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Authors As Business Owners

June 8, 2020 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

I published my first book two months ago, but it’s not selling. I’m thinking about building a website. What do I need to know?

I see this a lot in Facebook author groups. Authors are so excited about their books that they rush through everything with the belief that having a book available is the only thing that matters. They foolishly believe the book will sell itself; they just have to sit back and watch.

If only.

Can you imagine if a clothing store did that? They just opened their doors with no advertising or promotion, then told everyone what they were selling. It wouldn’t take long for them to go out of business.

No other businesses use the launch-a-product-then-advertise model, and I think that’s one of the biggest problems authors have when it comes to book sales. Authors see themselves as artists (which they are!), but they’re also business owners. If you want to make a living writing and selling books, you have to embrace the ‘selling’ aspect of that equation.

In the next few months, I’m going to share some tips on three things authors must have to increase their visibility and sales—and you need to start these before you release your first book, not after. The three necessary pieces are:

  1. Your website
  2. Your newsletter
  3. Your social media presence

Why do you need to have these before you have a book? Because you want people to be able to find you as soon as your book is available. Because you want to drum up excitement about your book before it’s even released. Because you don’t want people to get excited about your work only to search for you online and not find anything about you.

PLEASE NOTE: Your website comes before your social media presence for a reason—you don’t own your social media accounts. At any time, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn could shut down or delete your account for various reasons. If that happens and you only have social media accounts, your online presence disappears. Don’t let that happen! Build your website first, then worry about social media.

Until then, what questions do you have about author websites, newsletters, and social media? Send them in, and I’ll answer them in my posts.


What’s the difference between clean and wholesome fiction? Sign up for my author newsletter and get my Clean vs. Wholesome checklist! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for writing tips, updates on Guiding Light, and more!

Filed Under: best practices, social media Tagged With: social media

How to Write a Novel: How’s Your Platform?

October 15, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Have you ever visited your favorite author’s website? Explored her Pinterest boards? Followed her Twitter feed? Those social media accounts are part of that author’s platform.

Why does that matter to you? Because all writers—published and not-yet-published—need to establish and build their platforms.

I’ll be honest: platform building isn’t my favorite part of being a writer. Instead of creating stories or editing my manuscripts, I’m writing blog posts or trying to decide whether or not to share a sarcastic meme on Facebook. But it doesn’t stop there. Social media is about being social, so I can’t just post and share things. I keep checking in to respond to and interact with people who interact with me.

If platform building is so time consuming, why do we do it?

  1. It builds relationships. My husband loves hiking and camping. I didn’t grow up doing anything like that, so it’s not how I would choose to spend my weekend. I’ll go camping with him though because we have a relationship. The things that are important to him are important to me. Something similar happens when an author establishes a relationship with readers: they’re willing to read something different or go to unfamiliar events because of the relationship you’ve developed.
  2. It keeps you connected. When I lived next to my friend and her kids, I bought the kids Christmas presents every year without having to think about it: I saw them weekly, so I knew exactly what they liked. Now that they live thirty minutes away, however, I have to call their mom to ask what the kids are interested in. I just don’t know them like I used to. The same thing happens with your platform. The more you interact with your readers, the better you’ll know them so you won’t have to ask what they like about your stories or what they want to see next. You’ll know because you’re connected.
  3. It keeps you visible. If you can write and edit quickly, you might publish 1-2 novels per year. That’s up to twelve months between releases, which leaves a lot of time for your readers to forget about you and find new favorite authors. If you have an active platform, however, your readers will always know how to find you.
  4. It identifies your buying audience. Before a publisher agrees to publish a book, they want to know how they’re going to sell the book. One place they look is the writer’s platform. How many followers/fans does the writer have? Has the writer even started developing a platform? No one expects an unpublished writer to have hundreds of thousands of fans, but at least having an Facebook account shows the publisher that you’re connecting with and learning how to interact with your audience, and that’s what will help you sell books.

All of that makes sense for published authors, but what about unpublished writers? Why do you need to have a platform if you don’t have any audience?

Because some day you’ll have an audience and you’ll want them to be able to find you. You can’t wait until your book releases because you’ll need to start marketing before then. You’ll want to announce your book contract and share your book cover art when it’s designed—all of that information helps generate buzz and interest in your project, but you can’t do that if you don’t have a platform from which to do it!

That means building your platform now. Here are the three most basic principles to remember as you’re starting this process:

  • Stick with the platforms you already use. If you don’t like Twitter and have never used it, don’t force yourself to use it for your author platform. Instead, use what you’re already using—if you have an Instagram account, set up one for your writing persona.
  • Go to your audience. If you’re writing for young adults, check out Snapchat, Tumblr, and Instagram. If you’re writing for senior women, try Facebook and Pinterest. If you’re not sure where to find your audience, search for the most popular social media platforms for that age/gender. (Pew Research studies this type of information and releases their data to the public.)
  • Be active. Don’t just create a Facebook page. Post to it. Like other people’s pages. Comment on other people’s posts. Share their posts. Comment. Get involved. It’s called social media, so be social!

You can start building your platform at any time, but start it before you submit to agents and publishers. That will show them that you understand the necessity of platform and that you’re already working on it.

Speaking of agents, stop back again in two weeks to look more in depth at the role of the literary agent in your novel-writing journey.

Until then, what questions do you have on platform? Where do you need the most help or encouragement?

My debut novel—Summer Plans and Other Disasters—is now available on Amazon! Sign up for my monthly newsletter and you’ll receive the unpublished prologue: find out what inspired Calista Stephens to make those summer plans. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for writing tips, updates on Guiding Light, and more!

Filed Under: publishing, social media, writing Tagged With: audience, How to Write a Novel, Karin Beery, platform, social media

Making an Impact on Facebook: Pages or Groups? by Leslie Krukowski

September 17, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Facebook has made so many changes to its algorithms lately that it’s hard to know how to brand yourself appropriately on social media. One of the questions I frequently hear is, “Which is better, a Facebook page or group?” There’s no right answer to that question. Instead, let’s look at the pros and cons.

Facebook Pages

Facebook pages are free, and – if set up properly – can turn in good results on search engines. You can schedule posts out for weeks so you don’t have to constantly be on Facebook, and you can share a variety of post types (photos, videos, links, etc.).

I love Facebook pages for retail establishments or anyone that sells something. Facebook pixel tracks the people that have clicked between your site back and Facebook, allowing you to target Facebook ads directly to them. This is a social media manager dream come true.

The major downside to business pages is that they need a lot of TLC (tender loving care), and by TLC I mean paid ads. If you don’t understand Facebook ad manager, take some time to learn it. If you don’t have much of a budget for paid ads, you won’t have much reach. I hate telling you that but the unfortunate reality now is that Facebook business pages do not have much organic reach anymore. Even if you’re getting lots of likes, your posts won’t show up in very many newsfeeds. Posting live videos and photos helps, but they don’t have the reach of paid advertising.

Facebook Groups

What if you don’t have a budget and don’t have a website?

Maybe you’re an up-and-coming artist who would like to start promoting your work on Facebook. Or maybe you’re starting a different type of business and are looking for community participation. I’ve consulted with a few artists who have benefitted from creating a Facebook group.

When you create a group, you’re basically starting a community forum. You can make the group public or private, start conversations, create photo albums, and more. You can’t advertise, but you increase the likelihood of showing in peoples newsfeeds, especially if you post often.

The good, and potentially bad, thing is that you can add your friends and family without their consent, and they can then add their friends and family without their consent. People can always leave your group without any hassle. To get attention, live videos are the best to post, then photos. Don’t post just text (no one reads them!).

One word of warning about Facebook groups: if you make them public, watch out for spammers.  It will happen. If you don’t keep a close eye on your group, some guy in another country that you’ve never heard of will try to get your fans to click on a links that could do some serious damage to their computers (or show them something very uncomfortable!).

Regardless of which direction you choose, having a social media presence takes a lot of care and energy. Make sure you are engaging with your customers. If they comment on your work, make sure you respond graciously. Not only is that the right thing to do, but Facebook takes note of that too and will reward you.

Enjoy your social media journey!

If you’re still having a hard time deciding, or have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at leslie@blackdogbusinessgroup.com.

—

Leslie Krukowski is the principal, CEO, and main consultant of Black Dog Business Group. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English and sub-concentrations in both marketing and business management. After spending several years in management, marketing, and social media marketing positions, she received a Master’s Degree in Administration. She has proven success in managing large groups of people and loves leadership development. Leslie has two black dogs at home, Bertuzzi and Scout. Feel free to reach out to her at leslie@blackdogbusinessgroup.com for a free initial consultation.

Filed Under: best practices, social media Tagged With: Facebook, Facebook groups, Facebook pages, social media marketing

Making The Most Of Your Instagram Account by Leslie Krukowski

June 18, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

It’s time to get noticed and gain followers on one of the fastest growing social media platforms!

If you have a highly visual communication style, Instagram is the social media platform for you.  Anyone with an affinity for their camera can gain a great following –travel, style, and food bloggers, as well as artists, have really taken advantage of the amazing visual capabilities of this platform. Plus, it has seen exponential growth over the last few years. If you are ready to start utilizing Instagram for yourself, here are some important tips!

Take a good photo.

Make sure you photograph has good composition and good lighting.  If the photo isn’t good enough, keep taking pictures until you get one that is. I cannot stress that enough.

Once you have your picture, what filter are you going to use (if any)?

Instagram allows you to choose between several filters within the app itself. The filter that has garnered the most Instagram “likes” is Clarendon, second is Gingham, and third is tied between Juno and Lark. Take your time and choose the filter that honestly makes your photo look better (or more dramatic or softer or whatever feeling you’re going for!)

Proper Use of Hashtags

Using hashtags in your Instagram posts is extremely important to gain attention! It’s a little different than using hashtags on Twitter, which describe the topic of conversation. On Instagram, hashtags should describe your content or your photo.

Hashtags, when used properly, will help gain followers because people on Instagram are looking for photos and videos based on hashtags. For example, #glutenfree, #puremichigan, #beach, #cat, and #dog are some very popular!  If you are unsure of what hashtag to use, do a little research and find similar photos to see what other people are using.

Getting the Right People to Follow You

After you have your page started and you’ve posted your first pictures with the right hashtags, it’s time to find followers. The first thing you want to do is follow all the people that you feel are relevant to you or your brand/business. Once you follow some of those businesses, then you can go into those business pages and can see who follows them. Take initiative and follow all those people too. It will seem like you are following a lot of people with very few following back at first, but that won’t last long.

Now, the hard work begins. You need to engage with the people you are following.  Like their photos and comment when appropriate. When other people see that you are engaging, then you will become more attractive for them to “like” as well. You will attract friends of the people you are engaging with, which should be people you want to attract towards your business as well!

As a social media manager, I love Instagram. I feel that it’s a great way to reach out for very little cost (Facebook has become difficult to navigate for businesses, not to mention expensive!). Instagram is a great alternative for many businesses or professional individuals. Don’t be afraid to explore the options out there. Facebook isn’t the only game in town!


Leslie Krukowski is the principal, CEO, and main consultant of Black Dog Business Group. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English and sub-concentrations in both marketing and business management. After spending several years in management, marketing, and social media marketing positions, she received a Master’s Degree in Administration. She has proven success in managing large groups of people and loves leadership development. Leslie has two black dogs at home, Bertuzzi and Scout. Feel free to reach out to her at leslie@blackdogbusinessgroup.com for a free initial consultation.

Filed Under: best practices, guest blogger, social media Tagged With: Black Dog Business Group, hashtags, Instagram, Leslie Krukowski, social media, social media marketing

Facebook Tips for Small Businesses by Leslie Krukowski

March 19, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

So, you created a Facebook page for your business, and you shared it with all of your friends. Now what?

Posting what your business is doing once in awhile may not be sufficient. Stating the obvious—”I’m a great person to buy insurance from,” or “Visit my store”—creates no excitement or interest in your audience. They’re scrolling through thousands of items in their Facebook feed, so you need to stand out!

You need to:

  1. Make your post visually appealing.
  2. Make them want to DO SOMETHING.

Make Your Post Visually Appealing
As a business owner, you want to create a post or ad that’s visually appealing and that makes a potential customer want to either click on your link or visit your location. That mean’s there MUST be a graphic. It could be a photo, a short video, or a meme, as long as it looks good.

Make Them Want to Do Something
To urge your audience to do something, include a Call To Action (or CTA, as most social media managers say). For example, if you’re hosting a flash sale, you can make it visually appealing by including a graphic like the following:

Then your description could be a CTA explaining that the sale is for a limited time, and asking the viewer to visit your store or click on a link. I recently ran this ad for a customer, and it generated almost $500 in sales within two days!

Those two things will help your posts stand out, but here are a couple of more tricks to help you navigate Facebook.

Increase Exposure
When you are first starting on Facebook, a great way to increase exposure it to boost posts or pay for ads. When you do that, Facebook lets you set your audience to a specific demographic.

For example, you can make sure that your ad is only seen by women, aged 25-55, with a median income of $45-$75,000 that live in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. You can broaden or narrow your demographic as much as you would like. If you have an e-commerce site, you can even embed a Facebook Pixel code into your site, so you can target your ads to people who have visited your site before. That will let products that they have viewed on your website show up on their Facebook feed! Pretty slick, huh?

Another way to increase exposure is to start a private Facebook group. Groups work great for artists, writers, or businesses that have a following, and for retailers, like sports outfitters, mountain bike shops, and ski shops, who already have a specific audience. Any business with a following or fan base can benefit from creating a private group.

Facebook groups allow your fans to form a community where they can gather and communicate with each other as well as with your business. It provides a streamlined form a communication between everyone without having to worry about paying for ads. The downside to a private group is that it’s, well — private, so not everyone will see what’s going one (but that’s more incentive to join your group!).

Social media is ever-changing, and Facebook seems to be in the midst of many changes as we this post is being written. Regardless of what’s happening with algorithms and news feeds, just remember:

Keep it visual, include a call to action, and keep posting!

Good luck!

—

Leslie Krukowski is the principal, CEO, and main consultant of Black Dog Business Group. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English and sub-concentrations in both marketing and business management. After spending several years in management, marketing, and social media marketing positions, she received a Master’s Degree in Administration. She has proven success in managing large groups of people and loves leadership development. Leslie has two black dogs at home, Bertuzzi and Scout. Feel free to reach out to her at leslie@blackdogbusinessgroup.com for a free initial consultation.

Filed Under: best practices, social media Tagged With: Black Dog Business Group, Leslie Krukowski

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ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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