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The Relational Reading Revolution!

Connecting Teens With Authors Through Social MediaCopyright Karen Jensen www.teenlibrariantoolbox.comCopyright Mindy McGinnis www.mindymcginnis.com

This is The Relational Reading Revolution!

Teens today can use social media to make connections with authors. They can . . .

Ask questionsShare storiesExtend the story through art, poetry, etc.Build relationships Discover that authors are readers tooGet recommendations from authors Join a community of readers and be validatedGive you a really hard time about the fact that you killed Eli Facebook ongoing changing in policies are causing adult users to defect. Less popular with teens than it used to be because of privacy issues. Basically, their mom can see what they said.

Twitter Large reading community, easy to share using (#) hashtags. Great tags for literacy are #yalit #mglit #FridayReads & #WW (Writer Wednesday) (see The Beginners Guide to the Hashtag)

Pinterest Visually centric, high traffic, easily organized, definitely some copyright concerns to be aware of. (see Why I Tearfully Deleted My Pinterest Inspiration Board) (see 20 Ways Libraries are Using Pinterest)

Lets Talk Social Media Apps

Like Me!Tell your friends to like me!Tell me you like me!Tell all of Facebook how much you really like me.

What to do with it?New Materials, Program Pics, Memes, Quotes, BookLists. Just About Anything!

Instagram very popular with tweens & teens, highly visual, uses #HashtagsTop Instagram Tags & Instagrammers How to Be a Pro on Instagram

Tumblr everyone who works with teens should be using this; easy to use, very visual and easy to organize

A great way to connect readers with authors because:It is easy to reblog and share you dont even need to create original contentHas a very easy ask/answer feature also possible to be anonymousAllows for an easy combination of text/graphicsEasily adapts to the type of post you needVery strong literary world use (#) hashtags 6. One word of caution: Because of the reblog, little control of content in the wildDont Blog,Tumbl(See Get Started On Tumblr in 5 Easy Steps)

Talk to me!

6 second looping videosIdea: 6 Second Booktalks?You can also Re-VineHow to VineUltimate Guide to Vine 6 Tips for Making an Awesome Vine Video Buzzfeeds 10 People You Should Follow on Vine

More popular than FBArranged by channelsMany authors post their book trailersHow to YouTube with Success 10 Essential YouTube Tips and TricksJohn Green Vlog Brothers

Things to Consider with Social MediaKnow your audience not all tools work for all people; know the best tools for your target audience; use more than one tool to reach a bigger audience

Ease of use Some apps are easier to use than others. Start with one and get comfortable before branching out. Twitter & Tumblr are very easy to use and great places to start.

Ease of sharing Most platforms make sharing easy; many can be set up to share across multiple platforms. For example Instagram will auto-post to Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook if you want it to.

The internet is forever Dont say anything you wouldnt say about your mom, or in front of your mom. Even a deleted tweet, post, pic or comment can be recovered or screen capped.

Counteracting the Culture of Celebrity: When authors reach out to readers, to me and my teens, they break down that barrier and change the message. They change the goals. By allowing themselves to be more human, more accessible, they show us all that they are just like us - just ordinary people who have the ability to write. What a powerful message this is to our teens. It is so powerful it can counteract the culture of celebrity that teens grow up in and allow them to embrace themselves, no matter who they may be.

Extending the Story Through Relationship: Can ask questions and get insight; When we become fans of authors we become readers

Same Goals, Different Pathways: Authors, too, are trying to build readers. Engaging teens with authors can help librarians and authors reach those same goals; As we share stories, and share our love of stories, we are building a Relational Reading Revolution.What is the Relational Reading Revolution andwhat happens when teens and authors connect online?Make Connections with People!1. Talk to your teens honestly about your experiences as a reader. Share what you love, and what you don't, and why. Always ask them what they are reading and loving.

2. Follow your favorite - and your teens favorite - authors on social media, subscribe to their blogs/platforms. Share updates with your teens.

3. Seriously, give it a try - Tweet a message to an author from a teen. Or encourage them to write a fan letter (most authors have an e-mail on their webpages).Say thank you - and have teens say thank you - when an author does respond.

4. Have teens get involved with the story - and authors - by creating artwork/poetry/etc based on their favorite books. A lot of authors tweet some of the fanmade artwork they receive (or share them on blogs, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.) and it enhances the creative journey for all.

5. When new books from your teens' favorite authors come out, know who reads what and place holds for them and give them personalized service. Use social media to track upcoming releases, book trailers, movie news and more.

A Few CaveatsSafety: Have professional accounts so they dont have access to your personal information

Guidelines: Have policies in place and follow them

Legal Issues: If working with minors, keep in mind that a lot of adults have gotten in trouble for crossing into personal territory. Keep yourself, and your library/school, free from liability issues by being professional

Photos: Know your employers policy and follow it, also know the preferences of the parents of any minors when it comes to sharing their faces online

AnAuthors Point of View

Mindy McGinnisSome Things to Remind Teens to Keep in Mind

Different authors have different boundaries, they wont all respond the same way.

Authors are people with jobs and families and demands, you might not get a prompt reply.

Be respectful and kind. Its okay to have a negative opinion of something, but that doesnt mean you need to seek out an author and tell them those opinions. For example if you wrote a bad review thats perfectly fine, but dont @ them.And a word to teachers and librarians. . .

Please dont make getting into contact with an author and including some type of answers from them part of a school assignment. A students grade should never be dependent on having some type of response from an author who may or may not wish or be able to participate for various reasons.

Yes, We Answer YouStash Share

Responses

Share Fan Art!

We Love Our Readers!

My Own FanGirl Tweets

The Value of Recognition

For More Information . . . .TLT Resources Tech Talk All our Tech links in one placeAdvocacy and Marketing

Additional ResourcesExecuting Your Social Media Marketing Strategy6 Steps to Creating a Social Media Marketing PlanApps Every Marketer Should DownloadThe Best Marketing AppsConnect with TLTFacebook - Pinterest - Tumblr - Twitter - YouTube