Who All Doesn't The Social Media Reach?

I write crime novels, so I'm trying to harness social media (twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Google+, blog like this one) to reach out to the genre's readers and fans. How many of them I'm missing is a consideration I think about. Not everybody--I'm shocked--likes to use social media, for whatever the reason.

Some folks don't have the access to a PC, laptop, Wi-Fi, Internet access, etc. (Check your local library branch and see what I mean.) Others, perhaps like older folks, aren't Internet or computer savvy. Nothing is wrong with that. They carry on with their lives just fine without any of the social media in it. But the same folks can also be avid readers.

Then Kindle requires a Wi-Fi set up, so does the lack of it also keep these folks from using Kindle and ebooks? I don't know enough about ebooks to give an intelligent answer. I know I use the Wi-Fi connection to deliver the content to my Kindle.

Print reviews in newspapers (Tucson, Nashville, Norfolk, San Diego) once helped to get the word out for my early books. Now the print versions of newspapers are rapid decline trending toward extinction. I suppose as time goes by, the next generation will age and bring social media with them. For the time being, however, I'm not sure how the word gets out.
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Published on August 31, 2012 05:19 Tags: ed-lynskey, hardboiled, mystery, noir, romance, writing
Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)    post a comment »
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message 1: by Brandon (new)

Brandon Nagel Everyone should check out Ed's "Roll the Dice" - Tommy Mack is one cool cat!


message 2: by Ed (new)

Ed Marietta wrote: "I remember the days that I would learn about an author and his book through the newspapers or word of mouth. I'm an avid Stephen King fan, so I'm always on the lookout for his next book. It use to ..."

We lost our local Borders which was our closest brick-and-mortar bookstore. Bummer. There's a B&N a bit further down the street. But, yes, it's still fun to browse the paper books on the shelves. Thank you for all the good comments, Marietta. I enjoyed reading them. Have a great Labor Day!


message 3: by Ed (new)

Ed Brandon wrote: "Everyone should check out Ed's "Roll the Dice" - Tommy Mack is one cool cat!"

Many thanks for the #shoutout and good words, Brandon. Have a good Labor Day weekend!


message 4: by Michele (new)

Michele bookloverforever lots of older people who grew up reading are housebound/shut ins who cannot afford either computers, ereaders or internet access on their social security income especially women who since they either earned less than men and thus get less in social security income or women who depend on their 60% of their spouse's social security income.


message 5: by Ed (new)

Ed Michele wrote: "lots of older people who grew up reading are housebound/shut ins who cannot afford either computers, ereaders or internet access on their social security income especially women who since they eith..."

They're probably avid readers, too. I wonder/hope the cost of ereaders will come down.


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Ed Lynskey
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