Which social media is worth a writer’s time?

What’s wrong with algorithmic feeds?

They put a ranking system between you and your readers, so even people who follow you may never see what you post. On most large networks, software ranks posts by how likely each is to hold a given user’s attention. It judges this from signals such as likes, replies, shares and how long people linger, and mixes in posts from accounts the user never followed. Most of these networks are funded by advertising, so holding attention is the goal.

For writers, that has costs:

• Unpredictable reach: a post seen by thousands one week may reach a handful the next.
• Pressure to perform: posts that draw instant reactions tend to travel furthest, while thoughtful ones can sink.
• A treadmill: volume, formats and timing all seem to matter, and the ranking keeps changing.

To be fair, ranking can also carry an unknown writer’s post to large numbers of strangers. If your readers already gather on one of these networks, and you enjoy making what it rewards, it can be worth your time.

What is the fediverse?

The fediverse is a network of independent social media servers, run by different people, that exchange posts with one another. They do it through a shared open standard, ActivityPub, published by the W3C as a Recommendation in 2018. The name comes from “federated universe,” and no single company owns it.

Each server has its own rules and moderators, and some are built around a subject such as books or science. Because they all speak the same protocol, an account on one can follow and reply to accounts on others.

The best-known server software is Mastodon, which is free and open source. Its home feed shows posts from the people you follow in chronological order, with no algorithms or ads. Other software speaks ActivityPub too, so the network spans more than one app.

Addresses work like email: @[email protected] is Mara, on the server books.example.

There are drawbacks too. The fediverse is smaller than the biggest networks, nothing pushes your posts to strangers, and growth is slow.

How do you join and find readers?

Choose a server whose rules and members suit you, set up a clear profile, and follow people before you expect anyone to follow you.

• General or themed: a big general server puts you among many people. A smaller one for writers, readers or your region gives you like-minded neighbors.
• Read the rules: every server has an about page with its rules and moderators.
• Look for signs of care: Mastodon’s own website lists servers committed to active moderation, daily backups and at least three months’ notice before closing.
• Don’t agonize: on Mastodon you can move servers later, and your followers move with you, though your old posts stay behind.

Wherever you join, you can follow people on other servers. For your profile, use the name you publish under, a clear photo, a short bio and a link to your website or newsletter. Newcomers traditionally post an introduction tagged #Introduction, so write one and pin it.

Then follow twenty or thirty accounts worth reading: novelists and poets in your field, booksellers, librarians and thoughtful readers. Reply where you have something real to add, since many follows begin with one useful reply.

Which hashtags actually help?

The hashtags that help are specific ones readers follow and browse, used two or three at a time. With nothing ranking posts for strangers, hashtags do much of that work. On Mastodon, people can follow a hashtag, and posts carrying it appear in their home feed, whoever wrote them.

• Specific beats broad: #HistoricalFiction finds people who want exactly that. #Books finds everyone, briefly.
• Two or three per post: one for your genre, one for the subject, perhaps one for a community such as #WritingCommunity. A long string looks like an advertisement.
• Capitalize each word: #AmWriting is easier to read than #amwriting, and screen readers can pick out the separate words.
• Check before you use: look at a tag’s recent posts to see whether it’s active.
• Post publicly: on Mastodon, quiet public and followers-only posts stay out of search results and explore pages, so their hashtags reach fewer people.

What are the good manners?

Describe your images, warn people before difficult subjects, pass on good work, and reply as you would in person.

• Alt text: describe every image for people who can’t see it, including any words in the picture. On the fediverse it’s an expected courtesy. “A hardback novel propped against a teapot, bookmark at the halfway point” says far more than “Book photo.”
• Content warnings: a short line that hides a post until the reader opens it. Use one for spoilers, grief, illness, violence and very long posts, in plain words such as “Spoilers for the final chapter.”
• Boosting: sharing someone’s post, unchanged and under their name, with your followers. It’s how word of mouth travels here.
• Replying: read the thread first, add something new, and keep any disagreement about the idea.
• Respecting limits: if a profile asks strangers not to message or quote its owner, respect that.

How do you mention your book without being a bore?

Make most of your posts about something else, roughly four or five for every one about your book. Give first: what you’re reading, a research find, a problem you solved in a draft, other writers’ good news. Readers come to know you, and interest in your book follows.

When you do post about the book, tell a story: the cover arriving, the draft that nearly didn’t happen, publication day. Add the title, a link and a fitting hashtag, and pin your main book post so newcomers find it.

A few habits wear out goodwill fast:

• Links in other people’s threads: leave your book out of conversations unless someone asks for recommendations.
• Unsolicited messages: never message strangers asking them to buy, review or share.
• Repetition: the same announcement, again and again, with nothing new.

If you want help with a launch, ask once, plainly, and say nobody is obliged.