Authors have to use social media to get the word out about our books and help promote those of fellow authors.
But I’m finally quitting X/Twitter.
The platform has made so many egregious choices, but owner Elon Musk restoring the account of Alex Jones is, for me, the last straw. (Read the article.)
For those of you who don’t know him, he’s one of the many people in the world who make their living by spewing hate and lies for a living. For those of you who don’t know him, Jones is the guy who claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting — in which 26 people died, including 20 children — was a hoax.
Fortunately the families successfully sued him for defamation. But Jones can freely continue hate speech, which is protected by the First Amendment.
The only way to oppose such people is to turn them off. If they don’t have an audience, no one will hear what they say.
There are currently still 350 million X users worldwide. Consider helping to drop that number by closing your account. I’ll keep mine open for another few months so people will know where I’ve gone, but then I’ll close it.
I have found an alternative: BlueSky. You can find me @marthaengberauthor.bsky.social. If you don’t have an account, you need to be invited. DM me and I will.
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For updates about Martha’s forthcoming books, news and giveaways, subscribe to her website: MarthaEngber.com.
THE FALCON, THE WOLF AND THE HUMMINGBIRD a historical novel
BLISS ROAD, a memoir
WINTER LIGHT, a novel
THE WIND THIEF, a novel
GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS, a resource for writers
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