Discussion: Do Writers Need Social Media?

Photo credit: rogersmj on Flickr

I remember reading this post by Nathan Bransford years ago on when you should start using social media. His post is actually what pushed me to take the plunge into Twitter and blogging, a decision that I couldn’t be happier with.

Now that I’ve waded around the social media world for two years and written posts on the best social media sites and accounts for writers, I’ve started thinking: do writers really need it?

I’m hesitant to make generalizations about what anyone needs to succeed (or generalizations at all, for that matter) with few exceptions. And while social media is not one of those exceptions, I do believe that being active in social media can at the very least make a writer’s life easier. And a little less lonely.

You see, social media is so much more than telling the world about what you had for breakfast—it’s a community, and lucky for writers there’s a rather large one of wonderful people who love words and just want to tell stories to the world. But more than that, social media is a world rife with opportunity—from pitch contests, to wish list requests from agents, to online writing conferences (which are actually a thing).

And that’s available to everyone long before publication is a reality.

Post-publication, social media becomes even more important. It allows writers to connect with their readers, both future and current. Social media drives word-of-mouth marketing, keeps readers in-the-know regarding your book, and it allows anyone and everyone to share their thoughts on your work.

So while I won’t say that it’s impossible to be a successful writer without social media, I do believe that social media can make a writer’s life much easier (and, dare I say—a little more fun?).

Even if you don’t think you need social media, it might be worth a try anyway. You never know—it might turn out to be one of your best decisions yet.

Do you think writers need social media? Why or why not?

Twitter-sized bites: 

Do writers really need social media? (Click to tweet) 

It may not be impossible to be a successful writer without social media, but it does make life easier. (Click to tweet)