I recently decided to step away from facebook. I had my reasons. Largely, I thought it was time to concentrate on new things. Facebook is interesting as a phenomenon. What started as something we keep in touch with friends with and might check once a week has become something people are on everyday. I went with this thinking for a while. It makes sense to make friends and see what other writers are doing, etc. Also, I thought it may help get people interested in buying my next book. There are many books being plugged on facebook everyday. Its a place used by authors to plug- no harm there. But what about when the fun runs out?
I got to a point were facebook just was not fun any more. I wondered how much time it may be eating from my day. Did the negative aspects outweigh the positive? A minute here, five minutes there, putting off something on a to do list while I just encourage what this person is up to first... I suppose we are all better at multi tasking than we once were. On our computers alone we have email minimised to check in with, documents open and facebook minimised in the corner to go back to here and there. How do these minutes add up? And what is doing for our concentration?
Social networking, mobile phones, etc have changed the workplace. My husband works in an office. There, it is not uncommon for people to spend time on facebook socially, text friends, chat on their mobiles. My husband doesn't do this. When there is a rush job on he may be waiting for information from colleagues and happen to notice they are still taking ten minutes here and there to check in on facebook or take personal calls. Once work was one place. We rarely chatted to people from our own social life during the work day, maybe on our lunch hour. Maybe not. Our attitude has changed. At any given time we are juggling business and leisure, the flippant and serious, promotion and creativity.
I thought carefully about stepping away from facebook. These days writers are supposed to use it, expected to actively plug themselves and their book essentially every day. Publishers do the same thing. I wondered though- how long for? What's a fair amount of time for a writer to try and plug a book for if they are doing it every day? A year? Two? Until the next book comes out? (could be a decade, or may never happen. How many hours per sale?) When is it time to walk away?
I found myself having to deal with abuse and rude people sometimes. I thought, hang on why am I tolerating this? My book has been out almost three years, as a writer I've moved on to new work. I decided to leave facebook for a while, but it was with reservations and regrets. There are some lovely people I'll miss (I apologise to them and hope they understand.)
1)I am sorry to the genuine people on there I do like who I am interested in and wish to support and keep in touch with. I'm happy to hear from them via email or elsewhere.
2) I am sorry if it creates an anti social impression or that I don't support the publishers.
One thing I considered was: If I go on facebook can I just check in on those great people without seeing what other people are doing or saying? I didn't think so. Can I avoid being sucked in? We often go online for one thing like research and can easily click interesting looking links and end up spending more time than we intended or end up in placed we might not want to be. Facebook can we handle it? Just a minute, no more... I can stop anytime I want..
So, to clear up any confusion, my compromise is this: I spend no time on facebook whatsoever (infact I can no longer personally get into the account- cold turkey is the only way.) However, a third party will occasionally post for me if there is news to share. The reason I decided to do this was because there a few people who have contacted me in the past who genuinely enjoyed my writing. I am grateful to them. I appreciate their kindness and encouragement. So, for that handful of people, a third party may occasionally post links to new work when it is published, that way the people who want to can read it and be aware where it is.
Has not being on facebook improved anything? Time will tell.
No comments:
Post a Comment