Websites/Organizations/Social Media III

When we say "social media" we normally don't think about online organizations. Social media is any form of connection between individuals using a technological medium.

One of the best moves I've made in my writing career was to join an organization, a Christian organization, dedicated to improving my skills at writing, marketing, branding, platforming, etc. The benefits outweighed the cost of membership.

From online connections with other authors to Facebook groups where ideas and research can be shared, there are also the benefits of critique groups, mentors, and man other marketing opportunities. In all, the benefits are numerous.

But is reciprocal to the time and energy you invest.

Listed below are some Christian organizations that are considered greatly beneficial to all authors, regardless if you are a newbie or a seasoned writer.

• American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW)

         ~ acfw.com ~

         Membership is $65 initially, $45 annually thereafter

         Renewal levels are: Basic     $45

                                         Bronze   $70

                                         Silver     $85

                                         Gold      $10

• Christian Authors Network (CAN)

         ~ ChristianAuthorsNetwork.com ~

         Membership is $50 per year.

         There is a registration fee of $50.

• Realm Makers

        ~ realmmakers.com ~

        This is primarily the speculative tribe.

        Membership has 3 levels:

                             Basic                $40 for 1 year

                             Published         $65 for 1 year

                             Professional     $100 for 1 year 

• Inspire Christian Writers

       ~ inspirewriters.com ~ 

       Membership is $50 annually.

• WordWeavers

      ~ word-weavers.com ~

      They have 2 types of Membership:

                       For adults: $45 per year

                       For teens:  $35 per year

Join them all or join only a couple, but in the least participate in one of these organizations. The benefits will enrich your career in many ways.

Websites/Organizations/Social Media II

How do you use Facebook?

Do you have a connection with other authors, editors, writers, agents, and publishers on your personal page or do you reserve those for your (business) page?

Do you join groups and participate in them?

Do you like pages by authors, editors, writers, agents, and publishers?

How you handle Facebook determines how well you are seen by people on Facebook. The more you interact the more you will see, but it doesn't determine that you will be seen.

Facebook uses a complicated equation, some may say faulty, but it really does work for what they want it to do: to drive people to pay to boost posts.

You can work around this problem or you can pay a small amount to boost a post that can reach "UP TO" (semantics at play here) a certain number of people.

It is a decision that only you can make.

But to use Facebook as your only social media platform is akin to tying a marketing noose around your neck.

Facebook is one of many platforms to use, but should never be the main one.

If you don't have a page, start one. Use the page for announcements, share about your book and other authors' books, post links at times, post an update status about twice a week.

Use your personal profile for not just family, but serious connections with other people with whom you like to form a friendship. For example: I have many authors on my personal page. I connect with them. I comment on their posts and they on mine. And I share a lot of things that they post, too. This allows the friends of friends of friends of friends, etc. to see my name.

Eventually my name and my book will cross paths before them.

This will work for you, too.

Groups! I cannot stress enough that joining groups and spending time in them is a beneficial endeavor.

You don't have to spend a lot of time there. A pop in, pop out is enough. And you can create shortcuts on your sidebar to help you discern when a new post has arrived.

Facebook can be a great marketing tool. Not for selling books, but for bringing attention to you and your name. The more a reader or another person in the business gets to know you, the more apt they are to share and/or buy your book.

Websites/Organizations/Social Media

There are three things a successful author needs for marketing: a website, membership in organizations, and social media presence. For the next few weeks, I will talk about social media presence and why it is a good thing to have.

You’ll hear and read many authors, editors, agents, and publishers talk about the importance of a social media connection. Online connections began in the early 90’s and since then it has evolved into a mainstay within society. Long distance phone companies became a thing of the past as more and more people used cellphones and internet video calls to connect with long distance relatives; and, they did so at a much lesser cost than the phone services offered.

It is the Age of Technology. We may or may not have a dependency on it. That is determined by the person. BUT we should take advantage of social media and how it can help in our platform and marketing.

The favorite saying of most in the publishing business: Keep an ongoing presence online, even if it’s only a small post once every two days. The more you post, the more you are seen.

And this is so true. No matter what an author cannot stay in his/her Hobbit Hole. If you are INFJ or INFP, never fear. Introverts can have an online presence without exposing our vulnerability.

Today I will talk about my favorite social media site: INSTAGRAM.

Why Instagram?

Not only do I get to share photos of books, what I am reading, what I am eating (yes, even I fall into that little category), what I am writing, what I’ve seen, where I’m going, etc., I can share my favorite reads, my projects, or those odds-n-ends in life that I find captivating. The possibilities of sharing are endless. By posting on Instagram I am more than just an author; I’m seen as a person.

Using Instagram to connect with readers and other authors allows us to connect with the nonbusiness side of the industry. With the dual role of personal and business, your followers are more apt to buy your books or if you are helping to promote a fellow author, then they are more apt to buy that author’s books.

Another thing that makes Instagram fun is the ability to share memes, giveaways, and book challenges without having the post limited to a certain number of followers. If someone follows you, then they see the post.

If you aren’t on Instagram, then I encourage to start a profile today. Remember, the more you post, the more you are seen.