#SocialNeworking Do's and #Marketing Don't's

"Don't's" -- Is that right? That doesn't look right.

ANYWAY, I'm fairly active in Social Networking, and I've been paying attention to why I follow/friend/add some people and not others. Here are some insights I've gathered (about myself, anyway). I'm a writer and a reader with a pretty wide range of reading tastes. I'm also a people junkie. My advice, then:

Interact appropriately. If you visit a blog and leave a comment like "So true!" or "Wonderful" or "Good post", you might as well be a spam commenter (or, as I call them, a spommenter). You may have a hundred posts you want to read and drop your name on, but take a few seconds to make it personal. I'll even allow spomments if the spommenter takes the time to make it personal. Spommenters are people, too, you know.

If you comment on a Google + or a Facebook post or on a Twitter tweet, be nice (even if you disagree) and make it be about the post, poster, or previous commenter.

If you leave a link anywhere, pick ONE. Make it a live link. That means, if you type or cut-and-paste a link to your blog, for example, type it like this:{a href="http://MarianAllen.com"}Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes{/a} -- of course, with YOUR URL in place of mine, the name of the page you're linking to in place of my blog description, and replacing the { and } with < and >. When you click whatever button it takes to post your comment, your link will be pretty (showing only the description) and clickable (making it easy for interested readers to follow it).

Add value. If you find a nifty site, share it with your social networks. Even if it's something you, personally, aren't interested in, if it's something you know from reading other people's posts that they're interested, share it. Share calls for submissions to markets outside your genre but in the genres of others in your network. If a lot of your Pinterest network loves boats and you come across a boat blog somehow, pin pictures from it just to please them.

Give first. Retweet other people's announcements, blog posts, and good news. Some will give back, some won't. Don't keep score. As my mamma always says, Just worry about your own behavior. Other people won't be keeping score for you; at most, they'll be watching you give and thinking well of you. It's even better if you really do like the people and products you're boosting. :)

Join cross-promoting teams. This is particularly good for people who hate to self-promote. One I recently joined with happiness and success is Writers4Writers. Each month, two or three writers are chosen and we promote the heck out of them! This month, Laura Eno and I were The Chosen Ones, and I not only got the benefit of mass promotion, I met a lot of wonderful people/writers who were new to me.

Join blog hops or challenges. April A-to-Z is one, challenging you to blog every day but Sunday in the month of April, each day focusing on a letter of the alphabet. The one I'm doing now (for the first time) is Story A Day in May. So far, I've written 21 short-short stories and posted them on my blog. Again, I've gotten some happy promotion and I've met some writers/people I'll follow and treasure.

Don't forget to market! When it's appropriate, go on and say something about something you wrote and leave a link to it. Maybe the conversation has come to involve zombies and mules, and it would be perfectly appropriate for you to leave a link to the book of short stories you self-published that contains such a story.

Marian Allen
Fantasies, mysteries, comedies, recipes

Social Networking: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I’ve been involved with social networking on a daily basis for over three years now and, while I’m still no networking expert by any means, I have learned a few things. I used to think social networking was all about book promotion, but I’ve come to understand that this is only one part of the experience. What’s become most important to me is to simply let people know I exist, that I have something to say, and that I’m happy to share it either through my fiction, my blogs, reviews, or tweets, or comments to others’ ideas. It’s not about telling people about my books as much as it is about interacting . . . developing online acquaintances and even friendships, which has been incredibly rewarding.

You know that old adage, less is more? Well, I’ve come to learn that this applies to social networking. I’ve written before about virtual burnout that many writers have experienced over recent months and that burnout is still going strong for many.

I’ve cut back on a number of networking sites this year, and now only take part in Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and Kindleboards. But I also post blogs on AuthorsDen and MySpace. I’m a reluctant member of LinkedIn, having joined only because a relative—a non-writer—requested a link, but then 60 or 70 writers invited me to link with them. I only knew five of them previously. LinkedIn seems like just another promotional tool for authors to chat and promote their books, which is fine, but at this point in my life it’s simply one site too many for me.

I’ve also come to realize that of the 1,400+ followers I have on Twitter, maybe twenty of them I interact with regularly, which is not to say that others aren’t interested in what I say, or my work, but all 1,400 of them? Too many writers only post links to their books and nothing else, so I think it’s time to prune the Twitter tree. I don’t have nearly as many Facebook friends, but I’ve noticed that some of these people I haven’t really chatted with in over a year, so again, maybe it’s time to cut back there as well.

I love social networking, I really do, but after three years, I’ve decided to go for more quality and less quantity, especially since the spamming on Twitter and LinkedIn is increasing. If you have your first book out and are wondering which social networking venues to join, I still recommend Facebook and Twitter, but be cautious about who you friend and follow.

If you have published an ebook, kindleboards.com is a great venue to promote your work, interact with others, and build friendships and support. They have a lot of different categories and places for readers, writers, and for those who want to talk about things that have nothing to do with books. Like many social networking sites, though, they can be real time wasters if you let them, so put a cap on the amount of time you spend there. Also, learn the rules. Each category is closely moderated and if you stray off topic and promote where you shouldn’t there are repercussions.

Some of the best supporters and virtual friends I’ve met came through amazon.com forums, but sadly, some of those forums have now developed into some of the most hostile places you’ll ever see. So many indie authors have used these forums to promote their books on threads without bothering to learn what the threads are about, that members have grown increasingly hostile to any and all promotion whatsoever. The complaints against promotion became so strong that amazon decided to separate promotion threads and place them under a category called Meet Our Authors. If an author mistakenly promotes on threads outside of this umbrella, well things can get truly ugly with name-calling and a barrage of one-star reviews. If you want to promote on amazon forums, do your research first! Also, if you’re over-posting, or posting inappropriately, amazon moderators will delete your comments, and I’ve known at least one author who’s been blacklisted from promoting any of her books period. Her books are still listed on amazon, she’s just now allowed to promote them. Sheesh!!

So, I’m curious, how do you all handle the volume of opportunities and friends or followers? Do you keep it small and simple? Do you unfriend or unfollow people regularly? Let me know how your handle your social networking adventures.

THE OPPOSITE OF DARK, now available for iphones, iPads, and iPodTouch at http://bit.ly/nZLlS8. Also available in paperback at http://tinyurl.com/30dlx64
FATAL ENCRYPTION, http://tinyurl.com/ddzsxl
TAXED TO DEATH, http://tinyurl.com/czsy5n

How much time should an author spend tweeting, Facebook-ing and MySpace-ing?

So how much time SHOULD a writer spend on online social networks?

The quick answer: Not so much time that your manuscript is piling up around you--unedited or unfinished.

All writers need to find ways to use social networks; it doesn't have to be time consuming. Only you can determine how much time you spend on your social networks. I recommend an average of 15-30 minutes each for MySpace and Facebook, 2-5 times a week, depending on your schedule. This would include reading and responding to emails, contacting friends with requests (especially reviewers), leaving comments on your friends' pages (socializing), sending invites to events or a bulletin (MySpace) announcing your new article, book, event etc. It all boils down to time management. 3-5 hours a week is a good goal.

Twitter requires less time. 5-10 minutes a day is all that's needed to make an impact on sales, word of mouth, and opportunities. One book marketing expert, John Kremer, likes to send out about 10 tweets (messages) a day. Mine will vary, but on average, I probably send out 5-10 messages every other day. More lately because I'm promoting a contest that is bringing new followers in by the hour. :-) I suggest people set small goals. Use a timer if you have to so you won't go over--or stick to one thing a day. Start small, working up to your goals.

As I mentioned in my presentation at the recent Get Publishing conference, all authors will have various needs. The first thing you need to do is determine WHO you need to connect to and WHY. Who can help you move forward in your career? Publishers? An agent? Bookstores? Magazine editors? Readers? Book Clubs? Book reviewers? Newspaper reporters? TV talk show hosts? Radio hosts? etc. This is the first step--target your network.

In the past I have been reviewed by a New York Times bestselling author because of my friendship with her on MySpace. It happened very quickly after connecting with her. I also have 5 other known authors who will be blurbing my new novel once my agent finds a publisher.

I have found numerous book reviewers through all social networks, and through them found other marketing opportunities, like guest blogging on their blog and using them as hosts for a VBT.

I have had film producers and directors contact me through these networks. Some have read my novels and my screenplay for Whale Song.

I have been interviewed as a result of online networking. I've had book clubs pick up my books; schools have too--which means I'm selling books.

The main thing is by being on these networks it becomes a "viral" form of marketing. Like a virus, word spreads and we all know how vital word-of-mouth advertising is. Twitter is perfect for this. Just add "RT" to your tweet and others will re-tweet your message to all their friends. And so on...and so on...

The bottom line is this: if you want to be a successful writer who is able to continuously bring forth new works and get paid for them, you will want to spend time marketing your books EVERY DAY.

I always try to do at least 3 things a day that will move me forward in some way--even if it's giving someone a bookmark at Starbucks. As with any kind of marketing, it has to be balanced with your writing and other life. If you're spending more than an hour a day maintaining the top 3 social networks (MySpace, Facebook and Twitter), then you might want to look at how you're spending that time. It's totally up to you though.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author and book marketing coach

Twitter 101: How to send messages on Twitter

Have you signed up on Twitter but haven't got a clue what to do next? Are you unsure how to get your messages out? Well, here's a crash course in the very basics of Twitter--sending messages.

First, sign up for a free Twitter account at http://www.twitter.com/. When you have logged in, you'll be on the Home page of your account.

On the right side, above the search bar, you'll see the following links:
Home
@your username
Direct Messages
Favorites

Home is where you can send messages out to everyone in Twitterville (or the Twitterverse). You can also send a public message to a specific person by putting @their username anywhere in the message.

@your username shows you all replies to your own posts. You'll want to check every now and then and reply back. To reply, hover over person's message and you'll see a star (to make favorite) and an arrow (reply back).

Direct Messages shows you who you sent private messages to and who sent you private messages. To send DM, click on top drop-down arrow for list. Sometimes DMs don't work, and you have to be following that person and they have to be following you to send a DM.

Twitter is an awesome little social network, a tool that anyone can use...once they figure out how.

Follow Cheryl Kaye Tardif on Twitter. By following me, you'll automatically be entered in my Twitter Contest.

Hot Trends in Online Promotion

Since publishing Taxed to Death in 1995, online promotion has grown by huge leaps for good reasons. After all, there are hundreds of websites to advertise your work and so many more people browsing and buying online than there were in 1995. Online promotion is inexpensive and can be done from home to fit your schedule. That’s the upside. The downside is that it’s also time consuming and for some, downright addicting. I mean, when you’re out there visiting, posting, browsing, and blogging on a daily basis, where’s the time for writing?

At the moment, I’m on Amazon.connect, where I post blogs and keep my Listmanias going. I’m also on Goodreads, AuthorsDen, MySpace and Book Masons. I enjoy these sites because I get to meet new people, talk about books and book-related topics, or just have fun. But people now tell me that I should be spending most of my promotion time on Twitter and Facebook.

Until now, I’ve refrained from joining Facebook because I heard there were privacy issues and that it was kind of a waste of time regarding book promotion. Not anymore, according to a panel of well established writers I listened to at the Left Coast Crime conference. All of the four panelists, including Dana Stabenow and Laurie King, found that Facebook and Twitter were the best social networking sites to join, not only because they reached a wider audience than say, MySpace, but also because both sites are easy to set up and navigate. Admittedly, I had to ask a couple of people for help setting up MySpace, but I do enjoy chatting with people there.

Some writers tell me that Facebook has done nothing to help them sell books. Others say the same about MySpace, yet I know other writers who disagree. So, who knows? Am I totally off base by spending my time on the networking sites I mentioned? I don’t know, but I’m feeling more pressured to join Facebook and Twitter these days. If anyone would like to share your experiences with these or other social networking sites, I’d love to hear your input.

To read excerpts of Taxed to Death and Fatal Encryption, visit www.debrapurdykong.com. Both books are now available on Kindle and Mobipocket!

Aloha and Mahalo, Hawaii

Yesterday, I was eating breakfast on a sundeck, barefoot and in my sundress, watching swaying palm trees and a rainbow arcing up into the clouds. Today, I was walking with my umbrella, winter gloves, boots, and two layers of clothing under a heavy coat after arriving home from Hawaii at about one a.m. this morning. Don’t you hate it when that happens? On the other hand, maybe I wouldn’t have appreciated the heat and sun as much if it had been the same weather here in the pacific northwest. I mean, there’s a good reason people go to tropical climates in winter.

My good reason was the Left Coast Crime conference at the Waikoloa Marriott Beach Resort. This was my first trip back to Hawaii since 1981 and my first time ever on the Big Island. What a place! The variety of vegetation and geography alone could fill a couple of blogs, but I want to talk about the wonderful LCC conference organized by Toby and Bill Gottffried and a team of friendly committee members who helped make the conference memorable, fun, and relaxed.

As always, the best part of going was meeting new people; some aspiring writers and others fans of mystery novels. I’ve come back recharged, raring to work on various writing projects. The third draft of my current work in progress had been going painfully slow, but I’ve edited four chapters this week alone, thanks to my husband’s laptop and my trusty flash drive. I wasn’t sure I would work in Hawaii at all, but the desire to write was revving up, so I spent an hour a day on the book, and the rest of my time was devoted to conference fun, site seeing, and shopping.

If you’ve never been to a conference before, save up and treat yourself, and make the most of the panels and discussions and social events. Writers especially need to network and these events present great opportunities. There are all types of conferences for different genres or just general writers’ conferences. If you Google key words in your area of interest, you’ll find a huge source of information. And if you know of a great one to recommend, feel free to contact me and I’ll share the info with others.

To read excerpts of Fatal Encryption and Taxed to Death—now both on Kindle—visit http://www.debrapurdykong.com/

Authors: Learn how to use social networks to promote yourself

In July 2008, I presented on a panel at the 2008 CanWrite! Conference in Edmonton, Alberta. The topic of the panel was Hot Trends, Hot Markets. As an author, I was looking at this topic from the perspective of aspiring and published authors.

As someone who's been nicknamed "Shameless Promoter" because I promote my books with everything I've got, utilizing everything I can think of or learn about, I want to share what I've learned. This information will help writers and authors connect with readers and fans, which can lead to sales once a book has been published.

The question I asked myself was: "Which hot trend or market is really on fire today, one that actually benefits writers and authors?"

The answer I came up with?

SOCIAL NETWORKING!

Read my article: How Can Authors Use Online Social Networks?

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif (aka 'Shameless Promoter')
http://www.cherylktardif.com/