The Importance of Social Media in Selling Your Work

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By Rachel Pilcher,

Founder- Fort Worth Writer's Boot Camp &

Publisher- Sleeping Panther Press

I meet writers weekly who struggle to get the word out about their writing, whether it’s books they’ve already published, or stories they’ve submitted to literary journals. One of the first questions I ask is about their social media presence. Why is this so important? Well, if you intend to get your work published, it is vital that you are able to provide publishers with proof that people are actually interested in what you are writing. The easiest way to do this is to have active followers on social media and your website.

I cannot emphasize enough how much having an active social media account, where you post at least three times a week, along with a frequently updated website, is fundamental to selling your writing. A majority of publishers will not take a chance on an author who has no or very little online presence, especially a social media presence. Using Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter to promote your work not only reaches out to those who will read you, it shows publishers that you already have a built-in audience for potential book sales.

It may seem like a lot of work to create and update a Facebook page, or keep up with Instagram, but consider how much time you will be spending trying to get word out about your writing to get readers. Many writers are concerned that this will take away from valuable writing time. It ends up being time well spent, especially as you build followers. By sharing, but also commenting, you are interacting with potential readers who will remember you when it comes time for the publication of your writing.