Do Writers Need Social Media to get Published?

Unravelling the Myths and Truths of Social Media's Role in Publishing

Happy Friday Scribblers,

Yesterday I spoke to 1000 year 9s (so ages 13 and 14) in Rochdale Town Hall about publishing. Lovely though they were, I was struck by how many of them did not read books, and it made me a bit sad. Does that mean I’m getting old?! Probably!

It’s fab to see Morag Anderson’s Aryamati Prize winning pamphlet, ‘And I Will Make of You a Vowel Sound’ hit the shelves of Waterstones and indies across the country! This review from Blackwell’s Oxford - stay tuned for the date of an online launch…

And we had a gorgeous write up in the NE Magazine The Crack for ‘The Dark Within Them’: 'Kenyon's debut novel is a gripping thriller. The beautiful prose tells of her talents as a poet, with carefully chosen language that creates the chilling feeling of uncertainty for Amber in her new life. Each chapter has you questioning every character you meet…This is one for fans of Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins: dark, cryptic, and consuming.'

Now for this week’s chewy subject…

Unravelling the Myths and Truths of Social Media's Role in Publishing

With the rise of social media over the past decade, there's increasing pressure on authors to have an online presence and following. Whether social media sells books is a hotly-debated topic, and one which needs to be considered within a wider conversation of what influences a particular reader to pick up a book and purchase it (often a combination of marketing, PR and sales strategies lead to this outcome!) It certainly isn’t easy to sell a book. A link to your book on Twitter/X will not mean an overnight best-seller, even if you have thousands of followers.

So how much time should a debut, or existing author, dedicate to social media, and why oh why do publishers place so much emphasis on social media these days?