Awwww yeah. I'm gonna stop whining about the lack of a decent mic and just start using my phone and just talk about sci finand sruff that I find cool. Then I'ma start using that YouTube account I onlly use for watching videos to put them out there! What could go wrong?
Well, the Internet is full of haters, but as one comic creator said, monetize your haters!!
This may be a generational thing. Growing up, I knew nothing about any of the great authors I read until I read enough of their works that I became interested in who they are. TBH of the thousands of authors I've read over my life, only three have crossed that threshold--and because they had published autobiographies of themselves.
However, I now have so many author friends that about 70% of what I read is from someone I know--and over half of that is because I'm critting or beta reading. The rest of the books I read I find because someone recommended them or I found an eye-catching cover with a great title and back-cover blurb.
If people want to buy my books because they like me, okay. But I'm always happier when someone I don't know buys my book because a sarcastic dragon taking on Godzilla is hilarious or because they love Star Trek and parody or because nuns working in outer space sounds intriguing.
it's true. When you internalize the truth of 'nobody cares', you are liberated from second-guessing the small stuff and begin to actually live and make progress.
You should care about my work because it’s good and true (supposing it is good and true). Your journey as a reader might be entertainment, but for others it could be about the good and true. And that doesn’t require being emotionally suckered into pseudo-relationships and suffocated by cOmMUnITy before engaging with new work.
Maybe that’s the way things are, but they’re not the way things should be.
The point of my post is "you are your brand," so I'll be composing my response through that lens.
There is value to craft, I agree. And value to work being "good and true." The thing is, my only way of aligning with an author is to know the person behind the words. After all, there are thousands who claim their work is "good and true," stating the same doesn't set you apart, it puts you in a pile (no different than, "I write sci-fi" as I stated in my post).
I get that some social media can feel inauthentic, but there are those who are open and cultivate worthwhile relationships with their audience on a personal level. Now that your work is in a pile with many other works that claim to be "good and true," what is my only metric to test if your truth aligns with ideals I value?
All I know of your brand is your use of words like "pseudo" and "suffocated," as well as "emotionally suckered" and some mocking capitalization of the word "community." I'm not saying you need to be an influencer or some kind of BookTok cringe-dancer, but the value of connection is undeniable, and you're clearly dismissive of it.
Now as a reader who values truth, I must discern what I know about you (your brand) and whether I can fully trust your claim of "good and true."
However, you've only shown me that you have open skepticism, if not bias, toward community. Your bio includes the phrase, "I’m not here to bUiLd cOmMunItY or be praised for pretty prose." As a reader, this communicates to me that you are dismissive of what I value.
This is the brand you are presenting, and your brand is positioned to the inverse of my principles. I'm sure we'd get along personally on a host of topics, but I cannot have full faith that I'll find your work to be true. Your assertion of "good" is in question due to a salty comment about praise for pretty prose - a comment that seems to communicate the idea that part of your brand is not caring what people think (otherwise, why even include it?).
Totally fair, by the way. This can be your brand and it may resonate with others.
As a reader, I have a right to find it off-putting in terms of how misaligned it is with what I value.
You are your brand, and you've presented a brand focusing on the negative of what you are not here for, and a clear rejection of caring about what anyone thinks of you. As a consequence, I have no inclination to care in return. I cannot believe "good and true," because you are presenting yourself to hold opinions in opposition of what I find in my heart to be good and true.
I certainly wish you all the success and I appreciate the response, but your reply fully reinforces my point - intentional or not, if you post anything online ... you are your brand, and people will judge you and the art you produce according to the only information they've been shown by you.
That's what developing connection and community helps foster.
I didn’t need to check your profile to engage with your content because I’m not judgemental and self-righteous. I took your words at face value and evaluated them based on merit alone.
If my brand is offputting to you, then you aren’t my audience. I’ve had to sift through abject racism and ostracism to arrive at truth, so I don’t respect your aversion to words or your emotional judgements. I think it’s weak and effeminate and so will be your audience.
This is where it's at. Thank you for explaining it the way you did. Interest in my writing took off when I finally realized that branding was about me and not my books. The stories are vital to retain readers, but 'I' must stand out! If I had one piece of advice for any author struggling to get sales, I would tell them not to be narrow. What do I mean by this? I see myself as the niche, and how dare I narrow myself down to a specific genre or the sliver of a niche? I am me, and I have a million fascinating traits, joys, and loves for many things that make me unique. We're all unique. Take your uniqueness and let it permeate the realms of social media. For instance, share your favorite books, movies, or hobbies, or discuss your writing process. Be creative in your responses to others' posts and truly be interested in investing in their lives. Any creative endeavor sold will be a by-product of you being yourself and interacting with the masses.
Awwww yeah. I'm gonna stop whining about the lack of a decent mic and just start using my phone and just talk about sci finand sruff that I find cool. Then I'ma start using that YouTube account I onlly use for watching videos to put them out there! What could go wrong?
Well, the Internet is full of haters, but as one comic creator said, monetize your haters!!
This may be a generational thing. Growing up, I knew nothing about any of the great authors I read until I read enough of their works that I became interested in who they are. TBH of the thousands of authors I've read over my life, only three have crossed that threshold--and because they had published autobiographies of themselves.
However, I now have so many author friends that about 70% of what I read is from someone I know--and over half of that is because I'm critting or beta reading. The rest of the books I read I find because someone recommended them or I found an eye-catching cover with a great title and back-cover blurb.
If people want to buy my books because they like me, okay. But I'm always happier when someone I don't know buys my book because a sarcastic dragon taking on Godzilla is hilarious or because they love Star Trek and parody or because nuns working in outer space sounds intriguing.
it's true. When you internalize the truth of 'nobody cares', you are liberated from second-guessing the small stuff and begin to actually live and make progress.
It's the biggest block that exists between authors who stay quiet and wish for finding a tribe, and those who put themselves out there and create one.
You should care about my work because it’s good and true (supposing it is good and true). Your journey as a reader might be entertainment, but for others it could be about the good and true. And that doesn’t require being emotionally suckered into pseudo-relationships and suffocated by cOmMUnITy before engaging with new work.
Maybe that’s the way things are, but they’re not the way things should be.
Exactly the reply I expected. 😂
Good to see you staying on brand! I admire your consistency, and your ability to prove my point so perfectly.
Passive aggressive, wimpish, cowardly… that’s your brand.
Hey Annie,
The point of my post is "you are your brand," so I'll be composing my response through that lens.
There is value to craft, I agree. And value to work being "good and true." The thing is, my only way of aligning with an author is to know the person behind the words. After all, there are thousands who claim their work is "good and true," stating the same doesn't set you apart, it puts you in a pile (no different than, "I write sci-fi" as I stated in my post).
I get that some social media can feel inauthentic, but there are those who are open and cultivate worthwhile relationships with their audience on a personal level. Now that your work is in a pile with many other works that claim to be "good and true," what is my only metric to test if your truth aligns with ideals I value?
All I know of your brand is your use of words like "pseudo" and "suffocated," as well as "emotionally suckered" and some mocking capitalization of the word "community." I'm not saying you need to be an influencer or some kind of BookTok cringe-dancer, but the value of connection is undeniable, and you're clearly dismissive of it.
Now as a reader who values truth, I must discern what I know about you (your brand) and whether I can fully trust your claim of "good and true."
However, you've only shown me that you have open skepticism, if not bias, toward community. Your bio includes the phrase, "I’m not here to bUiLd cOmMunItY or be praised for pretty prose." As a reader, this communicates to me that you are dismissive of what I value.
This is the brand you are presenting, and your brand is positioned to the inverse of my principles. I'm sure we'd get along personally on a host of topics, but I cannot have full faith that I'll find your work to be true. Your assertion of "good" is in question due to a salty comment about praise for pretty prose - a comment that seems to communicate the idea that part of your brand is not caring what people think (otherwise, why even include it?).
Totally fair, by the way. This can be your brand and it may resonate with others.
As a reader, I have a right to find it off-putting in terms of how misaligned it is with what I value.
You are your brand, and you've presented a brand focusing on the negative of what you are not here for, and a clear rejection of caring about what anyone thinks of you. As a consequence, I have no inclination to care in return. I cannot believe "good and true," because you are presenting yourself to hold opinions in opposition of what I find in my heart to be good and true.
I certainly wish you all the success and I appreciate the response, but your reply fully reinforces my point - intentional or not, if you post anything online ... you are your brand, and people will judge you and the art you produce according to the only information they've been shown by you.
That's what developing connection and community helps foster.
I didn’t need to check your profile to engage with your content because I’m not judgemental and self-righteous. I took your words at face value and evaluated them based on merit alone.
If my brand is offputting to you, then you aren’t my audience. I’ve had to sift through abject racism and ostracism to arrive at truth, so I don’t respect your aversion to words or your emotional judgements. I think it’s weak and effeminate and so will be your audience.
This is where it's at. Thank you for explaining it the way you did. Interest in my writing took off when I finally realized that branding was about me and not my books. The stories are vital to retain readers, but 'I' must stand out! If I had one piece of advice for any author struggling to get sales, I would tell them not to be narrow. What do I mean by this? I see myself as the niche, and how dare I narrow myself down to a specific genre or the sliver of a niche? I am me, and I have a million fascinating traits, joys, and loves for many things that make me unique. We're all unique. Take your uniqueness and let it permeate the realms of social media. For instance, share your favorite books, movies, or hobbies, or discuss your writing process. Be creative in your responses to others' posts and truly be interested in investing in their lives. Any creative endeavor sold will be a by-product of you being yourself and interacting with the masses.
Good reality check, David. Worth remembering.