Using Social Media to Expose Your Books is as Easy as 1, 2, 3, a post by R. Clint Peters

The computer age has resulted in two big things for authors:

1)  Anyone can be an author.  It’s as simple as sitting down at your word processor, tapping furiously for several weeks, and then loading your manuscript into Amazon’s CreateSpace publishing arm.

And 2)  The creation of self-publishers has resulted in the rise of books no-one knows about.  An estimate I read online a few months ago suggested four million books a year are published by self-publishers.

When I wrote my first book, I used a self-publisher who provided only a cover and an ISBN.  If I wanted anything more, such as marketing or an editor, I would have to pay.  For many weeks, I was getting an email such as this:  “We’re going to the London Book Show.  Let us take your book along for $49.00.

Hmmm, my book was 6″ x 9”.  Someone could have stuffed it in a suitcase.  I made the mistake of submitting my first three books to that publisher.  (I’ve been able to buy the rights to my first novel back from that publisher.  I’m hoping to edit it and republish soon.)

The first book I submitted to CreateSpace was picked up by a traditional publisher that provided me with an editor.  The publisher also created the cover for my book, and marketed it.  They have three of my books (and as reported here, have asked me to edit all three, using the information gleaned from reviewers.)

As a self published author, what are your choices to gain exposure for your book?  You can hire a publicist, but if you’re not independently wealthy, a publicist might be out of your financial picture.  You can connect with one of the big publishing companies.  However, if you don’t have an established portfolio like Steven King or Tom Clancy, the big boys might not talk to you.

Or, you can use social media.  And social media is actually as easy as 1, 2, 3.

First, find and join several social media sites.  I recommend LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook as the basic three.  You can find a list of major social media sites on Wikipedia.  Note:  choose your sites carefully.  Most social sites are clubs of like-minded members.  You wouldn’t join a welding site if you were wood worker (unless you wanted to learn how to weld.)

Second, start a blog.  Initially, I used BlogSpot, but found it too restrictive, and have switched to WordPress.  Be sure to link all your social media sites to your blog.  This blog is linked to Facebook, Twitter (five accounts), and LinkedIn.

Third, start a website.  I use Weebly.  It is easy to use and it has good documentation, tools, and resources.

The key to social media is consistently putting your book in the face of anyone who might want to read it.  (Or, as I’m doing now, in putting The Author’s Club in front of anyone who is an author.)

I did a numbers evaluation of Twitter a few months ago.  If I tweet about The Author’s Club once every week, someone is interested once every month.  However, if I tweet several times a day, that number goes up significantly.

What does that mean to you as an author interested in getting exposure for your book?

You need to put your name and your book in front of as many people as possible.  How?

1)  Tweet about your book at least ten times a day.

2)  Blog about your book at least twice a week.

3)  Join as many relative social sites as possible, and link them to your blog.

Just those three things will result in an increase in the exposure your can obtain for your book.

In addition to your own efforts, use The Author’s Club, presently followed by more than 2800 (and growing), in your exposure efforts.  Join The Author’s Club on Twitter, retweet any tweets originated by The Author’s Club (http://www.twitter.com/authors_club), and mention The Author’s Club on Twitter, your blog, and on your website.

Why?

The Author’s Club website (http://theauthorsclub.weebly.com) gets 200-300 views daily.  Granted, that’s not as many as the IRS website.  However, all it takes is one person visiting the website, looking for a book to make into a screen play, who accidentally discovers your book.  He might not be looking for you, but you are rewarded for being a member of The Author’s Club.

Remember, Saturday, 12-6-2014, is the deadline for the newsletter.  Submit your news to help someone find you.

#RClintPeters #TheAuthorsClub