One more personal aside and back to the real world tomorrow. I was told that promote books, one has to become a presence in media sites such as Twitter and Instagram. With Bird’s Chirps I already had started doing so on Twitter. The book led me to Instagram. I already was around on Face Book.
With Instagram, I started promoting the book on posts and then I started posting some Yippity excerpts from a failed book, years back. Then I started receiving some ‘likes” This is nice. Then I saw, on Instagram and Face Book “boost your posts and get hundreds of new followers” I did say “let’s try that” Spent $30 for five days on my book related Face Book page. This was my first week. Did not get the boost that I expected. Live and learn. But on Instagram, I was getting a number of “DM this post on our page” I did that a couple of times. I got responses saying, “we will promote your book for $X” Fortunately, I started googling these sites and also got good advice from my promotion specialist. Not a prayer. Every post I make on Instagram I will get “DM on our site”, followed by “We will promote…” Same thing happens on Face Book A number of messages, many from third world countries saying something to the effect of (I still remember you Cassady Hutchinson), “From your profile I see that you are an author”, like, ‘duh’.
You make a number of new friends on Instagram, as well. Many of them again from third world countries, that after you start following them, they ask “How are you doing?” and try to engage in conversations. Does that sound cynical. Maybe, but after a while, you get to separate follow requests that are interested in your posts vs. scam follow requests.
Anyone with a twitter account is automatically leery of at least two types of follow requests. The first one is where you get a follow request and you check out their profile and they have a webcam. Block!. The second one are from 35 year old fashion designers from Toronto or New York from a specific part of the world. Block!
It could be worse I get. I could be of the female gender and even though my profile would say No DM’s, still get tons of DM’s per day. I am not even going get into my Elon Musk and Twitter crap.
Well. That is my rant chirp, for the day To my American friends, Happy MLK day.