Screenwriting : Article: Don't Use Social Media to Promote Your Writing Career by Terri Viani

Great article. I often feel like social media marketing of my books amounts to semi-spam... so I try to dial it down... with the exception of when I publish something new... then I'll do a shout-out social media blast posting. It's a delicate dance to do...for instance, my 35 published books only made me $20 bucks last month in royalties... sigh...

I don't quite entirely agree with her, but I love Delilah Dawson. She is so witty and even hysterical to me at times. And hard-working. Guess how she got her agent? Rock on, Delilah! http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/how-i... RIP Glenn Frey (November 6, 1948 - January 18, 2016)

Social Media can be very helpful...just stay away from Twitter. it's the devil.

How do you write a bestseller, first write a bestseller. How do you make a million dollars, first get a million dollars. :-)

Manda, I agree engaging content is the thing, and what I try to do with my Instagram, rather than constantly plugging me I put up content of interest to all writers, and pictures of my cats lol. Owen, yeah, I wonder too, and I wonder how fair that is of the distributors, given the fact that the social media marketplace is so jammed up at this point. Facebook in particular chokes posts unless you pay for them, so virtually no one sees them. I recently started posting more on my biz Facebook (again) but stopped (again) when like 9 people were seeing the posts.

A friend of mine with a beauty products brand has an Instagram following of over 5,000,000. She gets paid a nice sum to positively review/endorse products for other companies. Many celebrities with larger followings get paid $10,000+ for sponsored reviews. The same goes for Twitter, and we all know or read Delilah's comments about Facebook. Of course it's additional work, and especially in building a following, but a lot of people are doing quite well at it, and a lot of established companies/brands are benefitting from sponsored reviews. Transmedia has changed the playing field for movies, as well - at least some movies. While some have been slow to embrace the transmedia strategies, some are certainly maximizing the potential of multi-media content creation that all link back to one (or more) brands. I find all of those communications channels to be interesting and potentially helpful/profitable to anyone who is trying to develop a brand, or is trying to create any type of artistic content. Like Marshall McCluhan said a while back, "the medium is the message."

I disagree Victor it can be a tool or platform for promotion and branding if you build a proper strategy. To say not to use social media to promote anything would be not wise. It allows you interact with people and show how you can display a product or person identify in that particular medium.

Then why do you have a profile description on your profile page here, Victor?

I feel I can justify having one because I'm not criticising the use of social media to promote myself. Your profile page promotes you but this is social media. Hmmm?

Dude, I'm not responding to any more if your posts. If you keep editing and changing your comments then it makes responding absolutely pointless.

Well then you are using social network properly Victor. You may not see it but social network can be used as research. You're getting information and communicating with people. It may not be like the popular ones like Facebook or Instagram but if you communicating with people on the Internet in some way, than yeah its social media. If you're not using social media in some way to sell your product or business, you're limiting yourself. It maybe a difficult to sell your writing on their, but if you can create, you can find a way. People use things like Twitter as they were of getting news. People can use Instagram as a 15 second video ad on their profile for the people who followed an actor/actress, director, production company, specific movie. Some people have been discovered on YouTube from music covers, Vlogs, comedy skits. Don't think of social media as some place that people use for a personal waste of time.

Victor I guess you never heard of Justin Bieber? He is a musician that is popular with then kids. He make a net worth of about 195 million. I'm pretty he was discovered on YouTube. Ever heard of YouTube stars? The highest paid guy has nearly 50 million people that subscribed to him and make about 12 million people. How about King Bach? He is a Vine Star who been on The Mindy Project and made a cameo on "We Are Your Friends". Again don't limit yourself cause you don't know how to use social media properly and are too lazy to figure out how it will benefit you. What you're saying is Instagram it's pointless for photographers to post photos on Instagram, Journalist to break news on Twitter, Actors to post their demo reel on vimeo, help people figure out how to do things on Youtube. The list can go on.

it all depends on what you are trying to do. I think that everybody has a different agenda when it comes to a site like stage 32. Some people like to educate, and others like to learn, and others like to talk about various aspects of art and music and film--Some might be trolling for the next big thing (look no further if you are) There are some people like me, who have a kick ass TV show, and they are putting some feelers out. I'm sure there are others who are doing the same thing. Can't be shy about it. They might tell me "no' -but I'm going to ask anyway. But maybe they'll say yes. There are some great people here, and maybe it catches someone's eye, and they might even introduce you to somebody. Of course, I agree with Victor to the extent that if my co writer didn't live on the west coast , I'd have little or no chance of actually getting some face time with someone who was really in a position to help, provided our stuff is worthy. If you want to do local stuff, by all means, do local stuff. I used to play in a band and we played all over our region- in front of real people. But on this site I'll put it out there that it would be awesome to make some contacts- why not? If you spend thousands of hours on something- and you think it's worthy- throw your hat in the ring. You have to believe that your project is going to be equally good for the people that you work with- you can't go into it thinking totally that they're doing you a favor- even if they are, You might be doing them a favor too.

Interesting read.

Social media is a tool that wasn't available in recent history. Use the tool of the times. Always be careful. Curb all ugly remarks. They last forever. Remember advice from your mentors.

Not exactly true for everybody. If you are trying to go it alone, you might consider outside help. The variety of likes and dislikes in the entertainment world is mind-boggling. Get new tools. You are young. The world is yours.

Age is all relative- but someone who is 50 is usually not going to play someone who is 17.

But it does happen sometimes!

I played a 17 year old when I was 25 in graduate school. When I wondered about it, the director said "It takes a 25 year old to understand a girl 17." I bought that. why not?

Victor, you could use a strong dose of self worth. I'm taking classes still and have high hopes they are making a big difference in my writing.

I'll just add something to this. While RB was at a film festival, a screenwriter introduced themselves to him and thanked him for Stage 32. It turned out they'd approached an agent on Twitter, reached out to them, and pointed them to their Stage 32 profile - that got them the agent.

It was on his Twitter or Instagram. But I feel it's clear you've decided your version of reality applies to all here.

I've always be of two-minds about social media. Love-hate so to speak, more hate than love, and yet... Reading through this link, I'm getting even more ambivalent.

Victor - I checked out your comedy album on one of your many links here to other websites. Do you really think a "Dead Gay Guy" joke - or your verbal imitations of the way gay men supposedly speak - are humorous? I don't know, man...I think if I tried telling a "joke" like that...I'd probably get booed off the stage. Comedy Rule #1: there's "funny" offensive, and there's "repugnant" offensive. You might want to delete that one off of your album....but to each their own.

Victor - you wrote and recorded the album, and you're asking me which one it is? Seriously? Comedy Rule #2: Never forget what you record on an album that is available to people on the Internet via Social Media. I'm starting to understand why this Social Media Thingie hasn't been an advantageous tool for you.

Thanks CJ, I hope you're right.

Victor - go back and listen to your own stuff. I'm not your research assistant.

Patricia--7 children! wow! Listen to her, Victor- she know's what she's talking about!

Wow, my grandma Stella, war widow and mother of 10, said that with only one match you can ignite a whole forest, but it will take gallons to extinguish. Before uttering a word, my grandma also said, turn your tongue 7 times inside your mouth and say it OUT LOUD. I don't know if this makes any sense in context, but I feel that maybe we all ought to get back to some serious writing . Stay strong, be true. and be kind, she also said.

Fiona - I don't know if you've ever seen Albert Brooks' great comedy Lost in America, but just stay away from the roulette table when you come to Las Vegas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7JNUH7P2Aw

Patricia - Linkedin is a great marketing/networking/learning tool, and I'm glad you're benefitting from it. I certainly have made a lot of relationships on Linkedin, and generated a lot of revenues for all parties involved through those relationships, as a result of my Linkedin activities. I've also met quite a few of the people in my Linkedin network as well. Anyone who thinks Linkedin is less than credible doesn't quite understand modern business, networking or marketing techniques. Lynda.com is a great resource site also. It's no wonder that, on the Stage32 website homepage, the Forbes magazine quote about Stage32 is prominently featured: "Stage32 is like Lynda.com meets Linkedin for creatives," because it really is.

Hello everyone, please, I need to get a little acquainted with this whole stage 32 thing. Any volunteers to enlighten me on this?

Thanks!