How a Social Media Presence Can Help Sell Your Book(s)

We all have strong feelings about social media. Some of us love it—checking Instagram every five minutes, sharing about our lives through Stories and making people laugh through Reels—while others of us (typically those born before 1979) could not care any less. Some of us would post more if we could just figure out how to use it! 

Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or none, it’s important to know that social media can and will play a role in the success of your book. For example, think of what happens when famous authors with strong followings like Brene Brown or Beth Moore post about an upcoming book release. People will flock to the web to pre-order. Why? Because they have been established as authors. Their readers know who they are, and already know the gist of what they’re going to get in a Brown or Moore book.

As you begin to build up your following and grow your circle on social media, keep in mind, the goal of your presence is not to say “buy my book!” Instead, the goal should be to establish yourself. What are you like as a person and as an author? What is your writing like? What interests you? What inspires you? 

Social media is about introducing yourself.

Getting Started

Most authors who are not already active on social media feel overwhelmed and have no idea where to start. Instagram has a billion users, and Facebook has almost 3 billion! It’s hard not to feel like a very small fish in a very, very large pond.  However, as an independent author, these outlets are your gateway to the rest of the world (and future readers), and you can control the mood and the context in which they get to know you. 

If you are a new author who may not have a large platform yet, your goal on social media should be to get readers to pick up your book and read it. But how? You get them to be interested in YOU. What makes you unique? What makes your message worthy of their time? As a general rule of thumb, about one-fifth to one-quarter of your posts should be about your book, sales, tours, and promotions. The rest should set the “tone” for your brand and context as an author (i.e. who you are).

Here are some best practices for getting started with building your followers on social media:

-Get creative. What do you have to offer that makes you stand out from the crowd? Try to demonstrate your uniqueness in your posts. 

-Know your audience. Who is going to read your book? What types of people are going to like it? Cater your posts to people like them. 

-Engage in conversation. When someone comments on some of your content, write back! Engage with other authors. Respond to private/direct messages.

-Don’t oversaturate yourself—keep it simple. It’s okay to pick one platform that you feel suits you best. 

-Remember, while words are important too, social media is visual. Visual posts (rather than words alone) are 40 times more effective in terms of marketing.

-As you are establishing yourself, you are the product. Not your book. Share what makes you, you. 

-Make social media posting a daily habit. Once you decide to build your brand on these platforms, it needs to become a daily habit. Once you get the hang of your voice and what works for you, you can begin to pre-schedule your content using third-party apps.

And You’re Off!

Be confident and secure in who you are as you “put yourself out there” on the World Wide Web. Keep in mind that people are on social media to learn, to keep in touch, and to be entertained—not to be sold to. Use this fact to guide your posting, almost as if you’re making a whole group of new friends.

Once people know you better, they’ll be more likely to pick up your book, and hopefully you’ll soon be on your way to a successful writing career with a core group of loyal and adoring readers. Good luck!