If you plan to publish a book, social media has given you an arsenal of tools to promote it and to connect with readers on a scale few could have imagined in previous generations. Both new and experienced writers can grow their book sales exponentially over time with a strong web presence and a good level of engagement with their audiences. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Good Reads allow you to communicate with fans across the globe and to tailor book marketing strategies to these readers’ preferences.
Give Your Book its Own Facebook Fan Page
Setting up a Facebook fan page for your book takes only a handful of steps, and it will give you access to a large global audience. Posting short chapter excerpts, sharing critic reviews of your book and responding to fan comments are all effective ways to grow your audience. Many readers tend to love authors who interact with them through Facebook, so maintaining this social media presence is well worth the time invested.
Generate Pre-Publication Buzz with Twitter
Writing a book can be a lengthy and sometimes lonely process, but authors with even a few Twitter followers can quickly generate potential reader interest before publication. Tweeting about current chapter progress, about topics your book will include or about current events related to your subject matter are all excellent possibilities for using Twitter to promote a new book.
Post Cover Design Drafts on Pinterest
Many readers decide to investigate a book further based solely on its cover design, so you want yours to stand out from the pack. If you are not a professional designer yourself, hiring a freelance graphic artist is recommended. Joining this image-pinning site can bring you a number of results when searching online for a talented designer. A large number of artists post their work on Pinterest, and this social site can be a great means of previewing their work. While working with a designer on your book cover, both of you can post possible cover layouts and solicit user feedback. You can also invite Pinterest followers to vote on their favorite cover design by clicking the “Like” button. The cover design with the highest number of likes is the one with the most potential to catch buyer interest after publication.
Establish an Author Presence on Good Reads
Good Reads is a feature-rich social site designed to bring book fans and authors together. Creating a full author profile will allow you to connect with thousands of readers who are always looking for new books in their favorite genres. With Good Reads, you can post your author biography, start book discussions, promote events such as book signings and even upload marketing videos about your book. You also get your own blog on Good Reads to keep your readers updated on your latest writing projects. This book-centered social site is flexible enough to accommodate all types of authors, including self-published and first-time writers. Having a book already for sale in a major online marketplace is helpful but not required for building a Good Reads presence.
Promoting a new or in-progress book with social media allows you to reach a global audience of readers. In past decades, new authors largely depended on publishing houses to market their books through print media. This pre-Internet book marketing method was more limited in scope compared to the possibilities of social media today. If you aren’t yet familiar with social media promotion, taking the time to learn these online marketing tools is worth your while as an author. Maintaining presences on each of these sites does take up a portion of your weekly schedule, but the returns can be substantial in the form of higher book sales numbers.