Dipping Your Little Toe In

By Reyna Marder Gentin

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: It’s been a while since we’ve had a guest author, so I’m delighted to welcome Reyna Marder Gentin to the lecture hall today. Social media is a thorn in the sides of so many authors, but it’s a useful marketing tool that we really ought to at least try. Reyna shares her story and offers tips and insights into venturing into the online world of Instagram.

Take it away Reyna…

In 2008, when I was still practicing law, I jumped into Facebook with both feet.

I did it for all the right reasons: to find old friends from my hometown, reconnect with law school classmates, deepen relationships with relatives. I posted photographs of my children, of weddings, of reunions. It felt very innocent, like I’d been invited to a party with everyone I’d ever known, but I didn’t have to get dressed or leave my house. Social media was welcoming; there were few boundaries and no obligations.

When I left the law and started writing, I felt comfortable using Facebook to share news of my work with my friends. It was safe, somewhere I’d be confident I could get that reassuring “thumbs up like.” There were no true strangers on my Facebook feed; there were friends of friends that I hadn’t met in person.

In 2018, with the publication of my debut novel, my relationship with social media changed. Like many writers I know, promotion feels like the most distasteful part of writing. Book clubs and launch events and podcasts–those interactions with readers are a pure joy. I’m talking about the other side, like when you put up a picture of your book and essentially cry out into the void, “buy me!” But if you hope to reach beyond your immediate circle of relatives and friends, social media is an invaluable tool.

Facebook remains my go to for keeping in touch with friends and family, but I failed to cultivate an Instagram presence. The platform baffled me. The images that others posted seemed targeted and polished, self-consciously meant to engage and attract for just a few seconds. I dutifully created an Instagram account and reposted reviews from the book blog tours that I participated in, but that was it. I amassed a modest 500 followers, mostly cross-over friends from Facebook. So where did that leave me when my new novel released in November?

Instagram, it turned out, was a more comfortable place for me to promote my new novel. Not for direct sales, since there is no way to put a buy link up. But because it has a more arms-length, less intimate feel as a platform, it doesn’t seem as intrusive to promote there. Also, Instagram attracts a younger crowd than Facebook, and I didn’t want to give up on those readers.

So I decided to dip my little toe in. Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

Engage.

There’s a lot of talk about the algorithm and how Instagram knows you’re active and to feature your posts. That’s a good reason to follow other writers, like their posts, and comment. But the best reason is that it fosters a sense of professional community. To attract readers, be a good citizen in the writing world. If someone’s book cover is attractive, say so. If a book blogger reviews a book you’ve read or makes you want to read a book, give a shout out. Soon you’ll find that the book blogger is following you. Who knows, she might review your book next.

Promote Others as Much As You Promote Yourself.

When I asked bestselling author Annabel Monaghan for advice about Instagram, she said she keeps it simple. She posts about someone else’s book one day, and posts about her own the next. You will never feel comfortable promoting yourself if you are only about yourself. Readers respect that you champion other authors.

Be Authentic.

There’s a lot of built in temptation to attract attention on Instagram by being silly or outrageous. Resist. Being yourself is what draws people in. You don’t need to have footage jumping out of a plane holding your book to impress people. Keep it real.

Don’t Be Delusional.

It’s hard to get new followers, and it’s an incremental process. The likelihood of your having a video go viral is next to none. I recently went to a literary lunch event and afterwards the host sent out a list of everyone’s Instagram handles and encouraged us to follow each other. It was a fabulous, generous thing to do and I picked up six or seven new followers. But most days where I post a great reel, I get a bunch of likes from followers I already have, and no one new. It takes time. Start now.

Get Help.

Not only is Instagram where the young people hang out, it’s the young people who know how to effectively use the platform. I used to be intimidated by the posts and stories and reels that I saw on Instagram. I’m not creative that way, and I don’t have the technical skills or patience to get it done. Guess what? There’s help to be had. There are people who specialize in this and who are compensated along the same lines as a good publicist. But there are also young people–high school and college students, recent college grads–who are Instagram savvy, who know the editing tools, the trending music, and what content is popular. If you can’t or don’t want to do this on your own, find help.

Reyna Marder Gentin’s novel Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away was published by Ten16 Press in November. She can be found on Instagram @reynamardergentin.

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About Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away

Jessica Harmon has spent her life in an emotional tug-of-war-yearning for her mother's attention while bracing for the rejection that always followed.

At thirty, Jessica's love life is a wreck, her confidence is shot, and she's adrift in New York City, stuck editing other people's novels at a vanity press while too paralyzed to write her own. She blames her failure to launch on the woman who raised her: Cynthia Harmon, a legendary poet and scholar, who dazzles her students and readers alike...but leaves her only child cold.

When Cynthia wins yet another major literary award and asks her daughter to assist her on the book tour, Jessica decides to give their relationship one last chance. When a crisis upends Cynthia's triumphant moment, the power dynamic begins to shift between the two women, and cracks start to show in the story Jessica has always been told-about her mother, her family, and herself.

Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away is a sharp, emotionally layered novel about mothers and daughters, long-held secrets, and understanding where we come from so we can choose who we become.

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