Hey everyone, happy Sunday, and happy August! I’m especially happy about this because it means we’re just that much closer to autumn, which is one of my favorite seasons. This week, I want to talk about a topic I like to think I know a few things about, and that’s engaging with authors on social media. This topic was suggested to me by Kristy @ Caffeinated Fae.

Authors are ever more present on social media, and on more platforms than before. Followers get some insight into the lives of their favorite authors—snippets of their daily life, writing routine, book unboxing and signing videos, vision boards or videos showing what to expect from their next book, and reviews. This can lead to two different types of engagement from readers/followers, and can be found on any platform: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.

The first is known as a parasocial relationship. This is when you a public figure, such as an author or an actor, shares a lot about their life on social media, and it makes you feel as though you know them well. However, in order to have a friendship, there has to be give and take—in parasocial relationships, one person feels like they know a lot about the other, while the other person isn’t even aware of them. More famous or well-known authors may see this more often.

The second is a genuine relationship that can develop over time and continued interaction. I’ve gotten to know three different authors very well through social media—two indie and one traditionally published, and feel comfortable calling them friends at this point. The first one is someone I have gotten to know well enough that it’s weird if we don’t talk every day or two. She’s an indie author of fantasy and contemporary romance, and I have loved every single one of her books, so if you haven’t read anything by Cait Marie Haines, here’s her website, and I highly recommend her books. Talking to an author about a debut book that they’re working on is another way to engage in a genuine and natural way. This is how I got to know the incredibly talented Deke Moulton, who is capable of writing the only MG books that I routinely become rabid over getting. You can learn more about them and their books at their website here. And finally, if you’re open-minded, you might just have an author change your views on something. I gave romance novels a try in the 1990s, and I rate it 0/10 stars, do not recommend. I honestly thought that they were going to all still be like that, and getting to know the very responsive Gina L. Maxwell helped me to be willing to read one newer romance to see what they’re like now. I took her advice and read one of her books, and now I’m hooked. In addition, Gina is an incredible human being, and always keeping things new and exciting in her books. And her books are guaranteed to have a good plot and great character development in addition to a romance you can’t help but ship. You can find her website here. When I have positive reviews, these authors get the link sent to them directly. If I don’t know the author personally, I tag the author in positive reviews on social media, but I never, ever tag an author in a negative review. They don’t need to know the things I didn’t like about their book.

Do you engage with authors on social media? Are you more of a parasocial or personal relationship kind of social media follower?