LinkedIn for Writers: Boosting Your Profile

Welcome to May, writers!

I hope by the time this blog post is published, Wisconsin weather has turned from winter to spring and welcomed warmer temperatures, flowers, and blue (not gray!) skies. I offered tips about acquiring a literary agent for the March and April blog posts. For May, I begin a series about social media for authors.

Social media can be overwhelming. There are many platforms and much to learn. Book promotion is a distracting but necessary part of becoming a published author. This month, I’ll offer tips about boosting your author presence on the resume website, LinkedIn. I’ll offer tips to improve your profile. Starting small is not as overwhelming, I believe. Authors can use the LinkedIn platform to network, establish an author brand, claim a custom URL, and list published novels.

LinkedIn for Networking and Author Branding

LinkedIn can connect you to others in the writing and publishing industry. Perhaps you seek an illustrator, editor, or publisher. The platform is a good place for indie authors to find others in similar fields and review their credentials or recommendations. Generally, LinkedIn is recommended for nonfiction authors, but it can be just as helpful for fiction authors.

Start with the basics by posting an author photo, your name, author bio, and link to your website. After that, create an author brand: Who are you as an author? Do you write fiction or nonfiction? Are your books published? Do they have loglines and succinct descriptions or “blurbs”?

I’ve written about those supporting documents in previous blog posts.

Try not to get overwhelmed with using LinkedIn. I know social media can be intimidating. Consider the platform an extension of your author website. It’s a professional space where others in your industry (or potential readers) can find you. Keep information short, succinct, and engaging.

Define your audience and create a profile for them.

Are you seeking other authors? Readers? Or industry experts? Consider including some or all of this information:

•   Author photo headshot

•   Author website link

•   Genre

•   Book name and short description

•   Your credentials as an author

•   Where your book(s) can be found

•   Where readers can find you

•   Your other social media

The list isn’t comprehensive. Nor do you have to include all of it. It’s a place to start if you haven’t used the site before.

Also, you can blog directly to your LinkedIn profile, which is another way to boost author presence.

Finally, don’t forget to claim your custom URL.

This link explains how to go from an obscure number to your author name.

Add Your Published Novels

To add your published works, fill out this form.

Including your novels in your LinkedIn profile makes sense. Take the time to fill out the form completely. Further, this is where your loglines and succinct descriptions are vital: Describe your books in one sentence and in one paragraph. If you haven’t composed those supplemental materials yet, consider this a sign to write them!

Readers need to know what your books are about. Especially if they want to recommend them to others.

With simple changes, your LinkedIn profile can boost your author brand and online presence. Valerie and I would enjoy connecting with you! Link with Valerie, HERE, and link with T.K. Sheffield HERE.

Upcoming Conferences

In previous blog posts, I suggested attending conferences to query, pitch, and improve writing craft. Upcoming events include:

May 20-22: Writing Retreat, Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, Wis.

May 31-June 4: Thrillerfest, NYC

June 10-11: Chicago Writing Workshop, Writing Day Workshops (online)

June 20-26: Northwoods Writers Conference (full, but there is an online option)

Sept. 8-11: ACFW Conference, St. Louis, Missouri

October 7-8: Minnesota Writing Workshop, Writing Day Workshops (online)

The Midwest Writers Workshops (ongoing)

Write On Door County (ongoing)

Enjoy! Let us know how it goes!

Also, this month, I am thrilled to be a keynote speaker at my university’s virtual literary conference discussing what I learned on the journey to acquiring a literary agent. Onward and upward!

Happy writing, Tracey

T.K. Sheffield, MA

Pre-published author, The Seymour Agency. The Backyard Model Cozy Mysteries: A retired fashion model uses her skill at spotting posers to solve murders in her touristy Wisconsin town. (The first book in the series is on submission to publishers.) Follow me on Instagram for writing tips, author news, and to enjoy the scenery of my Wisconsin backyard.

*********

If you're looking for more assistance with social media, you may be interested in my Social Media for Authors course. In this go-at-your-own-pace course, you'll  learn how to set up and utilize five different social media platforms, focusing on guidelines for authors. We'll cover Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Plus, we'll review management tools to help you stay on top of your social media presence. LEARN MORE.