Social Networking for Authors
As a journalist, I’m constantly reading about how social networking is changing the media, and the way journalists gather their stories and interact with their readers. The exact same is true for fiction writers, even aspiring, as yet unpublished fiction writers.
I follow a lot of writers on Twitter and I read a lot of blogs, and although I can’t claim to be an expert in publishing, I have noticed a few things as a reader that writers should be aware of.
I don’t think the best way to get me to buy your book is to constantly post a link to the Amazon page. That’s just spam, and it will get you blocked. I’m also unsure how I feel about authors whose profile pictures is the cover of their latest book. After all, social networking is supposed to be about you.
The personal touch is key. It’s not about what you had for breakfast, but your own writing experience, what you’re reading yourself, how the eagerly anticipated follow-up book is coming along.
I absolutely love the way crime fiction writer Patricia Cornwell uses her Facebook page. It’s the perfect combination of personal information and information about the books she’s writing. Cornwell is known for being very hands-on when it comes to research, and she posts pictures of herself being attacked by police dogs, or pictures of a runway with a chopper waiting on its, and lets readers speculate about what that means for the next Kay Scarpetta novel.
Obviously, that’s a little less applicable to fantasy/paranormal writers as there is less research involved, but I still think readers love to see authors at work, to observe the process. Take JR Ward’s page. There are pictures of herself signing the books, there are irritatingly tantalising extracts from upcoming books, and there are posts about what her characters are doing at the moment.
By contrast, Laurell K. Hamilton‘s posts are largely personal. She does talk about writing, but more from the point of view that her writing is cathartic and helps her work through her “personal demons”.
Three very different styles, all of which must work, given the number of fans and amount of interaction all three writers get on their pages.
I think it’s important for writers to be on “mainstream” social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, as opposed to networks aimed entirely at writers and readers. After all, not every reader is a bookworm with a GoodReads profile.
After all, how often do writers get to meet their readers? There are very few book tours which bother going outside the United States, and practically none at all that bother coming here.
Here in Ireland, most people seem to think we’re part of the UK, and don’t bother coming to sign books here. For authors with fans all over the world, social networking may be the only way for readers to “meet” you.
Another key benefit of social networking for writers is you can keep an eye on what people are saying about you and your work. It won’t always be nice, or what you want to hear, but a lot of the time, it will be criticism you need to hear. A lot of authors retweet positive messages about their work, but the negative comments are even more important.
I don’t think, in this day and age, that anyone can say social networking isn’t important. Obviously, as a writer, the quality of your writing is paramount, but when it comes to developing a loyal and devout fanbase, social networking is key.
Think about it. Facebook is the second-most visited site on the net (Google.com is number one). Amazon is 14th. Who wins?
I completely agree that writers should utilize social networking to get to know their readers. As readers, we buy the author’s books, invest our time and hearts into the stories they weave, and many of us want to get to know them better. What makes them “tick”? How are they inspired to write? Those writers that go the extra mile to let us into their world earn extra points in my book.
Great article. My daily routine is checking my email, my facebook, and my goodreads page – but my home page to the internet is google so I’m always going it for something. The only time I go to Amazon is if I’m linking a book I’m writing a review about for here, or I’m shopping which is rare. I don’t check twitter very frequently, but I do have an account and will “play” from time to time. I think you’re absolutely right about social networking becoming a very important tools for authors to use to reach their public, especially in places beyond the continental 48 states. The more accessible you are to your readers, the more readers will spread the word about your writing. Just my opinion.
~Lisa