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Buy Now!
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by
Jean Mckie-Sutton
Social Media has proven to be an effective and useful way to meet people who share your interests, develop relationships with potential customers and ultimately increase book sales. The pool of social media options has expanded rapidly during the past few years. Some have become household names, like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Less talked about, but still extremely viable networks, are Google+, MySpace and Pinterest. Then there are those whose names sound more like childhood board games than social media options - Tagged, Orkut, Badoo, Ning, Triberr and more.
Facebook is still my favorite. It provides a versatility that is still unrivaled, especially with the addition of its Fan Page. The Fan Page provides free links for your website and blog, thus providing traffic to your sites which can potentially lead to increased sales. The Applications on the Fan Page further enhance the site’s usefulness and practicality. An application for reviews -my personal favorite - allows readers to star your book and share comments. An events Application lets fans know when you are making appearances, interviews, etc., and a video Application allows you to upload YouTube videos.
While not my all time favorite, LinkedIn still impresses me with its span of reach. This site is unique for its access to groups. Authors, publishers, agents and readers can join groups who comprise their primary audience or share common interests. A group can contain anywhere from a handful to over 100,000 members. The key here is to join the larger groups, so that each time a member comments, or provides a tip or a link, the member profile visits increase exponentially and web traffic surges.
Twitter is the social networking site I am most fond of. Twitter is short and sweet - think instant messaging. Automation is its most effective feature. You can pre-set tweets to go to your Facebook Fan Page and LinkedIn - an asset when you’re pressed for time. If developing followers presents a challenge, try typing a keyword that has something to do with what your book is about. For instance, if you type in science fiction you will have access to hundreds of contacts. Select those you’d like to follow, and some will undoubtedly follow you back.
While Pinterest is quickly gaining popularity, this is the social media network I understand the least. The site describes Pinterest as a ‘virtual pinboard’, and on the home page are photos of pineapples, an outdoor pallet table, Iguazu Falls, frosted cupcakes and other oddities. I’m not sure how this relates to networking or book marketing, but since Pinterest is my next social media hurdle, I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Fruits of our Sins
The lives of Madeline and Sybil become intertwined in heated confrontation by the birth of a child - a child that each claims to have a right to. For one woman, possession of the child represents redemption; for the other, the repetition of generational sin.
The Fruits Of Our Sins chronicles the deeply flawed relationships these women have with their parents, the impact of those relationships on the direction of their lives and ultimately the lives of their children as they attempt to flee from, yet reconcile, the betrayals and abandonment of their youth.
Jean Mckie-Sutton is the author of the ethnic fiction - Fruits of our Sins and is published by Red Lotus Press
Mckie-Sutton rose through the ranks of the insurance industry before heeding her own heart and pursuing her passion for writing. She grew up listening to the stories that elders recounted about the women in her family, and it is from these dominant, yet richly flawed matriarchs that she draws inspiration for her writing.
In addition to her debut novel, “The Fruits Of Our Sins”, Jean has published two short stories, “Stella’s Silent World”, and “When The Bough Breaks”. She is also a featured author in “Sister To Sister: Black Women Speak To Young Black Girls.”
Jean lives in a suburb of Philadelphia with her husband and three children.
Good social media reminders, thanks.
ReplyDeleteJean Mckie-Sutton's book sounds really interesting!
Hope you have a great week!
Thanks Jacqueline, I think I agree with you there!
ReplyDeleteHave to admit that twitter, blogging and facebook are the only three social media activities I engage in on anything like a regular basis. Also have to confess that some of the others you mentioned have completely passed me by, although I was vaguely aware that something that sounded like pin art existed.
ReplyDeleteInterested to learn more how linkedin can work for writers and readers - I'm not a very active member and have always assumed that it was probably more useful to more more traditional business communities. Could you do a post on it? Love to learn....
Personally, I think if you are active on two or more social media sites you're doing OK. Anything more can be overwhelming. You have to look to see which works best for you.
ReplyDeleteTriberr can work really well if you have regular blog content.
Pinterest is pretty, and used well can be extremely worthwhile. For instance, my Book Junkies site - all indie authors under one roof! :)