Do’s & Don’ts of Author Networking
The fact that we live in a world where people can skip the middle-man and put out their most authentic, coolest art unhindered is one of my Top 3 facts about Planet Earth.
I think being an artist in 2023 is, in many ways, better than living in the time of past great like Michelangelo or Shakespeare. That being said, one hugely important aspect of the indie/self-published life is networking.
How can you market yourself in 2023 without seeming like a self-aggrandizing dick?
Do: Be genuine.
One of the biggest issues I see with new artists trying to promote themselves is trying to follow a set of rules. While there’s plenty of helpful websites out there willing to tell you about how to gain 1k followers on TikTok or whatever, there is no set recipe for success.
Instead of trying to copy what’s already been done (and enjoyed some success), focus on the message you are sending out.
I used to do the whole #bookstagram, cutesy photos spiel, for instance. It was lovely, there’s people with a great eye for aesthetic on there, but it just left me feeling drained.
Why? Because I was not being true to myself. I was focusing on copying what I deemed successful rather than on providing my genuine take on the writing life.
Now, my social media reflects who I am, even if it’s haphazard, lacks a brand color palette, and is a little uneven. And I’m more successful and happier.
Don’t: Try to cover all bases.
Another big mistake I was making in the beginning was thinking I had to be everywhere. I had to have success on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
Long story short, that led to burnout, and a long period of social media disenchantment for me. So now, when I started marketing for my new book, I figured I’d do it different.
I asked myself, what am I like?
I am someone who enjoys visuals, so Instagram seemed like an obvious choice. I am someone who doesn’t like self-recording, so TikTok was further down the list. I am also someone who does not like Twitter (or Threads), so those were out, too. I am someone who likes expressing herself, so Medium was definitely in.
While a lot of social media content can be repurposed and altered for multiple platforms, it can be a drag, and quite demanding, especially for new authors, trying to juggle everything on their own.
My advice would be, focus on 2–3 communities where you are engaged, where you enjoy being, and where you can actually be consistent. Ideally, since #booktok and #bookstagram are the biggest movements in the social media literary world, I’d suggest having either Instagram or TikTok among those platforms.
Do: Join communities.
Do follow bookish accounts, and not just to unfollow. Engage with them. Often, you’ll find you have quite a lot in common. Try not to be generic, and do try to leave a thoughtful, personalized comment ever once in a while. Watch their stories/reels.
Don’t stretch yourself out too thin, though. It’s often more valuable, interacting with 3–4 people regularly and consistently than interacting once with 10 different peeps.
Don’t: Be a spammer.
Nobody likes a self-promoting dick, even though your art may be amazing. So try to avoid messages like “buy my book” or “Join my mailing list”. I’ve found that, the more engaged you are in a community, the nicer you are to the people around you, the more likely they are to do those things.
Remember: It’s not just the platforms that have anti-spamming algorithms. People also scan for that, and will rarely engage with those they deem spammers.
Do: Support other artists.
Not just so that they’ll support you back (though that’s cool, too, obviously). Support other artists because if you don’t, who will? These are people who, like you, are taking a chance on their passion. Who, like you, might not be featured in the NYT Bestseller List, but may have something of genuine value to offer to the world.
This is where limiting your circle comes in handy. It’s much easier to support one or two artists that you like (and have them support you back, hopefully) than it is sharing 20 random people every day. That’s just spamming, so see above.
Don’t: Trust fishy promoting platforms.
Promoting yourself as an indie author is notoriously hard. Once I started engaging with my social media communities, my DMs were bombarded by messages from engagement groups, and promo pages, and shoddy pay-for-reviews.
BE AWARE.
There’s nothing wrong in hearing out a fellow social media user. Maybe they’re genuinely someone trying to help/grow their own following through genuine engagement.
However, try not to be too eager, and take everything with a grain of salt. You’ll thank yourself in the long-term.
That’s about it. If you guys have any tips and tricks for book marketing/social engagement that you’d like to share below, feel free.
Thank you for reading. Guess what. I am actually publishing my first novel this fall. Wild, I know. Meanwhile, I’m gonna be documenting my process/journey/slow descent into madness on here, while also dropping the occasional opinion piece.
So if you’re someone who enjoys that kinda writing, well, why not subscribe? It’s free. And I’m desperate. So there, honesty.
