So happy your videos are back! But for those writers who don’t have social media this is so sad. Starting to feel like it’s no longer about the story but about how many clicks and likes you can get. Totally get the positives of social media and how this makes it so much easier for publishers, but it’s a sad day for us who are overwhelmed by social media.
I briefly said this in response to another comment, but please do not be discouraged! Instead of worrying about getting a certain number of followers or making a specific number of posts, it's really more about being proud of your work, and posting about it on whichever social media platforms you are the most active on + enjoy the most! If I got a book deal, I would be thrilled to post it on my Twitter account that only has 300 followers because I've personally been keeping track of my writing journey there for years. My "brand" is person who loves diverse children's books. I am not going to put the pressure on myself to go viral or get followers. I am just there to be myself, use the social media I like using, and sharing my passion projects (+ other books I love) with other people :)
Welcome back guys! While I agree that authors should promote their book as much as they can and use what connections they have... the trade off of going traditional publishing versus indie is getting blurred here. I have to disagree with you. Writers are not marketers or advertisers or social media gurus, nor are they business experts and most dont have the skills neceasary. Most dont have large followings when first starting out as a debut author either. That takes years.. as does any endeavor like youtube etc on any social media platform. If writers are doing all of these things they are not writing! There are only so many hours in the day. The publishers need to focus on using the engine they have already built and offer more marketing and publicist options. So i do agree.. put it in the contract and negotiate it before you sign. If the publishers are not willing to do more social media to even help themselves out then negotiate to pay the writers a much bigger advance so they can hire a publicist and social media team to promote the book. The publishers should be investing in social media and marketing more for their own sakes and for their authors sakes. They also should hire teams of people who can help first time authors to help with marketing and social media. The publishers get more of the pie generally, they should be the ones investing so that they make more, along side agents and the author. Everyone gets more as the books that sell.
Thank you for the welcoming words! And you are not wrong. Lines are blurry and the trends/market are ever-changing along with social media platforms. Every author should definitely assess their own bandwidth, refer ti their contracts, and only participate in social media as much as they feel comfortable and able doing so (and only on platforms they enjoy), but we understand this is a nuanced topic! We are just noting what we have seen a lot of recently, but of course we are always fighting for our clients to have marketing support from their publishers. We're all on the same team!
Absolutely. The main reason I would seek traditional publishing is because of a publishing company's marketing, advertising and media reach. I don't have the funds or the social media reach for it. Otherwise I'd opt to keep 100% creative license to myself (to do what I want) and go Indie publishing.
The lines are definitely getting blurred, and sadly it's going in the direction of authors being responsible for their own social media presence. This is why I wonder more people aren't self publishing.
It might be interesting to have a publishing professional (like an editor) in on this conversation, and I'm definitely not that, but I think it's dangerous to have a lot of "publishers should" comments. From what I've read, the people in publishing are being squeezed from all sides - more work for each individual (fewer of them in a company), an influx of submissions, pressure to produce bestsellers (when nobody has the crystal ball to predict that accurately). Let's not demonize the industry. I think we should trust our agents to give us the best guidance and support possible in a volatile business.
I've missed you two so much with your videos. Glad you're back. Hope you didn't work so hard you passed out. Take care of yourself for the most part. I left Twitter a year ago and came to Threads. The Book Threads are jumping with activity. I follow a fair amount of Book Thread accounts to get ideas for my posts. It's just like Twitter, but easier to handle, to block users and the editing feature gives you 4 minutes of time do a quick edit. It's nice.
Instagram made my dyed fiber business. I can't imagine selling anything these days without social media. I have found it helpful to watch how other authors post on Instagram and also Threads. Thank you for another great video!
Just found your channel about a month ago! Glad you guys are back posting content! I've binged through every episode, I'm been itching for newer content
It's sooo great to see your smiling faces! This was the perfect topic! I've been so concerned about how to post what I see authors sharing about their books! I'm on Insta since that's home to my millennial readers and have been posting, making reels and staying relevant with stories! TY📚
Great to have you here! We love Instagram as well. It's definitely important to engage with the social platforms that you actually enjoy spending time on!
Welcome back! I was binge watching your TikTok posts and YT videos today and was excited to see a new video. I very recently started a separate professional IG account so this is perfect timing. Can’t wait for part 2!
I am SO excited you two are back! I’ve missed you so much! I really appreciated the clarification in this video; I knew we were supposed to have some sort of platform but did not know to what extent. Twitter has been an excellent place for me to connect with other writers and agents and editors, for sure.
We are so happy you're here! It's great to be present on platforms that you enjoy, but also know that that doesn't mean you necessarily NEED to have thousands of followers! It's more about having the information you want out there when it's time for a book to be published.
So nice to see your faces again! This is so true. My graphic novel Brielle and Bear came out last week and I've constantly been posting across all my socials, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter, even LinkedIn and on WhatsApp about it😂 The more posts you make the more you catch people that may not have heard about either your book or events you're doing, so it may seem excessive but it's absolutely necessary! It's how you get people aware and turning up to events you're doing - you're the champion of your book and brand, so shout about it🎉 Strangely, picture posts do even better than video posts for me on Tiktok which is a surprise as I only joined this year solely for making a page for my books😅
Congratulations on your graphic novel! Yes, I think some people worry too much about getting a certain number of followers or making a specific number of posts but it's really just about being proud of your work! If my book was getting published, of course I'd be thrilled to announce it on social media, even to my 100 followers!
Hey Jessica and James, glad you guys are back. I have one question regarding book deals- What if an author doesn't want to get two book deals or three book deals, for example they are having a somewhat time consuming day job and having a deadline for another book might hinder the creativity...I get there are good things about multi book deals, but it's also a pressure on Author, I for one think, being a slow writer, deadline might hinder and perhaps even detrimental to my process..
You absolutely do not have to accept a two or three-book deal. If anything, editors/publishers tend to offer that in a contract when they are trying to "sweeten the deal" for the author. If a book has no series potential and/or the author is not interested in extending that world, you likely wouldn't even be faced with this offer. The multiple book contracts are also more common when a publisher would like to keep you as an "in-house" author, meaning they want to work together in building your career long-term. You and your agent should be having these conversations about how you write/your bandwidth/career goals, so they will know how to best represent your interests during contract negotiations :)
After digging into the subject of using social media to promote a book, I read two conflicting things. One agent said social media doesn’t by and large sell books; a publicist said the opposite-that after a viewer has seen the book posted 7 times, they are more likely to buy it. I feel it’s the blurbs and the reviews (and a great cover) that help persuade - as an author you’ve got to get a lot of attention on social media (IG) WELL before your book is for sale/pre sale.
I'm glad to see you back. I'm just starting the query process for a MG novel and see that most agents ask for your website and social media. I'm curious about how that factors into their decisions about representation? I have a book blog and social media that goes with it, but have a very small following,
Honestly, most of the time we are just making sure you are not someone who spreads hate online! We can't speak for every agent or agency out there, but whether you have 10 followers or 10,000, asking for your social media/website is like skimming your resumé to assess your overall experience and/or professional demeanor. Are you yelling at people online? Being racist? Posting graphic, harmful images? These are things we have to look for!
Thanks a ton for the insights! The Justice Department going after TikTok makes me worry about investing energy in going that direction. Maybe I’m wrong in that?
Social media is SO ever-changing that all we can really recommend is using the social media platforms that you are the most comfortable on + enjoy the most! And then we tend to just pivot with the trends I guess. We never really know how long any site will be around for!
I have a tangential question. I was recently looking to submit a short story to a podcast that narrates short stories and will publish the text version alongside it. In their contract they use the term "Archival Rights" so that they can keep the content up on their site and continue to make money off it. From my understanding that would prevent me from ever including the story in a collection of selling in the future as a reprint. How should a writer handle this? If I wanted to expand one of the short stories into a full novel would they hold right and block publication? Does Archival Rights prevent the rights from returning to me forever?
It seems to me that social media selling books is very genre-dependent. I see romance and romantasy taking off but literary fiction and horror without romance? Maybe it's my algorithm for some reason...
Romance across genres is definitely trending at large as of right now! But algorithms do differ and trends do come and go. That's why it's more important to post on whatever social media platforms you are the most comfortable on + enjoy using the most. Sure, it's nice if someone goes viral, but authentic/word of mouth reviews and posts from people in your genres/circles are just as amazing!
I would say it's more helpful in cases where you need to establish yourself as an expert or a prominent voice in a certain field. Having a large platform would lend itself to your credibility in expertise if you're writing about climate change, for example. It's not impossible to get an agent without a following, but it does help you!
So happy your videos are back! But for those writers who don’t have social media this is so sad. Starting to feel like it’s no longer about the story but about how many clicks and likes you can get. Totally get the positives of social media and how this makes it so much easier for publishers, but it’s a sad day for us who are overwhelmed by social media.
I briefly said this in response to another comment, but please do not be discouraged! Instead of worrying about getting a certain number of followers or making a specific number of posts, it's really more about being proud of your work, and posting about it on whichever social media platforms you are the most active on + enjoy the most! If I got a book deal, I would be thrilled to post it on my Twitter account that only has 300 followers because I've personally been keeping track of my writing journey there for years. My "brand" is person who loves diverse children's books. I am not going to put the pressure on myself to go viral or get followers. I am just there to be myself, use the social media I like using, and sharing my passion projects (+ other books I love) with other people :)
Welcome back guys! While I agree that authors should promote their book as much as they can and use what connections they have... the trade off of going traditional publishing versus indie is getting blurred here. I have to disagree with you. Writers are not marketers or advertisers or social media gurus, nor are they business experts and most dont have the skills neceasary. Most dont have large followings when first starting out as a debut author either. That takes years.. as does any endeavor like youtube etc on any social media platform. If writers are doing all of these things they are not writing! There are only so many hours in the day. The publishers need to focus on using the engine they have already built and offer more marketing and publicist options. So i do agree.. put it in the contract and negotiate it before you sign. If the publishers are not willing to do more social media to even help themselves out then negotiate to pay the writers a much bigger advance so they can hire a publicist and social media team to promote the book. The publishers should be investing in social media and marketing more for their own sakes and for their authors sakes. They also should hire teams of people who can help first time authors to help with marketing and social media. The publishers get more of the pie generally, they should be the ones investing so that they make more, along side agents and the author. Everyone gets more as the books that sell.
Thank you for the welcoming words! And you are not wrong. Lines are blurry and the trends/market are ever-changing along with social media platforms. Every author should definitely assess their own bandwidth, refer ti their contracts, and only participate in social media as much as they feel comfortable and able doing so (and only on platforms they enjoy), but we understand this is a nuanced topic! We are just noting what we have seen a lot of recently, but of course we are always fighting for our clients to have marketing support from their publishers. We're all on the same team!
Absolutely. The main reason I would seek traditional publishing is because of a publishing company's marketing, advertising and media reach. I don't have the funds or the social media reach for it. Otherwise I'd opt to keep 100% creative license to myself (to do what I want) and go Indie publishing.
The lines are definitely getting blurred, and sadly it's going in the direction of authors being responsible for their own social media presence. This is why I wonder more people aren't self publishing.
It might be interesting to have a publishing professional (like an editor) in on this conversation, and I'm definitely not that, but I think it's dangerous to have a lot of "publishers should" comments. From what I've read, the people in publishing are being squeezed from all sides - more work for each individual (fewer of them in a company), an influx of submissions, pressure to produce bestsellers (when nobody has the crystal ball to predict that accurately). Let's not demonize the industry. I think we should trust our agents to give us the best guidance and support possible in a volatile business.
I've missed you two so much with your videos. Glad you're back. Hope you didn't work so hard you passed out. Take care of yourself for the most part. I left Twitter a year ago and came to Threads. The Book Threads are jumping with activity. I follow a fair amount of Book Thread accounts to get ideas for my posts. It's just like Twitter, but easier to handle, to block users and the editing feature gives you 4 minutes of time do a quick edit. It's nice.
Instagram made my dyed fiber business. I can't imagine selling anything these days without social media. I have found it helpful to watch how other authors post on Instagram and also Threads. Thank you for another great video!
YOU'RE BACK !!!! Cue enthusiastic celebratory happy dance!!!!
We are back! And we are so happy you're here!
Just found your channel about a month ago! Glad you guys are back posting content! I've binged through every episode, I'm been itching for newer content
Yay! We are so happy you're here. We'll be back to posting at least 2 videos a month, so you have more content to look forward to!
It's sooo great to see your smiling faces! This was the perfect topic! I've been so concerned about how to post what I see authors sharing about their books! I'm on Insta since that's home to my millennial readers and have been posting, making reels and staying relevant with stories! TY📚
Great to have you here! We love Instagram as well. It's definitely important to engage with the social platforms that you actually enjoy spending time on!
Welcome back! I was binge watching your TikTok posts and YT videos today and was excited to see a new video. I very recently started a separate professional IG account so this is perfect timing. Can’t wait for part 2!
Welcome back, I missed your videos!
I am SO excited you two are back! I’ve missed you so much! I really appreciated the clarification in this video; I knew we were supposed to have some sort of platform but did not know to what extent. Twitter has been an excellent place for me to connect with other writers and agents and editors, for sure.
We are so happy you're here! It's great to be present on platforms that you enjoy, but also know that that doesn't mean you necessarily NEED to have thousands of followers! It's more about having the information you want out there when it's time for a book to be published.
It’s so great to have you back!
Thank you so much!
Missed your videos. Glad you're back! Your content has been very helpful on my writing journey.
We're so happy you're here, and so glad to hear that our videos have been helpful!
So happy you're back!!! This is such a great topic.
Thank you for being here!
I’ve missed your videos!! Happy to see you both back!
Thank you for being here!
So nice to see your faces again! This is so true. My graphic novel Brielle and Bear came out last week and I've constantly been posting across all my socials, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter, even LinkedIn and on WhatsApp about it😂 The more posts you make the more you catch people that may not have heard about either your book or events you're doing, so it may seem excessive but it's absolutely necessary! It's how you get people aware and turning up to events you're doing - you're the champion of your book and brand, so shout about it🎉 Strangely, picture posts do even better than video posts for me on Tiktok which is a surprise as I only joined this year solely for making a page for my books😅
Congratulations on your graphic novel! Yes, I think some people worry too much about getting a certain number of followers or making a specific number of posts but it's really just about being proud of your work! If my book was getting published, of course I'd be thrilled to announce it on social media, even to my 100 followers!
@@BookEndsLiteraryabsolutely!! It's something to share and celebrate and tell everyone about for sure! 📚📚😁 And thank you!! 🎉
Thank you for the insight!
You're very welcome!
Hey Jessica and James, glad you guys are back.
I have one question regarding book deals- What if an author doesn't want to get two book deals or three book deals, for example they are having a somewhat time consuming day job and having a deadline for another book might hinder the creativity...I get there are good things about multi book deals, but it's also a pressure on Author, I for one think, being a slow writer, deadline might hinder and perhaps even detrimental to my process..
You absolutely do not have to accept a two or three-book deal. If anything, editors/publishers tend to offer that in a contract when they are trying to "sweeten the deal" for the author. If a book has no series potential and/or the author is not interested in extending that world, you likely wouldn't even be faced with this offer. The multiple book contracts are also more common when a publisher would like to keep you as an "in-house" author, meaning they want to work together in building your career long-term. You and your agent should be having these conversations about how you write/your bandwidth/career goals, so they will know how to best represent your interests during contract negotiations :)
Omg! Is this a new Bookends video in my feed?! Where have you been?
We took a break, but we are BACK! Thanks for being here!
Your back! 👏👏
We're back!
Thank you for this content
After digging into the subject of using social media to promote a book, I read two conflicting things. One agent said social media doesn’t by and large sell books; a publicist said the opposite-that after a viewer has seen the book posted 7 times, they are more likely to buy it. I feel it’s the blurbs and the reviews (and a great cover) that help persuade - as an author you’ve got to get a lot of attention on social media (IG) WELL before your book is for sale/pre sale.
I'm glad to see you back. I'm just starting the query process for a MG novel and see that most agents ask for your website and social media. I'm curious about how that factors into their decisions about representation? I have a book blog and social media that goes with it, but have a very small following,
Honestly, most of the time we are just making sure you are not someone who spreads hate online! We can't speak for every agent or agency out there, but whether you have 10 followers or 10,000, asking for your social media/website is like skimming your resumé to assess your overall experience and/or professional demeanor. Are you yelling at people online? Being racist? Posting graphic, harmful images? These are things we have to look for!
Outside of that, I think larger followers are more helpful when you are trying to establish credibility as an expert in your field!
Thanks a ton for the insights! The Justice Department going after TikTok makes me worry about investing energy in going that direction. Maybe I’m wrong in that?
Social media is SO ever-changing that all we can really recommend is using the social media platforms that you are the most comfortable on + enjoy the most! And then we tend to just pivot with the trends I guess. We never really know how long any site will be around for!
I have a tangential question. I was recently looking to submit a short story to a podcast that narrates short stories and will publish the text version alongside it. In their contract they use the term "Archival Rights" so that they can keep the content up on their site and continue to make money off it. From my understanding that would prevent me from ever including the story in a collection of selling in the future as a reprint. How should a writer handle this? If I wanted to expand one of the short stories into a full novel would they hold right and block publication? Does Archival Rights prevent the rights from returning to me forever?
Is there any issue of talking about your book on X and discussing titles as you are querying, or is it best to wait?
the prodigal children return
We hath returned!
It seems to me that social media selling books is very genre-dependent. I see romance and romantasy taking off but literary fiction and horror without romance? Maybe it's my algorithm for some reason...
Romance across genres is definitely trending at large as of right now! But algorithms do differ and trends do come and go. That's why it's more important to post on whatever social media platforms you are the most comfortable on + enjoy using the most. Sure, it's nice if someone goes viral, but authentic/word of mouth reviews and posts from people in your genres/circles are just as amazing!
Does having a robust following help your chances of getting an agent ?
I would say it's more helpful in cases where you need to establish yourself as an expert or a prominent voice in a certain field. Having a large platform would lend itself to your credibility in expertise if you're writing about climate change, for example. It's not impossible to get an agent without a following, but it does help you!