WHEN BAD PUBLISHERS HAPPEN TO GOOD WRITERS

A CAUTIONARY TALE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HEEDING RED FLAGS

If you’re a writer, I don’t have to tell you that writing a book is hard work and getting published is even harder. Publishing companies are inundated with submissions, and more and more small presses are popping up. Unfortunately, some of them prey on new and hungry writers. If you’re not careful, your hopes and dreams can turn into despair and nightmares. That's what happens when bad publishers happen to good writers.



Anyone can call himself a publisher. All you have to do is put up a website, spout promises, and declare yourself a publisher. The desire to be a published author can sometimes cause writers to don rose-colored glasses that color their judgment. Before signing with a publishing company, interview them, so to speak. They will be, after all, working for you. Just because someone offers to publish your work, it’s not a given that they’re legitimate or that they’ll be fair. If you’re not careful, you could end up signing away your rights to your characters, settings, and future books. 

It's easy for rogue publishers to be less than truthful to new authors. They think they can (and often do) tell an unpublished author anything, because newbies don't know better. Since true learning comes from life experiences, it would be nice if newbie authors could learn from the mistakes of others. 

I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on the Internet. But I have heard and experienced enough horror stories to compile some dos and don’ts you should know about before you sign on the dotted line. Some of these will be easy to spot when you're offered a contract, and some will take some investigation. Trust me, it’s worth the time and effort. And if red flags start popping up, you definitely should run.

DO:

•    Look at the publisher’s online presence. Scrutinize their website and social media pages. What sorts of things do they post? They should have a solid social media presence with both quantity and quality posts. Publishers should have active, engaging websites, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads pages. Their websites and posts should be professional, nit free, and up to date.  

Note: this step should be taken before you submit your work. It’s much easier psychologically to cross a publisher off your query list than to turn a publishing contract down. Once you get an offer, those glasses turn rosey.



•    Google, research, and investigate the company and the people associated with it. Do an Internet search on the publisher’s and the company’s name. How long have they been in business? Check to see if they’re listed negatively on Preditors & Editors, Writers Write, Absolute Write, or other online writers’ forums. “But they may have changed their ways since that was posted,” you say. Yeah, and Elvis might still be alive.



•    Look for positives as well as negatives. How do their authors feel about the publisher? Verify positive experiences. Contact other authors who have had works published by them. Yes, someone has to be the first author for companies just starting out. But don’t let it be you. If you find negatives, can’t find positives, or can’t find anything about the publisher at all, then run like there's no tomorrow.



•    Verify quality for yourself, don’t take someone else’s word for it. Examine books the company has published. At the very least, read an excerpt from Amazon’s “Inside the Book” feature. Are there nits? Bad grammar? Poor formatting? Poorly written work? Make sure the editing and the product is quality. 


 •    Be clear on their royalties policy. You’ve worked hard and deserve to be compensated, so make sure the wording in the contract specifically states how the publisher pays royalties and on what royalties are based. In a perfect world, all authors would be paid royalties based on list price. But unless you have a book in every bookstore in the country, that probably won’t happen. 

Beware of a clause that waives royalties on a certain number of books. (See the Don'ts section.) 

Take note of wording. If a contract says you'll be paid 50% of net profits, you're thinking that's really sweet, right? Think again. Most small presses pay royalties on net income or net profit, which are two different things. Net income is the money publishers receive after bookseller discounts have been subtracted, which is a sweeter deal than net profit, which is what the publisher makes after any number of expenses are deducted. Are taxes, editing, printing, shipping and handling, marketing, distributor fees and/or their dry cleaning deducted? If production costs aren't defined, they could feasibly count anything they do as a production cost. 

Do they require you to buy books? Do they withhold royalties until a certain number of books are sold? Make sure production costs are clearly defined. 

One more point on royalties: Watch for a clause stating the publisher will freeze royalty payments in the event of a legal dispute. If a publisher does something to cause an author to take legal action, or if they take legal action against the author, the publisher will still get paid, but the author will not.



•    Be cautious if there's no advance offered. An advance simply means the company has faith in the author. Rogue publishers might say they don’t pay advances so they can keep overhead low and be able to pay their authors more. Probably bologna. They might say no advance is standard for first-time authors. More bologna. 

Note: there are many legitimate small presses that don’t pay advances, so no advance isn’t always a red flag. If your royalty percentage is higher than average, it may offset no advance. It's just something to consider.



•    Beware of mumbo jumbo. In addition to looking at how royalties are paid, take notice of verbose or overly complicated wording in a contract. Smoke and mirrors, people. 

Read the terminology carefully. 

Look at this clause:

Work Expenses means all reasonable amounts actually incurred by [Publisher] in connection with the exercise of the Granted Rights that are identifiably attributable to the Work as a standalone work, to a maximum amount equal to 25% of Gross Work Revenues. By way of example only, Work Expenses include the costs of creating versions and copies of the Work (including, without limitation, manufacturing costs related to the Work and the costs of manufacturing ancillary products), shipping costs, advertising expenses related solely to the Work, and charitable contributions derived from sales of the Work, but do not include expenses related to the general overhead costs of Publisher.


Say what? In other words, this publisher will deduct everything before paying your royalties.



Or watch for this one:


We calculate net property by taking the Sale Price minus retail discount minus production costs aggregated across the minimum print run: SP-RD-(PC/MPR)=NP.  This is split 50/50 with the author so the Author’s Royalties are 50% of net profits.

This is pretty much mumbo jumbo that most authors will gloss over. But again, it says the publisher has the right to deduct any cost he wants from royalties he receives before paying you. Fifty/fifty is a misnomer. Walk away!



•    Watch out for bait and switch. Verify that the promises the publisher has made on the website, in emails, or in person are also in the contract. Sadly, people break promises. They even break clauses in contracts. But the law is on your side if all expectations are in writing. For example, the publisher may talk about obtaining reviews for the author, but is it in the contract? They may say they’ll do the editing for free, but is it in the contract? Ask them to be specific. 
And who exactly are the editors and what are their credentials? Verify the information.

•    Beware of smoke and mirror marketing claims. Enticers are proficient at wording things that can be interpreted differently by different people. 
An example might be:

“The Author hereby grants the Publisher the rights to publish the characters found within the Work and the setting established therein for the purposes of marketing and promotions.”

See what they did there? They mentioned marketing and promotions, so you think that’s something the publisher will do. Read it again. All that clause says is that you grant them the right to use the characters and setting in marketing—-there is no promise of a marketing effort. What is their marketing plan? Is it only through social media and book signings? If the publisher offers no marketing or nothing more than marketing that you can do yourself, or if the wording is ambiguous, or if they require you to pay for services, then run. Because you might as well be doing it yourself and reaping all the profits.



•    Beware of publishers asking for your submission. If a publisher contacts you or advertises for submissions . . . run. Legitimate publishing companies have so many submissions they don’t have to look for authors. Don’t buy the line that they want to help first-time authors, or your work is so fantastic they just have to publish it. It’s just that—-a line.



•    Verify their employees’ experience and that they even exist. Anyone can claim anything on a website. They have five editors with a combined experience of twenty-five years? Who are they? What exactly is their experience? Where did they get it? The school newspaper? They're writers themselves? What have they written? A grocery list? (And notice the word "writers" instead of "authors.") Who are these employees? Are they even real people? Verify. It's entirely possible their editor, Arlo Cooper, is the combined names of their dogs, Arlo and Cooper. Don’t take their word for it. Google. Research. Verify. 



•    Ask who will print the book. Some companies use CreateSpace. Don’t give away royalties for something you can do yourself.



•    Verify the publisher’s address is an actual address. It's a big red flag when a publisher lists their address as a post office box. If there’s an address listed, Google the address and see what comes up. Google map it and go to the street view. Is the address a reputable building or a mail store in a strip mall? 





Look at this bogus address:
Rogue Publishing
123 Scumbucket Lane, Suite 666,
Scammers RS, 12345.

What’s wrong with that (besides the fake names)? Looks legit, right? Wrong. “Suite” can also mean “box.” Who knew? 
Do they list a phone number? Google it. Call it and see how it’s answered. If it’s not an actual business address or company phone line, then run like heck. Sure, some brand new publishers may start with a home office. But why didn't they list that address? They're probably trying to appear like more than they are, or they're hiding something. 



•    Make sure there are no hidden costs. Does the contract clearly state the editing and formatting of the book are services provided by the publisher free of charge? No legitimate publisher charges for editing and formatting. 



•    Ask about the distribution plan. Will the publisher get your book in brick and mortar stores? Will it be available on the distribution lists that go out to all booksellers and librarians? Will it be available for order outside of Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com? It’s hard to sell books if your book isn’t distributed properly. Make sure the distribution plan is in writing.

•    Be certain who pays for review copies. Make sure the contract states who will be responsible for sending the book to reviewers—-you or the publisher? That should be part of the production cost. If they require you to foot the bill or offer no assistance, then you should probably run.



•    Make sure the contract states in what forms the book will be printed. If the clause says “May be” or “At the publisher’s discretion,” request the wording be unequivocal. They may promise an eBook or a hardback, but unless it’s in writing, they don’t have to honor their promises. Don't sign a contract in which the wording is vague, or two clauses contradict themselves.



•    Ask for a galley proof. Is there a clause in the contract stating the author will receive a galley proof at the publisher’s expense? Don't assume. As the author of the book, you have every right to and should see a galley, and it should be part of the production cost. (When you upload a book to Amazon, you have the option of getting a free .mobi copy so you can proofread. Your publisher should forward that to you. Hard copy proofs are also very low cost. A legitimate publisher can afford to send you a galley proof or advance copy. It's your book and your name on the front. A galley or .mobi should be offered­—get it in writing.



•    Keep every email or letter you receive from your publisher or liaison. You never know what you may need in the future to prove a point of contention. Keep everything.



•    Negotiate the contract. You should see a huge red flag waving if the publisher refuses to negotiate. If you’re uncomfortable about something, ask, and don’t buy the line, “it’s standard in publishing contracts.” Contracts are meant to be negotiated so they’re fair for both parties. If you ask questions and get mumbo jumbo answers, or are asked to sign the contract as-is, instead of signing, you should be running.



•    Hire a lawyer or agent to look at the contract before you sign. Yes, lawyers are expensive. But which would you rather do: spend money up front to make sure the contract is fair, or spend money later to get you out of the contract you didn’t fully understand? Be clear on what you're signing, because rogue publishers count on duping newbie authors with double talk and mumbo jumbo.

DON’T:

•    Do not, under any circumstances, sign a contract with a clause giving the publisher first rights of refusal on subsequent works. If this becomes a major sticking point, then a) run like a house afire, b) ask for a two-year opt out clause, where you can at least get free and clear after two years. Legitimate publishers will work to retain your loyalty. Dubious publishers will force you to publish with them or not at all. If the publisher does his job to your satisfaction, then by all means sign a new contract with them. But if their work was unsatisfactory, or your relationship turns sour, you need to be able to walk away. If you’ve granted a publisher first rights of refusal, it may be years before you can publish another book because you’re sure as heck not going to give some #@&*^ more of your work to screw up—-right? Run, don’t walk, away from first rights of refusal clauses. 


•    Don’t give the publisher exclusive rights to publish works based upon characters and settings of the work for the duration of the contract. Never, never, never agree to that. If things go horribly wrong, you’ve lost control of your work. If you'd intended on writing a sequel or a series, an unscrupulous and/or vindictive person could hold your work hostage because of one stinking clause. If you sign off on this clause and later find that you don't want them to publish subsequent works, your choice is to wait years until the contract expires and you can publish again, or spend thousands of dollars suing to regain your freedom. Run from the term "exclusive."

•    Don’t accept free books in exchange for royalties. You're in red flag city if a clause in the contract states you will not be paid on the first 100, 200, or any mumbo jumbo number of retail copies sold of any edition. 

An author deserves to be paid for every book sold. If a publisher wants to give you free books in exchange for royalties on a certain amount of books, just say no. Publishers should give authors free books for promotional purposes—-period. Publishers pay authors, not the other way around. Run like crazy away from a clause that cheats you out of hard-earned royalties.


Note: If a contract has the double whammy of no royalties on the first X-number of books, and they pay on net profit, from which they deduct production costs, run to the law, because you're about to be robbed.



•    Don’t agree to a book purchase requirement, even at a discount. Just don't. There's no reason you should be required to purchase a certain number of books. None. That's a huge red flag. 



•    Don’t sign multiple contracts until you have one book under your belt. Even if the publisher produces a quality product, what if your relationship goes south? Protect yourself. 

Note: Publishers do take a risk on first-time authors, and the more books the author writes, the better the first book will sell, so ideally it’s only fair to reward a publisher’s faith in you by publishing multiple books with them. If you’ve done your homework, and the publisher is solid with no other red flags, signing a two-book contract is a show of good faith in each other. Just don’t sign away an entire series. Stuff happens. And it wouldn't hurt to have an opt-out clause just in case.

After you sign on the dotted line . . .


Verify, verify, verify:

•    Verify promises. If the contract states the publisher will have the work copyrighted within a certain amount of time, verify that he has done so and that it is in your name. Just because the contract says he will, doesn't mean it will happen. Protect yourself.
 
•    Verify formatting quality. This is where a galley proof or advanced reader copy is important. Formatting should be included in any service a publisher offers. But just offering it isn't enough. Readers notice sloppy formatting. If the eBook formatting isn’t done properly, insist it be fixed and don’t take anyone’s word for it. Verify. If it’s not fixed when it’s published and after a reasonable amount of time, Amazon might pull it for review, and you will lose sales. A badly formatted eBook will affect your reviews, ratings, and reputation.
 
•    Verify sales. Would you believe there are some rogue publishers who try to falsify sales reports? Shocking, but true. Since Amazon doesn't allow authors to see Kindle sales (can someone please explain to me that decision?), the author must trust the publisher's reports. But watch your online sales closely. If you feel you've been given an incorrect report, verify.
 
•    Verify facts. Take screen shots if you believe your publisher has violated the contract and there is online evidence. You may need it at some point in the future. Be a boy scout. Be prepared. If your book is on Amazon best seller lists, even in subcategories, your book is making money, and your royalties should reflect that.

"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.” ~ Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Some red flags I personally found but ignored before signing the contract:

I'm a trusting, honest person. So even though people told me the contract smelled fishy, I brushed the concerns aside. I encountered a lot of the above points, but here are some specific red flags I found out too late were practically flashing at me in neon lights.

    •    I googled the mailing address. It showed a strip mall, so I assumed since the publisher was new, the “office” was in the strip mall. I later discovered had I looked further, I would have seen the mailing address was merely a box in a mail store.

    •    The contract said royalties would be paid after 250 books were sold. This is a very (at best) rooky move and (at worst) an unscrupulous tactic. If the publisher gets paid, so should the author. If he's deducting expenses before paying you anything, he's nothing more than a vanity press.

• The contract said the “publisher” would give the author 25 free books to offset the lack of royalties. That sounds good. But it isn’t. On paper, you could sell your book for $15.99 each, which would be $399.75 pure profit. But in reality, and what I learned, is that you are not going to sell those books to your family and friends. You also need books to give to reviewers, or small bookstores, or for marketing. Those should be provided free of charge by the publisher and not be used instead of royalties. The promise of pure profit from 25 books was an empty one.

Red flags once the contract was signed:

    •    The contract said the publisher would obtain a copyright in my name. I later found out he registered it in his name.

    •    The “publisher” often mixed up my book with another author’s. He posted on Facebook that he was formatting my book when he was actually formatting another author’s book. He even mixed up our titles when he put my book on Amazon. To this day, even though he is no longer listed as the publisher of my first book, it is technically listed under another author’s title. Amazon says there’s nothing they can do if I want to keep my 600+ reviews of the book.

    •    During the editing process, it became clear that the “publisher” and his wife were the editors. Neither had solid editing credentials, which I found out once the book was published.

    •    I was not allowed a galley proof. He said it was too expensive. That’s not true, and I don’t know why he wouldn’t send me a galley proof. They are under $5 from Amazon. When I received my 25 “free” copies, and I started looking through it, I found multiple—multiple errors in not only grammar and punctuation, but also in the story. He had mixed up one character’s name completely. In the case of a fellow author under this “publisher” he misspelled the title of the book. Instead of “Angels” he had “Angles.” Big difference! And the error was not discovered until her book launch party which turned into a major disaster. It could have been avoided had she been allowed a galley copy.

    •    His email responses were erratic. He always had a good excuse, His mother was sick. His neighbor needed his help. His computer was down . . . The excuses got more ridiculous each time he disappeared or was out of contact for days even a week or more.

    •    My book began hitting Amazon bestseller (top 100, even down to top 10) in sub categories: women sleuths, animals, cozy mystery. I was climbing the Amazon top 100 authors list and was on it for months. Yet he still wasn’t paying me royalties. He was sending me “reports” but there was nothing official about them. They were a spread sheet that he created. (And I use “created” in every sense of the word.) I contacted a lawyer. He quickly sent me a check for $1,000. My book and author status kept climbing.

    •   I waited way too long, but I eventually evoked a clause in the contract that said I could audit the sales of my book and the publisher’s books. We set a date and time for me to travel to Atlanta for the audit. The day before our arranged time, he canceled the meeting with a bogus excuse. My reviews exceeded the number of books he said I had sold, my ratings status continued to be high. I knew he was selling more books than he was reporting to me. When he canceled the audit, I was convinced.

    •    As my lawyer attempted to broker a deal to end the contract, the “publisher” threatened legal action against me because I had published online a few of his unscrupulous actions. Eventually, with my book on the top 10 cozy mystery list, I had to contact Amazon and reported him as a fraudulent publisher. I revoked his right to publish my book, and they removed the book from their site. It took another year for me to have the book edited again and republish it. And that lawyer wasn't cheap. Had I decided to go further and sue the man for unpaid royalties, the legal fees were estimated be be around $60,000.

    •    I eventually discovered, thanks to some excellent online sleuthing from another author with this “publisher” that the name we knew him by was not his name given at birth. Since my dealings with him, he has changed his name again, at least once. I’m not sure why a judge would allow a person to legally change his name every few years, but it’s pretty evident why he does so. I quit tracking him years ago because he literally made me sick, but I am sure wherever he is, or whatever he is doing is unscrupulous.

Please use this cautionary tale to vet any prospective publishers and hold them to account for sales figures. I wish I had.

Final thoughts

I'm certainly not disparaging all small presses or pointing fingers at any specific publishing companies (well, maybe one). I believe there are a number of great Indie publishers out there doing really fine work. But I've heard so many stories about publishing nightmares and experience my own, I think it's worth writing about to hopefully keep other authors from falling victim to a rogue publisher. Have you had a nightmarish publishing experience? Leave an anonymous comment so others can learn from it.



If you're comfortable with some of the red flags above, that's your decision. It's up to each individual author to decide what he/she can live with in a contract. But I believe the more informed you are, the better able you are to make educated decisions. 

It’s sad that sometimes lessons are learned the hard way. The above points are not melodramatic or overly cautious; and what's worse is, I'm sure it's not comprehensive. Bad things happen, even to nice people and good writers. Don’t disregard red flags or fall for false promises. Be aware. Protect yourself. Investigate. Verify. If you see the warning signs, prepare to run, because chances are, if you don’t run away, you’ll be slogging through the mud with a devil in a cheap suit.
 

PROMOTE YOUR BOOK!

Blogs are a great way to spread the word about a book, and A Blue Million Books is now taking requests for author features. 

FEATURED: RILEY GEDDINGS AND GOOD EBOOKS

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Good eBooks™ is not only one of the fastest-growing websites on the Internet, but is also very unique !

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Interview with Riley Geddings

Riley, tell us about Good eBooks.net.
The primary purpose of our website is to promote books & eBooks for all authors.
Currently, Good eBooks™ is associated with well over 1,000 authors of all writing levels.



In addition, Good eBooks™ presents these writings to our thousands of faithful customers. Over half of our visitors are repeat customers because they know we will offer them new, fresh reads every day.

Good eBooks also strives to be a good source for useful and helpful information such as good links, news, and articles for authors and readers alike.



Good eBooks™ is the best meeting place to bring readers and authors together!

What do you hope to accomplish with this site? 
For GoodeBooks Readers:
Good eBooks™ not only provides the reader with a wide gamut of good eBooks and books, but also provides an unlimited selection of fresh, new eBook and good book titles by fresh, new authors! We have over 1,000 author associates who constantly offer you a broad selection of titles.



Good eBooks™ offers you these unique eBooks and books all in one place, because we have 8 webpages dedicated totally FREE for eBook and book promotion for all authors. This service is offered absolutely FREE as one aspect of our passion to assist all authors with their marketing. The outcome is perfect for the author as well as the reader.



Good eBooks™ has something for all readers . . . "Biblical Gold" pages, which contain wonderful inspirational Christian eBooks and books from our associate Inspirational authors. In addition, we have eBooks and books for children at "Kidz World"!



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For Good eBooks™ Writers:
As you know, if you have visited us before, we have a mission, one aspect of which is to assist all authors, especially upcoming emerging authors with their marketing endeavors.



Good eBooks™ maintains a good number of free book-promoting web pages.



If these webpages become fully booked, we offer a very low-cost alternative, which allows an author to place 3-month ads for a reasonable price-range. These ads currently run on up to 17 non-free webpages, linking direct to Amazon, giving you maximum exposure!



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Why did you start Good eBooks™?
Good eBooks™ MISSION:

Because I am a writer and author of published eBooks, I know first-hand that marketing those eBooks is not easy. It has been estimated that 50,000 new eBooks are published every day and counting.



Our Good eBooks™ website has adopted a policy, or mission, if you will, to assist all authors by creating book-cover, promotional advertising for their eBooks/books.

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There are 8 free areas and 4 low-budget areas for them to post ads.

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What makes this site different from others?
The fast-growing Good eBooks™ website is totally different! Good eBooks™ not only provides the reader with a wide gamut of good eBooks and books, but also provides an unlimited selection of fresh, new eBook and good book titles by fresh, new authors! We have over 1,000 author associates, who constantly offer you a broad selection of titles.



Good eBooks™ offers you these unique eBooks and books all in one place, because we have 8 webpages dedicated totally FREE for eBook and book promotion for all authors. This service is offered absolutely FREE as one aspect of our passion to assist all authors with their marketing. The outcome is perfect for the author as well as the reader.


And at Good eBooks™, you will find four(4) major book sellers at our book shopping centers.

Riley, tell everybody a little about yourself—the mastermind behind Good eBooks.
I am happily married to Maggie Geddings and together have co-authored several eBooks. We are currently writing the Unknown Island Chronicles, a series of thrilling, adventure-fiction ebooks. The first ebook in the series, Unknown Island Paradise was published in October, 2012. The second ebook in the series, Unknown Island Paradise 2 was published in November, 2012; and both are available for purchase at all major online book stores. The third ebook in the series is in process and should be published soon.

As a boy of 12, I started painting in high school, under a great art teacher who saw my potential and gave me top grades. As a young adult, I studied oil painting under a noted art teacher in North Carolina. Living in Florida, the natural beauty is endless and provides unlimited subject matter for my paintings. Most of my work is inspired from actual scenes in Florida and was developed in an effort to stress the importance of saving the Florida Everglades! I'm featured on dozens of well-known international art and artist's Internet websites, and I've produced many commissioned projects for art lovers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain; and I've been involved in large commercial projects as the exclusive artist as well.

I started my adult career as a professional software programmer/analyst. This enabled me to develop my own websites, which in turn provided me with an avenue to pursue my ambition to become a writer and publisher. With the advent and popularity of eBooks, I was ready, willing, and able to launch my dream of becoming a published author. 

In the same way that I created my artistic masterpieces, I also had a desire to create literary masterpieces—and thus a new author was born. I recognized that a hidden force was moving within me to urge me in this new direction. I call upon this same force to lead me and to guide me to wield my words wisely.

I served my country by enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard, where my duties led me to work on a top-secret joint venture project between the USA and England, sailing on a cutter in the Caribbean Sea. During that special mission, I went ashore on numerous tropical islands in the Bermuda Triangle, some of which were uninhabited. It was during those halcyon days that I developed a love for all aspects of tropical island life which ultimately laid the groundwork for my writing the Unknown Island Chronicles series.

What books do you currently have published?
Past Present Future, and 2 Deep-Romance eBooks co-authored with Maggie:



What do you like to do best—write, paint, or work on the website?
It appears now that my time is required in this sequence:
1.    Website
2.    Write
3.    I no longer paint, but do still sell Giclee prints.

What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I would have concentrated on helping authors with their book marketing
via my website earlier.

What’s your favorite/most visited Internet site? (Besides Good eBooks!)
Google Search.

What’s in your refrigerator right now?
Goodies which Maggie and I like!

What is the most daring thing you've done?
As a 3-year-old boy, I was dared to jump on an old piece of roofing tin on the ground.
When I did, to my surprise, it covered an old, abandoned country well, and I fell
45 feet to the water. The tin I jumped on followed me down and sliced my head open.
My father was lowered down by strong ropes and rescued me, a miracle for sure!

Wow. What is the stupidest thing you've ever done (or did you just mention it?!)?
Too many to mention here!

What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
Mostly on the things I failed to do—such as scuba diving (did snorkeling),
small aircraft pilot, hang gliding and traveling the world.

Do you have any marketing tips for indie authors, besides taking part in Good eBooks?
Yes, writing and publishing your book is the easiest, but marketing is an art and a school of hard knocks which take long experience to conquer. You must have patience!

What's next for you personally and for Good eBooks?
More of the same.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/SITE ADMINISTRATOR

Ebook author Riley Geddings was born en route to Florida—and now makes his home in Carrollwood Village, Florida. He is married to his lovely English wife, Maggie Geddings and together they co-author and publish eBooks. Riley enjoys writing, especially thrilling-adventure fiction ebooks. Maggie enjoys writing the deep, passionate, erotic, love-making scenarios, which are found throughout their books.

In addition to creating scenes with the written word, he has been a very successful Florida Landscape artist, creating scenes of beauty in art. His forte is painting the natural, endless beauty of the Florida Everglades.

Having had a career as a professional software programmer/analyst enables him to develop his own websites, which in turn provides him with an avenue to pursue his ambition to be a writer and publisher. With the advent and popularity of eBooks, Riley is ready, willing, and able to fulfill his dream of becoming a published author.

He recognizes that a hidden force is moving within him to urge him in this direction, and he calls upon this same force to lead him and to guide him to wield his words wisely.

Connect with Riley:
Website  |  Facebook  |  Fine Art America  |  Google+









Buy the books:
Amazon

FACEBOOK FROM THE READERS' POV

On Sunday I posted thoughts from some of my writer friends on the roll of social media in an author's life. Then I started wondering about the readers' points of view. I didn't get as much feedback as I got from the authors, but the readers who did speak up all had something interesting to say. I'm grateful for their time and input. Thank you, Sharon Vertetis Aguanno, Judy Gardner, Amy Workman, Phylis Carpenter, Joan Falten Somers, and two readers who preferred to remain anonymous. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions!

What types of posts do you like to see authors post on social media?

Sharon Vertetis Aguanno: I absolutely love Facebook! Although I have a Twitter account, I am not much of a twitter user! I like seeing personal postings from my author friends. How they are doing with their work in progress from a personal perspective. E.g. Excitement over a character, how many pages written, personal distractions… blocked feelings! Outside of their books, I like to see personal things, pictures, vacations, and even memes (these tend to tell a tale about the personality of the person posting them). Also, announcements of their tours… which I love to follow.

Judy Gardner: Posts of upcoming new books and date coming out.

Amy Workman: Updates on the new book they are writing; the cover for a new book; upbeat posts...inspirational, happy or funny frustrations.

Phylis Carpenter: I like to see posts that show me their books with a small description.  Something that catches my eye as I scroll down. I also like to see giveaways because money here is tight. 

Joan Falten Somers: 
My favorite posts are either funny or simply something the author finds endearing.

Anonymous #1: Updates on their books, and snippets of how their lives are going.

Anonymous #2: I like to see posts about new books/series, special sales, and giveaways.

Do you find new books and new authors on Facebook and Twitter?


Sharon Vertetis Aguanno: Facebook – Yes, Twitter – No.



Judy Gardner: Rarely. Only if Mrs. Must Read Mysteries or Must Read Mysteries posts them and they are new authors (I only get free books because of my lack of funds).


Amy Workman: Facebook, yes.

Phylis Carpenter: I have found a lot of new authors on Facebook. I have also joined their Facebook pages to keep up with their latest news and books.

Joan Falten Somers: I find new authors on Facebook. I'm not very often on Twitter.

Anonymous #1: Facebook, from the groups I am in.

Anonymous #2: I find new books and new authors on Facebook.

What do you think an author can do to attract you to “Like” or follow them? 


Sharon Vertetis Aguanno: Most of the authors that I have liked or followed in the past year, I have done so on the recommendation of another author—usually through an FB posting or a blog posting. The only thing I really look for is that they are interesting. Topics of interest include areas that I know and love, Humor in the Memes and down to earth people! So if I were to offer a suggestion to an author, it would be to share other authors they have read and enjoyed.

Judy Gardner: Put an excerpt of the upcoming book, ask readers to follow for further updates.

Amy Workman: Actually respond to fans. If you’re on FB, it is nice and inspiring that you like and interact with us. I have unfollowed many authors that are on FB, post lots but do not interact with fans. If you add me on FB, then I think you could at least interact also. I know you’re busy but as the saying goes . . . you have time to do what you want.

Phylis Carpenter: If they are doing an event on Facebook I will like that and share it, if it’s a genre that I usually read.  I know writers are busy, but I like those that take the time to answer your questions or just attend a Facebook event that allows you to chat and get to know the author.

Anonymous #1: I connect via the book launch parties. They are awesome.

Anonymous #2: Write good books, respond to questions, have contests/giveaways where they interact with readers.

When you’re scrolling your newsfeed, what types of posts are you most likely to “like” from an author? (About their books, funny memes, personal things . . . )

Sharon Vertetis Aguanno: All of the above, and from the last question, down to earth authors.

Judy Gardner: The ones announcing a new book coming out or that share something quirky about the author.

Amy Workman: Now that actually depends. I will like, luv haha many posts because the author posts as a friend. Others, because they do not interact with fans (friends) I have clicked unfollow. It means more if you act as a friend even though your profession is being an author. You act as a friend not as a celebrity who thinks they are better than the rest. If you want me on FB, act like you do.

Phylis Carpenter: Anything that pops out at me. Again, I love the giveaways or the possibility of a giveaway. Such as if I see one that says "when I reach xx number of likes I may give a book or two away. Then I will like and share the post. If I decide that I don't want to follow that author anymore then I just turn my notifications off for them, but I do not unlike their page when the contest is over.

Anonymous #1: All of the above. :)

Anonymous #2: For me, this really depends on who the author is.

Are there some authors with whom you’ve become friends but don’t follow?

Sharon Vertetis Aguanno: Yes, I have authors on my Facebook page that I friended or they friended me and I love reading and responding to their personal posts, however I do not enjoy their genre. Sci Fi is a good example.

Judy Gardner: Yes, one, because she has never asked me to follow her!

Amy Workman: No. I follow the Authors who actually interact on a personal level on FB with me. I have clicked unfollow on about 20 authors due to no interaction from them. They post that they have drawings to win a book or set of their books, but I am not impressed they only post that type of items.

Phylis Carpenter: No, not that I can think of.

Anonymous #1: I wouldn't say "friends" past FB to an extent, but I don't follow some of them. A few are, well, off-putting, but that can change.

Anonymous #2: This doesn’t happen often, but posts annoy me where the author tells you he doesn’t make much money and “begs” you to buy his books so he can eat next month.

What types of posts from authors annoy you? 


Sharon Vertetis Aguanno: Not just authors . . . I dislike strong political statements and harsh statements about God! And Negative attitudes!

Judy Gardner: nothing from authors annoys me!

Amy Workman: Posting “win a book or set of my books” but do not actually interact with anyone. They only use FB as social media to promote something.

Phylis Carpenter: I can't think of any unless if you count the ones where they put a cute cover and a great description and then I have to wait a couple of months before I can buy the book because it won't be released until then. I hate to wait.

Joan Falten Somers: I avoid any people who post anything political!

Anonymous #1: I'm always happy to know about books, or be reminded of a book. But when I have 15 posts in 15 groups from the SAME author on the SAME day, that is overdoing it a little.

Anonymous #2: If I like and would recommend an author’s books, I will share author posts about new books, special sales, and giveaways.

What types of posts from authors do you share? 


Sharon Vertetis Aguanno: Anything that I personally relate to. A funny meme, for example. Book promotions, book tours, blog postings. It only takes a minute to promote an author or a good book/series. If I can help, I like to do it!

Judy Gardner: Book sales or new books.

Amy Workman: I share a lot of the funny memes, I share about new books coming out or the updates on how the new book is coming. It means I endorse you as an author that I luv luv luv to read and am proud to say I think of you as an actual FB friend.

Phylis Carpenter: Any posts announcing Facebook events the author might be in, or anything that catches my eye, I think it might appeal to my friends as well so I will like and share. I know I keep mentioning giveaways, but I really like reading and read a lot of books. I always try to leave a review and recommend books to my friends as well. It doesn’t have to be print books—ebooks are great because you don't have to wait for them to be mailed.   
 
Anonymous #1: Book launches, book sales, interview links.

Anonymous #2: If I like and would recommend an author’s books, I will share author posts about new books, special sales, and giveaways.


So there you have it. I would have liked a few more perspectives, but you can lead a horse to water . . . In any case, this has been an interesting subject to delve into. Leave a comment if you want to give your feedback on any of the questions. If, by any chance, you missed the post with the author's thoughts, keep scrolling down. Thanks to the readers who participated and to those who stopped by A Blue Million Books. Happy reading!

THANK YOU!

Sharon Vertetis Aguanno is from Kingston, New York, Lawrenceville, Georgia, Tampa Bay, Florida, Sierra Vista, Arizona, and finally San Antonio, Texas.

Judy Gardner lives in Florida.

Amy Workman's hometown is Wadsworth, Ohio. She currently lives in Aurora, Colorado.

Phylis Carpenter is from Frederick, Maryland. She currently lives in Ranburne, Alabama.

Joan Falten Somers lives in Severna Park, Maryland.

AUTHORS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a big asset to authors, allowing us to connect with multitudes in an instantaneous fashion. But lately I’m wondering how should authors spend their time on Facebook or Twitter? Does social media really help sell books? Is Facebook a valuable marketing tool, a way to connect with readers, or just a huge time vacuum? I wondered what other authors thought about this subject, so I asked. Read on for thoughts from Christoph Fischer, Celeste Burke, Brent Hartinger, Maria Grazia Swan, P.C. Zick, Sarah Mallery, Jane Firebaugh, Julie Moffett, Julie Seedorf, Ritter Ames, Frankie Bow, Kathy, Carol Keen, Cindy Blackburn, Lisa Binion, Amy Reade, and Tricia Drammeh. Next up (July 26) authors on social media from a reader's perspective.

Do you use social media for business or pleasure or both?

Christoph Fischer: Both. Sadly, I spend most of the time on it for business.



Celeste Burke: I use it for both . . . but spend much more time on FB involved in writing-related activities. That includes time spent in activities in groups that I have joined focused on various aspects of writing and marketing books.

Brent Hartinger: Honestly, I'm not sure I would be a big social media user if not for my writing career. That said, to have any success at all in social media, you have to enjoy it, and it has to be personal. Just constantly flogging your work is pointless, and probably counter-productive.
The most important thing isn't what you post, or how you post. I think it's how you react and interact with people. Are you accessible? Are you genuine? This sort of thing really builds up fans, and allows you to make contacts with people who will be your devoted boosters. But it has to be genuine. And because it's genuine, it's really time-intensive.
Another way to look at it is that you're serving your reader, giving them something of value—and it's something a lot more valuable that the opportunity to buy your brilliant book or bask in your genius. No, you're giving them genuine personal access to you, an author they're somewhat or very interested in. That's valuable! But again, it's also very time-consuming, at least if you're doing it right.

Maria Grazia Swan: Both, and while I should talk books, 80% of the time I don’t. It feels too crass . . . plus, I do enjoy my FB friends . . .


P.C. Zick: I do both, but really most of my time is spent on business and trying not to annoy my friends and family.

Sarah Mallery: I use FB mostly for business. I share other authors’ announcements/posts, but if I have a more personal message to add, I will PM that person privately. However, these days, I’ve been concentrating far more on Twitter.

Jane Firebaugh: Both – More time spent on business.

Julie Moffett: I use it for both, but I think I use it more for personal than business. Still, I’m pretty active on both of my pages.

Julie Seedorf: Both they seem to meld together.

Ritter Ames: Both, but it’s kind of a merged thing. I tend to stick to more personal things on my profile page and more “my writing” type things on my author page.

Frankie Bow: For me, Facebook is a great way to connect with other authors and mystery fans. There are groups devoted to cozy mysteries, to favorite series, and to specific author interests.

Kathi Daley: Both but mostly business.


Carol E. Keen: More business, but my business is a pleasure, so that is harder to answer.

Anonymous: Both—mainly business.

Cindy Blackburn: Both—spend more time on Twitter.

Lisa Binion: I mainly use Facebook to share my articles and info about my book. I also use it to keep in touch with friends and family.

Amy Reade: I use Facebook for both business and pleasure. It's hard to know how I spend my time, since I follow a lot of authors and bloggers in my personal feed. I spend time commenting on their posts as well as posts by family and friends. I try to post something original on my author page at least once a day. Sometimes it's book news, sometimes it's just what I'm working on. I also like to share posts from other pages that focus on the places where my books are set. I guess I would say I probably spend a bit more time on author stuff than personal stuff—maybe 60% business, 40% pleasure.

Tricia Drammeh: I use my Facebook Author Page for blog posts, book-related posts, and to promote other authors. I post everything on Twitter! Links to a variety of articles (book related or non-book related), promos for other authors, pictures of my dog, you name it.

Tony Scougal:  Facebook for business and pleasure but mostly business since I am a member of numerous book groups and run/administer Kindle Books 2.

On what type of posts do you get the most response?

Christoph Fischer: Positive success stories and positive personal stories, e.g. getting awards and getting a new puppy, getting engaged etc. get the most responses.



Celeste Burke: Now that FB has reduced the reach that we get from posting, I get the most response to posts that actively engage my readers. That includes giveaways, news about books, events held on FB. Posting in FB groups about books and book promotion also seems to help create activity.

Brent Hartinger: Well, it's sad to say, but simple is always better than complicated, and a video or attention-getting photo is always better than text. I used to bristle at this, but I suppose it's human nature. I'm a busy person too, and I scan just like everyone else, only clicking on things that really jump out at me.
Mostly, it's important that the post have some kind of "hook"—something that is instantly obvious, and draws the reader or viewer in. There's a reason why cat videos and baby photos are so popular!
Unlike most authors, I do occasionally do long, thought-provoking posts on Facebook. Sometimes they go nowhere, but sometimes they do. And when they do, I'm pleased, because I feel like they reinforce my brand more than yet another cat video. But if you go this route, it's important to have something to say. And it's also important to frame it with a big, fat, attention-drawing hook or title.
It's easy to get a response to political posts, or general rants about life, but I think this is a mistake. I don't see what's to be gained by getting into politics, or negatively in general, except that you're potentially alienating half your readers. The point of social media as author isn't to change the world. It's to reinforce your brand, and create interactions with readers that ultimately leads to more book sales (and other assorting opportunities, like speaking gigs). Unless your brand IS politics, I don't see the point of this.

Maria Grazia Swan: Jokes, PG jokes and blogs with pics of people . . . yes. . . I keep track. Faces get you the most views.


P.C. Zick: I get responses from my groups—street team and colleagues—where I ask for shares or tweets.

Sarah Mallery: Actually, the posts that have clever sayings on them, or sometimes URLs from YouTube that I’ve shared get the biggest response.
 
Jane Firebaugh: New releases and multi-author giveaways.

Julie Moffett: Giveaways for sure, announcements of new releases, and Facebook parties/giveaways with other authors.

Julie Seedorf: New releases and multi-author giveaways. The most response is when I ask a question, share something personal, and giveaways. They tend to be even.

Ritter Ames: Funny things that relate to everyday life, contests, and things that show the goodness of others.

Kathi Daley: Contests and specific questions that readers are prompted to answer.

Carol E. Keen: Book launches and free books of mine or someone else's.

Anonymous: I post pictures/quizzes/blogs about the 70s. You never know what will resonate. McDonalds’ glasses did, drinking out of a hose did, a caftan did not.

Cindy Blackburn: Twitter—lots of RT’s on blatant self-promo stuff.

Amy Reade: The posts that get the most responses are those about book news- covers, progress updates, etc.


Tony Scougal:

Do you feel Facebook or Twitter has an impact on your book sales?

Christoph Fischer: Not on the same scale as they were a few years ago. I think the number of books published and tweets being tweeted has put a damper on things a little. They are still important tools, though.



Celeste Burke: That is such a difficult question to answer because I’m doing everything at once. My understanding is that the different social media outlets reinforce one another by offering repeated exposure to information about me, my books, and the material I share about other authors.

Brent Hartinger: It's not a direct relationship, but yes, it's a huge impact, almost beyond measuring. Honestly, I think I sell way more books through social media that I ever did through newspaper profiles. If I had to choose between social media and never having another media profile of me, I'd choose social media in a heartbeat.
Social media is as much of a revolution as the Gutenberg press. It's HUGE. It's changing EVERYTHING.
The key revolutionary features are (1) it speed (instantaneous), (2) its reach (the entire world instantly!), and (3), mostly important, its interactivity. Mass communication is no longer a one-way street! Think about that, what a monumental change that it is. It gives me the chills just thinking about it.
For authors, this allows us to create a genuine, interactive relationship with our readers. That means more than just posting things and selling yourself. It means also being accessible, being open to instant messaging, responding to comments, responding to tweets. More than half the time I spend on social media is interacting with readers. It's one on one. But I also think that's the most important part of it, the part that sells books.
Interesting side-note: social media has mostly replaced email for me. I used to get ten to twenty emails from fans a week. Now I get maybe five. But I get dozens of messages and inquiries via social media. Honestly, I find social media easier, and better, because I don't feel the pressure to write a 500 word response, and because there's more of a back and forth. I can answer exactly what the person wants to know about.

Maria Grazia Swan: Honestly I have no clue, but I tell myself it does in order to justify the time I spend online.


P.C. Zick: Twitter does more than Facebook unless it’s a new release.

Sarah Mallery: Since I don’t use FB except for specific book promotions and sharing, I would say Twitter has had more impact on my sales.

Jane Firebaugh: Yes, probably both do.

Julie Moffett: Absolutely.

Julie Seedorf: Yes, absolutely. But not always because I promote my books, but because I let them know me.

Ritter Ames: I think it’s a long game approach. I don’t think either affects my day-to-day sales, but as I build a relationship with the fan with both venues, I think I gain later sales that way. Unless a book is on sale—then I think I gain immediate sales from both FB & Twitter.

Frankie Bow: Facebook, no. Twitter, maybe. Twitter is a great way to get out news about promotions and new releases, both mine and those of other authors

Kathi Daley: Absolutely. Big time!

Carol E. Keen: Yes, I do. Facebook especially. I'm still rather new to Twitter. (I would NEVER have joined Twitter if it weren't for my books.)

Anonymous: I do think FB can be especially helpful for a new author. There is a cozy community.

Cindy Blackburn: Yes—I’m a firm believer in Twitter. The more I do there, the better my sales

Lisa Binion: Not really, but I don't often send out posts that advertise my book. I do feel that Facebook has had a positive impact on my editing business. Since I've never mentioned on Twitter that I edit books, I doubt that social media site has sent any authors to me.

Amy Reade: In terms of selling books, I'm sure FB is more helpful than Twitter. Twitter is like a vacuum of authors, all trying to out-shout each other. Most of my tweets are actually retweets of other authors' stuff, though I try to post something original every day on Twitter.

Tricia Drammeh: I'm not sure if I can directly link book sales to my activity on social media, but I've met a lot of amazing people, and for me, that's what matters.

Tony Scougal: I post Amazon links and my blogsite links to my groups about 3 times a week. I tweet the same links about 3 times a week on twitter. I probably spend about 1 hour a day on these two social media sites (in total) posting links, usually at coffee time when relaxing and quite literally hitting 'share'. There is no doubt in my mind that posting these links directly to these two sites results in sales. As another 'guide' I share my blogsite which is book related only and have taken 220,000 views using Facebook and twitter sharing capacity.

Is there a secret to getting "likes" on a Facebook post or an author page? 

Christoph Fischer: I know Rafflecopter giveaways ask people to like pages, tweets and Facebook post campaigns try to entice readers. I’m not sure what works. I think the significance of a high number of likes is over-rated. When people see your page they are already interested. More important is the actual content on the page. To keep the following you need to produce fresh and interesting, original content.



Celeste Burke: Posts that engage visitors and then are shared seem to help new readers discover me. They often will come to check out a post and like my page as well as the post! So, it happens as a byproduct of those other activities. Giveaways do that, too, even though FB does not want you to expressly request people to “like” your page in order to enter a giveaway. Friends will respond to invitations extended to them to like a page or post, but I don’t like to do that often since I don’t want to swamp people with social media requests.

Brent Hartinger: Writing good books? Being a positive, accessible, kind human being? Doing things that people actually like? ;)

Maria Grazia Swan: Again, clueless, but when I feel particularly brave and ask for a like I usually get it.

P.C. Zick: I get most of my likes from Facebook parties where I request it and on new release information.
 
Sarah Mallery: Recently I’ve been asked by people on Twitter if I would like their page, and after I do, I ask them to reciprocate. Also, because I’ve been getting more and more people following me on Twitter, I noticed I am get far more Friend requests on FB.


Jane Firebaugh: I wish I knew it. lol

Julie Moffett: Tag it to a giveaway. That almost always seems to work for me.

Julie Seedorf: Usually for me it is when someone reads my books or sees a post about something they are interested in and then they like my page.

Ritter Ames: I think in regard to both venues, the more you interact with fellow members, the more others will see your posts and want to like or follow you. I also gain a lot of likes and follows from my Amazon author page, btw.

Kathi Daley: Give stuff away or post cute pet photos.

Carol E. Keen: What I'm seeing is many authors having giveaways, and using Rafflecopter. Several entries have to do with liking FB pages, Amazon pages, and so forth. It's free, and easy, and counts towards the odds of winning whatever it is that is being offered.

Anonymous: I think being consistent and not trying to sell something all the time helps immensely.

Cindy Blackburn: Funny, pics of animals. Pics of any sort get more attention.

Lisa Binion: If there is, I wish I knew what it was.

Amy Reade: If there's a secret to getting likes on Facebook other than being wildly famous, I hope someone shares it with me.

Is there a secret to getting followers or retweets on Twitter?

Christoph Fischer: There are re-tweet groups to share each other’s platform. That gets you retweets, as does Twitter etiquette of retweeting tweets of similar content, which often results in kind reciprocation.
 Relevant hashtags in moderation will get you attention and retweets. 
One way of getting followers is by following them first, hoping they will reciprocate.
‘Raiding’ the followers of similar author accounts can be useful. 
Again, hash-tagged, relevant content in your tweets will bring the right people your way. 



Celeste Burke: I don’t think it’s a secret, but joining retweet groups on FB helps. Using hashtags when you send out a tweet is important. Tweets with pictures attract more attention and get more exposure. Supporting other authors is always good too—following something close to the 20-80 rule: 20% about me 80% about others. That’s another advantage to joining retweet groups—you get your tweet sent out but you do the same for the others in the group so you’re sure not all of your content is about yourself.

Brent Hartinger: Honestly, a big part of this is being uniquely you, being genuine. What is it about you (and your books) that is different from others? What makes you worthwhile as an author, what sets you apart? What do you bring to the table that no one else does? What is your personal "voice"? That's your brand!
I see my own brand as that of a "storyteller." I am a novelist and screenwriter, and I love the whole idea of a "story:" what it is, and how to make it accessible. So I write about my own personal and professional struggles as a writer, examples of successful and unsuccessful stories by others, and also other media trends. I sometimes include personal anecdotes, to give readers a sense of "me," but I mostly focus on my life as a storyteller. My personal life? That's not really relevant to my social media presence, except as it directly relates to my brand.

Maria Grazia Swan: Retweet and you get retweeted and you get followers, that’s my experience.


P.C. Zick: Join groups that share tweets. I use ManageFlitter to get rid of those who don’t follow back and to search for readers, reviewers, bloggers for my genre to follow.
 
Sarah Mallery: I have discovered that if someone RT’s my Tweet, it takes a little extra time, but I first go check out that person if I’m not already following them. Then, if they seem legit, I will go to their Media stream and RT something from them. That’s been garnering a lot of RTs and good will from people.


Jane Firebaugh: I wish I knew that too! lol

Julie Moffett: Same as Facebook. Make it a required part of a giveaway.

Julie Seedorf: Sharing with other friends and writers and sharing my cat pictures.

Kathi Daley: I follow almost everyone back—there are exceptions. I also belong to several tweet teams.

Carol E. Keen: See above for followers. For retweets, I do all I can to promote other authors. IF they do the same for me, we all prosper. ​There is this CoPromote app, I can't totally figure it out, but I'm using it. It is able to use Twitter, Vine, Tumbler and Instagram. I feel a bit drowned in social media sometimes.

Cindy Blackburn: Effort. I follow and unfollow people every day. I try to RT as much as possible—especially those the RT me. I repeat--effort.

Lisa Binion: If there is, I don't know it.

Amy Reade: I've noticed that pictures on Twitter are essential. I get far more likes and retweets when there's a photo with my tweet. Also, I tend to get more likes and retweets when I use specific hashtags. Not just "#fiction" or "#blogging," but something that narrows the focus, like "#CR4U" (clean reads) or "#lucilleball."

Do you have both an author page and a profile page or just one or the other?

Christoph Fischer: I have both. Author page for book-related issues only, the profile page for some of the book content and personal. The line is fluid, as I have become friends with many colleagues and readers via my personal profile. The profile gets more attention overall, possibly because enthusiastic readers like to know a bit about me as a person, too, and a few have sent me personal friend requests.

Celeste Burke: I have a personal page and an author page. I believe the author page gets more activity. I try to use that page to keep readers informed about what’s new, but also use my blog and newsletters to do that.

Brent Hartinger: It's essential that authors have both a fan page and a personal page, mostly because you're limited to the number of "friends" on a personal page. Furthermore, Facebook will probably eventually restrict the use of personal pages for promotional purposes.
I get much more activity on my personal page, and I do accept superfans as friends. But an author page allows you to "boost" occasional posts (for a small charge), and this can be extremely helpful in reaching interested, but less passionate fans. It's absolutely targeted marketing in a way that's never existed before. I think this is even better targeted marketing than a newsletter, which is supposedly the "holy grail" of marketing. Not everyone opens newsletters, but almost everyone will see a boosted post on Facebook.
I've also had great luck uploading videos directly to Facebook (as opposed to embedding them from YouTube), then "boosting" the video. This has sold an almost surreal number of books. I spent $25 boosting one video, and immediately sold well over $1000 worth of books in the two days that followed.
(If I had to do it over again, I would have an author fan page, a personal-fan page, AND a private personal page, to keep my personal life completely separate from my professional one. Ah, well!)

Maria Grazia Swan: I have both, and my profile page gets a lot more activity. Then again, I have more friends on that page than on my author’s page. And I don’t post the same thing, also, whatever I post is for the whole wide world to see. I have yet to figure out how to be selective and limit some posts to specific friends . . . so far so good.

P.C. Zick: I have an author page. I don’t know what a profile page is. But I also have several pages for specific genres since I have a diverse selection of published works.

Sarah Mallery: I have an author “Fan” page and a profile page on FB. Probably my profile page gets more activity, since I’ve not been promoting on the other so much.

Jane Firebaugh: I have both, but I don’t use the author page enough. Personal page gets more activity, because I use it a lot more.

Julie Moffett: I have both and am active daily on both.

Julie Seedorf: I have both, and they both get a lot of activity, but I don’t use the author page enough. 


Kathi Daley: Both plus several group pages. When you post to an author page only a very small percentage of those who have liked the page even see the post. I have almost 15,000 likes and I have a lot of posts where it says my reach is around 50. That’s sad. I feel I get a lot more bang for my buck on my personal page and my group page.

Carol E. Keen: Yes, I have both. My regular page gets way more activity from others, because I was a "person" before having an author page. FB's algorithms are so messed up, it is wonder we see anything AT ALL!

Cindy Blackburn: I have an author page on FB. Don’t even know if I have a profile page??? Not sure what that is.

Lisa Binion: I have a personal page. Then there is my Fiction Writing page that attracts a lot more activity than my personal page. That makes me happy because that is the page I want people to pay attention to. Why? It will direct them to my website.

Amy Reade: For Facebook, I have author and personal pages. I do this because not all my FB friends want to know about every little book thing that goes on with me. Likewise, all my author followers (there's some overlap, but not total) might not care to know what's growing in my flowerbeds. 
For Twitter, I only have one account- my author account. 
I would say my personal FB page gets a bit more activity than my author page.

Tricia Drammeh: On Facebook, I interact with authors and readers on my regular profile, and though I do sometimes post reading-related articles, I don't do any hard selling. The only time I post about my own books are when I have a new release or a free book offer.

THE SECRET

I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no secret. The right way to use social media is as diverse as its users. It can be a marketing tool, a way for authors to check in with friends and make new ones, or both. In a post titled “Please shut up: Why self-promotion as an author doesn't work,” Delilah S. Dawson wrote: “Because here's the secret: None of us know what we're doing, but we're all trying our asses off. We are all hungry.”

The good news is the lines of business and pleasure can blur in social media. I think Facebook recognizes that too, hence the opportunity they give us with author pages. Is social media a place to sell ourselves or a place to share ourselves? Authors get to decide whether to “push” (constant tweets and posts about their book), or “pull” (sharing a bit of themselves to forge a genuine connection with others).

Social media can be so much more than just “buy my book” or “notice me, talk to me.” Facebook is a great way for authors to connect, support, and encourage each other. And authors promoting fellow authors’ work, particularly when it’s new, on a special sale, or in a giveaway, can more effectively help readers discover a new author than self-promotion.

For a lot of authors, Facebook is their water cooler. For those who work alone, it may be the only human interaction they have all day. And even at the water cooler, you’ll find some who are there for some “it’s all about me” time, while others are there to share ideas, news, and thoughts.

Sometimes authors can get so caught up in selling their book that marketing becomes their sole reason for using social media. They friend and follow people with the intent to be friended or followed back. Where’s the social aspect in that approach? Dawson made the point: “Would fishing be fun if the fish jumped out of the ocean and smacked you in the face?  . . . that's what a lot of social media by authors is starting to look like, to feel like: being smacked in the face, repeatedly, by hundreds of fish.”

Authors can use social media for the hard sell or as a way to attract new friends (and readers) with their personalities, making sales a happy by-product of connecting with others. Beyond “networking” with other authors, Facebook gives authors a chance to connect with people, whether they are writers or readers. It’s a way for authors to use their work to make friends, not use their friends to make money. I don’t want to go to the water cooler to be bombarded with a sales pitch. I want to go for some levity, friendship, and genuine connection. I think to use social media purely to promote a book or to “like” and “friend” other authors only to sell a book would be missing the point of social media. What do you think?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS


Christoph Fischer is a UK based author of historical fiction (Three Nations Trilogy, Ludwika, In Search of a Revolution), contemporary fiction (Time to Let Go, Conditions), and thrillers (The Healer, The Gamblers).

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Celeste Burke is the author of the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities mystery series, the Corsario Cove cozy mystery series, and The Georgie Shaw cozy mystery series.

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Brent Hartinger is a writer of just about everything that involves words: novels (including the Russel Middlebrook new adult series), screenplays, plays, web content, even greeting cards. A feature film version of his first novel, Geography Club, was released in November 2013.

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Amazon

Maria Grazia Swan is the author of the Mina Calvi Adventures, Lella York series, and non-fiction.

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P.C. Zick  is the author of contemporary romance, contemporary fiction, and non-fiction.  (Florida Fiction series, Behind the Love trilogy, Smoky Mountain romances.)
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Sarah Mallery is a historical fiction writer with four published books to date: Tales to Count On, Sewing Can Be Dangerous and Other Small Threads, Unexpected Gifts, and The Dolan Girls.
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Jane Firebaugh is the author of the White Mountain Romantic mystery series: Antiques & Avarice, and Old Crimes & Nursery Rhymes.

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Julie Moffett is the author of fifteen published novels in the genres of historical, paranormal fantasy, and time travel romances, and action/adventure mysteries (the Lexi Carmichael series).
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Julie Seedorf is a cozy mystery author of the Fuchsia Minnesota Series, Granny Is In Trouble children’s series, and Brilliant Minnesota series.
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Ritter Ames is a cozy mystery author of the Art Mysteries Series & Organized Mysteries Series. 
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Kathi Daley is the author of six cozy mystery series, including: Zoe Donovan Mystery, Whales & Tails Cozy Mystery, Sand & Sea Hawaiian Mystery, TJ Jensen Mystery, Paradise Lake Mystery, and Seacliff High Mystery.
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Frankie Bow is the author of The Professor Molly Mysteries, Miss Fortune Kindle Worlds Novellas, and coloring books for all ages.
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Carol E. Keen currently writes books in fantasy genres for adults and YA, as well as in the Supernatural Thriller Mystery genre.
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Cindy Blackburn is the author of the Cue Ball Mysteries cozy series.

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Lisa Binion is a freelance editor and the author of Softly & Tenderly, a paranormal horror novel.

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Amy Reade is the author of women's contemporary and gothic fiction with three published books to date: The Secrets of Hallstead House, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, and The House of the Hanging Jade.
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Tricia Drammeh is the author of the Spellbringers series, The Seance, Sweet Sorrow, The Fifth Circle, and Better than Perfect.

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Tony Scougal: Tony writes under the pseudonym Paul Anthony. A former counter terrorist detective for Cumbria Police proper, he is anuthor of thrillers, murder mysteries, espionage, television and film scripts, and screenplays. 

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