Introduction

Let’s walk through why building a platform before publication sometimes makes sense, when it doesn’t, and what strategies actually move the needle.

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1. Fiction vs. Nonfiction—Your Genre Changes the Game

If you’re unpublished and writing nonfiction, social media can be a powerful tool to build authority and trust in your subject area. Examples include parenting advice, productivity, health, or finance. Share insights, help people, and build a following of individuals who might one day purchase your work.

Fiction, however, is a different beast. You’re not selling a concept—you’re selling a story that doesn’t exist yet. As such, consider the following:

1. The book itself is your best foundation for marketing.
Until your manuscript is polished, edited, and either agented or set for publication, spending too much time on Facebook can pull energy away from the most critical task—finishing and strengthening your book. A following is far easier to attract once you have something tangible (a release date, cover reveal, preorder link, or even short excerpts to share). Readers need a clear reason to follow you, and that usually occurs once your work is available or on the horizon.

2. Early Facebook promotion can lead to burnout or wasted effort.
Building an audience on Facebook is slow, and without a published book to promote, it can feel like shouting into a void. If you start too early, you risk burning yourself out creating content that yields little or no return—or worse, exhausting your future readers before you have something to offer them. Instead, you can focus on networking quietly in writing groups, connecting with other authors, and studying what works, so when you do launch, you’ll know how to make your presence count.

In short: Nonfiction authors benefit more upfront from social; fiction writers are often better off focusing on craft first.

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2. The Cost of Spending Time on Social Media

There’s an important truth to recognize as an unpublished author: your writing is your priority. Social media can drain time, energy, and creative focus. As author-platform strategist Thomas Umstattd Jr. notes:

“You can’t Facebook or TikTok your way to publishing success without first being a good writer… bestselling authors spend that time writing.” (Author Media, 2025)

This is particularly true if you are unpublished and have limited time. Before your debut is drafted or published, you are likely better off investing those hours in finishing your manuscript.

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3. Quick Reality: Social Media Use Is Sky-High

Still, there’s no denying the world lives online:

• An estimated 63.9% of the global population uses social media—with an average daily use of 2 hours and 21 minutes (Smart Insights, 2025).
• Over 5 billion user identities are now active on social platforms (DataReportal, 2025).

The audience is there—but whether they’re one you’ll reach before publishing is another question.

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4. When Early Social Media Engagement Makes Sense

For UNPUBLISHED Nonfiction Authors:

• Share helpful posts related to your topic—teach tips, tools, trends.
• Use social spaces to establish credibility and build your audience prior to launch.

For UNPUBLISHED Fiction Authors, Sometimes:

• As an unpublished author, consider cultivating a community. Groups or Discord servers around your genre, themes, or writing process can be a great way to connect.
• Considering platforms like Wattpad? Publishing chapters or interactive content there can give you feedback, momentum, and visibility. Remember: Anna Todd’s “After” started on Wattpad, amassed billions of reads, and led to a major publishing deal (The Guardian, 2025).
• Substack is enjoying a boom in literary culture — dubbed “Substack summer” in mid-2025 — where unpublished, emerging, and established writers publish fiction, essays, serialized novels, and criticism directly to an engaged readership. Writers like Naomi Kanakia describe it as an “engine for discourse,” fostering thoughtful literary conversation outside traditional media (The Guardian, 2025).
  
  • Why it’s great for unpublished authors:
    
    • Direct access to readers, editorial freedom, and the option to monetize through subscriptions.
    • Opportunities to serialize work, test ideas, cultivate a loyal circle of early readers, and engage meaningfully.

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5. Alternatives: Focus on What You Control

Instead of chasing likes, unpublished authors should consider investing in lasting assets:

• Your author website—make it the hub for everything you do. Even if visitors are few, it’s a meaningful space to build your author identity.
• Email newsletters—whatever your genre, messages that land in inboxes are more trusted and stay longer than fleeting social posts.
• Substack or similar platforms—As noted earlier, Substack writers are embracing it as an alternative literary ecosystem and gaining readers.

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6. To Wrap It All Up

If You Write…	Focus On…	Social Media Role (Before Publication)
Nonfiction	Building visibility and authority	Valuable, if done with purpose
Fiction	Mastering your craft, writing your book	Optional—only invest if it energizes you
Literary or essays	Writing, building an audience via email or Substack (or similar)	Substack or newsletters may be more effective

Final Thoughts

As you work to transition from an unpublished author to one with publishing credits, recognize that your time is limited and precious. If social media energizes you and helps grow community, go for it. But if it becomes a distraction from writing, let it wait until later—after your manuscript is done or finalized. Visit our blog for more tips and information.

Up Next: When your publisher says, “Get on Facebook!”

Articles in the Facebook for Authors Series

Facebook Author Strategy: Pages, Profiles, and What Actually Works

Facebook for Authors: Myth, Necessity, or Distraction?

Muting, and How to Prevent it From Happening to You on Facebook—Tips for Authors

Principles Authors Should Live By on Facebook

Publisher to Author: “Get on Facebook!” — Essential Strategies for Navigating the Terrain

Unpublished Authors: To Build or Not to Build a Facebook Following?