I have been an author for 20 years, before social media and even internet shopping! Life was definitely easier when all I had to do was write and a publicist took care of everything else. That said, I do enjoy interacting with my readers on and other writers on social media. Most people I deal with are very nice but that's also because I shamelessly block anyone who isn't. You are absolutely right though that writing has to be the main thing. It's better to be prolific in your writing than your posts. I would say 80/20 writing vs socials is a good proportion for me. 😊
Yes! I have accounts but am rarely on social media. There's a podcast I love about being off social as authors. In my opinion it's just bad for mental health. I have things posted for me on x. I post on Facebook when I post on here or YouTube and rarely on insta.
I jumped off all social media after a wierdo showed up to my book talk after discovering my ad for an event. He made a comment I had to hide then showed up and yelled this same comment when I was talking. Talk about scary. I didn’t post anything for a while. He tried to friend me later. Thank god I live in a gated community.
This post spoke to me on so many levels. I’m so happy you said the quiet part out loud.🙂 I’ve been publishing for almost fifteen years and social media has never helped build me up as author. Sure, I’ve met some amazing readers who are still on this journey with me, but to be honest, it’s painful trying to be relevant on social. I love using email, blog, and soon a vlog, and of course publishing more books. That brings me joy! Which is the key, right. I need to be happy first and that happiness will translate into everything I share (and it’s okay if it’s off social media).
I was told not to even bother trying to get published if you didn’t have at least 10k instagram followers… so honestly let this fucking monster eat it’s own tail and choke on it so that people who are actually authors and not closet narcissists can get back to writing books we actually want to read.
I heard about this and was shocked. It’s so hard to be present and “on” all the time. Exhausting, actually. Thank you for posting this. Writing is the key to success for those of us who are writers! 🙌🏽📚
On FB and Instagram, it seems majority of people who showed interest in my book-related posts are con artists. One posted as Sally Rooney, the other Alice Sebold. I was duped by their few posts promoting the intended author's books. Looking back, how naive I was. The whole SM efforts for authors are useless in my limited experience.
I write narrative nonfiction a poetry, so I will never have a huge fan base or be told I need a social media presence. I’m doing my own publicity for my second book published by a small poetry publisher. But I’ve found many creative people who inspire me on Instagram and have participated in Zoom workshops and writing challenges I discovered there. I’ve also purchased, recommended and promoted their books. I’ve found lit mags there that now regularly publish and promote my work. Finally, I’ve used it as my literary citizen soapbox to ask writers to support libraries, free speech, arts funding, indie bookstores and, if at all possible, when purchasing books online, to stop linking to or promoting Amazon. Bookshop.org lets you order online and support your local indie at the same time. Libro.fm is their audiobook app—also supports indies and costs a penny less than Audible. There are plenty of reasons to be on social media if you support a future where publishers, authors, readers, artists and libraries can continue to survive into the future. That applies to our democracy as well!
Authors do not necessarily make great content creators: those are two very different goals. And asking an author to be a content creator takes away from the time and thought needed to actually write well.
The batshits are out again then. Years ago I wrote a funny review of the awful 50 Shades of Grey. Loads of Christian Greyettes found my blog and sent me lots ridiculous nonsense about how I didn’t understand him and how I was jealous of his and Ana’s love!! It was beyond bizarre. I deleted my blog and it took me years to come back onto SM. It wasn’t that I was afraid, but what can you do with that level of insanity. I didn’t want any part of it. The only way to deal with them is just block and block and block until your hand falls off or come off SM altogether. It’s such a shame because the community on Substack has been such a positive experience. I really hope they don’t find their way here.
It was many years ago. An old Wordpress thing with about 5 followers!! I wrote about it on one of my Substack posts called 50 Shades of Crazed. If you are remotely interested you can check it out!!
Thank you for sharing this! From what I understood from published authors, it is very important to grow your audience, but social media takes a whole lot of time and then so many other questions come up. Such as which platforms to focus on, and how to go about the whole thing. I’m very new here, so this definitely gave me something to think about. Thank you!
I am curious how this intersects with the notion that new authors have to have a big following on social media in order to get an agent or a book deal? It would be nice if some of that pressure let up, too.
I was thinking about this too. The “big platform” can also be publications, so an alternative to a big social media following could be articles written in several magazines — but that’s not an easy task. So it’s hard either way
As a total newbie to the whole writing circus, this is mildly terrifying. I must admit I already think twice these days about what I post on social media (the only one, where I'm remotely active, is facebook), because of the vitriol some people receive on there, when saying what they think. I want to have a chance to publish my book and actually sell some, the last thing I want is getting cancelled before I even begin, so I keep most of my thoughts to myself.
I have been an author for 20 years, before social media and even internet shopping! Life was definitely easier when all I had to do was write and a publicist took care of everything else. That said, I do enjoy interacting with my readers on and other writers on social media. Most people I deal with are very nice but that's also because I shamelessly block anyone who isn't. You are absolutely right though that writing has to be the main thing. It's better to be prolific in your writing than your posts. I would say 80/20 writing vs socials is a good proportion for me. 😊
Yes! I have accounts but am rarely on social media. There's a podcast I love about being off social as authors. In my opinion it's just bad for mental health. I have things posted for me on x. I post on Facebook when I post on here or YouTube and rarely on insta.
I agree. The mental heath aspect is so personal and I didn’t even start to talk about it! The discussion will continue…
I jumped off all social media after a wierdo showed up to my book talk after discovering my ad for an event. He made a comment I had to hide then showed up and yelled this same comment when I was talking. Talk about scary. I didn’t post anything for a while. He tried to friend me later. Thank god I live in a gated community.
Wow! That is scary. I don't blame you for leaving.
The friiiig.
I saw the title of your post and immediately felt huge amounts of relief.
Then I slapped myself on the wrist for being a bad, bad author.
But it was too late.
My true feelings were revealed. I love to interact with my readers.
But.
Social media is truly exhausting.
Demoralizing.
And feels an awful lot like screaming into the void.
Might have to find that podcast for authors off social!
what is the name of the podcast?
Writing off social
I still can’t wrap my head around all of this happening over a throw away comment about a FICTIONAL character! 😔
Right???!
This post spoke to me on so many levels. I’m so happy you said the quiet part out loud.🙂 I’ve been publishing for almost fifteen years and social media has never helped build me up as author. Sure, I’ve met some amazing readers who are still on this journey with me, but to be honest, it’s painful trying to be relevant on social. I love using email, blog, and soon a vlog, and of course publishing more books. That brings me joy! Which is the key, right. I need to be happy first and that happiness will translate into everything I share (and it’s okay if it’s off social media).
We are all in the same boat, friend! 💙
I was told not to even bother trying to get published if you didn’t have at least 10k instagram followers… so honestly let this fucking monster eat it’s own tail and choke on it so that people who are actually authors and not closet narcissists can get back to writing books we actually want to read.
I loooove you soooooo much***
*** no sarcasm
I love youuuuuuu!!! 💕💕💕💕
I heard about this and was shocked. It’s so hard to be present and “on” all the time. Exhausting, actually. Thank you for posting this. Writing is the key to success for those of us who are writers! 🙌🏽📚
On FB and Instagram, it seems majority of people who showed interest in my book-related posts are con artists. One posted as Sally Rooney, the other Alice Sebold. I was duped by their few posts promoting the intended author's books. Looking back, how naive I was. The whole SM efforts for authors are useless in my limited experience.
I write narrative nonfiction a poetry, so I will never have a huge fan base or be told I need a social media presence. I’m doing my own publicity for my second book published by a small poetry publisher. But I’ve found many creative people who inspire me on Instagram and have participated in Zoom workshops and writing challenges I discovered there. I’ve also purchased, recommended and promoted their books. I’ve found lit mags there that now regularly publish and promote my work. Finally, I’ve used it as my literary citizen soapbox to ask writers to support libraries, free speech, arts funding, indie bookstores and, if at all possible, when purchasing books online, to stop linking to or promoting Amazon. Bookshop.org lets you order online and support your local indie at the same time. Libro.fm is their audiobook app—also supports indies and costs a penny less than Audible. There are plenty of reasons to be on social media if you support a future where publishers, authors, readers, artists and libraries can continue to survive into the future. That applies to our democracy as well!
Authors do not necessarily make great content creators: those are two very different goals. And asking an author to be a content creator takes away from the time and thought needed to actually write well.
The batshits are out again then. Years ago I wrote a funny review of the awful 50 Shades of Grey. Loads of Christian Greyettes found my blog and sent me lots ridiculous nonsense about how I didn’t understand him and how I was jealous of his and Ana’s love!! It was beyond bizarre. I deleted my blog and it took me years to come back onto SM. It wasn’t that I was afraid, but what can you do with that level of insanity. I didn’t want any part of it. The only way to deal with them is just block and block and block until your hand falls off or come off SM altogether. It’s such a shame because the community on Substack has been such a positive experience. I really hope they don’t find their way here.
I'm curious about that blog now!
It was many years ago. An old Wordpress thing with about 5 followers!! I wrote about it on one of my Substack posts called 50 Shades of Crazed. If you are remotely interested you can check it out!!
I've deleted my social accounts and I feel their poison Ali's getting out of my body slowly :)
Let's concentrate more on our writings.
I am incredibly happy to read this…..I am not alone in my feelings about social media! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this! From what I understood from published authors, it is very important to grow your audience, but social media takes a whole lot of time and then so many other questions come up. Such as which platforms to focus on, and how to go about the whole thing. I’m very new here, so this definitely gave me something to think about. Thank you!
I am curious how this intersects with the notion that new authors have to have a big following on social media in order to get an agent or a book deal? It would be nice if some of that pressure let up, too.
I was thinking about this too. The “big platform” can also be publications, so an alternative to a big social media following could be articles written in several magazines — but that’s not an easy task. So it’s hard either way
As a total newbie to the whole writing circus, this is mildly terrifying. I must admit I already think twice these days about what I post on social media (the only one, where I'm remotely active, is facebook), because of the vitriol some people receive on there, when saying what they think. I want to have a chance to publish my book and actually sell some, the last thing I want is getting cancelled before I even begin, so I keep most of my thoughts to myself.