Every author knows how much time and energy can be, and is expected to be by the publishing world, eaten up with promoting a new book. It is a necessity if you want the sales which lead to a renewed contract. The world of promotion has taken on new complexities over the past decade, as we're all well aware. Social media is first and foremost in most writers' arsenals of tactics. And I'm a part of it -- Facebook pages for the real me and for Erika Chase; ditto with websites and Twitter accounts; Pinterest; guest blogging...you name it, I'll usually try it.
But I've been reflecting while scrolling through all the author promotions that appear each hour on Twitter. What does it all mean? There are too many authors to count flogging their wares, many more than I'll ever read or even have an interest in reading. How does the average reader (that would be me)whittle it all down for allotting reading bucks? I know one thing, I won't rely on Twitter and probably not even Facebook to help me make those choices.
What works the best, IMHO, is the personal recommendation. Friends telling friends, getting them hooked on new authors, sharing the word in the reading wilderness. Of course, a Facebook recommendation by a real friend, someone you really do know, counts as a personal recommendation.
Call me old fashioned but that's what works best for me. Hopefully, for you, too. Or, do I have it all wrong? Has social media tipped the scales yet again and I'm getting left behind in the dust with my meager postings?
And what about the writing part of it all?
Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
READ AND BURIED
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
A KILLER READ, also available at your favourite bookstores and online.
Agatha Award nomiee, Best First Novel 2012
COVER STORY available for pre-order; coming Aug. 2013.
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