It's text based, you can build good visibility with even a few posts a week (which like all platforms, can be scheduled). There are vibrant communities of people looking for advice on publishing. LinkedIn Live video conversations are casual and technology wise, pretty simple. One key to LinkedIn is for you to comment on other people's posts as a way to build visibility.
As for TikTok, we recommend to authors not interested in creating videos/starting a new platform (and that is OK!) is to "pitch" others on TikTok who are already talking about the subject, offer them a review copy of the book, and ask them if they are interested in covering the book in some way. Easier said than done!! But many publishers/publicists have lists of people to contact or know how to research good candidates.
No matter your path, Kate, your information is SO VALUABLE that wherever people find it, they will learn a TON. :)
I can tell you (as someone whose book launches in a month from today) that i have 1700 followers on IG and 150 on TikTok, where i only started posting recently. I post the same videos on both at the same time and within minutes i have 800 likes and a bunch of comments and reposts on TikTok and crickets on IG. No one see content on IG anymore.
Hmmmm ... this is really interesting. Are you seeing any impact on your pre-orders? I have a book coming out in October and I've been kind of dragging my feet on whether to join the TikTok revolution.
My author portal doesn't show any orders until pub date so I have no idea what my preorder numbers are. I suppose I could ask my editor (or is there another way to know?). I am so not a video person though it's getting easier. The whole promo thing made me want to throw up for a very long time until I realized it's actually my job if I want this thing I'm so passionate about to see the light of day. I also went into this thinking I was going to emulate Dr. Becky but she has a large staff and makes it look a lot easier than it is, plus she's a natural. I use teleprompter a lot, hired a college kid to help, and have stopped feeling like I need to shower first so it's getting easier. But it all just feels like throwing spaghetti at the wall and you won't really know what worked until later. So that's my answer...clear as mud :)
FWIW… . I subscribe to the notion that you will always be better off writing the next book than marketing your own. That said, the reality is we do need to help the book along on our socials.
I have a TikTok that goes unused, but I love instagram’s book community I do a mix of stills and reels. But since I have exactly zero talent with video, I’ve been working with a wonderful film school grad who makes my reels for me. (It’s very clear which are hers and which are mine.) If the $$ for that isn’t an option, a great solution is to reach out to your local colleges. The students need the internships, and they are super talented in this space, on top of all the trends and buzz. That’s a win-win for everyone.
Ooh this is such a good topic. I think about it a lot. I am pretty certain I'll never start a TikTok account because the dislike I have for creating video content outweighs any desire for more views or even sales 😂 but I am following along with much intrigue! :)
I know a self-published writer who loves the camera, works the film, and has had fabulous success. I am not sure all of us can be that person: how many of us really think of our native habitat as being in front of the camera? The social media platform guru, Allison K Williams (aka Guerilla Memoir) cautions us to find the social media outlets that are continuations of "our" audience, which would suggest that if your would-be audience is on TikTok, then go there? She also likes to think in terms of "bridges" to readers/audience, rather than "platform." It's a nice shift in metaphors...
Loved your article. Knowing who owns TikTok I couldn’t be on there. I have been self videoing and editing for years. I totally understand your dilemma.
I have found an app called Teleprompter that helps cut down on editing and getting the ums and ahs out. Writing out your script also cuts down on editing and makes it easier and faster to edit.
Anyway teleprompter is awesome because you can make the font as large as it needs to be and set the speed and read along right on your front camera. Grab that selfie stick and get talking. ;) I hope this helps.
Since Kamala became the candidate, Threads is GOING OFF. It's quite a fun community now. So fun that I had to delete the app from my phone because in a few days I logged seven hours on it. Ugh! But it's just like old Twitter.
Also, just go for it on TikTok! I think you're right that people will be hungry for your content over there. The only way you'll find your right posting style is to DO it. I have a book coming out in late October and I'm dragging my feet on reels and such ... it's a farming book and I feel like so much of farming content is really pretty and I don't really do "pretty." So, yeah. I'm having these conversations with myself over here right now too. But to YOU I can just say GO FOR IT! I know people are going to love your book!
Agree on Threads! I was on Twitter for years and had way more followers there but the engagment that I (and many others I know) have been getting on Threads recently is a lot more than I used to see on Twitter most of the time.
Just so you all know, TikTok posts don't have to be video. You can get a lot of likes for a still photo like you post on Instagram. And there's plenty of room for text and hashtags (you can also narrate offscreen as I mostly do). So BookTok is not too different from Bookstagram. I love the platform, mostly because of all the book love I see on it. And indie author love! It is so very heartening to see.
Oh, I have about 800 followers on TT, and have gotten some great reviews of my memoir on BookTok just by following folks I like and interacting. I have never spent more than 30 minutes on TT, mostly becauseI only watch stuff by friends. Who knows if it helps book sales but it definitely helps my outlook!
Kate, as an author, I asked myself this question a few years ago (re going on TikTok), especially after a newly self-published author I met sold 1,000 copies of her brand new book overnight...through TikTok. Well, bollocks to all that. These are mainly (still) unicorn events. I'm a good model for what happens when a not-photogenic middle-aged person who doesn't edit video or employ fancy filters posts reliably on TikTok--sharing useful content on writing, not self-promoting. (And you can post these same reels to Instagram, so it's a two-fer.) On balance, it's worth it--if you don't expect miracles. Check out my plain vanilla posts here: https://tiktok.com/amylbernsteinauthor
oh boy do I feel this deep in my bones....I'm a few weeks late (surprise!) but enjoyed knowing that others look at Tiktok and go "oh I could do that...." Only to rarely if ever do it. What I have done:
1. post my face thre
2. post B-roll with overlaid text
3. post more of my face
4. Post me talking and also me lip syncing
5. Post crap from Capcut.
And I never (ever ever ever) get more than about 250 views and very few actual interactions. Let me know if you ever uncover the secret!
I’ve been on TikTok for about 3 years, 26k followers and the best advice I had that helped me was to think of it like IG stories- videos can be less curated and perfect looking. Videos where you flick through the book with an enticing book like ‘this book will [fill in the blank]’ then showing the cover at the last moment are good for selling on there
Very intrigued to follow along on your Tik Tok journey... definitely an avenue for engagement that's worth considering. If your research goes further, please share your findings (and your Tik Toks 😂)
I gave TikTok the old college try for all the reasons you mentioned—wanting to please my publisher, wanting to do everything in my power to promote my books, etc.—and I HATED it. Just, like, every single aspect of prepping, filming, editing, posting, promoting, and being in that world. To be fair, I did not expect to *enjoy* it; I find “content creation” an exhausting concept and the gamification of our app-based existence makes me crazy. But I didn’t expect to actively loathe “being on TikTok” as much as I did. I thought it would wind up in a “necessary evil” category re: book promo but instead I just walked away after about 50 posts and never looked back 🤷🏻♀️
Y'all these are some GREAT comments! Thank you! I have even more to think about and not in an *omg I'm so stressed out* way!
LinkedIn is a platform to consider.
It's text based, you can build good visibility with even a few posts a week (which like all platforms, can be scheduled). There are vibrant communities of people looking for advice on publishing. LinkedIn Live video conversations are casual and technology wise, pretty simple. One key to LinkedIn is for you to comment on other people's posts as a way to build visibility.
As for TikTok, we recommend to authors not interested in creating videos/starting a new platform (and that is OK!) is to "pitch" others on TikTok who are already talking about the subject, offer them a review copy of the book, and ask them if they are interested in covering the book in some way. Easier said than done!! But many publishers/publicists have lists of people to contact or know how to research good candidates.
No matter your path, Kate, your information is SO VALUABLE that wherever people find it, they will learn a TON. :)
I can tell you (as someone whose book launches in a month from today) that i have 1700 followers on IG and 150 on TikTok, where i only started posting recently. I post the same videos on both at the same time and within minutes i have 800 likes and a bunch of comments and reposts on TikTok and crickets on IG. No one see content on IG anymore.
Hmmmm ... this is really interesting. Are you seeing any impact on your pre-orders? I have a book coming out in October and I've been kind of dragging my feet on whether to join the TikTok revolution.
My author portal doesn't show any orders until pub date so I have no idea what my preorder numbers are. I suppose I could ask my editor (or is there another way to know?). I am so not a video person though it's getting easier. The whole promo thing made me want to throw up for a very long time until I realized it's actually my job if I want this thing I'm so passionate about to see the light of day. I also went into this thinking I was going to emulate Dr. Becky but she has a large staff and makes it look a lot easier than it is, plus she's a natural. I use teleprompter a lot, hired a college kid to help, and have stopped feeling like I need to shower first so it's getting easier. But it all just feels like throwing spaghetti at the wall and you won't really know what worked until later. So that's my answer...clear as mud :)
Way to go! I'm going to have to go check out your content! (Although I'll probably look at it on IG since I don't have TT on my phone at the moment!)
FWIW… . I subscribe to the notion that you will always be better off writing the next book than marketing your own. That said, the reality is we do need to help the book along on our socials.
I have a TikTok that goes unused, but I love instagram’s book community I do a mix of stills and reels. But since I have exactly zero talent with video, I’ve been working with a wonderful film school grad who makes my reels for me. (It’s very clear which are hers and which are mine.) If the $$ for that isn’t an option, a great solution is to reach out to your local colleges. The students need the internships, and they are super talented in this space, on top of all the trends and buzz. That’s a win-win for everyone.
OMG I have a Gen Z nephew who works in film and has some time on his hands!!!!!!! Thank you for reminding me!
Ooh this is such a good topic. I think about it a lot. I am pretty certain I'll never start a TikTok account because the dislike I have for creating video content outweighs any desire for more views or even sales 😂 but I am following along with much intrigue! :)
I know a self-published writer who loves the camera, works the film, and has had fabulous success. I am not sure all of us can be that person: how many of us really think of our native habitat as being in front of the camera? The social media platform guru, Allison K Williams (aka Guerilla Memoir) cautions us to find the social media outlets that are continuations of "our" audience, which would suggest that if your would-be audience is on TikTok, then go there? She also likes to think in terms of "bridges" to readers/audience, rather than "platform." It's a nice shift in metaphors...
Loved your article. Knowing who owns TikTok I couldn’t be on there. I have been self videoing and editing for years. I totally understand your dilemma.
I have found an app called Teleprompter that helps cut down on editing and getting the ums and ahs out. Writing out your script also cuts down on editing and makes it easier and faster to edit.
Anyway teleprompter is awesome because you can make the font as large as it needs to be and set the speed and read along right on your front camera. Grab that selfie stick and get talking. ;) I hope this helps.
Since Kamala became the candidate, Threads is GOING OFF. It's quite a fun community now. So fun that I had to delete the app from my phone because in a few days I logged seven hours on it. Ugh! But it's just like old Twitter.
Also, just go for it on TikTok! I think you're right that people will be hungry for your content over there. The only way you'll find your right posting style is to DO it. I have a book coming out in late October and I'm dragging my feet on reels and such ... it's a farming book and I feel like so much of farming content is really pretty and I don't really do "pretty." So, yeah. I'm having these conversations with myself over here right now too. But to YOU I can just say GO FOR IT! I know people are going to love your book!
Ohhhh yeah I def need to start up on Threads. I'm hearing goof things! Thank you!!!!
Agree on Threads! I was on Twitter for years and had way more followers there but the engagment that I (and many others I know) have been getting on Threads recently is a lot more than I used to see on Twitter most of the time.
I'm on TikTok but still trying to figure it all out myself. If you jump in I'll be very curious to see what you do!
Just so you all know, TikTok posts don't have to be video. You can get a lot of likes for a still photo like you post on Instagram. And there's plenty of room for text and hashtags (you can also narrate offscreen as I mostly do). So BookTok is not too different from Bookstagram. I love the platform, mostly because of all the book love I see on it. And indie author love! It is so very heartening to see.
Oh, I have about 800 followers on TT, and have gotten some great reviews of my memoir on BookTok just by following folks I like and interacting. I have never spent more than 30 minutes on TT, mostly becauseI only watch stuff by friends. Who knows if it helps book sales but it definitely helps my outlook!
Kate, as an author, I asked myself this question a few years ago (re going on TikTok), especially after a newly self-published author I met sold 1,000 copies of her brand new book overnight...through TikTok. Well, bollocks to all that. These are mainly (still) unicorn events. I'm a good model for what happens when a not-photogenic middle-aged person who doesn't edit video or employ fancy filters posts reliably on TikTok--sharing useful content on writing, not self-promoting. (And you can post these same reels to Instagram, so it's a two-fer.) On balance, it's worth it--if you don't expect miracles. Check out my plain vanilla posts here: https://tiktok.com/amylbernsteinauthor
oh boy do I feel this deep in my bones....I'm a few weeks late (surprise!) but enjoyed knowing that others look at Tiktok and go "oh I could do that...." Only to rarely if ever do it. What I have done:
1. post my face thre
2. post B-roll with overlaid text
3. post more of my face
4. Post me talking and also me lip syncing
5. Post crap from Capcut.
And I never (ever ever ever) get more than about 250 views and very few actual interactions. Let me know if you ever uncover the secret!
cheers
Liz
I’ve been on TikTok for about 3 years, 26k followers and the best advice I had that helped me was to think of it like IG stories- videos can be less curated and perfect looking. Videos where you flick through the book with an enticing book like ‘this book will [fill in the blank]’ then showing the cover at the last moment are good for selling on there
Very intrigued to follow along on your Tik Tok journey... definitely an avenue for engagement that's worth considering. If your research goes further, please share your findings (and your Tik Toks 😂)
I gave TikTok the old college try for all the reasons you mentioned—wanting to please my publisher, wanting to do everything in my power to promote my books, etc.—and I HATED it. Just, like, every single aspect of prepping, filming, editing, posting, promoting, and being in that world. To be fair, I did not expect to *enjoy* it; I find “content creation” an exhausting concept and the gamification of our app-based existence makes me crazy. But I didn’t expect to actively loathe “being on TikTok” as much as I did. I thought it would wind up in a “necessary evil” category re: book promo but instead I just walked away after about 50 posts and never looked back 🤷🏻♀️
I tried TikTok a few years ago and all it gave me was a headache. However, I think I may now be in a better position to give it another go.