An interesting short piece on the use of social media by authors. The article argues that users of social media should ensure that the focus of their posts is not solely on “me”, rather the focus should be on building a community and providing space for your followers to express themselves and participate. For the piece please visit http://www.authorsonline.co.uk/newsletter/nov13-using-social-media.php
One of the contenders for the Man Booker Prize, The Kills, started life on Facebook and Twitter where the first section was given away free. I must admit to having been surprised on first reading the article in the Telegraph that a 900 word story is classified as a novel, however on re-reading the piece I see that it runs to 900 pages so can legitimately be so classified. That will teach me to speed read articles! For the Telegraph’s article please visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booker-prize/10198682/A-Twitter-e-book-voted-on-to-the-Booker-Prize-longlist-How-very-novel.html
Yesterday evening as I browsed through the books on my bookshelves I was struck by the beauty of the hard back titles. The Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) used to provide books either in soft paper covers or, alternatively in what they described as cloth . boards. I am of the view that books are long term friends so purchased the hard back versions. Sadly RNIB no longer offer cloth bound volumes so the blind person wishing to purchase titles has Hobsons choice (they must like or lump the soft cover books sold by the Institute).
The hard cover books feel permanent and possess a wonderful scent wholly lacking in their soft bound alternatives. It is a real pleasure to take down Wuthering Heights in it’s cloth boards not only because it is a marvellous story but also due to the volumes being a pleasure to handle. They feel as though they where made to last and the braille protected as it is by the robust covers remains easy to read unlike some of my paper bound books. Where I to be a sighted person I would purchase hard backs in preference to paperbacks as they exude a sense of permanence and dare one say it stability.
As I browsed my books my mind wandered and I began to ponder the issue of permanence more generally. On occasions it seems as though we are, as a society obsessed with the ephemeral. Next time you are on public transport witness the number of people who are engrossed in madly texting rather than reading a book. Some of these texts are no doubt important, however especially with teenagers one suspects that many are wholly inane and are being sent to people whom the teen has only just left. Again the constant checking of Facebook fosters a view of the world in which nothing is permanent, things change constantly and one must always be moving forward on a roller coaster from one exciting post to another.
To sit down with a book is in contrast an experience to be savoured. With a good book one must concentrate and yes sometimes struggle. However the pleasure to be derived from comprehending a complicated plot or a difficult subject does (in my view) outweigh the shallow pleasures which eminate from the obsessive use of social media. In time (a very short time) most of the posts on Facebook will be forgotten, however Emily Brontae, Charles Dickens and other great writers will remain as proof that there is more to the world than a vapid ever shifting obsession with change for change’s sake.
I hope that I am not turning into an old fogey before my time!
Kevin
On occasions I feel that I’m caught up in a technological maelstrom from which it is impossible to escape. On the positive side of the coin Twitter and Facebook offer the opportunity to promote my writing, however social media and technology more generally can suck us into a world in which deep thought is replaced by constant (and often unthinking) clicking on links which happen to take our fancy at a particular moment in time. Who among us has not gone online meaning to quickly check their emails only to find themselves an hour or so later browsing the internet?
One of my happiest recollections as a child revolves around sitting in the school library reading. Sometimes I’d randomly take down a book from the shelves and find myself captivated by Andrew Lang’s rendering of the Greek myths. On other occasions I would pick up the Oxford Book of English Verse and read old favourites such as Wordsworth’s Solitary Reaper. I could sit there for hours or at least until one of the staff chased me out into the great outdoors to play! In my school days I lacked the distraction of the internet and of mobile technology. Not so today. In 2013 I, like so many others face the temptation of constantly checking my mobile to see who that text who’s beeping disturbed my concentration came from and, of course to reply to the sender. If it isn’t texts or browsing the internet then I’m tempted to check to see if my friend has responded to my email asking whether he is free for a drink on Friday.
A year or so ago I took the decision to go without using the internet for 5 days. To clarify I still had to use the internet in connection with my full time job, however I didn’t go online for personal browsing during those 5 days either on my computer or my mobile. During that time I read a lot and also enjoyed walking in the local park. It was a good experiment and I’d recommend it to my readers. See how much more you read and do other things when access to the internet is prohibited (by yourself) for a week or so.
People have been saying for centuries that the world is going to hell in a hand cart so isn’t my concern about modern society’s obsession with technology merely a manifestation of this old and frequently overblown fear? Of course technology offers many positive benefits. As a blind person I embrace the freedom which the text to speech facility on my Kindle gives me to enjoy ebooks. Again blogging is a wonderful way of connecting with like minded people and of sharing ideas. Technology is neither good nor bad it is how we employ it which is the issue. Is the internet going to remain our servant or will it become our master? I don’t know the answer to that question but what I do know is that we need quiet time for reflection and reading. If we lose that then we will all become poorer.
(Note: while writing this I heard a text being delivered. I am in the spare room and my mobile is sitting on the bedside cabinet. I made a decision not to check my mobile and as of now the text remains unread).
Self-publishing brings many benefits not least of which is the ability to get one’s work published quickly (indeed for many aspiring authors self-publishing is the only option given that most established publishing houses will not “risk” publishing unknown authors). The purpose of this post is however to deal with some of the downsides associated with self-publishing.
I self-published my collection of short stories, The First Time, using the services of a company which specialises in the field of self-publishing. The company offers a variety of packages ranging from an ebook only option through to the publication of both an ebook and a printed version (Print on Demand or POD). They also offer editorial services, book cover design and a press release service. I plumped for the ebook only option and paid for book cover design as an optional add-on.
One of the advantages of utilising the services of a self-publishing company is that they will arrange for the formatting and distribution of your work. In the case of authorsonline.co.uk (the company I used) they distribute titles to approximately 200 outlets including Amazon and Google Books. As of today (12 January) my book, The First Time is available from around 10 ebook retailers. While it gives me a sense of achievement to Google The First Time and see it displayed on a number of sites the speed at which publishers are adding the title is frustrating. In particular my book has still not yet appeared in Apple’s Ibook Store.
Another disadvantage associated with self-publishing is that you, the author must put a great deal of time and effort into promoting your book. This can (and often is) fun, however it entails a good deal of hard work the benefits of which are not always obvious (I.E. blogging about your book will not, necessarily lead to a take off in sales). One must be patient and keep plugging away.
Many bloggers specialising in the area of writing and publishing will recommend that authors use a variety of sources to promote their work (for example WordPress, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads). While I’d endorse this advice I’d also caution against spreading oneself to thinly. If one has the time to regularly update multiple social media then all power to your elbow. If, however one has a fulltime job or other commitments the regular updating of several platforms may not be possible. In such instances I’d recommend concentrating on one (maybe two) platforms as it is better to produce quality posts on a limited number of social media than risk imperilling the quality of your writing by attempting to post on a wide variety of platforms.
I’ve often heard it said that one should attempt to post every day in order to keep your blog’s (and your writing’s) profile high up in the ranking of search engines. While this is good advice there may well be occasions when one simply has nothing to say or you are so exhausted that anything which you do post will not show off your writing at it’s best. In such circumstances it is best not to post. In such situations have an early night and your writing will be all the better for it on the following day.
In conclusion self-publishing has much to recommend it, however it does require a great deal of time and effort by you the author.
I have never been a huge fan of Facebook. As a blind writer I use Jaws software which converts text into speech and braille allowing me to read my computer’s screen or, more accurately have the content relaid to me via voice and braille. Facebook is difficult for blind access technology users to navigate their way around, however it is, potentially a good means of promoting my book. Consequently I signed up for an author’s Facebook page (facebook.com/newauthoronline). A sighted friend assisted me in setting it up and with her assistance the first couple of posts where posted. However I am now finding that posts intended for my author’s Facebook account are ending up on my personal Facebook page! I’ve wasted several hours attempting to ascertain what is going awry but without success! My right arm is sore from me shaking it at my hapless computer, however I’ve now attained a state of mild amusement and am sitting here smiling. In the great scheme of things my inability to figure out Facebook comes far down the list of the world’s problems. I’m off out now for a nice cooling pint or two! I’ll return to the problem bright eyed and bushy tailed later.
(For my book, The First Time, by Kevin Morris please visit the Kindle Store on Amazon.com or amazon.co.uk).
K Morris - Poet 