on the web? If you want to enter the discussion, go for it! But doing so with relevant points and good humor is going to win you more interest than random self-promotion. On your own pages and accounts, definitely post release dates and contests, but when you go out into the wide internet world, try temper the impulse a bit. People are naturally curious, so a signature with your release dates and website will do just fine, especially if it's connected to funny, insightful commentary!

2. Getting Too Personal - Like I said, having a blog is awesome. Even better, having a routinely updated blog keeps you connected with readers. I can't even count the number of authors I've discovered after reading, and loving, their blogs. Take Maureen Johnson as an example - not only does she post regularly, but her blog is infused with so much personality that you just know her books are going to be good. After all, if she's that funny in a 140-character Twitter post, how can a dose of novel-length MJ be any less entertaining?

Like self-promotion though, putting yourself out on the web can go too far. If you're blogging as a career choice, which you are if you publish and blog under the same name, you've got to think about your audience. Do your blog readers really want to know the story of how you ended up dating your ex-boyfriend's dad? Do your Facebook friends need to see a picture of your positive pregnancy test, or will an excited status update do just fine? Here's the rule to blog by - if you wouldn't share something with an acquaintance you bump into at the grocery store, don't share it with your readers. This will change depending on what genre you write in (Erotica writers have a different audience than Kidlitters, so the TMI threshold is different) and your natural level of reserve, but always keep in mind that you're using social media for your career. If you want an unlimited personal blog or Twitter page, consider having two pages - a private one for close family and friends and another for your industry persona.

3. Spreading Yourself Too Thin - So, you want to use social media. That's a great decision! But...where to start? Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Tumblr, or one of the thousand other social platforms? Here's my advice - research which one you would get the most use out of. Too many authors jump on the social media bandwagon and get a page or profile on every site available. Not only is that a lot of log-ins to remember, but good luck keeping on top of all those communities. All too often pages languish around, collecting virtual dust and doing squat for the author, because she's spread too thin. Pick a platform or two and dedicate yourself to keeping them up-to-date. When you've mastered one platform and have more time to learn another, go for it, but until then remember that a fun and always changing Twitter feed is going to do more good for your career than 100 identical and stagnant profiles.

(Incidentally, if you do use many different social media platforms, there are great services that will help you keep on top of them. Check out: iGoogle, Meebo, and Tweetdeck as some options.)


4. Ignoring Your Audience - Hand in hand with spreading yourself to thin is ignoring your audience. If you're a published author and you're using social media to network and publicize your books, you have to be prepared for reader response. When putting a profile up on Facebook or Twitter, you're opening yourself up to more than just the usual fan e-mails and letters. Welcome to the world of @replies, direct messages, and Facebook pokes. This is why keeping on top of many different accounts can be challenging. In order to keep from alienating your readers, it's important to stay active and engaged with them. If a reader asks you a question on Twitter, respond. If they send you a quick Facebook message gushing about your latest book, send a thank you note back. You can take your time, because Lord knows you'll have more than one message to deal with, but if you plan on networking with readers, keep up the discourse.

5. Indulging in Negativity - This last one is the biggie, as we know (thank you, Ms. Hoffman). When using the web to further your career, it's best to channel Bambi, or rather, Thumper - if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Cliche, yes, but true. It's one thing to get mad about reviews to your friends, but another entirely to spew vitriol into the web at large. Yes, we'd like to think that readers will take our side, but mostly it just comes off looking petty and immature. It's important to fight for what you believe in and engage in industry discussions, but it must be kept professional. Just like I can name authors who are on my bookshelves through their positive web personas, I can name just as many whom I stopped buying after encountering a nasty blog comment or immature Facebook post.

To use Maureen Johnson again, her battles with book banners are a great example of taking on a conflict in the right way. After her books were banned (on two separate occasions) she wrote (and v-logged) witty and spot-on arguments against the attempted bans - all while being entertaining and professional. Instead of alienating readers and encouraging immature behavior, she rallied her audience around her points and gave other writers and industry pros positive fodder for discussion. If something makes you mad, it's your right to post about it, but keep in mind who's following your activity. The internet world is like high school - gossip travels swift and far. So, tread carefully when you choose to go negative on someone else for all the industry to see.

It sounds like a lot to remember, but all these are rules we live by every day in the real world. Social media can be overwhelming, but a little common sense and a lot of good humor will bring you success every time. As the literary world becomes more and more web literate, hopefully these kerfuffles will be fewer and farther between, but we're not there yet. If you keep away from these five pit-falls and you'll be fine. Alright, now I'm curious - what are some of your pet peeves with social media use? We won't name names, but what are some writerly Twitter habits or Facebook tics that tempt you to click that de-friend button?