When you’re a self-published author, marketing your new book is entirely in your hands. A traditional publisher, in comparison, handles marketing materials, PR opportunities, and book distribution — all under one big budget. 

As a self-published author, it’s up to you to connect with people in the industry. You have to do the legwork setting up author signings and meet-and-greets at festivals and conventions. Oh and online marketing, including social media marketing? It’s all on you. (But at least you can do that part while wearing comfy sweatpants at home.)

Social media marketing is an essential part of any successful book marketing plan! It’s so important that we’re devoting not one, but two individual blog posts to the topic. If you’re a self-published author feeling overwhelmed by Instagram, TikTok, and everything in between, our two-part social media marketing guide is for you.

Please read this whole blog before going to the second (linked below). This is an important element of your character’s development 😉

The “right” social media platforms for authors

There are tons of “best practice” articles out there that tell you which platforms you have to be on (all of them), how often you should post (multiple times a day), and what to share for best results (anything trending).

Honestly, those tips are just not practical for most authors. You still have to write your book, market your book outside of social media, and have a life! (Even hanging out and reading on the couch with your pets is a life.)

That’s why we recommend that authors choose social media platforms that feel best for them. It’s how you build confidence in your marketing skills, and even enjoy marketing your book — rather than see it as a chore.

If you’d prefer to write…

…we recommend Substack or Threads.

Substack calls itself “the home for great writers and readers,” which is pretty fitting, right? It’s basically a subscription network that lets you publish text content online, either in their app or in email. What’s cool is that YOU own whatever you publish and email, which unfortunately isn’t true for other platforms.

As for Threads, it’s Instagram’s text-based conversation app that made its debut in 2023. Think X, but without the scary history and politics. We’ve noticed brands and businesses using it to be less formal and have more fun with their content and their audience. Which you can do, too.

Speaking of X, you can totally use it to reach your audience if you’d like. We don’t recommend it because of the toad of a human who now owns it, but you do you.

If you don’t mind taking pics or making graphics…

…we recommend Instagram and TikTok.

There are three types of content you can create to market your book on Instagram: 

• Instagram posts
• Instagram graphics
• Instagram carousels

All of them live on your feed and can be created with images from your phone’s camera roll and/or simple graphics. You can even create TikTok carousels by uploading multiple images in the app now! (Here’s a tutorial.)

Insta and TikTok are right for you if you enjoy getting creative with your marketing, playing around with photography, or dabbling in Canva from time to time. And you still get to flex your writing skills in the caption and within the graphics themselves. 

If you don’t mind creating some video…

…we recommend Instagram and TikTok (again, but different).

Yes, we recommend Insta and TikTok again if you don’t mind making some videos, but also don’t want it to take over your life. Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels, and TikToks are perfect for this level of book marketing.

We like Instagram Stories for behind-the-scenes content, sharing feed posts, teasing new content, and engaging with audiences. If you’re promoting a new book, you could share a countdown until launch day, share a glimpse of cover art, remind people to pre-order, and so on. The possibilities!

With Instagram Reels and TikToks, there are sooo many ways to be creative with your visuals. You can talk to the camera. You can record a voice-over while showing footage of you doing other things. (We call that B-roll in the biz.) You can dance, you can get silly, you can lip-synch to a song…it’s your call.

If you don’t mind (or even enjoy) creating video…

…we recommend Insta, TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts.

Don’t mind creating videos at all? Do you even enjoy it? Then go all out with Instagram Stories, Reels, and TikToks! Experiment with different trends, memes, and audio. Try different video footage or recording from different angles. See what engages your audience most.

You can also look for opportunities to talk on people’s YouTube channels or podcasts that also release video. With interviews, you don’t have to rely solely on yourself to make the video interesting and engaging. Your chosen podcast host or BookTuber can help you reach a bigger audience and market your book successfully.

If you’d rather talk than be on video…

…we recommend podcasts.

If you’re one of those magical unicorns who doesn’t mind the sound of your own voice (tell  us your secrets, please), why not lean into podcasts? 

You can book interviews with podcasts hosts who don’t release videos of their episodes. You can start your own podcast. Or you can even start a private podcast on a voice channel, like Discord. You’re guaranteed to reach a part of your target audience that may not be on Bookstagram, BookTok, or BookTube.

Ready to get started with author social media?

Did you find the social media platforms you were looking for? Feeling a bit less intimidated by creating marketing content for your book? Great! That’s what we were aiming for.

Now, if you’re wondering where LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other social platforms are, bear in mind that these are our recommendations based on what readers use and what’s popular now. If you write non-fiction and you like LinkedIn, give it a shot! If you like creating graphics for Pinterest, add it to your content calendar.

Now that you’ve passed this chapter, you’re ready to move on to the next: The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing for Self-Published Authors: Part II! You’ve chosen your social media platforms. Now it’s time to brainstorm book marketing content, plan and schedule it, and watch your social following grow.