Twitter troll captured on sunny day.
Too often, social media ends up being an ugly world of bots, trolls, and angry mobs. That’s why, initially, I hesitated to jump in and attempt to build my author brand. Where to start – how to find followers – what to post – it all seemed a tad overwhelming! But the point of this blog is to share my journey, and in turn, hope that it helps give you some solid advice while traveling along yours. As I’ll explain, I’ve had more success on some platforms than others, but my millennial soul couldn’t believe the warmth of support shared by the #writingcommunity.
Trying to become a successful author is a tough path to climb. Tough doesn’t do it justice. Sometimes you feel like the journey is unachievable. With obstacle after obstacle of rejection and self-doubt, you’ll feel like you must fight and claw for every inch you gain. Then, you join Twitter and realize just how many other people out there are trying to live out the same dream. At first glance, it’s enough to make you want to tuck tail and run!
Given the improbability of becoming a best-seller and the intense competition, I was expecting to find an overcrowded Twitter world of cutthroat keyboard peddlers shamelessly promoting their works while slicing the heads off anyone who dare write in the same genre.
Thankfully, my expectations were not reality!
Boy, was I ever wrong.
Instead, what I found in the writing community was a kind world of helpful writers willing to share tips, support, and build up new members. What I found was a space where we can collectively laugh at the absurdity of the path we’ve chosen, where we can find the strength to continue pursuing our passion.
Working a full-time day job, I admit to not putting that much effort into building my online presence. Even with my lack of effort, I managed to top 1,000 Twitter followers in just four weeks!
Now, I haven’t been quite as successful on Instagram. It seems harder to find actual writers on there as opposed to accounts that just repost snippets of poems and what not. Also, I can’t speak to the Facebook experience. I abandoned that platform way back in law school and have no real desire to return. Also, as I begin work on my next book, I will explore a bit with Snapchat and TikTok. I’ll keep you updated on how well (or not!) that works.
But all in all, the writing community on Twitter is where you want to launch your jump-off point. They are wonderful people, all pushing each other forward with great support. Go find them!
TIP: When first starting out on Twitter, search the hashtags #writingcommunity, #amwriting, and #WIP. This will get you pointed toward the right people, and eventually your Twitter suggestions will catch onto the types of accounts you’re looking to follow.