AuthorTube!
As my husband said when I said the word aloud to him, “What the heck is that?”
Have you heard of it? I certainly hadn’t until I attended the SelfPubCon a few weeks ago. It’s similar to BookTok and Bookstagram, only it’s for authors—and there is, apparently, BookTube as well.
So what will you find on AuthorTube? A lot of how-to videos on writing craft and publishing, as you would expect. There’s a lot of really good advice out there, and, naturally, a lot of really bad. My favorite AuthorTuber (??) is Michael LaRon, who is filled with fantastic advice presented in a no nonsense way (and I swear, that man has the most beautiful voice, I could listen to him read the phone book, but it’s much more pleasant to hear him speak about writing craft). If you’re a new author wondering about how to self-publish, I also highly recommend MK Williams who talks about everything self-publishing in really short, easy to watch videos.
And the whole reason I started looking into AuthorTube, of course, is because I am coming out with my own videos. You’ll have to watch them and let me know what you think! I’m not fantastic at editing videos, but I think I’m doing an okay job for a novice. I speak directly into the camera, use an okay mic, and I added cute graphics and text to help emphasize my points.
Please, please, do tell me what you think! I don’t know if I’m looking like an idiot, making boring videos no one will watch or what.
So, why did I decide to get into videos?
Well, to be blatantly honest—as I always am on this blog—it was to help advertise my coaching services.
MK Williams, who gave the talk at SelfPubCon on AuthorTube Dos and Don’ts, said that the first and most important thing you should know when going into making your own videos is to have a goal. If you’re in it for the money, be honest about that (to yourself—you don’t need to tell anyone else). Also, if you’re in it for the money, be prepared to be very patient. She said it takes about a year to grow to 1000 subscribers, which is what you need to be able to start monetizing your videos.
But you don’t have do to it for the money—I’m not! You could do it to advertise your books on BookTube. You could do it to gain a social media following, to establish your platform, or, like me, to support your other writerly endeavors (editing, formatting, book cover design, coaching—whatever you’re into).
So, pop over to AuthorTube and check out my videos—or Michael’s or MK’s or all of them! I’ll be posting a new video every other week. I made ten just to get myself started, and I’ll keep making them on topics I’ve blogged about here. If you would like me to make a video on a particular topic, don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know!