I’ve never done TikTok out of both sheer laziness & my own lack of tech ability. I do Facebook not necessarily for the books I write - although it’s lovely to see my work shared - but for the community I have grown to love & care deeply about. It ups my empathy bar - takes me out of my own fears & self-doubt for a moment.
OMG, I've been agonizing over whether or not to jump ship from Zuck's metaverse. It was easier to walk away from Twitter, which I did before Musk even changed the branding to X because it never really served me as a writer. It was good for research on my issue -- immigration. But my tweets never really made a dent in the firestorm of blah, blah. My readers live on Facebook, however, I'm on myriad private groups there, and I've spent the last year building a following on Instagram. I've come down on the side of staying there, for now, but solely as a communication tool -- I will not boost posts or do any paid advertising. Not another dime in the traitor's pockets. (He won't miss them.) Most importantly, I will use FB and IG as much as I can to encourage folks to visit me on Substack (https://sarahtowle.substack.com/) because I love it here. And now that my book, Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands, is out and is proving to be more timely than ever, I have more time to post and podcast here. Gratefully, my following here is growing faster than it ever did on Zuck or Musk's platforms. So here is where I will stay, all the while praying it, too, doesn't get scooped up by the Broligarchy. This begs another question, Brooke, which I'd love for you to speak to: how can anyone in the writing biz extricate themselves from the global menace that is Bezos? Another post for another time.
I don't know how we can extricate ourselves from Amazon. I suppose this is why they're called monopolies. We're so dependent, and that's exactly where they want us to be. :( I feel the same way you do about FB.
I've had friends who tell me that Facebook ads sell books but when it costs an author more money to sell each book than they make in profit, what's the point? I got really fed up with working on an author posts in Facebook that would be seen by 10 people. It got really old when I had more than ten times that many followers. At least in Substack my subscribers see every post and my followers have a decent shot at seeing them. It feels a lot more worthwhile to spend my energies on Substack.
It’s all got me thinking about moving copies of everything to an archive on my own website. Or maybe I should consider the years of online conversation a sand mandala. Likely to disappear, hopefully to remembered.
I LOVE TikTok. I could post videos about my holistic healing journey, my books, my memoir in progress, my frequency healing practice, or the woo woo spiritual shit I love without showering, putting on makeup, or thinking about lighting. TikTokers are authentic. They don't give a f* what you look like and I LOVED it. Now millions of Americans are losing revenue from TikTok and will struggle to feed their families because Zuck wanted to poach users from TikTok and lobbied to shut it down.
Congratulations, Zuck. You win the biggest dick award.
A couple years ago, I fled X and lost thousands of followers and a vibrant writing community when Elon shot evil all over it. Now I'm fleeing TikTok. I just discovered Substack has a feed and I'm interested in connecting with people that way, but it feels cumbersome so far.
Facebook is full of ads and is run by a vampire (not the sexy kind). I liked Threads but I went dark on meta apps this week because of Zuckula. If I don't miss them, I'll never go back.
The real gem seems to be Bluesky. Overnight, I gained 450 followers. Most are TikTok refugees. There are tons of BookTokers on #Booksky chatting books and words and that's the first heartwarming thing I've experienced since this hell year started.
Bluesky feels like a good place to start building a platform (yet again). For now. Hopefully, Zuck, Elon, Bezos, or any other billionaire ghouls keep their grubby claws off it.
Very cool to hear—450 followers overnight. I admire your tenacity. I think so many people are tired of starting on new platforms. As long as they're right for a given person, though—and the followers make it more fun. Good for you!
Thank you! I totally get what you mean about being tired of starting on new platforms. It's exhausting, but as you wrote, without social media, we authors don't have much of a platform. Thanks for cheering me on!
Brooke, thank you for writing about what's on all our minds lately. I never really got into Tiktok, but I keep thinking about a young author I met last fall who was selling books like crazy--all on Tiktok. She loves doing it, and readers love her videos. What will she do now? Me, I'm on Facebook and Instagram, and I have joined Bluesky. Facebook feels like home to me, and it's how I connect with a lot of people, so I'm not leaving. But I am forever aware that all of this, including Substack, could go away at any time. We need to spread our message across as many platforms as possible to be safe.
Have never been on Tik Tok, so I'm not going to miss that income. Should grabbed it while the grabbing was going. Facebook gives me hives. I just can't seem to find anything, and it seems it's all full of people's holiday snaps. If that suits them, great, but I'm sorry, I'm not interested. I don't have enough hours in the day to do what I want without hours going down the tubes with Facebook.
It’s good to hear other people’s thoughts on this subject. I’ve been thinking about it since Zucks abandoning fact checking. We are at a real crossroads. To exit Facebook on principal or lack of them, is also to bail on Instagram.
Those are my two platforms for ‘upcoming news’ from workshops, events, promotions, but what’s equally difficult in cutting the cord on FB and insta is… all those memories built over the years.
FB may be considered ‘old hat for seniors’ but I see the platform as a modern day account, a ‘memoir’ in pictures, (memories) happenings, thoughts, and reactions, of our lives. A picture popped up yesterday of a workshop on the Vineyard six years ago and it made my day. We’ve come so far as writers.
So, like most I’m torn between ‘fu*k you Meta’ but keeping access, while nudging over to Substack and when the dark page turns, joining bookToc to find ‘new friends’, and embrace the change and impermanence.
One thing l noticed is, as more friends leave Facebook, my feed is filling with right wing bullshit, and it’s tipping me to grab the shears and cut ties.
What’s everyone drinking tomorrow? Some reality numbing cocktail? TV ban? Head in sand? And yes, thankfully impermanence will be a great word for tomorrow.
I'm Canadian so tik tok can still be used here. I'm 74 so still use facebook LOL and read articles and publish my own on medium.com I'm writing a memoir so don't know yet how I'll promote it.
I was a marketing coach for over 30 years and I've watched the landscape change.
The truest thing you've said is change always breeds opportunity, doesn't it.
Deciding not to invest in any more Facebook ads but stay on the platform was a tough decision this week but was right. I won't give any more data or funds to Zuck's word but on Facebook I was united with a brother I never knew I had, had connections with people from past lives, and a book community. I'll block and friend according to what I consider appropriate for me.
I left Twitter as soon as Musk took it over, and I won't be at all surprised if he ends up in control of TikTok as well. "Like the phoenix rising from the ashes"? No; it think it's more like the person whose noisy flush announces an imminent return from the toilet. [Disclaimer: I have never used TikTok.]
I may or may not leave Facebook in near future. However, I have some reservations about doing so for various reasons. I have made some great musical contacts on FB, and I have reconnected with people (e.g., former classmates and distant relatives).
I am also somewhat uncertain about whether I can exit "as a matter of principle" without acknowledging hypocrisy. Jeff Bezos has exploited Amazon employees for years and (more recently) moved to destroy the editorial integrity of THE WASHINGTON POST. Shouldn't we all be thinking of leaving Amazon as well? True, it's not a social medium, but isn't the question nevertheless valid? [OK; quick reality check: as a self-published author without a mailing list and online "platform," I can survive nicely without Facebook but would be absolutely S.O.L. without Amazon!]
At the end of the day, each of us must decide what to do about FB, TikTok (which will return!), X, and any other such sites. I think the bigger question is how the nation, as a whole, will survive Trump 2.0, the rising fascist oligarchy, the technocracy (cf., all the Big Tech billionaires now bowing to Emperor Donald), and the near-total control of ALL media (print, electronic, and digital) by a handful of powerful Right-wingers.
Thanks for acknowledging hypocrisy because—yes. So many people are saying they're bailing on FB and then Amazon is dropping a package at their doorstep. We're in the vortex. This is what they call an intractable problem. Otherwise known as a wicked problem.
As an Indie author who connects in important ways with readers using Facebook, I do not anticipate leaving the platform anytime soon. That said, I'm seeing post after post by my readers saying they ARE leaving. Some say they're going to Bluesy, and I have an account there, but it's organized like Twitter rather than FB, and I'm struggling to see how to make connections. It's going to be a whole new learning curve.
I've taken to contacting my readers who are still on FB, one by one in DM, and asking if they'd be wiling to share their address. (Most don't put this info into their personal FB data.) What a chore!
Agree with you. I do not enjoy the Twitter/Bluesky feed. It's not for me. Too much, too fast. I think you're speaking to a lot of the exhaustion I'm hearing, and feeling!
I have an author page on Facebook but haven't posted in many month and rarely even go into Facebook. I started a weekly Substack newsletter last August and have seen slow but steady growth. Mostly what I like about Substack is the interaction I have with readers and the positive vibe. I did have a Twitter account but rarely used it. Once Elon Musk bought Twitter and changed it to X I deleted my account. I'm not there yet on Facebook but getting close. I'd rather spend my time and energy on Substack, a social media site that shares my values and supports my interests vs. Facebook. I'm also considering opening a Bluesky account.
With all the noise about TikTok shutting down and the video centric nature of the site I never opened an account. I'll see how things play out but for now TikTok is a very low priority. I'd rather focus heavily on Substack and go all in vs. being spread thinly over too many sites.
Brooke, as usual we’re in sync. I have found that FB is more for personal connections. A money drain. IG is great for awareness (few sales) and dislike X (so no Elon for me). TikTok will be back, maybe better. Building community is how we promote books and this is where our sales mostly come from. We also use traditional print -TV and digital media .. it’s all about layering your awareness getting our authors noticed in various media outlets…and our a few NEW secret tools we are now using!!!
I decided in November to leave Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. I’m on Substack only. (Have never been on TikTok.) I’m happier and a more productive writer as a result. My monthly Substack, It Takes A Village, chronicles some of this journey. I’m also learning about just how toxic social media and the attention economy is to our minds, our politics, and our sense of ourselves and reality. To that end, I’ve read Deep Work by Cal Newport, How To Stand Up To A Dictator by Maria Resa, and How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell. Taken together, they make an alarming case against social media use. I recommend them highly. By the way, I also removed the links on my website to purchase my books from Amazon. I now have a button for Thriftbooks and will be adding another for bookshop.org. The oligarchs and attention economy aims to use us and our data for their own benefit to the detriment of us, our communities, and our planet. I may not be able to stop any of it, but I can refuse to participate. If I’m fortunate enough to get my current book into print, I’ll mostly rely on podcasts and in-person conferences, which are excellent ways to market.
Love this, Jillian, and I support your approach. It's totally more productive to NOT be on these platforms. The scrolling alone wastes hours and hours. That's a lot of why I go on FB hiatuses.
I’ve never done TikTok out of both sheer laziness & my own lack of tech ability. I do Facebook not necessarily for the books I write - although it’s lovely to see my work shared - but for the community I have grown to love & care deeply about. It ups my empathy bar - takes me out of my own fears & self-doubt for a moment.
Thanks for writing this. As always, touches deep.
And you're such a force, a wonderful one, in that community.
Thank you so very much ❤️
OMG, I've been agonizing over whether or not to jump ship from Zuck's metaverse. It was easier to walk away from Twitter, which I did before Musk even changed the branding to X because it never really served me as a writer. It was good for research on my issue -- immigration. But my tweets never really made a dent in the firestorm of blah, blah. My readers live on Facebook, however, I'm on myriad private groups there, and I've spent the last year building a following on Instagram. I've come down on the side of staying there, for now, but solely as a communication tool -- I will not boost posts or do any paid advertising. Not another dime in the traitor's pockets. (He won't miss them.) Most importantly, I will use FB and IG as much as I can to encourage folks to visit me on Substack (https://sarahtowle.substack.com/) because I love it here. And now that my book, Crossing the Line: Finding America in the Borderlands, is out and is proving to be more timely than ever, I have more time to post and podcast here. Gratefully, my following here is growing faster than it ever did on Zuck or Musk's platforms. So here is where I will stay, all the while praying it, too, doesn't get scooped up by the Broligarchy. This begs another question, Brooke, which I'd love for you to speak to: how can anyone in the writing biz extricate themselves from the global menace that is Bezos? Another post for another time.
I don't know how we can extricate ourselves from Amazon. I suppose this is why they're called monopolies. We're so dependent, and that's exactly where they want us to be. :( I feel the same way you do about FB.
I've had friends who tell me that Facebook ads sell books but when it costs an author more money to sell each book than they make in profit, what's the point? I got really fed up with working on an author posts in Facebook that would be seen by 10 people. It got really old when I had more than ten times that many followers. At least in Substack my subscribers see every post and my followers have a decent shot at seeing them. It feels a lot more worthwhile to spend my energies on Substack.
Yeah, a lot of the authors I work with who do FB ads break even. No fun.
It’s all got me thinking about moving copies of everything to an archive on my own website. Or maybe I should consider the years of online conversation a sand mandala. Likely to disappear, hopefully to remembered.
Love this image of the sand mandala. It's perfect.
I love that idea, a sand mandala, Shelley! Social media does feel like so much sand with an incoming tide.
I LOVE TikTok. I could post videos about my holistic healing journey, my books, my memoir in progress, my frequency healing practice, or the woo woo spiritual shit I love without showering, putting on makeup, or thinking about lighting. TikTokers are authentic. They don't give a f* what you look like and I LOVED it. Now millions of Americans are losing revenue from TikTok and will struggle to feed their families because Zuck wanted to poach users from TikTok and lobbied to shut it down.
Congratulations, Zuck. You win the biggest dick award.
A couple years ago, I fled X and lost thousands of followers and a vibrant writing community when Elon shot evil all over it. Now I'm fleeing TikTok. I just discovered Substack has a feed and I'm interested in connecting with people that way, but it feels cumbersome so far.
Facebook is full of ads and is run by a vampire (not the sexy kind). I liked Threads but I went dark on meta apps this week because of Zuckula. If I don't miss them, I'll never go back.
The real gem seems to be Bluesky. Overnight, I gained 450 followers. Most are TikTok refugees. There are tons of BookTokers on #Booksky chatting books and words and that's the first heartwarming thing I've experienced since this hell year started.
Bluesky feels like a good place to start building a platform (yet again). For now. Hopefully, Zuck, Elon, Bezos, or any other billionaire ghouls keep their grubby claws off it.
Very cool to hear—450 followers overnight. I admire your tenacity. I think so many people are tired of starting on new platforms. As long as they're right for a given person, though—and the followers make it more fun. Good for you!
Thank you! I totally get what you mean about being tired of starting on new platforms. It's exhausting, but as you wrote, without social media, we authors don't have much of a platform. Thanks for cheering me on!
Brooke, thank you for writing about what's on all our minds lately. I never really got into Tiktok, but I keep thinking about a young author I met last fall who was selling books like crazy--all on Tiktok. She loves doing it, and readers love her videos. What will she do now? Me, I'm on Facebook and Instagram, and I have joined Bluesky. Facebook feels like home to me, and it's how I connect with a lot of people, so I'm not leaving. But I am forever aware that all of this, including Substack, could go away at any time. We need to spread our message across as many platforms as possible to be safe.
Have never been on Tik Tok, so I'm not going to miss that income. Should grabbed it while the grabbing was going. Facebook gives me hives. I just can't seem to find anything, and it seems it's all full of people's holiday snaps. If that suits them, great, but I'm sorry, I'm not interested. I don't have enough hours in the day to do what I want without hours going down the tubes with Facebook.
It’s good to hear other people’s thoughts on this subject. I’ve been thinking about it since Zucks abandoning fact checking. We are at a real crossroads. To exit Facebook on principal or lack of them, is also to bail on Instagram.
Those are my two platforms for ‘upcoming news’ from workshops, events, promotions, but what’s equally difficult in cutting the cord on FB and insta is… all those memories built over the years.
FB may be considered ‘old hat for seniors’ but I see the platform as a modern day account, a ‘memoir’ in pictures, (memories) happenings, thoughts, and reactions, of our lives. A picture popped up yesterday of a workshop on the Vineyard six years ago and it made my day. We’ve come so far as writers.
So, like most I’m torn between ‘fu*k you Meta’ but keeping access, while nudging over to Substack and when the dark page turns, joining bookToc to find ‘new friends’, and embrace the change and impermanence.
One thing l noticed is, as more friends leave Facebook, my feed is filling with right wing bullshit, and it’s tipping me to grab the shears and cut ties.
What’s everyone drinking tomorrow? Some reality numbing cocktail? TV ban? Head in sand? And yes, thankfully impermanence will be a great word for tomorrow.
I'm Canadian so tik tok can still be used here. I'm 74 so still use facebook LOL and read articles and publish my own on medium.com I'm writing a memoir so don't know yet how I'll promote it.
I was a marketing coach for over 30 years and I've watched the landscape change.
The truest thing you've said is change always breeds opportunity, doesn't it.
Well, TikTok was down for a matter of 12 hours so I guess we don't have to rush to board flights to Canada this time! 😂
I put my thoughts about this into a substack yesterday. It's more about meta than tiktok, and it's broader than books:
https://judeberman.substack.com/p/please-dont-self-destruct
Deciding not to invest in any more Facebook ads but stay on the platform was a tough decision this week but was right. I won't give any more data or funds to Zuck's word but on Facebook I was united with a brother I never knew I had, had connections with people from past lives, and a book community. I'll block and friend according to what I consider appropriate for me.
I left Twitter as soon as Musk took it over, and I won't be at all surprised if he ends up in control of TikTok as well. "Like the phoenix rising from the ashes"? No; it think it's more like the person whose noisy flush announces an imminent return from the toilet. [Disclaimer: I have never used TikTok.]
I may or may not leave Facebook in near future. However, I have some reservations about doing so for various reasons. I have made some great musical contacts on FB, and I have reconnected with people (e.g., former classmates and distant relatives).
I am also somewhat uncertain about whether I can exit "as a matter of principle" without acknowledging hypocrisy. Jeff Bezos has exploited Amazon employees for years and (more recently) moved to destroy the editorial integrity of THE WASHINGTON POST. Shouldn't we all be thinking of leaving Amazon as well? True, it's not a social medium, but isn't the question nevertheless valid? [OK; quick reality check: as a self-published author without a mailing list and online "platform," I can survive nicely without Facebook but would be absolutely S.O.L. without Amazon!]
At the end of the day, each of us must decide what to do about FB, TikTok (which will return!), X, and any other such sites. I think the bigger question is how the nation, as a whole, will survive Trump 2.0, the rising fascist oligarchy, the technocracy (cf., all the Big Tech billionaires now bowing to Emperor Donald), and the near-total control of ALL media (print, electronic, and digital) by a handful of powerful Right-wingers.
Thanks for acknowledging hypocrisy because—yes. So many people are saying they're bailing on FB and then Amazon is dropping a package at their doorstep. We're in the vortex. This is what they call an intractable problem. Otherwise known as a wicked problem.
As an Indie author who connects in important ways with readers using Facebook, I do not anticipate leaving the platform anytime soon. That said, I'm seeing post after post by my readers saying they ARE leaving. Some say they're going to Bluesy, and I have an account there, but it's organized like Twitter rather than FB, and I'm struggling to see how to make connections. It's going to be a whole new learning curve.
I've taken to contacting my readers who are still on FB, one by one in DM, and asking if they'd be wiling to share their address. (Most don't put this info into their personal FB data.) What a chore!
Agree with you. I do not enjoy the Twitter/Bluesky feed. It's not for me. Too much, too fast. I think you're speaking to a lot of the exhaustion I'm hearing, and feeling!
I have an author page on Facebook but haven't posted in many month and rarely even go into Facebook. I started a weekly Substack newsletter last August and have seen slow but steady growth. Mostly what I like about Substack is the interaction I have with readers and the positive vibe. I did have a Twitter account but rarely used it. Once Elon Musk bought Twitter and changed it to X I deleted my account. I'm not there yet on Facebook but getting close. I'd rather spend my time and energy on Substack, a social media site that shares my values and supports my interests vs. Facebook. I'm also considering opening a Bluesky account.
With all the noise about TikTok shutting down and the video centric nature of the site I never opened an account. I'll see how things play out but for now TikTok is a very low priority. I'd rather focus heavily on Substack and go all in vs. being spread thinly over too many sites.
Yes, Facebook give me hives. I can never find anything, or once I do, I can never seem to go back to it.
Brooke, as usual we’re in sync. I have found that FB is more for personal connections. A money drain. IG is great for awareness (few sales) and dislike X (so no Elon for me). TikTok will be back, maybe better. Building community is how we promote books and this is where our sales mostly come from. We also use traditional print -TV and digital media .. it’s all about layering your awareness getting our authors noticed in various media outlets…and our a few NEW secret tools we are now using!!!
New secret tools—yeah!! We will get that webinar planned so we can hear all about them. 🥰
I just wrote about this topic and my decision around social media, including Substack which feels like social media now.
https://aliciamrodriguez.substack.com/p/why-im-leaving-substack-and-where
Good luck with all of this, Alicia. I think it's a very good time to be assessing our priorities!
Your post was very insightful and interesting. Good luck with your pivot, it sounds like it is the right move.
Thanks Andrea. Time will tell.
I decided in November to leave Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. I’m on Substack only. (Have never been on TikTok.) I’m happier and a more productive writer as a result. My monthly Substack, It Takes A Village, chronicles some of this journey. I’m also learning about just how toxic social media and the attention economy is to our minds, our politics, and our sense of ourselves and reality. To that end, I’ve read Deep Work by Cal Newport, How To Stand Up To A Dictator by Maria Resa, and How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell. Taken together, they make an alarming case against social media use. I recommend them highly. By the way, I also removed the links on my website to purchase my books from Amazon. I now have a button for Thriftbooks and will be adding another for bookshop.org. The oligarchs and attention economy aims to use us and our data for their own benefit to the detriment of us, our communities, and our planet. I may not be able to stop any of it, but I can refuse to participate. If I’m fortunate enough to get my current book into print, I’ll mostly rely on podcasts and in-person conferences, which are excellent ways to market.
Love this, Jillian, and I support your approach. It's totally more productive to NOT be on these platforms. The scrolling alone wastes hours and hours. That's a lot of why I go on FB hiatuses.