Join me in Charlottesville for a 6-week course on social media

This fall, I’m delighted to be teaching a 6-week course on social media for beginners in partnership with WriterHouse.

Many authors have a love-hate relationship with social media, especially when it’s seen as a distraction from the writing work, with nothing but the noise of what people had for lunch (or worse).

My course focuses on how to find a place for social media in your writing life, and create a personalized foundation that’s truly yours—that adds energy and creativity to your life, rather than draining it.

Over six weeks, our goal will be to eliminate as much guesswork as possible in setting up and using your social media accounts, and how to retain your authentic author’s voice regardless of your strategy or level of engagement.

Date: Tuesdays nights in October and November, starting Oct. 10

Time: 6–8 p.m.

Place: Indoor Biotechnologies (near WriterHouse)

Cost: $325 members / $400 non-members
Register directly with WriterHouse

Technical requirements: Students will get the most out of this course if they have a laptop they can bring to class, so they can do hands-on work with the instructor. Most weeks will incorporate specific technical instruction and assistance to help get your accounts in order, and to teach you how to post effectively. It’s best if you’ve already created basic, personal accounts at Facebook and Twitter, and know how to login before you come to class.

This class will cover:

Best practices and principles of social media use, and how to approach social media in a productive and healthy way, as part of a larger career
How to effectively and happily use Facebook personal profiles, official business pages, and/or groups
The Twitter ecosystem: how to understand its unique language and manage the information firehouse, whether you plan to participate or just lurk and learn
How to become savvy at visual and multimedia forms of social media, such as Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube
How to effectively integrate social media into your website and blog, if you have them
Examples and case studies of authors who use social media effectively

Students will have the opportunity to request guidance on specific social media sites they want to use; sessions will also incorporate constructive critiques and discussion of students’ existing social media use.

While marketing and promotion strategies will be touched on, the primary goal of this course is to provide an introduction to the tools for those with little or no experience with social media. By the end of the six weeks, students should have less anxiety or confusion about social media, plus have a strong handle on the basics of “showing up” consistently and meaningfully—while keeping any needed boundaries in place.

Learn more and register at WriterHouse.