writer frustration – Almost An Author

5 Ways to Make Social Media Less Frustrating

If you are going to be a Christian Living or Devotional author, then you are going to need a platform. And if you are going to build a platform, you are going to need social media. But social media can be so frustrating! You pour hours into it while your writing gathers dust. You craft clever posts with beautiful pictures and no one seems to notice. You feel confused or overwhelmed about all the little details of each platform. You feel like throwing in the towel. I know because I have gone through periods of frustration when I was getting started with social media as a writer.

These five thoughts have helped me push through frustration so that social media is now enjoyable and profitable to me.

#1 Don’t wait for perfect. Just try something.

When I was first posting on Instagram, I was enjoying getting to know the followers I had by posting first thing in the morning after my kids went to school. Then I read an article that said the best time to post was 3:00 in the afternoon. So then I held off on posting first thing in the morning until I could hit that perfect time of 3:00 in the afternoon. Except that 3:00 pm wasn’t a good time for me. Days went by and I wasn’t posting at all. I started to feel disappointed in myself rather than enjoying Instagram like back when I was in blissful ignorance about the perfect posting time. So then I just shook that “perfect” time out of my head and went back to posting when it worked for me. It was better for me to just try posting instead of waiting for what others deemed as perfect.

#2 Focus on one platform at a time.

Although I am always at least a little bit active on each social media platform, I pick one at a time to focus most of my energy on. At the moment, I am focusing on Pinterest since that is getting me more blog readers and email list sign-ups than any other platform. For a while I tried to have goals for myself on every platform at the same time, but, realistically, I did not have time to focus on all of the platforms at the same time. That just led to frustration, so now I focus on one platform at a time. I give myself the freedom to change my focus through different seasons of life.

#3 Post genuine questions and real-life updates.

If all you ever post is “buy my book” or “read my blog” you are missing out on the joy of getting to know all the wonderful people who follow you on social media. Social media is primarily for being social. So ask questions, give encouragement, and start conversations. This will make your social media time more fulfilling and less frustrating.

#4 Use a timer.

Even when your social media time is fulfilling, it should not be a total time suck. There is more to life than social media. Set a timer and when it goes off, put it down for the day. Take a walk. Enjoy your family. Read your Bible.

#5 Use a scheduler.

A scheduler can help you save time when using social media. A scheduler is a place where you can plan out what you are going to post on a particular day at a particular time and then the scheduler will automatically post it for you. I like to schedule my posts out on Monday, then I can sit back and focus on interacting with my followers during the week. I like to use Buffer because of its simplicity (and it’s free!) Hootsuite is another popular free scheduler.

Social media doesn’t have to be frustrating for a writer. Take it one step at a time and keep it joyful. Explore new elements with curiosity and wonder.

If you are looking for a guide and a support as you explore social media, I highly recommend Victoria Duerstock’s Social Media Squad. She has taken a lot of time to study what works and what doesn’t on every platform and loves to share what she knows. Her guidance has been a huge help to me!

Rachel Schmoyer is a pastor’s wife who is loving her church life. She writes about the hard parts of Scripture at readthehardparts.com. She has had devotionals published in the past, but now she is looking forward to getting her first Christian Living book published. You can connect with Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Writer Interruptions

There it is again—another interruption.

If it’s not the screaming baby needing to be fed, it’s the dog demanding another outdoor visit. Or a phone call from your mom who requires another trip to the doctor. Interruptions like these plague a writer wanting to be serious about their work.

“How will I ever get to my writing with so many obstacles?” You throw up your hands in exasperation, wishing you could hole up somewhere and do nothing but write.

But wait. Aren’t these “interruptions” our work? Our life? Dare I say it—our inspiration for our writing?

We can view these common episodes as a negative or a positive. I choose to view them as the latter.

I remember when my kids were small, I felt like I was drowning in baby spit up, poopy diapers and all the other “gifts” our little ones share with us. In frustration, I decided to turn these episodes into short humorous poems about the daily difficulties of being a mom. Little did I know that these verses would end up on the desk of a features editor at a local paper. My attempts at poetic sanity had led to a freelance job and two newspaper columns.

Now, I understand deadlines and contracts, and all the other responsibilities that writers face. And there may be times when a babysitter needs to be hired or your spouse may need to fill in a bit more while you put your fingers to the keyboard. You are blessed if you have a family that supports your creativity.

But a balance needs to be reckoned with. If you are constantly frustrated by these day-to-day interruptions, perhaps an evaluation of your time commitments needs assessment. Have you taken on too many writing assignments? Too many blog posts? Too many contracts to juggle? Remember, you don’t always need to say, “Yes” to every offer. The wise writer prays for guidance.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (KJV). Is this your season to take on writing tasks that fill your whole day, every day? Or are some of these writing commitments best put off until the kids are in school or have flown the nest?

One thing is certain: Your daily commitments to family that are “swallowing” up your time and energy today will some day change. Your children will grow and then be gone. Your parents will pass on. I’d encourage you to plan your today in such a way that tomorrow holds no regrets.

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