Jo Smedley

Argh! Haven’t you found there’s just such a plethora of social media these days? Not a day goes by I don’t get an email inviting me to watch a podcast, add a string or story to a social media networking storyboarding site.

Question is – is all this media actually helping writers or is it just yet another distraction?

Networking – as I’ve said before is a must for new writers. Phil Berg said at a business conference I’ve been to recently: “You don’t have to be the best in your field, you just have to know the most people.” That’s as true for writing as it is for business.

You can be THE best screenwriter there is, but if you aren’t known, then how are people going to approach you to give you the contract?

Now I’m not talking about simply “putting yourself about”. Everyone hates someone who is just there for themselves and never contributes. As I’ve said before, it’s not enough to just “friend” people on twitter and the like, you need to interact.

So where do you start?

Well, for a start check out my post below on networking for writers.

And with regards to social media, I would suggest all writers have these basics in place and know how to use them effectively.
1) A blog. This should be informative, not just a list of personal acheivements. And don’t write and abandon it – point people to your blog on the other social media sites you frequent. e.g. facebook and twitter.
2) LinkedIn – it may seem like a business network (which it is) but if you’re taking your writing seriously, then writing is a business, whether you want to believe it is or not. Learn how to make LinkedIn work for you. Grow your connections and then do a search one day in the company field and see if you happen to know, or can get introduced to the person who you need to speak to.
3) Twitter – yes I know everyone likes facebook better – but if it’s connections you’re after, trust me, Twitter is a) quicker and b) easier. Use twitter to create contacts, not just as a means to itself, and make sure you plug your blog on twitter by creating a link to it! Also – let’s not forget, you can make twitter comments post to facebook and linkedIn, so that saves you a lot of time!

What about the rest I hear you ask?

Well…

Facebook. Everyone’s on facebook these days… but does it help you make any good writing connections? Probably not. Do you speak to writers on facebook? er… no. I speak to my contacts on twitter and on UKwriters when they happen to drop in.

Never visited UKwriters? Why not?

UKwriters is a joint social media site. You can post blogs, join discussions or just ask for advice. You can email authors in your own field and communicate on a meaningful level. It’s gone a bit quiet lately – but that’s only because people haven’t got their head around how to use it, and I’ve been too busy to drop in. But why not drop in yourself and start a discussion?

Libboo / Stringsta I’ve taken a look at both now, and other then “bigging up” their creators I can’t honestly see these going anywhere long term. Yes, I agree it’s a lovely idea, let’s all collaborate, but truthfully? How is it going to help writers earn any money long term?

I agree, it sounds like a great idea that you can create a joint effort book / script / storyboard, but royalty rates for authors are pittance at the best of times, so how exactly is splitting a book royalties 60 different ways going to help? Also… who get’s the publicity from the book sale? Er… would that be Libboo or Stringsta themselves? So no. I can’t see this taking off long term.

One to watch and put some time into if you’ve got a lot of spare time perhaps, but if you’re busy – just avoid them!

You-Tube For writers… er… No. I can’t think of anything more boring then watching me type up a script! But for film makers, or as writers if you can get your short film on there – then YES! Great idea, especially if its good. But don’t post any old rubbish. You want something that’ll show case your work, not a camcorder video!

As for the rest?

Well, make up your own mind. If you’re wasting more then 15 minutes a day on them, ask yourself how many contacts you’ve made and how useful they are to you. If they’re not getting you anywhere then drop them. You’ve got more important things to do… like write!

Final words…

Competitions As new writers a competition is probably one of the few ways you will actually get noticed from a cold start. However, be wary. Don’t pay to enter anything. All you are doing is lining someone elses pockets!

After al, I could set up a great competition to write a new murder mystery game. Prize? Oh… let’s see… you could become an author on Red Herring Games (something I’d do anyway if you’re good enough). I could charge £2 entry fee, which sounds reasonable… and I’d probably get over 50 entries so I make a straight £100 profit for doing nothing! (Maybe I should try it!!)

Also – stick to entering reputable competitions. The BBCwritersroom is a good place to find out the best ones. They screen all their competitions to make sure they’re fair to writers.

Rejection letters are standard when you’re an author. Like it or not, not everyone thinks the same way as you and the things you think are great, just aren’t someone else’s cup of tea.

If you’re a writer then you’ll get rejection letters. J.K. Rowling got them, Tom Clancy got them, in fact, you name an author, I expect they all have a drawful of them. But how should you deal with them?

1) Firstly – breath a sigh of relief. The wait is over. You aren’t suddenly going to have to put your life on hold while you write your “approved” project. You can keep that holiday date in Spain rather than booking into a residential course, you can take time out to research, you can do whatever it is you do – and most importantly you can revise and resubmit your manuscript again! (Or bin it and start a new one). For places like the BBC writersroom, a rejection letter means the submission process is over and you are eligable to submit a new work. So firstly – Relax!

2) Deal with the letter. For most, it’ll be a standard rejection letter. You know the type. “Many thanks for sending us your manuscript, we’ve decided at this stage not to take it any further” or “I’m afraid our books are full at present” or words to that effect. The standard rejection letters are the easiest to deal with – you can shred them, burn them, turn them into scrap paper, write on the back of them or file them. It doesn’t matter. They don’t say why they’ve rejected you – just that they have!

If on the other hand you are fortunate enough to have actually received feedback in the rejectin letter – then you need to action this. Firstly decide if it’s feedback you are willing to accept – you don’t have to accept EVERYTHING. After all, your writing style should be unique to you – and your aim is to find someone else who likes your writing for what it is. So don’t change things on someone else’s whim. Only you can decide if the feedback IS something you want to do something about, and if not – then file, burn, shred etc or actually take the advice and do something about it.

3) Avoid the miry pits of writing depression. Some people (like me) are sneaky. We time our submissions at “certain times of the month”, this means, I submit when I’m at a low ebb and I can’t feel any worse about myself or my writing, and generally the rejection letters will come back when I’m not at a low ebb and can just fling it to one side nonchalently! (Hey… we all have our tecniques!)

That said – when the rejection letter arrives – don’t fall into the trap of thinking you are a terrible writer. Remember all the authors who have gone before you! You aren’t the first, you won’t be the last! Eat a bar of chocolate, have a hot bath, seek out company. Whatever works for you – do it. Nobody likes being rejected and as most writers write alone, it often helps to go out and find a friend who “likes you” as a person to get over the hump. The rejection isn’t a personal slight, but it often feels like that. So do something you enjoy, and get some positive feedback. You are great! Honest!

4) Embark on a new project or revise the original. Rejection letters usually take 6 weeks (at least) to come back. This means you’ve had 6 weeks to “sit” on your work. So take another look at it again with a fresh head. Was it rubbish? You might well find it was (I know I sometimes do!) Revise it, or bin it and start something new! Learn from experience. Don’t just send it out again unless you are supremely confident in the piece. Use the rejection as a prod to take another look. Nothing is ever “finished”. I often go back to something after a year and tweek it again.

5)Find a good critic. Rejection letters with feedback are few and far between. If you think you can stand the pain – find someone who will read your work critically and GIVE you that feedback. They might be able to work out why you are getting regular rejections.