{"id":821,"date":"2025-04-18T16:56:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T16:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/2025\/04\/18\/social-media-faq-the-hermit-in-the-town-square\/"},"modified":"2025-04-18T16:56:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T16:56:00","slug":"social-media-faq-the-hermit-in-the-town-square","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/2025\/04\/18\/social-media-faq-the-hermit-in-the-town-square\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media FAQ: The Hermit in the Town Square"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Social Media FAQ: The Hermit in the Town Square<\/h1>\n

Yes, I\u2019m online. No, I\u2019m not built for this.<\/em><\/p>\n

Social media is one of the most challenging parts of being a writer today. I don\u2019t come by the label \u201chermit\u201d by chance. I prefer quiet, depth, solitude\u2014and yet, here I am, in the digital town square, trying to be heard over the fire jugglers and brand mascots.<\/p>\n

This FAQ exists to answer the questions I get most often, and maybe a few I haven\u2019t been asked but wish I had. It\u2019s honest, occasionally cranky, and (hopefully) helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Photo by Pixabay: https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/facebook-application-icon-147413\/<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

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What social media platforms are you on?<\/h2>\n

The list shifts like tectonic plates. As of now, I\u2019m on Threads, Mastodon, Bluesky, and Skylight. I also have a TikTok account, along with a few others quietly gathering dust. I\u2019m still searching for my homestead in the social media sprawl\u2014somewhere functional, semi-peaceful, and not owned by a billionaire with a god complex.<\/p>\n

What do you post about?<\/h2>\n

Books. Writing. Creative process. And, more often than I\u2019d like, politics\u2014because the world keeps tapping me on the shoulder and saying, \u201cExcuse me, have you seen this?\u201d I try to post things that are thoughtful, useful, or at the very least, not disposable.<\/p>\n

Do you respond to DMs?<\/h2>\n

Rarely. Most of my DMs are spam, sales pitches, or digital drive-bys. If you\u2019re a real person with something kind or meaningful to say, thank you\u2014and I might see it. But no promises. If you want to engage, public comments are a better option. I try to respond when the reply adds something worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Can I tag you in a post?<\/h2>\n

Sure, go ahead. Just know I might not respond. It\u2019s not personal\u2014I just live in a state of low-grade digital overwhelm. If it\u2019s kind, I appreciate it. If I don\u2019t reply, I\u2019m probably in my metaphorical hermit cave, whispering thanks into the shadows.<\/p>\n

Why didn\u2019t you like or comment on my post?<\/h2>\n

Probably because I didn\u2019t see it. Or I saw it during my half-awake doomscroll and forgot. Or I was trying to protect my attention from being shredded by the feed. That said, I make a real effort to like all the indie author promo posts that show up on my daily threads. Not because I\u2019ve read your book, but because I respect the hustle. And that deserves acknowledgment.<\/p>\n

Will you share my project\/book\/thing?<\/h2>\n

Maybe. I run regular threads where indie authors can promote their work\u2014please feel free to join in. Outside of that, I may share things if they fit my vibe and I have the bandwidth. Just don\u2019t assume. This is not a marketing hotline. It\u2019s a small, slightly dusty lighthouse with a view.<\/p>\n

Why are you even on social media if it\u2019s this much of a struggle?<\/h2>\n

Because this is the town square, and like it or not, we\u2019re all trying to be heard over the band and the fire jugglers. Chris Hayes coined the term the attention economy<\/a><\/em>, and if I want my books, podcasts, or films to be found, then I have to compete in that economy. There\u2019s a well-worn idiom in commerce\u2014location, location, location<\/em>\u2014and social media is the location. I want my words (and maybe my name) to reach people, to stimulate thought, maybe even spark change. But I have no interest in performing myself to death. Social media is a tool. I use it with gloves.<\/p>\n

Will you argue with people online?<\/h2>\n

Argue? No. But I\u2019ll occasionally engage in a legitimate, informed, respectful debate. I\u2019m an opinionated bastard on occasion, but I\u2019m also open to change\u2014if your tools are facts and sincerity, not just dogma and ideology. I have a limited daily capacity for nonsense and prefer to spend it writing things that matter. If you want to debate, the internet is full of willing gladiators. I\u2019m off in the woods, communing with raccoons and metaphor.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your follow-back\/block\/mute policy?<\/h2>\n

I follow people who make my feed better. I also play the algorithm game, keeping my follower count lower than my follows, and choosing voices in echo chambers where I\u2019d like to be heard. I\u2019d love to follow more of you, but social media doesn\u2019t work that way anymore\u2014following someone doesn\u2019t guarantee I\u2019ll see their posts.<\/p>\n

I rarely block or mute. If I blocked you, it was likely because of how you treated others in my space. I do mute when someone\u2019s made it their mission to tear others down for not aligning with their personal ideology. I believe in diversity\u2014of thought, identity, expression. I curate my space to reflect that.<\/p>\n

If I unfollowed or didn\u2019t follow back, it\u2019s probably not personal. Unless you\u2019re being weird. Then it\u2019s entirely personal.<\/p>\n

Are you actually a hermit?<\/h2>\n

Not in the literal sense (though remote cabins have an undeniable allure). But I\u2019m drawn to solitude, quiet, and deep thinking. My work is what I want out in the world. My self prefers the stillness of the woods and the echoes of the mountains. Both are doing their best to coexist in this very noisy age.<\/p>\n

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Credit where credit is due: The idea for this FAQ was inspired by John Scalzi\u2019s excellent Social Media FAQ<\/a>. Highly recommended.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/article>\n

\n

Support Independent Content Creation<\/h3>\n

I know, I know, I know…<\/strong><\/p>\n

These donation messages can be intrusive. I understand that. (Trust me, I feel awkward writing them too!)<\/p>\n

But reaching out like this is crucial. Being reader-funded gives my work something valuable that many content creators don’t have: true independence.<\/p>\n

1. Your support means I can write about what matters.<\/strong> I’m not chasing sponsorships or compromising my voice to please advertisers. I can pursue stories and topics I believe are important, creative, and thoughtful, regardless of their commercial appeal.<\/p>\n

2. Your support means I don’t have to chase viral trends.<\/strong> Instead of engineering clickbait or jumping on every passing bandwagon, I can focus on creating thoughtful content that genuinely adds value to your life.<\/p>\n

3. Your support means this content remains freely accessible.<\/strong> My work stays available to everyone, including those who can’t afford to contribute financially right now. Quality independent content should be accessible to all.<\/p>\n

I understand not everyone is in a position to contribute, but if you found any value in this post you can <\/p>\n

For the price of a coffee, you’ll enable me to invest more time in creating in-depth, creative journal posts and episodes of the Stone & Signal podcast. If you’d like to contribute more, consider purchasing one of my e-books<\/a> (priced at roughly two cups of coffee) \u2013 a way to support my work while gaining additional value for yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thank you for considering. Your support makes all the difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Social Media FAQ: The Hermit in the Town Square Yes, I\u2019m online. No, I\u2019m not built for this. Social media is one of the most challenging parts of being a writer today. I don\u2019t come by the label \u201chermit\u201d by chance. I prefer quiet, depth, solitude\u2014and yet, here I am, in the digital town square,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Social Media FAQ: The Hermit in the Town Square - Lawrence Nault","description":"Social Media FAQ: The Hermit in the Town Square Yes, I\u2019m online. No, I\u2019m not built for this. Social media is one of the most challenging parts of being a writer"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[152,263,130,213,262,264,210,261,133,260],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-attention-economy","category-author-life","category-book-promotion","category-creative-process","category-digital-hermit","category-faq","category-indie-author","category-introvert-on-social-media","category-social-media","category-writing-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawrencenault.me\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}