Carolina Ortiz is the Marketing Coordinator for NeWest Press. She recently gave a talk at the Federation of BC Writers’ Fall Mini-Summit on social media skills for authors. I thought I’d ask her a few questions so that she can share her knowledge with us here.

In a recent talk you gave for the Federation of BC Writers, one of the first things you said an author should do is to find a similar author and see what works for that author on social media so they can base their content off that example. Assuming that most of the readers of this newsletter are like me—writing fiction that mostly appeals to women and that veers more toward the literary than the commercial side of things, can you think of some examples of similar authors on Instagram or other platforms that we should emulate?

In your talk, you gave some tips on how to make content accessible. Can you share those here, and some ideas of where we can find more information about that?

Absolutely! Making accessible content is very important. Contributing to the creation of inclusive online spaces should be a priority for everyone. Less importantly, it has the added benefit of presenting your content to a wider audience. Here are some simple steps you can take to make your content accessible:

The best way to find similar authors is to take a look at your favourite ones, especially those published by independent presses as it tends to be easier to use them as a standard you’re working towards. That is, it’s difficult to compare your growth to someone who has millions of followers. Prominent authors have a built-in social media audience, so their content will likely always have engagements. Although you can definitely use established authors for content ideas, to have a more effective strategy, find someone that you can use as a feasible goal for growth. One you find someone you’d like make a note of their content. Is there a pattern? Is it consistent? Are there particular posts that get more engagement? It’s most likely that your favourite authors have a similar audience, so knowing what works for them is great way to find inspiration.

Regarding a specific example, I would say Frances Peck is definitely an author to check out. Her debut novel, The Broken Places (NeWest Press), follows a group of people as they face the aftermath of an earthquake in Vancouver. As a first-time author, Frances used Twitter to establish herself within the online literary community. Although she shies away from photo/video content, her consistent and in-real-time interactions have resulted in a steady rise in engagement. Since last year (January 2022), her twitter likes have roughly doubled. She’s been tweeting regularly leading up the release of her book and continues to do so to maintain a presence. Frances tweets about her events, reviews, and interviews, but also makes sure to praise other authors, interact with book-related content, and sprinkle in her other interests. Overall, Frances’ online presence feels authentic. She writes in her own voice. You get to know her as an author, but also as someone you can relate to.

Throughout your talk, you mentioned video content a lot which, I admit, is a bit terrifying to me. Can you give some pointers on how to get started making videos? How long should they be? What sort of video content can an author create?

I totally get it! I’m also not the most comfortable with video content. What’s most important is to do what makes you comfortable. If making videos feels like a daunting task, start with doing something you like. For example, posting photos is an amazing way to engage online without much editing. Content that’s trending on Reels and Stories can easily be done through regular posts. For instance, recommending your favourite books is a popular trend on Reels. Instead of posting a video, you can take a photo and share your recommendations in the caption. Make sure to include the hashtags that are trending. Although it may not be as interactive, it’s still a great way to participate. If you would like to give videos a shot, find an appealing background that you can access easily. For example, a bookshelf or a neutral wall. It’s best if it’s close to natural light so a ring light is not necessary. Don’t feel the need to invest in a fancy camera or expensive editing programs. I use my phone for all the content I create. As long as your phone can capture decent quality pictures and videos, you’re all set.

I know there are a lot of videos out there with seemingly complicated transitions and extensive editing. You don’t need to do that! Authenticity is a billion times more important than being “good” at videos. Simple things like sitting in front of the camera and reading an excerpt from your book, telling a quick story about your writing process, or sharing your current reads are great ways to engage with your audience. It allows people to get to know you as a person, while still letting your identity as an author shine.

I think this may be a separate question about videos: What are the rules regarding music that we can use in videos on various platforms—YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok? Are there places to find unlicensed music that would be ok to use anywhere?

One of the great things that has developed with the rise in video content is the built-in music function for a lot of platforms. For example, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube all have their own music libraries so users can add snippets of songs to their videos. Since you can also upload your own audio, it’s best to upload a video without audio and then later add music using their libraries. To make it easier, you can create one video for all your platforms. That is, if you post a TikTok, you can download it and share it on YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. You also don’t need to use music to upload videos. Chatting to your audience, whether directly to the camera or through a voice over is a wonderful way to introduce yourself. Just make sure you’re using closed captions to make your posts as accessible as possible.

1. Follow CamelCase hashtags. Screen reading programs tend to have difficulty reading hashtags because the program translates the lack of spacing as a single work. To prevent this, it’s best to use CamelCase hashtags. When adding hashtags, be sure to capitalize each separate word. That way, programs can identify each word regardless of spacing.

2. Include alternative text. Thankfully, many social media platforms have created a feature that allows you to add alt text to content. That is, writing a short description of an image so screen readers can describe visual content. This creates better context and lets viewers experience the entirety of a post. If there isn’t a particular feature for alt text on the platform you’re using, you can also add it in the caption of your posts.

3. As I mentioned before, don’t forget to add closed captions to all your videos. Again, a lot of platforms now have automatic closed captions, which is wonderful. Nevertheless, it’s still important to double check them before posting. Programs often make mistakes, so make sure to edit them to ensure their accuracy. There are many more ways to make accessible content and there are great resources you can find online to learn how to do it effectively. Here are some examples:

   Toronto Metropolitan University’s Guide to Accessible Social Media

   Queen University’s Tutorial on Social Media Accessibility

   Accessible Library’s Accessible Social Media Webinar Video

You mentioned that our content should be 1/3 about our book, 1/3 about other authors’ books, and 1/3 about ourselves, to show that we’re real people. It’s that final third that I have trouble with. Do you have any suggestions of what an author can share about their lives without getting too personal or worrying about their privacy or the privacy of their friends/children, etc.?

Of course, safety and comfort are most important. If you don’t want to share anything personal, that’s okay! There are other ways to share your personality without sharing too much about your life. For example, share your other interests. Do you like playing music? Love to paint? Practice yoga? These pastimes don’t have to include your friends/family. For example, you can share your favourite song of the week or a picture of your newest painting. Part of sharing of yourself is also interacting with others about topics other than books. Did someone you’ve previously interacted with ask for recommendations for ice cream shops? Share your thoughts! There’s really no wrong way to do it. The goal is to establish a well-rounded identity online. If all you do is promote your book every day all the time, people are going to lose interest, and it may even put people off reading your book.

In your talk, you warned us that Goodreads is not kind to small press books. Could you elaborate on that a bit? Would you suggest a small press author ask their publisher to not give out free copies for review via NetGalley, for instance?

In the past, Goodreads was a great resource for independent presses. Giveaways in particular were an effective way to get readers to add books to the website. In order to sign up to win an advance reader copy, you had to add the book to your TBR list. When users added indie books to their lists, it would be shared consistently with other readers through the timeline, allowing presses to widen their audience for their books. Before Amazon purchased Goodreads, this service was free for publishers. Now it costs a minimum of $119 USD to do one giveaway. To do this for an entire season would not be feasible for an indie publisher.

For authors, Goodreads is not as beneficial as one may think. Although authors can write blog posts and interact with other users, the platform is outdated and annoying to navigate. Authors who have difficulty with online platforms will find it tough to use. Additionally, the rating system is unreliable as spam reviewers skew the amount of stars a book receives. Low ratings can put off potential readers and negatively affect an author’s confidence, even if it’s inaccurate.

Although it’s impossible to separate yourself from platforms owned by giant tech companies (e.g., most social media), finding ways to support local business and independent websites is the best way to maintain space for indie publishers within the larger book world.

My favourite place to do giveaways is through 49th Shelf. It’s an amazing platform that celebrates Canadian books online. 49th Shelf helps drive interaction with authors through interviews, podcast episodes, and guest posts. Members can write reviews and interact with the posts. 49th Shelf also lets publishers participate in giveaways for free. Also, each book has its own web page with various shopping options, including a “shop local” button. It’s always important to support your local bookstore. Although your publisher is likely aware of 49th Shelf, I would definitely recommend it to them just in case!

For review copies, I find reviewers are okay with receiving digital ARCs that are not connected to NetGalley. NetGalley is very expensive, even with the independent publisher discount, and it has no guarantee to a significant number of reviews. In my opinion, it’s better for your publisher to curate their review copy mail-out in addition to giveaways.

Any final social media tips for us?

Social media is just another tool you can use to market yourself. If you find it to be difficult and exhausting, don’t do it! Now that things have started to open up, it’s a great time to connect with your local bookstore. Go to readings, attend festivals, participate in a book club. Connecting to the literary community in person can be just as effective as establishing a social media presence. Of course, doing both is ideal, but the main goal is getting out there in any way you can!

Carolina Ortiz has a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Political Science from the University of British Columbia. She was published in the Ignite Journal and served as Editor-in- Chief for the UBC Journal of Political Studies. You can usually find her halfway through a crochet project, playing with her puppy, or drinking copious amounts of tea.