Social Media the Second Time Around
By Jael McHenry | December 1, 2014 |
image by Steven Depolo
As I’ve mentioned here before, my next book is coming out under a pseudonym — which is energizing and daunting in equal measure. One area where the chickens are really coming home to roost (or going elsewhere to roost, I guess) is in social media.
Because Jael McHenry has her own online world that she’s been building ever since online became a thing, but Pseudonym Me — let’s call her P.M. for short — had to start completely from scratch.
Daunting, yes, but also great. Because starting clean on social media means you get to learn from your mistakes. And haven’t we all made a few?
So here are some do’s and don’ts:
Don’t just replicate exactly what you did the first time around. Don’t follow all the same people on Twitter or draft all the same friends on Facebook. Heck, maybe P.M. would rather focus all her efforts on Instagram. If you focus on doing the same things you did before, you’ll come up short. Take the opportunity to spread your wings. For example, my real Facebook page is a mix of personal and professional information, so I never feel comfortable “friending” people I don’t know personally (though of course I know there are ways to manage privacy settings.) I’ve set it up differently this time around.
Do make deliberate decisions. I love Twitter, and I knew it would be useful for P.M. in all sorts of ways, so that was one of the first accounts I grabbed. But @jaelmchenry follows more than 2000 people, and there is a whole heck of a lot of noise in that number. I built P.M.’s list slowly over time, author-friends here and there, a favorite bookstore or two, the famous authors in my new genre, and so on and so forth. I love food and cooking — as is very evident from my @jaelmchenry feed — but that isn’t a major part of P.M.’s activity, so I’m not following anyone in that area. She’s got her own thing going on.
Do watch yourself (or selves). While it’s tempting to have Jael McHenry effusively praise P.M.’s work and share or retweet every bit of praise her book gets, I don’t feel right about that, so I don’t do it. Basically I treat P.M. like I would any other author friend — if she has good news, sometimes I share it, and sometimes I don’t. I’m probably even a little more cautious about sharing her news than a stranger’s, truth be told.
Don’t blast the world. This is, of course, totally your choice, and it depends on how you’re approaching the pseudonym. But for me, I didn’t want to send out mass messages to my existing social media contacts telling them who I am (and who P.M. is), for two reasons: 1) it’s easy for that sort of thing to get into the wrong hands, and 2) most people actually don’t care. I’ve reached out, and am still reaching out, to individuals I think might be interested, and focusing on quality, not quantity, of contacts. P.M. barely has a couple hundred followers on Twitter, but we’re proud of every one. And the momentum is starting to build, completely independent of Jael McHenry.
Do tell the truth at the right time. Because a lot of my author friends know P.M.’s name and we’ve linked up on social media, other author friends have found me and begun corresponding with P.M. without knowing she’s me. In this case I’ll usually send a private message to clue them in. It’s not the biggest secret in the world, even if it sometimes feels that way.
Question: If you were starting from scratch on social media, what would you do differently?
Jael McHenry is the debut author of The Kitchen Daughter (Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books, April 12, 2011). Her work has appeared in publications such as the North American Review, Indiana Review, and the Graduate Review at American University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. You can read more about Jael and her book at jaelmchenry.com or follow her on Twitter at @jaelmchenry.
Jael, Good food for thought, even if we’re not starting over. The thing that came to mind as I read your approach is that I like that you are being patient. So that’s a good takeaway to apply to myself when the day comes, and I find myself with an actual product to weave into my social media presence.
Best of luck to PM! Looking forward to her release! (And isn’t it fun to talk and hear about yourself in the third person?)
Thanks, Vaughn! I hadn’t thought of it that way, but yes — patience is key.
Jael, it was nice to meet you in person at the WU UnCon. I am interested to know if P.M. has a different persona/personality than Jael. I’ve toyed with the idea of writing stuff outside of my genre under a pseudonym and creating a persona that would allow me to be a little edgier than my normal personality. I have enough trouble keeping up with social media under my own identity. I like the way you keep your two identities separate and distinct. And you are being transparent about it, which is a good thing. I suppose if I could do it all over again I would devote more time to Twitter and less to Facebook, which seems focused more on personal updates. Good luck, P.M.
Great to meet you too! There’s not too much difference between my personality and PM’s so far, but I wonder if the gap between us might grow as things proceed. I suppose PM might be a bit more outspoken and bold… I should embrace that since I have the option, right?
Hi, Jael –
Thanks for the piece!
Could you remind us why you’re creating this pseudonym and starting to publish as Madame X? Sorry if I’ve missed this. I’m just interested, especially as in the last piece on the subject you mentioned that your shadow author is, in a way, just as much you as the standard persona is. I mean, how raunchy IS this new stuff? (Just kidding!)
And one more Porterish Question, if you’ll indulge me. Actually two.
(a) What are your criteria, out of interest, as to who knows and who doesn’t? (Revelation hasn’t hurt Jo Rowling’s Robert Galbraith at all, lol.)
(b) When you say the information might get into the “wrong hands,” this sounds a bit dire. Whose hands are “wrong” with the info that you are P.M.? Do you need protection from the Family, Jael? We could send the Writer Unboxed bodyguard unit.
I like your stance on not praising yourself-as-her from @JaelMcHenry, I think that’s the decent position to take on that, well done.
Thanks much for an interesting write.
-p. (Still only Porter Anderson and that’s more than enough!, lol)
On Twitter: @Porter_Anderson
Hi, Porter! The decision mostly has to do with genre, and allowing me to continue publishing contemporary women’s fiction as Jael McHenry with a separate sideline as P.M.
Hard to explain how I decide who needs to know and who doesn’t — mainly I tell people I would feel bad not telling, or people who I think like me and my work enough to be interested in what’s coming next.
Mostly just figuring it out as I go, but glad to be on another bookish adventure, whatever shape it takes.
Goodness, Jael…it’s hard enough just keeping up with one of me (but I practice all those things as myself). Good luck with Madame “Prime Minister.” :D
Thanks!
I’ve been thinking of a pseudonym because, much to my detriment, I’ve written so much about my personal life. I’ve actually gone back into Facebook and deleted the super personal, angsty rants.
Should I go that route, a do-over would most likely consist of a website, an author FB page and Twitter account and I would keep updates and posts to writing, reading, movies, and a pet project like raising funds for animal rescue. Obviously, WU friends and family would know who it is, but I I’d feel safer, or maybe more in control.
Rebeca, it’s definitely a lot of work, but you’re right that the feeling of control is very nice. Focusing on specific topics and goals means less time wasted, too — or at least it feels like time spent and not time wasted, that way.
I’m sitting here chuckling: I can’t get one complete persona going – and you’re working on a second.
Well done. Only you can decide whether it’s worth the energy – sounds like you have.
I always thought a pseudonym might be great fun – a chance to be someone completely different on a talk show. But I don’t think the secret would stay secret long once your picture is out there, in the modern world.
Hope it continues to go well.
Oh yes, the picture is an issue. And I’m out there in person, too, so it would be hard to really truly hide — I’m counting on my relative anonymity in real life to keep it from being an issue. Time will tell!
Excellent advice. I have a current character (snarky, caring, intelligent, mid-fifties) who has quite a following. Because she’s become a book club favorite, I don’t want to upset that fan base with two books in process.
One is about a female serial killer. First person POV. Cold, dark, brilliant, not caring at all. Total departure from current main character.
The other is a racy but not erotic romance.
Neither would be appropriate for book clubs, so I may take my agent’s advice and publish under a pseudonym.
Much to think about in your post. Thanks.
Betsy, I think that’s definitely a scenario where a pseudonym makes sense. Whatever you decide to do, hope it works out well for you!
Interesting stuff, Jael, thanks for sharing.
I kinda like the idea of keeping my ‘writer name’ the same, even if I write in more than one genre. I hope, if readers like my writing, they’ll consider other titles, even when marketed in different categories. Seems to work for Stephen King.
That said, never say never! Might find myself in need of a rebirth someday, right?
Denise Willson
Author of A Keeper’s Truth and GOT
I’ve definitely seen people make it work both ways. Definitely a very personal decision.
Thank you for this provocative article, Jael.
What would I do differently?
You made me think and I came up with — nothing.
I’d do nothing differently.
Did I do everything right?
Um, nope.
But I learned so much. I meet helpful people and read helpful articles. And I grew. My blog currently has over 230,000 page views. But more important than numbers is a supportive community — and I’m blessed to have created one.
Leanne, that’s fantastic! Sounds like you’re in a great place.
I’m typically pretty careful about what I post, but I’d be more focused and professional. I’d be a lot pickier about who I follow/friend/etc. I sometimes wish I could start over, honestly, especially since my brand has changed a bit.
I am about to do the same thing–still trying on names to see who my P.M. will be! I’m actually excited about it. Thanks for the advice!
And I would love to follow your PM if I knew who she was :-)
I’m bookmarking this to keep handy. I’m still a neophyte in the Social Media world. So… what’s the new book about?