The Socials

Social media is an ever-changing space where the platforms that are all the rage (hello, Hive Social) pop up and then, most often than not, disappear quietly into the dead/dying platform abyss with my long-lost love, Myspace.

But there is one platform I always (no, really, it's got its claws in me so deep) come back to…

Instagram.

Though I can’t set my top four and watch the world burn, I can have a lot of fun on IG. I know most people hate Instagram because it’s so hard to please the algorithm gods on there, but I’ve been having fun posting whatever I want, whenever I want. (Even Alexia mentioned IG was her platform of choice in this blog HERE.)

Lately, I’ve been spending my days creating content where I’m marketing my novel A Realm of Ash and Shadow, sharing glimpses into my life as a debut author, posting memes and inspo graphics that showcase my personality, bookish photos that appeal to my target readers, and, most recently, setting music to my static posts for optimal ✨vibes✨.

While I am strategic in the layout of my feed (because #aesthetics), I’m less stiff in my captions/content, and I’m able to show my readers (AKA my target audience!) who I am beyond the keyboard, and that IRL we could probably (okay, definitely) be friends.

Many authors have had the same experience on TikTok, but I, personally, don’t think I’m cool or witty enough to commit to constant video creation. Whereas pretty photos and memes and selfies a few times a week feels more manageable. Maybe this will change in the future, but as of right now, Instagram is my ride or die.

Beyond my personal preferences, Instagram has been the foundation for growing and establishing my author platform. I have been able to engage with so many readers and fellow authors on IG, and I have no doubt the platform will have a huge impact on the success of my debut release in April 2023.

Love it or hate it, IG is constantly improving their platform and keeping up with the times. Even if it does seem like it’s stealing all of the best parts of dead/dying platforms, haha. Here’s looking at you IG Stories 👀.

I truly can’t wait to see what it implements next. A music clip on our profile like good ol’ Myspace? Yes, please.

Are you on Instagram? Are you loving your time there? Let’s connect! Find me at @laraonfire on IG.

Lara Buckheit is the author of A Realm of Ash and Shadow. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Wilmington University, is a 2021 WriteMentor Mentee, an avid writer (and reader) of spice, and one time she met Taylor Swift's dad. She started writing at a very young age, mostly fanfiction centered around women with swords and men with devilish grins. And she hasn't stopped since. When not writing, Lara can be found drinking tea, hustling for her day job, and reading from her endless TBR pile. Lara currently lives in Charlottesville, VA, with her husband, dog, and thirteen houseplants named after fictional characters.

Social Media, Hanging Out in the Shadows

Social media. I love the stuff. Mostly, I love lurking and consuming. Startling for someone with an acting degree, maybe, but shouting LOOK AT ME is not among my go to instincts. Complicating my tendency to stand back and observe is the current flux in the social media market. Facebook likes to change things just to change things and there's only so much chasing their bouncing ball I'm willing to do.  Still. I do have an author page out there that was getting good engagement. At least I learned how to do that and the platform still exists.

I'll be honest. I did not have the collapse of Twitter as we knew it on my late-stage capitalism dystopia bingo card. I really didn't. I should have seen it coming. Maybe I did because I never managed to build a persona on Twitter, much less any kind of following. The people I talk with  beyond personal friends and fellow authors, are cat people or members of the autistic community. I feel like Twitter demands a quick wit and that is something I am not. I'm still thinking up witty comebacks for shit that happened decades ago. Expecting me to be charming and or funny in 144 characters or fewer within 5 minutes is always going to end badly for all parties. Also, I very much dislike having a feed full of shouty BUY-MY-THING posts in my timeline. I am not on board to create more posts like them. Granted, i don't think anyone has ever sold much on that basis - getting readers interested in buying your books is subtler than that by far. It's actual conversations and empathy. It's an author inviting readers to invest emotionally in the writer as must as in the story sometimes. Lovely, right? It might even be doable, but where? Mastodon? Hive? Post? Twitter? It feels like I'm watching an episode of Highlander. There can be only one but the sword fight hasn't started yet.

I love Tik Tok. I enjoy the creativity and limitless possibility of the platform. I have an author account. I have made exactly zero videos so far. I'm watching. I'm listening. I'm figuring out what works to draw me in to following someone. I've had a solid class in how to use Tik Tok as an author. You know what my biggest stumbling block is to starting videos? Make up. Yeah. I know. Dumb reason and yet there it is.

I do have an author presence on Instagram as well as my regular account. My regular account has a load of followers but it's because my personal account belongs to the cats. That isn't to say that I don't post book announcements there. I do. 99% of my content out there is cat related and it seems that my followers on Instagram will put up with an occasional 'Hey, look at what I made' post. The author account hasn't done much because there's a certain synergy to the fact that Facebook and Instagram are connected. The posts need to be more carefully planned and curated across the platforms - but they can feed one another. It simply requires a strategy and a calendar. I'd love to need to do this but the fact is that at the moment, my time is far better spent writing the damned book. It's tough to market when one has nothing to sell. Funny that. Seems like a stronger starting position.