When you work in a coaching role like literary agents do, you tend to get a lot of the same questions. This is one of the big ones.
So, in the interest of efficiency, let’s hash it out right here. Should you self-publish or traditionally publish?
Tag: platform
Why Twitter Might Not Be Right For You as an Author
In the past few weeks, I’ve been getting a lot of questions from aspiring authors about Twitter. Everyone seems to want to know if they should be on it, why I like it so much, and whether they should focus more of their own book marketing efforts on it.
Well, like everything else in this age of digital marketing, the answers to those questions are a bit complex. So I’ll just go ahead and tell you why I love Twitter, and why I think it’s not right for all authors.
Many of my readers are nonfiction writers/bloggers rather than fiction writers. And there’s an important distinction there: practical nonfiction is often highly illustrated (with four-color photos), while fiction is almost always straight narrative (with black-and-white text). Why does this matter when it comes to social media? Am I just being picky for fun? Are all literary agents out to befuddle writers and make social media even more confusing?
I hope you’re thinking no to those questions. Right? Right?
Right! So the format of your future book really does matter when it comes to social media. For practical nonfiction writers/bloggers, your aesthetic is your brand. The design of your online properties, the images you include in your posts, and the images you curate and share on social media are all part of your brand. Practical nonfiction is inherently image-driven, and therefore, it’s best suited for image-driven platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook. (I’ll write more about the distinctions between these platforms next week.)
9 Books That Will Make You a Better Writer
Today I’m over on Bustle Books, sharing a list of my favorite books on writing and publishing. I think that, all too often, aspiring authors overlook craft books, thinking that it’s more worthwhile to read within your genre and soak up the style and form of someone else’s writing.
But there’s so much more to honing your craft than reading good books. There are underlying principles to all good writing, regardless of the genre, and it can take an entire lifetime to not only identify them, but execute them well. And who the heck has that much time? Especially with all the added pressure these days for authors to network, use social media, and build platforms.
So think of these books as your shortcut to learning the ins and outs of writing. Each of them is a master class in everything from decluttering your prose, to conquering procrastination, to building a platform, to plain old staying sane.
Read the full article here to see which books I think are essential for writers!
Read, Eat, Drink–Weekend Roundup
Read:
I loved seeing the lively debate happening on last week’s post about the need for an author platform. Is it just nonfiction writers who need to be concerned about platform? Or will the platform-pressure rise for fiction writers as the industry changes?
My guess? I see platforms becoming increasingly important for even fiction writers over the next few years. Look at the new crop of mega stars like John Green and Maureen Johnson–they’ve mastered the art of authentically connecting with fans. And this idea of “authentically connecting with fans” is really what platform is about. It’s not about shameless self-promotion, building a sales page for your book, or really, about selling your book at all. It’s about caring about the people who read your work, wanting to get to know them, and relishing your conversations with them. The Economist captured the new authorpreneurship movement well last week:
Authors are becoming more like pop stars, who used to make most of their money selling albums but who now use their recordings as promotional tools, earning a living mainly from concerts. The trouble with many budding writers is that they are not cut out for this new world. They are often introverts, preferring solitude to salesmanship. Readers these days want to get to know the creators of the books they buy. Diffident authors may feel uncomfortable with getting so close to their fans. But only the likes of Ms Lee can afford to stay mysterious.