Inspiration and Instruction for Writers |
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In this newsletter: - The Dreaded P-Word
- Social Media Rules of Engagement
- The Power of BookTok
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Platform. If you’ve spent more than a minute in the writing world, you’re familiar with platform demands. Building your platform numbers—the numbers of your email subscribers and social media followers—is a requirement for writers hoping either to sign a contract with a traditional publisher or to sell their self-published books. You may dread the work involved and the slow rate at which those numbers seem to accumulate, but whether you’re writing nonfiction or fiction, your numbers matter. Followers equal potential book buyers. But followers are more than numbers—oh, so much more. People interested in your newsletter or social media posts may be the very people God intends to touch with the message He’s given you to write. And when we keep that reality in mind, our work to attract and engage with readers becomes infused with a sense of purpose. Purpose. Doesn’t our writing flow from a place of purpose, a sense of meaning? Don’t we each dream of the way our words may touch the life of another? Isn’t that the point of the work we do? Maybe we need to shift our focus from the hard work of building our platform numbers to the purpose behind the work we’re doing. When we add one more subscriber to our email list or one more follower to our social media profiles, we’ve added one more potential reader whose life may be touched, even transformed, by the words God has given us to write. Each time we add one more person to our platform numbers, we are one step closer to fulfilling one of our God-given purposes, one step closer to fulfilling our intention of publishing well, one step closer to our aspiration of loving and serving others. We have an opportunity to do that when we engage with those who’ve chosen to subscribe to our list or follow us on social media. I’d love to encourage you as you continue the purpose-filled work of building your platform. This fall, let’s gather as a community of writers and work together to increase our platform numbers and serve our followers well. The annual Words for Writers Platform-Building Challenge begins October 1. Mark your calendars now and watch for details. The inaugural challenge held last year offered an opportunity for writers to connect with one another, form partnerships that led to greater growth of their numbers, learn from some industry leaders, and have fun! Let’s do this purposeful work. Together. |
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The Words for Writers Social Media Rules of Engagement |
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Writers are wise to focus the bulk of their platform-building efforts on building their email list. The value of an email list is well documented by marketing experts. While social media platforms are subject to changes beyond your control, you own your list of email subscribers. But your social media followers are also included in your platform numbers, so building a following is important. Plus, social media is a great place to connect with potential readers. Because social media is part of the writing life, I’ve created five rules of engagement you might adopt for yourself. |
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Rule #1 As the brilliant marketing pros for Nike wrote, “Just Do It.” Engage. Whether or not you want to, whether or not you’re comfortable on social media, whether or not you enjoy putting yourself out there, just do it. If you hope to sell books, just do it. But before you do it, see rule #2. Rule #2 Establish boundaries on your use of social media. Adhere to the boundaries you set. Social media platforms are designed to pull you in and keep you there. As noted by Cal Newport in his 2019 book Digital Minimalism, they are designed to encourage behavioral addiction. Set boundaries to protect your time, to protect yourself. Rule #3 Don’t post and dash. Use the time you’ve decided to allot yourself for social media to post content, but also take time to follow some of the potential readers who follow you. Engage with them and their content. Relationship is mutual. Both parties must engage. When you engage, offer kindness, respect, and love. Always. Rule #4 Create and follow a social media plan. For example, set aside one or two days a month to create a month’s worth of content. A plan helps you avoid the daily drain of having to come up with postworthy content. (If you follow me on social media, you know this rule falls under the category Do as I Say, Not as I Did. Or in this case, the category Do as I Say, Not as I Do. I’m working on this one.) Rule #5 Don’t waste time. Do some research to learn where your potential readers spend their time online. Learn which social media platforms they prefer, which groups they join, and what type of content they respond to most. Once you’ve found your people, learn the platform they prefer and post appropriately. |
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Does a social media hashtag (#booktok) have the power to change the course of publishing? Possibly. The #booktok hastag certainly has the power to change the course of publishers’ marketing campaigns. Jane Friedman, editor of The Hot Sheet, which offers publishing and industry insights for authors, states in the July 2022 edition of her newsletter: |
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After about two years of the BookTok community pushing book sales in unexpected and groundbreaking ways, big publishers are making the platform part of their standard marketing game plan and codifying their approaches internally and in their advice to authors. And—be aware—the BookTok effect may affect the sort of books that editors acquire in the future. |
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Friedman also reports that according to a recent report from NPD (a company offering global marketing information), the sale of 20 million print books can be attributed to the reach of the BookTok community in 2021. My experience with TikTok is that of a lurker. Although that experience has often been fascinating and even habit forming, I haven’t felt that my voice, my persona, is a good fit for the platform’s culture. But, intrigued by the sales numbers reported above, I typed #womensfiction into the TikTok search bar and was surprised to see that hashtag boasting 12.8 million views. As a women’s fiction author, that number draws my interest. I will be paying closer attention to the platform and to #womensfiction on TikTok. Maybe I’ll find a creative way to use the platform myself. If your readers are under forty years old, TikTok is a powerful place to engage with your audience and promote your work. But is it the right platform for you? If you’re considering TikTok for your book-marketing efforts, reread and employ Rule #2 in the preceding Social Media Rules of Engagement (because those dance videos are addictive!). Then sign on to TikTok and do your own research. Follow hashtags related to your genre. Paying attention to the number of views received by posts with those tags will help you determine what is and isn’t working. If you decide you’re ready to post your first video on TikTok, How to Make TikTok Videos is a tutorial to help you get started. |
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