AMA about social media use and presence, how to find your readers, what platform really means, whether you need platform, newsletter creation and more.
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.
That's a great question, Joy. Basically, you would be clear that you have contacts there-- you can even say "strong contacts" or "strong connections." That is all the hint you need to imply that you have people who will hit the pavement for you. What you don't want to do is promise that specific things will happen with specific people unless they've agreed to it. For example, "Jeff Bezos will make my book an Amazon bestseller" vs "I used to work at Amazon in the books department and maintain strong connections there."
Thanks, Courtney. So it's a practice of careful but honest language to leave them with whatever assumptions they want to make about my massive, powerful connections. I get it.
You're welcome, but I'm only being honest. It sounds like a GREAT story. I'm all in for a 'closed room' scenario. I haven't read all of your newsletter, but just from pecking at the surface - what a massive undertaking you took to write the whole thing from your boat, then later move it to Substack - and keep it all so well organized! That's no little thing. (Also, the two-person sailing to the bottom of the earth and back to the top - impressive). I'm excited to have 'found' you.
I used to blog, but I got scared off of doing so by two things: (1) publishers consider material that was previously posted in a blog as having been published already, and (2) the wording of copyright ownership statements, which imply that the site on which you post owns your content. Am I right to be concerned about these things?
How do we handle cohesive platform building if our various identity spheres are all over the map? My book is about religious travel as a non-religious person, and I know that I can/should build platform around travel and spirituality. But also...my day job is in international development/ public diplomacy, I'm an amateur aerialist in my spare time, I have a window full of orchids that I've largely managed to keep alive and blooming, and I really like baking elaborate creations out of choux pastry. Do any of the things that I do outside of traveling, writing, and spirituality/confusion have a place in my platform?
They do! You can find a way to roll them all under one umbrella-- we'll discuss this in class as this is how I came to platform-- I had all these seemingly disparate identities, books with different publishers, books in different genres, and I felt like a mess with no clear way to find my ride or die audience.
Hi Courtney! Thank you for addressing this. Honestly, I have so many questions about platform but here’s the current one. How many followers (on IG, substack, etc) is enough to include in your book proposal or CV? If it’s lower than a certain number and you mention it could that even be a point against you?
That's a great question and there are tricks for this. You can combine them all and add a "+" so: "Mostly active on Instagram, I have a combined audience of 7K+ and am actively working to place more essays this year..." There is a formula to how to do this that I will discuss in class!
I'm excited for the class and have two questions. My reported memoir, which is on addiction/the War on Drugs, will be published next year--would you advise I develop a platform on that topic specifically, or can I try to connect with people more generally? Also, I can write a newsletter or post on Instagram or whatever, but that doesn't ensure followers or readers (Substack, especially, seems oversaturated right now): I'd love specific tips on how to actually execute the directive "develop a platform," if you have any. Thanks!
We will take the full 3 hours of class to learn exactly-- and in a fun and straightforward manner-- how to execute this in a way that feels supportive of your book but not repetitive. Congrats on your forthcoming publication!
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.
I have built a career as a food writer, cookbook author, and food editor. On my Instagram, about 90% of my feed posts/Stories are at least tangentially food related, so I can't really point to metrics. I'm probably just boxing myself in. My newsletter list grew when I was focusing on baby/toddler food (a long time ago!). People signed up to get recipes and tips. I've since morphed the newsletter into more general "family food." I also haven't been great about sending out the newsletter in the past few months because I'm less invested in the topic now. My soon-to-be-shopped first novel does have a food hook, although that's not the bulk of it. Thank you!
Thanks for taking questions! I have worked for 10+ years as a wedding photographer and have accumulated about 41k Instagram followers. I am currently working on my first novel. When thinking about querying, how could I go about bringing this up? I don’t know if it would be considered a “selling point” or not, but I do plan to gradually transition the account from weddings to more book/writing related content. But I do want agents to know that I am savvy with social media, know its importance and how to use it, etc. Thanks for insight!
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!
This is a great question that has a lot to do with logistics and preparation. I'll have a section on this in the class but the short answer, or rather the first step, is to make sure you are easily discoverable. That your social media handles are either all the same or quite similar, that you are publishing work under the same name and brand, that your social media handles have links to a LinkTree or author website-- basically, that there is some kind of one stop shop to find out everything about you so people don't have to cyberstalk for your work. There is much more to this answer of course, and I'll take participants through a case study in class to illustrate the rest!
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?
I agree -- really great question, Kate. Last week on Spring Break with my family (my personal kryptonite for getting actual writing on my project done), I looked at what authors of books I like are doing online and across platforms. I found it really helpful and somewhat validating. They aren't all IG masterminds with brand cohesiveness across platforms. It didn't necessarily tell me - what - I should be doing, but I found it reassuring nonetheless.
I would also love to have platform building broken down into strategic steps in order of priority from essential, to added bonus if there’s time, to requires significant investment of resources and energy if you’re ready for it! It could definitely help with feelings of overwhelm!
Wonderful question. It's totally worth looking at other authors because rare, rare, rare is the author who had "platform" out the gate. Most published authors, myself definitely included, managed to get our first books published and then threw things against the wall to see what stuck without a plan! I'll make sure to develop a section in class along the categories you suggest as that's a great idea that others will appreciate.
Just signed up for the class and am very excited. I just took the dive into starting my Substack, This is Not Normal, and am excited about learning how to do a good job with it. No specific question. I mostly am looking for some confirmation that my goal for This is Not Normal is reasonable: to produce a bi- or tri-weekly Substack newsletter about medical trauma, chronic illness, and what it means to be health -- and also what it means to write about all that (that is casual and less polished than the memoir will be) -- with the goal of growing a community of potential memoir readers and show that there is demand for memoir dealing with those topics. While also hopefully learning from the community and having the experience help me become a better writer and also help shape the memoir. ... all that with a full-time job... (I just got really overwhelmed!)
If you are feeling overwhelmed writing that, I would start off telling yourself you will do two posts a month, not more. I would also try to interview other people or highlight other people's work in this realm/field so that you don't feel like you have to generate all the content alone. Think: book reviews, profiles, interviews, AMAs with health experts that you know-- things of this nature. Listicles from time to time, things you can do quickly if you are having a tough week or month! See you in class!
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.
How do you feel about making connections in the real world, if not on social media? Attending conferences and getting involved with real life groups might help grow a 'platform'? After all, a platform is really just a group of people you can communicate with about your book (among other things, of course).
The possible real life groups might vary, depending on where you live and what's available there. But it could be writing groups or groups where you meet people interested in some of the themes of your book (e.g. hiking or music or Civil War buffs). Just brainstorming out loud here... I have no actual expertise on this stuff 😂
I personally am in the camp of people who think that others can tell when people don't like social media and are told they have to do it to build platform. I think you'd be better off doing what brings you joy in the real, physical world! After all, what editors and agents really want is an excellent story well told. If that book exists and the writer has no platform or is averse to being online, they will find a way to help their book find their audience.
I've been told when building platform that "less is more" one should not attempt to be everywhere all at once. I am in the process of creating my Substack newsletter and a professional web site where I will have a newsletter and blog and links to various media. Should I connect my LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook (which are currently only my family and friends) and open those channels up to anyone who wants to follow? That seems a bit overwhelming.
If I'm reading this right, you will have, effectively, 3 newsletters? A Substack, a newsletter on your website and a blog? That seems like an awful lot of content- can you streamline into one newsletter or have one newsletter with two segments if the content is disparate? And connecting your social media on your website is easy- it's just a question of including social buttons to those sites.
Yes, that is a lot of content and it is overwhelming. I don't really want a blog but my web designer suggested I have one. Thank you for the suggestion of streamlining. I don't know if I want to connect all of my social media to my website.
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 :)
All of your questions are great ones I've already planned to cover in the class, and I'll build a section on getting cancelled per your suggestion as that is, sadly, a real concern! I hope you can join us in class and thank you for these questions.
Thank you so much for this. As a debut novelist, I am confused by the noise around this topic. I have just the one question. What’s the one piece of advice about platform you wish you’d been given at the start?
Honestly? I wish someone had told me not to leave negative reviews of other authors' books on Goodreads/Amazon. For a good while I functioned as I always had, leaving honest reviews about the books that I was reading. As someone with no MFA, I didn't realize that I'd one day be asked to get blurbs from some of these same authors, and I didn't yet realize how permanent everything on the internet is! Basically, I wish someone had told me to be the best version of myself online from the get go.
Thanks for this opportunity, Courtney! I have heard that when a social media platform gets too saturated it’s harder to build a following there if you don’t already have one. So it’s good to explore newer less saturated places - like Bluesky right now for instance. I’m trying to decide which social platform to invest time in and where I feel most comfortable (I don’t really want to be on any, I just like writing my newsletter, but I feel like I have to if I want to have more subscribers/ eventually readers for my books). What’s your take on saturated vs less saturated platforms?
For me, I've reached a place with social media where I literally do not have it in me to try and of the new places and things. I'll be on Twitter until it implodes, which is already happening, and won't replace it elsewhere. Personally, even if a place is saturated, if I enjoy being there, I'll just plod along doing my thing until the end of time whether it "grows" or not because I enjoy it, and my enjoyment comes first. Instagram for example-- I have been there since the dawn of time and accordingly don't have a super robust following, but I really like being there, have not developed a strategy for attracting more people because it's fun for me and relatively low stakes.
Generally you'd want to find a freelance publicist for bookstagram and booktok book tours-- my experience so far is that the in house publicists aren't necessarily as schooled in online tours as freelance publicists who specialize. The "niche" question we will cover in class. I don't run ads but have been asked a few times to so...I don't know if one day I will. Maybe, if it's for something I like/believe in/support.
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.
That's a great question, Joy. Basically, you would be clear that you have contacts there-- you can even say "strong contacts" or "strong connections." That is all the hint you need to imply that you have people who will hit the pavement for you. What you don't want to do is promise that specific things will happen with specific people unless they've agreed to it. For example, "Jeff Bezos will make my book an Amazon bestseller" vs "I used to work at Amazon in the books department and maintain strong connections there."
Thanks, Courtney. So it's a practice of careful but honest language to leave them with whatever assumptions they want to make about my massive, powerful connections. I get it.
Yes, exactly that. Best of luck to you!
I already want to read this book!
You’re so kind to say this, Kelly.
You're welcome, but I'm only being honest. It sounds like a GREAT story. I'm all in for a 'closed room' scenario. I haven't read all of your newsletter, but just from pecking at the surface - what a massive undertaking you took to write the whole thing from your boat, then later move it to Substack - and keep it all so well organized! That's no little thing. (Also, the two-person sailing to the bottom of the earth and back to the top - impressive). I'm excited to have 'found' you.
I used to blog, but I got scared off of doing so by two things: (1) publishers consider material that was previously posted in a blog as having been published already, and (2) the wording of copyright ownership statements, which imply that the site on which you post owns your content. Am I right to be concerned about these things?
How do we handle cohesive platform building if our various identity spheres are all over the map? My book is about religious travel as a non-religious person, and I know that I can/should build platform around travel and spirituality. But also...my day job is in international development/ public diplomacy, I'm an amateur aerialist in my spare time, I have a window full of orchids that I've largely managed to keep alive and blooming, and I really like baking elaborate creations out of choux pastry. Do any of the things that I do outside of traveling, writing, and spirituality/confusion have a place in my platform?
They do! You can find a way to roll them all under one umbrella-- we'll discuss this in class as this is how I came to platform-- I had all these seemingly disparate identities, books with different publishers, books in different genres, and I felt like a mess with no clear way to find my ride or die audience.
Hi Courtney! Thank you for addressing this. Honestly, I have so many questions about platform but here’s the current one. How many followers (on IG, substack, etc) is enough to include in your book proposal or CV? If it’s lower than a certain number and you mention it could that even be a point against you?
That's a great question and there are tricks for this. You can combine them all and add a "+" so: "Mostly active on Instagram, I have a combined audience of 7K+ and am actively working to place more essays this year..." There is a formula to how to do this that I will discuss in class!
I'm excited for the class and have two questions. My reported memoir, which is on addiction/the War on Drugs, will be published next year--would you advise I develop a platform on that topic specifically, or can I try to connect with people more generally? Also, I can write a newsletter or post on Instagram or whatever, but that doesn't ensure followers or readers (Substack, especially, seems oversaturated right now): I'd love specific tips on how to actually execute the directive "develop a platform," if you have any. Thanks!
We will take the full 3 hours of class to learn exactly-- and in a fun and straightforward manner-- how to execute this in a way that feels supportive of your book but not repetitive. Congrats on your forthcoming publication!
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.
What are they expecting you to write about? And how do you judge this expectation-- is it from metrics? Level of engagement? In the comments?
I have built a career as a food writer, cookbook author, and food editor. On my Instagram, about 90% of my feed posts/Stories are at least tangentially food related, so I can't really point to metrics. I'm probably just boxing myself in. My newsletter list grew when I was focusing on baby/toddler food (a long time ago!). People signed up to get recipes and tips. I've since morphed the newsletter into more general "family food." I also haven't been great about sending out the newsletter in the past few months because I'm less invested in the topic now. My soon-to-be-shopped first novel does have a food hook, although that's not the bulk of it. Thank you!
Thanks for taking questions! I have worked for 10+ years as a wedding photographer and have accumulated about 41k Instagram followers. I am currently working on my first novel. When thinking about querying, how could I go about bringing this up? I don’t know if it would be considered a “selling point” or not, but I do plan to gradually transition the account from weddings to more book/writing related content. But I do want agents to know that I am savvy with social media, know its importance and how to use it, etc. Thanks for insight!
Does your first novel have any tie-ins to weddings and/or photography?
Sorry one more comment! I do have another novel idea that is more wedding focused but I am more passionate/invested in this one
The main character is a wedding photographer and there are some photography tie-ins. It is a mystery/thriller
But not a huge part of the story
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!
This is a great question that has a lot to do with logistics and preparation. I'll have a section on this in the class but the short answer, or rather the first step, is to make sure you are easily discoverable. That your social media handles are either all the same or quite similar, that you are publishing work under the same name and brand, that your social media handles have links to a LinkTree or author website-- basically, that there is some kind of one stop shop to find out everything about you so people don't have to cyberstalk for your work. There is much more to this answer of course, and I'll take participants through a case study in class to illustrate the rest!
Given what you said, I’ve got those elements in place after years of consistency. I imagine there’s more. Looking forward to your ideas. 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?
I agree -- really great question, Kate. Last week on Spring Break with my family (my personal kryptonite for getting actual writing on my project done), I looked at what authors of books I like are doing online and across platforms. I found it really helpful and somewhat validating. They aren't all IG masterminds with brand cohesiveness across platforms. It didn't necessarily tell me - what - I should be doing, but I found it reassuring nonetheless.
I would also love to have platform building broken down into strategic steps in order of priority from essential, to added bonus if there’s time, to requires significant investment of resources and energy if you’re ready for it! It could definitely help with feelings of overwhelm!
Wonderful question. It's totally worth looking at other authors because rare, rare, rare is the author who had "platform" out the gate. Most published authors, myself definitely included, managed to get our first books published and then threw things against the wall to see what stuck without a plan! I'll make sure to develop a section in class along the categories you suggest as that's a great idea that others will appreciate.
Just signed up for the class and am very excited. I just took the dive into starting my Substack, This is Not Normal, and am excited about learning how to do a good job with it. No specific question. I mostly am looking for some confirmation that my goal for This is Not Normal is reasonable: to produce a bi- or tri-weekly Substack newsletter about medical trauma, chronic illness, and what it means to be health -- and also what it means to write about all that (that is casual and less polished than the memoir will be) -- with the goal of growing a community of potential memoir readers and show that there is demand for memoir dealing with those topics. While also hopefully learning from the community and having the experience help me become a better writer and also help shape the memoir. ... all that with a full-time job... (I just got really overwhelmed!)
If you are feeling overwhelmed writing that, I would start off telling yourself you will do two posts a month, not more. I would also try to interview other people or highlight other people's work in this realm/field so that you don't feel like you have to generate all the content alone. Think: book reviews, profiles, interviews, AMAs with health experts that you know-- things of this nature. Listicles from time to time, things you can do quickly if you are having a tough week or month! See you in class!
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.
How do you feel about making connections in the real world, if not on social media? Attending conferences and getting involved with real life groups might help grow a 'platform'? After all, a platform is really just a group of people you can communicate with about your book (among other things, of course).
The possible real life groups might vary, depending on where you live and what's available there. But it could be writing groups or groups where you meet people interested in some of the themes of your book (e.g. hiking or music or Civil War buffs). Just brainstorming out loud here... I have no actual expertise on this stuff 😂
I personally am in the camp of people who think that others can tell when people don't like social media and are told they have to do it to build platform. I think you'd be better off doing what brings you joy in the real, physical world! After all, what editors and agents really want is an excellent story well told. If that book exists and the writer has no platform or is averse to being online, they will find a way to help their book find their audience.
I've been told when building platform that "less is more" one should not attempt to be everywhere all at once. I am in the process of creating my Substack newsletter and a professional web site where I will have a newsletter and blog and links to various media. Should I connect my LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook (which are currently only my family and friends) and open those channels up to anyone who wants to follow? That seems a bit overwhelming.
If I'm reading this right, you will have, effectively, 3 newsletters? A Substack, a newsletter on your website and a blog? That seems like an awful lot of content- can you streamline into one newsletter or have one newsletter with two segments if the content is disparate? And connecting your social media on your website is easy- it's just a question of including social buttons to those sites.
Yes, that is a lot of content and it is overwhelming. I don't really want a blog but my web designer suggested I have one. Thank you for the suggestion of streamlining. I don't know if I want to connect all of my social media to my website.
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 :)
All of your questions are great ones I've already planned to cover in the class, and I'll build a section on getting cancelled per your suggestion as that is, sadly, a real concern! I hope you can join us in class and thank you for these questions.
The risk of getting cancelled and trolls is another one I worry about.
Ughhh me too. Especially writing (and being publish) about a controversial topic 🫣
I'm going to do a section on it in the class.
Thank you so much for this. As a debut novelist, I am confused by the noise around this topic. I have just the one question. What’s the one piece of advice about platform you wish you’d been given at the start?
Honestly? I wish someone had told me not to leave negative reviews of other authors' books on Goodreads/Amazon. For a good while I functioned as I always had, leaving honest reviews about the books that I was reading. As someone with no MFA, I didn't realize that I'd one day be asked to get blurbs from some of these same authors, and I didn't yet realize how permanent everything on the internet is! Basically, I wish someone had told me to be the best version of myself online from the get go.
Excellent advice. Thanks!
Thanks for this opportunity, Courtney! I have heard that when a social media platform gets too saturated it’s harder to build a following there if you don’t already have one. So it’s good to explore newer less saturated places - like Bluesky right now for instance. I’m trying to decide which social platform to invest time in and where I feel most comfortable (I don’t really want to be on any, I just like writing my newsletter, but I feel like I have to if I want to have more subscribers/ eventually readers for my books). What’s your take on saturated vs less saturated platforms?
For me, I've reached a place with social media where I literally do not have it in me to try and of the new places and things. I'll be on Twitter until it implodes, which is already happening, and won't replace it elsewhere. Personally, even if a place is saturated, if I enjoy being there, I'll just plod along doing my thing until the end of time whether it "grows" or not because I enjoy it, and my enjoyment comes first. Instagram for example-- I have been there since the dawn of time and accordingly don't have a super robust following, but I really like being there, have not developed a strategy for attracting more people because it's fun for me and relatively low stakes.
Thank you, Courtney!
— to niche or not to niche on your newsletter?
— Substack growth tips
— Do you ever run ads on or for your platforms, if so what ads?
— Organizing bookstagram and booktok book tours for new releases. Do you do this? Does your publicist do this?
Generally you'd want to find a freelance publicist for bookstagram and booktok book tours-- my experience so far is that the in house publicists aren't necessarily as schooled in online tours as freelance publicists who specialize. The "niche" question we will cover in class. I don't run ads but have been asked a few times to so...I don't know if one day I will. Maybe, if it's for something I like/believe in/support.