NPR and PBS Quit Twitter: What does it mean for publishing?

The book publishing industry cannot ignore the volatility of social media.

In 2008, a fellow book publicist and good friend of mine texted me: “You should check out Twitter. You’ll love it.” At the time, I was the VP of Publicity at Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. I had recently joined Facebook and had always been more “online” than most people I knew in the publishing industry. In June 2008, I sent my first tweet: “Trying to clean up a mess.” I don’t recall what the mess was, and I didn’t expand upon the initial tweet because I had no idea how to use Twitter…yet. Instead, I learned how to engage with others on the platform and still count those people as my “OG Twitter Gang.” Soon after, I set up Atria’s Twitter account and was summoned to the centralized marketing department for S&S to show them how to use Twitter. At the time, I recognized the possibilities for promoting authors and books on the platform, but in those early days of publishers joining social media, we weren’t sure if Twitter would last. Given the ongoing volatility of the platform under Elon Musk’s direction, I find myself thinking the same thing I did 15 years ago: Where is this thing going?

When Elon Musk took over the Twitter reigns in the fall of 2022, I didn’t buy into the premature obituaries where users declared they’d leave the platform, and with good reason: most people stayed. There was a rush to other platforms like Mastodon and Post, and a few others I can’t remember, but the brand power and community of Twitter are difficult to recreate, so most of us still find ourselves on the app we love to hate.

This week, NPR quit Twitter because their accounts were first labeled “state-affiliated media,” commonly used as a descriptor for news outlets in autocratic countries like Russia and China, then as “government funded,” which is simply untrue, as it only receives 1% of its funding from a federal source. They will no longer post fresh content on the 52 Twitter accounts they run. You can read more about their decision here. Having been labeled the same as NPR, PBS quit Twitter this week. PBS only receives 15% of its funding from federal resources. Before that, Elon Musk had a spat with Substack and chose to ban links from this platform. He has since rescinded that decision. On Wednesday night, Twitter users couldn't reply to tweets on the platform's desktop version. People I follow appear under the “For You” tab instead of “Following.” Legacy verifications are supposed to disappear starting April 20. The algorithm is more unreliable than on other platforms. Putting aside Musk's immaturity and erratic decisions, Twitter is no longer a good product. Book publishers must pay attention.

It isn’t that I think Twitter will disappear. It won’t. The volatility of Twitter as a platform must be a consideration for publishers when assessing which authors to sign based on their social media followings, using Twitter as a marketing tool, and allocating staff to manage social media accounts. I feel the same way about TikTok. I haven’t read anything where publishers have stated whether they will pay (or must pay) to remain verified or if they have been proactive in speaking to authors about their plans post-legacy verification. What is happening on Twitter and with TikTok isn’t surprising: the media has covered each platform’s precarious position. It would behoove publishers to get their heads out of books for a minute and dive into tech. Often, they do not do it soon enough.

Something book publishing is adept at is keeping the status quo. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We have seen that repeatedly over the years and most definitely saw it on display during the DOJ vs. PRH (Penguin Random House) trial. Find the big authors, give them big advances, sell loads of books, rinse, repeat. The intersection of book publishing and tech has existed for some time. The problem is that the book industry digs its heels into whatever is working at a moment in time and stays beyond its welcome. For years, Twitter worked well for book promotion and building author platforms. It isn’t the same. An editor can’t rely on what seems like an author’s robust Twitter following anymore as a temperature check of popularity because the platform isn’t operating as intended. You could have 500K followers, tweet five times daily, and not get any engagement. The view count attached to tweets? It’s unreliable. Links? They either appear or don’t, depending on the whims of Twitter’s CEO. People you follow? Well, sometimes they are unfollowed—and not by the user.

I’ve never been a proponent of relying on one social media platform for promoting books. Publishers are heavily vested in BookTok, and I think that is a mistake given the bipartisan gusto to ban it in the US. Publishers still look at someone’s following on Twitter as part of the equation to predict book sales (which we know is impossible to do unless you are a reliable bestselling author, a huge celeb, or Prince Harry). The list goes on, but the problem remains the same: when you are at the mercy of the very fluid tech world, not having a plan B is, well, not having a plan. I would like to see one of the big five publishers talk about how they are managing Twitter’s current state as it fits into the industry. I would love to see a panel discussion with publishers talking about their positions on a possible TikTok ban and other social media perils. These are issues that must be discussed in the publishing ecosystem. Right now, the silence is deafening.

Afterword

What I’m Watching: I just finished watching the first season of Shrinking on Apple+ and loved it. Every character is so good! I love that they are all friends who can be their true selves with one another. I am also obsessed with Liz’s wardrobe and have ID’d some of it.

What I’m Listening To: National treasure Julia Louis-Dreyfus has started a podcast called Wiser than Me, where she interviews women OVER a certain age to talk about the wisdom they’ve gained through the years. The inimitable Jane Fonda is her first guest. Jane has written in her will who cannot speak at her funeral. A baller move.

What I’m Reading: I haven’t started it yet, but I’m excited to read It. Goes. So. Fast. by Mary Louise Kelly.

Programming note:

My hope is to start writing this newsletter twice a week. I hope you’ll read two editions of it every week.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Requests? Email me: publishingconfidential@gmail.com