Social media is always in flux, and there is always another new kid on the block.The newest network of the moment is Litsy. It’s quickly gaining a lot of attention, and it’s specifically geared toward readers.
Meet Litsy
Litsy was created by Todd Lawton and Jeff LeBlanc, the co-founders of bookish tees and gear shop Out of Print, who wanted to create forum for the kinds of book discussions they were hearing on person but couldn’t find a forum for online.
Like Snapchat and a number of other later-generation networks, Litsy can only be accessed via a mobile device (iOS only for now, Android to come). If you’re an oldie like me, that feels a bit clunky and takes some getting used to. But I encourage you to give it a shot all the same.
Posting
Once you’re logged in, the general setup may look familiar—the network is essentially a mashup of Instagram and Goodreads. The posting options are extremely limited. Every post must tag a book, and there are only three format options: Quotes, Reviews and Blurbs.
It feels restrictive at first, but in a world of constant content overload, the limitations are refreshing once you adjust. It’s even more enjoyable when you scroll your feed—posts are short, highly visual, and everything is tightly focused around reading.
How Should I Use It?
For readers, this is all about geeking out together. It’s taking a picture of that gorgeous new cover you just found, or the page with that beautiful quote you stop and read over and over. And, like Goodreads, you can track your to-be-read list with it. It’s actually easier than Goodreads because you can tap once on any post and add that book to your list instantly.
Once you see the value for readers, it’s easy to see the value for authors—in short, it’s the same. For you platform, focus on participating in the reader culture by sharing your own favorite and current reads. Also, it’s a great way to engage readers who enjoyed your book—just skim your book’s feed.
Getting Started
First, download the app to your device and set up your account. Then, start following some other users and play with the features! It can always be a little daunting when you’re starting from scratch on a new network, so here are a few suggestions on accounts to follow:
- Litsy Book Club (Litsybookclub)
- Book Riot (bookriot)
- The Restricted Section (restrictedsection)
- Out of Print (outofprint)
- Your favorite authors – More are joining all the time. Users include Kelly Sue Deconnick, Warren Ellis, Joe Hill, and Chris Ryall. Search for your favorites!
- Me! (ejwenstrom)
What’s LItfluence?
Litfluence is Litsy’s way of measuring our reach within the network. As an introvert, what I love most about it is that it doesn’t only measure your followers. Because every post is filed under the book it is about, every book you read and denote on your profile increases your Litfluence.
Claim your name
Litsy is a lot of fun for any book lover. (And what author isn’t a book lover?) But even if you don’t want to make Litsy part of your regular author platform, go ahead and register for it anyway just to claim your name. This gives you the option to join in later if you want, but more importantly, this prevents someone else from confusing your brand by using your name.
By day, Emily Wenstrom, is the editor of short story website wordhaus, author social media coach, and freelance content marketing specialist. By early-early morning, she is E. J. Wenstrom, an award-winning sci-fi and fantasy author whose debut novel Mud was named 2016 Book of the Year by the Florida Writers Association.
