Screaming Into the Void
*TAP, TAP, TAP* "Is this thing on?"
Last night I was on the phone with my author buddy Lynn Main (Zombie Waltz). We rapped about a number of topics, as we often do. Of particular note, we discussed the complexity of how to get one's name and material noticed in the digital world we live in (or in general). What we came up with was... "Well, crap!"
The internet is a big place. It's filled with unlimited resources, information, and cat videos. Unless you know what you're looking for and how to find it, you're pretty much stuck looking for a toothpick in a hay loft. (I use toothpick instead of needle in this case because a needle at least has a reflective surface to help you find it if the light hits it right. A toothpick? Not so much.) So how do you get people to notice the information you put out there? How do you stay relevant enough that your website, blog, Facebook page, Twitter posts, and everything else actually make it to the people you want or need to see it? How do you keep from getting lost in cyber space?
No, seriously. How? Because at this point, I don't have any good advice to give here.
Facebook was once a great platform for finding things and keeping in touch with people. The bigger it's gotten, though, the more commercially driven it has become. If people don't make an active effort to push your posts and feeds to the top of their notification list, chances are that they aren't going to see what you post. Even worse, Facebook doesn't make any effort to push your posts to a broader audience unless you pay them extra money. The number of times I get requests for "Reach 300 more people for just *insert advertising fee*!" is absolutely maddening on my series page. It also makes me wonder why those 300 people aren't seeing my posts in the first place if my target demographic information is already set appropriately. (Where are you keeping my followers hostage, Facebook? Don't make me use my Batman voice!)
Twitter? Unless you're already famous or heavily connected, nobody's looking at your posts. You're literally screaming into the void and hoping somebody notices amidst the wash of posts by celebrities, newsgroups, internet trolls, and other people vying for attention. Some even throw tantrums and make internationally hostile threats without consequences just to get everyone's attention, but never mind, let's move on. The point being is that there's a lot to compete with if all you're trying to do is make a connection and stay relevant. Even if you figure out how to manipulate the #hashtags and @s, you're still just one more post in the crowd.
As it stands, I write this Blog every Friday (give or take a day or two). The reality is that I have no idea how many people actually read it. My website analytics give me some idea, but nothing I've really figured out how to utilize. I continue writing my Blog because 1.) It's something my Createspace adviser recommended almost a year ago, 2.) It's a consistent writing project with a specific deadline that keeps me focused and working even when I hit one of my "But I don't wanna!" moods, and 3.) I have this wacky optimistic notion that there are people out there who are reading the Blog and getting a chuckle, inspiration, or some other level of entertainment value from it. (I mean besides my mother. Hi, Mom! I love you!) On that same note, my Blog also feeds into my Amazon Author's Page which helps make it look more current and perhaps a little less bare given I currently only have the one book out. (I'm working on it! I'm working on it! I swear it's getting closer to done!)
It's a fine line to walk when you're a self-published author. On one hand, you want to stay relevant, active, and in people's awareness. You have to find some way to keep people's interest (especially between book releases). If you don't they will move onto other shiny new things, and you better hope your last offering made enough of a good impression to bring them back for the next round. On the other hand, you don't want to be the obnoxious attention seeker. Once people get fed up enough to block your posts or e-mails, you're done. You're screwed. You just lost your point of contact with that person. That's not a mistake you can afford to make when you're just starting out. (Example: I got on Best Buy's mailing list a few years ago when I bought my current computer. Now I get so many emails from them, not only do I delete them without looking at them, I get angry every time they pop up. Walking into their store is the LAST thing I want to do again at this point.)
Another issue is the matter of attention spans. (If you've made it this far in this post, Holy Cow, Thanks So Much! You're something pretty darn special. Praise!) There's a reason people get into screaming matches on social media posts and get called out for reacting to the headline only. The reason is that nine times out of ten, that's exactly what the person being criticized did (I know because I've been guilty of it myself). Nowadays people don't read articles unless they're really interested and invested in the content (and even then only if it matches their perspective). If there's a video, hey that's even better because it should be quicker and more interesting. Have a Meme that can be viewed in five seconds? BETTER STILL! So much scrolling to do! "Ain't nobody got time to read!"
So what's a poor wordsmith to do? For now I keep doing what I know. I Blog. I post. I keep up with my e-mails. I work on the next volume. Occasionally I make attempts at getting attention from better connected people that I think might be interested in my work. I keep looking for events I can attend that will put me in contact with more people to buy and share my book. It's a rapidly changing world out there, and I'm just trying my best to adapt as I go. I think most of my creative friends will agree, that's really the best any of us can do.
Speaking of events! A reminder: I'll be in Manhattan, KS March 10th and 11th for Little Apple Comic Expo (LACE). 10 AM-5 PM at the K-State Student Union. At this point it looks likely that I'll just have Ash to Ashes at my table again, but anything's possible at this point. Buy a copy, get your own copy signed, or just Geek with me about the book or any other topic we might have a common interest in! It'll be fun!
