On my Kindle: Stay by Candi Wall
Talk Back – Tell us how you write!
There was a French research that came out not too long ago which showed that people who spent a lot of time on Facebook tended to be less happy and satisfied with their lives than people not using the social media site.
People tend to show only the best side of themselves on social media, and admit it, beside cat memes, there are a whole lot of pictures of exotic holidays, family graduations and other milestones, adorable babies and luscious meals from various eateries on people’s feed.
Seeing those constantly, made it seems as if our friends have these perfect glamorous and successful lives when ours is just, well, normal.
When it comes to writers, I wonder if the same is true. Seeing series of beautiful cover reveal, news of new contract sales, positive reviews and pictures of writers frolicking with cover model may seems to us as if all our writer friends are having this wonderful party of success to which we are not invited.
Personally, with almost 5000 friends, a big chunk of them writers, it can seems at time like that. While I toil away at writing my little chapter, Facebook makes it sound like everyone is having successes after successes with nothing but exciting news.
And seeing those statuses, I find, is both good and bad for my spirit. I noticed that when I limit my time on Facebook to a few minutes a day, seeing my friends happy news makes me happy and super motivated.
However, scrolling down for over an hour will see me frustrated that my career is stalling.
It’s all a question of balance.
What about you? Are you on Facebook? How do you react to gazillions happy news from all your friend? A tiny wee bit jealous? Frustrated? Or needed to keep you on track?
I’m curious, let me know!
Much love,
Marie-Claude xoxox
Location:Seattle
MUSETRACKS 
All of the above! Why do we go even go on there sometimes? I tell myself I am keeping in contact with friends haha. I guess I see Facebook/Internet as a tool. Any tool can be used for great destruction or construction. Its just how the person chooses to use it. Now I am wondering why we choose to use it the way we do too!
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River, I’m not sure. Facebook used to be just to keep up with friends. Then it because a promotion tool. Now it’s full of ads by huge company. But everyone we know is on it so its hard to avoid. Not sure where it will go next.
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FB can be a great portal to your readers and fans, and sharing your fellow writers successes means your own will be shared among their fans, too, and possibly acquire new readers.
I think every Indie writer’s success is the success of the entire category, it is one more proof that Indie writers can write. And, I can share my good news, too 🙂
Besides, you don’t want to always talk, talk, talk, about yourself, do you? 🙂
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Interesting thoughts about its use for Indie author. I wonder it the birth of FB has not helped the possibility of making it now as indie author. It has change the landscape of publishing no doubts.
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Good morning, Candi. I have to admit, so much prosperity before my coffee kicks in is a bit depressing. As time passes, I’ve come to realize everything on FB needs taking with a grain of salt. A hard lesson, to be sure! It’s a natural reaction to so much success to look at yourself in the mirror and wonder why not me? Thanks for asking the question. Great food for thought!
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Catherine,
You’re welcome. It’s good to know it’s a feeling shared by many. So much that it had to be the subject of a study!
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I think for me, Twitter is what makes me an unhappy writer, so I tend to avoid it as much as humanly possible. I like Facebook, but then, I keep my statuses real, so if I’m struggling, I talk about it, because I want folks to know someone’s out there struggling with them 🙂
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Sandra, I have to make reading your statuses a priority 🙂 seeing the real hardworking author out there!
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Fact is, we should all limit ourselves on our social media sites. If not for feeling left behind, then for the time suck it creates.
But I love Facebook. It keeps me connected with friends I may not otherwise see or chat. It also is a great place share yourself with friends and readers. It’s personal.
As Sandra put it, keep it real. Most people will always post their good news and happy photos. Yet, I know so, so many who add the not so awesome moments, too, including myself.
Keep swimming!
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Jenn,
Yes – what a time suck it can be. I find that when I work full time during the school year, I have the perfect balance. But summer is tought! Plus with all those fun conference pics! LOL
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I’m an anti-facebook rarity. I’m sure once I get published, I too, will need to wade into it’s black depths of despair. The thing is, everyone I know on it (who continually want me to join) seem to spend hours upon hours engaged in what appears to be a mostly narcissistic (sorry) activity with little reward except for envious feelings, snubbery–as either the snubee or the snubbed, and having your whereabouts found and examined by people you’d hoped to have left behind forever.
So says grumpy cat.
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Haha! Kristen I hear you. I do feel like that often and stayed away from FB for 4 months and I was a little less frazzled from it. Hard to find that balance.
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On a bitter and rainy Monday morning.
With no coffee.
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I like Facebook. At least with my group of friends, there are highs and lows.
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I gave up Facebook because it did make me unhappy. I wasted too much time worrying about ‘being there’ for those who might enjoy my writing. They might miss me but to be honest, I don’t miss Facebook at all
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I tend to get frustrated too and depressed as well. But then I remember a music industry colleague’s advice: Don’t fall for the hype. That helps a lot. Also, when I find myself overwhelmed by FB, I pull out of it for a while. That helps too. Plus, you can waste hours of writing time (I do at least) posting smart-ass comments.
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Where is the like button on this comment? LOL!
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