NOTES FROM THE MARGIN
AUTHORS BEHAVING BADLY
Social media is not the place to throw a hissy fit,
says Lorraine Mace
Supposedly any publicity is better than none, but I’m not so sure that applies to authors – especially when writers behave badly on social media. Recently there were two spats which backed up my feelings about this. In both cases, the authors would have been well served if a good friend had stepped in and whispered: what on earth are you doing?
As any writer will tell you, whether up and coming or well established, the best way to get the word out about the latest releases and special offers, as well as introducing new readers to your backlist, is to chat about these things on social media. Obviously, you need to engage on a personal level as well. Shouting out ‘buy my book’ will not win you any new followers, but by and large putting up the odd post about your work is accepted behaviour.