I love this part about making friends on the internet, and then friends will want to buy your book.
Case in point: I, to this day, have a small number of sales that regularly happen in Germany, even though I've never tried to reach Germany in any way with my marketing. Instead, I was on a forum where I used to chat a lot, and I'd made online friends with a German girl who got really excited when I offhand mentioned I was publishing a new book, and she went and bought it and recommended it to all her IRL friends. And that was enough of an algorithm boost that a few more Germans also started to read the series. And now I have this very small dedicated readership in Germany that brings in new sales every time I put out a new book. All because I found someone on a forum who I could talk to about sewing and embroidery, being the only two of us there who shared that interest, and chatted away to her, years ago.
This is the PERFECT example of what I'm talking about!! And it's even better that it's just a handful of sales (I mean, I wish you a million sales but for illustrative purposes here)--This one interaction didn't get you a billion followers or sales. But it got you *dedicated* followers that lead to sales, through authentic interaction. That's the whole thing! It all adds up! Well done.
I wish myself a million sales too, but 😂 I do like it being this small group because I can see the echoes of this interaction carrying on through time. If I had millions I wouldn't even realise it was still happening!
I love that part also. I am happy that you have had success with friends who want to purchase your work. I have met so many marvelous friends on the internet through the years. I have a friend in Scotland, one in Portugal, one in Denmark, one in Italy, one in France, one in Greece, and many in the U.S. I have laughed with them, cried with them, and grieved the loss of one recently who lost her battle with cancer. Remote connections can become such powerful and meaningful connections. My writing group friend who I met online in January in a virtual retreat just had an article published in Bella Grace magazine. I rejoiced with her. I ran to the newsstand to buy it. I wrote a post about it and shared a list of Things I Love that included the magazine and finding out my friends have published. (I also love sewing and embroidery, but I love knitting more : )
Game changer when writing papers (or books, in your case): have you tried the Zotero add-on to Word? You can scan a book or paper's code, use an ISBN, etc. to load your references, and then when you're done with said paper or book, and you've chosen how you want to cite (Chicago, MLA, etc.), Zotero will do your footnotes OR bibliography FOR YOU! Maybe you know about this already. But it saves SO. MUCH. TIME.
Just FYI, people sometimes ask me about how to get a book published and my go to first answer is: follow Kate McKean on Substack. Then I sometimes share other ideas too.
As someone who hates small talk, I love the idea of having deep, meaningful conversations with my -hopefully- future readers. I haven't figured out how I want to use my platform just yet, but this stack reminded me that I don't-have- to do the icky thing just because it's the way it's being done by most people.
I see what you did there. You plugged in another person's book to symbiotically build up a parasocial relationship in the hopes that it organically boomerangs and leads to real growth and relationship!
Everyone, check out my substack! I rarely post there but I'm doing my dogonest right now to build up my social presence by making quasiconnections on other blogs. Actually, I only go to my own blog when I'm not writing a novel myself, so pardon the lack of presence...
In all honesty I do get annoyed how the person I met for one night in Bangkok and added to my digital harem keeps coming onto me every night. I mean, whatever happened to my real college friends who I added to my social media netwok years ago and I'm quite sure, though I've never verified, are still my friends online but who never appear in my feed? What's cookin? What are they up to? Where are my real friends - not some digital harem follower friend whom I never have real word-conversations with except for the occasional thumbing action.
I've thrown about as much jargon as I know out there in this response to remain relevant. I really am an in-person person but, alas, I'm realizing in this digital world the only real thing that counts is the number of followers you have and re-stacks/post/threads/alley-oops you get. As for me, I'm in the editing phase of my novel, which means I'm really not working (my editor is) and allows me the time to come on here and spit out some some copious non-novel brain thoughts. Sorry yall! ><
Thanks for your post Kate! I feel like I am in good company and not alone in the novel/book writing, not writing stage. Keep 'em coming!
Your platform is not a digital harem. That positions you, the author, at the top, and all your followers there to do your bidding (metaphorically speaking). That's what I'm saying doesn't work here. You have to approach social media--however you use it--like a 1:1 conversation, not a proclamation from on high. In person connections count too, of course. They count in your personal life moreover, but they also might count in your professional life. But what I'm talking about here is building connections online that might lead to professional advancement, on top of many other things. You do that by talking to people, not talking AT people. I think you get this! But I wanted to make that clear.
But what about Taylor Swift and her most recent announcement to her swifties? lol.
Politics aside, I guess that's why I went with the metaphorics. You bring up an interesting point though. As a result (somewhat) of blogging, I've ended up sending digital letters to people individually. By that I mean long form letter in electronic mail. The responses have been positive and personal, not just generic thumbs up likes, and that in and of itself has been very encouraging.
I have sent emails and even snail mail missives to people here and there. I love snail mail, and am working on building up a guild called Quill and Ink where members who value the handwritten word engage in letter writing and/or hand writing to accompany typewritten works.
I have a theory that we can become more popular as writers to strangers than to those who have known us IRL. Something about not being valued in your own backyard. I don't get many alley-oops and have been hoping to break 100 subscribers for over a year, but I keep plugging along. I Substack post every week, but that tugs me away from making swift and meaningful progress on my debut novel. You are ahead of me in success, but definitely not alone in the plight of the writer.
For a new novelist to build an online following is devilishly hard. This is probably true for a new anyone. But you do your best, out of love for your topic, whatever that may be, and let the chips fall where they may.
"Devilishly hard for a new anyone" is mostly true, but I find that some newbies who choose a niche that fills a hunger in the audience can super rocket to the forefront. Unfortunately, it is usually when they are writing about how others can super rocket to the forefront. I want to write creatively and not build myself on a platform that sells how to sell, if that makes sense. Is it possible? I sure hope so.
Thanks for sharing your great tips Kate. I've started doing a few of these things over the last couple of years so it's great reinforcement that I'm on the right track (because honestly working on your own it's hard to know sometimes, right?!?). You've also given me some new ideas to implement as well, which I can't wait to try. All of which is very helpful and very much appreciated! 🙏
This is really interesting for me. When I joined Substack (in March) I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I just liked the look of it and I thought it would be a good fit for me, as someone who enjoys reading, writing and drawing.
I now have a purpose for my Substack Page, and it is to keep me accountable to myself as a writer, not necessarily to grow followers. I use Substack to learn things and to hone my writing skills- and to link my writing to my art skills.
I don't like talking about myself, and I find it easier to write from the point of view of a character in a novel. The alter-ego (Anna Meringue) who's perspective I write from, writes a Note every day, based on a weekly theme that is set in a Post every Sunday and summarised every Saturday!
All the themes are to do with books or writing, particularly from the point of view of someone writing their first novel. (I am on the third draft of my first novel irl).
This week's theme is about endings in novels, specifically which books have the most effective last lines. Check out @thegleefuldabbler if you want to know more.
This perhaps sounds confusing and is an approach that I may well adapt in future, but I am really enjoying myself at the moment. I feel like I have a lot of freedom to explore, and I feel very motivated.
Agents and Books is my favourite site, I am finding it invaluable. It is really helpful to collect so much insider information whilst my novel is in progress. Thank you Kate, for all that you do.
This goes against what I have seen at times on social media, which is authors largely talking about their own journey, their own brand etc, and not mentioning other books/authors because it's seen as currying favour. But as a lifelong bookworm I like writing about books I've loved so it's good to see that this approach is acceptable!
This is not what you were going for but WOW that graphic realllllly resonates with me in the work I have done in labor and tenant organizing. Many of us who think “organizing” think the work is about “making people aware” which mostly consists of one-way communication. But in reality the most effective organizing is one-on-one conversations to get to know people in an authentic way, hear what they care about, build a relationship, support each other.
Deeply appreciating the parallel between these two worlds. Great post.
Thanks for the practical advice. I had just decided to devote (at least) an hour a day to writer-related social media and platform building and yours is the first post I read. And now I have to read Memento Mori.
This is immensely helpful. Number three is definitely the most scary; putting yourself put there and trying to build relationships with people online. It opens you up to rejection. But I’m hoping I can get over that. Thanks for posting this; it’s inspired me to try and step out of my comfort zone!
I love this part about making friends on the internet, and then friends will want to buy your book.
Case in point: I, to this day, have a small number of sales that regularly happen in Germany, even though I've never tried to reach Germany in any way with my marketing. Instead, I was on a forum where I used to chat a lot, and I'd made online friends with a German girl who got really excited when I offhand mentioned I was publishing a new book, and she went and bought it and recommended it to all her IRL friends. And that was enough of an algorithm boost that a few more Germans also started to read the series. And now I have this very small dedicated readership in Germany that brings in new sales every time I put out a new book. All because I found someone on a forum who I could talk to about sewing and embroidery, being the only two of us there who shared that interest, and chatted away to her, years ago.
This is the PERFECT example of what I'm talking about!! And it's even better that it's just a handful of sales (I mean, I wish you a million sales but for illustrative purposes here)--This one interaction didn't get you a billion followers or sales. But it got you *dedicated* followers that lead to sales, through authentic interaction. That's the whole thing! It all adds up! Well done.
I wish myself a million sales too, but 😂 I do like it being this small group because I can see the echoes of this interaction carrying on through time. If I had millions I wouldn't even realise it was still happening!
I love that part also. I am happy that you have had success with friends who want to purchase your work. I have met so many marvelous friends on the internet through the years. I have a friend in Scotland, one in Portugal, one in Denmark, one in Italy, one in France, one in Greece, and many in the U.S. I have laughed with them, cried with them, and grieved the loss of one recently who lost her battle with cancer. Remote connections can become such powerful and meaningful connections. My writing group friend who I met online in January in a virtual retreat just had an article published in Bella Grace magazine. I rejoiced with her. I ran to the newsstand to buy it. I wrote a post about it and shared a list of Things I Love that included the magazine and finding out my friends have published. (I also love sewing and embroidery, but I love knitting more : )
Kate,
Game changer when writing papers (or books, in your case): have you tried the Zotero add-on to Word? You can scan a book or paper's code, use an ISBN, etc. to load your references, and then when you're done with said paper or book, and you've chosen how you want to cite (Chicago, MLA, etc.), Zotero will do your footnotes OR bibliography FOR YOU! Maybe you know about this already. But it saves SO. MUCH. TIME.
xo,
elissa
Just FYI, people sometimes ask me about how to get a book published and my go to first answer is: follow Kate McKean on Substack. Then I sometimes share other ideas too.
It is definitely a good first step!
As someone who hates small talk, I love the idea of having deep, meaningful conversations with my -hopefully- future readers. I haven't figured out how I want to use my platform just yet, but this stack reminded me that I don't-have- to do the icky thing just because it's the way it's being done by most people.
I see what you did there. You plugged in another person's book to symbiotically build up a parasocial relationship in the hopes that it organically boomerangs and leads to real growth and relationship!
Everyone, check out my substack! I rarely post there but I'm doing my dogonest right now to build up my social presence by making quasiconnections on other blogs. Actually, I only go to my own blog when I'm not writing a novel myself, so pardon the lack of presence...
In all honesty I do get annoyed how the person I met for one night in Bangkok and added to my digital harem keeps coming onto me every night. I mean, whatever happened to my real college friends who I added to my social media netwok years ago and I'm quite sure, though I've never verified, are still my friends online but who never appear in my feed? What's cookin? What are they up to? Where are my real friends - not some digital harem follower friend whom I never have real word-conversations with except for the occasional thumbing action.
I've thrown about as much jargon as I know out there in this response to remain relevant. I really am an in-person person but, alas, I'm realizing in this digital world the only real thing that counts is the number of followers you have and re-stacks/post/threads/alley-oops you get. As for me, I'm in the editing phase of my novel, which means I'm really not working (my editor is) and allows me the time to come on here and spit out some some copious non-novel brain thoughts. Sorry yall! ><
Thanks for your post Kate! I feel like I am in good company and not alone in the novel/book writing, not writing stage. Keep 'em coming!
Your platform is not a digital harem. That positions you, the author, at the top, and all your followers there to do your bidding (metaphorically speaking). That's what I'm saying doesn't work here. You have to approach social media--however you use it--like a 1:1 conversation, not a proclamation from on high. In person connections count too, of course. They count in your personal life moreover, but they also might count in your professional life. But what I'm talking about here is building connections online that might lead to professional advancement, on top of many other things. You do that by talking to people, not talking AT people. I think you get this! But I wanted to make that clear.
But what about Taylor Swift and her most recent announcement to her swifties? lol.
Politics aside, I guess that's why I went with the metaphorics. You bring up an interesting point though. As a result (somewhat) of blogging, I've ended up sending digital letters to people individually. By that I mean long form letter in electronic mail. The responses have been positive and personal, not just generic thumbs up likes, and that in and of itself has been very encouraging.
Cheers.
I have sent emails and even snail mail missives to people here and there. I love snail mail, and am working on building up a guild called Quill and Ink where members who value the handwritten word engage in letter writing and/or hand writing to accompany typewritten works.
I have a theory that we can become more popular as writers to strangers than to those who have known us IRL. Something about not being valued in your own backyard. I don't get many alley-oops and have been hoping to break 100 subscribers for over a year, but I keep plugging along. I Substack post every week, but that tugs me away from making swift and meaningful progress on my debut novel. You are ahead of me in success, but definitely not alone in the plight of the writer.
For a new novelist to build an online following is devilishly hard. This is probably true for a new anyone. But you do your best, out of love for your topic, whatever that may be, and let the chips fall where they may.
"Devilishly hard for a new anyone" is mostly true, but I find that some newbies who choose a niche that fills a hunger in the audience can super rocket to the forefront. Unfortunately, it is usually when they are writing about how others can super rocket to the forefront. I want to write creatively and not build myself on a platform that sells how to sell, if that makes sense. Is it possible? I sure hope so.
I really appreciate your thoughtful and practical advice!
Just what authors need to hear when it comes to building their platforms!
Thanks for sharing your great tips Kate. I've started doing a few of these things over the last couple of years so it's great reinforcement that I'm on the right track (because honestly working on your own it's hard to know sometimes, right?!?). You've also given me some new ideas to implement as well, which I can't wait to try. All of which is very helpful and very much appreciated! 🙏
Simple and true, every bit. Thanks for sharing, and the humor too. ^_^
This is really interesting for me. When I joined Substack (in March) I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I just liked the look of it and I thought it would be a good fit for me, as someone who enjoys reading, writing and drawing.
I now have a purpose for my Substack Page, and it is to keep me accountable to myself as a writer, not necessarily to grow followers. I use Substack to learn things and to hone my writing skills- and to link my writing to my art skills.
I don't like talking about myself, and I find it easier to write from the point of view of a character in a novel. The alter-ego (Anna Meringue) who's perspective I write from, writes a Note every day, based on a weekly theme that is set in a Post every Sunday and summarised every Saturday!
All the themes are to do with books or writing, particularly from the point of view of someone writing their first novel. (I am on the third draft of my first novel irl).
This week's theme is about endings in novels, specifically which books have the most effective last lines. Check out @thegleefuldabbler if you want to know more.
This perhaps sounds confusing and is an approach that I may well adapt in future, but I am really enjoying myself at the moment. I feel like I have a lot of freedom to explore, and I feel very motivated.
Agents and Books is my favourite site, I am finding it invaluable. It is really helpful to collect so much insider information whilst my novel is in progress. Thank you Kate, for all that you do.
This goes against what I have seen at times on social media, which is authors largely talking about their own journey, their own brand etc, and not mentioning other books/authors because it's seen as currying favour. But as a lifelong bookworm I like writing about books I've loved so it's good to see that this approach is acceptable!
This is not what you were going for but WOW that graphic realllllly resonates with me in the work I have done in labor and tenant organizing. Many of us who think “organizing” think the work is about “making people aware” which mostly consists of one-way communication. But in reality the most effective organizing is one-on-one conversations to get to know people in an authentic way, hear what they care about, build a relationship, support each other.
Deeply appreciating the parallel between these two worlds. Great post.
Thanks for the practical advice. I had just decided to devote (at least) an hour a day to writer-related social media and platform building and yours is the first post I read. And now I have to read Memento Mori.
This is immensely helpful. Number three is definitely the most scary; putting yourself put there and trying to build relationships with people online. It opens you up to rejection. But I’m hoping I can get over that. Thanks for posting this; it’s inspired me to try and step out of my comfort zone!
This is so helpful