I’m booting up this blog again as I pull back from a very successful Facebook Group that I started (“For Love or Money”) – ending on a high note with 3,936 members. It was a wonderful place and I loved the positive, respectful vibe created there by everyone who joined! So why end something so successful? Most groups have a lifecycle, and FLOM hadn’t reached the end yet, but it was heading toward being too big, too unwieldy to mod, and an increasing level of drama. Better to end on a high note and transition to a better mode of helping my fellow authors – namely this blog and the accompanying newsletter. Not as much social interaction, but that can occur elsewhere (which I encouraged people in the group to do!).
Here’s the parting post there, which also shows what to expect going forward HERE:
A CHANGE FOR “FOR LOVE OR MONEY”
I’m pulling back on social media, which means shifting the focus of my help for my fellow authors back to my blog (http://susankayequinn.com/for-authors) and my newsletter (http://susankayequinn.com/subscribe) – and of course, the books (BOOT CAMP, FOR LOVE OR MONEY, and more in the future).
This also means shutting down the FB group.
1 – DON’T PANIC
2 – I’ve moved the Greatest Hits over to my blog, so all the information contained therein is preserved. In the future, I’ll post my thoughts on indie publishing there. Those posts will also go out in the newsletter. This is actually *better* than FB, which is terrible for searching (the blog is better) and notifications (the newsletter works for this). It’s not as good for community/networking, so…
3 – I encourage you to start your own groups for community building and networking and post the links in FLOM for people to join. Or get together and elect a couple mods and start “DAUGHTER OF FLOM – the Rag Tag Fleet of Authors” and pull everyone over there. Get going on that, though, because I’m shutting the group down August 17th.
4 – I’ll still be writing the 45 Minute Author, so if you want to know when that comes out, subscribe (http://susankayequinn.com/subscribe).
5 – The Sept 30th in-person Self-Publishing BOOT CAMP Seminar *may* still be on. I have some personal life things that might get in the way. But maybe not. I’ll let everyone know via my newsletter if/when registration for that is live, so again, make sure you subscribe. That newsletter will be my main vehicle for communicating going forward.
WHY FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S INDIE??
Like I said, I’m pulling back on social media. This isn’t tied to any one incident – more like a constellation of things, not all bad, just a better understanding of where my headspace needs to be going forward. There’s no big trauma in the group that’s precipitated this – but the group has gotten bigger and more unwieldy and more prone to drama. I think it’s BETTER to close things down and transition BEFORE things get out of hand. That way we can make a smooth transition. To communicating via newsletter/blog. To networking outside the group (or in DAUGHTER OF FLOM). I’m sure I’ll still see everyone around the interwebs, just not quite as frequently.
Also – see #1.
Peace and love,
Sue
Sad to see the group go, but lookin forward to the future!
Good for you.
Social media can be a terrible time suck, and all of us have better things to do with ourselves.
I especially like what you said about there being being too much drama. I’ve seen the same folks with the big mouths dominating other groups, and that’s when I leave, too.
Best to you.
How do I follow this blog? I don’t need the newsletter or the quick start guide, but I’d love to be notified when new blog posts are published. And I’m just not finding a “follow this blog” sign up link. Thanks!
I’m working on having a way to subscribe to the blog, but for now, subscribing to the newsletter serves the same function.