Building my social media platform has been a bit daunting. I, like a lot of people, do not have a lot of time to spend on social media. Trying to learn the ins and outs, what hashtags to use, what content people enjoy, what questions draw the most interactions, understanding follows and unfollows… It’s enough to make your brain explode!
If I hadn’t been told all of this was important to get my book noticed, I wouldn’t be doing it at all. Heck, I probably wouldn’t have an author’s page because I didn’t realize how important having one was. Yet, here I am starting an author’s page and I have no clue what I’m doing (insert shrug emoji).
I’ve found that Instagram has been the best social media platform for me. The other bookstagrammers and authors are so helpful and supportive. Through this lovely community I have found that I am not alone in my struggles. There are many of us fighting to stay above the white rapids of this fast flowing river of media. It’s nice to know that I can reach out to most any other indie author, book reviewer or bookstagrammer and ask questions about things I have no clue about and get a reply with something helpful, even if it’s a, “I get where you are coming from, I’m clueless too.” response. Knowing that you can struggle up this mountain and learn together gives me hope that one day I will have this social media thing down and maybe, just maybe, my book will get noticed.
I am a BIG believer in following your dreams. I am late getting out the gate and understanding the things I should have done before I published my book, but learning is half the battle, right? I am now armed with a little more knowledge for my second book and for that I am forever grateful. I wouldn’t change the journey I had in writing and releasing Call of the Blue Heron, because without it, I wouldn’t know what I know now.
If you’re a new author and you’re struggling to get a footing, feel free to reach out to me. I am far from being an expert, but I am willing to share anything I have learned. You just have to put yourself out there and be proud of what you’ve done, no matter what those in the bleachers are saying. Look at me, I just did my very first blog post to my brand new authors page, which is still under construction. Who knows if I’ll even figure out how to publish it to my page, but I am trying and that’s what matters!
Until next time, happy reading bookworms!
Author Sarah Hill 