If you have read my blog for several years you should recognize the name Kate Motaung as the host of Five Minute Friday, a writing community that gathers together each week with a one word prompt and the limit of five minutes to write on that topic and link up with the rest participating for the week. I have followed Kate for years and was privileged to be on the launch team of her first book, A Place to Land. When Influence came out I did not join her launch team again because I wasn’t really ready for this book and thought it wasn’t really for me, at least not at that time. Now this book came up as the last book for Flourish Writers book club this year and I decided at the start of the year to get involved in all the book clubs and bought all three books. This really is the right time because I am actually planning how to develop my audience and create an email list and maybe use social media to promote my work. So I am not excited by it, but I know it is necessary and now is the time.
In this book Motaung and Popkin work together to answer the many questions Christian writers ask while developing our art. The overarching theme is the struggle between building and growing an audience while trying to steer clear of building and growing your pride simultaneously. Creatives all know that our talents are from Jehovah God and we do what we do because He is guiding us there. Motaung and Popkin work through the different aspects we deal with in this dichotomy, chapter by chapter sharing their own publishing experiences as a guide for us to learn some of navigating the battles in our own publishing journeys. Without sharing all the spoilers and secrets two main takeaways are to pick one main social media platform in which to engage, learn it, and focus on that specific area instead of partially being involved in many platforms not fully engaged on any; and use your influence and platform of choice to serve others- post about other creative’s projects, provide tips for your audience, pray for others. I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it for all believers using social media.
Sonya was here 