social media Archives - Self-Publishing News for Self Publishing Authors

5 Ways Social Media Can Help Self-Publishing Authors With Book Marketing

With the exploding popularity of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest, it’s easier than ever to connect with people all around the world. But, if you’re not sure how to get started or are unsure about how to make connections with your target audience, don’t worry! Here are 5 easy tips to help you!

1. Determine what your goals are.

Increase awareness? The average person spends nearly two hours on social media every day, and therefore social media is one of the best places to grab a reader’s attention.
Drive traffic to your book? Drive visitors to your author webpage or to your listing on Amazon.
Generate new leads? These are people who have indicated interest in your book in some way, shape, or form, but haven’t yet purchased it.
Build your royalties? You can use social media to turn your audience into paying customers.

2. How often should you post?

Facebook – Two or three times per day
Instagram – Once or twice per day
Instagram Stories – Eight to 16 Stories, twice per week
Twitter – Three to ten times per day
LinkedIn – Once or twice per day
Pinterest – Five to ten times per day

3. When should you post?

Twitter – 1-3pm weekdays
Facebook – 1-4pm weekdays
LinkedIn – 7-8:30am and 5-6pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Instagram – 5-6pm weekdays and 8pm on Mondays
Pinterest – 2-4pm and 8-11pm weekdays with weekends being the best
Google+ – 9-11am weekdays

4. What should you post?

Facebook – Post videos about your book, live videos of you talking about your book or at book events, photos of you and your book, blog posts and curated content.
No matter what type of post you’re sharing on Facebook, the copy you add alongside your content can be key in how it performs.
Instagram – Post hi-res photos (your cover, your author photo, any images or illustrations within your book), behind-the-scenes photos of your book events, quotes, user-generated content (sharing other photos, such as attendees at a book signing) but give credit to the original creator (known as a re-post), and Instagram stories. Captions are limited to 2,200 characters, and after three lines of text, they become shortened with an ellipsis (those 3 dots you see on posts). You want to grab the readers’ attention with your opening line or two.
Twitter – Post news about your book, blog posts, photos of you and your book at events, curated content and images. The type of copy in your tweets can drive huge improvements in your results.
Pinterest – Images are the best thing to post on Pinterest. Post hi-res photos of your book, the cover, book events, step-by-step photo guides and infographics.
LinkedIn – Post professional information about your career as a writer. Since LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, the most suitable content will revolve around you as an author. Share news about your book and milestones on your LinkedIn page, particularly if the book involves career advice.

5. Automate, engage, and listen

Automate posting of your social media content. A tool like Buffer is great for automation. It allows you to create all the content that you want to, all at once, and then place everything into a queue to be sent out according to whatever schedule you choose.
Social media requires engagement. When people talk to you, talk back. Set aside time during your day to follow up with conversations that are happening on social media. These are conversations with potential customers, references, friends, and colleagues.
Don’t forget, the ultimate purpose is to sell copies of your book. So always be polite, helpful, and generous. Book sales will follow.

For more information on marketing your book, log into your Publishing Center for a complete list of marketing options and to access the free Book Marketing Resource Center.

LEARN MORE

Marketing Options, Marketing Packages, Promotions, Publishing Packages

Most Popular Ways to use your $300 Mad Money Reward

Are you ready to make your publishing goals come true? There’s no better time than now! If you’ve been dreaming of seeing your book in print (or e-Book!), take advantage of a great incentive from Outskirts Press and make your goal a reality. There’s $300 of Mad Money at stake!

During the month of February, when you purchase the Diamond or Pearl publishing package and enter the promotion code MADMONEYFEB16 upon checkout, you will automatically receive a $300 reward — Mad Money credit to use toward anything you choose. And there are a lot of options to choose from!

Here are three ways YOU can use Mad Money to make your book stand out among the rest:

Copyediting. Whether you’re a bestselling author or publishing your very first book, having an objective professional carefully go over each line of your book is a crucial step. Unedited books are often labeled as amateur, and the readers you’re hoping to attract will be more willing to hit that BUY button if they’re not distracted by typos and grammatical errors. Why not use your Mad Money toward the cost of an editor? Outskirts Press has some of the best! (Click HERE for more details.)
Go digital! For under $300 you can offer your readers an Amazon Kindle edition or a Barnes and Noble NOOK edition of your book. Having a digital version is a great way to level the marketing playing field. If you want to reach as many readers as possible, releasing a digital version of your book is the way to go!
Your own Personal Marketing Assistant. You’ve written your book, published it, and now it’s time to get people to buy it. For most authors, the biggest hurdle to marketing is time. For others, inexperience in book marketing is a serious stumbling block; and others simply want to get back to what they do best — writing. Here’s where a Personal Marketing Assistant from Outskirts Press comes in. Your PMA will help you map out a plan to market your book at all the right times and in all the right marketplaces, not to mention targeting all the right book-buyers. Use your Mad Money toward five hours of expert help and sell more copies of your book!

With the Mad Money promotion and the $400 of free upgrades already included with the Diamond package (standard press release distribution, Spring Arbor Christian distribution, streaming audio excerpt on author webpage, and cover photo selection from an image library), we’re talking about $700 worth of inclusions!

The $300 Mad Money reward can also be used toward custom cover design, cover scribing, custom interior formatting, book trailers, celebrity endorsements, writing consultations, and so much more — all designed to give your book an edge in a competitive marketplace.

But this popular promotion ends soon, so take advantage of February’s Mad Money today and realize your dream! It’s the perfect time to begin the publishing process with Outskirts Press.

START PUBLISHING NOW AND COLLECT A $300 REWARD IN YOUR SHOPPING CART!

The most valuable self-publishing promotion of the year gives back $300 to authors that begin publishing a book with either the Diamond or Pearl book publishing services in February.

During this promotion, authors are rewarded with a $300 credit to use any way they wish. Just enter the promo code of MadMoneyFeb16 during checkout-it’s that easy!

For the full details on our Mad Money promotion, click here.

Don’t miss a chance to receive $300 that you can use to make your book stand out above the rest! Click the button below to order securely online or call 1-888-672-6657 ext. 706 to order over the phone. Publishing consultants will be available by phone through 8 p.m. MST to assist you.

Start publishing today!

TOP 5 PUBLISHING HEADLINES

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT & SUCCESS STORY

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to all individuals associated with the publishing of my book. It has been a great experience. I appreciate all that was done from the beginning to the publishing stage. May God continue to bless each and every one of you at Outskirts Publishing.”

Debra Davis is married and has 1 son, 2 daughters and 1 granddaughter. Debra is a Substitute Teacher for grades K-12th, in Pittsylvania County Virginia, organizer of a community-based non-profit organization, a community activist and a former Qualified Mental Health Professional Counselor. She is also very active member at her church. Debra spends countless hours volunteering, serving others in need. Debra has obtained an Associate Degree in Business Administration and a certificate in Education.

In fear of being rejected, many youth tend to hide who they are deep inside fearing the pressures of life if the inner person would appear. Teachers feel as though they are overworked, underpaid, babysitters, counselors, and parents to some. Some parents feel as though they are the victims of life, while others soar above life’s challenges. What do you do, when life causes you to substitute the unexpected and you begin to endure the problems that need adjusting? As I share my experiences, personal insight and biblical principles, I pray that you will begin to view life “Through the Eyes of the Substitute.”

– Debra Davis, author of Through the Eyes of the Substitute

Marketing Options, Marketing Packages, Promotions, Publishing Packages, Uncategorized

Increase Exposure and Take Marketing to the Next Level with the Author Platform Set-up Through Social Media Option

It is vital that self-publishing authors take advantage for the ever-growing social media market as it has become one of the most important aspects of marketing a book. Through social media, authors can reach a broader audience of potential readers all while increasing their overall internet presence and exposure.

As of July 2015, Facebook had 1.49 billion users, Twitter reached 315 million active users and LinkedIn had 400 million registered monthly users. These numbers continue to grow monthly so it is important for an author to get his or her book integrated with the Internet world and in front of these users.

With minimal information from you, Outskirts Press can create a social media and online presence through the Author Platform Set-Up package using the following techniques:

Set up social media profiles on each platform (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress and YouTube)
Identify and establish relevant connections with users on each social media platform
Assist you in building their unique online presence

Are you ready to take your marketing to the next step with Internet marketing? Start today with the promotion code FreeSocial2016 when you choose to publish with our industry-leading Diamond publishing service or our full-color Pearl publishing service to receive the FREE Author Platform Set-up Through Social Media option. Don’t delay!

Current Outskirts Press authors can easily and conveniently add the Author Platform Set-up Through Social option at any time from the Marketing Options screen of the Publishing Center.

Advice, Author Inspiration, NaNoWriMo, Production Options, Promotions, Publishing Packages

Resolutions for 2016 That Every Aspiring Author Should Make

We’re halfway through the month… Are you still on track with your New Year’s Resolutions? Don’t let the momentum of your resolve slow down! Here are some goals specifically tailored to writers who want to become published authors:

Remember why you became a writer. Sure, there will be times when you don’t feel like writing or you’re frustrated with what you’ve written. Remind yourself why you feel passionate about writing and resolve to reach your writing goals in 2016.
Use tools. There are tons of apps that can help you make and keep your writing resolutions. We like WriteOMeter, which lets you set up goals, timelines, and writing prompts.
Make yourself accountable. Whether you’re stalled out halfway through your book or still in the planning stages, let people know you plan to finish your book this year. They’ll help hold you accountable when your own motivation is flagging.
Polish your proofreading. This year, resolve to work on the basics and make your writing as expert as possible. If you’re having trouble, we can help! Check out our services here and hire a professional editor to clean up the typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors in your writing.
Promote yourself. You may not be a published author YET…but it’s never too early to define yourself as a writer. Resolve to position yourself frequently as an aspiring author — it’s part of your identity!
Join a writer’s group. If you’re serious about becoming a successful author, it’s crucial to continually work on your craft. A writer’s group not only provides support; you can get tips and feedback from like-minded writers who can help promote your work.
Business cards. Get a jump on marketing your book and have professional business cards printed. Use them to self-promote as you progress through your writing.
Make yourself accessible. Make sure there are plenty of ways for people to reach out to you — phone, snail mail, email, social media, etc. This will prove vital, even long before your book is finished.
Find your platform. If you don’t already have a writer “identity” on social media, get going on that. This should be separate from your regular social media pages. It’s a great space for you to poll potential readers, gauge interest in your project, and create a buzz, even before it’s published.
Research your market. Resolve to learn all you can about your chosen genre. Now, while you’re still developing your project, is the perfect time to find out what’s big and what’s burgeoning on the book market so your work will be timely when it’s finally done.
Go NaNo. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a writing challenge that takes place throughout the month of November each year. The contest challenges writers to produce 50,000 words in 30 days, and many a novel has come to fruition because of NaNoWriMo. Sign-ups start in October, so resolve to get on board this year.
Enter contests. Short story contests, essay contests, poetry contests — they all validate us as writers. Resolve to enter a competition several times a year to keep you writing and maybe even win some money!
Be open to advice. If you’re unsure of your path, Outskirts Press has a staff of experienced book gurus who can advise you on how to proceed. Even if you’re not done writing, an assistant may be able to offer you advice or services that you didn’t know were available to you — assistance that could get your book to market much sooner and with much greater success.
Go “ghost” hunting. If you’ve come to the conclusion that a book is too big of a project for you, resolve to get help. A ghostwriter can write everything from small edits to entire passages and chapters to a full book from scratch.
Back up often. Don’t lose valuable data that could set you back. Resolve to back up important files to a cloud service or external hard drive so you’ll never lose data — and you’ll sleep better at night.
Be a mentor. Most writers have benefitted from the wisdom and advice of other writers. Why not help share what you’ve learned about the writing and/or publishing process with someone else?
Take some time for YOU. A healthy, well-rested writer is a more successful writer!

The New Year is the perfect time to either start that writing project or finish it — and get it published! Not sure where to start? Let Outskirts Press help!

RECEIVE OUR AUTHOR PLATFORM SET-UP, FOR FREE ($499 value) WHEN YOU START PUBLISHING TODAY!

This month you can get the effective Author Platform Set-up Through Social Media service FREE when you start publishing today. Start right now and choose to publish with our industry-leading Diamond publishing service or our full-color Pearl publishing service.
Outskirts Press can launch your book into the social media landscape with the following services included in the package:

Establish author accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and WordPress
Set up social media profiles on each platform
Identify and establish relevant connections with users on each social media platform
Assist you in building their unique online presence

Start today with the promotion code FreeSocial2016 when you choose to publish with our industry-leading Diamond publishing service or our full-color Pearl publishing service to receive the FREE Author Platform Set-up Through Social Media option.

In addition to receiving a FREE Author Platform Set-Up, you’ll also receive the following with your Diamond package:

Standard Press Release. $99 value included free when you order your Diamond publishing service today.
Audio Excerpt. $99 value included free with your Diamond order today and a great way to share your voice with your readers, literally!
E-Book Edition (pdf). $99 value included free with your Diamond publishing service.
Cover Image. $99 value included free and a great way to enhance your cover.
Spring Arbor additional distribution. $99 value to complement the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram availability already included with your Diamond publishing service.

All in all, you’re looking at almost $1,000 of free stuff in January!

TOP 5 PUBLISHING HEADLINES

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT & SUCCESS STORY

“I find that working with the publishing staff is a pleasure. Dana and her staff are all highly competent and thorough in the performance of their duties. I hope to work with them again in the near future.”

James C. Maddox grew up in Florida, where he still lives today. He retired after 27 years at a high-tech plant for the Department of Energy. At almost the same time, Jim completed another 27-year career with the Florida National Guard. He began as a private and worked his way up to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Jim’s love of the outdoors and wildlife knowledge is expressed in his other books, Lake Pan and The Dream.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Lake Pan, Jim and the gang are called upon to help when a rancher down in south Florida reports a problem: Something is eating the rancher’s herd of prizewinning experimental Brahma cattle. As the new director of the South Regional Fish and Game office, Anna Mae Jones knows that the rancher’s problem has landed squarely in her lap as he claims the marauding animal, whatever it is, is coming from her jurisdiction-the Everglades National Park. Anna sends one of her top park rangers to investigate the rancher’s losses, but he returns with disturbing news. The mysterious animal is big and unidentifiable, at least to Sgt. Wayne Shucks, who asks his new boss for help. Anna immediately thinks of the group of fishermen who helped further her career earlier at a lake called Pan. The men are ex-service members of the United States Armed Forces, and with their military skills and vast knowledge of the region’s fish, animals, and swamplands, Jim and his gang are perfectly suited for this assignment. If only Anna can drag them away from their bass fishing on Lake Pan.

– James C. Maddox, author of Bowfin

Advice, book marketing, Marketing Options, Marketing Packages, Pinterest

Self-Publishing Authors Can Expand Their Reach Through Social Media

Traditional and self-publishing authors have one important thing in common these days when it comes to book marketing: Both need a social media presence in order to make the most of their one-on-one and word-of-mouth marketing opportunities.

Years ago, avid readers learned about juicy reads at the local coffee shop, book clubs, newspaper reviews or even over-the-fencepost conversations with a neighbor. The advent of the Internet has changed these social landscapes forever. While the neighborhood watering hole is still a terrific place to learn about the hottest new literature, the potential reach of social media is too great to be ignored. No longer does an Outskirts Press author need to get the word out one encounter at a time; with social media, that same writer can drop a quick Facebook post or Pinterest pin and “chat” with hundreds of virtual friends all at once.

Some social media sites, however, are more intuitive than others. For some, it may not take much time to get a Facebook page up and running, but Twitter or Pinterest might prove confusing. You may be wondering how much time it will take to get started and whether you can afford the time investment. And even if these social pages are successfully established, how does a newbie know whether they’ve used the page to full effect? How does one know if he’s reaching the right audience? Are there tools to getting the most impact from a social media platform that could be getting overlooked?

Outskirts Press can accelerate the process of setting up your social media platform. No, scratch that — we can do it for you! Our social media and marketing specialists are not only adept at establishing your social media presence for you but also shaping your online image so that you aren’t just reaching people but turning them into readers.

Are you interested in boosting book sales by building a powerful social media presence? Let Outskirts Press take the lead!

Survey Poll

Author Poll: Writer B.J. Armstrong wants your help with her book cover.

B.J.Armstrong is self-publishing a book with Outskirts Press. And she wants your help deciding her book cover.

Book Summary

Everyone Has a Story to Tell—What Is Yours?

Many people recognize the importance of sharing their life story-each of us has a special place in the world, and the experiences you’ve had can never be repeated or replaced. But the idea of writing a memoir can be overwhelming! That’s where BIO-BY-U can help. This interactive, easy-to-use workbook provides prompts and ideas so that you can write your life story in your own way. The book consists of subjects and a list of questions about each subject. You can use this workbook with a computer, a tape recorder, a typewriter, a video camera, or pen and paper…it’s up to you! You can answer the question prompts with a word, a sentence, a paragraph, or a longer story. When you’re done, you’ll have your life events laid out in story form. This workbook helps to organize and clarify life events, and gives you a format to describe to the reader each person and place in your life. You’ll have the opportunity to reflect, to explain, and to share the experiences that have made you who you are. It’s easier than you think-let BIO-BY-U unlock the story of your life!

About the Author

Beverly Armstrong started developing her biography-writing a workbook in 1976, when she asked her father to write stories of his parents and his childhood. She further developed the book over the years while writing her own story. Today, she uses the workbook as an interview guide to write the life stories of people who do not read or write English.

Please take a look at two possible covers below and then vote on the choice you recommend for B.J.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option A

Cover A

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge Cover Option B

Cover B

Promotions

5 Book Elements That Attract Book Buyers

Readers are a mysterious bunch. Authors, publishers and booksellers have been trying to get inside their heads and crack all the secret codes to producing that next bestseller for centuries.

There’s likely never going to be a formula that ensures a book’s success, but there are always things an author can do to improve their odds of getting the attention of potential readers and converting those shoppers into buyers.

Here, we explore five book elements that are known to attract buyers and boost sales:

An Attractive Cover. Contrary to the old adage, book buyers can, and will, judge your book by its cover. Readers will draw a number of conclusions about you, your story and the quality of your book within milliseconds, based solely on the impressions created by the cover art. —Make no mistake; designing a strong cover that grabs attention and conveys the mood, genre or themes in a story is an art – a very important one. While there are templates on the market that can help an author put together a cover, custom design from an artist with specialized training in design principals, and experience in the field, will produce far more effective art. A professional custom cover can pay for itself with increased traffic to your book page that translates into increased sales.
Back Cover Copy. Once the cover captures the eye, the text on the back cover must sell the book quickly, and in this day of online sales, the back cover copy is often the same marketing text used on sales pages for Amazon’s and Barnes & Noble’s websites. —Every writer has different skills. An author who excels at expounding on ideas in a 500-page tome may be at a loss to sum up his work in 200 words or less. Cover scribing is a narrow specialty; some writers will “get it” and some will not. If you’re not “wired” that way, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a writer with experience in book marketing.
A Beautiful Interior. Believe it or not, book formatting can vary greatly, depending on the genre, the content and other factors that may be specific to the author’s message. There are a number of widely accepted industry standards; however, many factors such as a font style and size, headers/footers, page numbering and graphic elements, can and should be tailored to the specific needs of your book. These elements can be useful in conveying your ideas more clearly and enhancing the reader’s experience.
Professional Copy Editing. A funny thing happens when you edit your own work. Typos become invisible. You fall in love with your own words. Whether you’re writing your first words ever or you’ve been at it for decades, you need fresh eyes. A professional copy editor is a writer like you, but usually has additional training as an editor, English language professional, grammar czar or other expertise – and even they use copy editors. No writer worth his salt circumvents the copy editing process. Ever.
Illustrations. Certain book genres – science fiction, medical, children’s books – lend themselves nicely to custom illustrations, but any book can benefit from quality art. From the book cover to key chapters in the body, illustrations can bring alive vital elements of your story or reinforce specific information in your text.

Writing is very often a solo effort, but the more eyes, brains and hearts you get involved in the polishing process, the more your book will benefit – and the more readers you may be able to attract. The good news is, Outskirts Press offers all these options (and about 100 more) so you can truly receive the exact level of service you need for your special project.

Start Publishing Today

GET $300 OF FREE UPGRADES WHEN YOU START PUBLISHING TODAY!

Get $300 of “Mad Money” with the promotion code below when you choose to publish with our industry-leading Diamond publishing service or our full-color Pearl publishing service.

You can apply your $300 of “Mad Money” toward any optional production or marketing option we offer during the pre-production process. And with many of our optional services beginning at just $99, you can get quite a few! Apply it to options such as a Custom Cover, Cover Scribing, Editing, a Kindle format, or many others

Promo Code: MadMoneyFeb13

TOP 4 PUBLISHING HEADLINES

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT & SUCCESS STORY

“I enjoy working with Jennifer. She is helpful and knowledgeable about layout, design, and marketing aspects, and whatever she may not know she finds the answer immediately to help the author to achieve the results required.”Dr. Juna Jinsei has a Ph.D. in Pastoral Counseling Psychology, and is the founder and president of World Wholeness, Inc. At the commencement of her career, Juna was part owner of an advertising agency in Caracas, Venezuela, promoting some of the largest national companies from Gerber to Lagoven Petroleum.

– Juna Jinsei, author of FUNdaMENTAL Creativity

Promotions

Using Social Media to Promote Your Book

Social media is one of the best marketing tools available to self-publishing authors. It is the digital era’s version of word of mouth marketing, and it is free, easy to use, and effective. Some of the most popular sites include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Regardless of which sites you decide to use, there are a few tips to maximize your marketing efforts. Here is what you need to know about using social media to promote your self-published book:

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 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.

Need help getting started?

Until January 31, we at Outskirts Press would like to get you started off on the right foot in 2013 with free social media set-up services (a $399 for Diamond and Pearl authors). Author Platform Set-Up Through Social Media is a social media services package normally priced at $399 for our Diamond and Pearl package customers and $499 for all other authors — a huge savings for self-publishing authors for just a few more days this month!

With a minimal amount of information from you, Outskirts Press can launch your book into the social media landscape with the following services included in the package:

Establish author accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and WordPress
Set up social media profiles on each platform
Identify and establish relevant connections with users on each social media platform
Assist you in building their unique online presence

You can take advantage of the service by visiting the product page.

To experience publishing success like this, click here to meet your consultant.

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