Using New Social Tools to Help With Book Promotion

Every day when I check my current social feeds, I notice an author friend has joined the next new thing. I couldn't tell you how often a brand new social platform with a funny name picks up interest, but I don't doubt that with each launch there's an author trying to figure out how to use it for book promotion. As an author, I like to think outside the box where selling books is concerned, though I recognize the importance of reading terms of service policies to make sure I don't step on any toes. Nonetheless, if you're still trying to wrap your head around Twitter and become overwhelmed by new gadgets and sites, don't worry. They're here to help with word of mouth, and some are quite simple to use.

Let's take a look at some up and comers in the social realm. Some may prove more useful than others in terms of self-promotion, and if you can find something creative to do with these sites go for it.

Pinterest

Everybody I know is "pinning" things to virtual boards. I see notifications pushed through Twitter that somebody has found some kicky new boots, while other friends have set up entire sections of their account to categorize recipes and home decor ideas. I one saw a joke that Pinterest is typically used for the wedding you wish you'd planned years ago, but as I've come to know the social site I realize one can use it to draw attention to books.

While the site's TOS has changed recently and may again to reflect rules of blatant promotion, you can use Pinterest in a number of ways:

• Create a board for each book you have written, and "pin" items associated with the story or things that inspired you while writing. If you've written a romance set in Paris, pin images of landmarks that featured in the story. If your book is an account of history, find items relevant to the topic. You can see one I've started for my Lerxst Johnston mystery series.
• Create a "dream cast" board. It's not unusual for readers to imagine certain actors in the role of a book character. You can have a little fun with a board featuring images of people you'd cast in the movie version of your book.
• Connect with other authors to create a group board on a specific genre. By pinning books by various authors, you can create a library of recommended reads to share with readers. This board is dedicated to books readers may wish to check out after reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

Instagram

Instagram is fast turning amateur photographers into enthusiasts. It's interesting, too, to see retro-style renderings of photos taken by friends, and with the network's recent acquisition by Facebook one has to wonder where it will go. Also, the marketer in me wonders how one can use Instagram for promotion. Naturally, you'd use it as you would a regular camera, and post appropriate pictures to your account.

• People holding/reading your book.
• Booksigning events as you meet readers.
• Visiting landmarks that feature in your stories.
• Unique author portraits to feature on sites and other social media.

It's important, too, that as you join new social networks that you use them socially. Don't be content to simply post information and hope it sticks. See what others are doing with their accounts - like and comment where appropriate. The more active you more, the more likely somebody will notice you, and your books.




Kathryn Lively is a mystery novelist and freelance writer specializing in articles on social media writing and Virginia web design. Clients include Fairfax personal injury lawyers, book publishers, Virginia health care services, Norfolk real estate agents, global trade portals, and Gainesville bed and breakfast inns.

Guest Author Grace Elliot

Please welcome guest blogger Grace Elliot!

Outside My Comfort Zone

I'm a technophobe; just the mention of RAM or hard-drive and my eyes glaze over and mentally switch off, as 'not something I will ever understand.' Just the thought of Facebook left me perplexed; from setting up an account to friending people I didn’t know, had me bemused. For me technology and social media were one and the same thing, I wasn’t sufficiently savvy to differentiate them; that is until I became a published author.

As anyone writer will tell you, it is down to you to promote and market your books and spread the word. Key to this is the internet, which for me meant setting up accounts and challenging my comfort zone. I am passionate about my books and so there was no choice but to stretch myself and set up a blog, join facebook and start tweeting.

As I write this post, I feel such a sense of achievement because 18 months down the line I've just loaded a gorgeous new header onto my blog (designed by my son @Art_Tool ) and tweaked the site around, adjusting the design settings myself until I'm delighted with it. This is something I would never have thought myself capable of 18 months ago and every day my confidence in my ability to try different things on social media grows.

What I've learnt is not to be intimidated by the seemingly-impossible. So many things on the internet are intuitive now, it is expected that users will be weak on technology and guide the user through in baby steps. I now no longer shy away from new concepts and sites, I'm currently exploring Triberr, and whilst it seems inexplicably complicated, I'm getting the hang of it now and can see huge potential. Likewise Pinterest - a bit baffling as to what the point is, but it's fun, so what the heck!

This is a steep learning curve for a whole stack of reasons, not least of which is that there are so many sites out there (Goodreads, Shelfari, Manic Readers, Author's Den, et.c et.c ) that you cant possibly hope to make meaningful connections on them all, but becoming a published author has broken me out of my comfort zone. And a mark of how far I've come is when, the other day, I taught my teenage son how to use twitter! Mind you…I still don’t know how to work the DVD player…

About the Book

Eulogy’s Secret - a story of greed prejudice and a stolen identity.

In the four weeks since her guardians’ death, Eulogy Foster has lost everything. Penniless and alone she seeks the help of her estranged brother, Lord Lucien Devlin. But Devlin throws Eulogy onto the streets and the mercy of a passing stranger, Jack Huntley. As Eulogy seeks the truth behind her birth, she is drawn into the world of art and artists, where her morals are challenged and all is deception.

Jack Huntley: bitter, cynical and betrayed in love. He believes women are devious, scheming, untrustworthy creatures - and when he rescues a naïve Miss from being raped, his life is about to change forever. As his attraction to Eulogy grows, caught in a deadlock with both denying their true feelings, events take a sinister turn as someone seeks to silence Eulogy….forever.

Buy it! Smashwords ~ Amazon US ~ Kobo ~ Amazon UK ~ Nook ~ All Romance eBooks ~ iTunes


About Grace

Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and author of historical romance by night. Grace works in a companion animal practice near London and is housekeeping staff to five moggies, two teenage sons and a guinea pig. Grace started writing as an antidote to modern life and believes intelligent people have the greatest need to read romance!

If you would like to know more about Grace please visit her blog or website.