Doing Battle With Social Media During a Book Launch
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 pub