Promoting your books via social media?

We all do it – myself included. I do try for every promotional post to make four others that are just friendly. I actually rarely buy books that I’ve seen promoted via social media. That’s in part because I have so many books to read at the moment. I have forty hard copies waiting in the bedroom, about 256 on my Kindle and I go to the library as well. Occasionally, though, I am tempted to buy one I come across via social media. Below I’ve listed what makes this happen:

 

Really interesting blog / Twitter / Facebook  post elsewhere

I guess here I’m buying the book because I’m interested in the person. Sure, the theme or topic of the book has to be interesting too - I’m not sure I’d ever go for a western but even here there’s an exception.  Caroline Lawrence’s Roman Mysteries were so good that I’m tempted a little by her Western series. Sometimes it’s just curiosity. This person is saying a lot that is interesting here.  Her books probably are too.

 

Right up my street

Maybe the book is very similar to something I’m writing, have written or am thinking about, or might be really useful as a research tool. However, if I’m proactively looking for something like that, I’m more likely to go directly to Amazon or a review site.

Twitter remains my favourite – just.

I love the power of this platform. Retweets can be awesome. You can soon get through the six handshakes if your post is retweeted and retweeted. I retweet often – especially when I come across gorgeous photos, links to interesting articles, amusing and inspiring quotes, the latest news and opportunities for writers.  All too often though there is book promotion after book promotion and it gets a little boring. I tend to skip those and even when I do buy one of these books because I’ve found the writer interesting, I’ll tend to do that via another platform. I suppose it happens partly because I follow so many other writers.

The trick, I guess, is to make yourself interesting and also ensure that there is a way for your followers to find your books if they want to.  

Other platforms

I occasionally like to read the meatier comments on Facebook though I initially found the whole platform counterintuitive. I like the business-like attitude of Linked-in and intend in future to keep my CV there. I’m using Pinterest for research and will try Instagram soon.

Serendipity

Some things do seem to come from nowhere. “How did you find me?” I ask a teacher who has booked me for a school visit. “I used Google and found a comment on Twitter relating to you blog post about school visits.” There you have it.

The point is, we have to keep up our presence on social media but never become boring. Now, there’s a challenge.     

One writer’s take on social media

I actually thought I was quite connected. I went to a talk last week and learnt that I was  actually quite disconnected. There are times, you see, when I deliberately don’t plug myself into the net. I’m not one of these people who is constantly trying to keep up with Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and my email even when I’m out and about. I’ll look if I’m expecting something or I find myself idle or bored. I only like on Facebook and retweet on Twitter what I genuinely like.

But if I’m disconnected, some people are totally isolated. And for a writer and an academic who works a lot of the time in isolation, social media is a real gift.

Writers and Social Networking

It seems vital today that writers have a presence on some social networking platforms. In fact I am convinced I have made sales and been approached by schools wanting workshops because I have some visibility. My work at Salford University also helps and I note that my pages on various the web site there have had many hits. I maintain several blogs, I have several pages on Facebook but rarely use my wall, I’m on Twitter, I’m on LinkedIn and I’m on E-academy. I’m also quite active in a couple of groups that are supported by Ning.

However, I have noticed a quite disturbing trend, sadly on LinkedIn, which started off being such a professional organisation and on E-academy, which was originally a reliable business network. People join any group that has the remotest connection with what they do and thereby water down the possibilities of that group. Recently there was a whole campaign on Linked in within one sub-group where everyone was invited to like each other’s pages on Facebook. Many of the members of the groups only had the slightest connection with the topic. It wasn’t always clear exactly what there was to like. And frankly, I have better things to do with my time than simply click buttons on Facebook. I’m not saying there wasn’t something there to like – I just hadn’t found it yet.

No, no, no, I say. Let’s be genuine about this.

We have to take a little care that we don’t create an affiliate situation without a product behind it. Crowd-funding is fine as long as people fund because they like the product / project not just because they are friends with the project leader who has a great deal of charisma. Don’t vote for your friend’s story just because s/he is your friend. Vote for that story because it is actually the best.

I personally love Twitter. I treat myself to a look whenever I change task. It’s like meeting at the water cooler. I like the way it finds other people you might want to connect with, how you can show someone you approve of their message by retweeting it and the effect that then has on the way that message spreads, or you can reply to that message and give a bit of value-added. It’s all done in 140 characters so you’re not going to waste a lot of time. Often you can be directed to an interesting blog or a publishing opportunity. I’ve made a few friendships on Twitter – some people I knew before but I’ve got to know those people better and others I  met for the first time there. I keep on top of the local, national and international news and I have some connections which help me with some of my projects.

Social networking is helpful, perhaps essential for writers. It must, however, include genuine connections.                                     

Writers and Twitter – a personal view

Twitter helps to keep me sane and keep me connected. I follow a lot of writers and a lot of writers follow me. I also follow a couple of choirs, some teachers, one or two Holocaust organisations, a couple of language students, one or two news organizations, the Greater Manchester Police (I started doing that during the riots in August 2011), a few publishers and a favourite seaside resort in Spain.

How I use Twitter 

As soon as I switch on my computer each day, I check my Twitter account for mentions, retweets and new followers. Then, I take a look at the latest posts after I’ve finished certain chunks of work.  It gives me a five to ten minute break every so often. It’s a mental getting up from your desk and stretching your legs. When you’re working in such an isolated way it’s good to know there are other folk out there.

Why Twitter and not Facebook?

I’m not so keen on Facebook and I guess I might walk away from that sooner or later. I’m there because I feel that I should be. It constantly confuses me. At least Twitter is easy to follow. Even when they change it, it’s easy to get used to the new format. I love how it is organic – even if that can be funny at times.  I mentioned the word SEO recently and suddenly had all these bright young things approaching me and my multiple identities trying to sell me search engine optimisation. (No guys, can’t afford it and that’s why I went on the course- to find out how to do it.) You can guess what happened when I blogged about a girl in my latest novel having a puncture.  But on the whole it works very well and I’m quite chuffed that the Wiener Library found me before I found them.

Follow Friday

I guess within this system, we all have our likes and dislikes. For instance, I’m not too keen on #ff  (people you think are worth following you mention on Fridays).  Everybody I follow is recommended- or – durh  - I wouldn’t be following them. And of course, all those people who follow me are very wise. So they’re worth a look. Of course, I’m really pleased when somebody mentions me. Every time I do it though I feel very bad about the people I’ve not mentioned. So, I tend to duck out of that one.

Sample Sunday

On the other hand, I find #SampleSunday underused. I seem to be one of the few that use it.  The idea is you put up a sample of your writing on a blog every Sunday and then past a link to that blog in a Tweet. I’ve had quite a few hits on the samples I’ve posted and I’ve certainly read others’ samples.

To promote or not to promote

Some say you should, some say you shouldn’t. Some say your tweeting should be 80% about other things, 20%  about self-promotion. I tend to agree with the latter. I tend to unfollow anyone who only self-promotes. However, I have one writing friend who only uses Twitter for self-promotion. She does it charmingly and her Tweets are a joy to read. Several of her books / stories are on my reading list now. In her case it’s working. And I will unashamedly promote other people’s work if I like it.

Tweets as headlines

I’m following over 1,000 tweeps. (people who use Twitter). I can’t possibly hope to read every single one and especially not all the links that people have included. You have to learn to read tweets a little like the way you read the newspaper: cherry-pick what really interests you.

Cheating on the 140 characters by including links?

This was a point made by someone new to Twitter – and I notice that this person is now putting links into her tweets. No, not really. Twitter is also an extremely fast way of letting people know you’ve said something in more detail. They can choose whether to read the whole or not. I often click through on to a link and then find it not so interesting after all. On the other hand, I also find I haven’t got time to read an interesting post. Well, in that case I’ve saved the link and read the post later.

Do as you would be done by

I’ve shuddered a little when I’ve heard some people say they only spend a few minutes a day on it. But they accept 500 or more followers, scatter their worldly wisdom in front of them in the form of two or three posts, expecting 1500 viewings, and aren’t prepared to listen to what their followers have to say? Is that fair? It’s really a matter of finding a way of keeping time spent reasonable but also not missing out on what could be important and / or interesting.  You actually stand more chance with 140 characters than you do on Facebook and various newsgroups and forums.

How I’ve benefitted

·         I’ve found out about competitions and calls for submission for me and my students

·         I’ve found out about the activities of other writers

·         I’ve put out my own calls for submission.

·         I’ve found out about other books and events

·         I’ve told people about my books and events

·         I’ve laughed, joked and commiserated with friends

·         I’ve got news out real fast

·         I’ve found out news real fast

·         I’ve made lots of new friends

·         I’ve learnt to get my message across in 140 characters

·         I’ve had a good giggle

·         I’ve communicated to Richard Branson, Stephen Fry, Paul McCartney, Stella McCartney and one or two others. (Of course, I have no idea whether they’ve ever read my message, but that would also be true if I’d communicated with them any other way except face to face. At least this way there is a chance.)   

·         I’ve read some really good tweet-length stories     

·         I’ve shown my approval of others’ words very quickly and easily: I’ve retweeted them.    

A real joy

Yes, indeed. Twitter is a real joy to me. For me personally it’s the best the Net has brought yet. It even improves other platforms by the way it interacts with them. So, here’s to more tweeting.