Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author, essayist, and TV writer. Her debut novel, Forever, Interrupted, has been optioned with Dakota Johnson attached to star. She is adapting her second book, After I Do, for ABC Family. Her most recent novel, Maybe In Another Life has been featured in People, US Weekly, Cosmo, and more. We are so thrilled to chat with Taylor about all things social media — especially since she recently received Facebook verification!

BookSparks: What do you love and despise about social media as an author?

Taylor: The thing I love the absolute most is hearing from readers. Whenever I lament being an author in a time when the publishing industry is changing, I always end up feeling like now is the greatest time to be a writer because you have such an incredible opportunity to talk to your readers. I love seeing pictures of my books in people’s TBR piles or with them at the beach. The flip side of the fact that readers want to engage with me, and not just my work, is that it puts more pressure on me to be charming, likable, and accessible. As a troll person who lives under a bridge, this is a lot of work for me.

BookSparks: Great point! How do you keep your profiles personal while also professional? Is there a line?

Taylor: There is a line although it is sort of hard to define. It’s one of those things that I just simply do and then afterwards, realize what I’m doing — like speaking in a register. My feeds are all me, one hundred percent. I’m never putting on a show. But I do hold back. I don’t tweet about political issues unless I am very informed and feel very strongly. I try not to say anything unkind about a person or anyone’s work. If I don’t like a book I read, I keep my mouth shut. And I keep in mind that not everyone has my same sense of humor. Essentially, I try to recognize that the people that follow me are people who like my work and I am not synonymous with my work.

BookSparks: How do you use your different social media channels?

Taylor: I use Facebook almost as a newsletter. If you follow me there, you will always know the latest news, essays, coverage, etc.

I use Twitter for every thought I have fit to print. If people are interested in getting to know me more, in getting new content in 140 characters, then that’s where to find me.

And Instagram is where I show pictures of my dog, Rabbit. And thus, it is the most important.

BookSparks: Does that mean Instagram is your favorite platform?

Taylor: I really do love Instagram, not just because of of my dog, but because as a writer it’s sometimes nice to say something without words. When you combine Instagram with the app IFTTT, you can promote those photos across multiple platforms. Instagram will already let you push your photos to Facebook and Twitter, but IFTTT lets you embed the photo in your tweet instead of having to use a link. All the more ways for people to see Rabbit!

Learn more about Taylor Jenkins Reid!

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