Ten Tips on Using Social Media to Promote Your Books

Many of my clients are stumped by the social media aspect of marketing their books. They understand that establishing a strong social media presence is important, but a good number of them avoid it because it appears time-consuming and somewhat daunting.

But creating an effective social media marketing strategy doesn’t have to be difficult. I recommend that authors focus on sites that will give them the most bang for their time and effort. Rather than attempting to establish a presence on all sites, it’s better to start with two or three of them. For those new to social media, I usually recommend beginning with Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, and building a presence on those sites first before expanding to others.

As far as what to post on a site, the most important concept to understand is why readers use social media in the first place. Most people don’t visit social media sites in order to be sold goods and services; they’re there to connect with others and to learn about topics that interest them. So, the best way an author can sell books via social media is to build relationships with readers. Authors will find the most success by being themselves and sharing items that are relevant to them personally. And those interested in the same topics are the best folks to friend or follow; ultimately, they’ll be likely to follow back and peruse an author’s posts and tweets with interest.

Here are ten tips on how authors can make their social media sites work for them:

1. Start your social media efforts early, at least a few months before your book is scheduled for release. Many authors wait until their books are out before becoming active on and/or participating in social media sites. Don’t wait until the last minute – it takes time to build an audience, so give yourself a few months to friend/follow others and develop relationships. And don’t stop with a few friends or followers; set aside time each week (one hour a week is plenty) to follow others and add friends to each of your social media sites.

2. Use your author name as your Twitter handle or your Facebook page title. Take some time and prepare a good, strong sentence for your bio (my recommendation is to keep it professional and brief, and avoid overused catch phrases regarding food, cats, being a nerd, etc.). Also, for consistency, be sure to use this same biographical sentence on all your social media sites. Include a photo of yourself rather than your book cover (this helps with the relationship-building, so that readers identify with you as a person). Include a URL that links to your blog or your website, so that readers know where to go to find out more information about you.

3. Focus on readers (rather than other writers) in your posts and tweets. Spend some time determining who your target reading audience is, where you can best reach those readers, and what will interest them the most.

4. Be a generous participant – post often on your social media sites. Share information that you find interesting and/or that you think readers might like.

5. If you’re stumped on what to post, retweet others’ posts on Twitter, and express your thanks when others retweet you. Comment on readers’ blogsites and social media sites and link back to posts that you find interesting or that you think your readers might like.

6. Use dashboards like HootSuite, Threadsy, Tweetdeck, etc., to schedule posts on social media sites. Be sure to schedule at different times to reach readers who reside in different time zones. If finding time to manage your sites is an issue, consider hiring someone to do some of the scheduling work for you. It doesn’t have to be expensive – a tech-savvy high school or college student can be a great help with scheduling posts and updating info on sites.

7. Don’t be a selfish friend or follower – refrain from posting constant invitations to buy your book, and be judicious about sharing snippets from your work. Instead, be a source of information for your followers --- build relationships with them by providing valuable information and responding to their questions and comments in a friendly, professional manner.

8. Use your social media sites to distribute interesting info about yourself or your book. Announce contest wins, event appearances, new releases, blog posts, and general news that will help readers learn more about you and your book. Do this without pressuring your audience to buy; instead, keep the focus on providing information and developing relationships with your readers.

9. Offer to guest post on other social media sites and blogs and return the favor to those who might be interested in appearing on your sites. Contact other authors whose work is similar to yours or who write in the same genre, and consider working together to create genre or topic-specific blog sites with posts you can then share with your social media followers.

10. Be careful with the content on your social media sites. Steer clear of political or religious statements, and avoid undue criticism of others. Your goal is to build relationships, not destroy them, so avoid any topic that is likely to offend readers who might not share the same views.

Book Publicity Questions from the Twitter Zone

Many authors who use Twitter have sent me questions about book publicity and marketing. Listed below are some of the questions I receive most often, along with my responses.

1. What can I do to make my book more marketable?

The best way to make a book more marketable is to produce a quality product. I’m surprised at how many times I receive books from prospective clients with covers that aren’t professionally designed and copy that hasn’t been professionally edited. I also receive a good number of manuscripts from authors who have clearly never taken a writing class, or have written books that have never been workshopped; these books often have storylines that suffer from basic writing problems, such as too much back-story or clumsy dialogue. Add in the fact that the author has no platform, and you pretty much have a book that will not sell.

Authors who have chosen to self-publish should be sure that their books are able to compete with the number of quality books already out there by first taking writing classes and workshopping their manuscripts.

Once a book has been workshopped and judiciously revised, the next step is to have it professionally edited. A lot of authors skip this step because of cost, but it’s the most important thing they can do to insure that their books appear professionally written and error-free.

It’s also crucial that authors hire professionals to develop the cover art for their books. Homemade covers by those with no experience in book cover design won’t cut it in today’s competitive book market.

And authors must be willing to establish some kind of platform for themselves if they want their books to sell.

2. What are the biggest mistakes new authors make, and what suggestions do you have for fixing them?

There are a couple of mistakes I see quite often. The first is not having a book that’s been professionally edited. A lot of authors write to me and say that they don’t have the money to hire an editor. But if they plan to self-publish and skimp on editing, they risk not having the book sell because of low quality. So, the investment in a good editor is worth it.

For those who are really strapped for cash, I suggest at least having the front end of the book (the first three chapters, for example) edited. If money is truly an issue, authors should try to do as much with what they have and plan to spend whatever they can afford on professional editing (the same is true for cover design).

The other mistake a lot of new authors make is the attempt to build a platform by marketing to other writers. Authors need to appeal to readers, not just other writers. But many new authors waste a lot of time writing blog posts about being an author, including topics like how to be a good member of a writing group, how to write reviews, how to sell books, etc. While these are worthy topics, unless the book is about writing or the author’s an established industry expert, they’re are not going to help position an unknown author as an expert in his field or genre.

New authors who want to build their platforms (and readership) should focus on readers who buy the kind of books they write. For example, a new mystery author will want to focus on forums and blog sites that mystery and crime readers visit; the author should post there and on her own site about mystery and crime, review books on mystery and crime, and discuss topics that interest mystery readers. She should find a niche in her market and do what she can to establish herself as an expert in it (write articles, teach classes, give presentations, post on her own and others’ blog sites, etc.).

Likewise, if an author is trying to break into the YA or fantasy market, the focus should be on topics that appeal to readers of those genres. There are a number of topics related to young readers (thematic issues, life issues, favorite books and characters, etc.) that YA authors can talk about in their blog posts and articles. The same is true for fantasy – there are myriad aspects of the fantasy genre that should offer rich ground for generating compelling posts that will appeal to readers of those kinds of books.

To help reach readers, authors will want to concentrate on sites where readers go, including Goodreads and targeted forums, blogs, and review sites. They should be sure to friend and/or follow readers (not other authors) on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, and other social media sites and aim to create informational articles and posts, make promotional offers, and develop relationships with as many readers as they can before their books launch and after they’re available.

3. I’ve decided to publish in ebook format only. What are the challenges/benefits of doing so from a publicity standpoint?

A lot of authors have contacted me recently about promoting a book that is only available in ebook format and, while it’s doable, it does present some challenges. The biggest challenge is that these authors don’t have printed copies that they can bring with them to sell after public appearances. And they’re not able to send hard copies to reviewers or bloggers who request them, or submit to those contests that require hard copies.

That said, there are still lots of opportunities where ebook-only authors can find exposure for their work. There are a number of web and blog sites that focus on ebooks and offer discounted versions to readers. And ebook authors can still make public appearances; when they do, they should plan to give their audience printed information about where to go online to buy the book. For some authors, this hasn’t been a problem – many readers bring their Kindles and Nooks with them to author appearances and, as the ebook market continues to grow, I think we’ll see more of this in the future.

Some of my clients with ebooks have opted to have a number of copies printed, so they can send them to reviewers and bloggers and sell them after public appearances. Others opt to only approach reviewers who are willing to read e-versions. As always, the most important considerations for selling any book, whether printed or in e-format, are to make sure it’s well-written and professionally designed and edited and to target readers when it comes time to promote.

4. As a publicist, what trends are you seeing for promoting books?

One trend I’m seeing is that while booksellers are now more open to accepting self-published books in their stores, they’re also focusing more on celebrity clients and big-name authors for signings. Many of them are willing to allow self-published authors to bring in books on consignment, both for signings and for sale in the stores, but as fewer stores remain viable, the competition for spots in those stores has risen. There are still independent and chain bookstores that will allow authors to hold signings, so I urge authors to take advantage of what’s out there now, since the future for brick-and-mortar bookstores looks pretty uncertain. But authors must build their platforms if they want to appear in these stores.

Another trend is that author appearances still remain a good way to sell books, especially at targeted venues (professional organizations, speaking engagements, conventions, fairs, etc.), where the author can connect with the audience and then sell books afterward. Many of my clients have found that these kinds of events bring the highest sales in their marketing efforts.

For those who don’t have a content area that allows for speaking engagements, blog tours are a good method of promoting books and getting the word out to readers. I’ve found these to be especially effective for my clients with specific non-fiction topics that have a large number of blogs dedicated to them (for example, those that focus on specific health issues, like ADD, MS, cancer, etc.). Also, those who write genre fiction (romance, for example) will find a number of blogsites dedicated to readers and can work those sites for exposure to their target audience.

Finally, the increase in the number of readers willing to read books on devices like Kindles and Nooks is changing the way we market books. In addition to author appearances, blog tours, and marketing via social media, authors are learning that they must develop ways to help promote ebooks to readers. These methods can include offering discounts, bundling books in a series, offering books at no cost for limited periods, etc. The continued growth of ebooks as a major section of the book market share is forcing authors to think about how they’ll reach those who read ebooks, as well as readers who still buy printed books.

5. What advice do you have for new authors who are just starting out with their promotional efforts?

First, if you’re planning to self-publish, you must be committed to putting out a professional product. So, authors should make sure they become educated about writing, workshop their manuscripts, and include professional cover design and editing in their budgets for creating their books.

Second, authors should think about their platforms. When it comes time to market the book, the author’s background and expertise is going to be as important as the book itself, especially when pitching the media.

Third, authors should have a game plan before they start writing, which includes taking the time to answer the following questions: Why am I writing this book? Who is likely to want to read it? What is the size of my target audience and how will I reach them? Am I willing to take writing classes and workshop my manuscript, so it’s marketable to today’s savvy readers? Am I committed to hiring professionals to help with cover design and editing? How much time and resources (including money) am I willing to spend to promote the book once it’s written? And what are my long-term goals as an author – will I be a one-hit wonder, write more books like the one I’ve written, or move on to a different genre?

There are no right answers to any of these questions, and the answers will be different for every author out there. But it’s important that authors consider purpose, audience, budget, and future goals in order to be prepared once their books are ready to market.

Finally, many authors see the success of those who are managing to make a living from self-publishing and assume that once they self-publish a book, they will be able to do the same. This is far from true; in fact, very few self-published authors with only one book are able to generate enough sales to support themselves and their families full-time, especially if they are unknown. So, managing expectations is a huge part of self-publishing a book.

Authors should remember that those who are making a living from self-publishing have done so after many years of writing. Many of those successful authors were once traditionally published, as well as self-published, and have spent years developing audiences that are familiar with them and willing to buy their books. New authors will have to build their own audiences, step by step, by focusing on readers and reaching out to them in as many ways as possible. And it may take some time before substantial results occur. Being patient (and realistic) and doing the hard work of getting out there and building relationships with readers is necessary if new authors hope to realize success in today’s competitive self-publishing market.

Advice for Authors: Create A Twitter Profile that Sells

Many social networking pundits agree that Twitter can be a powerful tool for authors looking to sell their work (Jonathan Gunson, for example, calls it the most effective book advertising tool ever).

But like most social media tools, Twitter is only powerful if you use it effectively. If you're an author hoping to use Twitter to sell books, then how you describe yourself on Twitter is an important component to encouraging a potential reader to follow you. It can also help a book blogger, reviewer, or media producer/editor who is researching you learn more about how you’ve positioned yourself as an author. Remember, how you describe yourself on social media sites is a crucial part of creating a platform and presenting yourself to those who might buy your books.

With that in mind, here are my thoughts (from a publicist’s perspective) on the do’s and don’ts for authors regarding how they describe themselves on Twitter and other social networking sites. First, the don’ts:

1. Don’t deprecate yourself
I’m stunned at the number of authors out there who describe themselves in unappealing terms. Some of the most common self-deprecating monikers are “loser,” “geek,” “nerd, “newbie,” and “wannabe.” I recently came across one author who described her own books as “smutty”; another who claims that he is an “ineffective woman chaser,” a third who calls herself a “troll.” Now I know that some of these descriptions are meant to be funny, but there is so much overuse of these kinds of statements that they’ve lost their uniqueness and risk falling flat with readers. Some might argue that the terms “geek” and “nerd” are a badge of honor for those who are technically competent, but if that’s true, consider positioning yourself with more positive words that might entice readers, bloggers, reviewers, and media folks to see you as an expert, rather than a person who describes himself with over-used and self-deprecating terminology.

2. Don’t label yourself as “aspiring”
Okay, maybe you’re new at the writing game, but if you’re in the process of writing anything, even for the first time, it’s perfectly okay to simply refer to yourself as a writer (no “aspiring” adjective necessary).

3. Don’t say you’re a bestselling author unless you truly are
There are bestselling authors out there, most of whom either have big-time breakout successes or extensive backlists. In either case, these people have sold many, many books. If that isn’t true in your case, please don’t label yourself as something that you aren’t.

4. Don't use religion and politics as descriptors unless they're relevant to your readers
Many authors list Jesus as the first item in their Twitter moniker. Others throw in the terms “conservative” or “liberal.” While this kind of disclosure is fine for those who write Christian or political books, it’s not always great for selling. Remember, some of the readers you may be looking to attract will not be Christian (or Buddhist, or Jewish, or whatever other religion you’ve mentioned). Likewise, if you list yourself as liberal or conservative, you’re sure to scare off the other half of your potential readership. Keep religion and politics out of your descriptions, unless you want to sell only to those who think, and believe, as you do.

5. Don’t refer to your husband, wife, or kids in your profile unless they have something to do with your book
Listen, we’re all members of some family or another. Unless your book is about parenting or family relationships, consider saying something else about yourself that potential readers might find more interesting and relevant.

6. Easy on the cat references
The other extremely over-used descriptors I see out there are “cat-lover,” “cat-owner,” “owner of XX number of cats,” etc. Unless you’ve written a book that has something to do with felines, consider leaving Fluffy where he belongs, on your living room couch.

7. Food is good, but watch that it doesn’t become the only thing that sets you apart
If you’re a cookbook author, then yes, by all means mention certain types of food in your profile. But if you’re not, realize that mentioning anything having to do with coffee (or caffeine), alcohol, or chocolate has been used by thousands of other Tweeps who can’t find something more creative to say about themselves.

8. Don’t overkill with hashtags and website addresses
#There’s #nothing #worse #than #trying #to #read #a #string #of #words #that #are #preceded #by #hashtags #or #anything.com.

9. Don’t say “I follow back” – just do so
Enough said.

Now for the do’s:

1. Think like a journalist
The best advice for positioning yourself to your readers comes from the school of journalism, where writers are advised to focus on the who, what, where, when, and why of the story. The same guidelines apply for your Twitter moniker: tell potential followers who you are, what genre you write, and, if relevant, name your books. A good example is the profile for well-known mystery author LJ Sellers, who describes herself thus: Author of the bestselling Detective Jackson mysteries & standalone thrillers: The Sex Club, The Gauntlet Assassin, The Baby Thief, and The Suicide Effect.

2. Keep your profiles brief
No one likes overkill in anything, even Twitter handles. Remember that less is more when it comes to describing yourself, so be brief and descriptive. A good example comes from self-publishing guru, JA Konrath, whose Twitter profile is simple and elegant: I write thrillers.

3. Keep them on-point
If your goal is to use Twitter to sell books, then make sure that’s a main point of reference when you describe yourself. If you have other goals for yourself, list them in your profile. For example, best-selling suspense author Bob Mayer describes himself thusly: NY Times Bestselling Author, Speaker, Consultant, Former Green Beret, CEO Cool Gus Publishing.

4. Be professional
In summary, if you want yourself and your books to be taken seriously by readers, then be serious about how you present yourself on social media sites. Your potential Twitter followers (and, hopefully, future fans) will thank you for it.

The 80/20 Rule: How to Promote Your Books Properly on Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, etc., have become an integral part of promoting books and building an author platform. However, authors must realize that there are right – and annoyingly wrong – ways to use these sites. Used correctly, sites like Facebook and Twitter can help authors position themselves as valuable sources of information and entertainment. Use these sites incorrectly, and authors risk coming across as self-absorbed and inexperienced.

When posting on social networking sites, authors should remember the 80/20 rule. This rule dictates that you spend 80% of your time posting about things other than your book, and 20% selling. That’s right – 80% of what you post should not be a sales pitch. Why is this true? Remember that readers are human beings, who long to make connections with others. They join social networking sites not to receive non-stop reminders to buy, but to develop relationships and learn about topics that matter to them.

So, what should you post 80% of the time? Well, the most important reasons to network are to build relationships with your readers and position yourself as an expert. Therefore, 40% of your posts should be personal: readers want to know about you, your personal life, your thoughts about writing, etc.

The other 40% should be about your subject area, so provide information that your target audience will find interesting and useful. If you’re not an expert in your field or are uncertain about writing on a specific subject area, write about things you do know, such as the steps you took to become a writer, what you’ve learned about your subject area while writing, etc. Share whatever expertise you have that your followers might find useful themselves.

The other 20% of the time, you can remind readers that you have a book they might be interested in purchasing. But be judicious with these posts; remember, some of your followers and friends will have already seen posts about buying your book before. Do your best to make your sales posts relevant and interesting; i.e., only issue these kinds of posts when there is something new to announce, such as a price increase, a revised edition, or an interesting review of the book.

What happens when you ignore the 80/20 rule? Do so at your peril; authors who post nothing on their social networking sites but constant reminders to buy their books will usually be ignored, or worse, deleted by their followers.

For those who wish to make the most of social networking and sell books (rather than offend visitors), here is a list of important do’s and don’ts:

DO

…set up profile and fan pages on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, etc.

…post often about what’s happening in your life, your thoughts about your writing and your book’s subject area, and about topics relevant to your audience.

…if you use Twitter, retweet relevant posts by your followers. And thank them when they retweet yours.

…if you share information on Facebook, be sure to acknowledge the original source.

…if friends sign up for your Facebook fan pages, be gracious and follow theirs. Likewise, if someone follows you on Twitter, be generous and follow him/her back.

…share news about interviews, awards, sales, plans for sequels, etc.

…be inquisitive. Ask friends and followers for information and advice, and end your posts with invitations for others to weigh in.

…be social. Respond to your friends and followers when they post, and they will respond to you.

DON’T

…constantly post announcements reminding people to buy your book. One announcement every few weeks is okay, but daily reminders will only serve to alienate your followers.

…constantly announce pricing changes and giveaways. Once in a while is okay, but do this too often and your audience will begin to tune you out.

…hog up the airwaves by posting too often. Be judicious and thoughtful about what you’re putting out there for others to read.

…post inane or useless information; especially avoid constant updates about mundane chores, errands, and household tasks,

…incite others with inflammatory political and/or religious statements. Unless your book is about one of these topics, you stand to alienate 50% of your audience with political and religious posts. Keep your posts professional and relevant, and leave the controversial topics for private conversation at home.

…send out automatic responses to new followers urging them to “take a look” at your website, Amazon account, or segment of a book. Develop a relationship with your followers first, before you clobber them with a back-handed sales pitch.

…send automatic responses at all (they come across as perfunctory and meaningless).

…blow your own horn. Listing yourself as an amazing, bestselling, renowned, etc., author, especially if the book is your first, can be off-putting and make readers see you as pathetic and insecure.

…trash agents, editors, reviewers, or other writers (and if you’re a publishing professional, don’t bash or belittle potential or actual clients). Nothing alienates writers and readers more than someone who appears unkind or has a personal axe to grind.

Finally, as with all other areas in your life, do your best to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Follow the 80/20 rule, be a gracious, supportive, and conscientious social networker, and readers will look forward to reading your posts and buying your books.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I struggled a little with this blog post today, not because I haven’t written one in a while (which is true, I’ve been delinquent), but mainly because this is not a subject I’m happy about.

My topic today is those agents, editors, publicists, and publishers, who use their social media sites to publicly belittle the writers who have queried them or inquired about their services. I’m talking about the folks who post sneering comments on their Facebook or Twitter pages about manuscripts and query letters they’ve received from authors. These are the comments about bad grammar, overblown plot lines/characters/dialogue, angry responses to rejections, or even deals that go down in inappropriate places (I recently saw a tweet from an agent who crowed that she had made a book deal while she was in the bathroom at her local gym).

In rare cases, there may be a legitimate reason to gripe (I’m thinking about a recent blog post by another agent who received a number of expletive-laden emails from an individual she had rejected), but that griping, in my view, should never take place in a public forum. If a professional has to vent, there are more appropriate venues (i.e., private conversations with coworkers, spouses, or friends) for sharing frustration about submissions, clients, or colleagues. But publicly humiliating authors who submit work, no matter how bad that work might be, is just not acceptable.

A writing professional has to believe that the manuscripts and letters she receives have been sent with the best intentions. Yes, many of these submissions are error-ridden and a great number of the manuscripts are not likely candidates for publication. But there is never a time when it's okay for a literary professional to poke public fun at an author who is making an honest attempt to submit a written work.

Maybe it’s because I’m an author myself, but I cringe when I read giddy Facebook posts ridiculing author submissions. Not only is it unprofessional to do so, it is extremely unkind. In my view, a client submission is a private document and one to be considered with the utmost courtesy. My policy is to never publicly discuss any type of inquiry sent to me, no matter how bad the writing (and I do receive some gems, on occasion) or how mismanaged the cover letter or email message. To me, every writer, along with his work, deserves consideration and a professional, private response from me, whether I agree to represent him or not. And every author deserves some amount of common courtesy and respect for at least having taken the time to produce a written work.

I don’t understand why authors continue to submit to literary professionals who openly belittle them in public forums. To me, a person who bashes potential clients in public is either unprofessional or unkind (or both), and hardly a good candidate for a business relationship.

To writers who are submitting work: I urge you to check out the public forums used by the professionals you plan to query before you submit. You may reconsider after visiting there.

And to my literary colleagues who have indulged in this type of behavior, I beg you to remember: public humiliation, in any form, is unprofessional. If that statement sounds too chastising, I submit this thought instead: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.