Reaching Out: Using Social Media to Cross Boundaries in Writing
Award-winning author Martha Anne Toll shares how she’s used social media in a variety ways to expand her writing and publishing network.
Social media harms civil society through distractions and trolling and canceling and influence peddling and falsehoods. So why do I embrace it?
My first “serious” experience on social media was in the early-ish days of Twitter. I went from fearing and scorning Twitter, to FOMO, to tiptoeing in during 2010, to whole-heartedly embracing the platform, which I discovered was a writer’s paradise. Authors who would have been unreachable in analog days were on Twitter sharing their work, looking to connect and converse.
When I finished a book I loved, I’d tweet directly to the writer. Sometimes I DM-ed them and began a dialogue. Sometimes these dialogues evolved into long-term connections and genuine friendships.
On Twitter, I got insights from people with vastly different backgrounds from mine. I learned how they viewed literature and politics and all kinds of other things. I don’t know how many writing jobs I got via Twitter, but the professional payoff was significant. I deepened and widened my networks.
Given the fractionalization and potential toxicity of social media, I don’t think any platform will come close to my experience with Twitter. Nevertheless, it was a small step from Twitter to Instagram, which I joined after attending my first artist’s residency in 2017. I was eager to keep up with the visual artists I’d met. I wanted to see their work evolve.
By 2022, when my debut novel Three Muses came out, I was on a lot of socials. Sort of. Like others, I dislike being photographed, and I hate seeing photos of myself. The number of times I’d posted a picture of myself anywhere on social media could have been counted on one hand at that time.
When I sought advice about promoting Three Muses, I kept getting the same answer—Connect with your audience. The advice is obvious, but how do you find your audience? I suspected then and believe now that audience comes via multiple paths. Since I’m an ecumenical reader, I felt I needed to reach out in varied ways. For example, I write a weekly Substack newsletter that comes to readers’ email inboxes. I try to be as active as possible in my local reading and writing community. And social media is an integral part of my outreach as well.
I believe in specific outreach to specific audiences. Social media allows me to reach a set of demographics who may not respond to traditional marketing (whatever that is!). “Booktok,” a segment of TikTok, is comprised of young female readers, who might respond to my writing. I’m not sure how I’d reach them otherwise. My new novel, Duet for One, is a double love story as well as an immersion into classical music. Social media allows me to share music and musicians. I’m delighted that potential readers can hear what I’m writing and talking about. This process has been so exciting that I plan to incorporate live music into book launch events.
I’m not the first to say that video content on both Instagram and TikTok (and elsewhere) catch people’s attention more than photographs. Videos, or “reels” as they’re called, provide an opportunity for me to chat with viewers. I feel unscripted and enjoy commenting on stuff happening now.
Social media content has become integral to my creative output. But I never want it to swamp the real work, which is reading and writing. To that end, I work with a wonderful 20-something social media guru who provides guidance, edits reels, and offers an array of support.
I love being a literary critic and publishing book reviews, but my Substack newsletter gives me a different kind of satisfaction. I don’t have to “pitch” anyone. I can cover topics that I hope readers will find meaningful. It’s easy to pivot when I want to cover pressing topics. Often a few short paragraphs that suggest an idea or an avenue of thinking, are all I want to say on the subject. A longer piece just wouldn’t do. I think of it as my literary playground.
We writers have our individual styles and comforts. I strongly suggest honoring your own needs and limits. Not everything is for everyone, a lesson I’ve had to learn repeatedly. Most important, never let anything take over your creative time. It’s just not worth it.
On the other hand, if you can stand some discomfort and are willing to stick your neck out, alternate forms of communication can help connect you to new readers and broaden your perspective. Most of all, I hope you learn something along the way.
Check out Martha Anne Toll's Duet for One here:
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