Spring Cleaning Your Socials

I had a meeting with a new client this week. I’m always a bit unsure of how authors will take to my approach on social media, but after hearing her enthusiastic response, I thought I would share with you all as well.

Her previous assistant left her and she was feeling super stressed about having to be on all the platforms. “I am stressed just thinking about posting”, she said to me on our call.

I hear this frequently from authors. You have so many things to balance, and social media is just another “to-do” to add to the never ending list.

My advice. “Then let it go.” She looked at me like I was insane. “Let it go?” She looked visibly stunned. “Yep. Just don’t do it.”

Now, I know at this point you are probably thinking this sounds way too good to be true, so let me explain how this can work and give you some real life examples from my clients.

There are many ways and platforms for authors to build a community and connect with readers. We all know (if not, take note now!) that you have to have some form of consistent marketing going on for readers to find your book. If you don’t, it would be like printing the books and letting them sit in a warehouse rather than put them on the shelves in bookstores. No one is going to be able to find your book.

According to a Just Publishing article written in 2023, Amazon has around one million e-books published on it’s platform each year. That is a LOT of books for readers to wade through to find yours. So you need to have some means of reaching them.

So let’s look at the options.

Social Media -

Pro - the number of people on social media.

Con - So many different platforms and it can take a lot of time and often become a distraction of rabbit trails.

Newsletter -

Pro - Easy to build a template. The click through rate for purchases is high.

Con - A bit more labor intensive vs. grabbing your phone and posting. You need to be more intentional to grow.

Bookstores -

Pro - Readers can stumble across your book even when they are aren’t actively searching for it.

Con - Not always a viable option if you are an indie author. We are even seeing a shift in how bookstores choose to stock their stores. If you are interested in the new Barnes and Noble era, I highly recommend checking this informative video out.

(we are going to take ads out of the equation for now, but we will talk about them in the future)

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My advice when I talk to authors is to “Marie Kondo” your marketing. Remember the Kondo craze of 2019? Her concept was to pick up every item in your house to see if it “sparks joy”. You were instructed to then, either keep it or get rid of it based on how you felt. Well, it’s the same for marketing. If you are in it for the long haul, you need to choose the platforms that bring you joy (or if it’s in your budget, pay an assistant to show up on platforms for you). And don’t tell me you hate all forms of marketing, lol. Everyone can find a platform that resonates with them.

I have seen it time and time again. Authors are more consistent when they stick with what they love. Do you enjoy talking via video? Great! Embrace TikTok and Reels. Are you happy to stick with writing? Go all in on newsletter growth and a space like substack.

Find the places that bring you joy, stay consistent, and the results will speak for themselves.

Example #1

Take my client Melanie, for example. She has a busy career, but understood the importance of her newsletter. She writes fan fiction, which a lot of people like to dismiss. But, never underestimate the power of connecting readers with what they love.

Together we worked to grow her newsletter from 1,800 to over 6,000 in two years. (with a consistent open rate of over 58%) I handle her on social media, and she let’s her writing shine in her newsletter.

With a well thought out strategy, we get feedback from her dedicated readers with polls and open questions that help her write to her market. Her readers love it and she is less stressed than when we were trying to show up on all the social media platforms and grow her newsletter.

Pulling back and focusing her efforts has paid off when her last releases each hit the #1 ranking in multiple categories on Amazon. And her latest pre-order has exceeded her expectations.

Example #2

Let’s talk about author Paul J Bennett, who does a brilliant job with video content. A fantasy writer on TikTok, Paul’s “dad humor” really connected him with readers quickly when he first joined TikTok. You can see he is comfortable in front of the camera, creative and personable with his content. He has now amassed a following of 23.2k on the platform and continues to grow!

Paul utilizes his TikTok personality to lead readers to download a free book on his website. Using a reader magnet to grow his newsletter is a great use of subtle marketing.

Example #3

A hybrid approach is a place like substack.

Tom Cox

has mastered the art of growing a community around, not only books, but creating a vibe that attracts his target audience. The photos on The Villager are relaxing and let you know what to expect. And, he is unapologetic about showing up in both newsletters and on posts VERY consistently.

Even though he shows up on other platforms, like Instagram, Tom uses linktr.ee in bio to direct readers to his substack account.

So, you might be wondering whether I take my own advice. I do! I wasn’t resonating with Instagram and was not looking forward to coming up with posts for my business, so I’ve paused all posts over there—for now. I might revisit it in the future, time will tell. Currently, I’m seeing fantastic results from the energy I’m putting into showing up in the places I love! So give yourslf permission to let something go and redirect your energy into what you love.

Next week I’ll be starting a series on newsletter creation and growth. I hope you subscribe to be a part of the conversation.

So, what platforms resonate with you? Are there any areas you would be happy to cut and invest that time growing somewhere else? Let me know in the comments!

Happy reading,
Melissa, The Literary Assistant

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