Social Media Marketing for Writers

Whether you are published or just hoping to be published, you'll need to use at least the basic social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace to stay in touch with readers and help you build your brand. When your career takes off you won't have the time to set these up so do it now and be ready for that day when you finally get the call.

I run into entirely too many writers who are doing the same thing I did when I was getting started. Since they don't have anything published yet, they assume that they don't need a website or a social network.

News flash - If you're writing now, you need to get started on these essential promotional tools immediately. The key is to have everything in place for when you do get published because everything after that will be a blur.

Following is a list of items you should have at least set up before the big day:

1. Get a professional looking email account. Forget yahoo or hotmail. Any moron can hack those. I recommend Gmail if you want a free account. If you use Outlook you can have your Gmail sent directly through to it and it helps when adding email items to your calendar.
2. Buy your domain (website address) now. Domains are cheap. It is the hosting and services that cost money. When I went to GoDaddy.com to see if my name was available (http://www.LisaPietsch.com) I found it was and didn't bother to buy it. When I returned the following day, someone had already bought it. I don't know how they do it but they do it just to buy cheap and make a profit off the sucker who hesitates. I had to wait a few months before my name became available again. Get your name registered before you make a name for yourself and somebody else grabs it to sell to the highest bidder.
3. If you're ready for a website, don't waste time with a web page that is ad supported. Get a basic hosting package from a company like GoDaddy.com and use their page builder to make your page yourself until you can afford a web designer.
4. Start a blog now. Try to keep your family out of it. If you must include them, give them different names and keep photos of the kids out of it for their safety. Remember that your blog will go a long way toward establishing your brand so keep it professional. Blogger, Wordpress and Tumblr are three great blogging platforms that can be used free. Each has their benefits so see which one fits your needs best.
5. Set up a profile on Amazon.com. When you're published you'll be one step ahead on creating your author profile there.
6. Set up a profile on Facebook if you don't already have one. As with the blog you want to share but be careful about sharing too much.
7. Set up a Facebook Fan Page. Sure, it may sound premature now but you're going to be happy you had it set up when your first story is published.
8. Set up a profile on Linkedin. This is mainly for business and employment networking but its role is expanding in a social sense.
9. Set up a Twitter account. Use your own name or the pen name you'll be using. This will make it easier for people to find you.
10. Create a Myspace page. Authors, readers, reviewers and publishers have Myspace pages. This is a very valuable networking tool to use.
11. Set up a YouTube account (use your name or your pen name). This will come in handy when you have book trailers to share.
12. Set up a Google alert for your name and your pen name. You will need a google account but if you have a Gmail account set up you're already there. A Google Alert will deliver an email to you when the term/name you set up is used online. This is great for your name, pen name and even your book titles.

If you get these basic social networking tools set up and active before you are published you'll save yourself many sleepless nights. Nobody wants to try to do all of this while they're working on their very first round of edits on their first novel. Trust me - I've been there.

What are you waiting for?