Beginning authors often receive the advice that to publish a book they need to develop a large social media following.
Or, I would add, you could become a rock star or a professional athlete. That helps get publishers’ attention and sells books, too.
Social media stardom is stardom. Authors always need to self-promote, but writing books and making it big online are two completely different things.
In my varied career, I’ve created social media strategies as part of corporate and organizational communication plans. I do understand social media and I know it is extremely powerful, when used the right way.
But social media isn’t free and you can’t just decide to get a following to be a successful author. Generating a social media following is a hard job and most people will not succeed.
Let’s begin with the economics. Suppose you need to the ability to sell 10,000 books to impress a potential publisher. How many of your social media followers will actually buy a book? Perhaps 2 percent? If so, to sell your 10,000 copies, you need 500,000 followers.
If your social media posts get 500k likes, you’re already a big deal. And you didn’t get there because you were a middle-aged author with interesting ideas to share about a potential book.
And if you have a big social media following, why write a book at all? Get a reality TV show or put out a line of fragrances.
More fundamentally, the content that builds huge audiences on social media doesn’t produce good books. Strong social media posts are tuned to the moment, they are visually striking, comically snarky, or dripping in sentiment. They are gone in a moment.
Good books are thoughtful, nuanced, and they develop ideas that sink in. They are lasting.
Exceptions to my points that are constantly cited—someone built a community online and converted that into a writing career. But those are often flukes, or situations in which an online product became a book—but not a good one.
Forums such as Substack are different. They give writers an opportunity to develop a serious readership in the contemporary equivalent of magazines. You can tend to an intellectual niche. Writing for periodicals was always a good way to build ideas, craft, and a name.
I’m not saying social media doesn’t matter. Every writer must be a publicity hound. Do whatever it takes. Selling books is your job. Beat the bushes.
But writing comes first. Among factors in your control, writing quality is your most important asset. Write well and say something important. That’s the path of virtue.
As a coach, guiding you that way is the best help I can offer.
I do also know how to do social media, if that’s what you need. My best advice: Go make friends with someone with a big following. Buy her dinner. Get a posting or a blurb.
That’s easier than becoming famous yourself so you can publish a book.
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