Promoting Your Book Online: Literary Citizenship

In my last column, I shared tips for promoting your book online without burnout. I covered making a marketing plan ahead of your book launch, defining boundaries around what you share online, and cultivating an online space you’re in control of. But there’s one more facet of online marketing for writers that I think deserves more of a deep dive, and it might be my favourite: literary citizenship.

*

What is literary citizenship?

Essentially, literary citizenship means participating in and giving back to your community of fellow writers. And I use the word “community” very intentionally. Even if you’re the only writer you know in your immediate circle of friends, you’re part of a wider group of people who do what you do. They’ll help make your online experience as a writer more enjoyable.

Why is literary citizenship important?

The fact that total strangers around the world have read and enjoyed my book never ceases to amaze and humble me. Connecting with people like this is why I love being a writer.

Yet, the support and generosity of other writers is what bolsters me when I wonder why I write at all. They know firsthand what it’s like to be a writer today, and they’re often the first ones to get excited about a new project or share something of mine online. Doing the same for them feels natural.

This isn’t to say that you should approach other writers in a transactional way—far from it. Instead, find writers whose presence and conversations you authentically enjoy, and focus on things other than marketing. Here are some ways to engage with your community of writers.

How to get started with literary citizenship

• Request and sign out books from your local library. This is by far my favourite way to support my fellow writers. Not only does it affirm the importance of libraries, but the Public Lending Right program also sends Canadian authors yearly payments for having copies of their books in public libraries. Win-win!

• Discover your local independent bookstore. Do you have an indie bookstore in your town? They’re the heart of their literary communities, and they love to highlight local authors and buy locally-authored books. Introduce yourself as a local author and support them as often as you can.

• Join a writing group. It doesn’t have to be a critique group, it doesn’t have to meet in person, and it doesn’t even have to cover your genre. Look for writing groups that fit your personality, with people you enjoy being with.

• Talk about what you’re reading. Writing detailed reviews on bookstagram isn’t the only way! It’s as easy as “I’m really enjoying this book” and sharing the author’s name (or tagging them if it’s a positive post). Oh, and this works wonderfully for older books that may have dropped off the promotional cycle online.

• Share events and book launches. You’re a cheerleader for your friends’ careers because you want them to succeed, and sharing their news is the quickest and easiest way to show your support.

• Attend events if you can. One of the only positive things about 2020 is that I attended many more literary events than ever before, because they were all virtual. Even if you can’t go to events in person, look for virtual options. This is perfect if, like me, you have writer friends in many far-flung places. Bonus tip: Think of a question you can ask during the Q&A session at the end. Being able to show up for other writers and help them have a good event honestly feels incredible.

• Sign up for author newsletters. I love writing my own author newsletter and I love reading other authors’ newsletters. It feels a bit more personal. It’s a great way to get insight into their process and inspirations, and I learn about new things they have coming up, too.

• Share your knowledge. You can teach an aspect of writing, mentor a new writer, or simply share tips and advice that’ve helped you.

• Use your influence. Don’t think you have influence? You’d be surprised! Even something that feels as small as signal-boosting a new writer’s event or a book by a marginalized author can do a lot of good in the literary world.

• Be authentic. Friendships are rarely built on DM sales pitches. Asking questions is okay of course, but the goal is a genuine conversation.

• Have fun! Focus on community over competition. Remember that there’s room for everyone and promotion is just one aspect of an organic connection.

*

Being part of a literary community means forming genuine relationships with writers you like. This will sustain you through a long writing career of ups and downs. It’ll make participating in social media enjoyable. It’ll help you feel connected to a community when writing feels solitary. And buried deep within that list of benefits is this: when it eventually comes time to promote your latest work, you won’t feel like you’re shouting into the void. Your news will be shared by your community with authentic excitement.