Why Threads Changed Everything for Me as an Author

I don’t say this lightly:

Threads gave me back my voice.

I’ve been writing for over a decade. Hiding manuscripts in folders named after moon phases. Sketching poetry across emails to myself. Building universes no one had ever stepped inside.

For years, I thought attention would come later—after a debut, after a contract, after a cover reveal. I thought I had to wait for “the big moment” to earn readers.

But something unexpected happened:

I joined Threads.

And readers found me before the books even dropped.

Over 6,000 Likes. And Still Climbing.

One of the first stories I shared on Threads — just a funny little moment about being at Trader Joe’s — went viral.

Over 6,000 likes.

More than six thousand people laughed, reshared, or paused with me in that strange little moment of pistachio-stuffed reflection. And it wasn’t even a polished excerpt from my novels. It was me, being myself, storytelling out loud.

That changed something inside me. It reminded me that connection isn’t just about publishing — it’s about presence.

The Platform I Never Knew I Needed

I’ve used every social app you can think of.

Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, even Tumblr and Wattpad.

Some gave me beauty. Some gave me burnout. But none gave me organic, consistent, authentic engagement the way Threads has.

I’m currently sitting at over 300,000 views in the last 30 days.

No ads. No bots. No exhausting reels.

Just stories. Emotions. Relatable chaos.

That’s the dream, isn’t it?

To speak and be heard.

To write and be seen.

Yes, I Promised to Publish It

The story that went viral — the one that got people messaging me, sharing it with their friends, saying “You have to write this as a book” — I promised I’d publish it.

And I will.

But it won’t be alone.

I’m currently working through a long line of manuscripts, including entries in The Hollow Series, and standalone pieces I’ve been hiding for over a decade.

Rose of Iron, City of Heart, and other long-brewing works are finally rising to the surface.

Threads reminded me that readers exist even before your book does.

They’re waiting for your voice, not just your Amazon link.

More Than Metrics — A Mirror

I didn’t expect to find so much peace in a social media app.

But Threads gave me clarity.

A safe space to explore tone, to test rhythm, to be raw without recoil.

It wasn’t a performance. It was a conversation.

That’s the difference.

As an author with long, ethnic, complicated layers to my identity —

As someone who has struggled with visibility, imposter syndrome, genre anxiety —

Threads offered me resonance.

It was a mirror I didn’t know I needed.

A Recommendation for Every Writer

If you’re a writer trying to build community…

If you’re tired of chasing trends, hacking algorithms, or posting your soul into the void…

I’ll say this with full sincerity:

Join Threads.

Post your weird little stories.

Post your thoughts before the polish.

Talk to people. Laugh with them. Cry with them.

Show up as yourself.

You don’t need a book deal to be a writer.

You just need a place to write out loud.

Threads gave that to me.

And now?

I’m not waiting anymore.

– Llianne Isabel Olivo Reyes

Author of high fantasy, dark romance, speculative fiction, and stories that bloom & bleed. Artist and dancer.