The Role of Social Media in Book Promotion
By Jordan Malnack, Director of Publicity at Grace Taylor PR
Let’s start with this. You do not need to go viral. You do not need to post every day. And you absolutely do not need to become someone else online in order to promote your book.
What you do need is a presence that reflects who you are as an author and supports the work you are already doing. At Grace Taylor PR, we help authors make social media a strategic, authentic part of their publicity campaign. Nothing more, nothing less.
Social media is often your introduction
Long before a reader holds your book in their hands, long before a bookstore event is scheduled or a media pitch gets answered, people will look you up. Your social media is one of the first places they will land. It should tell a clear story about you and your work.
This does not mean you need to be on every platform. In fact, we often advise the opposite. Choose one or two platforms that feel natural. Use them to show up in a way that feels like you. Your voice. Your ideas. Your book.
Build around what is already happening
If you are in launch mode, your social content should reflect that. Share your cover reveal. Post a clip from your interview. Highlight an early review. If you are in between books, focus on building connection. Give people a peek into your writing process. Talk about what you are reading. Share the moments that are shaping your next project.
We always look at the full picture of your publicity campaign and help you build a content plan that supports it. The goal is not to fill a feed. The goal is to create touchpoints that help readers, media, and event partners understand who you are and why your book matters.
Use your wins wisely
Got a great media feature? Do not just post the link and walk away. Pull a quote. Create a graphic. Reshare it the following week with a fresh caption. Use Instagram, your newsletter, and even your website to extend the shelf life of that moment.
Social media is where you give new visibility to the coverage you have already earned. It is also where potential partners, booksellers, journalists, and librarians get a sense of your reach and reliability.
Make it personal without being performative
You do not have to share everything. In fact, you should not. But what you do choose to share should feel grounded in your voice and your values.
Some of our authors love posting from their launch events. Some enjoy writing longer reflections on Instagram or LinkedIn. Some prefer to keep it short and visual. There is no one right way to do this. The only wrong move is trying to copy what works for someone else without considering your own goals.
Connection matters more than content
The point of social media is not to sell a book in every post. It is to build trust, spark curiosity, and stay visible during key windows in your career. Sometimes that means posting consistently in the lead-up to a book launch. Sometimes that means showing up every now and then to keep your audience engaged between releases.
If you treat social media as a conversation instead of a broadcast channel, you will find that people respond. Your readers want to hear from you. Your voice matters just as much off the page as it does on it.
Our approach at Grace Taylor PR
We work closely with authors to create a plan that works for their real life. That might mean building a content calendar from scratch. It might mean refining your Instagram bio or helping you decide whether Threads or Substack is worth your energy.
We are not trying to turn authors into influencers. We are here to make sure your story reaches the people who need to hear it. Social media is one way to do that. Done well, it is one of the most effective tools we have.
