Ug. You guys.
I just got off the phone with a woman who has some interest in one of my books. She's a delightful woman who I'd be so pumped to work with.
A piece of her feedback to me was that I really needed to build a stronger social media presence.
Sigh.
This is not the first time I've heard this advice. My previous literary agent told me the same thing.
"Spend at least one hour per day on social media -- posting, liking, sharing, etc."
This is sound advice. In the publishing world I'm stepping into, I get it. It makes sense. You gotta sell books, thus you gotta be known. The more you are known, the more books you sell, retreats you sell, and on, and painfully on. Any of you in biz-nass know what I mean.
But can I be honest about something? There is something about social media that feels incredibly, I donno, narcissistic to me.
Look at my kids, aren't they so cute! Check out my outfit, don't I look glam? Look at this field trip I took with my family? Don't you wish you were me? Notice my wisdom that I share via this quote! You're welcome for my incredibly sage advice! -- Gag.
I know, I know, maybe I am being over the top. But the truth is, after I spend time on social, I kind of want to barf. It's just a damn time suck. And I have too much to accomplish to fritter my time liking different shots of Kim Kardashian's backside. (Though it is quite nice).
The American Journal of Preventative Medicine recently reported that people who spend more than 30 minutes per day on social media have significantly greater perceived feelings of isolation and depression.
So, there is some logic to my aversion.
And yet, I wonder if my disdain of social media is just me being rebellious, obstinate and avoiding change. This is the world we live in, I better get on the dang train.
I just can't be sure guys. When we have personal and professional goals that require that we be "plugged in," how then do we balance the need to calm our constant mental chatter? Just as important, how can we get anything significant done with all these distractions?!
I don't have the answer.
But for now, please enjoy this lovely picture of me sitting in my office writing from my laptop. It's a great shot. Don't you wish you were me? Thought so.
Peace out, loves.
We'll keep it real, I promise.
March 16-23, 2019