Everyone has social media nowadays, but how does it come in useful for writers? Well, I’m pretty sure I posted an article about TikTok for authors, but I wanted to give a more generalised view of my experience with other forms of social media since I published my first book last month! I’ve not had a huge amount of sales so I’m no guru, but I have sold 37 books since my release day, so maybe my experience will help at least one person? Who knows? So I thought I’d share some of the ways using these platforms have helped me in the writing itself, in the marketing or even just finding new author friends!
Instagram – #bookstagram
I’ve met so many lovely friends through Instagram! I’ve found arc readers through it for my first published book, and beta readers for it before the book was published. Make use of the writer #’s to get connected with different people!
Facebook – News Feed & Writing Groups
Of course Facebook is great for making and connecting with friends, both writers and in general life, but there are also lots of wonderful writing groups. If you type into the search bar you’ll find lots of great groups for support from other authors, self promotion and advice forums and more. I’ve been a freelance editor for a couple of years now and I often find my clients this way, too. It’s yet another great way to connect, and for sharing personal goals, milestones and successes with your close friends and family, too.
Twitter – #WritingCommunity / #Writer’s Lift
I’ve always loved using Twitter to connect with other writers during my querying journey, (which I spent years doing!) but it has become a recent favourite since I self published my first book. Like Instagram, you can make great use of the #’s to make new writer friends and start conversations about reading and writing, and depending on which route you decide to take for publication, there are some things that you can find useful here, too.
If you choose to pursue the traditional route as I did for many years, I recommend getting involved in the countless pitching events. I may not have found publication through these but I have had some great experiences here. You will find that many literary agents, editors and publishing officials use Twitter to share what they love to read and the kinds of authors they want to support, which is why these contests can be like gold dust. I’ve received a few full requests from these and even a couple of R & R’s! I have seen many writers on there talking about their experiences with finding an agent and getting book deals, so definitely search #dvpit, #pitdark, #svpit, and many more. There are lots of great ones. All you do is follow their guidelines, tweet on the right day and share snippets of your book. Imagine a book blurb, but shorter. It’s a fun way to be able to tell your story, too, if people ask about it.
Make use of the Manuscript Wish List side of Twitter, too. Many literary agents and editors share their specific interests here, so you can look these up and then decide if you think they’re the right agent for you before querying. Many agents tend to be friendly, so if you approach them in a professional manner I’m sure they’d be happy to help.
I may not have found an agent through Twitter, but I did manage to win a year-long mentorship with an editor, who taught me SO much about writing. I worked with her on a previous project, but I still keep her feedback in mind now when I’m editing another book.
If like me, you choose to go down the self publishing route, you can share your work in some #writerslift threads. I have been taking part in a lot of these recently, and I’ve sold a couple of books from it!
YouTube – #AuthorTube / #BookTube
For writers, YouTube is a great way to self promote and discuss your writing processes, projects, market your books and more. I also personally find that watching authors talking about their writing days through vlogs and chatty videos inspires me to write. There’s something motivating about wanting to copy someone else, I guess. Or something they’re writing about just leads you to more ideas for your own. But I personally think every writer should have a channel where they do vlogs or just livestream with author friends.
Two author friends and I are going to be starting a YouTube project next month, and we couldn’t be more excited! More to come on that very soon, so watch this space.
April Grace 