Did you know that your social media activities can negatively affect your income as a writer and/or author? When most of you read that, you might be thinking that I will be talking about posting racy photos, sharing controversial opinions, or using profanity in your posts. Those are all dangerous to your reputation as a writer and a business owner, but those aren’t what I’m talking about.

What I’m concerned about is how you approach your online content. Do you approach it as if everything you say can be taken as a representation of your business? Or, do you approach it as if your social media content doesn’t have to live up to your usual writing standards because it is social media?

I’m blessed to have a great editor to work with on my books. Her name is Lorraine Reguly, and you can find her at Wording Well. She saw some of the items I was posting on Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter and she called me out on my lack of professionalism.

What she was talking about was my failure to proofread my posts. She was offended that I would share posts without checking them for basic spelling, punctuation, and grammar. She rightly explained to me that the marketplace for novels is extremely competitive. She went on to make the case that there are people who will make decisions about you as a writer based on how you communicate in all other aspects of your life.

She convinced me that my carelessness with my social media posts could end up costing me sales. And, she appealed to me on the basis that what people think of me as a writer could negatively affect what people think of her as an editor.

I had an excuse. Or, so I thought. I am blind, and not always able to thoroughly edit my posts. This was especially true when posting or commenting on other people’s posts from my mobile phone or tablet. Lorraine made such a convincing case that I decided to purchase a blue tooth keyboard to use with my mobile devices. That way I could easily edit my posts for accuracy before sharing them with the world. Once I got the keyboard, I no longer made those same mistakes.

But, it does take discipline to keep up a high standard on social media. Every so often, my friend will call me out when she sees a post that isn’t up to my standards. Interestingly enough, she had to start telling people why she was reminding me online because some people thought she was being cruel. She wanted them to know that I understood the need to have top quality posts and that I had given her permission to bring it to my attention whenever she saw me slipping.

The online world is really crowded. There are hundreds if not thousands of new books added to Amazon and the other platforms every day. There are new people entering the copy writing or content creation field every day. And, the best way to stand out is to build a reputation as a skilled storyteller that values the importance of professionalism in all things.

Every time you share something in writing, you are telling people what they can expect from you as the author of their potential next purchase. You don’t want to send them the message that you are a sloppy writer who doesn’t care about your work. You want them to think they can trust you to create quality products they can count on when they spend their hard-earned money to buy one of your books.

Whether you are starting an online conversation or participating in one, or whether you are sending a direct message, text, or email, it all matters to your reputation as a writer and/or author…and your sales.

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Maxwell Ivey, known as The Blind Blogger; has transformed himself from blind failed carnival owner to online amusement equipment broker to digital accessibility expert. His unique approach is to change inclusion from a regulatory challenge to a competitive advantage. He shares his over 15 years of experience through writing, speaking, consulting, and podcasting from both sides of the mic. He believes that accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do, but it is in everyone’s best interest.

The Accessibility Advantage
Because accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about innovation, reputation, and growth.
Email: theaccessibilityadvantage@gmail.com
Website: https://www.theaccessibilityadvantage.com