Pinterest for Writers

I had someone ask me a question on tumblr a few weeks ago regarding social media and authors. They were concerned about jumping onto too many social media platforms, as they weren’t super comfortable interacting with people online. While I had more than a few thoughts on the issue (coming from an internet introvert myself!), but the main takeaway was: GET ON ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIAS. Do it! Find your favourite and flourish. Each platform is another way to reach a new reader.

Today, let’s chat about Pinterest. I think it’s woefully underused by writers. It’s a great place to find writing advice articles and muse inspiration—all in one place.

Now, I can’t say much about selling books via Pinterest, mostly because I haven’t tried too hard with it beyond sharing covers and links to my books. But I know some writers absolutely rock sales through Pinterest, so it’s worth looking into.

What I primarily use Pinterest for is for inspiration! I have a storyboard for each book or series, and I love sharing it with readers. There are so many beautiful photos that really fit with the aesthetic of my books. And, honestly, sometimes I need to bounce back to my inspiration board to get in the mood to work on a book.

If you’re a blogger, Pinterest has a lot of readers and writers hungry for great articles about the wonderful world of writing. It’s a great place to share articles, though I know from personal experience sometimes people just pin your work for the pretty picture, not necessarily for the article attached.

I love Pinterest. It’s a place that I can go back to when I’m looking for articles and images to share instead of searching for hours to find the right thing. Like putting a penny in a piggybank, all the resources that you enjoy can be found in one place.

Mood boards. Inspiration. ~*~*~aesthetic*~*~*~* — Liz loooooooooooves.

There are plenty of reasons to love Pinterest, but don’t let it become a time-waster. I’m alwaaaays pinning on my phone while I watch TV, but be careful that it doesn’t suck you in. Finding faces for your characters and creating gorgeous boards for your books can suddenly get really time-consuming if you let it.

Now, if all my fangirling hasn’t at least tempted you to make a Pinterest account, read Kirsten Oliphant’s article on Jane Friedman’s blog for the more business side of writing and publishing.