Day Ten

And I’ve reached the road block of Social Media. I’ve been here before. I’ve just forgotten.

Conventional wisdom is the best most effective way to find the imaginary readers I’ve identified is on social media. Bookstagram and Booktok were repeatedly mentioned –mostly by posts on platforms owned by Meta and Bytedance.

First, deep down in my soul, I don’t believe it. I don’t believe reclusive old people can build an audience through social media. At least not through advertising. I don’t have social media, but I watch my scroll past targeted ads with aplom. I’ve never seen her discover and follow a stranger. Her social media is full of a very people she knows –close family and close, close friends –and celebrities she finds funny.

Second, I’m not sure how much my audience is on social media. A few of my handful of readers have reached out with encouraging notes. These are friends who already had my contact information. And they are not active social media users. Especially not the hip, cool social media.

Finally, and this can’t be overstated, Social Media is terrible for you, and me. It’s terrible for your brain. It’s terrible for you self esteem. And it is super terrible for the country. Facebook, twitter, insta, may not be great for me and my audience, but they are great for fringe groups who want to amplify messages designed to enrage people. I’d rather never sell another book than give Meta any attention, much less money.

Now, is it possible that I am self sabotaging claiming strong principals. Yes. Very possible.

Have I begrudgingly authorized business partners to repost bits of this blog on various social media platforms. Yes. Very hypocritical.

Did I leave a very unpopular character in the Bread Will Rise against the advice of everyone because it was the right thing for the story and the character, even if it wasn’t right for sales. Yes. I did that too.

Is this blog so unpopular (at least for the moment) that even my business partner has yet to notice this recent flurry of action. It is.

I am going to write an update tomorrow. I am.

Screaming into the storm is what I do.