Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
Congratulations! An agent or editor is interested in your work. While you’re preparing for your meeting or gathering your proposal and manuscript to send, what do you think they’re doing?
Googling you, of course.
And if you’re a contracted author with an agent and everything… guess who’s following you on social media? Your agent, editor, publicist and others at your publishing house.
Here are a few ways to make sure they won’t find anything that will make them think twice about your suitability as a business partner.
1. Your headshots are professional. At least they should be professional-looking, and make sure they’re updated every 3-4 years if you’ve changed or aged like the rest of us.
2. Your profiles are updated. Your LinkedIn profile and “About Me” sections of your Facebook, Twitter, blog and other social sites should be current.
3. You stay true to your brand. You know what you’re about in your online persona, and you stick with it. It can be tempting to venture outside your brand occasionally, but it’s best not to. If your platform is based on ministering to women in the area of the marriage and family, then best not to write scathing opinion pieces about the latest social issues—unless you can tie them directly to your brand.
4. You’re not all about you. Nobody likes someone who only talks about themselves or their own book, family, ministry or opinions. Mix it up. Share other people’s content that fits your brand. Interact and engage with others.
5. You avoid sharing confidential business matters. The amount of your advance, anything in your publishing contract, proprietary information from your agent or publisher, and the status of your manuscript being shopped by an agent… these are all topics to keep to yourself. You don’t want to get in trouble with anyone or cause harm to your career, and you certainly don’t want to appear so unprofessional.
6. You are careful not to shame, criticize or judge. Your online presence is a place to be your best self, to be accepting, and refuse to allow yourself to get drawn in to a conversation where you publicly condemn another (or a group of others).
7. You’re judicious in sharing extreme social or political opinions. (Unless that is what your brand is about.) This is a sticky one. You want to be “yourself” online as much as possible. Yet if you’re online as a way to create relationships with readers as well as potential business partners (agents, editors) you may need to temper your instinct share your social and political views (unless they’re an important part of your online persona). There’s no need to alienate people who don’t agree with your views, yet might very well love you and your books.
8. You think twice about ranting or venting. Not that you can’t post a rant every now and then, as long as it fits your brand and avoids harshly criticizing others. But I recommend you don’t make venting a regular feature if you’re trying to connect with readers or with the publishing community. Every rant risks losing followers.
The way to avoid embarrassing yourself online is to be yourself — the best version of yourself! Be someone that others would want to work with or learn more about.
Do you disagree with any of my points? Do you have anything to add?
TWEETABLES
Be yourself online – the BEST version of yourself! Click to Tweet.
Think twice about ranting on social media – unless that’s part of your brand. Click to Tweet.
One of the biggest surprises of my life was when Janet Grant mentioned, in a reply to a comment I left here, that she liked my blog. It was kind of like Moses dropping by and asking for a copy of my book…you could have knocked me over with one light fingertip-push. I still treasure the memory of that moment; I will until I die. For those of us out here in the wilderness, you guys are giants. (And I’ll bet you’re giants to those who know you well, too!)
* One thing I would add is this – that one’s comments on blogs DO come up on a Google search. While no one is likely to peruse everything you’ve ever said online, everything you’ve said IS accessible. And if not forever, it’s very durable.
* I do have a question – while I don’t expect to be asked for a headshot (still have trouble thinking about that in photographic terms), I look terrible these days. I would need makeup to counter the pallor of illness…so, the question. Should my picture reflect what I could look like, or what I DO look like. The first could cause a “Good grief, who’s THAT!” at a first meeting, while the second might raise the question of whether the dude would survive a hearty slap on the back (that could actually put me in the hospital). What to do? (Or should I just do what I do on my blog, and use a picture of Sylvia the Pit Bull?)
* Yes, I would use makeup without a qualm. Anyone who wants to make something of it…I’ll be out back, and we can talk about it the old-fashioned way.
“We can talk about it the old-fashioned way” … you made me laugh this morning. John Wayne. 🙂 We were good friends with a news guy where we used to live … he always had to wear make-up for TV … he’d come to church with it on. He was so used to it … just part of his job. And just for the record, if I’m going to have a picture taken, I’ll be wearing make-up! 🙂
Andrew, good point about blog comments. It’s true! People may surprised what kind of trail they leave on the web.
As far as your headshot, I think in this case, a photograph of you, even if you need makeup, nicely retouched so that it looks pleasant would be perfect. I know a lot of people don’t like photos of themselves on the web, but I think most people find it disconcerting to see a photo of a dog where YOUR photo should be. We want to feel like we’re talking to a real person. That’s my take on it!
Makes sense, Rachelle – thanks!
I knew someone who, for her own safety, refused to have a picture of herself online anywhere. However, when her publicist told her she needed a photo online for promotional purposes, she had a model who looked enough like her pose for the photograph. Nearly everyone would never have known the difference, those few who did meet her were not confused that she “didn’t look like her photograph” and her privacy and safety were preserved.
Several girls I had in Vacation Bible School through the years have friended me on FaceBook. My online presence is their window to see if I practice what I preach. Judicious is exactly the right word, Rachelle, and not just relating to politics.
I watch “my girls” posts to do the exact opposite of your #6–I LIKE and encourage the positive. I don’t respond to the negative, at least not for them to see. That’s my call to prayer.
“That’s my call to prayer” … I love your beautiful heart, Shirlee.
This is a great post, Rachelle! I like the way you’ve said it, and I’ve always been an advocate of “being your best self” online. Your online face is the face you show to your readers, to potential readers, and to potential publishers, editors and business partners. Of course you have to be yourself, but you have to be a very professional version of yourself at all times. Thanks so much for these great tips!
Great info, Rachelle! Yes, whether as a writer or not, your approach to others is so important, especially as a believer. I mean we’re only human, but we need to pray that God would help us to be his representative wherever we are – in person, over phone or email or online with social media.
I want to be real with everyone – compassionate, kind and mindful of others feelings. I try to always stop myself to think twice before clicking Post or Send on anything (as well as for words about to go out of my mouth) and think: is this something I should say or in the way I should say it? Is it necessary or fitting to say in this arena? Or only to a close friend? or to God? If we get in the habit of pausing to think more before doing something, I think we are definitely more likely to be the best version of ourselves. 🙂
I can agree to that, Morgan, because stopping to think before I speak has transformed my life. Definitely a better version of me.
Hi Melinda! 🙂 Yes, it has transformed my life too! I call it my “filter from God.” He’s the only one that could help me keep that filter in place over the years – and I do slip up. But I do try the best I can to think before I speak or act. It has saved me in many situations over the years indeed.
All of your points are spot on. The only thing I would add is something I heard regarding Twitter: For every post about yourself, have ten posts that are about others/promoting others. The concept is probably a good one to carry over to Facebook as well.
I do have a question for you: Do you have recommendations for sharing other peoples’ content on, say, Facebook? Twitter is pretty easy. I know this is one area I should work on more, especially on Facebook. 🙂
I need to work on this too, Jeanne. On Facebook, if the item you want to share isn’t “public” … does it limit the exposure? This has been confusing to me.
On Facebook, the originator of the post decides who can see it. If it is Public, you can share that person’s post and everyone will be able see it. If it is set to Friends, only that person’s friends and the friends of anyone tagged in the post can see it. You may still share it, but no one new will see it, only the original poster’s friends.
If the latter is the case, there are a couple of options. One is to ask the poster to change it to Public so that you can share it. Another is to ask if you can copy it to share with your followers. That is a bit of a compromise for the originator–sharing more widely, but not with the whole world. I don’t recommend any method of sharing a non-public post unless the originator’s permission is granted. I see that as a breach of copyright.
LC, that’s really helpful. Thanks for explaining this!
I’ve heard that about Twitter too, Jeanne, and I think it’s a great tip to follow. I definitely don’t want to “dominate the conversation” so-to-speak on Twitter or anywhere else. 🙂
Some book topics and blog posts will naturally attract hostility from those who violently disagree. I have a practical question about blogging and having an online presence that honors God. How do you handle comments that might be nasty and even flaming? Presumably you as the blog owner can delete them, but too many might already have seen profane and otherwise objectionable content. If you delay posting until after inspection, you lose the spontaneity of the conversation. What are your thoughts on how best to approach this?
Carol, I don’t know if this helps, but one thing I’ve seen a few people do is 1) have comments wait for moderation before they go public on your blog. Another blogger I know has on her sidebar that she will delete any comments that she deems inappropriate (my wording, not hers).And she sort of maps out what she considers inappropriate.
Ultimately, your blog is your home. You wouldn’t encourage people to talk in certain ways in your home, in front of children. I believe it’s okay to set boundaries on your blog. You may get some comments that are passionate, vehement, and that’s a good thing. Unless it’s a post gone viral, where you’re bound to get across-the-board comments, I’m thinking it’s okay to set boundaries.
I hope others share their thoughts, because I’m curious if I’m off-track. 🙂
I’m with you on this, Jeanne.
Fantastic post, Rachelle. Like Andrew mentioned, I shy from headshots and have a picture of a cute sloth instead. Now, I’ll be on the hunt for a decent picture of myself since you brought it to my attention. Thank you!
Do you recommend taking down a blog or even a social media site that was started before setting out to pursue the writing dream? I started blogging as personal therapy during a rough time. It’s unedited and I’m concerned how it may be perceived.
Ruth, I have this same concern. I have an old blog that is still up that was my first attempt at sharing with the world. It is an eclectic mix, composed before I knew of such things as brands and platforms. I’ve been hesitant to take it down because some of the post topics contain important concepts.
Rachelle, this is a good reminder for me. Life is exciting and it’s easy to get pulled into side conversations. On a another note, I notice that many Christian authors offer writing advice and materials as part of their offering/platform. I’ve included a snap shot of my writing journey as it unfolds on my author site too. I don’t know if this is a mistake to do since I am a novice in the field. Thanks for the practical insights.
This is an interesting topic, and one I’ve thought about recently. I’ve just finished my first book and am submitting it to some friends for editing and comments. Then it will be time to look for an agent, since I hope to go the traditional publication route.
My online presence isn’t particularly large, but I do belong to an active and interesting computer gamer forum, a forum where I post under my own name. It has subforums on politics, film, books, and so on, and I’ve never shied away from expressing my opinions on a wide variety of topics. A rare few political discussions in particular have become heated, although they’ve always stayed clean., I’d hate to antagonize potential readers or agents with those opinions. They’re irrelevant to my target audience, animal lovers who might enjoy my memoir of life with a brilliant and beautiful but also dangerously aggressive golden retriever.
Perhaps I’ll ask the site’s moderators for a name-change. They’ve allowed posters there to switch to something untraceably anonymous in the past for similar reasons.
A dangerously aggressive Golden Retriever? That I have to read.
That’s the reaction I’m hoping for :-). He was an exceptional animal, the most interesting I’ve ever known. Most of the dogs in my life have been wonderful and loving companions, but there’s no narrative arc in their stories. How my wife and I first discovered and then coped with Peanut’s aggression makes for a good tale. Here’s hoping its teller is up to the task.
I’ll bet you are; you piqued my interest, and I’ve seen a lot of Weird Dog Stuff…my wife and I have a sanctuary for abused Pit Bulls (and others).
Good advice, Rachelle. This is such a tightrope walk. My hubby works for a small Bible camp (that I grew up at and love) and I am always thinking about what I put online. Will my opinion hurt the camp if I rave and rant for a few moments? What will campers think of me? What will parents and board members think of me? Is it important enough to who I am to take the risk, or better left unsaid. Sounds like the same things must be weighed as a writer.
I often worry that I’m too “all about me” on my blog. I tend to write about what God teaches me through everyday life, particularly my experiences as a single mom, living with low vision, and rebuilding my life after a lot of painful change. I always leave readers with something to think about or apply, but still I stress over whether they get sick of reading my anecdotes. Every now and then I try to change things up and post something different – a review of a book that has meant a lot to me, an author interview, a link to someone else’s article, a song through YouTube. On those days I receive very few comments, likes, or shares. Apparently, my readers really relate to the true life experiences and enjoy them. I guess if they enjoy them, I should stop worrying so much.
When do we know if we’ve crossed the line from sharing stories that we hope others will relate to to making things all about us?
Is sharing how God helps you make it through difficulties all about you? i I don’t really think so. It sounds like your readers don’t, either. It sounds more like you are sharing what God has taught you with others who benefit from your experiences. I think that as long as your personal posts are the ones that receive the most responses, those are clearly the ones that are making a difference for the people reading your blog. Isn’t one major goal of a personal blog to shine some light on a dark path so others can see to walk behind or beside you? Sounds like you’re doing that to me, Jeanette, and I’d say,” Keep it up!”
Thank you, Carol! I will keep it up!
Rachelle,
These are all good points. It’s so easy with social media to type before thinking. Facebook and Twitter especially seem to issue a call to arms to respond to every current event and perceived “outrage.”
Like you mentioned, some brands are built on responding to current events. I publish a blog that applies a Christian worldview to the news. I must remind myself from time to time to remain respectful when discussing issues of politics and current events. My faith calls for that, and I truly do feel that people can disagree on a topic in a respectful way. I have many friends who hold totally opposite political views.
Unfortunately, there is a guy in the Las Vegas area with the same name as mine who posts his conspiracy theories. If my name were a common one like John Smith, people would dismiss it. Since my name is not as common, I might be mistaken for that guy.
Why be ashamed?
🙂 interesting
very interesting read, thank you
Thank you for the tips you shared with us. really information stuff.