Standard #1. Use Social Media Wisely. More is Not
Better
As mentioned,
one of the biggest mistakes that many new authors make is to over-promote on different
social media platforms. This is not only unhelpful, it can work against you.
Social media can be a powerful promotional tool IF used correctly. Unfortunately,
too many writers (especially newly published writers) shoot themselves in the foot
using social media the wrong way. Most writers have been guilty of this at one
time or another and, to be fair, there is no clear dividing line between
promotion and spam. Furthermore, your friends/followers will have differing
levels of tolerance. All authors who I talked to agreed that over-posting (to the
point where it may be considered spam) was ineffective and annoying. Here’s
why, and what you can do to fix it:
1.
It just plain doesn’t work-There
are thousands of different “book pimping” groups on Facebook. And it may seem
logical to join as many as you can, but don’t. Before you join a group, scroll
through the feed. Is there productive conversation going on? Are the posts
getting attention (based on the number of likes and comments from other
members)? If so, go for it. Or, is the feed one long list of promos that no one
seems to pay attention to? If that’s the case, pass it up. It’s probably not
going to help you, and to post in such a group too often may make you look
desperate. As a general rule, don’t
self-promote on Facebook or Goodreads more than once per group (unless
requested by your street team for sharing convenience) or more than once a week
or so on your regular wall. These same rules apply to Google Plus.
On
Twitter, the game is slightly different. Tweeting your book every five minutes
is not likely to increase your sales and may cause you to lose followers. Hashtags
are ineffective unless a lot of others are using and following them as well. Tweets
tend to get lost in the massive Twitterverse. My advice: have a single pinned
post about your book that your followers can retweet, and otherwise, use good
judgment when you tweet. Paid tweeters have varying results and are certainly worth
a shot if you feel like trying them (See my comments below about paid
advertisers).
Instead
of plastering any social media platform with book promos, use them in conjunction
with your street team to cross-promote.
2.
Excessive self-promotion is
annoying to your friends and followers-People’s tolerance varies, but some
people will block you for this. If they didn’t buy your book the first 50
times, they probably aren’t going to on the 51st. Most authors are
guilty of this, but the easy fix is to use good judgment, follow the rules of the
group, and tweet wisely. There is no defining point between self-promotion and
spam, as mentioned earlier, you’ll have to use your judgment. If you think you’re
over-posting, you probably are.
3.
By focusing on yourself, you’re passing
up wonderful opportunities to network and cross-promote with colleagues- By
ignoring others and only focusing on yourself, you’re sending the message that
you aren’t interested in interacting with others, which will make them think
you’re unfriendly. People are more likely to recommend you and work with you if
they like you. Instead of posting about your book, post about other authors’
books (although this can cross the line into spam territory if done excessively
as well-once again, use good judgment). Participate in group discussions. Ask
questions about things that concern you. You want to show the world that there’s
a real person behind the book. Choose groups wisely; look for signs of drama and trolling (name-calling, off-topic
conversation, etc.) and spammish posts (ads for anything other than books).
This is a sign that the group is not being supervised, and plus, the trolls
will turn on you soon enough. Being involved in an Internet fight will do no
good for your reputation. Facebook and Goodreads groups that actively encourage
cross-promotion and free, writing-related discussions while discouraging
excessive self-promotion are a wonderful way to meet new authors. It’s probably
wise to join 2-3 groups that make you feel welcome and comfortable and be an
active participant. Leave any group where you’ve been inactive for six months
or more, where you feel unwelcome, or doesn’t help you; You’re just receiving unwanted
notifications for no good reason.
4.
Any time spent on social media,
for valid reasons or otherwise, is time taken away from writing-Maximize time
spent on social media to your advantage. While taking a “brain break” is good
and even beneficial, make sure you’re keeping up with your writing as well. The
single biggest factor in writer success is to continue to produce quality works
that people want to read. There’s nothing wrong with goofing off on social
media. Just keep it to a minimum if you have a book you’re working on. If you’re
interested in assistance managing your social media accounts, several authors
have recommended hootsuite.com and roundteam.com
What
DOES work:
1.
Cross-promotion
and street teams.- As author Krissy Belden explained, a street team is “a group of people, sharing promotion for your book,
commenting on blog postings, and sending "teasers" and links around
on your behalf. They do the promotion work for you.” You get
to concentrate on writing while the street team does the work. Street teams can
be formal or informal, large or small. The key is to select a street team who
will work with you and to treat them right. Author Jen Winters puts it this
way: “a street team is a
group of your fans (can be large or small) that you use to promote your
work.these people should be the first to know what is going on with you, the
first people you turn to to promote your work on Twitter or Facebook. Because
they work for your benefit for free it is essential you reward them with
benefits such as contestant gift cards, advanced reader copies, and other such
benefits.” You want to have as many people as possible to
shout your name to the four winds, but you don’t want to get so overwhelmed
that you forget to thank the people who helped you or cannot properly reward
them. Don’t make any promises you can’t keep. In my opinion, it’s best to start
out small with street teams. You can always add more to your team as needed. Jen, who writes paranormal fantasy, reports
she has had success in cross-promotion because, in her words, “I promote
EVRRYONE. What’s good for you is good for me.” For more information about
street teams, read this excellent blog post by Karin Tabke:
http://writerunboxed.com/2008/06/11/what-exactly-is-a-street-team/
In
a nutshell, you promote someone (on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or anywhere
else) and they promote you back. It’s a win-win.
However,
there are some things to be mindful of when it comes to street teams and
cross-promotion.
a. This goes against what was posted in the blog, but never
ask your street team to do anything unethical, including attacking another
author or re-shelving books in bookstores. Author Jamie Jeffries explains it
best, saying, “Guess
who the bookseller is going to send an angry letter, at the very least?
Remember that whatever your street team does in your name comes back to
you--and they are usually just enthusiastic fans who want to help you. They
don't know the inner workings of the publishing industry.” You have to
remember that anything done in your name is going to reflect back on you. If
your street team is doing something iffy while promoting you, it’s your butt
that’s going to have teeth marks, not theirs. So do not ask or encourage this
type of behavior from your street team, don’t look the other way if you know
someone’s doing something they shouldn’t, and immediately dismiss anyone who is
not acting in your best interests. On this same note, do not allow any author
to talk you into doing something out-of-bounds. They will get found out, and
you wouldn’t want your name associated with them.
b. Do not agree to promote material that you don’t
like or found personally offensive just because you feel you owe someone or you
need their help. Your lack of enthusiasm will show, so you aren’t doing the author
any favors. If someone promoted you but you don’t feel you can give an honest
endorsement of their work, you can repay them in other ways, such as a gift
card. You need to kindly but directly tell them why you can’t promote. If they
refuse to work with you again, that’s their right. There are plenty of others
to take their place.
c. Don’t get so over-involved with
cross-promotion in any form that you don’t have time for writing. Some web
presence is essential, and what you decide on will depend on your personal
preferences, your comfort level, and your time commitment, but writing should
always come first. look for signs
of drama and trolling (name-calling,
off-topic conversation, etc.) and spammish posts (ads for anything other than
books). This is a sign that the group is not being supervised, and plus, the trolls will turn on you soon enough.
Being involved in an Internet fight will do no good for your reputation. Facebook
and Goodreads groups that actively encourage cross-promotion and free, writing-related
discussions while discouraging excessive self-promotion are a wonderful way to
meet new authors. It’s probably wise to join 2-3 groups that make you feel
welcome and comfortable and be active participants. Leave any group where you’ve
been inactive for six months or more. If you haven’t needed them in that time,
you probably won’t and meanwhile, you’re just receiving unwanted notifications.
2. Book
Bloggers: Author Kim Cresswell shared this list of excellent book bloggers: http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/.
And these aren’t your only choices. Many other writers, readers, and reviewers
you meet will be glad to give you a spot on their blog. When many of these are
done at the same time (called a blog tour), this can be an extremely effective form
of promotion, especially when you reach out to bloggers with a large following.
You should open up your blog as well to other authors you’d like to promote.
Politely email the blogger at the email address provided. Address the blogger
by name (“Dear Mary” instead of “Hi!”), politely request a review, and ask
which format he/she would prefer the book. Allow the blogger plenty of time
(around 3-4 months if you need it by a certain date). Some bloggers have
certain submission rules, so make sure to follow them. Don’t assume that the blogger
will accept your request. If he/she declines, politely thank him/her and move
on. If the review is accepted, you will generally be expected to provide a copy
of the book. My advice is to be wary of bloggers who ask for money to guest-blog
you. They may give you the promotion without reading, and while this may seem
like an easy way out, in the long run you really want people who are going to
promote you from the heart. Plus, any form of paid endorsement, not just on
Amazon, is technically against FCC regulations. Best to keep everything
above-board. http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/.
ALWAYS thank a blogger after he/she promotes you, or if you can, promote them
back.
3. Radio
interviews, Youtube channels, and podcasts-Many authors I’ve talked to reported
an increase in sales after an on-air interview. Author Kelly Marsden recommends
ArtistFirst Radio (http://artistfirst.com/)
and has reported an increase in sales after an interview. She points out that
many readers who don’t frequent social media will listen to these interviews. You
can always start your own YouTube channel or podcast for you and your street
team to use. Just remember that it may take a while to get a solid following. Audio
broadcasts are an excellent avenue for cross-promotion as well.
4.
Paid advertising-there is mixed consensus
on this. Some say don’t waste your money, and others swear by certain paid
promo groups. Author Jessa Jacobs has given her personal endorsement for Give
Me Books (https://www.facebook.com/givemebooksblog).
They are certainly worth a try, but my advice is to start out small, and test
one paid reviewer at a time with no other promo to see if it works. The only
way to determine if a paid promo will work for you is to try it. It’s better to
get personal recommendations from other writers you trust. A few caveats: (1)
paid reviewers may give you a spike in sales, but your long-term goal is to
have a fan base. Don’t rely on them too heavily (2) different advertisers have
different guidelines and submission requirements. Read these before signing up
(3) You will have to sign up well in advance of your desired promotion date (4)
paid advertisers are not allowed to leave you a review.
5.
Word-of-mouth and personal recommendations-This
is the hands-down best way to win new readers. People who like your book will
hopefully recommend you to their family and friends. Street teams function as advocates
for your book, but nothing beats a personal recommendation. It just has to be
genuine; otherwise, as mentioned earlier, the lack of enthusiasm will be
obvious.
The main point is that “book spamming,” is a waste of time
and can ultimately backfire. However, I asked some other authors if there are
occasions when a little extra self-promotion (within reason) is acceptable. The
vast majority agreed that it’s OK to post a little extra (key word: “a little)
when: (a) you are running a free/discount special of your book (b) the period
pre- and post-launch. (c) occasionally, to renew interest in an old title (d) if
there is a purpose to your post other than a sales pitch (for example, to
announce an especially cool review or to respond to a genre-specific topic of
conversation).
Additionally, in conversation with the groups, authors have
told me that that following are NEVER acceptable:
1.
Using
another person’s group or page to self-promote unless given permission to do
so.
2.
Tagging
another person for the purpose of self-promotion without permission.
3.
Private
messaging a person more than once to make a sales pitch.
4.
Bugging
a person who’s agreed to do a review to check their “progress.”
5.
Becoming
rude or belligerent when a person declines your offer or can’t meet your
request when you want.
6.
Hijacking
a discussion topic to promote.
7.
Crashing
another person’s promotional event.
8.
Doing
anything that’s generally agreed to be unethical, immoral, or illegal (or
encouraging others to do so)
So, what if you’ve already broken a rule? Are you doomed?
No, of course not. We’ve all done at least some of these
things at one time or another. No need to beat yourself up. Just learn from
your mistakes and move on. Hey, we understand, and we forgive you. I myself
have violated every single rule on this manual a time or two (or three…thousand)
and probably some others I don’t even know about. We understand that you only
want to get the word out about your book. We’re just here to let you know there’s
a better way, one that will result in more sales for you and better relations
with your fans and colleagues.
How can you handle an errant author?
If you see someone else violating industry standards, there
are some steps you can take.
1.
First, reserve
judgment. People aren’t trying to be annoying. They really don’t know else to
do. Remember, you were a first-timer once, too, so try to have some compassion.
2.
Deal
with the situation before it gets out of hand. It’s natural to want to avoid confrontation,
but silent approval of inappropriate behavior benefits no one. It’s better to
deal with the issue than to allow an author to continue behavior that might
damage their careers or cause them to lose readers.
3.
First,
talk to the author directly, gently, and PRIVATELY. If possible, give the author
a chance to save face. For example, you can say (via PM), “You probably
accidentally posted to the wrong group, but just a reminder that posts are
limited to once a month.” It’s not necessary to reprimand the author, but at the
same time, don’t dance around the issue and hope the author “gets” it.
4.
Try
using humor to alleviate the situation. (“Could you limit posting to once a
month, please? I’m starting to get “Ice, Ice, Baby” stuck in my head”).
Smiley-face emoticons and a “LOL” sprinkled in may let the author know you aren’t
trying to be confrontational.
5.
If this
is a group issue, designate one person to speak with the author. That way,
he/she can correct the problem without feeling like the group is ganging up on
them. Use a “group intervention” only if this technique fails.
6.
Reiterate
that the author is still welcome to participate in regular group discussions.
7.
Suggest
an alternative when possible (“we are doing a blog tour in a month, and we’ll
be glad to put you on the list.”
8.
If the author
fails to respond, you’ll have to be firmer (“Posts are limited to once a month,
please.”)
9.
Your
third-and final-warning should be hard-core (“Constant posting interrupts the flow
of discussion. The rules of this group say that members are limited to one post
a month, and unfortunately, I have no choice but to remove non-compliant
members.”)
10. Use drastic measures-banning, unfriending,
etc.-as a last resort when an author refuses to respond to lesser methods.
For the sake of
time and simplicity, this chapter discusses professional behavior on Facebook,
Goodreads, Google Plus, and Twitter. There are many social media platforms
available. For advice on etiquette within other social media platforms
(Pinterest, LinkedIn, and others), ask an admin or another author you trust.
Oh, and don’t worry
about anything: be patient and give your book time to catch on. You’ll be fine.
Just keep writing.
