Turning it off - and saving my sanity

As authors we're told we must be active on social media.  And yes, it can help us to build our 'author platform'.  And yes, it can be very helpful for research, and finding out what the industry buzz is right now.  But sometimes social media isn't so positive.  It can act as another form of rejection of us and our work.

In recent years we've seen the rise of ideas like Twitter pitching contests. You tweet your pitch for your book, and if an agent favourites your tweet that's your invite to send in your submission package.  That might be fine and dandy for the agents.  They only have to read a 140 character pitch instead of a full cover letter.  But for the author this kind of development can be disastrous for our self-esteem.

At least when when we pitch by email the exchange is private.  Nobody else knows we've been rejected, unless we tell them.  But if we Twitter pitch the whole world - or at least your followers, all know that you've been rejected.  The absence of favourites is right there in the Twitter feed, for anyone to see.

So now rejection has turned from a private tragedy into a public humiliation.  And to add insult to injury, on the same day that you're getting rejected it's likely that people you follow will be announcing their new book deals, doing cover reveals, and talking about their book launches.

Which is too much to bear for an author feeling the raw pain of recent rejection.  It's at moments like this that we need to turn our attention inward.  We need a break from the chatter of social media. 

We need time, space, and quiet to reconnect with our beliefs and values, and recover our self belief in our work.  We turn off Twitter and go do some writing, delight ourselves again with our ideas.  Remind ourselves of why we keep writing while this uncaring world keeps rejecting us.

A break helps us to affirm that yes, our work is good.  And yes, we are saying something important in it.  And soon there'll be another Twitter pitching contest.  Another chance to put our heart on the line, with the hope that someone will favourite our Tweet this time round, and take an interest in our work.