Do I Need Social Media to be an Author?

Jayden Thompson
Feb 25
6 min read

One of the biggest obstacles I had to overcome when writing my first book was figuring out how the heck I was going to get readers for it. At the time I had never heard of Booktok, and I was convinced I was one of the few people left in the world that still even read books. It seemed impossible to garner enough readers for my silly little dystopian novel to become a successful author.

But then a book recommendation video popped up on my YouTube recommendations, and everything changed. I discovered an entire world of readers who were hungry for a new book to throw on their TBR pile. I found a slew of like-minded people who loved books just as much as I did. I was amazed that I had never heard of Booktube before, but boy am I glad that I found it. I started my own channel not long after. At first I just did trends with the books I had, but as I started getting deeper into the editing process of my debut novel, I began showing sneak peeks and videos of me writing and editing. Pretty soon I had a lot of people interested in what I was doing, and I had several hundred subscribers by the time Diamond in the Rough released, many of which actually bought my book. Finding that niche has been such a blessing, and today I am going to be telling you about everything I have learned about using social media to market a book so that you can have readers for it right out of the gate.

So the big question—do you need social media to be an author? Keeping up with several profiles across different platforms can be a tiring task, so do you absolutely need it? The short answer is no. You’re an author as soon as you’ve written your book—no social media required for that. But to be a successful author, you have to have readers, and if you’re self published like I am, then it’s going to be extremely hard to find those readers if you don’t have an online presence. Social media helps to get your name out there and to get your book within sight of readers. Self-published authors don’t have entire marketing teams dedicated to getting a book in the hands of readers like traditional publishers do. If you’re publishing through Amazon KDP or another similar service, then your book most likely isn’t even in brick-and-mortar stores for people to see. With Booktok booming right now, it’s a perfect opportunity to jump in and see what the hype is all about.

If you’re new to all this (like I most certainly was when I started my research), let me explain. Booktok is the nickname given to the bookish content side of TikTok. Its counterparts on YouTube and Instagram—Booktube and Bookstagram, respectively—aren’t quite as popular, but with TikTok teetering on the edge of its recent ban in the United States, many readers and content creators are expanding to new platforms. Personally, I haven’t even touched TikTok yet; with so much controversy surrounding it, I have decided to stay off of it. But many young authors have gone viral on such platforms. Take Lauren Roberts’ Powerless, for example. She was a self-published author whose debut novel got so much traction on Booktok that she was picked up by an actual publisher and has sold over 2.5 million copies. Powerless isn’t the only one, either. Lots of indie authors are using social media to gain new readers, myself included. It’s a great way to reach a new audience.

But something to keep in mind is that media stardom doesn’t just happen. There’s not just a button you can press that will make you go viral overnight. But with the right plan, solid content, and plenty of patience, you will start to see results. It’s not easy. I run both a YouTube channel and an Instagram page, and it’s a lot of work to come up with content, especially considering that different content works better on each platform. I might post the exact same video on both platforms and have it completely flop on one, but be my most-viewed post on the other. The algorithms work in strange ways and can really hurt you if you’re just starting out, but don’t give up! Here are some of the best tips and tricks that I’ve learned while running my Booktube channel:

Figure out your audience — Famed writer Stephen King encourages writers to find their Ideal Reader—the person who you think would enjoy your book the most. You should do the same for any kind of content on social media. Figure out your target audience—everything from age to gender to what kinds of things they like, and really focus your content to appeal to that specific audience. You won’t be able to curate to everyone, so decide who you want to target with your posts and videos.
Consistency is key — Have a goal for how much content you post. Decide how many videos or posts you want to make in a week or in a month and stick to it! The best way to get seen by viewers is to be reliable and have consistent uploads. If you film a bunch of videos, for example, don’t post them all in one day, but rather spread them out over a couple weeks.
Quality over quantity — On that same note, you would rather publish higher-quality videos every week rather than poor-quality ones every day. Make each upload the best that it can be. Allot enough time to really put effort into your posts, and people will notice!
Don’t worry about having all the tech — Being a good content creator isn’t all about having a fancy camera and a studio to take pictures in. Most phone cameras are really good quality, and it's easy to set up a space in your bedroom to film. You don’t need a hundred books on your shelf, either; I started my channel with only three “popular” books and found trends that I could do that only used one or two at a time. Do what you can with what you have and slowly build it up over time.
Engage! — Engaging with your audience is the number one way to gain loyal followers. It’s extremely easy to interact with everyone when you’re starting out and you’re getting one or two comments per post. Take the time to respond to each of those comments and really let them know that you appreciate them interacting with your content. And reach out, too! Engage with other channels that are similar to your own and you’ll gain friends on the platform. One of the great things I’ve figured out about Booktube is that it’s a tight-knit community. There are a lot of readers, writers, and small content creators out there that would love to have a friend in the community!
Show your book — Don’t be afraid to show off! Include lots of sneak peeks of your upcoming book, make edits and trailers for it, post quotes and talk about the characters. It’s a great way to get people interested in what you have to sell. Don’t show spoilers, but show enough to get people hooked.
Create relatable content — Something that has really worked for me is making my channel not just about my book. My YouTube channel is about books and writing in general—not just one specific piece. Most of my videos revolve around what’s trending in the bookish community, and I find ways to showcase my books and writing in specific videos without weighing down all of my content with it. I don’t want to irritate people by including Diamond in the Rough in every single video. That would get annoying! Find unique ways to showcase your stuff while still making yourself relatable to the average reader.
And finally, make content that you love — Don’t feel pressured to jump onto every trend if it’s not something that you like or agree with. Be unique with your content—after seeing a dozen people doing the same trend, maybe it’s time to start your own! While you are trying to reach a specific audience with your content, remember that at the end of the day, your channel or page is about you. Marketing can be a chore, but if you’re having fun with it, then it’s not all that bad.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to social media marketing, unfortunately. These are just some of the things that have worked for me specifically. My YouTube channel has grown slowly, and with time I can’t wait to see it grow even more. I absolutely love filming videos and making posts and interacting with other Booktubers, and I view it as an added bonus that my channel has attracted so many readers for my debut novel. My biggest suggestion is to find something that works for you—something that will help you fulfil your goals by finding your readers and your audience while still remaining true to what you like and enjoy. It’s something that takes some tweaking and playing around with to get right, but it’s such a fulfilling process—Booktube has been such a blessing to me, and I genuinely enjoy posting because of how much I love it. And it doesn’t matter what part of the writing or publishing process you’re in—it’s never too late to start!