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Every author at some point asks: how do I actually find my people online? Not just other writers, but the readers who’ll love my stories. The answer isn’t as simple as picking the ‘right’ platform; it’s about how you show up and who you choose to engage with.
Note: This article assumes that you’ve done the work to identify who your ideal reader is and you’re ready for the next step of finding them.
If you haven’t done this step yet, grab my free Online Presence Self-Audit, which will help you identify your gaps and will add you to my email list so you receive additional information on this important topic.
Your readers are everywhere
Social media is an interesting space. There are millions of users on every single platform. Yet I frequently hear from authors saying that they don’t think their readers are on this platform or that one.
The reality is there is an audience of readers on every single platform that exists, and for every possible genre or genre blend. The trick is finding them.
But to do that, we need to understand a little bit about how social media actually works.
Social media is a mirror
Have you ever noticed that there are people who publish posts talking about their experience with a particular social media platform that is drastically different from your experience?
Let’s consider a well-known parable:
A man entered a village and went to the monastery on the edge of town, where he was welcomed by an old monk, the wise man of the village. The visitor said, “I am deciding whether I should move here or not. I’m wondering what kind of neighbourhood this is. Can you tell me about the people here?”
The old monk said, “Tell me what kind of people lived where you came from.” The visitor said, “Oh, they were highway robbers, cheats and liars.” The monk said, “You know, those are exactly the same kinds of people who live here.” The visitor left the village and never came back.
Half an hour later, another man entered the village. He sought out the wise old man and said, “I’m thinking of moving here. Can you tell me what kind of people live here?” Again the monk said, “Tell me what kind of people lived where you came from.” The visitor said, “Oh, they were the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate, most loving people. I shall miss them terribly.” The old monk said, “Those are exactly the kinds of people who live here, too.”
Social media works more like a mirror, in that it reflects your own actions and behaviour back to you, particularly in the area of what you’re engaging with.
You shape your feed
So if all you’re finding on any particular social media platform are cat memes, negativity, or political rants… it’s time to take a closer look at the posts you’re liking, sharing, and commenting on.
If you’re struggling to ‘find your people’ aka: your ideal readers, your like-minded authors, your audience… then you need to consider what content you’re searching for and engaging with.
Curating your account and followers is less about what you post and more about what you engage with. And the algorithm isn’t going to do this work for you. The algorithm is designed to share the most sensational, controversial, and engaging content possible, with the sole purpose of keeping you on the platform for as long as possible.
And if you can’t find your audience on one platform, there’s a high chance you won’t be able to find them on another platform.
Don’t chase demographics
Yes, there are demographic stats about each platform, and this information may lead you to believe that a particular platform is better suited to your ideal reader than another. There’s a bit of truth to that, but it’s also shallow. I guarantee that you won’t find reliable stats about how many people on each platform read your genre.
Even if you conclude that your ideal readers are in an age range tied to a specific platform, it doesn’t mean your readers use it.
Look at it this way: if you personally dislike Facebook and you’re trying to find like-minded people who share your bookish interests, what are the chances that they like Facebook any more than you do? The same goes for TikTok, Instagram, Threads… any social media platform.
This is why I don’t emphasize figuring out where your ideal readers hang out, because they are quite literally everywhere. I also don’t recommend using standard demographics to identify your ideal reader, because as an indie author you don’t have the financial backing to play the numbers game with broad demographics.
Choose one platform you enjoy
Instead, I emphasize starting with a social media platform that you personally enjoy using, and learn how to use it like a pro. Because if you don’t enjoy the platform, if you don’t learn it inside and out, and you don’t use it intentionally and consistently, it won’t matter how many of your ideal readers hang out there, you’ll never find them or connect with them.
So first up, pick a platform that you genuinely enjoy and focus solely on that one platform.
How to find your people
Then you can begin the work of actively looking for your people. The steps for doing this are:
- Search for keywords relevant to your genre, subgenre, tropes, vibe, related book interests.
- Start with author accounts and other book industry-related accounts.
- Then look through the list of accounts they’re following to find more. Chances are if you vibe with one person, you’ll likely vibe with the people they also vibe with.
- Investigate accounts one at a time. You’re looking for people that you feel you could connect with. Ask yourself:
- Are they posting content I like?
- Do I want to engage with the content they post?
- Are there any red flags in their posts that I’m uncomfortable with?
- Follow appropriate accounts (not all of them), turn on notifications for their posts, and engage with as much of their content as you possibly can. Do this in a way that is genuine and authentic.
- Pro-tip: Create a custom feed of the accounts you start building relationships with so you can easily find them.
- Turn off notifications for any accounts you’re not able to form a relationship with and look for others.
Focus on real connections
The goal here is quite literally to develop relationships with real people. So, engage with them the same way you would when meeting new friends in real life. There’s no secret recipe for this. You’re unique. How you say hello to someone differs from how I say hello. There’s no right or wrong way of being you.
This may sound like a lot of work, and it will take time. But it’s not forever. As you start connecting with the right people, more of the right people will start to find you. You don’t need to become best-buddies with thousands of people. You need to build a core network of the right people. In time, those efforts will start to compound, and your audience will continue to grow organically with less and less effort on your part.
This is just the first step
It’s important to note that this is the first phase of building your audience. There are many layers to it. You will eventually expand out to other channels in different ways. But if you don’t start with one primary platform you enjoy, learn how to use it, and find your people, you’ll have even less success on platforms you don’t personally enjoy.
Learning how to build out your audience in stages and layers is part of what I teach in The Fiction Author’s Path to Presence. If you’re ready to take your author career seriously, sign up for the Priority List today. You’ll receive notification of when enrollment is open, as well as receiving special pricing and bonuses that are only provided to my Priority List subscribers.
In the meantime, be sure to check out the other resources available on my website; more are being added regularly.
I look forward to being a part of your journey, and happy writing!
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