Imagine having a full-time job reading tweets. Well,
there are such jobs.
I read that the CIA reads five million tweets a day.
By the time I’m done typing this, it’s probably a whole lot more.
Disclosure: I’m not a tweeter, or a twit, as DH likes
to call it.
I blog here, and have a Facebook account I should be
more attentive to. I have a homemade un-jazzy website,
and adore Verla Kay’s BlueBoard, the best hangout place for
us Kid-lit(t)ers, a.k.a. those who write for children.
I have “Internet presence” though not quite “a platform,”
phrases bandied about in Marketing 101 courses. This is all good, and I should strive
to make it better. Maybe join the tweeters, and give the CIA more work.
Here’s the sacred line I will not cross: the real communication
work, for me, is writing stories. It comes before the rest. What’s more, real
life is when I de-couple from the keyboard and make dinner for my family, or
walk with a friend.
Real life and real work come first.
So if you are reading this to take a coffee break with
me, I love you for stopping by, and I hope the coffee’s good, too. Just don’t,
please, use it as a way to do less of the rest.
And the CIA? I think they have enough to do.
12 comments:
That's so funny that the CIA reads all those tweets! I hardly blog anymore, just kind of visit and comment when time permits. I like having an online presence and a platform. I've worked too hard to achieve it to let it go, but I'm not doing any building on it any longer.
Love the going out for pizza and CIA pic! Do you think they like anchovies... ;) Social media can certainly suck up a lot of time- I just learned that recently as I started actively blogging the beginning of this year. And you're right that it's all about balance(I just finished painting a room- YES!- so now I'm rewarding myself by reading blogs).
Well, somebody's got to read those tweets. Good advice, as usual, Mirka, one that I am NOT following at all this week.
The CIA can read my tweets all they want. I've got nothing to hide, and maybe they'll buy my books. ;)
"...and maybe they'll buy my books. ;)"
Hadn't thought of that. Good one, Kelley.
Almost every time I pull up twitter and consider tweeting, it ends with "I've got nothing."
Wow, that's quite a job! It's true, keeping up with all the social media is so time consuming. I do blog posts about once a week and facebook even less. :)
Excellent advice, Mirka! I like the line "sacred line." I am going to remember this...
Good grief, I have a Facebook account I probably should pay more attention to, too! You're right about the sacred line, Mirka. Writing, first, then blogging, then blog visiting/tweeting/FBking etc.
Great post as alwaysand excellent advice:) As you I have a blog ,FB and now verla Key's and yes I have twitter but maybe I use it once a month and only if I have to say something.
I think a writer needs some social media going on, but not all of it. Pick what works and leave the rest. I'm on twitter but not FB yet. I was afraid of FB sucking too much time; twitter is more "get in and get out." I was also leery of mixing personal and professional on FB, and just plain fan pages on FB are awfully hard to drive traffic to. Now that regular FB accounts can have both FRIENDS and FOLLOWERS that see different content, I may consider it.
Cool info to know about the CIA! I do have a Twitter acct, but don't tweet that often. Occasionally, I find some good stuff, esp following editors/agents! But if there's writing to do, I MAKE myself get off social media.
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