June 25, 2025
Are you interested in Reddit for authors? Most writers who self-publish may be familiar with using platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Goodreads to promote their books and establish their personal author brand. However, a different kind of social media platform, called Reddit, can be a helpful forum for building your credibility as an author, connecting deeply with the writing and reading community, and reaching new readers.
Unlike other social media platforms, Reddit for authors is built for success over a long period, rather than the instantaneous, like-driven nature of other platforms that thrive on garnering high follower and like counts from frequently posting content. This platform’s strength is found instead in the long game. Over time, the relationships users form on the forum’s threads build a community around shared interests.
Redditors are identified by their karma points, a combination of the upvotes and downvotes their participation in discussions receive from other users. Since accumulating post and comment karma takes time and meaningful contributions to the platform’s communities, Reddit for authors will see benefits as a slow, steady burn instead of a hot, quick flame of success.
Planning your use strategically over time in the communities tailored to Reddit for authors is the best way to gain the most benefits so you can be seen as a trusted writer and expert in your genre.
All authors and writers should devote time to participating in the communities dedicated to Reddit for authors. These are the pages where writers can learn from each other about the craft through lively discussions, deepen their expertise and make connections with other writers. General groups like r/authors and r/writing bring together writing enthusiasts of all abilities, interests, and experiences, making them a staple and perfect starting point for newer Redditors to begin.
Once you have started accumulating your karma points, indicating strong participation and interest in writing subreddits, it is a good time to add in other writing-focused communities that reflect your knowledge and interest in the writing world.
Many Reddit for authors would love to hear from a writer who has already gone through or is currently in the process of self-publishing their book, so interacting with them as an experienced participant in r/selfpublish is a great way to position yourself as a credible author. Responding thoughtfully to comments with your experience as a self-published author can create a strong sense of your expertise, turning you into a trusted Redditor.
While these communities are primarily created to appeal to experienced and new Reddit for authors, being a reliable and knowledgeable contributor transfers throughout the whole site since users are often regulars on multiple community groups. Testing out groups like r/indieuthors is a good place to make connections with and learn from other non-traditionally published Reddit for authors, as well as interact with other writers with similar interests and experiences.
The second general area perfect for building your credibility as a writer is the communities of Reddit for authors that focus on genre. Not only will you find other writers in each community that can contribute to the discussions, but many readers and genre aficionados are also active on the threads. Interacting with other users allows you to demonstrate your genre knowledge and your contributions will help them see you as an expert, author, and genre enthusiast whom they can trust.
All fiction writers can find something to discuss or think about in the r/fiction community of Reddit for authors, and this broad category gives you plenty of opportunities to connect with a variety of readers and genre buffs as well as find new communities or offshoots of lesser-known subreddits that others use.
Genre-specific groups like r/fantasy, r/horrorlit, r/mysterybooks and r/romancebooks are all good starting points for Reddit for authors who write in those genres. Just about every genre or subgenre of writing can be found on a subreddit page, so writers seeking a place to build their credibility within their knowledge base can likely find a home or create a subreddit to attract others with the same interest in Reddit for authors.
Authors who have an interest in books for kids or young people can build a presence in subreddits like r/childrensbooks, r/youngadultbooks or r/YAbooks to reach readers and genre fans. These pages are perfect for learning about new trends in these genres, learning how readers react to current books, storylines, and trending themes.
Readers and genre supporters will see an author with strong karma points as someone who can contribute meaningful content to the conversation and often will tag specific Redditors in a question or comment to loop them into the discussion. Being brought into a conversation is an excellent sign that Redditors recognize your expertise and value your opinions and ideas as a Reddit for authors.
One of the biggest mistakes a self-published author can make is to use the communities on Reddit for authors to shamelessly promote their book. Since this platform is all about building relationships through discussions about specialized expertise and common interests, non-prompted book selling will brand you as inauthentic and can turn Redditors off. Don’t undo the hard work you have put in to build your credibility by hard selling your book. Instead, focus on soft selling your book when appropriate and in the right places.
Plenty of subreddits have specific rules, including when or if you can promote your work, project, or book on the site. Carefully read each subreddit’s rules to note which ones allow you to promote your book, and if there are specific rules that govern it. Many offer specific promotional days or periods and may ban you if you break that rule.
But when a discussion naturally turns toward book titles or specific authors or characters, anyone can chime in. Look for those authentic opportunities to bring up your book or content when it is appropriate, giving your experienced viewpoint on a subject to enhance the ongoing conversations.
Some subreddit communities are created explicitly to help readers find their next new read, and these are another spot where an author who has built up credibility on Reddit can promote their work when Redditors ask. Pages like r/booksuggestions, r/readadifferentbook and r/suggestmeabook are communities that help readers create booklists for their next book to read. These threads give you a chance to suggest your book along with other books you love to readers interested in your genre, looking for specific themes or topics or wanting to try a new author out.
Of course, the most authentic contributions won’t always include a suggestion to try your book if it doesn’t fit what the reader is looking for, and this type of discussion can only continue to build your credibility with the Reddit community.
Create a compelling hook to throw out to potential readers to pique their interest in your book. Put your book’s title in a list of recommended books or draw a comparison to your book by offering Redditors a suggestion like, “if you liked that book, try this one,” to suggest your title. Share some behind-the-scenes content about writing your book to interest potential readers, which will also further demonstrate your experience and expertise as an author.
Be sure to take a look around in a community before you post or promote your book. Some communities have explicit rules, but others have unspoken ones that regular users will follow. Respecting the culture of the community you join will go a long way in creating trust about your expertise as an author, so take the time to familiarize yourself with the voice and tenor of a community so you can contribute to it without diminishing your credibility.
Another way you can become a regular Redditor is to not treat Reddit posts like other social media. This platform’s structure and style don’t fit with attention-getting posts common on other platforms. Focus on creating strong relationships within the community will naturally result in Redditors seeing you as a trusted author. When they see your book recommendation, they will be more likely to give your book a try because you have become a reliable, proven contributor on the site.
Being a self-published author gives you the freedom to promote your book in any way that you want to, including using platforms like Reddit that connect readers with writers like you. But directing readers to your finished book, ready to put into their hands, means you need to work with a printer that you can trust.
Publishing Xpress can help you turn your manuscript into a gorgeous book that you will be proud to recommend to potential readers and fans. Being able to put published author next to your Redditor’s bio is a great way to spark a conversation about your work, and your beautiful book will look great when you have the opportunity to promote it to interested Redditors, ready to try out a book from their newest favorite author.
© 2025 Publishing Xpress. All Rights Reserved.
