X (formerly Twitter) still has an active writing and publishing community, particularly among agents, editors, journalists, and fellow authors, but it's less useful than it once was for reaching general readers directly, and it's rarely worth prioritizing over platforms like BookTok, Bookstagram, or an email newsletter. Whether it's worth your time depends heavily on your specific goals.
This is part of the Complete Guide to Social Media Marketing for Authors.
Industry connections. X has historically been a place where agents, editors, journalists, and other authors are genuinely present and engaged, more so than on most other platforms. If part of your goal is building relationships within publishing itself, rather than reaching readers directly, X still has real value.
Real-time conversation and news. For authors writing about current events, or for nonfiction authors whose subject matter connects to ongoing news cycles, X remains a place where timely, conversational content can find an audience.
Writing community. Hashtags and informal communities around writing process, querying, and publishing (writers supporting other writers) still have activity on X, which can be valuable for connection and support even if it doesn't directly sell books.
Reach to general readers. Reader-focused book discovery has largely migrated to more visual and video-driven platforms. X's text-first format doesn't showcase covers, aesthetics, or short-form video content the way Bookstagram or BookTok do.
Algorithm and audience changes. Ownership changes, algorithm shifts, and audience migration in recent years have altered who's active on the platform and how content gets distributed, and this instability makes it harder to build a reliable strategy compared to platforms with more consistent rules.
Time investment vs. payoff. For an author trying to reach readers rather than industry contacts, the time spent building an X following often produces less direct return than the same time invested in Bookstagram, BookTok, or a newsletter.
For most fiction authors focused on reaching readers, X is worth a minimal, low-effort presence (a professional profile, occasional updates) rather than a significant time investment, with reader-focused effort concentrated on other platforms. For authors specifically pursuing industry relationships, or nonfiction authors tied to current events, a more active presence can make sense.
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It depends on your goals. It remains genuinely useful for industry connections and timely, conversational content, but it's less effective than more visual platforms for reaching general readers directly.
Generally no, if the goal is reaching readers. Bookstagram and BookTok tend to offer more reliable reader discovery for most fiction genres.
Building relationships with agents, editors, journalists, and other authors, and participating in ongoing industry and writing community conversation.
Not necessarily. A minimal, low-effort professional presence costs little and can still be useful for industry visibility, even without heavy investment.