Using Facebook and Goodreads In Your Marketing

Okay, so there are some free resources out there that you can use to help reach people that are outside your blog/twitter/Facebook range. Because, really, that's what it's all about. Trying to get your book in front of as many people as possible.

I think Goodreads and Facebook are two places you should consider using more in-depth if you haven't yet. You can also purchase ads on Goodreads and Facebook, but that's a step above this. (I've had some very good results with my ads, but we can talk about that another day.)

Goodreads.
1. Upload an excerpt. This is a new service, and it's free. I've found that a PDF works/looks best, and you can upload the entire book and then choose to only show a certain percentage of it, so it's probably a 5-minute job to do this.

Then, what I do, is advertise using the word "free" in my ad. Like, "Fans of The Hunger Games and Matched, read the first two chapters of POSSESSION, a dystopian novel, for free." (Or something more eloquent... But I definitely reference the best-sellers!)

I've had over 40,000 views in a single day on an ad like that. And all I did was upload the first two chapters of POSSESSION--which has been free on my website for over a year anyway. But it's getting it into the hands of READERS in a place where READERS hang out.

And that's Goodreads.

How: On your author dashboard, under your book title, there's a link that says "Add ebook". Click there and follow the directions to upload an excerpt. Seriously. It's five minutes.

2. The Goodreads Giveaway. We've talked about this before, so I won't go into tons of detail here (you can check this post if you missed it), but I think the giveaways are invaluable on Goodreads. And they'll cost you very little--mailing costs only.

Facebook.
1. Make a quiz. Teens hang out on Facebook, not twitter. So while a lot of us like twitter better, if you're writing YA novels, you need to become acquainted with Facebook. You can make quizes on Facebook that you can then advertise on your page.

How: Basically, all you have to do is type "quiz" in the search box at the top of your Facebook window. Find a quiz making app you like, and go to town.

2. Customize, customize, customize. You can upload covers on the new page layout. Do it. Make a nice one (or have one made), and upload it.

You can add custom tabs on your page. I like using the apps "Static HTML" and "My Tab". (To find these apps, just type them into the search box at the top of your Facebook window. Go to their page, and click the "Add this app to your page" button.) You can hide things behind gates this way, which means people have to "like" your page to see the content. And I'm no genius with HTML, but you know who is?

Blogger.

That's right. BLOGGER.

I open my blog that I use for practice and upload photos, type in what I want, make them the color and size I want, everything. I can preview it all in blogger. Then I simply go into the HTML tab, copy the HTML code, and paste that into the HTML window on Facebook.

Save, and ta-da! You have a fully customized page on your Facebook page. FOR FREE. It's almost like you could take your FB page and make it your website...

3. Post often. I try not to be obnoxious, and I try to post things I think my fans will like. My personal goal is to post twice a day--once before work and once before bed. I try to post about my book, my real life (without getting too personal), other YA authors, books, reading, The Hunger Games, or whatever I think my fans will like.

Everything is not about my book, my events, etc. My personal philosophy on Facebook is the same as here on the blog: I try to post 5 times about other things before I pimp my book, or event, or free short story, or whatever again. I want people to interact with me, not tune me out.

So, are you using Goodreads and Facebook to your full advantage? Hopefully you can now!