Emi, your essay has completely validated my decision to be social-media-free lol. I got off Instagram and Twitter (RIP) years ago and haven't looked back. Even without social media followers I still managed to sell my memoir to a Big 5 publisher in a pre-empt, so I know it's possible, no matter what some agents/editors will tell you. Neither my editor nor my agent cared, tbh. I didn't even have to be firm, I just said that I was unable to be on social and keep my sanity. I have other marketing experience and a solid plan for this year before my book comes out. I believe it's possible to be an author without turning into a content machine. I can name a dozen successful writers who avoid social media but still have a "platform" — newsletters, regular bylines, speaking gigs, podcasts, workshops, etc — there are many ways to define influence. Feeding the content beast is only one small piece of that. I've found it really fun to push my creativity into finding ways to market my work without it. Thank you so much for sharing your feelings, they completely mirror my own!
Thank you so much for your comment, Marian! Agreed - so inspiring!! I really do not think my 200 twitter followers and 500 ig followers (all from college) helped me get an agent or sell a book. I DO wish I'd started a newsletter sooner and had a few more bylines!
Dec 14, 2023·edited Dec 14, 2023Liked by Emi Nietfeld
Such a good post. I'm in the "platform building" phase and finding it so challenging to 1) get any engagement at all without 2) driving friends/family crazy. I also find it deeply uncomfortable to show myself in videos (and zoom calls) to the point I feel like I need to sit down and examine where that's coming from.
Anyway, you may know this bit of newspaper history that predates Big Tech -- When I worked at my hometown newspaper (way back in 2000-2003!), our editor created a "post-mortem" every morning. He'd mark up the paper in red ink w/ his likes and dislikes. It was all bound together in this massive binder where you could flip through all the post-mortems and think real hard about your life decisions, especially if your section didn't garner a star.
OHHHHHH! WOW - I love that example. Also, that's brutal.
And I feel you on the platform building - there are some good FB communities (thought they can also get tied up in "social is everything." I wish I had focused more on landing those bylines, which drives people to you instead of the other way around! Good luck!!
Hi Emi it’s good to hear from you…hope your doing well. it’s sooo refreshing to hear from someone finally!!! of your generation that social media isn’t what and where real life takes place. Your points are spot on! Great job girl!!! Keep up the good work
I often wonder if I’m hurting my writing career by not being more active on IG, but the catch -22 is that if I were more active on IG, I’d never get any writing done. I have not gone so far as to delete my account, but I often delete the app for weeks or months at a time.
Came here to say this, too. Plaform building = precious writing time... I prefer to put most my efforts towards refining the work so that *hopefully* one day when I start sharing it, it's exactly what I mean to express and thus I'll be better positioned to attract my tribe. Not the other way around.
Great Post. Social Media is a strange beast. As a consumer of social media, it can be great and yet, it can suck because of the algorithm it employed. Think of those lab experiment you read about from the 50s with the rat and the button. The more you like something, the more it will feed you, and since you only get a like button, it's hard to not push it.
As a self-employed person, Social Media is really about micro-marketing. It does give you an opportunity to sell your products or services at a 1-on-1 level - a marketer's dream. But the only way to do that is when you have amassed a huge following, as pointed out in the article. Otherwise, it's an uphill battle, and as the article also pointed out, you pretty much have to latch onto someone more famous and successful than you and hope that they will promote you and in turn, have their followers follow you. But even that, the end result may still be the same, which is going no where. If you look at those influencers out there that made the news, they are in the news because they kept doing more and more outrageous things to get more follower and to get more clicks and eyeballs.
Lastly, also as the article pointed out, you have to really love and be in love with yourself and think of yourself as the center of the universe to be a good social media person, and most of us are no where remotely that much in love with ourselves. Plus, most of us have other things more important to do than to post a pic or a tweet of us brushing our teeth. =)
Personally, I think if you are self-employed and you are looking at promoting your products and/or service, you really should do the due diligent and employ some marketing 101 strategy and start thinking about the 4Ps - Product, Price, Place, and Promotion and then decide how to execute it. Maybe after you did your research, social media is the best place to start (but you better have a plan to get above the noise) or maybe, as suggested in the article, a good place to push once you have a few customers so they can do the word of mouth for you.
In any case, do your own research. It's much better than doing what others tell you (and let's face it, most people who tell you stuff either a) heard it from someone else and don't really have the experience or b) skipped steps and missed a chunk of vital information you need, the "And then a miracle occur bit" or c) Told you everything they have done except it doesn't really apply to you specifically).
Oh, one last thing...If you like social media, create a totally separate account for your personal interests, and don't mix the 2, so you don't get into the first bit Emi talked about seeing people she hates being successful 🤪
And, Emi, I loved loved loved Acceptance and appreciation all of your writing about the publishing process. Your NYT articles are 💯 too. Looking forward to reading more. 😊
Thanks for this essay, Emi. Honestly, the thought of a social media "platform" is the biggest obstacle that keeps me from pitching my book. I HATE the idea of having to post anything, Mostly I use FB and Instagram to keep up with family and close friends and post pictures of life "events"; ie my daughter's upcoming wedding! I really enjoyed reading your memoir and your interview with Kate Bowler - one of my favorite authors!
I really hope you don't stop yourself from pitching your book. A mentor of mine Donna Freitas (https://donnafreitas.substack.com/) has sold probably 30 books without ANY social media (or even a smart phone!) She only recently started her substack.
Emi, your essay has completely validated my decision to be social-media-free lol. I got off Instagram and Twitter (RIP) years ago and haven't looked back. Even without social media followers I still managed to sell my memoir to a Big 5 publisher in a pre-empt, so I know it's possible, no matter what some agents/editors will tell you. Neither my editor nor my agent cared, tbh. I didn't even have to be firm, I just said that I was unable to be on social and keep my sanity. I have other marketing experience and a solid plan for this year before my book comes out. I believe it's possible to be an author without turning into a content machine. I can name a dozen successful writers who avoid social media but still have a "platform" — newsletters, regular bylines, speaking gigs, podcasts, workshops, etc — there are many ways to define influence. Feeding the content beast is only one small piece of that. I've found it really fun to push my creativity into finding ways to market my work without it. Thank you so much for sharing your feelings, they completely mirror my own!
Your experience sounds mythical to me lol. Do you have a post where you go into more detail about how you found your agent and what not?
I don't, I'm sorry! But I promise you can do this.
Thank you so much for your comment, Marian! Agreed - so inspiring!! I really do not think my 200 twitter followers and 500 ig followers (all from college) helped me get an agent or sell a book. I DO wish I'd started a newsletter sooner and had a few more bylines!
Wow! Marian, this gives me hope to publish without a huge following! Who knew?!
Such a good post. I'm in the "platform building" phase and finding it so challenging to 1) get any engagement at all without 2) driving friends/family crazy. I also find it deeply uncomfortable to show myself in videos (and zoom calls) to the point I feel like I need to sit down and examine where that's coming from.
Anyway, you may know this bit of newspaper history that predates Big Tech -- When I worked at my hometown newspaper (way back in 2000-2003!), our editor created a "post-mortem" every morning. He'd mark up the paper in red ink w/ his likes and dislikes. It was all bound together in this massive binder where you could flip through all the post-mortems and think real hard about your life decisions, especially if your section didn't garner a star.
OHHHHHH! WOW - I love that example. Also, that's brutal.
And I feel you on the platform building - there are some good FB communities (thought they can also get tied up in "social is everything." I wish I had focused more on landing those bylines, which drives people to you instead of the other way around! Good luck!!
big fan of this topic and article!!
Hi Emi it’s good to hear from you…hope your doing well. it’s sooo refreshing to hear from someone finally!!! of your generation that social media isn’t what and where real life takes place. Your points are spot on! Great job girl!!! Keep up the good work
Thank you, Matt!!
Great post, Emi! Thank you for your honesty, clarity, and sanity about the downsides of social media.
Thanks, Kelly!!
Thanks for this. And for a book I keep recommending over and over again.
You are seriously too kind!
I often wonder if I’m hurting my writing career by not being more active on IG, but the catch -22 is that if I were more active on IG, I’d never get any writing done. I have not gone so far as to delete my account, but I often delete the app for weeks or months at a time.
Came here to say this, too. Plaform building = precious writing time... I prefer to put most my efforts towards refining the work so that *hopefully* one day when I start sharing it, it's exactly what I mean to express and thus I'll be better positioned to attract my tribe. Not the other way around.
Emi, this was oh so cathartic to read! I completely align with your views on social media.
Great Post. Social Media is a strange beast. As a consumer of social media, it can be great and yet, it can suck because of the algorithm it employed. Think of those lab experiment you read about from the 50s with the rat and the button. The more you like something, the more it will feed you, and since you only get a like button, it's hard to not push it.
As a self-employed person, Social Media is really about micro-marketing. It does give you an opportunity to sell your products or services at a 1-on-1 level - a marketer's dream. But the only way to do that is when you have amassed a huge following, as pointed out in the article. Otherwise, it's an uphill battle, and as the article also pointed out, you pretty much have to latch onto someone more famous and successful than you and hope that they will promote you and in turn, have their followers follow you. But even that, the end result may still be the same, which is going no where. If you look at those influencers out there that made the news, they are in the news because they kept doing more and more outrageous things to get more follower and to get more clicks and eyeballs.
Lastly, also as the article pointed out, you have to really love and be in love with yourself and think of yourself as the center of the universe to be a good social media person, and most of us are no where remotely that much in love with ourselves. Plus, most of us have other things more important to do than to post a pic or a tweet of us brushing our teeth. =)
Personally, I think if you are self-employed and you are looking at promoting your products and/or service, you really should do the due diligent and employ some marketing 101 strategy and start thinking about the 4Ps - Product, Price, Place, and Promotion and then decide how to execute it. Maybe after you did your research, social media is the best place to start (but you better have a plan to get above the noise) or maybe, as suggested in the article, a good place to push once you have a few customers so they can do the word of mouth for you.
In any case, do your own research. It's much better than doing what others tell you (and let's face it, most people who tell you stuff either a) heard it from someone else and don't really have the experience or b) skipped steps and missed a chunk of vital information you need, the "And then a miracle occur bit" or c) Told you everything they have done except it doesn't really apply to you specifically).
For those who are interested in the 4Ps, here's an article about them - https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/four-ps.asp
Oh, one last thing...If you like social media, create a totally separate account for your personal interests, and don't mix the 2, so you don't get into the first bit Emi talked about seeing people she hates being successful 🤪
And, Emi, I loved loved loved Acceptance and appreciation all of your writing about the publishing process. Your NYT articles are 💯 too. Looking forward to reading more. 😊
Thanks for this essay, Emi. Honestly, the thought of a social media "platform" is the biggest obstacle that keeps me from pitching my book. I HATE the idea of having to post anything, Mostly I use FB and Instagram to keep up with family and close friends and post pictures of life "events"; ie my daughter's upcoming wedding! I really enjoyed reading your memoir and your interview with Kate Bowler - one of my favorite authors!
Kate is incredible!!
I really hope you don't stop yourself from pitching your book. A mentor of mine Donna Freitas (https://donnafreitas.substack.com/) has sold probably 30 books without ANY social media (or even a smart phone!) She only recently started her substack.
I'll share more of her work in my follow up.
Thanks for the encouragement, Emi!