My Social Media Strategy for Authors: “All, Then One”

Over the years, I have heard from many (so many!) angry authors who tell me that they simply do not have time to manage all of the social media profiles that seem to be required for an effective book marketing strategy.

I get it, dude!  I don’t like it either. Through trial and error I have found something that kind of works, so I will share it with you now. Obviously, once you get your book sales up and running and have an assistant-type person working for you, have them post everything, everywhere, all the time. Until then, just set everything up properly, then focus on one platform you actually like. It’s the best I can offer, ok? You can’t do nothing. You can’t do everything. So, let’s do this.

The “All, Then One” strategy is a smart way to maximize your reach while keeping things manageable. The idea is simple: start by setting up a basic presence on all the major platforms, and then focus your energy on mastering the one you enjoy the most. This approach ensures you’re visible everywhere readers might search for you, but you’re not spreading yourself too thin.

Step 1: Establish Your Presence Everywhere

Start by creating profiles on the platforms where readers expect to find authors. These typically include:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter/X
  • TikTok
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest (optional for visual genres)
  • Goodreads and BookBub (essential for authors)

For each profile, fully flesh it out. Add a professional photo, a banner image featuring your book or brand, and a short, engaging bio. Include links to your website and email sign-up page (do not skip this step. I swear if I meet you and you skipped this step, I am going to flip out). You don’t need to post regularly yet—just share a few updates so the profile looks active and professional. This step is mostly about reputation management and making it easy for readers to discover you.

Step 2: Pick One Platform to Focus On

Once your profiles are set up, choose one platform to prioritize. This will depend on where your readers are and what you enjoy. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide:

  • Instagram: Perfect for visual genres, quotes, and aesthetics.
  • TikTok (BookTok): Ideal for reaching younger audiences and showcasing fun, creative content.
  • Facebook: Great for connecting with groups or older readers.
  • Twitter/X: Best for conversations and short updates.
  • LinkedIn: Excellent for non-fiction or business authors connecting with professionals.
  • Pinterest: is perfect for visually driven authors and genres like DIY, cooking, romance, and fantasy. As a visual search engine, Pinterest can drive significant traffic to your website, blog, or book sales pages.
  • Goodreads is a must-have for engaging directly with avid readers. As a platform dedicated to book lovers, Goodreads allows authors to interact with their audience through reviews, giveaways, and book lists.
  • BookBub is ideal for authors focused on promotions and reviews. This platform specializes in notifying readers about new releases, discounts, and curated book recommendations. By leveraging BookBub’s extensive network, authors can reach a broad audience of enthusiastic readers who are actively seeking new books. HOWEVER, do not apply for/ buy a BookBub ad until you read this.
  • Reddit offers a unique opportunity for authors to engage with niche audiences and participate in authentic discussions. Subreddits related to your genre or writing in general provide a space to share your expertise, answer questions, and connect with readers who have specific interests.
  • Discord is perfect for authors who want to build tight-knit reader communities. This platform allows you to create private servers where you can host live chats, Q&A sessions, and exclusive events for your most dedicated fans.
  • Twitch is an excellent choice for authors who enjoy live interaction and streaming. Whether you’re streaming writing sessions, reading chapters aloud, or discussing your creative process, Twitch provides a platform for real-time engagement with your audience
  • Medium is great for authors who want to share essays or blog posts. If you enjoy writing thought-provoking articles or exploring topics related to your books, Medium offers a platform to reach a broader audience.
  • Substack is perfect for authors looking to foster loyal subscribers through newsletters. By sharing serialized fiction, exclusive content, or in-depth articles, Substack allows you to maintain a direct line of communication with your readers.

After choosing your platform, spend time learning its strengths. Understand what types of posts perform best, how often to post, and how to leverage its unique features (like Instagram Reels, TikTok Duets, or Twitter threads).

 

Step 3: Get Followers

You’re going to totally hate this part, so brace yourself. The way to get followers on social media is to connect with the fans/ followers of other authors who write what you write. That is why it is so important for you to know yourself/ your genre before you start this whole dumb book promotion game.  If you write YA novels, you are going to need to go where the YA readers are. Those people are following people like Jenny Han, Kasie West, Nicola Yoon, Morgan Matson, Sarah Dessen, Becky Albertalli, and Sandhya Menon, among others. This is why it is really, really important for you to read alot of your competition and know where their fans hang out.

You’ll need to follow the followers of the authors you would consider your “competition,” connect with them, and (if the time is right), ask them to be your beta readers or ARC readers. They know that genre anyway, so they are likely to say yes.  Don’t pay them or ask them to promote your book, and do not come on too strong. Just connect with them, send them your work (via BookFunnel please, just to protect yourself), take their feedback, and wait. Eventually they will become your fans and start advocating for you and your books, because they were there at the very beginning of your career and they “knew you when.” Trust me on this. I have seen this strategy work countless times (for the people who are patient enough to actually do it).

Step 4: Practice Practice Practice

Focus on creating engaging, valuable content that resonates with your audience. Your content mix might include:

  • Promotional Posts: Announce book launches, sales, or giveaways.
  • Behind-the-Scenes Content: Share insights into your writing process or your life as an author.
  • Engaging Posts: Ask questions, start discussions, or post fun, interactive content.
  • Helpful Content: Share tips, facts, or stories related to your book’s themes or genre.

Consistency is key, but so is interaction. Respond to comments, engage with other users, and build a community around your author brand.

Step 5: Automate and Repurpose for Other Platforms

While focusing on your main platform, you can keep the others active with minimal effort. Use scheduling tools like Buffer, Hootsuite, or Later to automate posts. Repurpose your content across platforms—for example:

  • Share TikTok videos on Instagram Reels.
  • Post Instagram Stories directly to Facebook.
  • Turn Twitter threads into LinkedIn articles.

This allows you to stay present across platforms without having to create entirely new content for each one.

Step 6: Revisit and Adjust

Periodically check your secondary platforms to ensure your profiles stay updated. You don’t need to post regularly, but keeping things current helps maintain your reputation. As you grow more confident in your primary platform, you might choose to branch out and actively engage on a second platform.


This strategy gives you the best of both worlds: broad visibility with minimal time spent and the ability to go deep on the platform you enjoy most. Need help choosing your focus platform or brainstorming content ideas? Let me know!

pictures courtesy of pixabay

Why WordPress is the Best Choice for your Author Website + How to Set it Up

As an author, your website is more than just a digital business card—it’s a home base for your readers, a space to share your journey, and a platform to showcase your work. To make the most of it, you need a website solution that’s easy to manage, looks great, and can grow right alongside your writing career. That’s where WordPress comes in. Originally built for bloggers (so you know it’s made for people who love words), WordPress has evolved into a powerful tool that authors of all stripes can use to connect with their audience, sell their books, and build a memorable online presence. Let’s explore why WordPress might just be the perfect fit for your author website.

1. Super User-Friendly
If you’re not a tech guru, don’t worry. WordPress is famously user-friendly. Its built-in tools feel more like working with a word processor than fiddling with code. From drafting new blog posts to tweaking the look of your homepage, you can handle it all without needing any professional web development know-how.

2. Perfect for Blogging and Storytelling
WordPress started out as a blogging platform, so it’s tailor-made for sharing your writing. Whether you’re posting personal updates, book release announcements, writing tips, or behind-the-scenes peeks at your projects, it’s super simple to create and organize fresh content that keeps your readers coming back for more.

3. Tons of Great-Looking Themes
When it comes to first impressions, visuals matter. The good news? WordPress has an enormous selection of themes designed especially for authors and other creative professionals. Whether you prefer a sleek, minimalist look that puts your words front and center, or a more artistic layout that spotlights your cover art, you’ll find endless ways to make your site uniquely yours.

4. Room to Grow and Adapt
Your career and audience might start small, but they won’t stay that way (fingers crossed!). WordPress can grow with you. Maybe you’ll start with a simple blog and a few pages. Later, you can add an online store to sell signed copies, set up a newsletter sign-up form to stay connected with fans, or even host a podcast. The sky’s the limit with WordPress, thanks to its incredible flexibility.

5. Incredible Plugin Ecosystem
Need a tool to boost your site’s search engine rankings? Want to add a special feature, like a gallery of your book covers or a pop-up newsletter form? There’s probably a WordPress plugin for that. With thousands of plugins available, you can pick and choose the exact features you want without cluttering your site with unnecessary extras.

6. Strong Community and Support
Ever feel stuck or have a question about how something works? Don’t sweat it. WordPress has a huge community of users and experts who’ve been there, done that. From step-by-step tutorials and YouTube walkthroughs to online forums and dedicated support teams, help is always just a click away.

7. SEO-Friendly from Day One
You want new readers to find you, right? WordPress is built with clean code that search engines understand, and with the help of an SEO plugin like Yoast or Rank Math, you can fine-tune your site to rank higher in search results. It’s a simple, effective way to get more eyes on your work.

8. Mobile-Ready for Today’s Readers
People read on their phones and tablets all the time, so it’s crucial that your site looks great on any device. Most modern WordPress themes are fully responsive, meaning they’ll automatically adjust to different screen sizes. This ensures your site always looks professional and is easy to navigate, no matter where or how readers find you.

9. Cost-Effective and Budget-Friendly
WordPress itself is free, so you can invest your money where it counts—like reliable hosting, a premium theme, or a few key plugins that streamline your marketing. You can start small and scale up as your website traffic and sales grow, making it a flexible and cost-effective solution.

10. Reliable and Here to Stay
WordPress has been around for a long time and is trusted by millions of users worldwide. It’s regularly updated, well-supported, and constantly evolving to meet new web standards. You can feel confident knowing your author website is built on a platform that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

TL: DR
If you’re looking for a platform that lets you focus on your writing while offering endless customization, simple growth options, and a supportive community, WordPress is tough to beat. It’s designed with creators in mind, ready to support you as you tell your story, connect with readers, and carve out your corner of the literary world. With WordPress, you can build an online home that truly reflects you and your work.

Are you convinced?  Here are some instructions on how to do it!

How to Create an Author Site Using WordPress

1. Purchase a Domain and Hosting

  • Register your domain: Choose a name that aligns with your author brand, preferably your author name or something closely related. More about why you’re using your own name (and not the name of your book) right here if that interests you.
  • Set up hosting: Sign up for a hosting account. Many hosts have plans optimized for WordPress and include a free SSL certificate (important for security and trust).

2. Install WordPress

  • One-Click Install: Most hosting providers offer a quick WordPress installation feature in their control panel.
  • Manual Install (if needed): Download WordPress from https://wordpress.org/download/, upload the files to your server via FTP, create a database, and run the WordPress installation script. Detailed tutorials are available in the WordPress Codex.

3. Choose and Install a Theme

  • Free Themes: Search “Appearance > Themes > Add New” in your WordPress dashboard to browse free themes. Look for clean, author-friendly designs (e.g., Astra, Neve, or Zakra) with good typography.
  • Premium Themes: Consider premium themes like “Author Pro” (StudioPress) or themes from ThemeForest for more advanced features, built-in customization, and dedicated support.
  • Customization: Go to “Appearance > Customize” to tweak colors, fonts, layouts, and upload your logo or author headshot.

4. Essential Pages to Create

  • About Page: Introduce yourself, your genre, writing background, and personal story.
  • Books/Works Page: Showcase covers, synopses, excerpts, and links to purchase. Consider organizing by series or genre.
  • Blog (optional): Share writing updates, behind-the-scenes insights, reading recommendations, or event recaps.
  • Events/Appearances: List upcoming signings, readings, conferences, and virtual book launches.
  • Contact Page: Include a form (via plugin) for readers, media inquiries, or speaking requests.
  • Press/Media Kit: (Optional) Offer downloadable images, bios, and press-ready information for journalists or event organizers.

5. Install Key Plugins

  • SEO Plugin: Yoast SEO or All in One SEO to optimize pages for search engines.
  • Contact Forms: WPForms or Contact Form 7 for a simple contact form.
  • Newsletter Signup Integration: Connect Mailerlite or another email marketing service to build your mailing list.
  • Caching and Performance: W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache to speed up your site.
  • Security: Wordfence or Sucuri to protect your site from hacks.
  • Backup Solutions: UpdraftPlus or VaultPress to back up your site regularly.

6. Add Images and Branding

  • Author Headshot & Book Covers: Use high-quality images. Optimize them for fast loading using a plugin like Smush.
  • Consistent Branding: Choose a color palette and fonts that reflect the tone of your writing.

7. Navigation and Menu Setup

  • Create a Main Menu: “Appearance > Menus” in WordPress lets you arrange page links, categories, and custom links. Include top-level pages (About, Books, Blog, Contact) for easy navigation.

8. Integrate Social Media and Newsletter

  • Social Icons: Add icons linking to your Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or TikTok.
  • Newsletter Opt-In: Embed signup forms on your homepage or in the sidebar. Consider offering a free short story or chapter in exchange for email signups.

9. Add Additional Functionality (If Needed)

  • E-Commerce (Optional): If you want to sell signed books directly, install WooCommerce. Set up products, shipping, and payment gateways.
  • Events Calendar (Optional): The Events Calendar plugin allows you to list and manage book tours and speaking engagements.

10. Test and Launch

  • Check Responsiveness: Ensure your site looks good on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
  • Proofread Content: Double-check for typos, broken links, and missing information.
  • Set a Launch Date: Promote the site to your mailing list and social followers. After a final review, go live!

Costs and Ongoing Maintenance

  • Domain: ~$10-$20/year
  • Hosting: ~$3-$15/month depending on the provider and plan. More robust hosts cost more.
  • Premium Theme (Optional): ~$20-$100 one-time or annually if it includes support/updates.
  • Premium Plugins (Optional): Prices vary. Many authors stick to free plugins initially.

Ongoing Maintenance Tasks:

  • Updates: Regularly update WordPress core, themes, and plugins for security and performance.
  • Backups: Schedule automatic backups and store them off-site.
  • Content Updates: Keep your blog fresh, update event info, and add new works as you publish more books.
  • Security Monitoring: Ensure your site stays secure with recommended security plugins and best practices.

Pros and Cons of Using WordPress.org for Your Author Website

Pros:

  • Full Ownership and Control: You host your own site, own your data, and have no platform-imposed limitations on customization.
  • Extensive Customization: Thousands of themes and plugins let you tailor functionality to your exact needs—newsletters, book showcases, sales pages, events calendars, and more.
  • SEO-Friendly: With the right configuration, WordPress can excel at SEO. You have granular control over metadata, site structure, and content optimization.
  • Scalability: You can start small and scale up as your audience grows. Need more features? Just add them via plugins or custom development.

Cons:

  • Learning Curve: You’ll need some time to understand how themes, plugins, and hosting work.
  • Maintenance Duties: You’re responsible for updates, backups, and security. This can be a trade-off if you’re short on time or tech-savvy skills.
  • Potential Costs Add Up: While WordPress software is free, premium themes, plugins, and better hosting might increase your expenses.
  • Overwhelm of Choices: The abundance of plugins and themes can be confusing. You need to vet options carefully to avoid conflicts or performance issues.

In Conclusion:
Setting up an author website with WordPress.org is a highly flexible and customizable approach. Although it requires more initial effort and maintenance than a hosted builder like Squarespace, you gain significant creative and functional freedom. For authors who want to establish a strong brand presence, optimize content for search, and have the flexibility to grow with their career, WordPress.org is an excellent choice. With careful planning, consistent updates, and quality hosting, you can create a robust, engaging, and professional online home for your writing.