How Should Writers Use Social Media During the Pandemic?

Since the pandemic has begun (Hard to believe only about six short months ago!) I’ve been working with many different types of people and organizations as they to come to terms with the changing environment.

Everyone has their own unique set of circumstances as they try to deal with what we haven’t had to deal with in over a century.

One group in particular that has been adversely affected by the coronavirus are writers.

Let’s talk about that!

Back in the normal, pre-covid day, writers had a relatively simple approach to marketing their books.

Promote them on social media (Only the heavy hitters get any real help from their publishers.), keep an email list current, arrange a launch party somewhere, and then hit independent bookshops, libraries, book clubs and anywhere else that would have them for readings and book signings.

Throw in radio or podcast interviews and maybe a few book reviews in traditional media if they’re lucky and they were off to the races!

Many writers actually made a good living this way despite all the recent turmoil in the publishing and retail ends of the business.

Then the pandemic hit!

Libraries and shops closed.

Gatherings of people were either totally prohibited or cut back dramatically, that’s if people were willing to take the risk of coming out at all.

What’s a writer to do?

Well, you may have noticed that social media is still functioning. 

And, you may have also noticed that in all the recent pandemonium, most of the world has either climbed onto the Internet or is in the process of doing so.

The famous bank robber, Willie Sutton, when once asked why he robbed banks, purportedly replied, “Because that’s where the money is!”

The same advice applies to writers, “Go where the money is!”

As I’ve blogged earlier, it’s not too late to climb onto the social media band wagon. 

If you’re already on it then you have to up your game and find your readers.

Trust me they’re out there!

First, join writers groups for your genre.

Two examples are Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

(Full disclosure, I sit on the Board of Directors of the New York Chapter of Mystery Writers of America.)

Groups like these are helping their members with promotions and online events

Next, look at your social media channels.

I guarantee you that there are groups dedicated to your genre no matter what it is.

Join, engage, and share content.

Let people know that you write, have a great backlist, and you’re going to write even better books in the future.

Trust me, you’ll get better results by doing these things than by doing nothing at all.

Check back as I’ll be blogging in more detail about this in the near future.

That’s it for now!

Please check-out my 8 step approach for developing a social media program to get some more ideas on how to use social media.

Also, never forget to reach out to either ask questions or to ask for help from someone like myself!
In the meantime, thank you for following and reading my blog!

I look forward to any and all comments that you may have. I will reply to any comments made to this blog post as promptly as I can.

And, remember!

I do this for a living and if I can be of any assistance to either you or your organization, please feel free to call on me. Our initial discussion will be of no charge to you.

I can also be reached at conpsweeney@someddi.com.

My Twitter handle is @conpsweeney.

Stay well!