I just had coffee with a book editor I'm friendly with, and we talked about (among other subjects including driving in bad weather and our interest in birds) the sheer volume of media we are now keeping track of in our jobs. For publicists, the game has really changed since I started out. It was never easy to listen to all the shows or read the many magazines and newspapers that might matter for our books, but now the media has exploded with blogs and websites and twitter and FB. Some days, I just sit for hours and touch base with publications and blogs, catch up on conversations. The volume of material to absorb only grows, especially for a publicist who works in multiple genres. What to do? Well, first, breathe. Breathing helps. And then set aside time to stay on top of things. And realize, too, that it's impossible, really. So always check in before you pitch.
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My question to you publicists and booksellers (and my other lovely BtO writers): How much social media is too much? Where's the line? And is it still possible to withdraw periodically and not be gone in the blink of an eye?
I actually had an interesting experience chatting with an editor on twitter that turned out to be good in the end, but did for a couple of days derail my progress. It was one of those how to know which advice to take moments, but I think I ended up handling it well. Still, it made me realize that I may need to pull another hiatus from social media while I'm in the final stages of finishing the book.