Conversation About Doing Something
As writers, we use social media to spread the word about our books and find other writers and fans who have the same interests as ourselves. We are, unfortunately, tied to it. People sell services, claiming to have the answer. Seminars are created and money is sometimes well spent, but most of the time it is wasted.
Now I’m beginning to rethink my strategy. It’s all a guessing game, fueled by money and power, and I have to say, greed. Our social media providers are making tons of money, bleeding off our hard-earned dollars, controlling more and more what gets seen, shared and promoted. We have to buy ads to be visible, so it actually pays to make people invisible. We stand in line like lemmings to try to learn the “secrets”, when there are none. Who cares about being “visible” when the cost is greater than the gain?
Hard to play in this field when the rules have been kept from you. Or you have to throw a ton of money at things and learn by trial and error. I know because I’ve been unfortunately the victim of some of this.
I’m starting to not be okay with that. At some point, when can these big social behemoths start taking responsibility for our losses? Losses of money but also now losses of life. These same social media “partners” of ours are used to spread hatred and help train people who would destroy free and open peoples everywhere. And I find it on both sides of every political spectrum.
So, when do I begin to consider myself part of the problem if I don’t start to stand up and object?
It’s just a conversation. But I’m wondering at what point does it make sense to earn a living where I have to use the very services that are used to enslave and hurt people? Free speech is supposed to be open and honest, but doesn’t mean people have the right to shut others up. I am ashamed of some bad behavior and hysteria dividing us. I’m ashamed of the fact that I have to keep my mouth shut too much of the time to satisfy someone else’s idea of PC thinking. Violence, disguised as protests, is still violence. Let’s call it for what it is. Taking away someone’s right to speak is still stealing from someone else in the name of “correct think.”
It will never get better until people begin to question and speak out about these things, and endure the brunt of the criticism leveled against us. I want to be part of the solution, not aiding part of the problem. I’m listening, Facebook, Twitter and so many others. What role will you play, or are you going to just continue to take our money and laugh all the way to the bank?
It is a difficult conversation. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t start being had. If we don’t start asking, perhaps we will never really be free. Perhaps those rights will be taken from us. We will be told how to think, how to act and how to not offend. If we do it often enough, we might forget as a people the days when free thought and being responsible humans prevailed. When we could disagree but not resort to violence or be so small in our thinking that we have to cut off anyone else’s opinion?
We might forget what it feels like to be free. And yes, that means sometimes we’ll have to fight to defend it. Freedom is precious. But it can be so easily taken away. I don’t want to live in a world like that.
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I'm totally feeling you on this. I don't see any of your stuff cross my feed anymore, and my page with only a fraction of the followers you have is nearly invisible. It's frustrating. I'd love to know the answer! I just don't have the funds to sponsor every one of my posts. I don't mind sponsoring some of them to get further reach, but I think people who have liked my page should be able to see my content.
I completely agree, Crissi. The controls that are exercised don't benefit the user. They benefit the owner, yet we are the owner of the content.
I have people tell me all the time, "Where have you been?" I've been here. But this model doesn't work for me any longer. I can't get to the people I really want to talk to. And I have to promote too much in my NL because of what I can't get out there on FB and other places anymore. Even selling my books on Amazon doesn't guarantee they will be seen.
But I'm going to still be asking the questions anyway. The information is being "selectively" controlled and I am questioning the pattern of the choices made for me.
Lots of content in one post, covering a wide range. I wrote enough for a post of my own, so I cut it and started over. 🙂 II've requested notifications on a number of pages. Sometimes they show up and sometimes they don't. know my author page is hidden. My sister complains about never seeing any of my author posts. I know I'm the commodity, but it would be novel if they acted like they knew what they were selling. Instead, they prove how narrow-minded they are as everything is actually geared around them. All that's left is to look up the pages I want to see and mess with them by looking up stuff I'm not interested in at all. 😀
Thanks Judy. It's a bit lonely out there. But they do filter and control what's seen and not seen. I don't buy that they could do that to help us all be more secure. They aren't the enemy, but I wonder why we can't all be on the same team. We all want our freedoms, our health. We may disagree, but we need to connect, not close our boxes off. Very frustrating. I feel like the most I post about military things the less visibility I get. Now that's a whole other story.
Don't get me started. 🙂
Very educational and interesting conversation. I clearly see the problem but haven't a clue as to what to do about it. Big business is always in control. Now more than ever I fear. They make the rules and they change the rules always benefiting themselves. 10 for them and 1 for us. When will the madness stop? xoxoxoxox, YP
In this competitive field, even with a good head start, I'm clearly not big or strong enough to last it out. But there's no harm in having tried it. Just wasn't anything like what I thought it would be. A little nostalgic and disappointed, but that's life. We make lemonade out of lemons…
That's a winner's attitude!
At least I don't see adverts any more , they use to get me. I don't see half the authors pages I use to either. I usually try and like what I see or comment that helps keep them in the feed.
Yes, that helps the authors, but you're right. Visibility is dwindling. Lots of changes happening. I think it is a deliberate attempt to push the Amazon brand. They have a right to I just don't think it's good for the readers, though. You guys have more choice than you're actually exposed to. That's unfair to you, but makes writing not what it once was for writers.