So you want to write a book. Here’s how to build your digital strategy

If writing a book is on your to-do, it’s time to start getting your digital strategy straight. Many of our clients at M.T. Deco are published authors - or aspire to be - and there’s one very consistent question that comes up over and over again, no matter their level of fame, which is: will your followers on social media buy your book?

You might not realize this, but your community online can impact every step of the book writing process. It can indicate whether or not a publisher even considers you [especially if you are unknown or a first-time author], the advance you get, it opens up your options for agents, and with the right audience, it can even push your proposal into an auction so publishers bid on you. It’s wild [disclaimer that a social following is not a be-all end-all - you can of course have a unicorn concept that blows everyone’s socks off, but for most people, we stand by your social following is a highly significant element].

And before you panic and do something insane like buy followers or engagement -  which, please don’t do [there’s totally an emergent industry coming where digital strategists will be rehabbing accounts,  which is something we want no part of] - breathe first and read on. The most crucial thing to drill into your brain is that the quality of your followers is far more important than the quantity. 

From a business perspective, we can confirm anecdotally from executives at some of the biggest talent agencies in the U.S. that follower numbers have lost equity. Not JUST because people can buy bots to follow and engage on their accounts, but also because of the higher followings that are happening on platforms like TikTok. 100K followers on Instagram does not equal 100K on TikTok, which does not equal 100K subscribers on YouTube. The metrics are unequal and talent agents are seeing that creators with smaller followings can actually yield more influence and make more money, depending on the quality of their content and their audience. This is so beyond refreshing, and something - especially in the digital strategy world - that feels like a long time coming.

As it relates specifically to books, The New York Times has a great piece that captures this sentiment exactly. According to reporter Elizabeth A. Harris, “an author’s following has become a standard part of the equation when publishers are deciding whether to acquire a book…But despite their importance, they are increasingly seen as unpredictable gauges of how well a book is actually going to sell. Even having one of the biggest social-media followings in the world is not a guarantee.” So when it comes to a book deal, your audience’s investment in you  really, really matters. AKA - are they invested enough in you to actually BUY your book.

If you can believe it, as the article breaks down, many A-list celebrities - like Billie Eilish and Justin Timberlake - who have millions of followers on social media, and also received $1 million book advances, far undersold the numbers of copies their publishers were anticipating. And the toughest part is that nobody really knows why. Publishers are stumped and what gets greenlit is often a guessing game. According to Harris, when a book tanks, “it’s difficult to know why it happens. Sometimes, publishing and marketing executives say, there is a mismatch between what people post about on social media and the subject of their books. Perhaps the books don’t provide anything beyond what they’ve already put on Instagram. It could be that the author hasn’t pushed the book to his followers effectively, or that those followers (the ones who aren’t bots, or paid for) aren’t terribly engaged with what he posts.”

So how can you run your digital platforms NOW for that future book down the line? [And not end up like Billie and Justin?] Here’s what to do:

• Post about books. What to publish →

  • Showcase your process through behind-the-scenes photos [yes, photos of you actually writing or sped up video ARE interesting paired with a strong caption], writing tips & tricks, crowd-source questions and ideas from your audience, and be vulnerable within in your comfort zone [struggles, the pitch process, edits, revisions, writer's block]

  • Exhibit thought leadership on the topics you’re writing about by sharing your point of view on articles, items in the news cycle, and reviewing similar authors

  • Curate content about or adjacent to your area of expertise through lists of books you’ve read, media you consume, authors you love, best characters, top facts, literally anything that’s relevant/adjacent to what you’re writing about

• Build equity with the audiences that matter. Who to target →

  • Outline your target audience using our guide to identify superfans, converts, and the aspirational individuals who will connect with both you and your book [and all future projects]

  • Seek out communities that exist on key platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, and Good Reads, just to name a few. Go niche beyond BookTok into your areas of expertise. Connect with these communities, engage with them, create content that adds value to their conversations, and work on bringing them into your fandom

And while we’re at it, this is a good time to point out that this process - of building equity with the right audiences - it applies to anything you’re going to do business-wise [start a podcast, become an influencer, run a small business, etc.]. In an age where many celebrities hire ghost writers to write their books for them, it’s so important to demonstrate your intention with those who are going to spend money. This is partially what went wrong for Billie and Justin. 

First off, they are musicians and that is what the majority of their fandom expects from them. As they evolved into authors, it’s important to bring their randoms along with them on that journey. We’re guestimating here, but we think this is where they could have used some help; Explaining their greater purpose or ‘why’ for writing a book [like why NOT just sing about it? Why MUST they express themselves in a book?], showing their process to creating the books, connecting with other authors and their communities, learning, and ultimately doing the work to demonstrate their authenticity. They could have shown us why their books are special, unique, different, and must-reads [hey guys, call us next time huh?].

As the saying goes, anything worthwhile takes work and publishing a [successful] book is no different. Creating the thing is only half the work, the other half is all in how you serve it up to the world.