or: choose your battles wisely

At some point in time, we’re all tempted to do it: to add our voice to a political discussion. Sure, we may think we have the best of intentions, but more often than not, that interaction will end up blowing up in our faces. Keep in mind that as authors, we have to behave like public figures, and not like kids in a chat room with a chip on their shoulders.

Some may think that lending opinions to the Twitter trend of the day will help gain followers, but I’d strongly encourage you to sit out of the debate. Your reputation and credibility is on the line.

Research Before You Post

A knee-jerk reaction to a politically motivated post does more harm than good to your reputation. Spur-of-the-moment posts often lack one key factor: research.

Take for instance The Tenor’s member Remigio Pereira’s world-wide gaf: displaying an “All Lives Matter” sign and hacking apart the Canadian National Anthem to get his political view across. Although deep down inside, Mr. Pereira may have meant well, unfortunately he forgot to research what the phrase “All Lives Matter” really meant. As a result, he pissed off a civil rights movement, angered an entire country (well, as mad as us Canadians can get), and gained an unceremonious boot from his job as a result.

If you’re going to lend your thoughts to the hot topic of the day, do your research first. Making an uninformed post will hurt your credibility and give your readership the impression that you really have no clue what you’re talking about.

Be Careful Choosing Sides

When it comes to politics, there is no ‘correct side’ to choose. Your readership will also be split between the two sides of a debate just as the rest of the populace is split throughout your country. Taking a side can alienate your readers on the other side of that decision.

An excellent example is the Trump vs. Clinton presidential race in the United States. Throwing your support behind one candidate will literally turn off the other half of North America and possibly other parts of the world from being interested in your work. Each candidate has their strengths, but each candidate also has their glaring flaws. Remember that. Holding the Hilary Clinton sign may peg you as a supporter of healthcare reform that comes with an outrageous price tag. At the same time, waving the Trump flag may peg you as a hater of immigration and religious diversity. There is no right side to any political debate. If there was then there would be no political debating. Mind blown yet?

Keep Your Cool

And if in the end you really-really-really have to make that post, then make sure you keep your cool doing it. Attacking the opposition, calling other posters names, and cursing once again brings you down to the level of that uninformed kid who just wants talk to be heard. The internet is full of trolls already, and you don’t want to be associated with their ilk.

So remember: think before you post and make sure to act your age! Speak about issues as if speaking about them in real life. Ask yourself: “what if my boss read this post”, or “is this how I would want people to view me?” before pushing that submit button. And as always, happy writing!

– Rissa