by James Scott Bell
@jamesscottbell
Or should that be Wither Social Media?
A couple of months ago I wrote about the scourge of phishing, bot-generated emails sent to writers with books on Amazon, purporting to be from marketing gurus who can get your book “the attention it deserves” or some such. Generated from a cubicle in some foreign land, what they want is your money and access to your KDP (and even bank) account. The bot-letter starts with a dopamine hit on how great your book is, adding some details scraped from the internet to make it sound like they’ve actually given your book a careful reading. (Hint: no live, human marketing professional finds random books and gives them a careful reading, then crafts a client-seeking email.)
I and many authors I know get these daily. But there’s been a new development. Skynet AI keeps training itself, and knows that authors have warned their fellows about this scam. So I had a good laugh other day when I got one of these that eschewed a fake professional style and generated a cutesy, I’m-cool-and-fun-and-down-with-the-kids type voice. What really got me chortling was this paragraph:
Before you picture me as another one of those “promo bots” crawling out of the algorithm swamp, relax. I’m Alisa, and I run a community of book-hungry readers who devour stories like yours and actually leave honest, detailed reviews (yes, human ones, no Mars-based bots or shady smoke-filled deals involved).
Got that? A bot assuring me it’s not a bot! Which got me thinking about just how we’re going to be able to judge what’s real and what’s not in the years ahead.
Now we have “AI social media.” Whatever that means, it probably means “kissing reality goodbye.”
OpenAI released the Sora app on Tuesday, just days after Meta released a similar product as part of its Meta AI platform. NPR took an early look and found that OpenAI’s app could easily generate very realistic videos, including of real individuals (with their permission). The early results are both wowing and worrying researchers.
“You can create insanely real looking videos, with your friends saying things that they would never say,” said Solomon Messing, an associate professor at New York University in the Center for Social Media and Politics. “I think we might be in the era where seeing is not believing.”
More:
“We’re really seeing the ability to kind of whole-cloth generate incredibly realistic, hyper-realistic content in any kind of different way you want,” said Henry Ajder, the head of Latent-Space Advisory, which tracks the evolution of AI-generated content.
As concerned as he is with people being duped, Ajder said he’s also very concerned about the consequences of nobody trusting what they see online.
“We have to resist the somewhat nihilistic pull of, ‘we can’t tell what’s real anymore, and therefore it doesn’t matter anymore,'” he said.
The astute publishing expert Thomas Umstaddt, Jr. was recently a guest on the Writing Off Social podcast talking about social media.
Thomas: The metaphor I like to use is that social media is like a sporting event. The people in the stands are shouting as loud as they can, but just because you are shouting louder than everyone else doesn’t make you famous on social media.
Social media only works for the people on the field. If you’re the quarterback, for instance, social media works for you. The same goes for major brands like Coca-Cola that advertise in the stadium. But regular fans in the crowd can’t get famous on social media. It’s an illusion. Buying a ticket doesn’t make the crowd listen to you.
That’s how social media works for most authors. You can’t expect to shout about your book amongst all the other shouting and get people to listen.
Sandy: It’s an illusion of access. You think you have access to all 5.24 billion people who are on social media.
Thomas: Many of those are AI bots.
Sandy: True. Regardless, you go there and think you have access to billions of people, when in reality, you only have access to a handful. The people who see your content are the ones immediately around you who can actually hear you. That’s it.
So what are we as authors to do with social media? The early counsel was to jump in with both feet (or both hands on the keyboard, as it were), on as many platforms as you can, because of the “reach billions” hype. Ha! No. We are in the stands at a Seattle Seahawks game, and the people in the adjoining seats can barely hear us when we scream.
Does social media make any difference (meaning, does it sell books?) TikTok is the latest rage, but there’s a tsunami of content there and getting through that noise is even worse than in a packed stadium. (I once threatened my daughter by telling her I was going to start doing “dad-dancing” videos on TikTok. She said, in all seriousness, “That can work. You could really go viral, Pop.”)
Um, no.
Social media has never been a place to sell books. If you have the right book, the right market, and the right reach, maybe you can move a few copies. But the truth remains: unless the book itself is so good that the last chapter sells your next book, you’ve spun a lot of wheels and invested a lot of time for little return.
My advice early on was to pick one social media platform you enjoy, and major in that, but not with a string of “buy my book” posts. I subscribe to the 90/10 rule, with the 90 being welcome, non-commercial content, and the 10 about your books. Make 100 percent of it fun to read. Don’t become yet another scold about some political or cultural hobbyhorse. It’s not good for the ol’ psyche.
FWIW, my social media footprint has been X (formerly Twitter), but I’m most active now on my Substack, which is a blend of newsletter and mini-social community (i.e., comments). It is there that I post another kind of writing I call “Whimsical Wanderings” as an oasis from the screaming mimi-dom of most social media today.
But I always keep writing books the main thing.
What about you? What’s your view of social media for authors? How much time do you spend on it? Any advice you’d like to offer?
People will consider me a dinosaur but I don’t like the whole AI thing (yes, I know it won’t go away). It even affects your day to day life in ways that have caused me to mistrust pretty much anybody I have to do business with because they use it so much I don’t find their businesses trustworthy or able to safely protect my info.
As to social media, while technically I have more than one form of social media, I really only ever used FB and I don’t even have much time for that any more and I for sure don’t utilize it optimally as a writer. But I concur that it’s not going to have that much reach–there’s just too much noise out there in the social media world & I don’t have the time to generate buzz, even if the odds were in my favor.
I’ve never explored Substack & that’s on my long list of to-do’s.
Bottom line is I need to find time to develop a social media angle. I know we need an online presence, even in the sea of noise, but finding time to do it is easier said then done. And like most writers, for me the writing is fun but the marketing is like pulling teeth.
Good thoughts, BK. I don’t know about a “need” for a social media presence, unless one’s goal is to attract and agent or publisher. They see it as some sort of “proof” that an author is willing to go out there and bang the drum. Which takes away massive time from the most important thing, writing and getting better at writing.
I, too, read all the advice about being active on social media. So, I settled on one platform, Instagram, and really hit it hard for three or four months. All I ever got in return were DM’s from people wanting to sell me various “services”. (Well, that, plus weirdos wanting to connect.) I finally ditched the whole process and haven’t gone back. And I feel great!
I know that feeling, April!
I used to do all of the social media platforms, but I quit way back in 2014 (I was quitting social media before it was hip!). I wrote about why:
https://sassone.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/thoughts-on-social-media/
Have I missed some opportunities to promote my work? Probably. I don’t know if social media helps sell books but I think it does get some writers’ name/work in front of more people (especially if you’re a freelancer who writes for several publications and you’re looking for work). But I wouldn’t give up the freedom I have. Social media is such a time suck, a distraction, and exhausting. And now AI is involved? Ugh.
Getting off social media really has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Great article, Bob. Esp. “I was used to reading tweets and Facebook posts and other short posts and actually had to struggle to read anything long form. It does something to your brain.”
Yes! I’m trying to read Paradise Lost right now, and keep thinking, “Why didn’t Milton stick to 140 characters and some emojis?” But this is serious business for all the young brains out there not getting the development they need.
I so look forward to your “Whimsical Wanderings”…they are the nuggets of gold in my email, and the kind of posts I eventually want to write. I haven’t explored Substack yet–I have enough to do posting on the various blogs I’m on, and that’s my favorite social media outlet.
Kill Zone and Substack I truly enjoy, because I’m writing content, not Tweets. For authors, we know that the best marketing tool is a growing email list. Substack can be used for that alone, and it’s free.
Gotta look into that… 🙂
I’m off all social media except for TKZ and following a few Substacks (including yours, Jim!).
Years ago, I dropped FB cuz my account kept getting cloned (no, I didn’t DM you asking for $400 to bail me out of jail in Spain). Also dumped Twitter b/c of creeps and bots.
Deepfakes and the inability to separate illusion from reality disturbed me enough to write a thriller about it in 2023 (Deep Fake Double Down). I hate to see my predictions coming true far beyond my expectations.
TKZ remains a welcome oasis of information, civility, and genuine friendships. Thank goodness!
You were ahead of the curve, Debbie.
“Creeps and bots.” (As Dorothy would say, “Oh my!”)
This has nothing to do with the social media topic but I came across a humorous quote relating to creativity & thought I’d share:
“You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. What mood is that? Last minute panic.” ~ Bill Watterson
I had to look up who Bill Watterson is & apparently he created the Calvin & Hobbes comic strip.
Calvin and Hobbes was a great strip.
I used to be way more active on FB/IG, but not so much anymore. I can’t stand not knowing whether the post I’m reading is human-created or made in some bot cubicle in Where-in-the-world-is-that-Land.
That said, we have a friend who has created some very entertaining videos with Sora. The concept of text-to-video is fascinating to me–but also a bit scary.
Say something and it becomes a video. I foresee issues down the road with that once all the ne’er-do-wells get busy with it.
Say a final goodbye to screen writers and actors?
Oh well…have a great Sunday!
The new president of the Screen Actors Guild, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), has sounded that alarm.
I joined Facebook in 2009 and used it extensively for years. I made a number of online friends there and was in several indie author groups which helped me early on. However, connections with others began to be throttled and “reach” became restricted. Last year I heard rumblings that Meta was going to go big with AI and so left FB early this year. I had already left Twitter for similar reasons.
The one social media I still do is Bluesky–I check in once or twice a day, but don’t spend the amounts of time I used to with Facebook. It’s more relaxed.
I think social media can be great for making connections with other writers and writing communities, and that can be both helpful and energizing.
However, you have to be careful to avoid “comparisonitis,” when it comes to seeing what other authors do on social media.
Social media can move books on rare occasions when the stars align and someone with a big following shares a book, but that’s like capturing lightning in a bottle. I’ve had people with large followings share some of my books, and a few were sold, but that’s not the point of being on social media–it’s connecting with others that’s the reason, at least for this author.
Right, Dale. I left FB long ago. Too strange, too many changes, too difficult to work with. But my wife uses it just to keep in touch with friends, which seems the original point of social media.
I’ve cut back. I’m most active on my Substack, “Writings and Wanderings”. I still have my X and Instagram accounts, but all I do there is post pictures. I haven’t had issues with Facebook, so I maintain my author page there, and my profile, mostly to keep up with the kids and neighbors.
I might have posted this link about the scammers before, but here it is, maybe again.
https://writerbeware.blog/2025/09/19/return-of-the-nigerian-prince-redux-beware-book-club-and-book-review-scams/
I, too have had the “I’m not a bot” messages, as well as messages from other authors wanting to connect. Of course, it’s not from them. Why would David Baldacci want to talk writing with me?
But I’m sure David Baldacci picked up one of your books, randomly, just like all these “professional marketers”!
I listened to that podcast with Sandy and Mary Kay – and met them at the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference last month (I’m going to be a guest on their podcast soon).
I have almost left social media due to toxicity and burnout. I’ve jumped in wholeheartedly to Pinterest using Melissa Bourbon’s Pinterest Power For Authors as a template. She told me to give it 3 – 6 months to see if I see an increase after pinning regularly.
I will keep y’all posted.
Hope it works out for you!
Little Kimber has a massive German shepherd boyfriend. People can’t get enough of those pictures.
Later today, I’ll post about the Shepherdstown VFD Gun Bash.
I might post something book related once every two weeks.
Dogs and guns. What’s not to like?
Yeah, I’ve pretty much dropped off Twitter/X and Instagram. Do use FB for personal stuff and separately for author updates (new releases mostly). But the one that’s kinda fun—and I’m sure I’ve mentioned it here before—is Quora (although I’m not sure it qualifies as Social Media).
With Quora, what I do is answer questions with short book excerpts, maybe 100-200 words. And at least one image, which moves the post up the thread. The “selling” is subtle, mostly in my signature, or occasionally with a link. But it’s mainly about posting pieces of my fiction in a non-fiction environment. Which still seems refreshing to me—and others. Whether it sells books or not is hard to know, but I sometimes get value out of revisiting my texts and seeing them on a different kind of page. You might want to give it a try.
Interesting, Harald. That’s a wrinkle I’ve not heard of before. But I am trying to avoid new wrinkles.
I think I got that exact same bot email recently, Jim. I had to chuckle at the chutzpah of a bot claiming to be something other than a bot. (Can a bot have chutzpah?) But the AI-generated emails I really love are the ones that claim to have read my book, but never mention which one. If there’s such a thing as a lazy bot, that would be it.
I went to a talk a few days ago about the invasion of AI into our lives. The lady sitting next to me made a good observation. She said, “They used to tell us to believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see. Now we can’t believe anything.” Sadly true.
I have accounts on most SM platforms, but am mostly active on X.com. I never participate in political discussions, though. Maybe that’s why I never receive those tweets. I occasionally touch base on FB and Insta. I have a Substack account, but haven’t posted anything. I thought this year would be the right time to start, but a little thing called a household move got in the way.
I do think name recognition is a reason to post to SM.
That lady’s observation makes the old bumper sticker apropos: Everybody has got to believe something. I believe I’ll have another beer.
I’m happier and more productive staying away from social media. In fact, I don’t pay attention to it. I don’t even ignore it.
Since I’m traditionally published I’m required to engage in social media. I took some sage advice and looked at demographics for my genres when deciding where to devout my time. So most of it is on Facebook where I regularly engage with my readers, who are mostly older women, homeschooling moms, and Christian fiction readers. We actually “talk” to each other about what we’re reading, where we need prayer, about our children/grandchildren, recipes, trips, interesting Amish articles, etc. It’s what social media was actually meant to be. My readers want to know me, the author behind the books. They like being “in the know.” I have both an author page and a “personal” page with readers on both. I also belong to several private reader groups for readers of particular genres so it’s even more hyper focused. I still post on X everyday because I enjoy “hanging out” with other authors who are still there. I don’t expect to sell books there. I just “socialize” with writers about the #writerslife. They’re good about retweeting whatever book-related stuff I tweet. I do Instagram because my publisher encouraged it, but I’m not a visual person who’s good at making pretty graphics. However, when I took the time to learn how to do reels, I started to get more engagement. I don’t worry about how many books I sell this way, but see it as a “it can’t hurt, and it might help” tool. It’s a way of reaching readers who then tell other readers about my books. The latest form of word of mouth. My publishers do the heavy lifting with advertising and publicity, etc., so they expect me to do my part and this is it. It doesn’t seem to much to ask because my part doesn’t cost money, only my time.
Some authors have had success building short content around their expertise. A double income stream. Yeah! (Quotes are around the official name of their YouTube Short channel.) “B. Dylan Hollis” started a TikTok and YouTube Short channel where he tried baking recipes from old cookbooks. Between his charm and the sheer weirdness of some of the recipes, Spam cookies?, he now has two bestselling cookbooks. “Nurse Hadley–Hospice Nurse” started with her channel and ended up with a successful and surprisingly tender book about the death process. “Elisabeth Wheatley” and her character Book Goblin not only promote her own books but others in her genre so it is possible to promote fiction like this.