Christina Goebel's Blog - Posts Tagged "goodreads"
Is Social Media the Way to Promote Your Books?
I read a blog post yesterday that said to forget using social media for your book promotion strategy. For the new author, that may be sound advice. Though I love social media, and if you see my Twitter page @lovegoldenheart that will be clear to all--tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts, and Pinterest pins will not likely catapult you to bestseller.
Social media is about building a rapport with your followers, and getting to know and appreciate them. An effective social media strategy is not often self-serving. Many people will recommend that for every three tweets about yourself that you will tweet seven about others. At times, I will promote my followers to a larger degree. If I don't care about their projects and lives, then why would I follow them, anyway?
Book promotions for the beginner should revolve around Goodreads Giveaways to expose your book to new readers and get reviews, paid ads, and promotional services that offer you public relations packages to reach readers and reviewers in a variety of ways. Do not forget public appearances, such as book launch parties, signings, and interviews.
There is no short answer. If writing is your business, treat it that way and research and develop a launch plan. Publishers may promote a book a year before its launch to get reviews and recommendations and build up anticipation for your novel or nonfiction work.
Developing your launch plan is one of the most important things that an independent author does. I wish developing the launch was as easy as making social media shares, but it is more complex.
Consider how you found Goodreads. If you ask ten people, they may give you six different answers for how they learned about Goodreads and it is the same for promoting your book. You must find the reader where she or he is.
Social media is about building a rapport with your followers, and getting to know and appreciate them. An effective social media strategy is not often self-serving. Many people will recommend that for every three tweets about yourself that you will tweet seven about others. At times, I will promote my followers to a larger degree. If I don't care about their projects and lives, then why would I follow them, anyway?
Book promotions for the beginner should revolve around Goodreads Giveaways to expose your book to new readers and get reviews, paid ads, and promotional services that offer you public relations packages to reach readers and reviewers in a variety of ways. Do not forget public appearances, such as book launch parties, signings, and interviews.
There is no short answer. If writing is your business, treat it that way and research and develop a launch plan. Publishers may promote a book a year before its launch to get reviews and recommendations and build up anticipation for your novel or nonfiction work.
Developing your launch plan is one of the most important things that an independent author does. I wish developing the launch was as easy as making social media shares, but it is more complex.
Consider how you found Goodreads. If you ask ten people, they may give you six different answers for how they learned about Goodreads and it is the same for promoting your book. You must find the reader where she or he is.
