How Important Is a Social Media Presence for a Writer? (or: what about platform?)

How important is social media presence for a writer? The honest answer is: it depends.

What does it depend on? Well: What do you write? Who is your audience? And what are your ultimate goals for your writing?

My social media presence is minimal, by choice, and it hasn’t affected my marketability one bit. I’m on all the major platforms, and I post rarely (but not never). I almost never post about current projects, and I’m probably not doing myself any favors in terms of reaching a broader audience — or even just letting people in my real life know what I’m working on.

But here’s the thing: I don’t find social media enjoyable. I don’t think it’s inherently bad, and I’m not anti-social-media in the way some people are. There’s some truth in those criticisms, sure, but that’s not why I avoid it. I just genuinely don’t enjoy using it. So for me to build a strong social media presence would require far more effort than I want to put in.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t benefit from it. But is the benefit worth the amount of life energy it would take to maintain it? For me, the answer is no — at least not right now.

That said, I know several people who’ve done an amazing job building a strong social media audience. It gives them what's often called a “platform.” Publishers often want to know how many people you already have direct access to or "relationship" with who might be interested in buying your book.

Social media is one way to demonstrate platform. But it’s only one way. And there are countless examples of authors, even those with millions of followers, whose books don’t sell well. Following someone on Instagram doesn’t automatically translate into buying their work.

If you do enjoy social media, and you already have some presence there, it makes sense to work hard to strengthen and grow your reach. And if you write non-fiction, self-help, or thought leadership, for example, social media can be incredibly effective.

My social media following is relatively small — across all platforms combined, I'm not sure I break 3,000 followers. But my actual reach is much, much bigger, thanks to other strategies I put daily work into: my website, my newsletter, and regular publication of pieces in national outlets, not to mention my real-life relationships with students, clients, and other writers—people I meet with, talk with, exchange ideas with, commiserate with.

That kind of visibility has broadened my reach in a way that’s directly connected to my writing. People find me through my topics, my voice, and the conversations I’m part of. It’s not just likes or shares — it’s connection based on substance.

That’s not to say a social media presence isn't valuable — it absolutely can be — but only if it aligns with your goals, your genre, and your energy. If social media’s not your jam, that’s totally fine. Find what is your jam, and build a platform around that. It will feel less stressful, be more sustainable, and ultimately be far more effective.

Tips Galore!