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How to promote your book with facebook

1/30/2017

Anyone who is self-publishing knows that the promotion of the book itself is entirely up to them, how much time, effort and money which goes into the project lays squarely at your feet, and it goes without saying that the more you put in the more you’ll get out.

So where do many authors turn to in order to raise awareness of their new title? Well, this question is easily answered, one of the first ports of call for the indie author is social media, this is because it’s relatively cheap to set up and with access to your feeds available upon every device you own, it’s easy to keep on top of.

But there are of course many options to choose from when it comes to deciding which social media streams you use, the most popular being Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Obviously there are many more services out there and each person will have their own favorite (which I’m sure they’ll use to promote with too).

However, for this post we’ll look at the most popular network in the world which is Facebook.

Author or Personal? - The first choice that you are going to have is with the set-up of your account, you can either choose to have a personal (if you don’t have one already that you can use) or you can create a new account as an author. To do this you’ll need to go to the log-in page of Facebook and under the green ‘Sign Up’ button click on the link which says ‘Create a page for a celebrity, band or business’. On the next screen click on the bottom left icon which is labelled as ‘Artist, Band or Public Figure’, from here you can choose Author in the dropdown menu. Setting up a Facebook account as an Author (and keeping it separate from your personal page) is highly recommended and allows you to connect to your readers in a far more professional manner, it also gives more information on how your interactions and posts perform with your followers.
Get some likes – Start as early as you can with your Facebook page and link to it from other locations, if you have an author’s page upon Amazon make sure you link back to your Facebook page, also, if you have your own website then make sure you have links back from here too. Start off with all of your current family and friends (from your personal page) and invite them to like your Author’s page, be cheeky and ask your friends to share your page to their friends too.
Content – If your page is nothing but one long advert for your book then you will turn people off, plug your book but also add content that engages and entertains your followers.
Bold and Bright – The most successful posts always include images, these can be either as a short video or a graphic/photograph highlighting your message, remember that if you are using a video, add subtitles, as most videos are watched within the page where the sound won’t actually be played.
Engage and keep active – Having your author’s page accessible from your smart phone gives you the opportunity to keep the feed updated on a regular basis, you don’t have to be posting every five minutes but you should check at least once a day. Engage with others too, the key to social media is that it is SOCIAL, making it a two-way process and connecting with others keeps you interested and builds relationships that benefit both parties.
Giveaways – Facebook is a great place to promote special offers that you may have, so if you’re planning on offering your eBook for free for a couple of days than you can shout about it on your page and send out links to your followers.
Create an Ad – Facebook offers you the facility to create your own Facebook advert, (see this link - https://www.facebook.com/business/products/ads ). It allows you to create an ad and target it very specifically towards those you think who will be more likely to buy your book. Facebook currently charges you per click on the ad, you can set a budget and ensure that you never spend more than the limit you set, you can also monitor the add and see how it performed for you. Again, use bold images and a title which intrigues the reader, you should also have a direct link from your ad to the sales page where the viewer can actually buy a copy.
Enjoy – Social media shouldn’t be a chore, it’s a great opportunity to connect to those who share similar interests and could possibly be readers of your next book, if you view it as a learning opportunity and a chance to meet new friends you’ll get the most from it (and so will your book).

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It's a new year so write that book!

1/11/2017

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As we start the new year many will be thinking that now is the time to write or even finish that book that’s within themselves, it’s become the resolution that many commit to (but only few complete). So, for those who have decided to make it happen, what strategy should you be considering in order to be successful?

There are many books and blogs that you can read on the subject and every forum will give advice on where to begin, but the most important element is that you have actually made the decision and commitment, once YOU have decided (and believe) that you’re going to write a book the rest becomes good planning.

Your belief becomes the foundation of the book’s success, once you get past the first few weeks (and the novelty of writing has worn off) your true passion and commitment are put to the test, for some this is the point where the book stalls and no more is written, it simply ends up as a file in a directory never to be opened again. But with focus and a plan you can keep going until you have a completed manuscript ready for publication.

So, what should you consider in order to finish that book? Here are our top tips to help any writer finish that novel.

Be realistic – A big mistake that many new authors make is over committing to a writing schedule, thinking that you can write 10,000 words every day when you work a forty-hour week or have young children to look after is simply setting yourself up to fail, remember, writing should also be a pleasure to you. You should look at the objective long-term, if you can realistically commit to writing one page every two to three days or even per week you will still be able to write a great novel within twelve to eighteen months.
Have space – Choose a space where you can write and keep it free of distractions (if you can), for some this may well be your local library or even café, it could be a kitchen table or your own home office, it’s also easier if you’re sat at a table.
Turn it off – We live in an age where instant stimulation is just a click or finger swipe away, Social media is one of the biggest killers of time and productivity to any author, so whilst you work make sure that your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and all of the other pages are switched off and away from temptation. You could put your computer or laptop into ‘Airplane’ mode whilst you write so that all distractions are placed on hold until you’re done.
Tell people – Letting family and friends know that you are working on a book helps you stick to that commitment, it also warns them that on certain times of the day or week you’ll be writing and shouldn’t be disturbed.
Take breaks – Working for too long or forcing yourself to be creative can push you towards a block, if you’re tired or not ‘feeling-it’ simply stop, you can always go back to it the following day, creativity should never feel like a chore, don’t turn it into one!
Notes – Always keep a note pad and pencil on you (if you’re keeping it old-school) or download a good memo app to your smartphone, ideas will always hit you when you least expect them, by having a way to record them you’ll always remember those great thoughts for your book.
Use social media – Even before you complete the first chapter of your book you should be thinking about promoting and building an audience, this shouldn’t be looked upon as a major headache either, promoting should be simply sending out teasers and small bits of information to build awareness of your forthcoming book (it also forces you to follow through on its completion).
Mindset – Don’t be too harsh on yourself when you get closer to the end of your book, many successful authors view their first draft as simply a guideline for the book and go back to edit the original once done. You will find issues so expect them and move on, every edit, re-write, adjustment and tweak sharpens your book and helps to elevate it, don’t lose faith, just keep going.

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How to promote your book with facebook

It's a new year so write that book!

JD&J

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