Social Media Expectations for Querying Authors
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- Literary agents Jessica Faust and James McGowan discuss social media expectations for fiction authors, non-fiction authors, and illustrators.
BookEnds is dedicated to making publishing a book (traditionally) a more transparent process, and it starts with these videos!
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Jessica Faust’s love for books is what first brought her to open BookEnds Literary Agency. It is her desire to be an advocate for all authors that pushed her to create her blog, the BookEnds TH-cam channel and to maintain a vibrant presence on Twitter.
Jessica is proud to have grown BookEnds into an agency that represents authors of all genres for children and adults, allowing her to reach more readers and help more authors and illustrators achieve their dreams.
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James McGowan is a Literary Agent at BookEnds and writer for children. He began working with the agency as an intern in the summer of 2015, and basically never left. He represents a talented group of authors and illustrators working in everything from board books to middle grade graphic novels. He also works in adult nonfiction, and adult mystery and suspense projects. James is the author of GOOD NIGHT OPPY, which is available now.
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Connect with BookEnds!
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Website: www.bookendsliterary.com
Connect with Jessica: bookendsjessica
Connect with James: jmcgowanbks
This video came at the most perfect possible time. To be honest, I just finished editing a video and was contemplating unplugging completely because of how much of a sap social media is becoming for me. But it is important to have those static and living portfolios in order to be recognisable (even to agents), like you guys mentioned. As much as I dislike social media, I appreciate the boost/ reminder of why I should be doing it, love your content as always ❤
Always happy to help ❤ It's also okay to take breaks if you need it! We always recommend sticking to the social platforms that you enjoy posting on + are the most comfortable using. But at the end of the day, we just want to make sure your work gets seen!
@@BookEndsLiteraryThat's very true, sometimes it is easy to forget to take that step back. Thank you for the advice and the support, I've been a long time viewer and appreciate you taking the time to respond 🙏
This feels like it could potentially backfire. What if you wrote a great book, but you are really embarrassing on social media? Or, if you post about the thing you're writing about, could there be a risk of you giving away too much, and potential publishers being annoyed that they won't have full control over how you as a new author and your book are launched anymore? Could they see it as a warning sign if your posts have not generated any interest? To me it feels similar to the "trying to sell a book you have already self-published" situation, just on a smaller scale. If you feel like it, I'd love a more in-depth video on authors, publishers and social media. Always happy to see a new video from you! 🥰
Your channel is wonderful, thank you. It seems strange that many best selling authors sometimes 'only' have a few thousand or even less on their social media platforms. Maybe it also shows the importance of other things to build up a following - workshops, website, talks, e.t.c.?
To be honest it sounds like whoever has the largest platform on social media will probably reap the biggest benefits. We're crossing into a territory in which you ideally need to be an influencer, not just a writer.
These are just things we've noted in the industry and what we recommend based on trends, but you should absolutely do whatever you feel comfortable doing :) I personally don't approach social media solely as a means to sell books-it's a way to connect with people and build a community. We have many clients that are active online but not influencers in the slightest. They like to post pictures and inspiration about their books because they are proud of their work and want to share the journey with others. And more importantly, they want to connect with readers. Will virality boost some books online? Sure! But there are hundreds of bestsellers that never had a viral video. Do whatever works best for you!
woohoo, so glad you guys are back!! thank you for this video ❤
Thank you for being here!
Started on Instagram then figured out all the energy that I was using to find trends was too much. I am using Instagram now to post book research facts and also my book reviews... I figured that editors and agents want to know that writers read 😂. Once I finish my manuscript and editing process, I will focus more on my social media
Finding what you enjoy posting is KEY! That is great to hear! We always encourage people to use whichever platforms they enjoy using the most. We wish you the best of luck!
@@BookEndsLiterary ❤️
Ack, not really a fan of mixing business and personal in a public account. Photos of my personal life aren't "content"
You should absolutely only post whatever you feel comfortable posting. I personally choose to post books I am reading, sunsets/views I enjoy, thoughts about writing, etc. No faces or family members to be seen, haha. That still allows me to connect with my community without sacrificing my privacy, so I'd encourage you to post whatever/wherever you enjoy posting :) We are just noting industry trends and recommendations!
There isn't really a point in requiring authors to promote through organic social media if the publishers are not providing daily sales data. This is one of those things that work really well for indies because we can go in our amazon dashboard or into the back end of our websites to see our sales data in real time. We can see what kind of videos and posts are actually moving books. We can see the ones where our cat interrupts gets lots of views and engagement, but doesn't move books...and not post any more of those.
I think the main problem is approaching social media as solely a means to sell books. We encourage people to be present online because it gives readers a space to connect with you on your own terms, and having a sense of community is nice whether you have a dozen followers or 100 followers.
Our recommendations are just based on industry trends and insight from firsthand experiences, but that is why it is SO important to 1) do your own research, 2) use whichever social media platforms you feel most comfortable on, and 3) post what you enjoy the most. At the very least, having a basic landing page where people can contact you and/or find your books is important!
Thanks for this video. I did Instagram first to develop an online presence. Now I'm ready to do the website and feel like I have an audience that will be interested in following me there. Plus doing a website sounds like a lot more research and work.
Hi, Celeste! Having a website doesn't have to be a lot of work if you prefer something simple. You can do a free site on WordPress or Wix with a single homepage that just includes your picture, biography, and links to wherever else you are online (and those sites have built-in blog spaces/newsletters if that is something you plan on incorporating). On the other hand, there are also free options like Linktree that are super quick and convenient + keep all of your info in one place. We hope you find something that works for your needs!
Great to see you back on TH-cam again. What about authors (like, say, myself) who write both fiction AND nonfiction. Any pointers in that case? Or is it "just do both!"
Great to have you here! And that's a good question. It may depend on what you write about. If on the fiction side you are writing dark romance, but on the nonfiction side you are writing about climate change, it might be worth considering having different platforms for each and approaching those in the ways recommended in the video. I know that's not the most helpful advice, but sharing knowledgeable posts and highlighting your expertise/credibility is definitely important on the nonfiction side! I think you have a little more room to experiment as a fiction writer no matter which genre you write in.
A little off topic, but I queried bookends back in April. Is it time I pull the query and try submitting to another agent?
I'm in touch with an author and he told me that having your own site isn't really needed. FB alone is more than enough he told me and I did create a group for fantasy books. I do have IG when I was a self-published author, but stopped using it when I quit the self-path few years ago.
Hi, Rowan! By website, we also mean any blog or platform (like a free Linktree, Wordpress, Squarespace, etc.) where you have all of your information and links in one place. That being said, we wouldn't recommend Facebook for that purpose because usually only people with Facebook accounts who are logged in will be able to view your information. Most of us are not on Facebook anymore, but if that is your preference, any public profiles that will come up on Google is better than no online presence at all!
@@BookEndsLiterary I see. Never heard of the other besides Wordpress. Tried it once out but for some strange reason, my site couldn't be found. The person who helped me, was also was completely baffled why it didn't appear. And I did everything rite.
Well, once I get an agent, I may try to the others. Otherwise I'm not wasting a single cent or time on it.
Thank you for the info :) As always, really helpful
I understand that a strong social media presence isn’t essential for fiction writers, but how desirable is it? If an aspiring author has reasonably strong social media numbers, with a few viral or semi-viral posts, how much influence does that have?
It would be great to have a current breakdown of numbers-something along the lines of, "If you have X followers on Y platform, that would pique our interest." If it makes any difference, of course! I don't want to assume, I'm here to learn
That's a great question! It's hard to answer. I can tell you we have signed clients with incredible books who had less than 100 followers (or no social media presence at all), so it's not a dealbreaker by any means. If an agent loves your work and wants to represent you, they WILL offer.
That being said, if someone made a video about the premise of their book and it went viral (with thousands of comments from people saying they would buy the book), then that might be something worth noting when you submit your work. I don't think virality matters more than a strong premise/manuscript, but if your book is great *and* you already have an audience/support, then of course that is a huge bonus! I know that's not a concrete answer, but I hope it helps!
One last note: most of the time, when we are checking an author's social media, we are just making sure you are not posting hateful/inappropriate content... and we are curious about you and your work! For example, if you're a children's picture book author but your Instagram is covered in gory/graphic images for adults, that might be a concern.
At the end of the day, being present online (however you are comfortable doing so), engaging with content you like, and sharing about your books/interests is a PLUS whether you have 200 followers or 2000+.
15:39 thank you very helpful. I definitely need to up my game and post more often.
Consistency is key! But that can mean whatever is reasonable/comfortable for your lifestyle and interests :) We just want to encourage people to be present in some capacity, in whichever way they feel like presenting.
I am comfortable with Instagram, but TikTok baffles me 😂. Can you offer tips as to how to use it to build your community, get readers and sales? Is it reviews? Is it showcasing blurbs? Is it posting videos? Thanks BookEnds-you two are so helpful.
Honestly, TikTok is still a mystery (as magical as it can be)! It's amazing to see how the algorithm can do amazing things for one random video out of nowhere, but it's difficult to nail that down to a formula every time.
Building community is such a great way to approach social media in general. Our best advice would just be to post consistently in a way that works for you (whether that is once a week or once a month) in whichever way you feel comfortable doing (like a posting a video of your books, talking about what you're reading, or showing the inspiration for your writing). As cheesy as it is, your readers/audience will find you based on shared interests, and it's okay if that doesn't mean viral content! Building your community in an authentic way to YOU is truly the most important thing, and the rest will hopefully follow. We wish you the best luck :)
Thank you!
I appreciate the insights and trends, but I wished you had talked about the ethical and privacy issues with particular social media platforms. Twitter/X is the worst, but TikTok and Instagram are also problematic.
That is VERY important to research and we implore everyone to do so! However, I don't believe we are the experts on ethical/privacy issues online. There are much more in-depth resources that already exist, and we could not do the topic justice in that respect.
In any case, we absolutely have discussions surrounding privacy concerns/AI with our clients, and ultimately, we leave it up to the individual to decide whether they are comfortable using their preferred platforms. No one is forced to use social media. For those interested in building a community online, we simply recommend using whichever platforms you enjoy the most + feel the most comfortable using.
@@BookEndsLiterary Thank you so much for your reply. Suggestion: you could at least mention ethical and privacy issues and tell your viewers that they should all investigate before they participate. Conversely, it is not wise to join and participate in social media just because everyone else is doing it, or for professional goals.
Hi, I have a question: 65000 words count for a Magic Realism Novel. Is ok? I'm sorry if I do this question right here, but I don't have any information about words count for Magic Realism, in a website online I see that the Average Word Count for Magical Realism Novels: 60,000 to 80,000. Is correct? Thank u for your attention.
Hello! Are you writing for children, teens, or adults? You will get different answers from nearly every person you ask, but 65,000 does sound like it's within the normal range for a young adult or adult novel. I wouldn't worry too much about your word count unless it is severely lower or higher than similar books in your genre. Highly recommend comparing the length of your book to your comp titles!
Would TH-cam or one of the Twitter substitutes be an acceptable platform for authors these days? I'm pretty uncomfortable with TikTok and Instagram for a few reasons but I'm definitely willing to build a presence on the right platform.
Second question-- what if you plan to use a pen name, but haven't figured it out yet and would like help from your agent in choosing one? Should you just state in your query letter that you want to use a pen name and would be happy to build a social media presence once you and the agent have chosen one? Or just leave that discussion for an offer call?
Definitely-at the end of the day, we always recommend being present on whichever platforms you are most comfortable on + enjoy using the most! If TH-cam is your thing, go for it!
As for pen names, many of our clients choose to do so. Of course when querying an agent (and signing contracts) they will need to know your legal name, but you can always let them know your desired pen name anytime before your book is published. Whether agents are willing to actually brainstorm names with you is hard to answer because everyone is different, but it's certainly possible!
Either way, nothing wrong with using a temporary username (ideally the same across platforms) before you settle on the final pen name. We wish you the best of luck!
@@BookEndsLiterary Thank you so much for this! That makes sense--I mostly worry that I'll pick the "wrong" pen name for my genre goals or something so I'd love to at least check with an agent first. A temporary username is a great idea!
HII! Love your content. Do you guys offer remote internship opportunities?
Hi, Morgan! We are not actively hiring right now (although we are typically fully remote), but our inbox is always open to cover letters and resumes! Please check out this page to learn more: bookendsliterary.com/work-with-us/
Thank you for laying this all out. I've pretty much got a phobia about all social media, but I've contemplated building a website where I could post my stories and novels. Can you recommend a fairly-low-cost site that allows such self-publishing, with navigation hyperlinks in the text? (My novel's in Word and I've hyperlinked the Table of Contents with each chapter title in the text.)
Also, would you recommend Instagram for a social media newbie?
Yes, I'd say Instagram is fairly good for those new to social media! No pressure to make videos or write long posts if that's not your thing, and it doesn't take too long to snap a quick photo of something to share. As for websites, I've heard good things about the Wix or WordPress or even Tumblr. It may even be worth it to try free trials of these sites before committing to one, so you can see if the blog component/navigation links work for your needs :) Linktree also has a free version which is a simple and easy way to have all of your links in one place!