Doing Battle With Social Media During a Book Launch

Blue Roses 


When I first wrote about Blue Roses I discussed my reluctance to publish a book with a happy ending.  There is certainly more to say about that.  The second time, I wrote about the main character of Blue Roses, Pamela Miller-Townsend, and the truths of a midlife coming of age experience.   With this third post, I want to talk about the nuts and bolts difficulties of launching my new novel while doing battle with the nightmare technology of bookseller sites, website platforms and social media companies.  


As writers, we’re told over and over again about how important it is to maintain a social media presence, to have an active website, to keep our digital identity fresh and exciting.  We’re not told how the heck we're supposed to do that when these sites all seem designed to drive you insane, force you into dealing with AI and robo-staff, leave you feeling broken, disoriented and helplessly enraged.  (Is it even possible to be “helplessly enraged”?) As my book approached its publication date, which was last Friday, September 27, I attempted to update my website, my Amazon author page, and the various social media pages on which I try to maintain a presence.  As of today, the website is a mess, I do not have an updated author page on Amazon OR a Facebook author page, and I retreated into near catatonia for several days instead of being able to celebrate.   


First, my website began to display in a variety of very strange font changes which I did not make, wouldn’t know HOW to make, and don’t know how to undo. One page now has content in all caps.  The rest of the site has content in all lower case.  If I try to change the font style to “capitalize,” it capitalizes EVERY word of EVERY sentence.  So, if anyone goes to my website, it is going to look like it was created by a middle school AV kid on ayahuasca. Please don't go to my site.  Amazon would not allow me to update my Author page, sending me a message claiming that the content violated their guidelines.  But after reading their guidelines over and over, I found nothing that would come anywhere near violating their rules.  All attempts to contact a human being for help resulted only in automatic responses that included a link to those same guidelines.  So, the author page is not updated.  However, Amazon seems to have taken it upon itself to create an additional Goodreads page for me, even though I already have one.  Then, there is Facebook.  I’ve been locked out forever, and finally solved the problem – or so I thought.  Except that the program insists on sending a security code to a defunct cell phone number and won’t let me into the account without it.  All of this means that, this week, I have to spend hours of my time trying to deal with those same insentient machine monsters to coordinate the two Goodreads pages into one, attempt to get into the FB account, wrestle with unruly fonts on my website.… So, my question to all of you is: If we’re spending days of our time dealing with all this madness, how are we supposed to write, to share our books, to connect in positive ways with our readers and friends?  And a follow up question:  Can we bypass this nonsense and find other ways to connect with each other? I welcome your comments.  Seriously.  


How does any of this social media mayhem help us? And that question isn’t just to my writer friends – it goes to anyone who is trying to function in a world where these platforms consume hours and hours of our time and offer little to no benefit? 


Okay -- so onto the positive news that I can share.  Blue Roses is available, in eBook and paperback on Amazon, in paperback on Barnes & Noble, as well as other online seller platforms.  It can also be ordered from your local brick and mortar indy store, either in person, or through Bookshop.  If anyone out there is interested in reviewing the book, please contact us at Walton-Deyville for a digital review copy. The same is true if you are interested in doing an interview, or arranging for a book club visit. 


Let's see if we can actually make connections without depending on the dysfunctional social media platforms!  I'm going to be launching a newsletter that will offer book giveaways and other interesting things -- and bypassing the social media quagmire. If you would like to receive the newsletter, please email me personally here.  Finally, I'd love to hear from you once you've read the book!  













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