Why Writers Need a Facebook Author Page

I’ve heard from several writer friends that they don’t want to maintain another social media site. That’s valid. To do a good job, it takes time, but I’d argue that as a writer, you need this platform to promote your work. And here are my reasons for having a site (separate from your personal page).

1. There is a 5,000 connection limit on Facebook accounts. You could reach a ceiling and be limited.

2. Based on your number of followers on an author page, you have access to analytics that you don’t get on a personal page. I can see all kinds of demographic information such as visitor numbers, time visited, gender, age, country of origin, etc. These help you get a better picture of your followers. And you can target ads to your biggest audience at the day/time when they are most likely to visit.

3. Facebook lets you schedule posts on author pages.

4. You can boost posts or run ads on a Facebook author page.

5. These pages allow you to see the number of people who viewed or interacted with your posts. This gives you information about what is most popular and what your fans are interested in.

6. Make sure that you check Facebook’s terms of service regularly. There are limitations on selling items on your personal page. (Facebook’s terms change frequently. I check them before I do each promotion.)

7. My friends and family post on my personal page or tag me in photos. I have security settings on this site for what I share with the public. If you have these settings in place, you have to remember to loosen them if you are doing some kind of book or event promotion, or people are not able to share your post.

8. On an author page, you can add “buy my book” links. There are also plug-ins and apps that you can add to the page.

What would you add to the list?

Who is Your Target Audience? Analytics Tips for Authors

Who is your target audience? When I started writing my answer was, "Everyone who likes mysteries." That is a broad category. To be effective and to know your audience, you need to narrow that down a bit. You need data to see who your primary readers/followers are. And you can glean that information from your social media platforms. All of these bits of information will help you put together a picture of your readers and their likes. 

How do you know who's interested in your type of book? You can use analytics and demographics from your followers.

Facebook - The amount of analytics you have access to on Facebook depends on the number of followers you have. Every time you reach a follower milestone, you'll be able to see more details. On your author page, click Insights. You will see information about page views and page likes. You can click on any of the information for more details like age, gender, and city/country of origin. This information helps you to target readers in certain age or gender groups.

Click on the Posts link to see how well your posts do. You can see the number of interactions, time of day when people visit your site, and which posts get the most/least attention. This will help you if you decide to do Facebook ads or boosts. This information helps you target the right groups and times for posts/ads.

Twitter - Twitter also has an Analytics link. There is a dashboard that will show you your top followers, top tweet, and number of follower mentions. If you click on the Follower Dashboard, you can see high level interests, occupations, buying styles, gender, and household income of your followers. It will also show you the top language. This gives you insight into who is following you and what type of tweets get the most attention.

Your Blog/Website - Check the analytics on your website. I get numbers on visits and comments. I also get yearly, monthly, weekly, or daily data about popular posts, who's visiting, what browser they use, and what country they are in. If you know when people visit your site, you can target posts on other platforms to drive traffic to your site. I get a lot of overnight visits when I'm sleeping. I use an app to schedule tweets in the early morning hours.

Goodreads - Use the information on your Goodreads author dashboard to view your followers. Each of your books has a wealth of statistics on the page. Also there is a link (far right) for See Top Shelves. This shows you who has saved your book and what keywords they used to find you. This is helpful if you're trying to build your keyword lists or to see how others view your book.

This is like an Easter egg hunt. Each site gives you different information that is often platform specific. But if you look at it holistically, you will get a better picture of your average reader. Mine is female between the ages of 35 and 65 from the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. It can also help when planning your marketing campaigns. 

Best wishes with your writing and book marketing efforts. There are no hard and fast methods that work every single time, but your data will help you make decisions and provide you information on who's visiting your social media platforms.

Book Promotion Tips for Authors - What I Learned at JRW's The Writing Show

l-r Karen Chase, Sarah Lapallo Beck, Angela Dominguez, and Ellen Whitfield - James River Writers' "The Writing Show"

Recently, I attended James River Writer's "The Writing Show." The topic was Discoverability: Beyond Social Media with Sarah Lapallo Beck, Angela Dominguez, and Ellen Whitfield. Here are some of the things I learned about book and author promotion.

1. Being an author is a job, and you need to be professional.
2. You need a unified presence (e.g. website, give-aways, blog, social media sites, etc.)
3. Always do your research on agents, publishing firms, and those you hire to assist you with your book.
4. Networking is key for authors. Go to conferences, book events, and join writers' groups.
5. Newsletter swaps are a great (low cost) way to expand your audience. Find another author who does a newsletter, and be a guest or do a take-over of his/her newsletter. When you share, you introduce your book to new readers.
6. We almost always think about editing and proofreading our work. Sometimes, we forget about our marketing materials and website. Make sure that your materials are as polished as they can be.
7. As an author, you need a press or media kit.
8. Make sure that you have a professional author photo (no selfies).
9. Blog tours are a great way to get the word out about your book and you as an author.
10. Make sure you have an elevator pitch for your book. Write it out and practice it. It needs to be a few sentences with a hook. Your goal is to create a connection and for people to want to buy your book. Practice delivering your pitch and find others who will critique it for you. 
11. Look at your promotional materials and social media sites.Find ways you can improve.
12. If you're sending out advance reader copies (ARCs) for reviews, and they're ebooks, you may want to explore companies like NetGalley and BookFunnel.

It's Okay to be Choosy!

When I had my first short stories published, I was excited to be a part of every writing and book event that came along. For the first two anthologies, our group did about fifty events a year to promote the books. Some of these events were wildly successful, and others were less than stellar. As I go along my writing journey, I've found it's okay to be selective about the events you attend. Here's what I've learned...

1. Your time is valuable. You need to guard your writing time and ensure that you are writing the next book. 

2. Look at the event. Is it inside or outside? (I sunburn easily!) Look at the logistics. Do you have to bring your own tent and table? Look at the schedule. When do you have to be there and how long are you expected to stay?

3. Is this the first time for the event? It's exciting to be a part of an inaugural event. Just make sure the host publicizes the event. It's fun to be on the cutting edge, but keep in mind that there my be some snags since this is the first time for everyone.

4. Is there a cost to participate? Make sure that the spend can be covered by your sales. I've split a table with other authors before. We shared the cost and the schedules. Book sales are unpredictable. Sometimes, you sell 50 books, and other times, you'll sell 2. The latter is more disappointing if you invested a lot of money in the entrance fee.

5. What is your purpose for attending the event? If it is only to sell books, then you need to evaluate your return on your investment of time and money. If you're there to support the library or to network, then sales may not be your first concern. I've given away hundreds of bookmarks at events, and many of those interactions turn into online book sales.

6. Consider the travel, meals, and overnight stays when you budget for an event. 

7. I keep a calendar, so I can look at what I did last year and also see what's on the horizon. I have a little paper one that I carry around with me. And I record everything -- in person events as well as social media ones.

8. It is okay to say no. If you're lucky, you'll be approached to participate in a lot of events. If you have a conflict (and you're interested), ask the organizers to keep you on the list for next year. Your time is valuable, and you need to consider how much time will be needed to prepare for a panel, workshop, or class.

9. How are books sold at the event? Is there a book seller, or are you responsible for sales? I have some author friends who don't do events where they have to sell books.  Make sure you know the logistics ahead of time. Also if the books are sold on consignment, make sure you know how/when you'll be paid. (And even if there is a book seller, I always have a stack of books in my car. I've been to events where there were book mix ups.)

Don't feel guilty that you turn down events? You need to make the best decision for you, and if you're stressed or too busy, then you're not writing your next book. What else would you add to my list?

ROI Can Mean More Than Book Sales

It would really be nice if I could trace all of my author and book activities to book sales. Sometimes, it's very clear that you did a marketing event and had a certain number of sales. But then there are other times that you'll do events and promotions, and it's hard to tell if they had any impact at all. I'd like to suggest that sometimes book marketing can have different types of returns on your investments. I would challenge you as an author to think of your investments of time and money in a broader sense. And here are some examples...

1. I have attended book events where I didn't sell many books, but I made contacts that led to other collaborations, interviews, or paid speaking engagements.

2. Networking is key for writers, and there is value in participating in events where you get to talk to readers and other writers. And if feels good to know that you're not alone in your writing journey.

3. I give everyone I talk to a bookmark or whatever promotional give-away I have (e.g. pens, pencils, etc.). I have seen my ebook sales spike after events. I may not have sold a book when I talked to them face to face, but they bought one later in a format they prefer.

4. I attend library events and speak to school groups to support libraries, teachers, readers, and future writers. I know that at a lot of these events I won't sell books. But sometimes, I'm surprised. I spoke to a high school group once about mysteries, and many of the students brought their copies of the book for me to sign. 

5. The time I spend on social media doesn't transfer to book sales. But I do meet people, share ideas, and build relationships. Your activity on your social media sites also helps with where you appear in search engine results. The more active you and your sites are; the more you appear at the top of searches.

Your time and money are valuable. And it's important to balance your writing life with the other things you have going on. But I challenge you to look for other benefits as you plan your event calendar and your marketing promotions. If you plan everything in terms of how many books you'll sell, you may miss out on some other benefits.

Panel 101 for Authors

If you're fortunate, you'll be asked to participate on many book discussion panels. The facilitator or moderator should provide you with the logistics (e.g. time, date, topic, questions, etc.).  Here are some lessons I've learned throughout the years.

1. If your moderator provides you with questions, review them and make sure you're comfortable with the topic. Some ask the same question to all panelists, and some have specific questions for each speaker.

2. If you've got a microphone, make sure to test the equipment before you start. if it's a portable microphone, make sure you turn it off when you're chatting or taking a break. The audience can hear you. I went to a conference once, and the speaker wore a lapel mic. He didn't turn it off when he was in the restroom. Embarrassing!

3. If you have a hand-held mic, make sure you hold it close to your mouth. It needs to be close enough to pick up your voice, but not close enough for the breathing.

4. Be present and use good listening skills while the other panelists are speaking. Making faces or tapping toes is distracting.

5. You're in full view of the audience. If the table is not skirted, they can see all of you. Keep your shoes on. 

6. If you bring books, give-aways, or other items, keep them to a minimum. Don't encroach on other panelists' space.

7. Don't interrupt the moderator or the other speakers.

8. Be bright and brief. Don't be the one who hogged the mic and had to do all the talking.

9. If you plan to do a reading, practice it before and know the timing. Stay within the boundaries provided by your moderator. When you choose a passage, make sure that you end with a cliff hanger or a portion that makes the audience want to know what happens next.

10. Always give shout outs and credit in your responses to those who have helped you along the way.

11. If possible, try to familiarize yourself with the other panelists and what they write. If you have time, read their latest work. It makes for a better conversation.

12. Do one last mirror check before you start (e.g. hair, makeup, wardrobe check). Wear comfortable shoes and professional clothes. Make sure your shoes are polished. And ladies, if you wear heels, make sure you can walk across stages or climb steps. Some stages are portable, and there are gaps or flimsy handrails. 

13. Relax and be you. The audience wants to hear about you and your work. Your whole talk shouldn't be "buy my book." Think of interesting things in your book or your writing life to talk about. 

What would you add to my list? Anybody have any funny panel stories?

How Readers Can Help Authors

Wanna make an author's day? Here are a few ways readers can help authors, and the effort is MUCH appreciated!

1. Write a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble. It doesn't have to be a book report. One sentence will do. The number of reviews do count in the publishing world. 

2. Subscribe to the author's newsletter. Many of them have the information on their websites. It's a great way to get updates about new projects.

3. Follow the author on social media. Likes and follows help authors build their social media platforms.

4. Invite the author to speak or Skype with your book group or club.

5. Request that your library add the author's book to its collection. Many have online forms for you to make these requests.

6. Join the author's street team or review crew. These are usually groups of super fans who get early previews, opportunities, and book swag.

7. Buy a book and give it as a gift.

8. Go to the author's signing and get an autographed book for your collection or for a gift.

9. Nominate the book for a reading at your book group. 

10. If you like a book, recommend it to others. Share their social media posts, and help them get the word out.

I love my readers. They always provide good comments, feedback, and ideas for new story lines. 

What I Learned about Book Promotion from Jane Friedman

If you have not heard of Jane Friedman, you need to visit her website and blog. She is a wealth of information on book promotion and the publishing industry (traditional and indie). I recently had the pleasure of hearing her speak at the Virginia Romance Writers' meeting in Central Virginia.

Here's what I learned from  her about book promotion.

1. Your book cover is key. It must fit your genre. If you're writing a series, the books need to look like they're in the same family.

2. Check out the BookBub blog. It contains a lot of good information for authors.

3. The description of your book on the book cover should be your hook. It should be short with multiple paragraphs. Make it easy to read.

4. Look at your book's description on Amazon. Your key information should be above the "read more" link.

5. If you're looking for keywords in your genre, find a similar book to yours on Goodreads. Select the book. Then look over on the right for the See Top Shelves link. This shows you the search words that people used for this work.

6. Make sure you have a biography and headshot for your Amazon author account (and that they are current). Claim all of your books, link all of your social media, and attach your blog to this account.

7. When you're coming up with your description and keywords, think like a reader. She gave an example of an author who described her books in a unique way. But the terminology wasn't standard, and her books weren't appearing in searches. Friedman recommended to Google the term to see if it comes back in a standard search.

8. There are two types of Amazon ads, sponsored products and product displays. Read Amazon's advertising information for details of each and to see what best fits your marketing campaign.

Check out Friedman's blog and newsletters. The information is invaluable to authors.