social media for authors | Social Media Aspirin™

January 11, 2019February 5, 2019

5 Ways to Use Instagram Slideshow to Promote Your Next Book

Working on building a community online and promoting your latest book at the same time?

Not every social media platform is right for every writer, author, book or need. LinkedIn is probably not the best place to promote a book like Fifty Shades of Grey, but it is perfect for an author promoting a book on how to make a career change or build a network.

One social media platform commonly overlooked by writers is Instagram. Instagram is an online photo sharing social network, and before you judge promoting a book here, know that the site has over 500 million active users per day and ONE BILLION active users per month.

With that many visitors, you’re bound to reach a larger audience if you take time to learn how to utilize this promotional tool.

How Does Instagram Slideshow Work?

Download and open the app on your smartphone or tablet. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a square icon where you can create a new “gallery.” On the next screen, you’ll see pictures appear that are currently on your device. Select which photos you’d like to share and Instagram will create an eye-catching slideshow. Additionally, there is an option to share your slideshow on other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to achieve even greater reach.

How do you make this technique work for you? Here are 5 creative ways you can use an Instagram slideshow to showcase you and your work

1. Give a Sneak Peek

Readers want to get to know the person behind the words. Post pictures that you are comfortable sharing like photos from events and places you go.

Here are some ideas on how to give viewers a “peek” into your life and your written word.

Make regular runs to the bookstore? Share what you are purchasing and reading.
Take pictures when you receive your arc copies in the mail.
Snap some screenshots of the editing process.
Share your work space.
Have someone take pics of you during the next book signing or public event. (Always!)
Fan mail, old rejection letters, or other correspondence.

Readers will connect with you when they see that you share similar interests. Everyone likes to get a peek into the private lives of their influencers and this is a great way to share more but in a less intrusive way than live video.

2. Provide Inspiration

All the rage on social media is creating and sharing memes. Find graphics that are beautiful (and copyright free – try Pixabay) and quotes that not only are relatable but also evoke an emotional response. This will create a stronger network and boost your organic social reach. These images are more likely to be shared on other pages, platforms and networks so make sure they are branded (with your website and logo) and lead viewers back to you.

3. Showcase the Work

The first thing that attracts a reader at a bookstore is a stunning or interesting cover. The same goes for Instagram.

If this is your first book, and you have an awesome cover, readers in your genre will flock to see what your book is about. Put together a slideshare of images of the front cover, back cover, dedication page or index, and the first page of the first chapter.

4. Organize a Contest

As a marketing tactic, have fans send in their photos and give the winner a free copy of your book, a signed bookplate, or some other swag. It may seem counterintuitive to give away your book for free, but a contest will spread news across the web about your next best-selling book and build your following and presence online.

5. Follow Other Writers, Authors and Bloggers

Instagram is a social media platform, so don’t forget to network with your fellow writers and authors and other people in your industry. Especially if you are a new author, this is your chance to connect with experienced authors and build influence and credibility. Plus, following others who are already utilizing Instagram could help inspire you when creating your own content.

How do you use Instagram to build your writer and author presence online?

Melody Jones is Dispenser-in-Chief of Social Media Aspirin™ for Writers and Authors. She helps take the pain out of social media! Check out her services and learn how your can reduce your social media pain – and get back to doing what you love.

January 2, 2019January 11, 2019

Our Fave Social Media Ideas for Authors and Writers

Is social media marketing a puzzle to you?

Writers and authors often have these fears: fear of sharing too much information, not sharing enough content, of being too “sales-y”, or not being “sales-y” enough.

Don’t worry, we’ve taken the mystery out of it. Here are a few of our favorite social media ideas.

Before we share the goods, there are some key points to remember about social media:

Gear your campaigns for the specific social media platform you’re on. What works on Twitter won’t work on Instagram, and what hits on Facebook will take a nosedive on LinkedIn. Even ad campaigns are far different.
The internet is forever, so be careful what you post.
Make sure your brand is clear and that people have a way to follow up with you (and get your books!). You can’t post a picture with a link written on it and expect people to type it in. More than 80% of social media is viewed using a mobile device. That means your fans are using apps, and they usually won’t open a new browsing window–it’s too much work.

Without further ado, here are some of our favorite social media ideas for writers and authors.

Host a Q&A Session

Hosting a Q&A is an excellent way to connect with your audience.

You could run a live Q&A (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are excellent places to go live) where your followers can ask you questions that you’ll answer while live streaming.

Another option is to start a comment thread on Facebook or Instagram where you encourage readers to ask questions, and you pop in and answer them throughout the day. Some authors will post to each social media platform, pull from those questions, and create a YouTube video of their Q&A’s. The sky’s the limit when it comes to this type of interaction.

Fan Interaction

Whether it’s a vote for the next hero in a story or a fanart contest, get your audience involved! Offer different choices for what a character might wear, for the next book cover design, or the name of a fictional town. Then announce the winner to all your fans and offer a little prize. Rinse and repeat.

Show Some Behind-the-Scenes Props and Production

Does your main character in the story drive a particular car? Do they work with magic or use props?

Create a Pinterest board that shows all the scenery, props, and other inspirational imagery used in your book. Some authors create individual character boards, as well, with costume inspiration ideas. If you have sketches or outlines, consider showing some of those on Instagram and Facebook to get people interested (without spoilers, of course).

Update Your Fans

Let them see what you’re working on today. Show them the beginning, middle, and end, so that they’re right there with you during the journey.

Did you write 10,000 words today? Tell them. Go on a research trip and tour of Easter Island for an upcoming book? Share photos every day of that trip and interesting tidbits you’ve learned. Fans love this stuff.

The Writer’s Life: A Glimpse

Post pictures of your writing space, your writing board, or anything else that shows your fans how you write. Don’t feel as though you need an epic desk shot.

If your cat loves to lay on your writing surface – as happens for so many writers! – take a pic and post.

Share Your Book

When you share your book, choose a quote or something easily read while on the go. Make sure it’s in an image and that your book buy links are in the description.

Stories Gathered at the Kitchen Table, Melody Jones - Writer — Melody Jones has three pieces published in this anthology.

If you’re on Twitter or Instagram, share a link to your website where all the buy links are available. Keep in mind that you’ll need to change your bio in Instagram to reflect the new link. Keep a consistent format that reflects your brand.

When it’s all said and done, sharing our expertise and selling books and content is what we do as writers and authors. Don’t forget to share your work.

Which of these ideas will you tackle in your next social media campaign?

September 1, 2017August 28, 2017

Cultivating a Community for Your Readers

Writing is the heart of your business, but so is developing a community for your readers. Self-promotion is a necessity in today’s modern author world. If you’re tempted to run away, don’t. Hear me out. It takes days, weeks, months, and sometimes years to develop a book. A reading community can’t be built in a day. It takes time and effort.

Do you have ten minutes in your day that you can spare for those who support your work? Of course, you do!

Here are some quick tips to cultivating your readers that take ten minutes or less:

Set up Google Alerts to track where you’re mentioned. You need to know what they’re saying about you! You can set up an alert for your name, book title, Twitter handle, Instagram handle, site URL, and more. When you find people who have mentioned you and your work, stop by and give them a thank you and show your appreciation for their support of your work. It’s an excellent way to connect with new readers.
Use polls to connect with your readers. You don’t have to create book-only polls. If you’re having trouble with Photoshop, or struggling to figure out which font to use in Canva, set up a poll and ask for help. If you do choose to go with a particular person’s (or group’s) choice, make sure you give them credit.
Surround yourself with those you admire. This doesn’t mean you should look down on anyone, but your reputation is important. If you hang around with someone (especially online) who is shady or shifty, their behavior will reflect on you as well. By that same token, if you only associate with national and international bestsellers, you may come off as snobby and unapproachable. Stay true to yourself and only recommend and support those you would in real life.
Update your bios on all platforms. You should have a bio that says who you are, what you write, and list all your important links, titles, and awards. A long bio will also list the books you’ve published. Develop four sizes of bios. One should be a tagline (perfect for Twitter, and for starting your other bios), the next should be two sentences max (great for Instagram, and Facebook’s short bio), the third should be two paragraphs (Facebook long bio, Author pages, summary information for article writing, and more), and the final should be a page long. That page should be a template you pull your other bios from, and it should, at a minimum, be on your website. The page long should list your books, all social media links, and any bonus content you offer for them signing up to your newsletter.
Do you look at pictures of your favorite authors? Chances are you’ve sneaked a peek at one or two behind-the-scenes photos. Whether it’s book- or life-related, showing that extra insight into your world can help bring your readers with you.
Go for interaction! Create a prompt event. Use a theme, image, riddle, or whatever you like to create a place for your readers to connect with you. Ask a single question and use a single call to action to cut down on confusion. It’s a great way to interact with your community, and it doesn’t take very much time. If you’re looking for a great way to host a contest, this is a fantastic place to start. For everyone who leaves a comment (with the correct answer, if you’re asking trivia or riddles), enter their names into a contest for a drawing. That way you reward those who interact while still giving back to your community.
Reply to comments! Thank anyone who has used your free content or downloaded your book during a quick sale. If you spend time being grateful to your readers, they will show their support in ways you won’t expect.

Cultivating a community takes time, but it’s worth it. You want to take potential readers and turn them into loyal fans. Choose one tip to work on at a time. Your book wasn’t written in one day and neither will the development of your reader community. Which of these will you try first?