Social Media for Authors

Social Media for Authors Share and Support

There’s been a lot of conversation lately in our group about how memoirists can (or should) use social media, so I’ve scheduled an event on Thursday, May 1.

The intent of this session is to share what we know, brainstorm strategies, and support each other in ways that feel right for us individually.

🔹 Part 1: Brainstorming & Strategy-Sharing

• We’ll start with a discussion of what’s working, what’s not, and what strategies feel sustainable. Some questions we might explore:
• Which platforms work best for different types of authors?
• How do you find and engage your ideal audience?
• Is social media necessary, or can authors promote themselves in other ways?
• Do you have an author website? Do you need one?
• What’s realistic in terms of time commitment vs. return?
• Memoir is personal—how much do we want to share? What boundaries feel right?
• Our thoughts about sharing non-memoir related content.
• Share whatever resources (books, courses, blog posts) on the topic that we’ve found useful.

🔹 Part 2: Optional Cross-Promotion & Support

For those who are interested, we can:

• Share our social media links (for those who want to connect and follow each other naturally).
• Support each other in ways that feel genuine—whether that’s by reading each other’s work, commenting, sharing posts, or leaving reviews.
• Discuss Nutan & Brenda’s Medium experiment—does regular engagement help grow an audience?

NOTE: Some members have raised concerns about artificial engagement hurting their reach, so this will be entirely opt-in. The goal is to support each other authentically, not game the system.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

💙 Christina

This time, we’ll be discussing:
Wild by Cheryl Strayed – This book is often used as an example of a well-crafted memoir, particularly in discussions of structure, voice, and emotional depth. As we read, let’s consider how we can apply Strayed’s techniques to our own writing.

What it’s about:
At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.

Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Find our Book Club Questions here: https://memoirmentors.com/book-club-questions/

June 2025: 

• June 5: Write then Read
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/305270197/
• June 12: Memoir Book Club – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/306893205/
• June 19: Write then Read
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/305270106/
• June 26: Speaking Your Story
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/305270157/

July 2025:

• July 3: Write then Read
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/305397010/
• July 10: Write then Read
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/307717668/
• July 17: Write then Read
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/303859342/
• July 24: Speaking Your Story
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/305848896/
• July 31: Memoir Book Club – Junkyard Girl
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/305919539/

August 2025:

• August 7: Author Q&A with Carlyn Montes De Oca – Junkyard Girl
  https://www.meetup.com/memoir-mentors/events/307715012/