Why Social Media?I did not want a social media for myself at first. But the more I looked at the publishing industry, the more I saw that the opportunities were far better for those who had an established platform, who could show publishers that not only their book is marketable, but also themselves. I recommend picking the social media platform that is easiest and the most fun for you and starting there. For me, that was Instagram. I dislike the whole concept of Twitter and Snapchat and I'm not nearly creative enough for TikTok. I plan on amping up my Facebook as well, but for now, the focus is Instagram. Below, I share some tips and tricks for creating your space on the 'Gram. Instagram Do's1. Choose a theme/pattern. The best accounts have similar filters, similar pictures and a "vibe" to them. You don't need to follow this precisely, but try to form some sort of pattern with your image grid. For example, I chose adorable cat with books, writing tips/prompts, and books (I'll detail why later). This allows followers to know what to expect of you. 2. Create a bio that links to a website (if applicable) and introduces you plainly. You of course want your name, but adding emojis can also help people recognize who you are. When I went from Michelle M. Kastanek to (book emoji, writing emoji) Michelle M. Kastanek (book emoji, writing emoji), I started getting a ton more followers. They didn't even have to click on my page to see that I like books and writing. When they clicked on my page, they could see something more detailed: Fantasy writer doing books, prompts, advice + cat. This tells them exactly what they can expect if they follow me. 3. Connect with writers and readers. I think this is the most important advice that I can impart on you. Connecting with fellow writers is great, and the writer community on Instagram is incredible. BUT. You want to publish your books. And sell them. And you need readers for that. Readers that want to follow along on your journey to publication and really get to know you. They are also a great source of beta readers and people to bounce ideas off of. Try not to just tailor your account to writers. Put up pictures of books that inspire you or post a blog post about what books are most like your WIP. Connect to your readers and writers through your platform. This is why I chose to focus my page on my three rotating topics: books, adorable cat with books, and writing posts. This way, I can connect with both my writer and reader communities. 4. Use relevant hashtags. This was a learning curve for me. But it's a must if you want to thrive on Insta. Where you put the hashtags (end of post vs comments) doesn't seem to matter (with the algorithm right now anyway). You can use up to 30 hashtags every post. Use them all, every time. And vary your hashtags. Instagram doesn't like it when you use the same combination over and over again. Check out some of your favorite accounts and see what hashtags they're using! 5. Take professional photos. No, you don't need one of those big honking cameras. You can use your phone. BUT. Play around with live focus. Make sure to use natural lighting. Never post blurry pictures. Aim for high quality. Take several if you have to (I usually take 5-20 to find the best one). And then use a free editing app like Snapseed or Adobe Lightroom or even the editing software in the Instagram app (not the presets - the actual editing portion) to adjust everything so it looks fantastic. This platform is about pretty pictures, after all! 6. Engage. This is so important. Don't assume people will find you and fall in love with you. Make relationships through DMs (direct messages), commenting genuinely and liking people's posts. Sharing other's content (and tagging them) in stories. Sharing polls, questions, and other "life outside of manicured pics" on your stories. Try out Reels! Or Lives! Have fun with it! Side note: if you do videos, please close caption your content. It's rude not to. Instagram Don'ts1. Don't go on there just to promote yourself. Instagram is all about connecting, networking, and making friends all over the world. If all you do is post about your newest book and the release day and the cover art, you are putting a wall between yourself and your readers. As a reader, and even as a fellow writer, I don't want to see someone's published book a hundred times. I want to see them as a person. I want to learn what we have in common, what books they read, what inspires them. I'm following a human not a book. 2. Don't do follow-trains. I fell into this trap at first. It seems like a great idea - follow everyone who comments on your comment and follows you. But this creates uninterested followers of your account, interested in you only for the number you give them and likely result in unfollows later. Focus on quality relationships vs. quantity. The algorithm also doesn't like to see you engaging in these a lot. Instead, seek out accounts that really resonate with you and work on engaging with them. 3. Don't be a rude person. Don't dis on other people's book choices or pictures or writing snippets (though I believe the writing community could use some more honest constructive criticism - it seems too many people just like saying "I really like this!" instead of giving quality feedback). Be kind. Offer advice on topics you have experience with. Congratulate and celebrate other people's achievements! Communities to be a part ofIf you decide to pursue Instagram, check out the following communities:
LingoDM - Direct Message WIP - Work in Progress CP - Critique Partner Beta - Beta Reader MS - Manuscript TBR - To Be Read (often seen as TBR pile) Bookish - relating to books Pantser/Plantser/Plotter - in reference to the type of writer you are - a pantser writes by the seat of their pants (no plan), a plantser has a bit of a plan before they write, and a plotter has to methodically plot every detail before they start writing. MC - Main Character Vision Board - pictures that, when combined, give the viewer an idea of your book. HashtagsHere are some hashtags to get you started!
Book Hashtags: #bookstagram #booksta #bookster #bookish #bookishbounds #booksarelife #readersofinsta #bookstagramming #bookstagrammer #meetthebookstagrammer #bookishlove #bookishlife #tbr #amreading #amreadingfantasy #bookishcommunity #bookstagramcommunity #booklove #booksofig #booksbooksbooks #booksaremagic #booknerd #bookworm #bookdragon #bookobsessed #booksaremylife #bookishquestion #bookishaesthetic #bookishallure #readerlife #readerproblems #readingcommunity #read #books #bookstack #readersofinsta #readeveryday #bibliophile #readreadread #bookhaul #bookmail #bookgirl #womenwhoread #menwhoread #bookishproblems Writing Hashtags: #writercommunity #writersofinsta #writersofig #fantasywriter #fantasyauthor #wip #worldbuilding #writingcommunity #writerssuportingwriters #amwriting #amwritingfantasy #amediting #fantasywritersofig #fantasywritersofinstagram #fantasyauthor #futureauthor #writersconnect #writersnetwork #fantasywip #instagramwriters #authorscommunity #writersconnection #writerslifeforme #writemore #aspiringauthor #writersgonnawrite #writinginspo #findmywritingcommunity #authoring #authorcommunity #writingprompts #writersofbookstagram #neverstopwriting #writers #creativewriting #writinganovel #writerly
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