How to find your niche as a writer on social media

May 02, 2025

If you’re a writer staring at your social media wondering if it will ever make sense, you’re not alone. As a Freelance Marketing Consultant, I often work with indie authors, traditionally published writers, and everyone in between, and one of the most common questions I hear is: Why am I not getting any followers on my social channel(s)?

And usually the answer is very simple: they haven’t found their niche.

In my experience, no author who’s good at social media just posts about their books.

Sure, your book(s) is important - whether you've published it yet or not - but on social media, it’s not enough to just shout ‘buy my book!’ or ‘My book is about…’ into the void every few weeks. That’s like going to a party and only talking about your job and nothing else. People might nod politely, but they’re not sticking around for long. Why should they?

The authors that have an engaged audience who stick around and recommend your content to others - through commenting, sharing, and liking - have a niche.

Of course, the next question that follows after I explain this is: What’s my niche?

Don’t panic: your niche doesn’t have to be hyper-specific or professionally polished. It just needs to be yours.

I have a few examples of niches that authors I’ve previously worked with maintain. Some of them may feel slightly broad and obvious, while others are more unique and often not intentional niches:

🦊 The Silver Fox author 🦊

Yes, really. I know more than one brilliant author (and no, I won’t name names) who have loyal, loving female fanbases who adore them for being literal silver foxes. Their niche is themselves. They each lean into it differently. For example, one author I know is very charming, often sharing photos of himself holding a stack of his books and posting videos talking directly to his ‘darling readers’. While another ‘silver fox’ author is more charming and friendly, sharing content from behind the scenes and often reminding readers about how much he loves his wife, as well as writing his books.

Despite being a slightly unique niche, these authors’ books sell consistently, their book events and lives are always full, and they get plenty of engagement online just by being authentically themselves. They may not have chosen the niche, but it works for them and they leaned into it.

The pet lover

Several authors I know have accounts that could double as pet fan pages. Their dogs, cats, parrots (seriously), bunnies, guinea pigs - you name it - are the stars. The authors’ writing lives are woven into their posts about their furry familiars, often through captions like ‘editing with my cat as supervisor’ or ‘listening to the sample of my new audiobook on the dog walk was surreal.’ And people like pet pics!

If every now and then, there’s a photo of a dog with their head on a stack of books or a video of an author typing with a parrot on their shoulder, it often sticks in the mind, and readers engage by liking, sharing or following.

Romanticising your life

A new niche in recent years has been the romanticising of daily life. A few authors I know have done a brilliant job curating their feed to incorporate elements of cottagecore, London lifestyle and city queens, through well-placed content featuring flat whites, reading nooks, and dancing in the rain. Being an author is often an aspirational achievement, so why not paint the picture of the daily life of the author (yourself) as such. The authors that get it right keep the balance of realism with romanticism and perfect their niche by putting themselves authentically into it.

Book lovers

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that book lovers love discovering other book lovers. Some authors find their niche just by being generous with recommendations, highlighting other authors’ works (great way to meet and support other authors!), reading widely, and reviewing honestly. You can become a hub for readers not just because you write great books but because you know great books.

From BookTok to Bookstagram, BookTube to a Bookish newsletter, there are a lot of places you can share bookish content to engage an audience of voracious readers. And you know they’re a big fan of books, which is a big plus when it comes to publishing your latest novel . . . but the big word, as ever, is authenticity.

There are so many other niches I could mention including: travel, art, illustration, careers, cooking, cleaning. . . on and on the list goes. But how do you find your niche?

1. Look at your life, your habits, and what you naturally love.

Do you walk your dog on the beach every day? Obsessively decorate your planner with washi tape? Always have a stack of ten books on your nightstand? What are your hobbies and interests that you could easily share and feel authentically you?

2. Ask yourself: What would I post about even if I wasn’t selling a book?

This is the real test. If it’s something you enjoy sharing or talking about anyway, it won’t feel like work, you’ll be passionate and consistent and readers will notice.

3. Your niche doesn’t have to be your book genre.

Writing horror doesn’t mean your content has to be spooky. Writing romance doesn’t mean you need to post couples selfies or wear a lot of pink! Your niche is you, not just your books. You can mix it up and be different to what readers might expect, so long as you’re you - and yes, I will push this lesson down your throat - it will shine through.

4. Blend it into your author life.

You can weave your book into your niche in fun, natural ways. Writing with your dog? Post it. Sharing a recipe you made while brainstorming your new fantasy novel? Yes! Reading a book that inspired your style? Share a review.

And a big reminder: not every post on your social channels needs to be about writing. If you have no book updates, or you just want to share a picture of your family, or your dog, or your scuba diving holiday then go for it. Your channels are your own and readers want to get to know you, but having a niche you anchor it to, might just help you stay consistent and find your audience.

One last thing: your niche is not a cage. It’s not meant to limit you, and it doesn’t define you. You can always change it if it’s not working or you’re not enjoying it.

A niche is meant to give you a starting point to developing your author brand, and niches develop and change as you go. Don’t pigeonhole yourself, and never be afraid to try new things. But for lasting impact, increased engagement and wider discoverability, try a niche or two and see what works for you.