How Kindness Can Help You Build an Amazing Author Network
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The importance of building an author network cannot be overstated. The act of writing itself may be a largely solitary endeavour, but the act of authorship is by no means done in isolation. Friends, family, and writing colleagues are utterly invaluable to making one a better and more successful writer — and authorpreneur. Agents, book bloggers, beta readers, editors, and the all-important readers all play a part in a writer’s success.
Having those sorts of people backing you is essential as you navigate the thrilling and sometimes scary world of writing and publishing and promoting a book. In the 21st century, it’s the online community where you can build the largest and most diverse support network for your author endeavours in the shortest amount of time.
When people look at the depth and breadth of my social media following in the writing community (particularly on Twitter), some have asked how they can build that kind of network. I have no doubt that anyone who follows some simple tenets will equal or far exceed what I have established in terms of a broader community, and quickly. The big caveat is ‘if’ — if they are dedicated to being kind. But what does that look like?
Many people have spoken about the fact that when you first join a social media platform like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you feel like you are shouting into the void. No one knows who you are yet, or even that your presence exists on a particular platform. This is no different for writers. I’ll use the example of Twitter, which is my preferred social media space.
When I first arrived on Twitter, I started with zero followers like most participants. I followed writers whose work I admired, and many other people that seemed kind, engaging, and interesting, whose work I knew nothing about. I followed poets, readers, bloggers, authors, my favorite musicians, celebrities, and public figures. I hoped at least some of them would follow me back. But at first, few did. Why should they? They knew nothing about me.
I pride myself in trying to be a kind person and feel it comes naturally to me. Genuinely, as I read more and more of the books by authors I had not read before, I started promoting the books I loved. This had nothing to do with attracting followers. This is simply because I felt the books deserved praise and the authors deserved recognition, and I wanted to be kind and supportive.
“...kindness and boosting others is a force multiplier...”
Most of my tweets consisted of plugging the work of other writers. In time, those writers started to return the favour. I interacted with more people, and as I got to know them better, formed some incredible and lasting virtual friendships with people who, in time, read and loved my work, and became my advocates. They all commented how persistently I promoted the work of others, including them, and how much they appreciated and admired me for doing that. They said they were determined to give back the support I had given them, and more. And not just because they enjoyed my writing. They noted other far better or more celebrated writers who are brilliant but less supportive. They also noted they gravitated towards people like me who cared most about looking out for others, rather than themselves. Soon I found myself surrounded by a lot of like-minded writers, who were all about boosting others first and foremost.
This is to tell you, reader, that kindness and boosting others is a force multiplier — especially when it comes to building an author network via social media.
You may have heard this expression before. A force multiplier, in a general sense, provides you with capabilities that you would not otherwise be able to achieve. The force multiplier may come with a hefty cost, but it pays immeasurable dividends. In the case of kindness, the cost may be your time and effort, yet I think, in time, you'll find the benefits far outweigh that investment. You will be paid back a thousandfold.
There is absolutely no downside to devoting most of your social media time — outside of other genuine interactions — to boosting others, instead of yourself. The more you promote others’ work, the more you selflessly celebrate the successes of others, tweet out other writers’ books and praise their work (if you have read it and feel strongly it deserves the accolades), the more it will benefit you in the long run.
The first and most important benefit is that you will be doing something altruistic, and helping others makes one feel good. Feeling good is good! It really improves your overall mental health and positivity about being part of the greater writing community.
The second benefit is that it is easier, in most cases, to boost others, rather than constantly plug your own books. It’s easier because you don’t feel like you’re constantly focusing all the attention on yourself. Marketing and promotion often isn’t an easy thing to do for authors. Some of us are outgoing and gregarious, but many of us are not. Regardless of whether one is introverted or extroverted, sometimes it can feel awkward and even disingenuous to be shouting regularly about your own work.
(Plus, it seems to take a lot more energy to talk at length about oneself. Conversely, I can go on all day with great excitement and enthusiasm if I’m raving about the work of one of my favourite authors.)
The third benefit is that authentic, consistent support of others gains you that support back for you. If I send out three tweets per day about other people, what frequently happens is that those three people will each tweet about my work as well, that day. So now you have three promotions about your work from others. Which is more impressive: you pushing your own work, or others praising it?
Of course, they likely have others who boost their book apart from you. But consider that impact for a moment: you are building relationships, trust, and camaraderie with three members of the writing community. You are becoming more visible because (typically on Twitter) if you tweet something great about someone, that person will retweet your tweet to spread the great things you said about them.
Now even more people know you are kind and supportive, more people will potentially become interested in getting to know you, follow you, and build relationships with you. You will follow them back, and your connections will grow. And your name and brand will be spread even further. by other people.
In time, you will have established a reputation as someone who people want in their corner, who will selflessly and unceasingly promote others more than yourself. And with that sterling reputation, you will have a much bigger (and more effective) platform. By having amassed a high number of genuine friends and supporters, you’ve built a network of allies. And believe me, you need allies to be successful as a writer. The first step is being a great ally yourself.
After a few months, or years, you will have various large groups (not only individuals) who support you, that you have bonded with, sharing common goals and interests, celebrating each other’s successes (and commiserating and comforting one another through tough times). They’ll be completely resolved to boost you and your work, at every opportunity. You will have an amazing author network of social media friends, whose expertise, counsel, and friendship will become a treasure to you.
Devote the bulk of your time, from the moment you join any new social media platform (or any venue, for that matter), to being the good person you are: actively and unfailingly boosting and assisting others. Genuinely interact, and don’t merely be a retweeter, or else people will wonder if you’re a bot. So, don’t worry so much about promoting your own book. Eventually, others will be doing that for you.
P.L. Stuart lives in Chatham, Ontario, with his wife, Debbie. The Last of the Atalanteans is the second novel in The Drowned Kingdom saga, and the sequel to the FriesenPress number-one bestseller: A Drowned Kingdom.
To learn more, you can visit his website plstuart.com or follow his social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
