There has been a lot of news lately about how social media is destroying our brains and our teenagers and our democracies.
Some of these concerns fit into the ‘all new technologies are blamed for everything’ cycle that we’ve seen time and again with mass market paperbacks, then radio, then TV, then video games etc.
And some concerns feel genuinely worrying. There are a lot of questions that merit further discussion and legislation. The algorithms reflect back at you what you put into it or seek out, and will also show you things that attract attention, however click-baity and awful that content might be. It’s not always a pleasant place (understatement).
On the flipside, it can be a powerful tool for connecting with readers and talking about your book, as well as an amazing space to connect with people across countries, who you would otherwise never have met.
My feeling is that social media isn’t all bad, or all good. But I can still fully see why some authors want to take a step back from it.
I also think that even if you love social media and embrace it wholeheartedly, it shouldn’t be the only thing you have in your marketing arsenal. There are *many* other ways to reach your readers, so I’m sharing a few of my favourites below: