#AuthorSpark helps authors to build their social media profiles via a mobile app and online training course. Here’s the first in our series of free advice to help authors get started.
Authors are expected to build a social media profile nowadays, but social media can feel intimidating.
You start following or connecting with people in the book community but they all seem well-established.
They’re big name authors or book bloggers or agents or publishers. They’re experts, they wouldn’t be interested in following or connecting with you, right?
Wrong.
Here’s the thing: every writer has felt like that at some point and some of the people you’re judging yourself against still feel like it.
Everyone author has had to take the next step in building their social media profile at some point, either to help them secure an agent or publisher or because they’ve been asked by them to build a name for themselves on social.
You aren’t alone and you aren’t unusual if this fills you with dread.
Developing a consistent social media presence as an author does require some time and it does mean you have to put your head above the parapet a little… and let’s face it, many of us like to sit in a darkened room alone and write for a reason!
I’d love to lie to you and tell you it’ll happen magically but it won’t.
But it is doable. Small, daily actions add up to big results.
So, here’s your first step. Choose a social network and find someone on there whose posts interest you. Genuinely interest you – not someone you think will further your own ambitions.
Then write a comment or reply to their post.
To reiterate: find something that grabs your attention and comment.
Don’t promote yourself, don’t grandstand, just be you and add value.
Do the same thing tomorrow.
For now, don’t worry about writing your own posts – just get a feel for the space you’re in, the people you’re connected with and the things that matter to you.
That’s it for now. More tips from me tomorrow. Happy commenting.
About The Author
Nigel Cooper
Nigel’s debut novel Beat The Rain was a semi-finalist for Best Debut Author in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016. His second novel The Pursuit of Ordinary was a finalist in the People’s Book Prize for Fiction 2019. It was also one of the 8-12 titles ‘called in’ for the Man Booker Prize, a first for his publisher. It was also long-listed for The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize. His third novel will be released in September 2022 and is now available for pre-order. Nigel brings his own experience of the trials of getting published, building an author profile and marketing his own novels to AuthorSpark. As well as co-founding AuthorSpark, Nigel co-founded digital marketing agency and employee advocacy platform We Are Togethr alongside Andrew, alongside online content sister company Togethr Lab. Prior to that he was a newspaper subeditor and a writer and editor for Channel 4 Interactive.