As writers, we know the benefits of social networking. It enables you to build a platform and develop relationships that will help you when you publish your book(s). Unfortunately, not everyone understands the purpose of social networking. They see it only as a way to (shamelessly) promote their books or service. They miss the meaning of SOCIAL.
I recently discovered that there’s a software that tells people with Twitter accounts when people aren’t following them back. And what do they do if you don’t immediately follow them back? They dump you faster than you can say, “Twitter.” Are we heartbroken? Nope, because these people obviously didn’t care about us to begin with. They only followed us to up their follower numbers. They are users. And notice how ‘user’ rhymes with ‘loser.’ Need I say more?
Now when someone follows me, I wait two weeks before checking out their profile. If it still says, “Follows You,” I follow the individual back. If it doesn’t, I move on.
What are some of the more annoying abuses of social networking that you’ve seen? What strategies have you used to counter poor social networking etiquette?
It doesn’t matter if your books are traditionally published or self-published (or both), you’re the main force responsible for marketing them. One of the best forms of marketing available is social media. But with so many different ones available, how do we know which will benefit us the most when promoting our books, and how do use them for maximum benefit?
In her book Social Media Just for Writers, Frances Caballo focuses on several popular social media sites*. She explains how each one works and the ins and outs of them, provides step-by-step instructions for setting them up (including screen shots so you know what she’s talking about), and shares tips for promoting your books through the individual sites. Her advice is sound and I liked that she’s against spamming. She warns you when certain activities are considered spamming. Some of this is subjective. There are a few things that she suggested that I prefer authors don’t do. For example, I’m tired of the countless number of Facebook or Goodreads event invites that land in my inbox. Most are deleted unread.
One thing I appreciated with this book is the easy to follow format. This is perfect if you are not technically inclined. Also, Frances includes lists of apps for each of the social media sites and explains the pros and cons of them. Until Social Media Just for Writers, I didn’t realize there were so many of them. For those of you who blog, there is a list of resources you can use for locating royalty free photos. This is very important if you don’t want to end up being sued by the owner of copyrighted material.
In addition to the chapters on social media, there is a chapter on offline promotion with some helpful suggestions. A glossary has also been included to make your life easier when figuring out the different terms associated with the different social media sites.
Overall, I loved this book and am thankful I had the opportunity to review it. I recommend it to everyone who is a writer, no matter where they are in the publication process. The sooner you get started being seen the better.
Have you read any social media how-to books created for writers? What forms of social networking do you enjoying using?
I’d like to thank Frances Caballo for sending me a copy of Social Media Just for Writers: The Best Online Marketing Tips for Selling Your Books for an unbiased review.
*The following are covered in the book: Facebook, Facebook author pages, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Picasso and Pinterest, and blogs. Unfortunately she doesn’t cover Tumblr, which is now popular with teens.
GIVEAWAY: If you are interested in winning a copy of the book and live in the USA, please let me know in the comments. And make sure you include your email address if it isn’t attached to your blog account.
Social networking is a wonderful thing. It enables us to make new friends, find beta readers and critique partners, keep up-to-date with new books and publishing news. But when misused, the outcome can be frustrating for all.
We all hate spam. Some authors believe that as long as they aren’t telling you to buy their book, they aren’t spamming. But what about the following?
Thanks to the sales of my book, my kids can now go to college.
My book is #17 on Amazon and still climbing.
I love it when fans write to tell me they adore my book.
When a dog is abducted by pirates . . . . [link to Amazon inserted here]
Translation: Buy my book Buy my book Buy my book Buy my book
Once in a while these tweets aren’t bad. Authors have to promote their books after all. But if someone checks out your profile and the majority of your tweets are like the above, the person might not follow you. One of my friends saw tweets similar to these by one author. She ended up unfollowing the author. Why? Because she felt the person was self-absorbed.
During WriteOnCon, agent and YA book blogger Pamela van Hylckama Vliegsaid, "1 out of 10 tweets should be self promo. No more!" Numerous people on the forum agreed with her. They unfollow authors who violate this unwritten rule. Remember, never underestimate the intelligence of your follower (like in the case of the above tweets). The moment you do, you've lost them.
For examples of authors who use Twitter wisely, check out: MaureenJohnson JohnGreen JaniceHardy
Is there anything that you’ve seen authors do on social network sites that irritates you?
