Who has a Facebook page? I'm not a member, so I don’t know. I’m wondering if that gets you attention. I’m reading about the latest changes on Facebook that will, apparently, make it more difficult to get noticed. Is that true?

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I’m wondering if it is time for me to join. I’m on none of that, Twitter, FB, Pinterest, nothing. Anticipating that sometime this year I will self-publish, (I’ve done a major revamp of the first quarter of my book, settled some issues to my satisfaction, created a sort of template for the remainder) it may be time to get my ass in gear.

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Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi Mimi!

You're asking a very difficult question! There is no "correct" answer, but I am personally of the opinion that social media is definitely worth it and is a big part of book promotion for authors. The important part is to be realistic about how much time you can devote to it and be consistent. You don't want to create a Facebook account and just let it gather dust. We recently had social media expert Andrea Dunlop write a post for us about social media: it's called 5 Golden Rules of Social Media for Authors and it's a very good post to read before you decide on a social media tool or a strategy. 

Here are some recent stats about social media: 71% of U.S. online adults use Facebook, which is a lot! It means there's a good chance your readers are on Facebook. When you post something to Facebook, however, FB only shows your message to a percentage of the people who've liked your page. They do this according to an algorithm known only to them. But basically--the more people interact with your page (like it or comment on it), the more Facebook shows your statuses to your fans. It seems that since the most recent tweak, Facebook shows posts to even fewer people than before--that's what some people are suggesting, but I'm not sure if it's true. 

I don't think there is a "right" social media site; both Facebook and Twitter are solid choices for authors. I think it's more about which one appeals to you the most and fits your voice as a writer. If you're enjoying yourself, you're more likely to stick with it and find readers who want to get to know you and your fiction. 

Here are some of the Book Country writers who have Facebook fan pages: (Not sure how much you know about Facebook, but a fan page is different from just having a regular account. A fan page is what you want if you're going to be using Facebook to reach out to readers. Sorry if I'm explaining stuff you already know!): 

https://www.facebook.com/KerrySchaferBooks

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Raven-Son/213471752002782

https://www.facebook.com/pages/RJ-Blain/121746651191778

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Wyman/245049885569291

And of course, the Book Country one =): https://www.facebook.com/BookCountry

Good luck! Hope this will give you food for thought!

Nevena

BC Coordinator

--edited by Nevena Georgieva on 1/2/2014, 5:21 PM--

Mimi, since your discussion inspired this post, I wanted to share it with you here. 

We explain why creating an author Facebook Page is a good idea and walk writers through the steps of creating one. 

Happy weekend,

Nevena

--edited by Nevena Georgieva on 1/17/2014, 5:10 PM--