Hi all,
I thought I’d write down a few basic
thoughts on social media, and building your author platform. I hope you’ll find
this of interest, and if there’s anything you’d like to add please do, we’re
all still learning.
All of the below may sound daunting at
first, but when you're on top of it all you'll manage all of this in about 15/20
minutes a day.
I use social media, daily, I work for
myself so luckily I have the time. The main ones I think are Facebook, a blog
(I use blogger), Goodreads, and Twitter. It is all about interacting with other
writers, sharing articles and interesting snippets you find. The more
information you share the more people will be interested in you and what you have
to say, including your own writing.
I think this is what Facebook works at
best. It is packed full of writing groups for you to join, it’s visual and easy
to use. There are so many writers using it, it can be a mine of information and
people willing to help. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with strangers adding
you as a friend on Facebook and seeing your holiday snaps or pictures from last
year’s office Christmas party, so set up an author page and use that instead of
your own for posting links on Twitter etc. But remember don’t get stuck on
Facebook too long, there’ll be no time left for writing.
Blogging, I started off with quotes, and
the odd bit I found interesting, it builds slowly, but it does build. The key
is to post something on your blog regularly, leave it too long in-between and
people will lose interest. Any blog you find an article about writing, post a
link on Twitter and Facebook. If people find it of interest, they will share
it.
Goodreads is a place for writers and
readers where you share your reviews on books that you've read. You get the
opportunity to give it a star rating and a brief review. There are many writing
groups on there, search them out in your genre and join in. It's all about
getting your name out there. Goodreads also offer a book giveaway, you register
your book and set the dates you want the competition to run, and people enter
who'd like to win. Goodreads pick a winner and you post it off. I did one a few
months ago, I put up a signed copy of The Eleventh Hour, and over 800
registered to win it. Also on Goodreads, lookout out for the opportunity to
review someone else’s book, people are often looking for reviewers and you
could get offered an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) to give your review on. This
benefits you in a few ways - It gets people looking at your Goodreads page and
your blog, they may follow you on Facebook and Twitter, plus the person may do
a review for you come the time. Also get people you know to add your book to
their 'To Read' list and you offer to do the same to theirs. If someone
searches your book, it'll show there are plenty of others that are interested
in reading your book.
I've left twitter to last - I feel none of
the above work without twitter. Think of it as your advertising board, a way of
bringing people to look at all of the above. You build up your followers list
by interacting and following others, again like Facebook you share their tweets
etc. Post the links to your Facebook and blog, and anything else of interest.
It does seem a bit as if you're repeating yourself across the social media
outlets. But you need them all to make each of the others work.
The most important lesson in social media -
You may have noticed I haven't mentioned your book. Nothing puts people off
more than someone repeatedly pushing their book. People want to be interested
in you and what information you post first, then your book. So fill your pages
with writing info and titbits slightly peppered with info on your novel.
As your release date comes closer, see if
you can find people who are interested in your genre to review your novel. Pick
and choose carefully, you want someone that has a good following, check their
Goodreads/Facebook/Twitter/Blog and make sure they're active. It's a waste of a
book if they don't have all or most of these.
Also, create a buzz about your book near to
its release date. Don't just post a picture of your cover, try to think of someway
of releasing it, such as an online jigsaw or a way in which the more people
click on the link the more of the cover will be revealed. Organize giveaways,
bookmarks/postcards etc. (Also known as Swag). I'm also toying with the idea of
making a short video clip using MS Moviemaker. There's a lot of discussion on
whether or not these work, but to be honest, I think it'll be fun to do.
When you have these set up and going, there
is Linkedin, Instagram, and Pininterest, but I'm always here and if you need
help or any info please message me, I'd love to know how you get on.
By the way
I'm on:
Facebook Author Page
All the best,
Daniel Kaye.
