[Writer Post] No Writer is an Island

Even though most writers think they’re on their own in in the writing game. That’s completely untrue. No writer is an island anymore, isolated and alone. Writers are peninsulas (thanks to conventions and the internet). If we’re feeling particularly brazen and social, we’re isthmuses (Isthmusi?).

Now, you’re probably wondering either a) WHERE the HECK is she going with this? Or b)How much coffee HAS she had? But it’s true. There’s no way any writer has (or should) go this road alone. The wheel has been invented. The mistakes have been made. In fact, in the Fail Blog world there’s a hashtag for that #LFMF (Learn From My Fail). Most writers who’ve been around the block are totally willing to let new writers learn from their fails and successes.

Recently the Mighty http://joerlansdale.com/todaysfeature.html has been offering writing and publishing tips, tricks, and words of wisdom on his Facebook and Twitter page. If you don’t follow Joe, GO DO IT NOW. You will learn SO MUCH from Joe. Actually, you’ll learn a lot from all the writers on social media – even if it boils down to “We all struggle. We all think we suck at times. We all screw up word counts.”

Yes, Virginia, there’s more to social media than trying to sell your stuff. That’s an important factor, but it’s not the only factor. I FIRMLY, COMPLETELY believe that social media is a tool for audiences to get a the “special features” part of your work. The commentary. The deleted scenes. But most importantly, the blooper reels. It makes writers human. It makes us more accessible to readers and new writers. And it makes them want to read us, because we’re like fezzes and bow ties…we’re COOL.

I’m not saying don’t try to sell your stuff on social media. NOT AT ALL. I’m saying don’t JUST push your books on social media. I will come back to Joe Lansdale as an example, because DUDE…he gets it. Probably with coaching from his equally awesomely talented daughter, Kasey Lansdale (if you haven’t followed HER and listened to her music, go do that now…I’ll wait). Anyway, the point… Joe puts a plug in for his free online short stories once (maybe twice) a day. All the rest of the time that he’s on social media, he’s talking to people or talking about writing, films, etc. There’s more to it.

So take this for what it’s worth, but seriously…learn from those who’ve gone before you. Take what rings true to you, do that. Discard the rest. None of us have the magic wand for publishing, writing, or anything else. We have experience. That’s it. You have to find your own path, but the path is already there.

Tags: Joe Lansdale, Kasey Lansdale, social media, Writing