Authors Must Manage Social Media

The relationship between authors and social media is varied and complex. The manifestations include authors who:

— Refuse to get on social media at all.
— View social media as a necessary evil and begrudge every moment it takes away from writing time.
— Barely tolerate some outlets and dislike the rest.
— Get overwhelmed and frustrated with all the choices, post as much as they can until it becomes untenable, and then stop posting anything.

Since I first heard that social media was necessary for authors, I’ve done all of the above.

Then my unrealistic, go-for-broke goal was: Don’t survive social media – THRIVE!

Okay, I aimed too high with that one. So I searched until I defined a realistic goal between surviving and thriving.

Manageable social media presence

For me, it’s all about social media I can manage around the rest of life and still post consistently. And just as important: CONNECT WITH READERS BY RESPONDING TO THEIR COMMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER!

Why post?

For me, it’s a mission. Add value. Be positive. Inspire or inform. But always write what God wants.

That goal can be difficult to focus on when traditional publishers won’t consider awarding contracts to newer authors who don’t engage on a regular basis with at least thousands of people.

How do I handle that? Like everything, I do my best and turn the results over to God.

If I don’t, my focus turns to numbers and I lose sight of my reasons for writing.

What?

Broad, but focused. I know, that sounds like an oxymoron.

For my blog, I selected four wide categories based on my interests: Mysteries, Quotes, Inspirational, and Fun Questions.

If I had been more restrictive, I’d have run out of ideas for blogs very quickly. But it’s also important to stay inside those categories so readers know what to expect.

Readers stick with an author because they like the writing and trust the author. Hopping around to hundreds of categories jolts readers.

If they read my posts expecting the categories I’ve selected, and then I post something way outside of those expectations, it can make me seem flighty and unreliable.

Where?

That’s driven by the age group of my intended readers and the genre of stories and novels I write. After all, I’m building a reader base who will read not only my blogs, but all of my writing.

Where can I connect with my readers on social media?

My readers will mostly be adults aged 40 and older. As of the date of this blog, the most well-known outlets are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

When?

Post the same day and time. Again, it’s all about being where and when readers expect to see my posts. I don’t want to let them down.

And within 24 hours, connect with the readers who took the time to comment.

How?

I’m a planner. To be able to manage a full-time job, life, and post well-written content consistently, I created a library of memes and ideas. And I continue to add to that content so I’m ahead of the game.

The worst situation to be in is sitting in front of the computer at midnight on Saturday night, crying and stressed out because my Sunday 8:00 AM post isn’t written.

With a well-stocked library, I decided when, where, and what I was going to post, keeping in mind the maximum I knew I could consistently post. If I can post more often or on more outlets later, I will.

Who?

The readers, of course. Would I write even if nobody reads it? Yes. But since I’m writing what I think God wants, then I trust Him to arrange who reads my words.

And for my mission, it’s worth it even if there’s only one person who reads and is helped by those words.

What do you like best about how authors interact on social media?

Authors Must Manage Social Media – What do you like best about how authors interact on social media? Share on X

Joni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.

May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.