Social media can be daunting and leave most of us stumped. We are writers, what are we supposed to post in between cover reveals and release announcements? This list is by no means exhaustive, but I hope it inspires you and takes some of the burden out of content creation! If anyone finds this helpful, I definitely see a part two on the way!
Reviews and unboxings
Book mail! Got anything new at the bookstore? Make a video! Review or lift up books you've read. Recommend book or writing related products you love. "Three books I recommend if you're just starting with Sci-fi." "My favorite book when I was a kid."
Writing update
Talk about your WIP. Are your characters doing the thing? Or a completely unplanned thing? Are you sticking to your outline? Is drafting or editing harder? Got some challenging or exciting feedback from your beta readers and want to tackle it?
Ask a question
Ask your followers a question to get them engaged.
Books recommendations for 2024? What's your favorite fantasy of all time? What book should I read if I want to study lyrical prose? Writing book recommendation? When do I end a quote with a period and when do I end it with a comma? What makes a good villain? Do you prefer person versus person or person versus environment?
Offer something
The most obvious example is a book giveaway, but that's not all you have to offer! Discuss the advice that you found most useful. Share your experience or something you learned along the way. How did you go about your worldbuilding or character development? What did you learn from publishing your first book and what will you do differently for the second?
Photos with your book
Going to a signing? Have a fan that's willing to take a picture with you and have it shared? As soon as I get hard copies of my books, I'm definitely taking pictures when I give it to my mom! Even if you just get dressed up (or get your dog to model for you) and take a few nice photos that's content that humanizes you and puts a face to a name! Some enjoy making beautiful photos with an aesthetic spread of objects that relate to their book. Eye catching!
Show appreciation
Either to your followers or those who have helped you along your way. Beta and arc readers, editors, encouraging friends, the followers who support you.
If social media ever feels like a slog, don't be afraid to make some drafts or schedule a few easy posts (one or two a week) like this and walk away for a couple weeks, there's no benefit to making content if it's clear it a burden. And Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook (I even got started on Pinterest recently) will be there when you get back. My theory is that low effort is better than nothing, and one higher effort piece of content is worth a week of low effort posts. Your experience may vary.
Let me know if you'd like a part two!
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