I Sacrificed to Build My Author Platform. I Hope You Didn’t

Social media is an ever-changing beast. But for writers, one narrative has persisted about it for years — you need to build a platform to be successful as an author, if only because social media platforms offer an easy way to interact with readers at scale.

This thread on Reddit gives a sample of some of the discussion on the issue, with some users explaining they’ve been told to build a platform in classes or through the book submission process. I personally still see many agents include a space for writers to offer a social media link. The practice likely helps the agent get a sense of who the writer is. But it’s also a fast way to check the reach an author already has.

There’s some nuance to all of this, of course. Self-published authors might find social media more valuable than traditionally published authors. Those who publish on their own can’t rely on the weight of the marketing of a big publishing house. But as Bookends Literary Agency asserts, there are other ways to build a platform outside of social media. Thomas Umstattd goes so far as to say that agents who pressure people to do social media are “bozos.“ He acknowledges, however, that using social media can be a good fit for some writers.

While many unpublished authors spend lots of time sharing advice and guiding each other on social media, bestselling authors spend that time writing.  — Thomas Umstattd

Why Most Authors Don’t Need Social Media in 2024, Author media, january 1, 2024

New data on building an author platform says what we were told is false

Up until just recently, all writers had to go on were these types of back-and-forth conversations. Some writers would offer their examples of being told to use social media. Others would offer their examples of having reached success without it. Many writers continued to post content through the discourse, uncertain of what to do.

But now, data from Jane Friedman, who analyzed deals in Publisher’s Marketplace, suggests once and for all that social media is, in fact, not always necessary. Many authors who land deals don’t have significant online visibility. They might, however, have good connections offline — that is, the network authors have that gets them closer to a deal isn’t necessarily a digital one.

Friedman clarified in a later post that agents and publishers who look at social media followings are often doing so with a more complex view of the market. For example, having a good digital platform will be more important if you’re submitting in a saturated genre, for example. She stood by the idea that there are other paths to building an author platform outside of social media.

I don’t know about anybody else. But the whole thing gives me one feeling.

Ok, maybe two.

How many others sacrificed in the hope of winning?

I won’t say that what I’ve written on social media has had no influence. I don’t plan to completely quit, although I might trim away specific platforms as they become untenable. The data have solidified for me the permission to rest and do other things. There’s some hope in that.

Yet, it’s hard to describe how it feels having sacrificed so many hours. Hours away from my family and friends. Away from other hobbies or things I love to do. Not doing other writing that could have made a bigger difference.

How many other writers have sacrificed in the name of platform building, thinking they were doing the right thing, only to know now they didn’t have to?

I hope you are not one of them. But if you are, I look forward to attending your events. Waving hello to you at a conference. Taking your calls. Checking your website or newsletter. Whether you stay online or not, you’re not invisible.