#Social media for authors

[the960writers]

What is an elevator pitch? It’s a proposal that can be delivered in about 60 seconds verbally or in a single written page of text. The term is standard in marketing. A great elevator pitch novel writers can use to sell their novels should have at least the following 5 features:

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

I am incredibly serious right now when I beg you all, please, and if you have Twitter or Tiktok or whatever to please spread the word: click on an author's profile on Ao3.

You want to know if an author has written more? Want to know if they're still writing? Want to see more from them? Want to know if they've written a trope or kink or sex scenario you enjoy?

Click on their name. And look at their profile.

I cannot tell you how many times in the last six months someone has read a new or newer fic of mine and said they (a new reader who has read nothing else I've done) "can't wait to see what you do next!" I've written 50+ fics and over a million words already.

"I don't know if you're still writing..." click on my profile. I am. I literally wrote a 128k+ fic for that ship last month.

"Would you ever do X?" "Please do Y!" I already did. Click on my name and look at my works.

Archive of our Own is a library. It's an archive. Not social media. It is your responsibility to fight back against the laziness that corporate algorithms have trained into you.

Click my author name. Just click it. Just click it.

Before you demand more, or ask if a writer will do XYZ, or wonder if the author still writing, or anything - click on their profile. Click on the author's profile.

I'm not trying to be mean or condescending or anything like that. I'm just exhausted. It's disheartening and frustrating to repeat myself ad nauseam, because someone couldn't take thirty seconds to do the tiniest bit of work to see if I've written lately, if I've written more for their ship, or scan my works to see if I've written what they're asking for. Please. Please. I'm begging.

Click the author's name, and explore before you ask.

[allnovellas]

How to Market Your Story

Marketing is a crucial part of the publishing journey, critical to the success of your story. However, many writers feel overwhelmed by the prospect. This article demystifies book marketing, offering practical strategies and resources to help you effectively market your story, promote your story, and build a strong connection with your readers. Building an Author Platform An author platform is…

[bloodybellycomb]

It really sucks that creative people are now also expected become their own marketing team or become experts in business ventures in order to keep making art. Literally cannot think of a group of people less inclined to tedious number punching work than passionate artists.

[vanhelsingapologist]

Publishing has always been a fucking nightmare, but now it’s a layer of hell. It’s not enough that writers be good at what they do. Writers have to maintain an active social media presence and cultivate a following. Be available.

They have to be conventionally attractive enough to look good enough to see on a screen, aesthetically pleasing, kind, funny, up-to-date on trends, socially aware but not so controversial that they turn off a brand from California from slapping their discount code on a video promoting a book.

They have to do all of this with no media training, with little help from the companies that are supposed to be doing this for them.

Of course, a lot of this isn't possible for say, the 40-something mother of two who teaches English at a school and writes on the side. She’s boxed out of an already complex industry that already has enough walls.

On some level, I think authors have always marketed themselves a little, but we’ve reached such a crazy point where we’re demanding the author become the influencer. Accessibility in publishing has narrowed from an inch to a sliver. And that inch was hard enough to get in as is.

[thisgingerhasnosoul]

Every time I try to claw back some sense of normalcy, I see another casually (or sometimes explicitly) antisemitic gesture from a random goy who knows fuck-all about anything.

It’s just really hard to find any sense of safety or normalcy knowing that “Jews are oppressors and deserve to die” is a mainstream opinion again.

[strangebiology]

Do nonfiction authors really need social media to get a book deal?

I asked successful agents and trad signed authors how important social media is to getting book contracts. Here are some data and quotes about how they responded on my Authors of Nonfiction Books in Progress Substack! Read if you want more details and caveats to the data, as well as my story and why I like social media anyway.

TLDR: Social media is NOT necessary!

Here's an editorial explaining why. But for nonfiction non-memoir, you have to do something to prove that you know what you’re talking about, as you'll see repeated over and over in my Substack article. That proof could be social media.

Trad publishing is very hard and competitive, and sometimes even unfair. But the people who say "you can't get a deal unless you know someone or are TikTok famous" are flat-out wrong. (Also, you can become a person who knows someone by joining communities, attending conferences...hell, you can DM me if you have writing experience and I might hook you up with my agent. There, now you know someone and have no excuse. I've successfully hooked up 4 people I knew from communities I'm in, or something like that, not because they're my family members. I have said "come back when your query and/or experience are better" to 3 people, and 2 people didn't get the deal despite having good pitches and my recommendation, it just wasn't a match.)

Unfortunately, I think some aspiring authors are looking for an excuse, as many of these people don't often tend their writing craft. That is a much bigger indicator as to whether you'll get a deal, even if the trad world still isn't a perfect meritocracy.

Remember, I LOVE social media and have over 300,000 followers across platforms. I mostly do recommend that writers and journalists should use it! I find it sad, even, that there are so many writers with no audiences, when there are huge social audiences who would love to hear what these writers have to say! (But there are downsides too, so it's not ideal for all. Check out the pros and cons for science journalists being on TikTok.)

If you’d like to share your experience with trad publishing and social media (or lack of social media!), I still look at the survey results, so feel free to fill it out here and I may share the results in the future. Some questions are optional and of course I redact the (optional, anyway) emails:

[machetelanding]

[aziraphales-library]

i remember a fic where crowley accidentally became the author of a book called 'heaven might be a bookshop' or something similar but i cant remember what its called

This is...

A Guide to Fame for the Enterprising Demon by asideofourown (T)

tildeathdoustogether ok friends so i know we all joke about, like john mulaney and keanu reeves and hozier being immortals, but… i really think we gotta add anthony j. crowley to that list thelongest27yearsofmylife reblogged and said: Christ, Beth, Anthony Crowley is an increasingly popular, openly queer creator with explicitly queer rep in his work that’s really important to some people, can you not make this into a meme for ONCE in your life? tildeathdoustogether reblogged and said: you think i’m joking but.  i’m not.  l i s t e n  i did not get a history degree for nothing, i have RECEIPTS. buckle in kiddos this is a wild ride [Crowley accidentally gets a bit famous, and the internet figures out he may be a bit immortal]

- Mod D

[whatlovelybones-if]

You authors are getting so entitled with your breaks. Just release the next god damn chapter or jump off a plane

[the960writers]

How to Use TikTok to Sell Books: 12 Practical Tips

By Joe Yamulla, October 16, 2023

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Boasting over one billion active users, TikTok continues to grow in influence. Almost half the American population uses TikTok — it’s no longer just an outlet to watch silly dances or to learn how to bake your own sourdough bread (though you’ll find plenty of that). As it grows, the platform has become a powerful promotion tool, including for independent authors seeking to build their brands. You can even use TikTok to sell books.

Table of Contents: • What makes TikTok so effective for authors?    1. Be relatable    2. Post consistently to grow your channel    3. Use the link in your TikTok bio to sell books    4. Be subtle with book promotion    5. Establish yourself as a subject matter expert    6. Package your content for holidays and celebrations    7. Embrace the community    8. Save and utilize your favorite sounds and trends    9. Use titles to draw in more viewers    10. Keep captions brief and prioritize hashtags    11. Get out of your comfort zone    12. Stay up to date with new trends • How to start using TikTok as an independent author

Book marketing demands research, effort, and an open mind to get creative and experiment with new ideas — especially for indie authors. Because TikTok is wildly popular, you can use it to reach new readers, grow your author brand, and earn more book sales. So, how do you use this impactful platform as an independent author?

[jstor]

hi jstor i’m an opinionated academic that would love to have the opportunity to be published one day but i have about -2 executive functions. can i have an honorary publication. no i don’t know what that means

[joyfuladorable]

Of Darkness and Light by Bayluff

It was running. It was running from him. Surging forward, he snagged the shadow of his prey, and slowly crawled up, sliding up a leg, up a strangehardback and finally, into the back of the neck.

Mikey suddenly stopped, shuddering, his breath hitching loudly. Leonardo immediately stopped and looked back. "Mikey? Mike what's wrong?" He questioned, concerned his feeling had been right.

"N-Nothing." Michelangelo said after a pause. "I just got real cold for a second." He laughed. "It's gone now."

My angst gremlin heart was appeased by this fic, lol. But also! I was cooing over all the comfort Mikey got while he was having a Bad Time (tm). ALSO, please don't tag this as ship in anyway. That's insta-block behavior.

Less eye-straining first image ^^

[intr0set3]

back on the road - matty healy x influencer!reader social media au

a/n: helloooo omg this is my first one of these i've made in YEARS & i am not sure how i feel about it so i am sorry if it's not the best but these are really fun to make & i have a bunch more ideas if people like it !!! i'm sorry it's short & i tried to make reader as faceless as possible but she is a brunette as u can see but i'll switch it up every au i'll keep things exciting

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your instagram - sep 25th, 2023

matty's instagram - sep 25th, 2023

matty's twitter - sep 26th, 2023

your instagram story - sep 26th, 2023

your twitter - sep 26th, 2023

your instagram story - sep 26th, 2023

matty's instagram story - sep 26th, 2023

your instagram - sep 27th, 2023

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[essskel]

i’m so sorry but if you’re in the ‘fantasy media is escapism I don’t want to think about any REAL world problems‘ crowd then why are you posting about the witcher. there are few fantasy sagas that are quite so explicit and intentional as the Witcher when mirroring its characters, world, and conflict around real people, politics, and everyday struggles. also that’s why it’s GOOD

[fevekko]

fanart for this banger chaeya fic i read pls go read it pls pls