While peeling apples and baking pie Saturday, I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, Beyond the Book, hosted by Copyright Clearance Center. Their hot topic, “Bestsellers Born in Social Media” (September 1), focuses on an interview with an agent, talking about how publishers must encourage their authors to have some sort of social media platform. Better yet, authors should have a solid social media platform before even submitting their manuscripts. Yes!

If you are a writer, and you have hopes of adding “published author” to your resume, start working on your social media platform now. Common practice invites authors to begin with a website. As you add content to your web presence, that content can easily be transported to your other social media domains. Starting with a website is not the easiest platform, although free website hosts like WordPress do make the process a good starting place. My preference, my comfort zone, is withΒ easy-to-use social media like Facebook, but I also highly recommend creating an author page on Goodreads.
It doesn’t matter where you begin, only that you start. Here is a list of the platforms I’ve found most productive and easiest to use, with hopes in the near future to add podcasting in the mix.
- WordPress
- Goodreads
The best way to start, of course, is to start! Here are some examples of easy social media posting commentary:
- Testing out a few lines of poetry? Say so. Maybe even include a phrase or a line.
- Writing from your favorite nook? Say so. Maybe include a picture of your space, possibly with you in it!
- Visiting the archives and finding some fabulous document supporting your argument? Say so. And include a cell phone pic (if allowed . . . mind the archival site rules).
- Out for an evening stroll and spying a beautiful sunset? Say so. And include a cell phone pic.
- Enjoying a dinner out with friends? Say so. And include a cell phone pic.
- Working on obtaining blurbs for your new book? Say so.
- Corresponding with your publisher? Say so. You can include a pic of our logo or a link to our website http://www.ndsupress.org. π
- Feeling angst about posting on Twitter? Say so. Blame it on your publisher.
- Having an author photo made? Say so. And include the pic.
- For more ideas & to build up your following, follow other social media users . . . like us, at NDSU Press.
I want to read this book but cannot locate a copy. Even our spectacular library here in Columbus, Ohio, tells me they cannot locate a copy. Can you help me?
Hello, Darlene . . . I’m happy to help you out, but I am not sure which book you are looking for. All of our titles are available at our online bookstore. You can find your way there by clicking the “Shop Now” button on our web page. Libraries and bookstores can purchase our books at discounts. Maybe you could direct your librarian to our office by emailing me at suzzanneDOTkelleyATndsu.edu. Thanks!
The advice in this article is excellent and I like the convenience of having the various social media websites listed right in the article. Makes it an easy click without lots of searching. I had never thought about Pinterest. That was a new souce for me.
Thank you for that idea.
carolyn dahl