They’re my numbers and I’ll cry if I want to!

“May the (sales) Force Be with You”

"You have to do what’s best for the book!” I want to tell both aspiring and published authors who aren’t on social media. (What do they do when they procrastinate?)

Just like parents must be responsible for raising children to be successful members of society, an author, whether pitching or promoting their book, should want the same success for their “book baby.”

Personally, it's my belief authors are doing a disservice to themselves — and most importantly, to their book — by not having an online presence. Authors nowadays should be tech savvy enough to at least promote their own books. They should use social media just like new parents do, sharing and posting book cover reveals (as opposed to sex reveals). I posted a photo of me slicing open the box that contained copies of my latest books when it arrived and quipped, “Book Baby #11 arrived via C-section this afternoon. Mother and baby are doing well!” (Get it? I was using a knife to slice open that box!)

These days, having an online presence is part of an author’s job. Why? Having a case for your book from a business standpoint, either before or after it’s been acquired by a publisher, and being able to prove that YOU can sell your book based on your followers often does matter more than the writing. A sad but true reality.

Numbers matter in this digital age. Agents, editors, and publishers typically want to see your online platform so you can prove that YOU, even without their help, can sell your book, usually because of who you are or how many followers you have. Numbers give publishing professionals a sense of an author’s “reach,” which really means, “How many of their potential followers may buy their book?”

So I asked a Canadian publishing executive/acquiring editor at one of the BIG PUBLISHING HOUSES just how important “numbers” or “followers” are now when she (and the publishing house’s editorial board) decides whether or not to make an offer.

“Regarding social media numbers, a lot of that applies to lifestyle books, like cookbooks, and books that grow from a blog. The numbers don’t influence our publishing decisions when it comes to fiction, and even a lot of nonfiction," she said. “Excellent writing and ideas will always carry the day.”

BUT in this age of social media? I had to press….

“Are you telling me that the number of followers doesn’t play a role in a decision to acquire a book?” I asked her.

She agrees it’s a legit question in this digital age. But, far more tellingly, she ALSO admits that she does have to “provide that information when taking a project to our acquisition board.”

But she insists having thousands of followers doesn't “make or break” a project, adding the “quality” of the writing/project is still more important. (I don’t necessarily disagree, but I don’t necessarily agree either. Did you think the writing in Fifty Shades of Grey was quality writing? The series sold 35 million print and e-book copies, inspired film adaptations, and was originally self-published!) 

If an author isn’t active on social media or isn’t comfortable being on social media, the executive explained, “It’s then the publisher’s job to find other ways to promote an author’s book.” Which to me, means teaching and encouraging authors to get comfortable on social media and actively engage with their readers!

“Publishers have been publishing books for a long, long time, way before social media existed,” she continued. “Social media can be a tool, but it is definitely not the be-all and end-all for making decisions.” 

(Read this Q and A in today’s issue about a self-published author who has sold thousands of copies of her cookbook without any publishing deal — simply via word of mouth. And she had no plans to be an author!)

Non-fiction authors, almost universally, must include a “book proposal,” which includes a section called “The Author’s Platform.” This section is where you must show you have some kind of online presence/following, thus potential book buyers. What agents or publishers are really looking for is how YOU would market YOUR own book, based on your numbers.

Generally, most publishers deciding to acquire a book look for, in this order: the content, the market, competitive titles, and the author's platform. But now, in many cases (but NOT ALL!), the order of importance is more like author platform first and content last. 

A publisher’s sales/marketing team plays a huge role in making a decision to acquire a book. Even if an editor finds a manuscript or proposal intriguing, if the sales and marketing team doesn’t think it's sellable, it’s pretty much game-fucking-over!

According to a few publishing veterans during the 1990s, agents and publishers would reject nonfiction proposals and manuscripts if the author lacked a platform. Obviously, having a platform mattered just as much then as it does now.

But do not fret if you don't have thousands of followers! There are other ways to “prove” you have a platform and/or built-in audiences, which I will delve into in a minute…

“Electric Speed” by American author Jane Friedman is one of my favourite newsletters on writing and publishing tips. For over 20 years, she has consulted authors about publishing and digital media strategies. I’ve never used her services, but she writes compelling blogs!

Friedman agrees that many books are acquired these days, first based on the marketability of the author, then their platform, and then the concept. "You need a strong platform if you want your book to do well…. Your platform is the only way to guarantee publishers will look twice at your book.”

She literally writes, “If you have a way to reach readers without a publisher’s help, then you’re more likely to get a book deal.”

Personally, I can actually tell exactly when authors lie, fudge, exaggerate about their following. It’s so easy to figure out! 

When I see someone on social platforms and it shows they have 100k followers? I then look at their posts to see how many people actually liked or commented. Many times, if their posts only get 50 likes, I’m pretty confident they don't actually have 100k authentic followers. The math doesn't add up!  If they really did have 100k followers/subscribers but only got 50 likes, loves, or laughs, on their posts, it means the percentage of their followers is, in actuality, only 0.001%.

I was once helping a publishing house with their social media. It was beyond frustrating. Most of the authors didn’t even have a personal Facebook page. I wanted to shout, “How can anyone reach you if they can’t reach you?”

I begged with the publisher to make sure her authors had some sort of digital existence, even a simple website, that includes their name, a photo of their book, good reviews, and most importantly, both where to buy their goddamn book and how the fuck get in contact with them!

If no one can find authors, they may miss important media requests and appearances, paid speaking engagements, or offers to be a guest at book clubs — all of which would help sell their book.

I’ll be candid…

Executives who make decisions at publishing houses are usually older. Not old..but older, having worked in publishing before peloton bikes and podcasts. Many still don’t quite grasp the impact social media has (which is exactly why I believe publishing needs a makeover!). 

With new platforms popping up faster than a hamster on cocaine, it’s understandable that publicists, like many of us, fall behind on current social media trends.

Take TikTok, for example, the popular Gen Z social media app. TikTok users are getting the word out about books they love — better than any publicist — having found followers and in some instances even fame on BookTok, a subgenre on the TikTok app where creators share 15-second videos recommending their favourite books, characters, “to be read” lists, and all kinds of “emotive, effusive content” that glorifies reading.

BookTok followers love to witness all sorts of readers’ emotional reactions, like when they start a new book, have just finished a series, or reached a juicy plot twist. They even take pleasure in watching them unwrap freshly delivered books and inhaling that new book smell! These are all done in creative, very attention-grabbing short clips. And they do have an impact on book sales.

Abby Parker (@abbysbooks) reads to “escape reality.” At age 21, she has almost 400,000 followers in the BookTok community, and she just started a few months ago. “BookTok was new, exciting, constantly growing, and full of creativity,” she said.

In the past few months, and even with the recent reopening of bookstores and libraries, BookTok saw a surge in popularity. Today, it has reached 10.3 billion views!

When Parker mentioned her love of the book The Song of Achilles, including the hashtag #thesongofachilles to her 400k BookTok followers, the book resulted in renewed success after being published 10 years ago. The title was back on bestsellers lists, thanks to Parker and her 15-second BookTok!

Proving your book is sellable, especially for fiction writers, doesn’t always mean you need thousands of followers.

A well-known nutritionist, for example, who is often invited to speak at numerous wellness retreats, attended by hundreds of people, could sell their books, proving they have a platform — in real life.

I also can’t help but think of my trip to Alcatraz. Like every other tourist destination, there’s a gift shop. A former prisoner — who had self-published Alcatraz #1259 about his time at Alcatraz — is a staple in that gift shop, available to sign his book for tourists. Let’s say 50 tourists buy his book five days a week at $20? He’s just made $5,000 a week, thanks to his built-in "author platform" via tourists who must exit through the gift shop.

Many authors may not have signed up to engage on Twitter or run their own website, either to get a book deal or to sell their books, and while I do think (and know) having a platform is important, the question remains: just how important? 

Mostly, I believe that publishers still haven’t figured this “equation” out just yet. But what I have figured out is that authors must “do what’s best for your book!” 

Until then, flip your hair then flip the page!

xoxo,

Rebecca

P.S. And don’t forget to send me an email to enter re:book’s “Write Away Summer” contest, where the winner is guaranteed (!!) to have their book published by a prestigious publishing house. (For real!) Learn more about the contest here.