AMA about social media use and presence, how to find your readers, what platform really means, whether you need platform, newsletter creation and more.
Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question. Please ignore if I missed another question that is too similar, but I quit social media a while back. I have accounts, but I no longer contribute to them. I'm wondering if potential publishers I work with would be satisfied with my (small right now) newsletter platform and my commitment to doing all the interviews/podcasts and writing all the essays. I actually love doing those things (I know many people don't), so I would truly give it my best effort. Does this matter? I really dislike social media, and I wasn't exactly pulling in influencer numbers anyway. Thank you!
Last December, I quit Instagram, which was my last real social media holdout other than Notes/Substack. (Technically, I’m also on LinkedIn but just in a barebones kind of way.) One of the biggest responses I heard from folks is they were staying on Instagram because they hoped to publish a book one day, and having an audience on Instagram (and other social media, I suppose) is necessary.
I’m curious whether you feel that is still the case? I realize many authors promote their books on Instagram, but is it actually generating significant sales? If not, are agents and publishers starting to realize that a large Instagram following doesn’t necessarily translate to book sales?
Either way, I’m glad I made the decision to quit Instagram (and Facebook before that, and to never get on the rest of it). Still, I’d love to know whether there’s a shift in thinking around social media platforms in the publishing industry. Thank you, Courtney!
This is so timely for me! I have a hybrid memoir on submission, and our first round was not successful. Overwhelming editors have told my agent they love the book, but don’t see how they’d break it out since I don’t have a platform. We’ve stressed my work in the real life Parkinson’s community (the book is about the lack of care infrastructure in this country, and the need for care to be a public good) but it seems they really want big online numbers from social, a substack or a viral essay. Do you think it’s worth trying - or even possible at this point in the landscape, with the fall of Twitter and over saturation of newsletters - to build an online platform, or better to hope my agent and I find the editor who will take a chance an on unknown voice?
Looks like a beautiful place, Courtney! I hope you have a nice vacation. What advice do you have on building a platform for a YA audience? I’ve read your advice on publishing articles about the topic of your novel, but it seems that doesn’t apply to teens. I’m on TikTok, but I know that’s a hard beast to tame, and I don’t want to sink time into being a content creator.
Is it possible to grow a “platform” through only one social app, such as Substack? Do I need to utilize other apps in order to bolster the main one and therefore build a “platform”? Or will only time determine if my platform grows on this app?
So many great questions shared already! Mine are as follows:
--Ditto to concerns about being off social media for health reasons. It feels like my MS is pretty much DOA for any agent or publisher since I don't have a platform (especially since I wrote a memoir as a naive noob author and currently have it languishing in the cloud), but I know it will be a struggle to engage in a genuine (or healthy) way just because I "have to have a platform".
--Is there a work-around for platform? Such as looking for agents who are willing to work with debut authors and build their list? Love the idea of doing more podcasts, conferences and panels, but I feel like to get there you have to have a platform...
--Risk of getting "cancelled" as an author for a misstep on a platform? Or just risk in general for having one (ie, I know why its needed, but what are the downsides of having one as an author?)
--Is it better to engage with a platform in an organic, but random way instead of a highly curated brand? I could live with reengaging with SM if I could do it on my own terms, but I can't keep up with the pressure of a "brand" if that's what a platform is really for.
Hopefully I'll be able to make it to the class! Sounds like it will be a good discussion :)
Looking forward to the workshop next week! My question: What's the best way to harness an existing, but not directly connected, social media presence and newsletter to promote published work? I have a small (8K), but engaged Instagram following and a newsletter list of about 1K but all these folks are expecting me to talk about something else...not my writing.
Thanks for the opportunity to ask questions on platform. How could “platform” extend beyond social media and newsletter? And, how can writers leverage their author brand story to increase visibility and access social media platforms and build a brand into their platform? Thank you!
I'm excited to take this class! I'd love to see platform building broken down into categories: the minimum one must do, things that would be nice to do, things that would be extraordinary to do. I can get overwhelmed by the idea that I should do "all the things" and so I am currently doing nothing, when I know I should probably be doing something.
Another question: Is it useful to look at how writers you admire have built their platforms and what they're doing online? Or are there different requirements for what emerging writers need to do vs. what people who have already published 3-4 books with Big 5 publishers need to do?
Oh this is fantastic, thank you thank you!! Here's my question:
What platform advice do you think is most important for middle grade and children's authors? Platform building in that space can feel a bit tricksy to me, since our readers aren't necessarily online. Of course there's the standard advice about making librarians and teachers our platform target audience, and that's valid, but how can we best serve and/or reach that audience when we ourselves aren't librarians or teachers or creating lesson plans? Basically any advice for platform building in the kid lit space would be much appreciated!!
You're so generous to offer this AMA, Courtney. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. My question is this: If I have a network with ties to Apple, LinkedIn, Zillow, Starbucks, Microsoft, Amazon, and more, and I mention this in my book proposal, am I telling an agent/publisher that I have people in these companies who would promote me there? I feel this network is a huge strength but I don't want to suggest promises I can't keep. For context, my memoir is about my 2-year sail from Seattle to New Zealand and back. I tie this to business with a "How to take a 2-year sabbatical" angle.
Another +1 to the "What about no platform?" category. I've heard many people say "you should only do social media if you enjoy it," so I don't. I'm reluctant to do free work for huge companies so I almost didn't post here. (I'm grateful, however, for the work you do!) I tell myself the time is better spent reading and writing, and that unlike at work (where no one cares if I like it, or I'm faking it) everyone can tell when you don't like it and are faking it, which is worse than not doing it at all. Am I kidding myself? I'll put in 30 minutes of retweets and likes a week if there's a certain set of people who need to see it.
Looking forward to your class on building an Author Platform and any insights you share here! This seems to be a crucial thing to have for a successful writing career, whether you pursue traditional publishing or self-publish.
I became quite discouraged 12 years ago when I was meeting with agents at a writing retreat and querying my first memoir. 40k on social media was the standard platform requirement then. Now the “golden” number has only grown!
Like many, I’ve struggled to gain traction on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok - because it’s difficult to be a content creation machine without a team, keep writing, AND maintain the responsibilities of life.
So, I’ve been pursuing other strategies:
1. Connecting with any official groups, associations, or foundations (in real life) related to topics I write about - to vicariously engage with their audiences. This sometimes has the added benefit of informing and expanding on what I write, too.
2. Taking classes and workshops from people who I know would share my “success story” with their audiences, once I publish. I also form more genuine connections this way. Which I think can only help - the word of mouth ripple effect has potential, too!
3. Seeking out opportunities to be interviewed on relevant podcasts and/or blogs (now maybe Substack, as well?) that align with my writing work.
4. Writing articles and narrative essays to pitch for print and digital publications as a means of showing evidence of “proof of concept”.
However, it all takes SO MUCH TIME! Some days it feels like moving through mud, and I get distracted. Then I put all my efforts on the shelf next to my latest manuscript in progress. But I know I can’t put it off any longer if I ever want to publish.
With this in mind, my first question is:
Will an agent or publishing house consider taking on a debut author if their platform consists primarily of leveraging the audiences of others?
Second question:
Will having multiple book concepts ready to pitch increase the odds of getting an agent/publishing deal, even if I have a smaller platform?
I'm on Facebook and Instagram, and I'm comfortable in those two places. I have a small number of connections in both places, but they're pretty engaged. I have no interest in writing a newsletter. Other than that, my 'platform' is mostly individual connections with people in the writing community.
My main question: I'm hoping to convert many of my beta readers and other feedback-givers into ARC readers/reviewers. How many ARC readers/reviews would be needed to make an impact? And how willing are traditional publishers to supply free ARCs for a debut?
I'd also like to know the answer to this question, but I expect others will also ask it, if they haven't already: As a fiction writer, how important is 'platform' to getting traditionally published? And how much does it actually translate into readers/sales?
Thanks! And enjoy your holiday! (I loved your Costalegre novel, btw!)
Thanks for this AMA opportunity! Platform is something I constantly struggle with. I feel like it's really hard to be visible on the very crowded internet. So I'd love to know if you have any tips for that. I'd also love to know if platform is absolutely necessary to get a nonfiction book deal. I'm not sure it's as necessary for fiction, right? But I think publishers really want to see you have a platform if you're looking to publish nonfiction. So I'd love some insight on this. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for this opportunity! Platform is the thing I feel most confused/stressed about...
I'm a psychologist and I published a relatively successful self-help book last year (yay!) in the type of therapy I specialize in (DBT). I've been spending a lot of time educating folks on social media as well, and have been growing a following. My self-help book was for a general audience interested in improving their mental health or learning about DBT, and most of my following is the same. For years, my heart has been set on writing a book for a very specific audience: heart attack survivors. I'm wondering how specific your platform needs to be for a nonfiction book? Will my broad mental-health-interested platform be enough for a potential publisher, or do I need to niche down somewhere and gain a specific following of heart attack survivors for my dream book? Again, thank you so much! I've been so stressed about this, because I love sharing the way I've been sharing on the internet (including some heart-attack-relevant content), and I feel a lot of resistance about needing to do specific content or social media account in order to have a niche platform.
Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question. Please ignore if I missed another question that is too similar, but I quit social media a while back. I have accounts, but I no longer contribute to them. I'm wondering if potential publishers I work with would be satisfied with my (small right now) newsletter platform and my commitment to doing all the interviews/podcasts and writing all the essays. I actually love doing those things (I know many people don't), so I would truly give it my best effort. Does this matter? I really dislike social media, and I wasn't exactly pulling in influencer numbers anyway. Thank you!
Last December, I quit Instagram, which was my last real social media holdout other than Notes/Substack. (Technically, I’m also on LinkedIn but just in a barebones kind of way.) One of the biggest responses I heard from folks is they were staying on Instagram because they hoped to publish a book one day, and having an audience on Instagram (and other social media, I suppose) is necessary.
I’m curious whether you feel that is still the case? I realize many authors promote their books on Instagram, but is it actually generating significant sales? If not, are agents and publishers starting to realize that a large Instagram following doesn’t necessarily translate to book sales?
Either way, I’m glad I made the decision to quit Instagram (and Facebook before that, and to never get on the rest of it). Still, I’d love to know whether there’s a shift in thinking around social media platforms in the publishing industry. Thank you, Courtney!
This is so timely for me! I have a hybrid memoir on submission, and our first round was not successful. Overwhelming editors have told my agent they love the book, but don’t see how they’d break it out since I don’t have a platform. We’ve stressed my work in the real life Parkinson’s community (the book is about the lack of care infrastructure in this country, and the need for care to be a public good) but it seems they really want big online numbers from social, a substack or a viral essay. Do you think it’s worth trying - or even possible at this point in the landscape, with the fall of Twitter and over saturation of newsletters - to build an online platform, or better to hope my agent and I find the editor who will take a chance an on unknown voice?
Looks like a beautiful place, Courtney! I hope you have a nice vacation. What advice do you have on building a platform for a YA audience? I’ve read your advice on publishing articles about the topic of your novel, but it seems that doesn’t apply to teens. I’m on TikTok, but I know that’s a hard beast to tame, and I don’t want to sink time into being a content creator.
This is amazing! My question is:
Is it possible to grow a “platform” through only one social app, such as Substack? Do I need to utilize other apps in order to bolster the main one and therefore build a “platform”? Or will only time determine if my platform grows on this app?
So many great questions shared already! Mine are as follows:
--Ditto to concerns about being off social media for health reasons. It feels like my MS is pretty much DOA for any agent or publisher since I don't have a platform (especially since I wrote a memoir as a naive noob author and currently have it languishing in the cloud), but I know it will be a struggle to engage in a genuine (or healthy) way just because I "have to have a platform".
--Is there a work-around for platform? Such as looking for agents who are willing to work with debut authors and build their list? Love the idea of doing more podcasts, conferences and panels, but I feel like to get there you have to have a platform...
--Risk of getting "cancelled" as an author for a misstep on a platform? Or just risk in general for having one (ie, I know why its needed, but what are the downsides of having one as an author?)
--Is it better to engage with a platform in an organic, but random way instead of a highly curated brand? I could live with reengaging with SM if I could do it on my own terms, but I can't keep up with the pressure of a "brand" if that's what a platform is really for.
Hopefully I'll be able to make it to the class! Sounds like it will be a good discussion :)
Looking forward to the workshop next week! My question: What's the best way to harness an existing, but not directly connected, social media presence and newsletter to promote published work? I have a small (8K), but engaged Instagram following and a newsletter list of about 1K but all these folks are expecting me to talk about something else...not my writing.
Thanks for the opportunity to ask questions on platform. How could “platform” extend beyond social media and newsletter? And, how can writers leverage their author brand story to increase visibility and access social media platforms and build a brand into their platform? Thank you!
I'm excited to take this class! I'd love to see platform building broken down into categories: the minimum one must do, things that would be nice to do, things that would be extraordinary to do. I can get overwhelmed by the idea that I should do "all the things" and so I am currently doing nothing, when I know I should probably be doing something.
Another question: Is it useful to look at how writers you admire have built their platforms and what they're doing online? Or are there different requirements for what emerging writers need to do vs. what people who have already published 3-4 books with Big 5 publishers need to do?
Oh this is fantastic, thank you thank you!! Here's my question:
What platform advice do you think is most important for middle grade and children's authors? Platform building in that space can feel a bit tricksy to me, since our readers aren't necessarily online. Of course there's the standard advice about making librarians and teachers our platform target audience, and that's valid, but how can we best serve and/or reach that audience when we ourselves aren't librarians or teachers or creating lesson plans? Basically any advice for platform building in the kid lit space would be much appreciated!!
You're so generous to offer this AMA, Courtney. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. My question is this: If I have a network with ties to Apple, LinkedIn, Zillow, Starbucks, Microsoft, Amazon, and more, and I mention this in my book proposal, am I telling an agent/publisher that I have people in these companies who would promote me there? I feel this network is a huge strength but I don't want to suggest promises I can't keep. For context, my memoir is about my 2-year sail from Seattle to New Zealand and back. I tie this to business with a "How to take a 2-year sabbatical" angle.
Another +1 to the "What about no platform?" category. I've heard many people say "you should only do social media if you enjoy it," so I don't. I'm reluctant to do free work for huge companies so I almost didn't post here. (I'm grateful, however, for the work you do!) I tell myself the time is better spent reading and writing, and that unlike at work (where no one cares if I like it, or I'm faking it) everyone can tell when you don't like it and are faking it, which is worse than not doing it at all. Am I kidding myself? I'll put in 30 minutes of retweets and likes a week if there's a certain set of people who need to see it.
Looking forward to your class on building an Author Platform and any insights you share here! This seems to be a crucial thing to have for a successful writing career, whether you pursue traditional publishing or self-publish.
I became quite discouraged 12 years ago when I was meeting with agents at a writing retreat and querying my first memoir. 40k on social media was the standard platform requirement then. Now the “golden” number has only grown!
Like many, I’ve struggled to gain traction on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok - because it’s difficult to be a content creation machine without a team, keep writing, AND maintain the responsibilities of life.
So, I’ve been pursuing other strategies:
1. Connecting with any official groups, associations, or foundations (in real life) related to topics I write about - to vicariously engage with their audiences. This sometimes has the added benefit of informing and expanding on what I write, too.
2. Taking classes and workshops from people who I know would share my “success story” with their audiences, once I publish. I also form more genuine connections this way. Which I think can only help - the word of mouth ripple effect has potential, too!
3. Seeking out opportunities to be interviewed on relevant podcasts and/or blogs (now maybe Substack, as well?) that align with my writing work.
4. Writing articles and narrative essays to pitch for print and digital publications as a means of showing evidence of “proof of concept”.
However, it all takes SO MUCH TIME! Some days it feels like moving through mud, and I get distracted. Then I put all my efforts on the shelf next to my latest manuscript in progress. But I know I can’t put it off any longer if I ever want to publish.
With this in mind, my first question is:
Will an agent or publishing house consider taking on a debut author if their platform consists primarily of leveraging the audiences of others?
Second question:
Will having multiple book concepts ready to pitch increase the odds of getting an agent/publishing deal, even if I have a smaller platform?
I'm on Facebook and Instagram, and I'm comfortable in those two places. I have a small number of connections in both places, but they're pretty engaged. I have no interest in writing a newsletter. Other than that, my 'platform' is mostly individual connections with people in the writing community.
My main question: I'm hoping to convert many of my beta readers and other feedback-givers into ARC readers/reviewers. How many ARC readers/reviews would be needed to make an impact? And how willing are traditional publishers to supply free ARCs for a debut?
I'd also like to know the answer to this question, but I expect others will also ask it, if they haven't already: As a fiction writer, how important is 'platform' to getting traditionally published? And how much does it actually translate into readers/sales?
Thanks! And enjoy your holiday! (I loved your Costalegre novel, btw!)
Thanks for this AMA opportunity! Platform is something I constantly struggle with. I feel like it's really hard to be visible on the very crowded internet. So I'd love to know if you have any tips for that. I'd also love to know if platform is absolutely necessary to get a nonfiction book deal. I'm not sure it's as necessary for fiction, right? But I think publishers really want to see you have a platform if you're looking to publish nonfiction. So I'd love some insight on this. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for this opportunity! Platform is the thing I feel most confused/stressed about...
I'm a psychologist and I published a relatively successful self-help book last year (yay!) in the type of therapy I specialize in (DBT). I've been spending a lot of time educating folks on social media as well, and have been growing a following. My self-help book was for a general audience interested in improving their mental health or learning about DBT, and most of my following is the same. For years, my heart has been set on writing a book for a very specific audience: heart attack survivors. I'm wondering how specific your platform needs to be for a nonfiction book? Will my broad mental-health-interested platform be enough for a potential publisher, or do I need to niche down somewhere and gain a specific following of heart attack survivors for my dream book? Again, thank you so much! I've been so stressed about this, because I love sharing the way I've been sharing on the internet (including some heart-attack-relevant content), and I feel a lot of resistance about needing to do specific content or social media account in order to have a niche platform.