You’ve finally done it! After years of writing workshops, dozens (or hundreds!) of drafts, and relentless querying you are about to launch your very first book. Let’s pause for a moment and acknowledge how awesome this is. You’re publishing a BOOK!Before you do anything else, if you haven’t already, relish in this moment. Publishing is a slow business and getting a book accepted and published is a major accomplishment and validation for your hard work that should be celebrated. So, do that. I’ll wait.
Then, start creating your marketing plan.
Image courtesy of Mary Costello , Children’s Lit Love.
Prior to releasing my first picture book, The Little Blue Cottage, in May 2020, I always assumed that the publisher would handle marketing and publicizing my book. And, they did! But, I also quickly discovered that it is really helpful to the publisher (and kind of makes you look like an A student) and yourself if you engage on social media. I did this to an extent when my book came out. I liked posts created by my publisher and other picture book influencers (mommy bloggers who are into books, librarians, book bloggers) and re-shared their reviews in my Instagram stories. And… that’s about where my engagement stopped.
Now, with a little bit of separation between last May 2020 and now—it was a weird time to launch a book to say the least!—I’ve gotten the chance to look around and see what my very favorite, successful, picture book authors are doing on social media. And guess what? They are active. They have a distinct voice. They are engaged.
While Mac Barnett's approach differs from that of Mo Willems or Kate Messner—three of my favorite authors—all share a common characteristic: they are deliberate in what they are posting and where. It’s almost like they are following a plan. Which brings me to… the revelations from my light bulb moment.
Lesson #1
Approach social media with a specific strategy in place. Develop big-picture goals. Then, establish clear objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely to support those goals. Lastly, identify tactics to help you reach your objectives and hit those goals out of the ballpark. Once you’ve outlined the basis of what you’re going for, you can figure out how you’re going to get there and how social media can help you do it. Hootsuite offers really helpful, easy-to-follow instructions on developing a social media strategy for newbies.
Lesson #2
Plan your content in advance and align it with your publication and book tour schedule. Utilize social media management tools, either those affiliated with the channel or outside vendors like Sprout Social or Hootsuite. Planning ahead can help you approach social media thoughtfully and strategically, plus, it helps to alleviate the feeling of what you should be doing (it's already done!).
Lesson #3
Engage. Follow people you can learn from or who you admire. Seek out and engage with your ideal audience. Message them or comment on their posts. Respond to them when they comment on your posts. After a while, you’ll have a dialogue and eventually, maybe even a professional contact or friend.
Lesson #4
Be authentic. Yes, it’s unlikely you’re going to be 100% your true self on social media and it’s probably not even safe to be completely transparent. But, as much as you can, be real. Have empathy. Show humility. Get excited when there is something to be excited about. And, here’s a big one—reveal to your followers when you are doing a promoted post. Not only is this good ethical communication, it's also adhering to the law.
Lesson #5
Pay attention. See what other writers are posting about. Look out for people who are clearly phishing. Be careful about what you’re posting and try not to engage with haters—your angry retort can live on indefinitely and be taken out of context. Practice social listening and be aware of current events so you don’t inadvertently put your foot in it.
Where to Begin
Great advice, Kelly. But, does social media actually help with sales? I don't really have time for one more thing. Who follows picture book authors on social media anyway? Great questions hypothetical reader. These are the questions I’ve used as my own lackluster defense of my own meager social media presence. Social media can help with sales... maybe. But, sales shouldn’t necessarily be the goal when you’re a picture book author looking to develop your social media presence. It’s connection to others in the industry. Fellow creators. Agents. Publishers. Librarians. Educators. The people who may want to work with you, publish you, represent you, or host you at their school for a visit. Social media could serve as a money-making tool inadvertently as you build your reputation and make connections with others in the industry.
So what do I do first? If you’re brand-new to social media, take your time and explore the various options until you find a channel or two where you feel comfortable. It’s better to engage on one channel and on a regular basis, than to have an inactive presence across many (guilty!). From there, go through step one above and create a social media campaign for yourself. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, nor does it need to be a time-intensive endeavor. The important thing is that you plan, prepare, and go into it with concrete goals.
Once you’ve got your plan and messaging in place, start scheduling, posting, engaging, and (hopefully), reaching your intended audience.
Happy connecting!