• Always include a cover photo. Ideally, this photo should be the cover of your book. You could also use a picture of yourself if you plan to promote yourself as an author, but make sure the pictures are professional and appropriate.
• Invite all of your friends and contacts to “like” or “follow” you. The more people see (and share)  your postings, the more effective your marketing will be.
• Post regularly. Social media is not effective if you never post once you create the page. Fans expect frequent (but not excessive) postings. If updating regularly is a challenge, you can use programs such as HootSuite to schedule your posts.
• Include a link on your website. For every social media site you use, make sure there is a link on your website so readers can easily find your social media profiles.
• Check your page regularly. Social media is about conversation. You want people to comment on your posts, so you need to make sure you are responding to the conversations.

I’d love to know, what is your best tip for using social media to promote your book?

What have I been up to these past 12 months?

Well, my job as Vice President of Outskirts Press keeps me very busy.  I also read and reviewed a few books like Thank God It’s Monday! and Juliet, Naked and The Peter Principle. And I even wrote a novel myself!

When I started this blog a couple years ago, my plan was to use the material to publish a book about book marketing.  In my previous role as Director of Author Support at Outskirts Press, I coached authors on how to promote their books and I found that many authors did not know how to use social media for book marketing.  Hence, “Book Marketing with Social Media.”

So, now I’m back, and my goal is to finish and publish my book this year.  Let’s call it a New Year resolution.

If you’ve been reading my posts (or even if this is your first visit), I’d love to hear what questions you have about using social media to promote your book.

To receive my blog posts right in your email inbox, you can subscribe in the sidebar on the right…

5. The Importance of Book Reviews for Self-Publishing Authors

4. Connecting Twitter with LinkedIn

3. Creating a Facebook Page to Promote Your Book, 6 Easy Steps

2. Facebook Etiquette – How to Keep the Friends You Have

1. Interview with Social Media Marketing Expert: Kristen Studard of Threadless

And, as a small bonus, here is my most popular book review (from my book review blog) in 2011 – Book Review: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Happy New Year!

★★★

The holidays are here and while you are probably busy with holiday parties, baking, family gatherings, etc., don’t forget about book marketing.  Here are a few things you can do this month to promote your book:

1. Give copies of your book away as holiday gifts.
2. Add a Kindle edition (or other ebook format).  Many people will be giving away ebook readers as holiday gifts.  Make sure your book is available in at least one e-bookstore for potential readers who will be browsing for books to read after they receive their gift.
3. Enter your book in the ForeWord Book of the Year Award contest.  Deadline is January 15th, so submit it now before it’s too late.
4. Start planning for 2012.  As you make your new year resolutions, consider your book marketing efforts and how you will increase or modify them in the new year.  Reflecting on what worked well over the last year and what didn’t will help you plan for a bigger and better 2012!
5. Enjoy the season!  Take a break for a few days to enjoy your family and maybe even begin writing your next book.

DISCUSSION: How are you planning to promote YOUR book this month?

★★★

Halloween is over and holiday shopping has begun!  During the hustle and bustle of all of the holidays events, don’t miss out on any opportunities to market your book.  Here are five easy ways to promote your book this month:

1. Make sure you have business cards with your book cover image ready to hand out at all of your holiday events this year.
2. Many book award deadlines are approaching fast. Make sure you have plenty of copies on hand to send out to the award competitions you want to enter.  Winning awards will increase the exposure for your book.
3. One upcoming book award deadline is for the Reader Views Literary book awards is Friday, December 15th. Another upcoming deadline is for the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, December 31st.  Visit their websites now to find out if your book is eligible and submit your book before you get caught up in holiday activities.
4. Offer a Black Friday deal on your book.  Visit http://www.couponsnapshot.com/ to get a promotion coupon for your book.
5. Visit the website for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) to find out about events in your area during the month of November.  At NaNoWriMo you can write a novel (in a month!), network and get support from other writers.

DISCUSSION: How are you planning to promote YOUR book this month?

This week we meet Scott Meyer, COO of 9 Clouds.  You can read all about Scott and the 9 Clouds ”mediarologists” here:  http://9clouds.com/mediarologists/

KS: Tell me about your company – how it was created and what you do.

SM: 9 Clouds was created when my brother John and I were home on Easter break. I was living and working in Norway at the time while he was in Minneapolis. When we arrived home our mom wanted to order pizza and started flipping through the phone book. We just looked at each other in amazement and knew that she needed help using technology…and if she needed help there were probably thousands like her who could make their lives easier with technology.

With the goal of improving what we call “digital literacy,” 9 Clouds was born. We now teach businesses to effectively use technology through an online educational product called DigSandbox.com, one-on-one trainings and corporate workshops and the creation and implementation of inbound marketing strategies.

KS: Who do you feel can benefit from a social media marketing strategy?

SM: Any business that feels the stress of time and wants measureable results can benefit from a social media marketing strategy. By identifying who the ideal customer is, businesses can focus their online efforts to attract the greatest number of customers with the least amount of investment in terms of time and money. You wouldn’t start calling people on the phone promoting your company if you didn’t know who you were talking to. The same applies online.

KS: How long have you been blogging and what is the primary focus of your blog?

SM: I have been personally blogging since 2003 when I traveled to Tanzania. Since that time I have been blogging on a variety platforms. We started a business blog as soon as 9 Clouds began, and we focus on inspiring and educating our readers to push their frontiers in business, learning and travel.

We provide a number of free educational tools for those looking to teach themselves more about digital technology and hope to encourage readers to dream big personally and professionally and use a little digital literacy to help them realize those dreams.

KS: What is your favorite social networking site?  Why?

SM: I love LinkedIn because it cuts the noise out of social media and provides me contact with the decision-makers that can become my customers.

KS: What is your #1 piece of advice for social networking newbies?

SM: Think about how you best express yourself. Is it through the written word? Are you an out-going person that’s great in front of a camera? Through photos? Your preferred method of communication might point to the social network that will work best for you. If it’s writing, probably a blog. Good with a camera, try YouTube. Like photos, Instagram or Flickr might be the place. Want to have conversations online just like you do in your store, try Facebook. Knowing what you enjoy and are best at will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed or out of place on a social network.

To find out more about Scott Meyer and 9 Clouds, visit:

Website: http://9clouds.com
Blog: http://9clouds.com/blog
Twitter: @9Clouds

Connecting Twitter and Facebook
Connecting Your Blog with Twitter
Connecting YouTube with Twitter
Connecting Twitter and LinkedIn

Now that you know how to do this, I’m going to give you another perspective and you’ll have to decide what makes sense for you.  Many people who are active across multiple social media platforms choose to connect their accounts and auto-post from one to another.  There are also those “experts” who believe that auto-posting and connecting accounts makes the interactions impersonal.

I believe that it isn’t simply “one size fits all” when it comes to social media.  What works for one person or company may not work for you.  If you are a beginner, I recommend connecting accounts (at first) and as you get more comfortable you can start modifying those connections and your interactions within the different platforms.  Until then, connecting your accounts might help you get over the fear of these new networks and focus on creating the content that is necessary to build your followers.

DISCUSSION: To connect or not to connect – what are your thoughts?

Successfully marketing a book can be a lot of work. A Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) is ideal for authors who want marketing assistance that is personal and specific. Some things your PMA can assist you with include: Soliciting book reviews Contacting local bookstores Completing the verbiage on an author’s webpage Improving your Amazon tactics Scheduling/coordinating book signings And much more! These services are available to both Outskirts  … Read More

via Self Publishing News For Self-Publishing Authors

This week we meet Robert Murphy, Online Campus Pastor at Christ Community Church (@CCCOmaha).  His bio on Twitter reads: Husband | Father | Information/Pop Culture/Sports/Truth Junkie | Former Missionary | Follower of Jesus

Read more about Robert Murphy on his blog here.

KS: Tell me about your company – how it was created and what you do.

RM: Christ Community Church was founded in 1921 by R.R. Brown. For a church that has been around 90 years, it continues to grow and remain relevant in the community. This past July, I began my role as an Online Campus Pastor. I will be serving and interacting with an online audience that is increasingly living their life online than offline. Before my current role, I was an Art Director for five years. During my time as the Art Director, I started my organization’s social media presence. It was something I had to do on my own, at first, because some of my leaders didn’t understand it and thought it was a waste of time. Now, they encourage all staff to utilize social media because they’ve seen the results of my social media efforts.

KS: Who do you feel can benefit from a social media marketing strategy?

RM: If you are trying to reach people online to some degree, then you can benefit from some sort of strategy.

KS: How long have you been blogging and what is the primary focus of your blog?

RM: I have been blogging, personally, since 2005. It grew out of my writing and journaling, which I’ve been doing since high school. I use to be a missionary, so I’d travel a lot. I’d often fill composition books with long form writing of my experiences. Usually, I blog about whatever I’m interested in. A “small” sampling of topics would be: my work (as an Art Director and now Online Campus Pastor), the show Lost, Husker football, my family, Jesus, the church, addiction, Pearl Jam, marketing, getting older, minimalism, media and more.

KS: What is your favorite social networking site?  Why?

RM: I consider it more a service, but Twitter is my favorite. Through it, I’ve met countless new people, made new friends, established a deeper connection with the community I live within and am able to have my fingers on the pulse of what is going on around the world.

KS: What is your #1 piece of advice for social networking newbies?

RM: Pick a service and start using it. (I would encourage Twitter.) You’ll learn a lot more by doing than reading up on it. Have the account be a true reflection of you, or your company, and not just PR. Consistently use it, get ideas from a variety of people/accounts, engage in the conversations around you. 6-9 months later you’ll really see a return on your use.

To find out more about David Risley and PC Media, Inc., visit:

Website: cccomaha.org
Blog (personal): ramhatter.com
Blog (work): cccomaha.org
Twitter: @ramhatter

★★★

It is back to school time!  Now that summer is over, it’s time to get back the business of promoting your book.  Here are five easy ways to promote your book this month:

1. I’m a little late this month, but Labor Day was on Monday. What better to do on Labor Day than sit back with a cup of coffee and a nice book to read? Remember that next year.  ;)  Labor Day weekend is a great time to ask friends, colleagues and other potential book reviewers to read your book and write a review for you.
2. Make a list of local independent bookstores you will visit to pitch your book or author event.  To find your local independent bookstores, visit:  http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder
3. Create a CD Media Kit to send out to the media and book buyers.  Be sure to include a high resolution image of your cover, an author bio, synopsis, any recent press and your contact information.
4. The Beijing Book Fair takes place September 29th through October 2nd. Even if you’re not travelling to Beijing this month, pay attention to the buzz in the publishing industry and keep yourself informed about what’s going on throughout the event.
5. Use FreeConference.com to record your own teleseminar. You can do this to promote your current book – present on a topic related to your subject matter – or record yourself discussing a different topic and have the recording transcribed into your next book!

DISCUSSION: How are you planning to promote YOUR book this month