Comments on: What does your author social media persona tell us?

By: Best of the Web Book Marketing Tips for the Week of Jan. 27, 2014 | Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 04:52:43 +0000

[…] http://buildbookbuzz.com/author-social-media-persona/ […]

By: Top Picks Thursday 01-30-2014 | The Author Chronicles

Top Picks Thursday 01-30-2014 | The Author Chronicles — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:05:17 +0000

[…] gives pointers on developing your blogging voice, and Sandra Beckwith urges writers to consider what your author social media persona tells people about you. The Writer’s Relief staff suggests 3 questions your professional writing bio must […]

By: Sandra Beckwith

Sandra Beckwith — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 23:17:49 +0000

Kilburn, you’re so right about politics! It’s a reminder that what applies in face-to-face social situations applies in the virtual world, too — don’t discuss politics, religion, or how much you earn.

As for the value of social media, while outcomes depend on who you’re connected to and how well you use social media yourself, it’s not the be-all and end-all that so many authors think it is. I’m always nudging the authors in my courses to rely less on social media and put more effort into developing an e-mail list (see my guest post on that topic here: http://blog.pubslush.com/the-what-why-and-how-of-e-mail-lists-for-authors/).

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!

Sandy

By: Kilburn Hall

Kilburn Hall — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 21:15:19 +0000

Sandra- I am finding that the kiss-of-death for any ebook or self pub author is discussing politics or stating political views on social media. Quickest way to be defriended, blocked, etc. I am also starting to come to the opinion that Facebook does very little towards helping launch or market your brand. Less than one-percent of FB users actually see your posts. Fortunately all my social media sites are linked so one post on FB posts to Twitter, Tumblr, and all my social media sites.You must have more than one. A half dozen are good.
But as for the politics- don’t do it! no matter how pissed off you are at dictator Obama and his failures or crimes. If you absolutely must post- take it down a day later once the initial anger has passed or mark it viewable only by your friends- not the public.
Great topic though!

By: Sandra Beckwith

Sandra Beckwith — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 04:27:15 +0000

In reply to Michele DeFilippo. That's a smart move, Michele! It makes sense. One of the downsides to self publishing is that there are no built-in quality checks, so a company like yours has to add them. Sandy

By: Michele DeFilippo

Michele DeFilippo — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 01:28:56 +0000

You’re so correct, Sandra. Standards were so much higher in the past when people took pride in a job well done. Proofreading books after formatting has always been the standard workflow in traditional publishing. So many indie authors skip this step to save money that this year I finally planted my feet and bundled the two services. We’re not going to add to the trash heap.

By: Sandra Beckwith

Sandra Beckwith — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 15:08:01 +0000

In reply to Lisa James McKenzie.

Lisa, thanks so much for taking the time to click through and comment. I appreciate it! I think this means that you subscribe to the blog through e-mail, right? I also have a twice-monthly newsletter with different content that you might find useful if you’re not a subscriber yet — http://buildbookbuzz.com.

Thank you!

Sandy

By: Lisa James McKenzie

Lisa James McKenzie — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 04:09:44 +0000

Hi Sandy, Thanks for another great article. I receive your newsletter by email, so I don’t usually drop my to comment. I want to let you know how useful, informative and well-written I find your pieces to be. Much appreciated!

By: Sandra Beckwith

Sandra Beckwith — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 02:43:48 +0000

In reply to Marjorie Strebe. Exactly, Marjorie! Because I write for a living, I also feel that people might hold me to a higher standard, so I'm careful to try not to disappoint, even with my tweets and status updates. Sandy

By: Marjorie Strebe

Marjorie Strebe — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 02:38:22 +0000

I’m the exact same way when it comes to social media. It drives me crazy to see no punctuation, misspelled words, no capitalization, etc. I’m so bad about it that I even write proper text messages, using capital letters and proper punctuation. But when the messages posted come from an author, such as from someone in a Linked-In group, and they’re full of mistakes, I think, “And this guy’s a writer? I wonder what his book looks like.”