Who can remember life before social media, when our friends were people we met in person? We shared meals together, played sport or worked together. There was a real-life connection.

Social media allows us to connect with people from all over the world. We might share an interest (like witchy vibes, or a love of books or plants) or simply be in groups of other likeminded people. This technology is also a way to stay connected with those real-life friends, from childhood, clubs and days gone by.

I’ve ‘met’ so many lovely people through social media. I’m grateful for each and every person. I’ve learnt a lot, found new interests, and made friends. It’s a little like having pen pals (yes, I’m that old).

Here’s the thing – whether we are creating and maintaining a business online or basing our friend interactions through our laptops and mobiles, we must remember something. Not everyone is going to see what we post and comment. It can be a lonely existence, frustrating, and in some cases depressing. Soul destroying, if we let it.

We can spend hours creating what we think are interesting posts, to gain followers, to engage existing followers and promote our brand. On a high and excited to see the feedback, when the reality is little or no engagement, our mood plummets. This is true for experienced businesspeople (authors) and new baby authors just starting out.

Imposter syndrome – why are we bothering?… who is reading our words anyway?… we may as well stop…are all valid responses. I was talking to a dear friend who is starting out in this field, and it is tough, overwhelming – with so many aspects to being a writer. The actual putting words to paper is only part of it. There’s editing, marketing, covers, promoting, websites, selling…the list goes on. I’m only three years into this and my only advice is – never give up, but also, only keep going if you want to.

I love my friends in the real-world, and those I’ve made through social media. I’m not giving up, I’m not finished. I’ve lots of words still to say, to write, to yell from the rooftops.

Authors are creatives, similar to artists, sculptors, actors, singers, musicians, etc. Our brains are wired differently. We crave the attention, yet we prefer to live like hermits. We persist, we hide, we are bold, we are loud, and quiet. The one thing we all dislike is – social media silence.