Do you tweet? Do you share posts on Facebook, have a Facebook page, Facebook group, Instagram account, Pinterest, Linked Inā¦ the list goes on.
How do we effectively use social media as Indie authors?
How to Use Social Media as an Author
I cannot answer this question. I am very much using the ālearn as you goā technique when it comes to social media. I did an online training course several years ago that taught me about the importance of a mailing list and which platforms were more effective to promote and sell my books. Since then we have experienced the emergence of Instagram as a serious player in the business of selling products. Where I used to spend a lot of time trying to cross-promote other authors on Twitter and Facebook, gradually I realised it was a pointless task. I was wasting my time. I didnāt know what else to do and I donāt have the funds for a comprehensive marketing and advertising plan, so I had to muddle through and experiment.
More recently I am turning to Instagram as a platform to demonstrate my books. I just need to learn how to find my audience and where to find them. I look at bestselling authors and wonder how the heck they manage to gain hundreds of thousands of dedicated followers that love every single piece of content they post. It is a mystery, known only to the industry specialists.
It all comes down to money
You see, that is where my problem lies. I am a bloody good writer. I havenāt yet found a large publishing company or a decent agent that likes my books. I was offered a publishing contract many years ago from one of the big publishers, but they charged a large amount of money for the service. I simply couldnāt afford it at the time. The bookselling game comes down to one thing: Money. If you have access to funds, then you can sell millions of books. If you donāt, then you splash around in the shallows and never quite reach that magical island of fame and fortune. I refuse to give up. I may be focusing my work on the lifestyle blog and my reiki business right now, but my novels will always be a part of me. Redcliffe is not finished yet, and neither am I.
What advice can you give to this confused and frustrated author? All comments and personal experiences welcomeā¦
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SpookyMrsGreen 
I recently heard that publishers are more interested in how many social media followers you have than your actual abilities. This made me cross, sad and disappointed in them. I hope itās not true. Itād be great if you got published x
Sadly it is true. A lot of bestselling authors these days already have social media platforms from their careers in TV, radio and high profile jobs. And the rest I think are the older generation that got published before the digital revolution and are well established. I am published but only with small publishers that cannot promote my books so it falls on me to do the legwork. It takes a team of people to sell a book and I cannot afford to employ them!
That explains a lot. Shame really as weāre all missing out on great books x