March PANorama – Time Savers for Writers In the Age of Social Media

Dear Readers,

It’s the last Sunday of the month, which means that it’s time for one of our chapter PAN members (PAN stands for Published Authors Network, a professional designation within RWA open to members who reach a certain level of sales) to visit the blog to share some of their wisdom and expertise.

This month, Veronica Forand is here to talk to us about making the most of our wriitng time. 

Take it away, Veronica! 

Time Savers for Writers In the Age of Social Media

~ By Veronica Forand

Writing a book? Stay off social media to keep your sanity. No matter what pace you write at, someone will always be writing double your daily count. And someone with the same idea as your now completed novel just posted on Facebook about their eight figure book deal with Chris Evans starring in the movie. Then there are the quizzes. No one needs to know the true color of their cat’s soul, but we all waste five minutes finding out anyway even those of us without a cat.

Although ignoring the Internet seems like a great solution, chances are you’ll need to spend at least some time on the Internet. Blog tours, twitter pitches, following the industry, and sharing time with other writers could take up hours of every day. I’ve found a few things to help manage the overwhelming.

1. When writing a lot of blogs- use lists. They are quicker to write than a longer blog, but can really grab a reader’s attention.
2. Write only one or two short posts on Facebook each day, but make them meaningful. Also, take a few minutes and see what others are posting. If one touches you, add a comment.
3. I only tweet one day a week. Wednesdays. The rest of the week, I respond to mentions.
4. For my own blog, I neglect it. Not a good thing. Instead of feeling like you need to write a 600 word post, do a quick photo article. A picture and one or two sentences can draw tons of interest with your readers.
5. Add other social media only if you have an interest in them. I have a Pinterest page, but I’m so bad at using it, I have hired my 13-year-old to update the photos. I’m not sure photos need updating, so hopefully she knows what she’s doing.

Your first priority? Write your book. After that, use your time in the way that makes the most sense to your career. Time is of the essence, but connection to others? Priceless. What’s your favorite social media time saver?

A Golden Pen winner in romantic suspense and a triple finalist in the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, Veronica Forand is an attorney and a novelist. She’s lived in Boston, London, Paris, Geneva, and Washington, DC and currently resides near Philadelphia. An avid traveler, she loves to roam across continents with her husband and kids in pursuit of skiing, scuba diving, and finding the perfect piece of chocolate.

Read more about her upcoming releases and appearances at http://veronicaforand.com.