New IG Up and Running

A glimpse at my new IG page

It's official! I've got a new Instagram account created for Professional Laura. I didn't realize how much work it is to start an account because I've only ever had my personal one (since basically the Dawn of Instagram). Apparently, Instagram forces you to take a break from following people if you do too many at once. I found out the hard way that I looked like a Bot. Not a great start.

So far, I've been looking to follow accounts of authors, illustrators, and publishers. I am hoping to make some connections there, as well as get inspiration for the vision of my books from various illustrators.

I have to say: the concept of having an "online presence" before you can be taken seriously for representation is strange. Here has been a sample of my cycle of thoughts:

"I am going to need business cards for the SCBWI conference in September."

"Then I probably need a website to put on the business cards."

"If I create a website, I should probably have an Instagram account to tie to it."

"I'm following people on Instagram, but I don't have any posts, so I look creepy."

"Since I need to post on Instagram, I sort of need updated headshots."

"Okay, I've got the headshots. Let's create the website."

"I have a website built...what do I put on it?"

It's been an odd process. And there's a lot of imposter syndrome happening at the moment. I'm not trying to fool anyone into thinking I have (or even care) a large social media presence. And maintaining a social media account for professional purposes is a lot of work--there are people who do this for a day job!

So, in short, I'm still learning. I am sure there are a lot of ways to increase visibility on my posts (hashtags, for instance). I am really feeling my age as an elder millennial in that it's overwhelming to research all of those strategies. For now, I'm choosing to take it a day at a time. I'll just share my story here and see if it resonates with anyone. And who knows what will come of it?

In the meantime, if you're reading this, thanks for taking the time to do so. And connect with my on Instagram. You can find me by clicking the button below.

Instagram: lcroylewrites