Dragon Journal (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dragonjournal) wrote2011-09-07 03:07 pm
dragonjournal) wrote2011-09-07 03:07 pm
Entry tags:
Marketing vs Protection
Today, a friend posted on her blog about how she wanted to just delete her Facebook account. However, she didn't feel she could since a lot of small publishing houses want their authors to use it as a marketing tool.
Considering that Facebook has over 700 million users, that's a strong marketing tool.
However...
I've never made it a secret that I did not fare well while growing up. Not only was there bullying but there were other issues. The people I most do not want to reconnect with are those I went to high school with. Or any other school for that matter.
Here's where I get into a bit of a conundrum. Do I get an FB page, so that I can market any eventual novels/stories sold and run the risk of having to hear from not only people I went to high school with but my extended family - whom I do not have a good relationship with at all? Or, do I protect my privacy and refuse the FB page - possibly shooting myself in the foot - and use other tools on the web to market?
Honestly, I want nothing to do with Facebook. I don't want to deal with the eventual drama that will come with refusing to talk to former classmates and family on it. And honestly? I shouldn't have to. I have made my life away from them, and while most will most likely move on, there will be those....
Yes, I could write under a pseudonym. And I thought long and hard about it. I'm not going to change my name and hide because of past hurts. Yes, they all laughed and none seemed to care about my writing except to tell me that I'd always fail at it.* But that's been years. I'm older now. I've got children. I don't need their approval.**
But I also don't want to be tracked down. I want to live in the peace I've created for myself. It's been hard won, but it's mine - and by no means is it complete at all.
Do I disturb that, more than getting published already would, and sit on tenterhooks waiting for the past to come back and haunt me once again?*** Or do I run the risk of not getting published and protect myself?
I use the word protect, and I fully mean that. Protect. Whether the hurts are physical or emotional, protecting oneself has to be weighed with any snippets of fame that can be found.
Recently, several authors online have talked about women being threatened online.
Do I think that will happen? No. Is it a possibility? Yes. It's something that every author/blogger/anyone online has to worry about. And women more than men, apparently.
Will I do more research? Yes. I need to really go in and read more about Facebook and how it works and everything else, so that I can protect myself.
I don't want my fear to hold me back from getting published any more than it already has.
*Issues? I have them.
** Need? No. Want? Yes. We always want approval.
*** I have Issues. Lots of them. I know that. I'm currently working on them.
Considering that Facebook has over 700 million users, that's a strong marketing tool.
However...
I've never made it a secret that I did not fare well while growing up. Not only was there bullying but there were other issues. The people I most do not want to reconnect with are those I went to high school with. Or any other school for that matter.
Here's where I get into a bit of a conundrum. Do I get an FB page, so that I can market any eventual novels/stories sold and run the risk of having to hear from not only people I went to high school with but my extended family - whom I do not have a good relationship with at all? Or, do I protect my privacy and refuse the FB page - possibly shooting myself in the foot - and use other tools on the web to market?
Honestly, I want nothing to do with Facebook. I don't want to deal with the eventual drama that will come with refusing to talk to former classmates and family on it. And honestly? I shouldn't have to. I have made my life away from them, and while most will most likely move on, there will be those....
Yes, I could write under a pseudonym. And I thought long and hard about it. I'm not going to change my name and hide because of past hurts. Yes, they all laughed and none seemed to care about my writing except to tell me that I'd always fail at it.* But that's been years. I'm older now. I've got children. I don't need their approval.**
But I also don't want to be tracked down. I want to live in the peace I've created for myself. It's been hard won, but it's mine - and by no means is it complete at all.
Do I disturb that, more than getting published already would, and sit on tenterhooks waiting for the past to come back and haunt me once again?*** Or do I run the risk of not getting published and protect myself?
I use the word protect, and I fully mean that. Protect. Whether the hurts are physical or emotional, protecting oneself has to be weighed with any snippets of fame that can be found.
Recently, several authors online have talked about women being threatened online.
Do I think that will happen? No. Is it a possibility? Yes. It's something that every author/blogger/anyone online has to worry about. And women more than men, apparently.
Will I do more research? Yes. I need to really go in and read more about Facebook and how it works and everything else, so that I can protect myself.
I don't want my fear to hold me back from getting published any more than it already has.
*Issues? I have them.
** Need? No. Want? Yes. We always want approval.
*** I have Issues. Lots of them. I know that. I'm currently working on them.