Thoughts At One In The Morning is proud to present a blog post series for unpublished writers on the self-publishing world. I have asked four indie authors to share with you the different steps they have taken on their journey. They will discuss the writing process itself, the steps in between, and publishing itself. Please join us every week for a new topic on the journey to becoming an indie author!
Our Indie Author panel:
Marie Landry, author of Blue Sky Days
You can find her on her blog Ramblings Of A Daydreamer.
A.M. Hargrove, author of The Guardians Of The Vesteron series
You can find her on her blog A.M. Hargrove.
Avery Sawyer, author of Notes To Self
You can find her on her website The Teashop Girls.
Michelle Flick, author of The Owens Legacy: Revelations
You can find her on her blog Oh! For the LOVE of BOOKS!.
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This week on The Journey of Self-Publishing:
How do I establish myself online?
Avery Sawyer: It takes time. Set up a Twitter account and a Facebook page and start following people and making some noise. It helps if you’re naturally witty or able to link to cool/funny/interesting things online. Be generous. Retweet and Share other people’s good news and begin to establish friendly, reciprocal relationships.
Avery Sawyer: I use Twitter, Facebook, Blogger (not much), Goodreads, and LibraryThing. I have a Facebook page for Notes to Self, but it doesn’t get much action. I use Twitter the most, following closely by Facebook. I am online all day. I use social networking a ton. Fortunately, I don’t mind it.
Avery Sawyer: I set up a website for Planet Explorers, but I’m beginning to think the Planet Explorers Facebook page is probably a better tool to connect with my readers.
~Establishing Yourself Online~
How do I establish myself online?
Avery Sawyer: It takes time. Set up a Twitter account and a Facebook page and start following people and making some noise. It helps if you’re naturally witty or able to link to cool/funny/interesting things online. Be generous. Retweet and Share other people’s good news and begin to establish friendly, reciprocal relationships.
Michelle Flick: Blogging, commenting on everyone's page, Goodreads, a Facebook page dedicated to you as an author, and Twitter. Social networking takes time - you have to be dedicated to it - every week.
A.M. Hargrove: Here's what I think is the most important thing to do in order of importance: 1. Goodreads (have I said this enough? LOL) 2. Twitter (5 tweets per day with 1 of them being promotional. Help your fellow authors here too…it will come back 100-fold.) 3. Website/blog. I hired a web designer for a basic site and I use Blogger for my blog. 4. Facebook.
Marie Landry: First, start a blog. Whether it’s a book blog, a blog about writing, or a blog about anything and everything, if I could tell you to do one thing, it would be start a blog and add original, quality content on a regular basis. I’d also recommend setting up a page on Facebook, a Twitter account, and joining Goodreads. Get your name and face out there, make friends, make connections, let people know they can expect great things from you.
What social media do you use?
Avery Sawyer: I use Twitter, Facebook, Blogger (not much), Goodreads, and LibraryThing. I have a Facebook page for Notes to Self, but it doesn’t get much action. I use Twitter the most, following closely by Facebook. I am online all day. I use social networking a ton. Fortunately, I don’t mind it.
Marie Landry: I’m everywhere. I have two Facebook pages - one for my writing in general, and one for Blue Sky Days. I’m on Twitter, Goodreads, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, you name it. I also have three (yes, three) blogs - a book blog (Ramblings of a Daydreamer), an author blog (Marie Landry, Author), and an everything blog (Lost and Found - Reflections of a Daydreamer).
Which one do you use the most?
Avery Sawyer: I set up a website for Planet Explorers, but I’m beginning to think the Planet Explorers Facebook page is probably a better tool to connect with my readers.
Michelle Flick: Blogger is the one I use the most. I am branching out to Facebook more. I use Goodreads pretty steadily. Self-promotion is the key to success - well so I think. But if you aren't willing to promote your book because you believe in it, why would anyone buy it?
A.M. Hargrove: I spend almost 100% of my time divided between Goodreads and Twitter.
Any more than that and it takes away my time from writing as they both
can become addicting and time-consuming!
Did you have a professional design your site?
Avery Sawyer: Nope.
Marie Landry: No, I designed them all myself. Another way a background in design comes in handy! There are some incredible designers out there - recently, a lot of bloggers have started offering their services, and they’re just as good as any ‘professionals’ I’ve seen, and the money usually goes back into the blog through giveaways and promotions. Book bloggers helping book bloggers - one of the many reasons I love our little community.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Avery Sawyer: I would hire a pro if I could afford it.
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Thank you for the great advice on establishing yourself online!
Join us next week when our Indie Author panel will discuss how to Contact Book Bloggers and how important it is in promoting your novel.
