Arlene Miller

Arlene began using Facebook in 2008 simply because she wanted to keep up with her daughter who tours with Disney On Ice. After she wrote and published her book 2 years ago, she found Facebook to be an important tool in getting the word out about her grammar book. Today, she maintains both a profile (631 friends) and a fan page (249 page likes).

“Through Facebook, I got hooked up with people from elementary and high school. It all started with an invitation to a reunion and even though I didn’t attend it, former schoolmates bought multiple copies of my book,” she said.

It was through Facebook as well that Apple users found her and soon the entire group was ordering her book.

“I have a lot of Facebook friends – some I know and others I don’t know. In general, it gets the word out about what you’re
doing.”

LinkedIn is often overlooked by writers but again Arlene has had success in using this social media channel to buy her book. She joined several groups, asked members for their advice on an upcoming book she is writing, and contributed to the groups by answering questions and offering advice.

When I asked Arlene for her best tips, she offered some great advice. “The best thing is don’t try to sell; try to help people.
Don’t say I have a book to sell and you should buy it. Instead answer questions and try to help others.”

The network she favors the most is the Yahoo listserv. “When I was first thinking of publishing my book, I joined a Yahoo self-publishing group. I wouldn’t ever have been able to publish my book without that listserv. It’s really very good. I found my book designer and interior designer, and I don’t know how I would have done that book without that group. That group taught me almost everything I know about self-publishing.”

Seven tips on how to promote your Facebook fan page:

1. Put your Facebook page URL in your email signature.
2. Write a blog post about your new Facebook page.
3. Tag other people’s high-traffic Facebook pages in your updates.
4. Ask your Twitter followers to like your Facebook page.
5. Consider buying Facebook advertising.
6. Customize your URL. For example, Redwood Writer’s is: www.facebook.com/RedwoodWriters
7. Put your Facebook page URL on your Twitter profile description.

Frances Caballo

About the Author: Sonoma County social media consultant Frances Caballo owns ACT Communications and has 22 years of communications and resource development experience. She specializes in helping writers, businesses and nonprofits with their social media marketing, external communications, and fund development needs. Frances is bilingual in English and Spanish. Find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fcaballo, Twitter (@CaballoFrances), and LinkedIn.

Spotlight on Writer Arlene Miller is a post from: Redwood Writers

You have spent years crafting your novel or anthology of poems and now you’re ready to send it out into the world. You’re trained as a writer but what about marketing? This series of blogs will endeavor to help you master the next steps to selling your book.

Did you read the October issue of Vogue magazine? There was a fabulous article in it titled “The Book on Publishing” by Graydon Carter and Keith Gessen. In case you missed it, you can purchase the article for $1.99 from Amazon.

It’s an engrossing tale and a good read.

The article chronicles the life of Chad Harbach, author of the novel The Art of Fielding, from his undergraduate studies to an MFA program as he pursues his passion of writing. Like too many writers, he wades through the morass of low-paying jobs while committing himself to the one novel he keeps rewriting.

With the support of friends who believe in his talent, Harbach meets literary agent Chris Parris-Lamb of the Gernert Company in Manhattan. The agent loves Harbach’s novel and forwards copies to publishers.

After an initial offer of $175,000, which Harbach turns down, Parris-Lamb calls for an auction. Bidding starts at $100,000 and eventually ends with Scribner’s successful bid – of $750,000 and an opportunity to work with the editor of David Foster Wallace.

Now Harbach is not only a successfully published novelist but also a publishing story that Vogue and other media outlets can’t resist.

By the way, his book is doing great too. On GoodReads, the book has generated 1,242 ratings and 389 reviews. On Facebook, the book has nearly 500 “likes.”

This kind of story gives me hope. None of us will know the outcome of our passion for writing unless we stick with it, make time
to write, work on our revisions – and never sell ourselves to the lowest bidder.

Let me know what you think of the Vogue article, this blog, or any other thoughts you’d like to share. Thanks!

About the Author: Frances Caballo, owner of ACT Communications, has 22 years of communications and resource development experience. She has worked with small businesses and local, regional and national nonprofits at all levels of management. Presently, she is the Social Media Editor and a Board Vice President for Redwood Writers. She specializes in helping writers, small businesses and nonprofits with their social media marketing, external communications, and fund development needs. Frances is bilingual in English and Spanish.

 ©Frances  Caballo 2011 – This post cannot be reproduced without permission from the author.

Lessons from The Art of Fielding is a post from: Redwood Writers