Social Media

Writers from various disciplines have long been utilizing mainstream social media – Twitter, Facebook, Google +, and Quora, for example – to promote their work and interact with other writers and readers. However, here are ten platforms specifically geared towards the literary community.

Writers-Network: Created in 2004, Writers-Network is a large online community devoted to pointing creative writers toward success. There’s an emphasis on poetry, but apparently writers of all creative genres and forms are welcome and active on the site.

Inked-In: If the wordplay of this site’s title doesn’t draw you in, there are plenty of other pros. Part of The Burry Man Writers Center (a resource for freelance writers and researchers), Inked-In is a network for writers, artists and musicians.

Gather: With the tagline “Fresh Perspective,” Gather offers just that. According to the site, thousands of journalists post original content, and millions of users join in conversation about various subjects.

Book-in-a-week: Book-in-a-Week’s motto is “BIC HOK TAM:” butt in chair, hands on keyboard, typing away madly. The first full week of every month, you can use BIW’s learning management system to reach goals you’ve set for yourself. The site promotes a “let’s work together” approach.

Trigger Street Labs: If you’re writing for the screen, Trigger Street Labs might be the network for you. It’s a community for writers and filmmakers, and it’s open to scouts looking for talent.

Suite 101: Suite101 is the premier place for online journalists, freelancers and experts on various topics. Writers can get paid for posting original content, and the site offers a big peer network.

Writertopia: Writertopia is determined to create the ultimate resource for the writing community, and it starts with making sure every member is serious about perfecting his or her professional writing skills. The network also bridges the gap between the virtual world and the real by listing dates for events, readings and workshops.

We Like to Write: We Like to Write is a new social network for writers and bloggers. Professional and amateur writers are welcome to connect and debate, as well as collaborate with each other on projects.

WritersCafe.org: WritersCafe.org makes it easy to make friends with other writers and enter writing contests. It also has topic forums that range from inspiration to publicity to marketing.

Zoetrope Virtual Studio: Francis Ford Coppola launched a version of this website in 1998 to encourage short story submissions for his magazine, Zoetrope: All-Story. The Virtual Studio was created when a large writing community formed around the original website. Virtual Studio not only accepts various genre submissions for the magazine, but also allows workshops and critiques.

The new W3B report shows why internet users become “fans”.

Social networks are first and foremost a base for human relations. 82 percent of social networkers said that they use the networks predominantly for private contacts, 28 percent use social networks for business contacts.

The social network user count is constantly growing. Today 3 of 4 internet users are registered on a social network. Simultaneously with the growing of the user count, the attractiveness of the online-marketing and -sales grows. But are companies in social networks really so important? Do the users actually recognize them?

The new W3B report says yes, although maybe not at first glance. About 40 percent of the social networkers say that they have never dealt with company presences or their ads.

However: At least one of five has visited a fan-site. One in eight does visit fan sites often. Meanwhile, 46 percent of the social networkers indicated that they are already a “fan” or a “follower” of a brand, a product or a company.

Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks give companies various opportunities. But the marketing with social media platforms also bears some risks. As internetworld.de reports, the study “Next Corporate Communication” from the University of St. Gallen put out some concerns of businesses in using social media. To prove this, more than hundred interviews with company representatives, service providers and researchers were conducted.

Based on that result the three greatest sins in using social networks has been analyzed:

1. Feedback stays unused
The information from social media applications are not processed adequately. That’s because marketing departments are not manned sufficient. Thus the work of the employees is for nothing.

2. Distorted public image
Only through social media guidelines employees know what information they should spread to the outside world. Otherwise there could be a scenario in which the statements of the employees contradict the ones of the corporate communication – and that leads to counterproductive effects.

3. Losing control
Social Media is subject to certain momentum. Therefore, companies are concerned that communication content can hardly be controlled. So information can spread quickly and damage the image of the company. Companies should therefore install control mechanisms.