Facebook: Turning Friends into Fans

Facebook is all about making friends, interacting with them, sharing everything from recipes to the latest escapade at Walmart. Or as Facebook likes to ask, “What’s on your mind?” It’s a lot of fun, and you can keep up with family and friends, local and not so local.

As authors, we end up with lots of friend requests from people we don't know personally, so we need to step outside the box to separate fans from our real family and friends, but to stay in touch with them as well.

I mentioned a few of my techniques to some of the Seekers, and they wanted to know more about how I turn friends into fans.

Accepting Friend Requests

These Friend Requests are fictional. Do you recognize any of them?

Let's start at the beginning. You have a bunch of friend requests waiting for you to Confirm or Decline. My policy is never to accept friend requests immediately. I wait several days in case someone's account has been hacked. I search for their name in the Facebook search box to try to determine if it looks like the profile has been hacked. If I don't see anything suspicious, I take a quick look at their profile, looking at what they talk about, and look to see if we have mutual friends. If all looks well, I Confirm/Accept the friend request.

As I worked on this post, I accepted a friend request that's been pending for several weeks, simply because I've been busy writing and haven't had time to check them all off. This person--we'll call her Sue--and I have mutual friends. Sue lives in my home state, but over a hundred miles from me. Also, one of our mutual friends is one of my biggest fans, so I can only assume she found me through our mutual friend.

Add to Another List

Now that I know Sue lives in my home state, I'm going to add her to a couple of special lists that I've created. You'll find the "Add to another List" option under the Friends tab. What kind of lists do you want or need? I have several, but if you're an author (or an aspiring author) start with Fans, Local, State (mine is Mississippi), your High School, or College, etc. Other ideas might be Best Friends, Editors/Agents, Media, Bloggers.

Check all that apply. If you don’t know the person at all, assume they are a FAN. Fan is your friend. If you don’t know them, but all their friends are local to you, and you see on their profile that they are within 20-30 miles of you, check Fan & Local.

Now that Sue and I are friends, I Stop. :) Well, not literally. I can be friendly with her, chat it up. Post on her wall, maybe invite her to visit my webpage or like my Facebook page. After all, she did send me a friend request, so I can only assume our connection is books. My books, hopefully.

Second Reminder to Like Facebook Page

Every few months I invite my new friends to like my Facebook page. But not ALL my friends, just the ones I've marked as Fans. If another author sends me a friend request, I don't message them asking them to like my page. Although, I have goofed up and sent those messages out, either not recognizing someone as an author, or by accident, but I try not to bombard my writer friends.

Note: To toggle between your profile and any pages you own, use the inverted triangle in the far right hand corner at the top of your Facebook profile.

We're several steps into our Turning Friends into Fans post, and I doubt I’ve told you anything you didn’t already know, so let’s step it up a little bit. :) 

Remember the new categories under "Add to Another List" you created? Specifically, the "Fans" list where you didn't include other authors, editors, and agents and known industry professionals? While on your author page, not your profile, click on the "Invite your friends to like this Page", then chose "Fans" and send everyone an invitation to like your page. You can review the list and select/deselect manually, or you can just send to all.

Don’t assume all your friends know you're an author. You can include a simple message like, “We're friends on Facebook, but did you know that I'm an author? I'd love it if you'd like my FB page so you can stay informed about my latest books.”

What else can you do with your specialized Lists... Well, you can invite Locals to Book Signings as I did for this event recently. Sebastopolooza Booksigning & Giveaway 2017. I invited about 500 people to the festival because I knew they were local. And I had a LIST and I knew how to use it. Sure, some couldn't attend, but some could. And they knew I'd be there with my books because they got an invitation. 

And, for fun, I created a Seekerville Event last night and invited some of you. Give us a shout out if you got an invitation to join us today via the Facebook: Turning Friends into Fans Event. 

So, there ya go. Two ways you can create lists in Facebook and use them as needed. Maybe there are other great ways you can think of to use these lists. Other than Local, State, Fans, what other categories can you think of that would make turning friends into fans a worthwhile endeavor?

Enter for a chance to win an e-copy of my latest novel,

The Promise of Breeze Hill. Enter now on Goodreads!

Click Here to Enter!

Facebook Party

Earlier this month, I participated in a Facebook Party. I had never done this before so I was pretty nervous about the outcome. I didn't even announce it to you because I wanted to be sure I could do it first. Living in the motorhome, my Internet service can be iffy. Because of all the photos and graphics on Facebook, it will often freeze up on me.

But we did do the party and it was a blast. Faith, Hope and Love Chapter  which is the Christian chapter in Romance Writer's of America sponsored the Facebook Party.  The chapter is going to host a Facebook Party each month that features four of our Christian authors. You can find the FHL Facebook page if you click here:  FHL FACEBOOK

Tanya Stowe, our Director at Large, initiated the parties in our efforts to provide modern promotional events for our published authors. I interviewd Tanya and she will share with us how to set up a Facebook Party.

Tanya Stowe, Director at Large of Faith, Hope and Love Chapter of RWA

1.     Hi Tanya and welcome to Seekerville. You have been hosting Facebook Parties for the Faith, Hope and Love Chapter of RWA. Can you explain to us why FHL decided to do this?

FHL’s purpose is to support our members in all facets of their career. It’s a daunting challenge to keep up with the changing face of publishing so our job is to help our members meet the challenges whether that’s understanding Indie publishing or navigating the tricky waters of social media. We’re doing our best to help broaden our members’ understanding and scope of social media not only with our Facebook Parties but also with Monday Twitter day. These sessions give tips and how to’s as well as provide an opportunity to get to know each other better. We’re also hoping to institute monthly webinar meetings with questions and answers on branding, building a platform and making Pinterest work for authors.  There’s so much to learn and so little time! Lol!

2.     Can you describe what a Facebook party is?  Why would it be of benefit to an author?

I look at Facebook parties a bit differently than most folks. Facebook is where a number of my faithful readers hang-out. My reader demographic is on Facebook so I see FB parties as an opportunity to connect, to meet and greet readers and hopefully, like we are doing each month, introduce them to new writers in our genre. I think a lot of people look at Facebook as an advertising tool…and it is. Of course you want to spread your name across the media and reach folks interested in your genre and style of books. But mainly, a Facebook party is to connect with readers so they can get to know you and help build your brand.

3.     What are the technical requirements for Facebook to host a Facebook Party?  Since the FHL Facebook page is a group, are you named an administrator?  Or what gives you power to set one up?

All that’s necessary for a Facebook party is to have a Facebook page. I highly recommend creating a public page for a number of reasons. Foremost it’s important to protect your privacy and that of your family. But it’s also a good thing not to inundate those close to you with book updates and releases that are essentially for your readers. You could hold a FB party on a personal page but your friends and family won’t thank you for the multiple posts and comments coming across their screen continuously for an hour or more. In addition, I suggest holding your FB party on an event page. I’ve done parties on my reader’s page and on the event page of my reader’s page. It’s easier for the participants to follow the party on the event page and those annoying posts won’t go out to your entire list. So the long answer is yes, it’s necessary to be an administrator of your public page to create an event and send out invites.

4.     Can you list the steps taken to set up a Facebook Party?

Below the banner on our public page are three tabs, Liked, Following and More. Click on More. Go down the list until you find Create an event. (See Screenshot)

Click on it.  A menu box will pop up with questions about your event. Answer the questions. Choose a date and time…remember to pick a time that will be friendly on both coasts.  Once you’ve completed the questions you’ll be sent to an event page and your event will automatically be posted on your public page, announcing your event. Once you’ve created your event move to the right hand corner of your event page to the Invite tab (See Screenshot). 

Click on that tab and you will be able to send invites to readers and friends you think might be interested. Then on the day of the party, show up, start posting on your event page and engage, engage, engage. If you build it they will come!

5.     I was one of the authors featured on the last Facebook Party. You sent me a list of questions and things you needed, like book covers, author biography, etc.   Can you share that questionnaire you sent to each of us?

It’s a real simple list:

Short bio with website and social media links. Because FHL is a non-profit we do not allow links to booksellers but if you are holding a personal face book party, of course you would include those.

The cover of the book you are promoting.

A short blurb and perhaps an excerpt of the book.

A question or two you would like to propose that relates to your writing career or your book, anything that you think your readers might find interesting. Since we feature four authors on the FHL parties, we don’t have time but in the past I’ve posted recipes, historical tidbits and movie trivia related to my books. Have fun!

And of course, a giveaway. That can be a book or swag, anything to liven up the fun. But be sure the giveaways are done randomly. Facebook does not allow prizes to be given as rewards for an action on the part of the participant. The prizes are given randomly just for showing up and participating.

6.     How did you put our questionnaire answers into the Facebook party?

If you have an active group participating, they will be chatting ninety miles a minute and asking all kinds of questions. If there is a slow down in the posts, I’ll post a question to get the chatter going again. If the group is very talkative, I have to make sure I get all of the information in during our allotted time. I like to keep the parties to an hour or so I try to post something every 15 minutes.

7.     What have been some of the responses to the party? Should authors think about Facebook Parties as a viable promotional tool?  Why?

Of course Facebook is a viable promotional tool. But it’s important to understand the basics of how it works. People are on Facebook to connect with other people. If you approach FB strictly to promote, than more than likely you will not consider your FB party a success. People do not join Facebook to buy things. They join to connect with people. So if you approach the parties as just that, a reader party to get to know your reader friends, then you will have fun. They will have fun and they will come back again and again and more importantly, they’ll tell others about you. That’s a good thing.

8.     Tanya, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and share with us the process of hosting a Facebook Party. What books do you have coming out now and in the new year? 

My Heart’s Haven sisters and I have a new collection coming out in April. My novella is called That Doggone Baby! 

In addition, we’ve just started a new series called Love at Christmas Inn—a family resort where Christmas is celebrated year round.  We’re having lots of fun with it.

Some of our Seeker friends have been in Facebook Parties as well.  If you see one announced, it is a fun way to get to know and support your author friends.

To visit the Facebook Party I was in on December 7th, click  here:  FHL Facebook Party December 7, 2016


Tanya will visit us off and on throughout the day so if you have any questions, please ask and she will answer them when she checks in. I might be able to answer some myself. (I'm getting so techy,  it scares me LOL)  Those who comment will be entered to win an ebook copy of Tanya's Love At Christmas Inn. You will also win one of my ebooks of choice.


Remember to check in and join us for our New Year's Celebration.  Lots of prizes and fun!!

Sandra Leesmith writes sweet romances to warm the heart. Sandra loves to play pickleball, hike, read, bicycle and write. She is based in Arizona, but she and her husband travel throughout the United States in their motorhome and enjoy the outdoors. You can find Sandra's books here on Amazon. Three of Sandra's most popular books are also audio books at Audible. You can read more of Sandra's posts here.

How to Throw a Fantastic Facebook Launch Party (Without Losing Your Sanity)!

with guest blogger Amy J Cattapan.

So maybe you’ve got a new release coming out. Or maybe you’ve spent years hoping you’ll have a book to promote . . . someday. Either way, when the time arrives, you’ll want to be ready to throw yourself one fabulous celebration!

Build up your Facebook author page.

If you don’t already have an author Facebook page, do so pronto. Yes, it’s true that Facebook is using all sorts of algorithms to decide which of your fans should see your posts (the more someone likes and comments on your posts, the more likely they’ll see future posts), but you still want an author page. Don’t believe me? This article from Bad Redhead Media explains very clearly why you don’t want to use your personal page as your author page.

Long before your book releases, you’ll want to build up your audience. Reach out to friends and fellow writers and let them know you have an author page. To keep them coming back, post interesting content daily so that people stay engaged. With the new changes to Facebook, you may need to post 3-5 times a day to reach the most people.

Set the date and time for your party.

Pick an evening during the week when people are likely to be free. The great part about a Facebook party is that people can participate on their smart phones while doing other things. During the launch party for my young adult novel Angelhood, I had one friend participating during her daughter’s fencing lesson! Nonetheless, I wouldn’t recommend a Friday or Saturday night when people will be less likely to commit time to your party. Also, don’t forget to list all the different time zones on your party page! I had people from four different time zones at my party, and you don’t want someone not showing up because they had the wrong time.

Decide on your prizes.

Most authors give away copies of their book, bookmarks, gift cards, and other author swag, but try thinking outside the box, too. For my party, I wanted to celebrate young adult books, so I reached out to my fellow YA authors to see if any of them would be interested in donating copies of their book(s) as prizes.

This turned out to be a win-win for all of us. Seven different authors offered up their books. With each donated book, I added a prize of my own (my own book, a gift card, an Angelhood pen). By offering up other author’s books as prizes, I was able to introduce these other YA authors to the fans who showed up at my party. In fact, several people commented that they loved getting to know so many new authors! Also, these authors advertised my party on their own social media accounts, so a lot of their fans got to learn about me. It was a win-win for us all!

Create cute graphics for your prizes.

Because I was partnering up prizes, I used picmonkey.com to create cute graphics for each prize pack. These graphics became a fun way to advertise the party ahead of time on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. During the party, it gave the partygoers a chance to see exactly what they were vying for.

Type up your script ahead of time.

Your Facebook party is going to fly by! You don’t want to waste time composing and typing out your posts during the party. Simply, create a Word document with an entire timeline of already composed posts. For example, I typed out:

8:00 Game #5

In the following passage, I introduce one of the guardian angels in my book. After reading the passage, can you guess what pop singer I had in mind while creating this character?

 “A bright light zooms past me so fast it leaves a trail of shimmering stardust behind. Up ahead, the light blossoms into the image of a feisty, petite angel. She has long blond hair with a pink streak dyed through the right side, heavy dark eyeliner, and black fingernails. She wears a black tank top over ripped jeans and cargo boots. A tattoo of a Celtic cross adorns her upper arm. A pair of bright wings are tucked behind her.” 

Since I was inspired by a musician, I’m giving away an iTunes gift card for this one! Plus, you’ll get a copy of Marissa Shrock’s YA dystopian novel The First Principle. 

Notice how I tied together a snippet of the book, some background on how I come up with a character, and the prize. People like getting inside information so craft your games so that people feel liked they’re getting the inside scoop.

Here’s another game we played:

8:15 Game 6

 My main character’s younger sister Cecille is a ballet dancer. I took ballet lessons for only a few years but really enjoyed our dance recital in which we performed a ballet to a song from a popular opera that takes place in the Far East. Can you guess the opera?

The prize is a Jamberry nail wrap gift basket, including a sheet of the ballet slipper style like I’m wearing tonight and a copy of Cynthia T. Toney’s Bird Face, a great story about overcoming bullying.

This script was a lifesaver! It was so easy to just cut and paste the posts at the necessary times. This left me free to read people’s comments on the posts and respond to them.

Gather your friends for help!

I had a team of about six women helping me out. We staked out a spot at a local Starbucks, made sure we had plenty of caffeine, and fired up our laptops and tablets.

The women took turns watching the entries on the games. Each time a new game went up, one of them would take all the names of the commenters and enter them into random.org. As soon as the game was over, they hit the “randomizer,” and the top name became our winner!

We were getting around 50 comments per post, so having a lot of eyes on the party helped tremendously.

Have a place to write down the winners’ names.

At the end of my Word document script, I listed all the prizes (by the way, I definitely recommend numbering your games and prizes!). As soon as the winner was picked, I typed in the name and posted it in the comments section of that game. When the entire party was over, I listed all the prizewinners in a single post.

Have fun with it!

My friends and I all dressed in our “Angelhood blue” t-shirts, so we’d stand out at the Starbucks. My sister-in-law (who makes customized jewelry) even made necklaces for us with my book cover design on it. When the two hours flew by, we couldn’t believe it! Over 100 people had joined our party, and it was so much fun reading their comments.

But you want to know if this helped book sales, don’t you? I mean, having fun is good and all, but is it worth the time and effort? While I haven’t seen my sales numbers yet, I can tell you this: Angelhood sat at the #1 Amazon bestseller spot for Christian YA on social issues for the first few days it was out. The next week, it fell down. By the morning of the Facebook party, Angelhood was down to #25 or so, but after the Facebook party, I checked the rankings again, and it was back up at #2! So the Facebook party definitely helped spread the word around and got me some more sales.

Have you thrown or attended a Facebook launch party? What did you think? Do you have tips for others on how to make it a success?


Leave a comment today for an opportunity to win an ecopy of Angelhood from Seekerville. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

A.J. Cattapan is an author, speaker, and middle school English teacher living in the Chicago area. Her published works include the young adult novel Angelhood, a story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: From Lemons to Lemonade, and numerous short stories and articles in magazines for teens and children, including Highlights and Hopscotch for Girls. She will also be featured in a recipe and corresponding story anthology due out this summer.

You can find her here:

Website: www.ajcattapan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/acattapan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJCattapan
 Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ajcattapan/ 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24553425-angelhood

Seventeen-year-old theater geek Nanette believes her life is headed toward stardom on Broadway. But when her dream theater college rejects her and her best friend dies in a terrible accident, Nanette decides the world would be better off without her. Unfortunately, the afterlife offers something less than a heavenly situation. Trapped between alternating periods of utter darkness and light, Nanette is stuck following a high school freshman around. Soon, she learns she’s a guardian angel, and the only way she can earn her wings is to keep her young charge, Vera, from committing the same sin she did—taking her own life.
Unfortunately, Nanette is missing more than just her wings. She has no tangible body or voice, either. Frustrated by her inability to reach out to Vera and haunted by memories of her old life, Nanette wants to give up, but then she sees what happens when another Guardian at the high school turns his back on his charge. The shock is enough to supercharge Nanette’s determination. If she’s going to find peace in the afterlife, she’s going to have to discover what living is really all about.


Purchase Links:
Amazon Kindle  
Amazon Paperback  
Barnes & Noble Nook  
iBooks  

FACEBOOK PRECAUTIONS

Sandra here with a pot of chocolate velvet coffee going.  Grab a cup, or if you prefer another beverage there is a lovely sideboard here with iced tea, fruit juice and sparkling water.

And listen up.

Social media is a reality and necessity for today's authors. In my contracts lately it is a requirement to have a social media presence.  If you read Sarah Ladd’s blog about Facebook earlier this fall, you'll know it is a must when pitching to editors and agents.  They will be looking you up and wanting to know what kind of presence you have.

If you are a published author now or plan to be, you will need a social media presence to become known, market and sell your books and to get your "brand" out there.

But is it safe?

As with everything in life there are dangers to look out for. Most of us, especially if we're relatively unknown are pretty safe.  But are you aspiring to be on the best seller list?  A famous author?

Then start now to take precautions to protect  yourself.

A person I know works for the State Attorney’s office and is in training specifically to learn about the dangers of the Internet and social media.   When I heard this, I asked if I could interview him for information for this blog post.  As a point of interest, he looked up my name and found out when and where I was born, where I live, my phone number, address, etc and learned of my travel plans.  Yikes I have already posted all over the place my email address, my phone number and my travel plans.  A criminal can look up my address with my phone number and make his/her own plans.  Is it too late to fix this before I become FAMOUS???

Here is a list of precautions to take when making your social presence.

1. WHAT YOU PUT ON THE INTERNET IS THERE FOREVER

For some of us--like me—it’s a little too late for this precaution.  Because whatever you put on the Internet is there FOREVER.

Haven't we seen on the news already of politicians who have to live down a photo or experience from a wild party in their youth?

Oh dear, I know we posted some wild parties ourselves with Captain Jack.  Blast, I knew I shouldn't have snuck off with him. And thank goodness no one with a camera got near us.  Because we can look up those past blogs from days, months and even years ago.  And Ruthy and Tina would find out who played those jokes on them. yikes

Oh well.  It was fun.

2. DON’T POST PERSONAL INFORMATION

The obvious precautions-no phone number, email address, birthdate, place of birth, etc.

But what about your name?  Here are some sites where you can look up people by name. Not only that, you can find out  your address, birthdate, when and where you went to school :

Pipl
Classmates.com
AnyWho
Whitepages.com
BirthDatabase.com
ZABASEARCH
military.com

While this can be fun to research your family ancestors, find lost family or friends or find info on yourself, you still have left yourself exposed online.

The above I had heard of before, but here are some other precautions:

• Don’t name friends or family members
• Don’t name past schools you attended
• Don’t talk about what church you belong to now or in the past
• Don’t post when and where you are traveling
• Don’t post your regular schedule such as regular meetings you attend

Oops!  I’ve done almost all of the above.  Thankfully I have been careful about family and friends.


Speaking of friends:  When you post on Facebook to your private connections, your post can still get out there.  If your friend comments back, then that post can be read by all of that person’s friends.  So you may think only a select group is reading what you post, but more than likely it is being read by others not on your list.

Law enforcement officers are trained to find people they are looking for.
They get on Net Dectective, put in the name and under “check for” they put:

County Jail Inmate Search
Sex Offender Registry Search
Most Wanted Criminals & Fugitives
Find the RIGHT lawyer

You suspense authors-isn’t this information getting your mental juices going?

There are Geneology records also:

If they can find you online, so can others.

Did you know that if someone puts an area code in a search on MySpace, they can find where you have posted your phone number.  Here’s how to find out who listed their phone number in area code 206.
In Google search engine type:
"my phone number is" 206 site:myspace.com

Anywhere in MySpace you've mentioned your phone number it will come up.  Try it.
You can also type this phrase on Facebook’s search

Try typing your name in these Search Engines and see all the places you turn up:

Google
Yahoo!
Yippy
Dogpile
SurfWax
Alltheweb


If you’ve ever been mentioned in a local newspaper you can be located on these sites.  Watch out Ruthy.  Your rooster made you famous.  Or should I say infamous?

NewsLink
www.AreaConnect.com
www.nytimes.com


3.   USE A FAKE NAME ON FACEBOOK AND/OR MYSPACE

Too late for many of us.  But if you are concerned about you or your children there are ways to delete these programs.  It isn’t always easy but if you follow this link, Eric Griffith wrote an article with detailed instructions for 30 popular sites.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2386458,00.asp


4. DISABLE  GEOTAGGING ON YOUR SMART PHONE

If you have geotagging enabled on your smart phone, which you would if you use your GPS feature, every time you take a picture with your camera, it records the exact location of where you photographed that picture.

If you want more detailed information about this danger and how to disable it, go to this article by Tom Retterbush’s Posterous

This is one feature you should warn your children about.  It’s rather scary.  And hey, you suspense authors-another great source for a suspense novel.

After reading this can anyone determine where our motorhome is located?

So yes, we can use social media to our advantage as long as we are careful and take precautions to protect ourselves and our families. Its just like taking a walk in the mall—don’t leave your purse sitting unattended and men, tuck your wallets in inside pockets.  It doesn’t mean you can’t take that walk in the mall. It just means be careful.  Same thing for social media.  These dangers aren’t meant to scare you away, but to teach you how to be careful.

Post a comment on ways you’ve discovered to protect yourself and be eligible to win one of the Seeker books on my bookshelf or a hardbound gift copy of PRICE OF VICTORY.

And with Thanksgiving coming up and with all the baking going on to prepare for it, I know you're saving your calorie count for that day.  So let me offer you a platter of fresh cut veggies with a dip made of Greek Yogurt.  A platter of fresh cut fruit including sliced apples (and for you North-easterners this includes several varieties to tempt your palette)  fresh pineapple, yummy pears, raspberries, melon balls and grapes.

Okay, okay,  I'll put out a platter of Sees candy too.  The chocolate will give you a quick boost.

And if you're shopping for Christmas presents this week, be sure to remember purchasing books not only supports your favorite industry, but they also make terrific gifts.

Releasing December 11th

Author Facebook Pages … What Every Author Needs To Know with Guest Blogger Sarah Ladd

No doubt you have probably heard that an author Facebook page is an important marketing tool. But do you know why?

Whether you love Facebook or hate it, there is no denying the effectiveness of a well-executed Facebook page. Not only can it help an author establish an online presence, but it provides an unequaled opportunity to network and interact with readers and other writers. Many authors think that they don’t need an author Facebook page until they are published. This is far from true! Let’s explore why.

What are industry professionals saying about author Facebook pages?

I asked literary agent Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency what she thought about author Facebook pages for unpublished authors. Here is her response:

“When I am serious about signing an author, I first visit the author's website, and then I peruse Facebook. Interaction with friends and fans shows how the author will appear in public, which is important to publishers. An active Facebook page, coupled with a professional web site, is a way for authors to show they are serious about their work, and about being part of the publishing community.”

Katie Bond, Publicity Manager, Fiction, at Thomas Nelson, had to say:

“In book marketing, we speak a lot about meeting readers where they are. Right now, Facebook is a big part of that solution, with users congregating around thousands of products and causes. Facebook’s regulations for promotion have changed over the last few years and will likely change again, but maintaining a professional page is a must for authors now. These pages provide functionality that personal pages can’t, allowing you and your marketing team to gather and energize readers, and to monitor the success of various promotions to learn more for the long-term building of your brand. As an author, think of yourself as the host of the party: the ultimate goal is to graciously provide a place for people to get to know each other, all in your lovely home. Aim to give them special consideration with thanks for their following you, and they’ll loyally help to spread the word to more friends.”

Here is what it all comes down to: An author Facebook page is a marketing tool that you need!

More and more, authors are called upon to play an active role in promoting their books. Agents and publishers like to know that an author has already thought about this and is taking steps to support those future goals. Sure, you may have a website and business cards, but a Facebook page allows you to take your marketing one step further: it allows you to interact with readers on a personal level. Facebook is not just about promoting and selling your books … it is about building relationships and getting to know the people who will one day be your readers.

Below are some questions I have heard regarding author Facebook pages. Let’s take a look … 

What’s the difference between a profile (or timeline) and an page?

A personal profile page (or timeline) is just that … personal. This is where you can talk about your day, share pictures of your kids, connect with old college friends, etc. You are limited to 5,000 friends, and in order to add someone as a friend to your profile page, one of two things must happen:

1.    The other person sends you a friend request and you accept it, or

2.    You send the other person a friend request and they accept. 

The key takeaway here is that you, the profile owner, are giving the other person “permission” to see what you post on your wall. 

A Facebook page, on the other hand, is intended for professional use by businesses, celebrities, bands, and authors. Anyone with a Facebook account can “like” your page and follow your posts – and there is no limit to the number of people who can do so. Pages are much less private than profiles. You do NOT have to give another person permission in order for them to see the content on your page. Because of this, you want to be very intentional and judicious about the types of content you post here. 

The fact that a Facebook page is public and visible for the whole world to see may be daunting, but consider this:  since your author Facebook page is public, it will come up when someone searches for you on the internet. If an agent, editor, or publisher is trying to learn more about you and all you have is a private profile (timeline), they may not be able to find you. As an author, you want – need – to be visible.

How do I set up an author Facebook page? 

It’s easy, and it will take you all of five minutes to establish your page!  

1.    Go to www.facebook.com and click the following link at the bottom of the page: Create a page for a celebrity, band or business.

2.    Next, click the lower left-hand box that says “Artist, Band or Public Figure”

3.    A drop down menu will appear. Select “Author”. Below that, you need to enter the name you want to appear on your page, agree to Facebook’s terms and conditions, and click the “get started” button.

4.    The next page asks if you have a Facebook account. If you have one, you will log in at this time. (NOTE: If you already have a Facebook account, both your profile and your new author Facebook page will share the same username and password. See below for more information on this). If you don’t have a Facebook account, you’ll be prompted to create one.

5.    Once logged in, you will have the option to upload a picture for your author page.

6.    The next step allows you to enter a little bit about yourself, such as a brief description and the link to your website. 

7.    And now, your page is created! Congratulations!

8.    Once you have at least 25 fans, you can create a username, which will give you a unique web address for your page (for example: www.facebook.com/yournamehere). To do this, go to www.facebook.com/username and follow the instructions. But remember, 25 people must like your page first!

9.    Spend some time getting familiar with your new Facebook page. Check out the Help Center. Play with your settings. Practice uploading pictures and updating your cover photo. These functions are all very similar to the regular profile pages, but you will want to make sure you are familiar with everything before you start directing traffic to it.

10.    When you are ready, post your first post!  Be sure to post the link to your new page on your wall so your friends and family can “like” your new author page!

I have the same login information for both my profile (timeline) and my author Facebook page. How do I switch between the two accounts?

Once you log in to Facebook, you will see a dark blue bar across the top. On the right side, you will see an arrow pointing down. Click on that arrow, and your other account(s) will appear. NOTE:  It is important to give your profile page and your author page different names. Otherwise, it can get very confusing! For example, if the name on your profile page is Jane Doe, then you will want the name on your author page to be Author Jane Doe.

At the top of my author page, I see an Admin Panel. What is that?  

The Admin Panel is how you manage your Facebook page. There are a lot of goodies in this section that you will want to be familiar with!

1.    Across the top of the admin panel, you will see the following web buttons: Edit page, Manage, Build Audience, Help, and Hide. I recommend spending a few minutes exploring these links. 

2.    In the admin panel you will see a link that says “View Insights.” The information in this section is key to understanding how your fans are interacting with you!  In order to view this information you must have at least 30 fans. Here are some terms that will be helpful to know: 

a.    Reach: The # of people who see each post.

b.    Engaged Users:  The #of individuals who clicked on each post.

c.    Talking About This: The # of people who liked, commented, or shared each post.

I am not currently on Facebook and know nothing about it. I really want to start an author Facebook page, but I don’t know the Facebook basics. Where should I start?

Here is my advice: Get to know Facebook before using it as a professional networking site. Set up a personal profile account. All you need is an email address to get started. You can register here. Try it out for a while. “Like” other Author Facebook pages and watch how they are using this tool. See what works and what doesn’t. Then, when you are comfortable, you can take the steps outlined above.

I’ve heard that there are rules for hosting promotions and giveaways on a Facebook page. What are they?

It’s true … Facebook has strict guidelines about hosting giveaways and contests on your page. If you are considering hosting a contest, make sure you fully understand Facebook’s terms and conditions regarding promotions. These can be found here. Failure to comply with Facebook’s terms could result in your page being shut down. Yikes!

What are some guidelines for posts on my author Facebook page? 

Rule #1:  Keep it professional.

In my humble opinion, this is the most essential rule for an author Facebook page. Remember, this can be one of the first impressions that a potential agent or publisher will see of you. Later, this will be the forum for readers to establish a relationship with you. The last thing you would want to do is offend someone or say something that may put your reputation in jeopardy.

Rule #2: Keep it consistent.

In order to establish a relationship with readers and other professionals, it is important to maintain a schedule. Whether you post once a week, three times a week, or every day, your fans will get a sense of what to expect from you. I suggest creating an editorial calendar. At the beginning of each month, sit down and jot down ideas for your posts. Perhaps you are blogging later this week and know that this is perfect for an upcoming post. Perhaps a fellow writer’s book is free on Kindle next week and you want to help her promote it. These are great ideas … not only will planning your posts ahead of time save you time in the long run, but it will help ensure that you get the messages out that are most relevant to your fans.

Rule #3:  Keep it intentional.

In a previous Seekerville post, I pointed out the importance of making sure that your marketing initiatives (such as Facebook) support your overall marketing goals, regardless of where you are in your publishing career. As your career develops and changes, your messages and your marketing plan should as well. If you are interested in learning more about this, feel free to check out my Seekerville post on marketing from back in January here.

Rule #4:  Keep it diverse.

Yes, your fans are following you because they want to know more about your writing. But they are also following because they want to know more about YOU!  Because of the very public nature of Facebook pages, I advise that you stay away from posting personal information, such as where you live, information about your family, when you are going to be out of town, and so forth. But do let your fans get to know you!  Share your interests …what websites do you like? What are you reading? What are some of your interests? Ask your fans questions to encourage interaction. Remember, Facebook is as much about developing relationships as it is about promoting your book, so ask questions. The stronger the connection a fan feels to you as an author, the more likely they will be to support your future projects.

Rule #5:  Keep it fun!

Writing is work. Marketing is work. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy yourself. Use your Facebook author page to get to know other writers and interact with readers. Network. Learn. Grow. You might make a few mistakes, and that’s all right. Facebook is like anything else … the more you practice, the better – and more proficient – you will become. And when you do sign that contract, you will wish that you already had your page up and running. So what are you waiting for? 

Now it’s your turn!

So, who’s going to be the first to get their author Facebook page up and running?  Will it be YOU?  Be sure to let us know if you do!

Already have an author Facebook page?  Share your experience and advice.

Not ready to start your author Facebook page? That’s okay … it is a big step, and it’s a commitment. But I am not letting you off the hook!! I have a few questions for you … be sure to share your answers in the comments section.

1.     Do you follow other author’s pages?  If so, which authors do you think hit the mark?

2.    What type of content do you like to see as an author?

Thanks for spending this time with me. Have questions about author Facebook pages? Let’s talk about it!

Sarah Ladd lives in Indiana where she shares her life with her amazing husband and sweet daughter. She has more than ten years of strategic marketing and brand management experience, including five years of marketing non-fiction books and three years of marketing the musical arts. Heiress of Winterwood, the first book in her Whispers on the Moors series, will release next spring. Visit her website or like her on Facebook!

Today Seekerville is giving away a $10.00 Amazon gift card to one commenter in honor of Sarah's visit. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Pam Throws a Wide Loop to Corral Social Media

Several months ago on the ACFW loop, someone asked how to promote ebooks on Kindle and Nook. I was in the middle of promoting my debut novel at the time, so my efforts were fresh on my mind. So I jumped in to share the following down and dirty tips for promotion.

Ride for the Brand

First and foremost, I have to mention Tyndale’s HUGE promotion network: It’s entirely possible (even probable) that the list below is my piddly attempt to promote myself when Tyndale House can tweet and post on facebook that Stealing Jake is available on Amazon, B&N & CBD, and loyal Tyndale fans flock to download it. So having a wonderful publisher behind me to promote my book is huge, huge, HUGE to me as a newbie.

Team Roping

My Seeker sisters and I promote each other on Facebook and Twitter by sharing and retweeting. We visit blogs where the others are guests and poke fun ... uh... I mean, support each other. The more you develop your online presence, the more comfortable you become, and the more readers reach out to you. Also, an aside: Seekerville has really helped me open up so that I can blog and comment with a measure of confidence. So, if you’re a bit shy about posting online, jump in now before you sell your first book. You’ll be glad you did!

Gather at Popular Watering Holes: Pam's Author Page on Facebook, Twitter

Accept friend requests on Facebook for everybody who’s a decent-looking sort. Friend people you know personally. Write on their wall. Say, "Howdy, pardner". Search for your church, high school, organizations, colleges, your kids’ daycare pages. When something amazing happens with your book, share it there. I shared my “Stunned to be #1” blog post on my local newspaper's fb page. The newspaper asked for an interview. AND the reporter had already downloaded Stealing Jake and didn’t know I was local. That was TOO cool!

Create an AUTHOR page on facebook. Wonder of wonders, I just created mine this weekend, so it's a cold, lonely cabin out in the middle of NOWHERE. Just click here to see what I mean. How about dropping by some furnishings to make it look a little more like home? A table or a chair. A three-legged stool. An old quilt for my rope bed. A coffee pot. (Ruthy, while I'd love a Keurig, I don't have any electricity in this 1880s cabin, so I'll have to make do with a enamel cofeepot!) I can't wait to see ya'll post on the page. If nothing else, a pound of coffee to get me through the winter would be nice.

Jaw Around the Campfire



Talk, then talk some more. I’m posting every 2-3 days on my personal blog, and Twitterfeed sends those posts and Seekerville posts to fb and twitter where they can be liked, shared, and retweeted. Sweet!

Tweetdeck. Okay, I’m depending on Edie Melson’s book Social Media Marketing for Writers: How To Blog, Tweet, & Peep Your Way Onto Amazon's Best Seller's List to walk me through Tweetdeck. I think I tried to sign up for it before, but couldn’t figure out exactly what to do. Edie explains how to make life a little easier with Tweetdeck. Be right back (Literally. I’m installing Tweetdeck now!) Okay, not quite there yet, but I'll wrestle this thing to the ground eventually!

Be Right Neighborly

Schedule a blog tour: You can hire someone to do a blog tour for you or you can do it yourself. I set up my own blog tour and visited about 50 blogs in 90 days. I, the spreadsheet queen, had them all carefully catalogued, the date, the blog, contact info, and whether I promo’d it on fb/twitter/yahoogroups. I also had a column on whether I was offering a giveaway, who won, and if the prize had been redeemed.

List your blog tour dates on your blog: This I never had time to do, but I needed to. I wanted to. Audra Harders TOLD me to. I just never had time. Sorry, Audra!

Share the Bounty

Giveaway with a twist: Instead of giving away lots of ebooks, I gave away a Kindle. And for ROLLING content to post online, I added Seeker books to the Kindle giveaway every few days. The lucky winner’s Kindle Touch shipped last week, and I “gifted” her with the 14 Seeker ebooks she also won. As far as I know, I was the first to do this type of giveaway (Kindle loaded with books), but maybe not. I just haven’t actually seen another giveaway like it.

Stay in Touch

Create a Newsletter: For a chance to win the Kindle, people had to sign up for my newsletter. First name and email addy only. This gives me a fan base.

Yahoogroups: I’m a member of about 30 yahoogroups. Some I can’t promote on, but there are about 15 I can. I let them know about my book release, my Kindle giveaway, and how to sign up for my newsletter.

Promote within Amazon: Create your author page on Amazon, and feed your blog to it. I know nothing about RSS feed, but apparently I did it right because Calico Trails is
feeding to my Amazon Author page. Whew, what a relief! Not sure if it's bringing folks to me, but it's another spot, another link back to me.

Post your name and your book online often. Post something on facebook, twitter, and goodreads to rotate your name/book on social media. Blog, search for your name/book and retweet it. Thank people for tweeting about you. Tweet about others. Like what others are saying. Share. Comment. Talk about others, and when appropriate, do a post about your book. Just don’t be obnoxious. In has a schedule for commenting on blogs, tweeting and posting on facebook so that she doesn’t get overwhelmed. Just a little bit each day keeps you in the game.

Find a Fresh Watering Hole

Look for facebook/twitter accounts that have to do with your book. I’m friends with some folks who wrote books on coal mining, orphans, street kids, kids working in coal mines, threads that my book includes. I haven’t had time to connect more with them, but the seeds are being sown.

Are you a member of Goodreads? I wish I had joined earlier because it takes me a while to figure out how things work in the different formats. But I LOVE Goodreads. Almost 500 folks had marked Stealing Jake as read or to-be-read. I check it every day. Yes, I'm pathetic. lol

What about The Book Club Network? Nora St. Laurent does a great job promoting Christian fiction. Visit TBCN and dip your toe in the waters over there. Nora is giving away 100 books in the first 20 days of December!! Can you imagine? I’m giving away two ebook for Kindle copies of Stealing Jake during TBCN's Christmas Party.

Are you a member of the ACFW Book Club? Stealing Jake is a January 2012 ACFW Book Club pick, so to celebrate, I’m giving away another Kindle on December 15th, 2011. It’s a KindlePalooza! The winner receives a Kindle and a minimum of 12 of the 2012 ACFW Book Club picks, so it’s a gift that keeps giving all year long!

Take advantage of the Amazon Bestsellers Rank subcategories. Here’s one more tip that I haven’t mastered, but I think I’m missing a great marketing opportunity. I’m not talking about the Tags that customers can put on the books, but the actual subcategories under the Product Details. From what I can gather from Amazon, the publisher is the one who works with Amazon to set these, not the author. If the book is self-published, then the author is the publisher and can request more subcategories. Still working on that one. If anyone has any input, I’d love to hear it.

Nobody likes a low-down outlaw!

Don’t be an obnoxious social media ignoramous. My agent pointed his readers to a great blog post on this very topic. Roni Loren’s post and the comments helped me refocus on how to balance building relationships and promotion in social media.

Don't hold your readers at gunpoint. Know when to cut back, slow down, and move on to the next project. I have to admit I haven’t mastered this, but a book isn’t “perpetually releasing”. There’s only so much saturation your market can take before readers turn to something new. I’m not saying not to talk about your backlist. Not at all. But pouring more advertising time and dollars into an old title FOREVER might not be in your best interests. So…what to do...

Build your Herd

There comes a point when the best thing an author can do is to write (and sell!) another book ASAP. A corral full of great fiction for readers to find is really worth more than continually promoting the one or two books you have out.

Networked blogs. I got nothing on this, but this is next on my list to check out!

You know, with a little more practice, I might be able to corral this social media mustang!



To read what some of the seasoned wranglers have to say about social media and marketing, check out these posts in Seekerville:

Shellie Johannes-Wells - Biggest Marketing Bang for your Buck
Cathy Shouse - Ten + Tips to Turbocharge Your Marketing
Sabrina Sumsion - Publicity 101


Award-winning author Pam Hillman writes inspirational fiction set in the turbulent times of the American West and the Gilded Age. Her debut book, Stealing Jake, won the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest and was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart contest. She lives in Mississippi with her husband and family. She can be found on the web at www.pamhillman.com


We're giving away a Christmas book today. The winner will have their choice of Stealing Jake (ebook only) by Pam Hillman, or any other Christmas book by a Seeker. Browse the Seeker Bookstore to see the choices. Please indicate in your comment if you would like to be included in the drawing. Thanks!