Navigating Social Media as an Author, Part One

Tips from an exhausted content-creating author.

So you’ve written a book. Now what?

Probably one of the more overwhelming aspects of authordom is realizing you have to have a presence on the Internet. For some of us, this proves to be a challenge—we prefer to be out of the limelight and safely tapping away behind our computer screens. But regardless of what publishing path you decide to go down, inevitably, you will have to exist somewhere on the Internet. Part of your platform should be an author website/landing page, but what else? Where do you start? 

After a bit of thought, I’ve decided to put together a comprehensive guide to navigating the social media world as an author. In Part One, I’m going to break down the most popular platforms and offer some (hopefully) helpful advice on the matter. Let me preface it by saying this is one woman’s opinion based on the years spent studying and growing various social media accounts for my companies. I know we’re inundated with “How to Grow Your Social Media Account Just Pay Me This” advertisements, but I’d like to give you something solid without the scam. In Part Two, I will offer tips and tricks that I’ve used to grow my platforms with the hope that you’ll also find success with them.¹ 

Before I dive in, I’d like to take a minute to warn authors about creative burnout. You would think that simply interacting on your phone wouldn’t be so bad, but trying to come up with creative content for so many different platforms on top of writing and day jobs/families can quickly drain your soul. At one point, I was operating eight different social media accounts at a time, and let me tell you, I almost lost my mind. This article is in response to seeing so many authors frantic about where they should grow their platforms. I hope that in sharing this information, you can decide exactly where you want to invest your time instead of trying to do it all. 

PART ONE: MEET THE PLATFORMS

Before deciding which platforms to invest your energy in, you need to understand how social media marketing works. There is a certain degree of luck (sometimes the algorithm just hits right), but there are also tried and true ways to build. There are a few preliminary questions to ask yourself:

1. Will you self-publish or publish traditionally? If the latter, will you query agents with the hope that you’ll get into one of the Big Five houses/independent houses, or will you directly query smaller indie presses? 

2. Who do you want to reach? Readers? Or do you just want to network with industry professionals?

Narrowing down exactly who you want to reach will help you determine what platform is the best to gain access to these folks. If you are only trying to network, you might be more inclined to maintain a presence where the established professionals are. If you want to reach readers—and fellow writers do not equal readership (more on that later)—you want to go where the readers are. More specifically, where the readers of your genre are. 

Side note: I’ve organized the platforms as either networking sites or money-making sites, but that’s not to say that networking sites can’t bring in money or that money-making sites are just that. 

NETWORKING APPS

• Twitter/X/BlueSky

In college, it was suggested that budding writers get their hands on a copy of the latest Writers Market. Not only do the volumes include a plethora of agents and industry professionals, but they also offer helpful tips. One was to jump on Twitter, where the different branches of the Writing Community existed. Publishing houses, agents, and writers (even Stephen King!) maintain a Twitter account, and it used to be the best way to network. Its draw was your potential to be seen by big names and possibly interact with famous people in a casual way. 

After Twitter’s sale and subsequent dismantling, plenty of industry folks are still plugging along on X. Many have moved to BlueSky, an invite-only beta program that is, by all accounts, another Twitter. This might be worth exploring if you want to network with already-established authors and agents. But since it is still such a new app (like the others that sprang up around that time), I would consider it temperamental and would not recommend investing much time and energy into building it. I have heard some positive things, but again, I would ask yourself: who are you trying to reach?

You could still maintain or grow your X account as was done during the time of Jack’s Twitter, but there is another aspect to consider: trolls, bots, and hateful accounts. To really understand a platform, you have to look at its dark side. Twitter/X is a notoriously toxic environment exacerbated by its most recent purchase. It does have a block option, but anyone can create an account—and as many accounts as they want. You can exist on Twitter without a face or any actual recognizable features. This is appealing for many folks, but it also brings a lot of headaches. Predatory folks thrive in anonymous spaces, so for every kind word under a smiling picture of you with your book, you will also get cruel remarks. The larger your platform, the higher the frequency of trolling. You can report accounts, but again, nothing is stopping them from starting a new one. There have been numerous accounts of people trying to report stalkers/harassers before Twitter became X, only to be met with difficulty. This is simply something that you will have to deal with: if you have an open, public Twitter account, there will be issues with trolling. 

The platform also thrives on outrage. The more outlandish, horrifying, and upsetting a Tweet, the more attention it will get. It will get retweeted, commented on, and shared. This creates an environment ripe for negative discourse. A post about someone’s joy might get a few likes, but a scathing Tweet about the latest publishing scandal, where people essentially “dog pile” on someone to feel a part of something (and spin it in their favor), will do numbers. Because of this phenomenon, people will often create fake outrage or blow up harmless interactions to receive maximum views. TikTok is another platform that works this way, but I’ll get to that in a few. The bottom line is if you want to be a part of this world, you have to brace yourself for this.  

Regarding pure writing support/community on Twitter, what was once a vast conglomerate has been heavily dismantled. From what I can tell, many querying writers and agents are still on there (and arguing amongst each other), but it’s less than before. Everyone’s favorite Uncle Stephen seems to be going down with the ship, whereas the likes of Neil Gaiman have moved on to BlueSky and Threads. 

If you do decide to build a Twitter/X/BlueSky platform, they operate under the same algorithm: frequent posting and heavy engagement are rewarded. You can use hashtags such as #WritingCommmunity (I hope someone gets that joke) to link you with other writers. But again, other writers do not equal book sales. Determining precisely what you want from your social media experience will help you figure out if this platform is for you. In Part Two, I will share some of my tips for working with this type of algorithm. 

• Threads

Anyone who has been following me for a while knows how much I love Threads, so be prepared for some bias here. It is a platform absolutely buzzing with potential. Run by a company that essentially shaped social media as we know it, it has the bandwidth, money, and infrastructure to handle being a solid platform. Though problematic, Meta has the capabilities to run a solid platform. The main issue is that it’s in its infancy (and people are impatient), and it has been pitted against X as a rival. Diehard Xers love to smear it for the simple fact that it’s the new thing to spew hate about. I’d argue X is still going because the majority of people who still use it benefit from the parts that make it unappealing to others.²

Direct Messaging is an excellent example of this; Threads does not have the DM function that makes X so appealing for some. It’s also linked to your Instagram accounts, which means a lack of anonymity. How can you pretend to be a badass professional snowboarder who lives in Europe on Threads when your Mom follows your Instagram, where everyone knows you’re a white American kid dwelling in her suburban basement? How can you cheat on your fiance properly when she and your adult kids follow your IG?  (Yeah, I’ve met some doozies). And if you are blocked, you’re blocked. Like Instagram, if you want to block someone, you have the option to also block any accounts they create in the future. There are ways around even this, but it makes trolling that much more difficult.

For that reason alone, I was immediately attracted to it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that since its beginning days, it’s quickly grown into a hub for creatives. IG accounts exhausted by the constant pressure to create perfect content have blended with Twitter refugees to build a genuine community naturally. Artists are there to simply exist and share their art. 

There is also an unspoken rule that toxicity has no place on Threads. Trolls are not fed, and people stay cool in their interactions or move on. I’ve heard that influencers who have grown their following by cultivating the perfect feeds struggle with the chaos of the platform, while those who thrive during Xs dumpster fires don’t want any part of the wholesome exchanges. But for the exhausted creative, we find solace there. 

Again, consider what you want from your social media experience. If you want a safe and chill space to interact with like-minded writers and creatives, come on over to Threads and help us build. 

SALES APPS

• TikTok

I remember when BookTok started to blow up, and suddenly, all these writers were in a panic about making videos. I also cried and dug my feet in for months before starting because I had no idea what to say or do. But I worked at it, and now I have a pretty solid account by author standards. 

I’ll be frank: TikTok is probably the most temperamental of the algorithms. There are times I spend hours making a video for it to get a handful of views/likes, then I’ll throw up something I think is pretty cringe, and it goes viral. You learn to live in that kind of chaos, or you falter. 

TikTok is your money-maker app. With millions of users and an algorithm that will directly line you up with folks interested in your genre, it is a great place to sell books. The problem is that the larger corporations have caught on to BookTok’s success and have begun to exploit it for their own purposes. But when there is a will, there is a way, and many authors/creators have found ways to get around their videos being suppressed. There is also the ability to monetize your account, and if you set up a business account with them, you can run ads like Meta (see below). 

One of my favorite things about my earlier days on Twitter was being able to connect with regular people. TikTok has that same, ‘real people’ vibe. Most of users are laid back, many don’t even create content, and you can literally record yourself with yesterday’s makeup and three-day-old hair in a bun, and you’re still well-received. You just have to be real. This is a far cry from the polished content Instagram and YouTube requires. You can make videos about anything your heart desires, but be warned—TikTok thrives on outrage and misinformation, just like Twitter/X. I’ve seen quite a few writers get ‘canceled.’ Many justifiably so. There is also tension between authors and book reviewers over several problematic authors using their platforms to go after them for negative reviews. While you can avoid toxic discourse a little better on TikTok than on Twitter/X, be warned that this is another part of the app that needs to be considered. 

Another downside is how much time and effort it can take to make videos. Last I heard, professional content creators suggested posting 7-10 videos daily to grow your account. That can be incredibly time-consuming, especially if you have other socials you are maintaining and a day job/family. Please check out Part Two for advice on how to post on TikTok and about the new TikTok Shop.

• Instagram/Facebook (Meta)

Full disclosure: I do not use Facebook for author marketing. That said, I’ve heard success stories about private author groups, and I don’t discount it. My company, Quill & Crow Publishing House, posts on Instagram, which shares directly to Facebook, and we have found a bit of success there. Our Instagram store is connected to Facebook, where we share our books and merchandise. One of the things I love about having these two platforms being connected is that Meta has always prioritized advertising. While I usually stay off Facebook because I can only handle so many ads in one sitting—as a business professional, I love it. I can promote sales and run advertising campaigns, and the reach is excellent. 

Instagram is not my favorite when it comes to networking, but I enjoy the creative aspects of it. There’s less pressure to post, and the people who use Instagram for socializing are a pretty chill bunch. From a book marketing standpoint, it’s a great platform because it links you to potential readers and reviewers. The only downside is the oversaturation of bookish posts and the energy required to create content. And like all platforms, the bigger you grow, the more you attract the trolls. I have yet to see evidence of trolling like I have on Twitter, but my company profile (bigger than my personal) receives plenty of weird comments, especially when we go Live. Going Live is another great feature that both TikTok and IG share if you want to get your products out there, but again, watch out for the trolls.

OTHER NOTABLES

• YouTube

There are authors who use YouTube successfully for book marketing. Since I prefer TikTok, I center on that app for all of my video marketing. I know several popular TikTok creators who cross-post to YouTube, as well as authors who have built their platforms solely on YouTube. I’m open to exploring YouTube in the future, as it is one of those platforms that has withstood the test of time. That being said, I don’t feel confident in my knowledge to offer more than a few tidbits based on observations. Mainly, YouTube requires polished videos full of worthwhile content, and they offer a store once you reach more than 1k subscribers. You can also pay to advertise. Our company uses it for book trailers and other polished material, but I don’t invest much energy there.

• Substack

Let it be known that I am at the very beginning stages of my Substack journey, and I am still very much in the testing phase. That being said, like Threads, there is a solid potential for this app to be amazing for freelance/indie authors. I follow a few writers who have found great success with the platform, and I’m looking forward to building my own platform here.

For those unfamiliar, Substack is essentially a platform that sends out newsletters, which can take the form of a classic newsletter (author updates/promo), articles (like the one you’re reading now), blog posts, or even serial fiction. I find that most people can be resistant to joining a newsletter cold, but Substack also has a feature called ‘Notes,’ which functions like most networking sites and lets people get to know you first. Substack also offers nifty little media images to share on your other socials each time you post to draw potential readers in. I love that damn feature.

What appeals to me most about this app is the control: it’s my content delivered by me to people who want to follow me. I’m not dependent on an algorithm, and I’m not sharing any royalties. In fact, Substack gives authors the ability to monetize their work via paid subscribers, putting more precious pennies in our pockets. As writers are inundated with exorbitant publishing fees, this is a highly attractive feature.   

For nonfiction freelance journalists, media reviewers, and instructional content creators, this app is perfect. Whether fiction writers can find steady success is still up in the air. I plan on testing out my upcoming novel on this platform in the coming months, and I will let everyone know if it works for me.

OTHER THOUGHTS

Are your fellow writers going to buy your book? Yes and no. I am a writer who not only buys other indie books, but I publish indie authors. I support who I want to support; usually, it’s because they write things that interest me, and they seem like decent people. But it’s ultimately my choice. The second I feel like someone is supporting me because they expect instant reciprocity, I’m done. I cannot stand to be treated like a dollar sign, and I abhor manipulation in any form. I am not alone in this. If you target your fellow writers in this fashion, you will have minimal success at best. We are all out here trying to promote our wares, and no one likes to have things forced down their throat or to be guilt-tripped into buying something.

That being said, natural reciprocity between writers does occur. But that should not be your marketing goal—it’s why people with 50k followers back in the Twitter days would hear crickets during book releases. If you choose to promote yourself on networking apps, please understand that it is attraction, rather than promotion, that actually sells. 

In conclusion, I know I’ve only scratched the surface. I spend a lot of time on social media, considering different marketing techniques and the best way to grow my publishing company and career as an author. I understand that I’m only providing one opinion, and more perspectives are out there. If anyone has additional insight, please feel free to share. I aim only to be helpful here.

Please be sure to join my newsletter if you haven’t already for Part Two.

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1. Just to get this out of the way so you don’t think I’m over here talking out of my ass, these are the accounts I’ve grown since 2020 (I just started growing my own personal Instagram last year, so it’s somewhat small in comparison to many authors): Personal Twitter/X: 33K, Company Twitter/X: 9K, Personal TikTok: 188K, Company TikTok: 3.7K, Personal IG: 2.7K, Company IG: 4.9ZK, Company Facebook: 1.5K, Personal Substack: +1K, Personal Threads: 2.1K, Company Threads: 1.5K

2. I do understand some folks use Twitter for non-nefarious reasons; Quill & Crow still maintains a light presence there for now too. No judgment.