Last November, I was out of the country when the latest exodus from Twitter took place. Many in my writing community were fluttering over to Blue Sky. I wasn’t on Twitter, but I joined Blue Sky out of a sense of solidarity. We are all in this together! It was easy and fun in the moment. I didn’t overthink it. I was thrilled to get @laurarink. I picked an okay selfie from the limited selection on my phone (to later be replaced with my “official” author photo). I wrote a briefer intro than what’s on there now and posted a photo of the book I was reading. And then I spent a delightful few weeks, following, being followed, and following back. In the first three months, I posted eighteen times. I liked and commented on others’ posts. But then something shifted for me. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of posts in my feed, often on subjects with which I had no interest in engaging. I had followed too indiscriminately, too generously. I couldn’t keep up. Since February, I’ve made one post. I check in occasionally to follow back if someone I know has followed me. And here’s the thing: Blue Sky wasn’t my only social media platform. It was just my latest.
This summer on a solo road trip I found myself ruminating on the various social media platforms I am on. I was feeling energized—I had a short piece dear to my heart republished and I promoted it on all my social media sites. The likes and comments were encouraging. A writer I admire and know only through her work shared my publication and said some kind words about it. As a writer, that really fills the well.
But as I considered each platform I’m on—Facebook (personal and author page), Instagram, Substack, and Blue Sky—I asked myself: why am I on this particular social media site? What am I getting out of it? What am I adding to that community?
Facebook, the platform I’ve been on the longest, began, for me, as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, to feel more a part of their daily lives. I also connect here with my writer friends. Even as I started posting writerly things on my personal page, I created a Facebook author page. A place to be more writerly, for people I know and also for people I don’t know in real life. In addition, Facebook is where I belong to private writing groups which provide practical help, inspiration, and community. There is an Armenian Genealogy group that has been an invaluable source of information and translation help for my Armenian family memoir. Facebook is where I get the most responses to my posts, where I see a wide selection of my family, friends, and writer friends. Still I’ll disappear for days or weeks at a time. Sometimes entirely. Other times, I will interact with other people’s posts but won’t post anything myself. Do I make a schedule to post more regularly? Cat photos every Sunday? Writerly news on Wednesdays? Or is it more authentic (or lazy) to post when I’m moved to do so?
I neglect my Facebook author page. When I do post, it is to promote a new blog or publication. That isn’t giving back to the writing community. I’m not sharing information on submission opportunities or inspiring with quotes or commenting on the writing life. Most of the writers I know in real life or through online connections follow my personal page. People want to get to know you as a person, not just the writerly aspects. Many writers I respect have only one Facebook page where they merge their personal life with their writing life. So I wonder—do I keep the author page?
My presence on Instagram began more intentional as a way to connect with a wider literary community. For the most part, my photos alternate between books and nature. Instagram has a unique format that lends itself to storytelling. The Keepthings—People die. Their stuff lives on. Tell its story.—published my essay Tante Silvia’s Flinch Cards. The Keepthings is also on Facebook and Substack but the stories look and read the best on Instagram. I like the cleanness of Instagram. Still it’s been over six weeks since my last post. Is that okay?
After much dithering, I joined Substack earlier this year because so many in my extended writing community are there. I’m committed to a monthly newsletter/blog. That might not be often enough to build a large community. Those in the know say weekly posting is best. Reading and interacting with other people’s posts are also ways to build connections. And connecting takes time. Consider this Brevity Blog by Rebecca Morrison, “I Love You But I’ll Never Read Your Substack.”
I’m not a deep user on social media. I don’t understand why on Facebook I would post a story instead of posting on my page. I don’t use the highlights or notes on Instagram. Substack is not just a newsletter/blog platform—it also boasts notes and chat functions. Video reels seem ubiquitous across platforms. And then there’s hashtags, which I both get and don’t completely know the best ways to use. The productive uses of all these features escape me. More importantly, do I want/need to understand all these additional ways to connect? Are readers overwhelmed with all these inputs? Is it all just too much? Can the answer be anything but yes?
If you are on social media, please tell me which sites you are on, and what you find worthwhile or challenging about being on them. Are you intentional in your posting? Is being on social media a net positive for you? If you are not on social media, how well is that working for you? (Those not on social media are receiving this in their email inbox because they follow my blog on my website, LauraRink.com.)
How to be on social media? That is the ongoing question.
P.S. Social media handles: My go-to is to provide website links as I don’t have a handle on the uses of handles. But I’ve attempted to do both here.
Substack https://laurarink.substack.com/ @laurarink.substack
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laura.e.rink/ @laura.e.rink.instagram
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.rink.54/ @laura.rink.54.facebook
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurarinkwriter/ @laurarinkwriter.facebook
Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/laurarink.bsky.social @laurarink.bsky.social
I think you know that I don’t really post much about writing on my Facebook page, which is my most active social media platform. I repost friends’ publication and reading announcements and I post my own (infrequent) publication announcements, as well as writing-related news and events. I have an Insta account (I don’t tend it) and I *think* I have an active BlueSky account, but when the exodus from X (which I’d quit months before) happened, I was so traumatized over what was happening culturally that I left a lot of things half-done during that period. SO… I find FB useful for the activism work I do, both posting on my own profile, as well as posting things on various other activist pages. I also get SO overwhelmed with tending those posts that it makes me crazy. I think social media is bad for our health BUT it is an unavoidable (in some ways) fact of life if you are a communicative sort of person with things going ON in your life and mind that you want to share. And also, increasingly, if you want to make money. This morning, I heard a news account (Town and Country) of how many college students are now paying their college tuition (and then some) through Fans Only. Look it up. Porn social media. They’re literally making millions of dollars doing that, as opposed to the $4-something an hour plus tips I made while waitressing during college. SO… social media is here to stay. I think we all use it in different ways (Tho I have a lot of friends, including one I’m married to, who do not use it one bit…. Wait… I take that back; he’s on LinkedIn. I guess it’s hard to avoid, after all).
Heidi, thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts with me. It’s helpful to hear from you as you have a book out in the world. I think you promote your book in an indirect way by showing your authentic life in your posts, your commitment to slow travel.
Laura, I recently attended a talk by a PR person who represents authors. They said, “You’re a writer, not a book marketer. Sure, post on social media wherever it is you are, but don’t make social media the focus of what you’re doing. Work on your writing.” I found this very comforting and a good reminder, and it seems to me you’re following this advice. If you can post on Substack monthly, great! Posting every week is a huge commitment. If you can’t maintain it, don’t.
I have a FB author page I hardly post on. I’ve had “start a Substack” on my to-do list since 2023. Who knows when I’ll look at doing anything more than comment on people’s writing. I subscribe to more more stacks than I can read.
I wouldn’t overthink it. Be on social media in the way that feels good to you. I think you’re doing amazing with your blog. ✨