Social media isn't important to an author...

... it's CRUCIAL!

by 

Angelina Rose

VBT Cafe

Social Media

Social media is probably the most powerful marketing tool for writers. It gives you free access to millions of potential readers. Business owners tend to dive head long into social media expecting to see huge results in short periods of time. That is simply not the case. It takes patience in order to build up a presence on social media. Here are a couple of frequently asked questions.

How important is Social Media to Authors?

It’s not just important, it’s absolutely essential for writers to establish themselves in the social media world. Here are some of the reasons why:

Brand Building

Social media is perhaps the most powerful brand building platform in the marketing world. You can use it to decide the manner in which you want people to perceive you as a writer. If you don’t find a way to make readers feel that your books are in demand, then you will not sell very many copies.

Thriving Community of Readers

Social media brings with it a diverse and cultivating community. It puts millions of potential readers right at your fingertips. When you build a community, you are guaranteeing that future opportunities will be more successful. 

Gives you Authority as an Author

Without being active through social media, you will not be able to garner the authority needed to convince readers to buy your books. Authority is especially important if you are a non-fiction writer.

Competitive Advantage

The truth is that a lot of individuals don’t do a good job with social media. Therefore, keeping on top of it will give you a significant advantage. When starting out as an author, you need all of the advantages you can get.

What is the Best Social Media Platform

There are so many opinions as to the best platform to use that it’s a bit of a toss up as to which one you should use. Here are the three you should be most concerned about:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Facebook

If you don’t know what Facebook is then you must be living under a rock. It’s the granddaddy of the social media world. You should definitely have an account with an author page. Just be sure to make your profile and page come across as professional. The trick to simplifying Facebook is to use your author fan page to promote new books as opposed to creating pages for each book you release. Only do that when you can afford to hire a team to manage your Facebook accounts.

Twitter

Another great (and necessary) platform for writers is Twitter. Fans absolutely love to be engaged by authors. Twitter lets you easily connect and sometimes reply to readers in a more personal way. In addition, you can effectively get your fans to advertise for you through retweets.

LinkedIn

Finally, we come to LinkedIn. Many tend to skip over this ever-important platform of social media. If you’re trying to get signed by a traditional publisher, a LinkedIn account is necessary. Publishers are guaranteed to search through LinkedIn once they read your query letter. If they don’t find you on, then you will likely be ignored.

Final Tips for Social Media

Let’s end this article on a few quick tips of some things you should keep in mind when using social media.

Don’t Spam your Fans

Spamming is the fastest way to scare off fans (or send them storming off in rage). In the social media world, if you only ever post that people should buy your books or products, then you are spamming. So most of your posts should be fun and entertaining posts, with a few promotions scattered throughout. 

Be Consistent

You can be as active with social media as you want but I do recommend that you at least add one post a week. However, stay consistent. If you plan on posting once a week, then make sure you do so. Don’t go weeks without posting.

Never bite off more than you can chew

In other words, don’t try and do too much. Maintain a schedule and only spend a limited time on social media.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

The Eyes of Love

After a tragic loss five years ago, Sally Overby becomes an Attorney in Atlanta. She convinces herself that all she'll ever need again is her young son, David, and her life as an attorney. Until one day, Colin Dean barges back into her life and promptly blows her safe world apart, driving her crazy as only a guy she'd had a "school girl crush" on can.

Although shocked and thrilled by Colin’s attention, Sally is wary to love deeply. Only, with every loving look Colin gives her plus every sweet kiss, as the attraction between them sparks, she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the one she should be with. And although Colin didn’t realize his life was going to change so quickly, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether… the one for Sally’s heart.

Will Colin be able to convince her that's it safe to love him... and that forever isn't really out of reach?

Romantic, amusing, and deeply moving, Book 4 in the Mill Creek Crossing Romance Series, is a tale that will stay with you.

The Eyes of Love is a novella… you will be able to enjoy it in just one day!

Join in the fun for prizes:

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Angelina Rose

Author Angelina Rose is the first daughter of immigrant parents, and from childhood has had her head buried in books. It was a shocking experience that jump-started Angelina's author career.

In 2010, Angelina had a long stint in hospital following a motor vehicle accident. It was then she took up pen and paper wrote four short fiction stories for young adults, entered them in several competitions, and managed to win three first prizes!

Angelina has now authored four books in a new "Mill Creek Crossing Romance" series... contemporary romance intended for adults.

The "Starting Over Series" is another contemporary romance series she wrote about a subject she knows well... nurses and their love life. At a recent reunion of her graduating class, she could not help but notice how the same girls would group together and laugh, chat, and even shed some tears over their lives since graduating. Many of the girls had divorced... so Angelina thought "what if a group of the nurses came up with a plan to meet in two years and have a new love story to share?" Then the first story in the series was born.

Angelina really loves to hear from her readers and she invites you to connect with her on Facebook as she interacts daily with her readers there!

 The Eyes of Love

"Well, if it isn't the handsome Colin Dean," she said fanning herself and smiling. Gracie was older than he was, but he remembered her younger sister, Eva, quite well. They'd all hung out together at parties when they were younger, and Gracie had been a fixture at Stella's for years even though she recently came into some inheritance money.

"Hey, sweetie," he said kissing her on the cheek. Women loved Colin because he made them feel good, and he was always kind. Stephanie hadn't been able to take that away from him.

"I'll never wash this cheek again," she said touching her face and smiling. "How are you, honey?" she asked with a frown.

"Hanging in there."

"I hate to see you so sad, Colin," she said sliding into the booth across from him.

"I'll be fine, Gracie."

"I know you will, but if you ever need to talk..."

"Thank you, but I don't. Not yet anyway. The divorce was finalized last week."

"I'm so sorry about Stephanie, but she was never good enough for you."

"Gracie..." he said shaking his finger at her.

"It's true. Ask anybody. That woman is trouble with a capital T. Always has been," Gracie said, refusing to mince her words. She'd despised Stephanie since she first met her.

"Glad you're always on my side, sweetie," he said rubbing her hand and laughing. "I sure wouldn't want you on my bad side!"

"Good thinking. Oh, crud, I've got a customer," she said as she slid out of the booth and headed back up to the counter.

"Dean!" he heard a voice call from behind him. It was one of his baseball buddies, Cal Erwin. "How are ya, man?"

"Good. Where've you been lately?" Colin asked as Cal dropped down into the seat.

"Well, I went out to California to visit my brother for a few months. Played in a band out there and gathered up lots of ladies along the way," he said grinning.

"Glad you had a good time."

"Where's Steph?" Cal asked.

"I have no idea. We're not married anymore," Colin said as he looked at his menu.

Cal's mouth dropped open. "What?"

"We divorced, Cal. She screwed Jazz and I walked in on them." Cal's mouth dropped open yet again.

"Dude..."

"You know, we're not sixteen anymore. You should stop saying dude," Colin said with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry, man. I had no idea."

"No biggie," he lied.

"I can't believe Jazz..."

"Look, can we not talk about it? It's kind of old news, and I'm really done discussing it," Colin said pointedly.

"Sorry. So, are you skipping the reunion then?"

"Of course not. Why would I?