Writers on Writing is our regular conversation with a writer or industry professional about the writing craft, industry insights, and their own practice. This week, we spoke to Amy Hutton about the value of an author profile on social media and how to catch a publisher’s eye.
Self-promotion through updating and managing an author profile on social media can feel daunting. Why is it important?
Whether traditionally published or independently published, your socials are where you connect with your community. This includes your readers and future readers, other authors, and other bookish accounts — which could be bookstores or podcasts or bookclubs. All of which are vital relationships for authors. The more consistent you are with your posts, the more likely your community will see them, and engage with them, because they’ll start to get to know you. This is why having an authentic presence on social media is important. It’s not just about coming on for three months once a year and promoting your latest book. It’s about nurturing relationships through the content you post and through interactions with your followers, as well as the people you follow.
I sometimes think we forget the ‘social’ part of social media. Even when operating what essentially is a business account, it still needs to be engaging, represent you as an author, and connect with your book community. The more engaged your community is with your content, the more likely they are to share it. And other people sharing your posts means their followers see your content and may give you a follow too. You don’t have to post every day, but posting regularly will help your social presence grow and thrive and connect you with people who will support you on your author journey. Don’t be daunted. Just be yourself and be consistent.
At what point in the writing process should a writer start thinking about marketing and publicity?
When an author feels comfortable talking about a book varies from author to author. But a lot of authors like to tease out their next book release as they’re writing it. This could be simple things like that week’s word count, or mood boards, or playlists. They may have a project name that teases the genre of the book but isn’t the title. These kinds of social posts can be a great way to create buzz.
When looking at more concrete plans, you’re probably going to have the first draft down and know what the book is, where it’s positioned in the marketplace, genre, reader, and comparison titles before you really start planning those promotional campaigns. Then once you have your release date locked in you can start working toward that.
But be open to ideas during the writing process. There might be something in your book you realise you can capitalise on as you get closer to launch. There could be merchandise ideas you want to produce that you can start designing now. Or you may see something another author is doing that you think could translate to your campaign. So, keep note of campaign ideas or start those Canva projects so you can roll them out when you’re ready to go. Have those launch events pencilled in if not booked and lists of people you want to approach for podcast coverage etc.
But the first thing you need is a finished book. So get that first draft down. If you’re traditionally published you also need to make sure you have your publisher’s okay before you go out with anything big like title, release date or cover.
Your three books have been published by a traditional publisher. What does it take to catch a publisher’s eye?
A fresh idea, good presentation, a good pitch and good writing. But, you also need some luck. I was lucky enough to have a face-to-face pitching opportunity with my publisher as rom-coms were exploding. So, though, yes my rom-com was good, had a fresh and fun idea, was well written and had a catchy title, it also happened to be the genre of book that was currently popping and that the publisher was looking for. That was the luck part. My next book is a paranormal romance. It’s a story I’ve been working on for a while. It’s won awards. But paranormal romance was out for a long time. So, though the feedback was always positive, traditional publishers weren’t looking at that genre because there wasn’t a market for it. But guess what, just as my publisher and I were discussing my next book, paranormal was having a resurgence. And I happened to have a good one ready to go. Yes, it’s a good story and it’s well written, otherwise my publisher wouldn’t have been interested. But it also happened to be the genre of book currently popping. There was that luck part again. There are a lot of great books and great writers that we may never see because of opportunity and timing. Writing is a tough business and getting your book in front of the right set of eyes at the right time can take some luck. That being said, your book still has to be good. Luck only gets you so far. So, keep writing. Keep learning. Prepare a good pitch (super important). And don’t give up. Determination and perseverance help too.
When building an author profile, what are some important considerations about tone, audience, etc?
Be authentic. That’s the most important thing. Represent yourself and represent your genre/s. Find your voice and stick with it. Decide how much you’re going to share. Keep it professional, but personal. It’s a balance. Connect with people interested in the same things as you and engage with them. Think about your brand. How do you want people to see you? Does that tie with your author offering? Does your ‘voice’ work with the genre/s you’re working in? Look at some of your favourite authors in the space you want to be in and see how they manage it. Just don’t try to be something you are not. People will eventually see through it. And don’t freak out about it too much. You can tweak it as you go, because we all change and grow. That’s where the authentic thing comes in.
Should an author utilise all forms of self-promotion, from Tik Tok through to Substack, or is it better to home in on one or two of these avenues?
I think an author should use whichever platform they’re comfortable with. Yes, you need to see where your readers hangout. If you’re writing YA or Romantasy, and even romance, TikTok could be a good space for you. But if the idea of using TikTok makes you shudder, then don’t use it. Yes I think it’s important to hone in on where your readership is, but it’s more important to concentrate on a space you’re comfortable in. If you don’t have time to blog on Substack, don’t. If that’s a space you enjoy, and you think blogging adds value to your brand, go for it. If you love the Instagram environment and the bookish community there, stick with Instagram. Don’t feel like you need to be everywhere. But whatever platform you choose, be consistent. And be your authentic self.
Amy Hutton is a traditionally published award-winning author and former TV producer. Her debut rom-com Sit, Stay, Love was chosen as one of Kobo’s best romances of 2023, and her follow up Love from Scratch was an Editor’s Pick in the 2024 Spotify Wrap. She is a Romance Writers of America prize winner and the recipient of several other honours from national and international writing organisations. Her third book, a spirited new romance titled Haunted Hearts, will be released through her publisher Simon & Schuster Australia on September 3. When not busy toying with her character’s emotions, she’s probably hanging with her rescue dog Buffy, or lost in the pages of her latest favourite read.
Join Amy Hutton’s course, Preparing for Publication: Tools for the Debut Author, Saturday 5 July 2025, 10am-4pm
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