Social Media for Authors: 3 Experts to Help You Find Readers

author platform professional writing Nov 07, 2024

Find the right social media expert to help you connect with readers, build your author brand, and promote your work.

By Julie Tyler Ruiz

CONTENTS:

Why authors should leverage social media
3 social media and book marketing experts
Choosing the right social media platform
Additional resources for building your author brand

Why authors should leverage social media

As an author, you can use social media to share your work, ideas, and personality. It’s a way for potential readers to get to know your style before your book is even published and gives you a head start on building an audience that’s excited to read your work.

Building a following and standing out on social media presents several challenges to be aware of. Which social media platform should you choose? How do you master each platform's tools and meet audience expectations? How do you balance time between writing and content creation? What's the best way to stand out and get seen?

The right social media expert can help you make the most of your favorite platform, while tackling its challenges.

This article introduces you to three book marketing brands that specialize in helping authors on social media and beyond. By following the strategies these brands teach, you can:

Connect with readers and build a following around a shared love for stories.
Promote your published books or works-in-progress with ease.
Get the attention of literary agents and publishers.

3 social media and book marketing experts

1. Lemon Friday

Lemon Friday is a book marketing brand, created by Lara Ferrari, devoted to helping fiction writers promote books on Instagram before they're published, without taking too much time away from the writing process. Some of Lemon Friday's tools include:

Toolkits and templates for writing captions, calls-to-action, and hooks that make your social media content stand out.
Resources for identifying and connecting with your target audience, while developing a unique, consistent tone for all your posts.

Imagine using Lemon Friday’s prompts to post fun facts about a supporting character, or inviting the #readersofinstagram community to help shape a new character in your upcoming book. Whether you’re building intrigue around your story or sparking interactive moments with readers, Lemon Friday’s tools make social media storytelling effortless and fun.

Visit Lemon Friday's Instagram account HERE.

Why Instagram? This platform is a visual powerhouse, making it ideal for authors to share aesthetic glimpses of their work, quotes, and behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process. Instagram's features allow you to share unique images and short-form videos, as well as engage easily with your audience through polls, Q&A, and links to your author website.

2. Method Agency

Method Agency is a two-woman digital agency that focuses primarily on social media. The creators, Bekah Sine and Nikki Pierce, support brands across industries, such as entertainment, ecommerce, tourism, nonprofit, and small businesses. Helping authors is one of their biggest areas of service; they offer ebooks, checklists, blueprints, strategy calls, personalized author marketing, and a group experience called Ink to Influence, all designed to help you get the word out about your book.

For example, imagine taking Method Agency's to host a book giveaway on Instagram, which can position you as a book lover and prominent voice in the book world, while building connections with other authors and attracting new followers. Or, you could use their prompts to show a "day in the life" of your writing and non-writing routine.

Visit Method Agency's social media accounts:

Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube

3. Jenn Hanson-dePaula

Jenn Hanson-dePaula is a book marketing and social media expert who makes it her mission to "disrupt the publishing industry" and put power into the hands of authors. She offers a range of services to help readers grow their audiences and get books into readers' hands, including a book marketing blueprint and starter kits for launching a newsletter, setting up your book marketing, and standing out on social media. She also offers the Author Circle membership where you can master book marketing in a group setting, as well as "done for you" sessions and "done with you" services.

Visit Jenn on social media:

Instagram
Pinterest
TikTok
YouTube

Choosing the right social media platform

Each social media platform has unique strengths, allowing authors to reach different audiences and share content in diverse ways:

LinkedIn: For authors looking to connect with a professional audience, LinkedIn is ideal for sharing articles, book launches, and even participating in conversations about industry insights or literary topics. LinkedIn can help you establish authority in specific genres, especially non-fiction or business-oriented writing.
Pinterest: Known for its visually driven and long-lasting pins, Pinterest is perfect for authors who blog about writing, reading, or related topics. Authors can share reading lists, infographics on writing tips, or book-related content that directs traffic to their websites or blogs.
X (formerly Twitter) and Threads: Both platforms are perfect for sharing quick thoughts, quotes, or engaging in real-time conversations. Authors can use them to participate in trending discussions, connect with other writers, and build relationships with readers in a low-commitment format that doesn’t require heavy production.

Each platform has its own style, audience, and engagement methods, so you can pick one that fits your personality, content type, and reader demographic. Whether you’re aiming for viral book videos on TikTok, in-depth connections on Facebook, or networking on LinkedIn, the right platform can help you reach readers and share your unique voice.

Additional resources for building your author brand

For more guidance on building your author platform and professionalizing in the world of books, see these articles:

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