I’ve been thinking a lot about my presence on the internet lately, and how I want to “brand” myself. Obviously I’m a writer in the query trenches, but I’m also an intern for PSLA, so it’s important that I conduct myself with a certain level of professionalism. Or at least…it’s important that I try!
This doesn’t just go for me though. For those of us just starting out, it’s important that we take into consideration how we present ourselves to the world. I’m not saying you shouldn’t tweet about having a bad day or how hard it is to reach your daily word count–by all means do this, especially if it helps you to connect with other writers. But does it make sense to tweet about how you never write, and you feel like you’re failing? What about how you’ve written twenty books and none of them are worth a damn? That’s the kind of thing we can all relate to, but does it send the “right” message to the professional world? (note: I’m playing a bit of the devil’s advocate here, so don’t freak!)
So for those of us (and I think there are many) who use Twitter as a professional resource as well as a social one, walking the line between professionalism and provocation can be hard. Especially when you have a potty mouth like I do.
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So what should we do? Stifle ourselves in hopes of seeming perfectly professional? Let loose because we refuse to be silenced? Or is there some line in the middle that we can walk?
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So what do you think? Should we be able to say whatever we want, or should we try to keep things PC? Is there a line to be walked, or is this so nebulous that it’s pointless trying to predict who will be offended?
Thanks for reading!
Lauren
P.S. I’m not trying to preach conservatism–just using this as a forum for thinking through the intersection of social media and professional goals.
Agreed on all fronts.
I think it’s important to be professional, but also be yourself and let your personality shine through. I don’t want to talk to a robot, but people also need to remember that things can get misconstrued very easily on the internet. No one can hear the “teasing” tone in your voice when something is said on Twitter. So what the original poster may have meant as a harmless, playful joke could easily be perceived as an insult by someone else.
Plus, you never know who may be watching. Agents and editors research prospective clients. It’s great to be yourself. But I don’t think anyone wants a single offensive joke or rage-y rant to be the thing that ruined their chance at representation or publication.
You know, I wrestle with this also. It seems in this era of social media where there is a minute by minute news cycle and so many people competing for voice, it’s essential to get involved; put ourselves out there, even when we’re accustomed to observing, reflecting and writing – all exercises done in ourselves.
Then to get outside of ourselves and show who we are to the world – it’s kind of like is there really anything all that interesting to share? On top of this, half the time I’m rushing to share something I deem witty, because one or the other of my children has inserted their hands in some colored substance. Today it was chalk mixed with water – dangerous!
Yet as writers social media comes with the territory, so it must be embraced. The upside is connecting to others in a real way, the downside is every once in awhile blurring the lines and forgetting we’re not only speaking to one person but rather the masses. I think whatever we do, we should be authentic, show respect and be willing to say we’re sorry. <– Do I sound like a mom here? Gotta stop that!
I would also add that there will be moments when you offend someone. You can never know when someone will twist your words or “hear” a tone you didn’t intend. Best advice in those situations is to move on, perhaps delete the offensive to someone post, and not let it fester. The Internet can be weird that way.