245
social networking media
A word about blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and whatever oth-
er social networking has come about since I wrote this:
Yes, do what you can, but always with ROE (Return
on Energy) in mind. Some people believe there is a cumu-
lative effect to these efforts. Maybe sometimes, and only
if you give them massive amounts of time and quality.
And even then, there is no guarantee of a large return.
Not if your books don’t deliver the goods.
And if your books do deliver the goods, word of
mouth will do more than all your self-promotion efforts
combined. Knowing that, you are free to invest as much
time as you like in these things. Just remember, people
aren’t into reading glorifi ed ads. You have to offer them
something of value in everything you put out there. Such
as useful information, entertainment, or provocation.
Do that, and you’ve earned the right to tell people all
about yourself and your books from time to time.
Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted;
the trouble is, I don’t know which half.
—John Wanamaker,
department store magnate
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