Hey, nerds…
It’s one of those long Mondays after a long weekend of not feeling great. Less than exciting things have been going on around me over the last couple of weeks. I kinda forgot that I was supposed to do a thing.
Meaning this thing. Writing this post. As you can clearly see, I’m totally winging it today. That means we’re going to talk about content creation because it’s the last writer-relevant thing I did (other than drink coffee).
As is the case with most social media, we often grow tired of the repetitive nature of the beast. Write, post, wait, repeat. We sit there, staring at our analytics, hoping against hope that THIS ONE THING will be what pops off and makes us famous. Not that it ever happens to US… that’s always somebody else’s game, right?
As any of you who know me are aware, I’m terrible at social media consistency. I get overwhelmed easily and shut down for long periods because my neurodivergent arse can’t seem to keep anything going long-term. I tend to flake out when it comes to my own work. So I made a deal with myself. We’re going to make a real go of this being-an-author thing. Then we’re going to reward ourself with snacks and more books. Because we are heavily food-and-book motivated over here.
At the beginning of August, I started an experiment. In addition to this blog (I am forever grateful to my sisters-in-arms over here in ‘Gatorland for tolerating my nonsense), I started up a regular routine on TikTok. Every other social media platform has failed for some reason or other (read: it’s me. I’m the problem), so I didn’t expect much. So here we are, 18 days into the month. I’ve managed to pick up a few hundred new followers and my book rankings on the ‘zon seem to be climbing pretty okay. I even have a post that’s nearing 5,000 views. It’s nothing to write home about, no. But it has taught me that all-important lesson: consistency is key in content creation.
Someone said something in one of their posts the other day that really hit home for me. Maybe it will for you too:
“When you look at your metrics and only see three hundred views, you’re disappointed. But think about it: if you had three hundred strangers come up to you and look at/pick up/ask about your book, you’d be over the moon, right?”
It’s true. So, going by that, being in 300-view jail on the clock app might seem stressful and unrewarding, but it’s 300 impressions you didn’t have the day before. Content creation, I’m learning, is about baby steps. It’s about moving forward a little at a time, being reliable, and most of all… being THERE. Honestly, it’s the most inane things that usually get the most hits — a book review image, a video of my cats being cats, a cup of coffee… like I said, you never know what’s going to hit until it does. I just happen to also be sprinkling in a few little things about my books here and there, hoping someone might find them interesting.
I say all of that to say this: keep at it, kids. Don’t let the low numbers mess with your head. Keep posting. Keep talking. Keep showing up for yourself. You never know if the next thing you create is going to be THE ONE.
If you’re interested in seeing my nonsense on TikTok, I can be found RIGHT HERE. And just in case you’re interested, my newest book can be found wherever books are sold. It looks like this:
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What I’m Writing: “The Broken Ones” – The Shadow Council Archives #4
What I’m Reading: “Deep End” – Ali Hazelwood
Where to Find Me: Linktree