Every industry has been turned upside down by the saturation of social media. We’re all expected to be actively online, but with that obligation comes a great deal of responsibility (and uncertainty). Over the past decade, but particularly in the last few years, we’ve seen authors grow their readership tremendously with their ability to communicate directly with fans. We’ve also seen whole careers go up in flames after some severe online missteps. If you are navigating the space, excited to engage, but also fearful of making a wrong move, we understand that enthusiasm and trepidation.

So we thought we’d outline some high level do’s and don’ts for authors (or any kind of writer, journalist, blogger, etc.) operating online so you might be able to better navigate these wild and unpredictable waters.

Do: Respond.

This may seem obvious, but it’s actually incredible how many authors won’t respond to fans who are engaging with them on social media. Sure… you’ll have your authors who are in the 6-figure following with hundreds of comments per post, but unless that’s you, there really is no reason to leave your readers hanging.

You may not feel like a celebrity, but to those who love your books, you are a star. Whether it’s three people or thirty, if you have fans engaging in your comment section, respond! Not only are you establishing rapport, but it’s good for the algorithm.

Don’t: Ignore.

This may be redundant, but your fans won’t keep coming back to comment and engage if there’s no hope of catching your attention. Granted, this doesn’t apply to people being rude or spammy, but even just a heart emoji can keep your readers locked into your online world. An author who “posts and ghosts” can easily come off as someone who is only in it for themselves.

Do: Engage authentically.

There are plenty of people out there pretending to be something or someone they’re not. Don’t be that. Show up as, at least, a version of your true self. Speak to your readers on social media the way you would speak to them if they were standing in front of you. Savvy social media users who have either been online for 15+ years or have grown up online can smell a phony a mile away. You don’t have to let it all hang out, but your social media persona should be a true representation of you. Why?

Well, there are a couple of reasons:

  1. The internet is forever. If you say something you don’t truly mean, playing into a caricature you’ve created online, and it starts to go viral, standing by that interaction is going to be tough.
  2. Engagement with readers doesn’t happen in a vacuum of social media. Readers may also attend events in-person and transcend the confines of social platforms.
  3. It’s just the right thing to do. Posing as something you’re not rarely gets you far. And it’s a hard habit to maintain.

People may decide to take or leave your personality, and that’s okay. But it’s better that, than having to craft a false avatar of yourself that you have to maintain indefinitely. Be friendly, be conversational, be sincere in your interactions. Kindness isn’t costly. However…

Don’t: Overestimate your familiarity with people online.

Social media spaces can be a strange and wonderful and wild place. And while authenticity is key, it’s okay to refrain from being overly involved with your fans. A comment left online does not represent the full scope of a person and so whether you feel offended or outraged or shocked or concerned about something said on your page, it’s okay to take a beat and decide how and if it is appropriate to respond.

Let’s say your book contains a triggering subject like suicide and someone decides to comment on how your book affected them in a negative way. You may feel the desire to justify or defend yourself or you may feel inclined to be overly apologetic. That’s a natural human reaction. But it’s important that you remind yourself that you don’t truly know who is on the other end of a keyboard and responding with measured, and even if necessary, restrained humility is often the best choice. You can be empathetic without engaging in anything inflammatory.

Now for some, being edgy is a part of their brand and who they are. But make sure it’s an aware choice if you decide to get into the weeds with someone in your audience and not a reaction based on something you’re assuming about that person.

Do: Allow room for conversation, even if it airs on controversial or critical.

You can’t always predict what sort of shenanigans might take place in your comment section. And it is up to you to decide where the red lines around your brand are. But if your fans are engaged in elevated or even heated conversation, it isn’t your immediate job to jump in and moderate. Of course if things are going in an ugly direction, you may be forced, but this is sort of par for the online course.

In this season, political conversation is rampant. And I’ve seen more than my fair share of authors really getting into the weeds with their audience. That is a choice! But in other cases, I’ve seen authors make their statements, and choose to step back as discourse ensues. Though it may not always feel like it, for the most part, you’re dealing predominantly with adults and your role as the owner of the page isn’t to nanny your fans. Disagreements can occur, and it is your page to do with as you please. But if you feel you’ve shared your side and the conversation is progressing beyond you, it’s okay to leave room for the interaction to take place.

Don’t: Create a divisive space.

Now this in itself might be a divisive take and every author is going to have their own opinions and their own definition of what constitutes divisiveness. And these are divisive times! But ultimately, if your goal is to sell books, then your aim probably shouldn’t be to create a highly contentious and inflammatory space.

If you are a nonfiction author or a fiction author whose books center around difficult subjects, this may just be a symptom of the topic you’re addressing and your book and interactions should make it clear where you stand, thus attracting those you want to attract. But if you’re simply throwing grenades into the social atmosphere for clicks and engagement, that attitude is bound to bite you back.

You can cover difficult subjects, without the intent to alienate. Most authors have a goal to reach as many readers as possible, so creating a space where even your opposition feels welcome to explore, can create more opportunity.

Do: Let your readers know when you have a product they should want.

So many authors are afraid to come off as salesy. This can lead authors to create brands and interactions that scarcely mention there’s actually a product to buy. Remember the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of your engagement should be to the benefit of your reader, but twenty percent should be a clear call to action to purchase your book(s)!

Don’t: Solely engage based on sales.

On the flip side, if you only use social media when you’re running a promotion or releasing a new title, your audience is unlikely to form any kind of attachment to you as an author. Your social page will struggle to ascend if it feels like little more than a club promoter outside a bar. Even if your books are very popular, social media audiences are there to get more from you. It’s all about balance.

Do: Consistently make yourself your visible.

Whether you post twice a day or once a week, make your presence on social media a regular endeavor. You don’t have to be rigid in your scheduling, just consistent in your visibility. Authors don’t tend to have the same instant-recognition with readers as an actor or a musician might, so if you’re going to show up on someone’s feed, it needs to happen with regularity otherwise, they might not know who you are. It’s just the nature of the medium.

The more reliably they see you, the more an attachment or interest forms. And it may take many occurrences of seeing your posts before someone makes the conscious choice to engage directly.

Don’t: Disappear for months without warning.

On the other hand, try not to disappear for long stretches unannounced. You may go on a good run of posting and then burn out or need to drill down and focus on a draft. And that’s okay. You’re allowed to have a personal/professional life that exists offline. However, if you plan to take a break, let your audience know. Fans who have become invested can quickly lose interest if they believe you are among the millions that come and go from the platform. Don’t be afraid to simply leave a little “farewell for now” post to let your followers know you’re stepping back, but will indeed return. And in the case of authors in particular, if they are eagerly awaiting your next book and know you’re taking time for that, they will happily see you out and excitedly await your return!

Do: Allow fans a glimpse into your personal life.

The degree to which someone opens their personal lives up to their social media audience is an individual choice. You may aim very small and occasionally share pictures of your cat or vacation photos with your family. Or you may show daily glimpses into life with your significant other and children. Either way, a little bit of a detour from the business side of books is a nice break and almost always a welcome invitation into your world.

A perfect example of this is when Rebecca Yarros shared about her husband’s retirement from flying helicopters and legions of Fourth Wing fans flocked to the page to express their adoration of how they could see the inspiration from her real life in the story they adore.

Again, it can be just a small peek behind the curtain, but it tends to truly cement a relationship with your fans and move you from the etherial, unreachable realm of author-dom.

Don’t: Allow fans to dictate your personal life.

Now, there is such a thing as oversharing. Once again, this will be a line you have to draw for yourself. The more you pull back the curtain, the more exposed you are to the unpredictability of the social media sphere. You know you’ve gone to far over that line when your “fans'” voices begin to infiltrate your personal life. Whether it’s causing you to question how you’re parenting or making you feel apprehensive about writing the book that’s true to your heart, you know that you’ve gone too far. No one is entitled to information about you. So if you feel that unwanted audience opinions are creeping in beyond the screen, it might be time to dial it back.

Do: Respond, repost, and revel in rave reviews.

If you’ve been tagged in a rave review of your book, reshare, comment and enjoy! This sort of social affirmation is what many authors live for and there’s nothing conceded about bringing attention to a reader’s adoration of your work. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to help undecided readers migrate towards your story. Let others do the (positive) talking!

Don’t: Respond to negative ones. Seriously. Don’t.

This may very well be the most important item on the list. Unfortunately, there are readers and reviewers that will tag an author in a bad review. It stings, it sucks it’s a major bummer. But do not, I repeat, DO NOT respond to negative reviews. It may seems unfair and you may feel pulled to defend your work, but readers have made it abundantly clear… bad reviews are to be left alone by authors. This is considered a reader space and more than a few authors who have decided to cross that line have been trolled, attacked and even lost publishing deals as a result of a bad interaction with readers. This is one of the hard boundaries in the space between authors and readers. Few can pull off humbly addressing a bad review. Some people won’t like your work. That’s just the reality. (Why they have to tag you in that complain isn’t entirely clear, but nonetheless.)

There are some authors who have managed to address a critic and made phenomenal content out of it. If you haven’t seen Jeneva Rose’s “Scott” saga, check it out. But those instances of turning lemons into lemonade are few and far between. You’re most likely best off just ignoring and moving on.

There is no one way to make social media interactions with your audience perfect, however, you can maintain a mostly peaceful and enjoyable engagement with them if you know when to dive in and when to step back.