The Dangers of Facebook for Professionals

Posted by Michelle Schusterman Sep 16, 2009

In the past month I've come across a number of interviews and blog posts by literary agents and editors who claim to Google potential clients before offering a contract. Why? To see what kind of professional they are, what they'd be like to work with. Some admit that after seeing a writer's Facebook page, their mind is changed.

With networking sites like Facebook, it's easy to share every little detail. Waiting in line for a latte...cleaning up after the dog...griping about the heat...but some people choose to share more. A lot of folks have hundreds of friends but only interact with a few dozen, making it easy to forget that it's not just their friends reading about what they did at the party last night, but their parents, children, co-workers, bosses, students, teachers...

Facebook is a dangerous thing for any professional, including writers. We are, of course, free to express ourselves online, be it a social networking site, a blog, or email. But writers should think long and hard about what information they want about themselves to be public for everyone – potential bosses, readers, peers – to see.

This is a sore point for a lot of writers who view Facebook as a fantastic tool to promote their work. Why can't they be themselves on Facebook? Can't editors just realize that it's a personal page where people can talk and vent about anything they'd like?

The answer for some is two create two accounts, one personal and one professional, but many don't want to deal with the aggravation. Personally, I use one account for both, and I feel it works quite well. What about you? Share your thoughts about Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networking tool in the comments section!