What Social Media Accounts Do New #Authors Need? #MFRWauthor @kayelleallen

Every author needs social media. In 2012, Digital Book Word posted an article showing the potential of social media to sell books. For a great infographic on which site sells the most, click here (Shopify article and image by Mark MacDonald).

MFRW 

Having been published for many years, and after hosting hundreds of authors on my Romance Lives Forever blog, I can offer some good advice on what sorts of social media accounts a new author needs. I included checklists for other things that you'll find handy.

Accounts Checklist

What you need will be different from what other authors need. Adjust and fine tune your account checklist until it fits your current books. Keep in mind your needs may change with each book. Why? Because your core audience may change, depending on the genre you write, and changes in the industry.

These are basic accounts you will need as an author. The top are listed by name:

Facebook profile / author page

Twitter

Pinterest

Goodreads

Google+ (vital -- authors with a Google account rank higher in searches)

Amazon Author Page

Sign up for other social media as needed. I recommend you claim your name on each, even if you don't use the accounts -- you might want to use them later.

Memberships and Business Accounts

Marketing for Romance Writers

Indie Romance Ink

PayPal

Bit.ly

Newsletter (MailChimp, iContact, Constant Contact, etc.)

Email list

Items to create for each book

Sample Chapters

Email signature

Website Pages or Info

Blog

Free Reads

Media Kit

Tarthian Empire
Companion 

News / Press Releases

Optional items on a per-book basis

Podcast

Audio clips

Book trailers

Whatever programs, software, and applications you use, keep track of the names and URLs. Record your passwords. As you grow in your profession as an author, you will be in and out of these for years to come. Trust me, it pays to be organized.

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Kayelle Allen, MFRW Founder
Author of the Tarthian Empire Companion
A World-Building Bible and Guide to Writing a Science Fiction Series
Amazon http://bit.ly/companion-az  Smashwords http://bit.ly/companion-sm
Website http://kayelleallen.mobi Blog http://kayelleallen.com/blog
Twitter http://twitter.com/kayelleallen  Facebook http://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Google+ https://plus.google.com/+KayelleAllen/

One Author's Experience with @Pinterest

I’m not the most knowledgeable when it comes to social media but I will try my darnedest. This month I’m going to talk about Pinterest as a novice. I have found it to be a lot of fun. I don’t let it take up too much of my time and I do try to use it to my advantage.

First know that Pinterest can suck you in. My husband has joined and the man spends hours looking at pictures and re-pinning them. As an author, most of us don’t have time for that, but I limit my time by only collecting things I feel represents me as a writer.

When you first start with Pinterest they automatically set you up with generic boards. You can use them or rename them, then create more as you develop your page. I chose the latter as I worked on my page because most of the ones they gave me didn’t work for what I wanted to pin.

Boards: I have a lot of them. Some have nothing to do with writing and a few are a stretch but they work and do bring followers. I recommend setting up one for your releases. I have my covers there with a link to a place where anyone can buy them. I also have one for my blogs. Each time I post a blog I pin a writing related picture and give my followers the link. I also have a board called writing tools. Pins on writing, grammar, anything I feel helps a writer. I have one for my characters, images of what they might look like, ideas for clothing in the future. I have one on wolves because I have a shape-shifter in my series. I have a fantasy one because I feel that falls into my realm of writing. I have one for the cosmos because I write SF/Futuristic Erotic Romance. The rest are just fun, recipes, cat and dog pictures – that kind of thing. These boards still work because it brings in followers who will see my posts on my books and blogs.

Pins: The more people you follow the more pins show up on your feed. The pins there are images you can re-pin to your board that will go across the feeds of anyone following you. There are so many things you can use these pins for. If you find pins from someone you can also follow those pins to their board and then see all the other pins they have. Looking around will also allow you to see how other authors have their boards set up. It might give you some great ideas.

I know writers who have a board for clothing and shoes their characters might wear. Locations where their stories take place. Pets their characters might have. Jobs they might hold. There is a lot you can do with Pinterest. All you really need is a good imagination and what author doesn’t have that?

See you next month!
Barb:)

Writing for Barbara Donlon Bradley started innocently enough, like most she kept diaries, journals, and wrote an occasional letter but she also had a vivid imagination and wrote scenes and short stories adding characters to her favorite shows and comic books. As time went on she found the passion for writing to be a strong drive for her. Humor is also very strong in her life. No matter how hard she tries to write something deep and dark, it will never happen. That humor bleeds into her writing. Since she can’t beat it she has learned to use it to her advantage. Now she lives in Tidewater Virginia with two cats, one mother in law, her husband and teenage son.

Just Pin It! #MFRWauthors Use @Pinterest for Book Promotion

Let's talk about Pinterest.

It's not just for fun. It can be another FREE social networking tool for authors. MFRW grabbed onto this tool and has successfully been sharing pins with potential readers for awhile now. We provide MFRW authors the chance to be highlighted on our boards but wouldn't it be even better to have your own Pinterest account?

This post is intended to walk you through the process of getting started. Try it. Then leave a comment and tell us how you did. Or if you already have a Pinterest account, comment and share how you use it.

Start with the basics... go to www.pinterest.com.

1. Open an account and set up your profile (being sure to add your links). Your profile will look similar to twitter - you have a limited amount of space to identify yourself so be mindful of your words. BONUS: You can even use your facebook account to set up your account and make it even simpler!

2. Install the PIN IT button onto your browser toolbar. This little button makes it a one-step process to put your pins onto boards while you're on-line. To install it, click the + button on the top of the pinterest screen, then click on Pin It button and it will take you through the process.

That's it for set up and now you're ready!

It's that easy? Yes, yes it is.

Now you get to have some fun but we're going to call it work so... time to get to work!

3. Create some Boards.

Just CLICK on the + button along the top again. Choose Create a Board. Name it. Categorize it. CLICK Create Board. Some good choices are things that interest you (check mine out for ideas) and that can tell readers more about you as an author and as a person. NOTE that you can always add more boards at any time. Some ideas include a Books Board, Guest Post Board, Features Board and a Review Board. You can even create a board for each of your books or series, published or WIPs. Add a board for important quotes and potential character ideas.

4. Add Pins.

There are lots of ways to do this. First, you can use that same + button along the top to add pins from the web or to upload some from your computer. You can use your Pin It button to add any photos from any website. You can also browse the general Pinterest site by clicking on the word Pinterest in the top center of the screen, browse and re-pin. Put some fun pins on your boards - don't worry right away about perfection.

Be cautious of copyright in regards to photos you pin! It's best to use photos you own or, if not, be sure the original source is listed in the pin's description. You can verify the source link is there by clicking on the pin and viewing the pin's details. 

Pinning Your Books?

This is where you definitely want to use the Pin It button. By pinning from a buy link -i.e. pin your book from Amazon- when others click on it, they'll be linked automatically to a place to purchase your book. If the pin came directly from a particular site, clicking the pin once it's opened will take you to the place from where it was pinned.

How does this help your business?

You will advertise to a wider audience. People who may not have otherwise find you will see you here. Check out this pin with more information on the benefits of Pinterest.

AUTHORS who use Pinterest well (& each a bit differently):

Karen Cote   |   Lisa Carlisle   |   Rayne Hall   |   Vicki Batman   |  Kayelle Allen   |    Cara Bristol

Want to do just enough? Here's a Checklist for the BASICS:

1. Pin all your blog posts and books with links back to your blog or purchase location.

2. Click that little "tweet" button every time you add an important pin. These pins will get shared -through a vast network- and should bring people back to you.

3. Include the link to your Pinterest Profile wherever you include all other social networking links. It's another outlet for you to get recognition.

Here's a Unique Board -Writer's Resources- with lots of good pins for authors. You can create engaging boards like this too.

So, what are you waiting for? Pin It!

And Keep Writing!

Paloma
Paloma Beck is a Romance Author living a life of contradiction... she's a happily married carpooling mom writing erotic romance. It's almost naughty! Paloma writes full-time and has three series in the works with others on the fringes. Her books span both the contemporary and paranormal romance genres.

CONNECT WITH PALOMA ON PINTEREST.