How Not To Piss Off Your Peers... Advice for the New Author #authoradvice #amwriting

So today's Dear Author post is aimed at advice for the new author. Yes, we were all new once. Yes, we all wished someone would help us get seen! There are ways to do that, though, and ways NOT to do that. This Dear Author letter was aimed for my Facebook wall audience, but take heed because this message covers anywhere, especially GoodReads. 

The Post...

Dear New Authors,

The fastest way to loose assistance from your peers is to spam their wall with your book, page, group, street team info. The fastest way to GAIN assistance? Get out and chat. Introduce yourself as a person, smile, shake hands, share man candy and bacon (well, the last two work for me.)

Love, Mia.

Discussion:

The newbie author just probably blinked and called me evil words because I am so uncaring and unhelpful! But let's break it down. SPAM is something unsolicited and unwanted sent electronically and usually to a large number of people. 

I know some new authors are sputtering at this point. But...but... We need to be SEEN! We need to be HEARD! We need HELP!

Let me ask you this first... In the real world, would you market your book using these tactics if they were free?

• Telemarketing calls at dinner?
• Sticking notes and advertisements under windshields at the plaza?
• Mass post card mailings to buy your book?

If you said yes to any of the above and aren't already seeing the golden light of connection I'm offering you at the end of the tunnel... As my Southern friends would say, bless your heart. Good luck with your writing journey. Have a piece of bacon on your way out.

If you said, "NO! Absolutely not. I hate telemarketers, junk mail, and windshield notes! Show me the way, Mia!" Then read on.

If you don't want to SPAM potential readers/buyers/fans/authors who might help you, here's a short list of what NOT to do on any social media platform (Facebook, GoodReads, Twitter...)

• Don't friend someone and then ask them to like your page, buy your book, vote for you, or anything else that has to do with you as an author or your book. 
• Don't join groups in Facebook or GoodReads and then SPAM the group immediately with your book sale, book like plea, contest, new release, etc. 
• Don't tag anyone on Facebook in book promotion type posts unless you have permission to post things to their Wall.
• Don't add people to a group on Facebook without their permission. 
• Don't send people a book recommendation for your own book on GoodReads.
• And though it's your wall, I would avoid posting promotional posts all the time, every time. People get sick of the rolling infomercial. 

How to get other authors to help you. 
It takes time and effort to build friendships and alliances in the publishing world. If this is your career, then networking is well worth the effort. 

• Do introduce yourself and say thank you. "Hi, I look forward to getting to know you. Thanks for your friendship!"
• Do comment and like posts, say congratulations on that sale or release, offer condolences for a bad day...you get the picture. Be friendly. 
• Post only to your wall until you get to know people. I only tag people if it's something funny and something I know they'd love. For example, tagging me in hot man candy pics and bacon shots is absolutely okay.
• Promote your favorite author now and then (because you're a reader, too, right?) 
• Join groups in your genre and interact with readers as a reader. Readers and other authors will take the time to look you up. Trust me on this.
• Wish people "Happy Birthday." It's easy, it's fun, and you'll get to know people that way.
• Post about yourself so people get to know you. Even if you use a pen name you can include readers in your daily activities such as your love of bacon or coffee. Oh, that's me. :-D
• Do interact with authors and readers as appropriate. Try to include everyone and not just your new group of friends. 
• Be nice, be yourself, and be kind.

You guys can have cake for reading this far. You can have some of the bacon from above, too.

Thanks for stopping by!