Social Media for Writers: Marketing Strategies for Building Your Audience and Selling Books

Maximize the Potential of Your Online Brand

Over the past decade, social media has transformed from a fad into a necessity for writers. But for the inexperienced author, trying to make sense of--much less master--the available platforms can be a frustrating experience. The variety of social media options alone is dizzying enough: WordPress, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, and more.

That's where this guide comes in. Whether you're just starting to create an audience or looking to refine your online presence, Social Media for Writers will equip you with the essential tools you'll need to succeed. In this book you'll learn how to:

• Develop an editorial calendar: schedule consistent, quality content for your blog and work with other authors on guest posts and blog tours
• Create an online brand: write content for several different networks, and tie them together to develop an authoritative, trusted voice
• Utilize "best practices": learn the ins-and-outs of the online community and how to maximize the potential of each platform
• Build a community: make connections and create a fan base to endorse your work

You'll also find appendixes that show you how to set up the major social media platforms and perform basic functions. With all of these strategies, techniques, and applicable information, Social Media for Writers is a comprehensive source for all your social media needs

Tee Morris has been writing science fiction, fantasy, horror, and nonfiction for over a decade. His first novel, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana, was a nominee for the 2003 Eppie for Best Fantasy, and in 2005 the book became the first novel to be podcast in its entirety, ushering in a new age for authors. Following the podcast of MOREVI, he co-founded the audio literature hub Podiobooks.com with Evo Terra and Chris Miller, offering hours of original audio content from first-time writers and New York Times bestsellers in a podcast format. He then went on with Evo Terra to write Podcasting for Dummies (as well as the 2nd Edition alongside Chuck Tomasi). His expertise reached deeper into social media when he penned All a Twitter and Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in 10 Minutes.

In 2011, Tee returned to fiction with Phoenix Rising, the first novel in The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series, written alongside his wife, Pip Ballantine. The title went on to win the Airship Award for Best Steampunk Literature and become a finalist for Goodreads’ Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction of 2011. Now on to their fourth book in the series, The Diamond Conspiracy, and the fourth season of Tales from the Archives, a podcast anthology featuring short stories set in their steampunk universe, the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series has won several awards including the Parsec Award for the best of science fiction podcasts and RT Reviews’ Choice Awards.

Tee and Pip also host The Shared Desk, a podcast covering collaboration and other aspects of a writer’s lifestyle. He now runs the social media initiatives for Stratford University located in Maryland and Virginia. Explore the works of Tee Morris, and his occasional geek rants, at TeeMorris.com.

Pip Ballantine started life in Wellington, New Zealand as a corporate librarian. Pip earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science and then a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. Her first professional sale as a writer was a piece on the history of Wellington, written for The Evening Post in 1997. Since then she has gone on to produce both novel-length and short-form fiction.

In 2006, she became New Zealand’s first podcast novelist with her debut fantasy novel, Weaver’s Web. She went on to podcast three other novels and host her own slice-of-life podcast, Whispers at the Edge. Her podcasts have won both a Parsec Award as well as the Sir Julius Vogel award for excellence. Pip’s first byline in the United States was Geist (Ace Books), launching the Books of the Order series. At the same time, she also wrote for Pyr Books Hunter, Fox and Kindred, and Wings, as well as co-writing Phoenix Rising with Tee Morris, the first novel in the award-winning steampunk spy series The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.

When it comes to nonfiction, Pip has been seen in A Taste of True Blood (Ben Bella Books) and worked behind the scenes as technical editor for All a Twitter. Pip’s short stories have appeared in anthologies such as Clockwork Fairy Tales (Roc Books) and Steampunk World (Alliteration Ink).

She continues to co-author Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series with Tee, as well as produce their award-winning podcast, Tales from the Archives, and co-host The Shared Desk. When not writing or podcasting, Philippa loves reading, gardening, and whenever possible, traveling. She is looked after by a mighty clowder of cats in Manassas, Virginia, with her husband Tee and their daughter.