Online Etiquette for Authors

As a reader, social media is a great way to share your passion with other like-minded bookworms and find a community within your favourite genres. But the second a book that YOU have written is put out into the world, the way you communicate with others online begins to change.

There are a number of unspoken rules in the book community regarding online etiquette for authors and if you're newly published, you may have no idea what these are. In this blog post, I'll break down what I've learned from my own experiences, as well as some advice from other authors.

1. Reviews are for readers

This is a big one and whenever this rule is broken, it usually leads to unnecessary drama that could have been avoided. When readers leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Fable, Storygraph, or any other platform of their choice, those reviews are for the benefit of other readers – not the author. In the event that a negative review of your book comes across your feed, the best thing you can do is scroll on, block the account if need be, and never EVER leave a comment.

Criticism hurts but you can’t take a reader’s critiques to heart, especially when the book is already published and can’t be altered anyway. Readers are consumers and therefore are entitled to an opinion on the product they paid for. They are within their rights to post those opinions on the relevant sites for the benefit of other consumers. And on the bright side, one person’s negative review can sometimes be the trigger that convinces another to buy your book. One reader's critique is another's sales pitch. That's just how it goes.

On the flip side, readers have their own etiquette to follow too. If authors must stay out of reader spaces, then it’s only fair that readers stay out of author spaces. Tagging authors in negative reviews on social media is a big no-no, or posting them somewhere where an author cannot reasonably avoid seeing it is generally considered rude and hurtful behaviour. So if this happens, what is an author to do? Take the classy exit and block that account. Do not respond, no matter how much you might want to. Even when the reader is in the wrong, an author fighting back can sometimes cross a line and end up making the author look bad for taking the criticism too seriously. Refusing to engage with angry readers is the safest way to keep the peace between the two communities.

In saying all this, yes, you can absolutely engage with your readers and fans, as long as it takes place within the designated space (i.e. your author social media accounts, your personal website, your newsletter, etc.). Just keep in mind that you are the moderator of your own space. So if someone barges in and tries to disturb the peace, it’s up to you to put your foot down and set some boundaries. In short, in order for the book community to function appropriately, respect must extend both ways.

2. Goodreads (or similar alternatives)

If you’re an author, chances are you’re also a reader. And if you have a Goodreads account (which you most likely will, since your book will be listed on there), then there’s also a chance you use the app to keep track of your books read. But what’s the etiquette when it comes to rating books?

Well, it may depend on how known you are in the book community or how many Goodreads followers you have, but there are plenty of readers who feel that an author rating a book poorly or leaving a negative review could be seen as speaking ill of their peers. This is especially true in the indie community as independent authors often have a hard time getting exposure for their books and need all the support they can get from their fellow indie authors. So how should you go about updating your Goodreads without looking like a bully?

The obvious suggestion would be to have two accounts. Keep the author account purely for business purposes. This is the account that your books will be linked to and is the best way for readers to find you and your books. Then, with a different email, create a second account for personal use, keeping it anonymous. This way, you can use Goodreads just like anyone else, without your readers knowing which books you like and dislike. At the end of the day, you’re a reader too and you’re going to have opinions you'll want to share. Just don't take advantage of the extra account by leaving negative reviews for the purpose of ruining another author's reputation. There have been Goodreads scandals in the past regarding this (look up Cait Corrain, if you’re curious) but that kind of drama usually stems from insecure authors trying to cheat the system. If you’re using Goodreads correctly, you shouldn’t have a problem.

As for me, my author account is the only one I have, but I follow one strict rule – I only rate books that I consider to be 4 or 5 stars. If it’s less than 4, I only update to say I’ve read the book, I don’t leave a rating. And the only reviews I post are positive, especially for those of my peers who I wish to support. That way, the only public opinions I put out are positive and uplifting because that is the kind of person I want to be online. The other reason I like this method is because I’ve always felt that you can’t really sum a book up with numbers. Even my 5 star reads can have issues, or the1 star reads might have merits. Reading is subjective and I have far too many opinions to sum up in a simple review, so I choose to focus on the positive.

3. Social media

Once published, you’re no longer just an author, you’re a brand, and your social media accounts are the best place to build it. Everyone’s personal brand will look different, depending on your personality and the genre you like to write in, and it’s important to know how to behave in the space you’ve created for yourself.

Some authors like to be raw and real online. They swear, they share controversial opinions, they brag about blocking people they don’t like. And for some authors, this method works. They find an audience of readers who appreciate their brutal honesty. But sometimes it can go too far, because your author account is your business account and when the 'realness' slips into unprofessional behaviour, it can be a turn off for some readers. By all means, stick to your values and beliefs if that’s the brand you want to create, just keep in mind that not everyone will appreciate it, and there’s nothing you can do about that.

In my case, I am a children’s author, currently publishing middle-grade and young adult books. This is the space I feel most comfortable in, but it means I have a higher responsibility in how I present myself to the world. It’s not just about behaving in front of children, it’s about behaving in front of the parents and grandparents who might be interested in my books for their kids. If I want my books in kids’ hands, I have to be a role model they can look up to.

Fortunately for me, that fits my personality just fine. I rarely ever swear; I’m a child at heart; I love reading middle-grade and YA books in my spare time, and though I might be a bit socially anxious, I’ll always be polite. I keep my comments sections positive and if any negativity enters the chat, I don't engage. My goal as an author is to build trust with my readers, so they can feel safe and respected in the community I am building.

And while each author's communities will look totally different depending on the vibes, behaviour or content the author puts out, I think the barest minimum that each author can promise readers is safety and respect.

I asked Threads what lessons authors have learned about online etiquette and these were the responses I received:

DON'T:

• advertise your books on someone else's post (unless they have invited you to).

• talk trash about other authors, books or genres.

• imply your book is better than the popular books in your genre.

• tag authors in posts that are trash-talking them.

• use pity marketing – it may work short-term, but it's not a sustainable strategy.

• reply to negative comments about your book (especially those you weren't supposed to see).

DO:

• talk about books you love.

• uplift other authors, especially those in your genre.

• engage, repost and share other authors' promos (but don't expect immediate reciprocity).

• recommend books other than your own.

• keep your jealousy and bitterness private. Congratulate other authors on their successes.

• stay out of readers' spaces, unless it is a space you have curated yourself for your readers.

I hope this post is helpful for any newbie authors out there who are just getting started and were unsure of how to navigate the murky waters of social media. If there's anything I've missed, leave a comment and let me know! Good luck out there, authors :)