I’ve done hella social media posts for The Talking Cure of late, so many that my friend, preparing to pitch his novel to agents in the spring, asked me for advice on social media utilization. I had to laugh. And laugh and laugh.
I’m terrible at social media. I immediately referred him to an actual knowledgeable person, but the more I considered the question, the more I realized I do have thoughts on socials. Most of them quite dark and murderous. So I guess I’ll share them here. This one’s for you, John.
What Do You Want from Social Media?
The social media platforms have evolved in directions very different than their originally stated missions. (Facebook: “To give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”) What was at one time a way to find old high school friends or spy on your grown children has become to varying degrees a place of commerce, social manipulation, and weird self-help therapy. Most of us are shouting into the void. Sometimes an unpleasant mob shouts back.
An author aiming to promote their book on socials is understandably left wondering, “How?” “To whom?” “Why am I doing this, again?” The platform is glad to sell said author advertisement space, but would resultant sales be worth the cost? The void is an awfully big place to blanket with commercials.
Kathy Thought #1: Social media is for watching cat videos. A little bit. As a treat.
Anything nice, like connecting with friends and family or finding an actual useful, cool, legit product, is quite rare.
Is the Effort Worth the Payback?
Kathy Thought #2: Free yourself from the idea that your social media engagement will yield significantly measurable sales.
The only thing you have any control over is your own behavior. Your metrics could include instances of:
- Posts in which you share your interests (not just shilling your book).
- Times you informed the public about events going on in your writerly life. (Have you heard about my new novel The Talking Cure? It’s is available now!)
- Polite comments you made on topics for which you had real experience to add to the discussion.
These conversations might, someday, result in a sale or book review. And you might make a networking contact that proves mutually beneficial.
Is the Effort Worth the Dangers?
The ill effects of social media, an institution that paradoxically helps us “connect” with people, on emotional and spiritual health are well-documented. New research indicates links with short-form video (“reels”) and cognitive impairment.
So, can we dive in on a daily basis, do our promotion business, and get out? It’s hard. Here are a few tips.
- Use scheduling features. They are the book promoter’s friend, and I use them frequently. But the real engagement, the networking investment that may someday yield a new reader, comes from daily interaction.
- Read posts, select interesting conversations to which you might add a thought, and follow up on the replies.
- Post discussion topics and invite lively and civil debate.
- Learn the ins and out of hashtags, topic threads, and joining interest groups—groups to which you need to bring valuable content, not just ads for your book.
It’s a lot. And the platform rules change constantly. Because they aren’t there to provide us free promotion. The socials have their own business model, and that’s another topic altogether.
The Karma of Social Media
Your superpower as a social media user is to lift up other creatives. Liking, sharing, commenting are easy. We are all hustling for engagement; make the first move. Recommend other people’s books, join in their discussions, and, in general, be a good internet citizen. It might help your own efforts, it might not, but you’ll be making your social platform of choice a less dreary place.
Kathy Thought #3: Be the change you wish to see in the world.
So, I’ll just close with a reminder that I have a new novel out, The Talking Cure.
“The Talking Cure is a marvelous story—an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery infused with a strong sense of the Weird… and a hearty dose of magic on the side. It’s ideal for all fans of the sinister, the surprising, and the strange.” —Cherie Priest, award-winning author of Boneshaker
Find The Talking Cure at these fine locations:
How has your relationship with socials changed through the years? Comment on the blog.
If you enjoyed reading this interview, you might like to read this guest blog by Cynthia Vespia on Imposter Syndrome.
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