Your Guide to Being an Author on Social Media
Dos and don'ts for engaging with readers, writers, and publishing folks online.
Navigating social media and building an online author brand can feel overwhelming. One of the most common questions I get asked on this topic is, “Do I have to have an online presence?” It’s such a simple question, but the answer is more complex.
Do you have to have an online presence? No. Many successful authors don’t. Would it help your career if you did? Yes, because it connects you with readers and the literary community. Does that mean it can help you sell more books? Not necessarily.
Having an online presence isn’t a guaranteed sales tool. The point of social media is connection and information sharing— not just selling.
In fact, if you approach it solely as a sales tool, you’ll likely set yourself up for disappointment and struggle to connect with your audience. Does that mean you shouldn’t promote your books or events online? Of course not! But promotion shouldn’t be your entire profile. No one wants to be bombarded with sales-y content every time they look at their phone. What people crave is a level of personal connection with the people they follow. If you do that well, they will be more interested in supporting your work. Your goal online should be to connect and engage.
So how can you do that? Here are some dos and don’ts for being an author on the internet:
Things to do:
Do: Define your brand identity.
As an author, you are also a brand. Think about what aligns with your personality and what you write: your tone (eg: humorous or professional), your visual style (eg: minimalist or moody), and the type of content you want to share. Having a clear sense of your brand helps you figure out how to show up online.
Do: Be consistent.
Consistency matters more than frequency. Whether you have a blog, a Substack, Instagram, or Tiktok, stick to a content schedule that works for you. For example, I publish a blog post every two weeks because it’s manageable for me. It might mean I’ll see slower growth than if I were to post weekly, but sometimes slow and steady wins the race. Consistency also builds trust with your audience and keeps the algorithms happy.
Do: Study what resonates with your audience
Pay attention to the type of content that engages your audience and use that insight to guide future posts. Keep in mind that not all audiences like the same type of content. Different genres attract different preferences; romance readers might love graphics that point out a book’s tropes while literary fiction readers might not. Polls are also a great tool to ask your followers what they want to see from you!
Do: Mix it up
At the same time, don’t be afraid to experiment with different formats and content. Too much of one thing — whether it’s updates on your WIP or promotional posts— can overwhelm your audience.
Do: Be an active literary citizen
Share collaborations, uplift your colleagues, and highlight the books you’re reading. Mention the writers and bookstores you do events with and celebrate their work. Paying it forward strengthens your connections and enriches the literary community as a whole.
Do: Consider your sources
Consider the source when you’re sharing or reposting information. When you have a platform, whether it’s small or large, you have a responsibility to your followers to avoid spreading misinformation or inflammatory clickbait.
Things to avoid
Don’t: Argue on the Internet or hate on others.
What you put out online can have a lasting impact on your career. Avoid engaging in public arguments, criticizing other people’s work, or complaining about agents and publishers online. Keep it light and positive and remember that the internet is forever. You may grow and change, but screenshots live on.
Don’t: Over-share the status of your submission
I tell my clients this all the time: avoid posting about the status of your submission. There’s a lot of strategy that goes into the submission stage, and posting about it online might inadvertently affect your submission or relationships within the industry. Similarly, querying writers should be careful with posting query updates that they wouldn’t want all agents to see. Remember that a public profile is just that: public. Agents and editors are also on social media and can see what you post!
Don’t: Use social media to follow up
Agents and editors are people, too— they deserve downtime and like to scroll through social media like everyone else. Unless you’re participating in a pitch event online, don’t use social media to pitch or follow up with agents or editors. Stick to the proper channels for pitches and follow-ups. Business interactions merit professionalism after all!
Don’t: Hesitate to block!
Your online space is yours to curate. You get to do what you want with it. If someone is being rude or disruptive, don’t hesitate to block them. Protecting your mental health is more important than tolerating negativity.
Don’t: Force trends that don’t feel good or authentic to you.
Social media is full of advice and trends, but not all of them will suit your personality or goals— and that’s okay! If something feels forced or inauthentic, don’t do it. If a platform doesn’t bring you joy, you don’t have to join it. Your audience can tell when you’re not being genuine. I’m a strong proponent of staying true to yourself on the internet. I wrote a blog post a while ago about the author’s version of digital minimalism that you can check out here. Bottom line: Focus on what feels right for you and your brand instead of chasing trends.
Building an online presence as an author can be a rewarding experience, but it requires thoughtfulness, consistency, and authenticity. It’s easy to feel pressured by algorithms or trends, but putting too much pressure on your online presence won’t help you. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to being an author on the internet. Focus on creating meaningful connections, experimenting with what works for you, and protecting your mental health along the way. At the end of the day, the Internet is just one tool in your author toolkit. Use it in a way that brings you joy and inspires you. Or don’t use it at all! You can make your own rules!
So many of us are online because we’ve always been online; it’s inescapable. But part of thinking of yourself as a brand (or a business) is making conscious choices that align with your brand goals and objectives. It sounds corporate, I know! But perhaps it can be a way to reframe the role of social media in your career. So I encourage you to thoughtfully consider what you want your brand to look like and how you want to show up in online public spaces.
*A version of this post has appeared in the Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s magazine,Write ON! (Summer 2025 issue).
