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Playbooks for authors who'd rather be writing.
RSSFeature walkthroughs, campaign playbooks, and plain-language explainers — everything you actually need to run social media as an author without losing a week of writing time.
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The newsletter-to-social loop: one piece of content, a week of posts
Writing a newsletter and then writing separate social posts is doing double work. Here's how to turn one newsletter into a week of social content — without sounding like a copy-paste job.
Apr 18, 2026 · 6 min read
When a post fails: what happens, and what won't happen
Platforms disconnect. Videos get rejected. Images fail. Here's exactly what happens when a scheduled post doesn't go out, how you'll find out, and what it takes to fix.
Apr 17, 2026 · 5 min read
Using Claude Cowork to run social media like a conversation
Claude Cowork turns Author Automations Social into a chat interface — describe what you need, Claude does it. Zero clicks, zero screens. Here's what a real session looks like.
Apr 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Setting up AI: OpenAI vs. Claude vs. Gemini for authors
Three major AI text providers are supported. Here's how each one actually sounds when it writes an author's captions, what it costs, and which one to pick first.
Apr 15, 2026 · 7 min read
What's an API key, really (explained without jargon)
Everyone says 'just paste your API key.' Nobody explains what the key actually is. Here's the plain-English version for authors — what they do, where they come from, and why yours is private.
Apr 14, 2026 · 7 min read
QR codes for authors: bookmarks, conference flyers, book inserts
A good QR code turns a physical touchpoint into a measurable click. Here's how to make them, where to put them, and what to do when they break.
Apr 13, 2026 · 5 min read
How to shorten a link (and why it's not optional)
Long URLs kill conversions. Short links save them. Here's what link shortening actually does, why branded domains matter, and how to set up yours in under a minute.
Apr 12, 2026 · 5 min read
FreePik, explained: where your AI images and video come from
Text AI writes captions. FreePik makes the images and the short videos. Here's what it is, why we use it, and how to get set up.
Apr 11, 2026 · 5 min read
What are UTM codes (and why they matter for authors)
UTM codes are the tiny tags on the end of your links that tell you which post actually sold the book. Here's the plain-English version, plus a cheat sheet.
Apr 10, 2026 · 5 min read
Branded short links: why storylink.to beats generic shorteners
A domain readers recognize converts better than a random-letter bit.ly. Here's what a branded short link actually is, why it matters, and how to use one without running your own URL shortener.
Apr 9, 2026 · 5 min read
How to do 14 days of content without writing 14 days of content
The AI campaign builder takes one prompt and gives you two weeks of platform-specific posts. Here's how to use it well — and when not to.
Apr 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Running a TikTok-only campaign
Focus-fire strategy for authors whose audience lives on TikTok. When it works, why, and how to run one without burning out on video.
Apr 4, 2026 · 5 min read
How to use templates for evergreen content
Campaigns are for launches. Templates are for the other 50 weeks of the year. Here's how to use the four author templates to keep your presence alive without another campaign.
Mar 26, 2026 · 5 min read
The launch campaign playbook (Part 2: executing)
The execution side of a real book launch — what you do during the 14 days while the calendar runs, how to respond to surprises, and the post-launch debrief.
Mar 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Running a video-only campaign
Short-form video across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts — the cross-platform campaign for authors who already film content anyway.
Mar 18, 2026 · 6 min read
The launch campaign playbook (Part 1: planning)
The planning side of a real book launch campaign — decisions you make in the month before so the two weeks around the launch run themselves.
Mar 17, 2026 · 7 min read
Running a carousel-only campaign
Instagram carousels are the highest-engagement post format for authors who'd rather not be on video. Here's how to run a whole campaign on them.
Mar 14, 2026 · 6 min read
Setting up your brand voice (and using the free generator)
Ten minutes of guide-writing is the difference between AI that sounds like a marketing robot and AI that sounds like you. Here's the setup and the free generator that does the hard part.
Mar 1, 2026 · 6 min read
Your first 30 minutes: connect one platform and schedule one post
The shortest path from signup to your first scheduled post. No AI required, no campaign setup, just the thing working.
Feb 25, 2026 · 4 min read
Pen names done right: keeping your romance and thriller brands separate
How pen names work in Author Automations Social — connected accounts, calendars, queues, books, and brand voices fully walled off so readers of one never see posts for the other.
Feb 8, 2026 · 7 min read
Building a books library that does the work for you
Paste an Amazon link, get cover, blurb, series, and keywords. Every post about a book auto-attaches the right art. Here's how.
Feb 5, 2026 · 5 min read
The 14 platforms, explained — and which ones an author actually needs
Supporting 14 social platforms is a feature. Using 14 social platforms is a mistake. Here's a plain-language map of each one — and how to pick the three or four that earn your time.
Jan 27, 2026 · 6 min read
What Author Automations actually does (and doesn't)
A plain-language tour of the tool — what it schedules, where your data goes, what AI does and doesn't do, and what stays entirely yours.
Jan 26, 2026 · 6 min read
From automation to conversation: why the Claude plugin changes everything
Automations were the best social-media tool we had for years. The Claude plugin is better. Here's why, and what authors actually do with it on a Tuesday.
Jan 20, 2026 · 6 min read
You stay the author: how we use AI without replacing your voice
AI that helps you ship marketing is a tool. AI that writes your book is a different conversation. Here's the line we draw, and why.
Jan 8, 2026 · 5 min read