Prior to publishing, Facebook parties were no secret,
although I had never attended one. Truth is, I didn't like Facebook and
never focused on it much as part of my writer’s platform. I wish someone had
told me I was making a big mistake by ignoring this valuable resource. Today, I often think: if
only someone had pulled me aside and told me to plan a launch party on Facebook
(and really I can’t figure out why no one did).
Since the release of my book, I have attended several
Facebook launch parties and even guest hosted at one. My experience has left me
convinced that it is an absolute must for any author releasing their book into
the wild.
Throwing a Facebook party isn't just about selling your book to those who attend. No doubt that will be a goal, but the true benefit will be in the long term. It’s about seeding goodwill and spreading word of mouth about your book. It’s also about growing the audience for your social platform.
The Q&A
- How? Simply go to your Facebook profile, page, or group and create an event. There are plenty of tutorials on the particulars of this. (Here’s a pretty decent one I came across while researching: http://mashable.com/2009/10/14/facebook-events-guide.)
- Who? Use the invite feature to ask your friends to attend. Publicize it on all of your social outlets. And ask your friends to ask their friends. This is really where your past networking will pay off. The more readers and people in the writing community you’ve connected with, the better reception your party is going to have.
- When? There are different schools of thought on this. I would suggest planning this for a weekend afternoon, but that’s when I usually can attend events I’m invited to—you and your audience could be very different. Also, you should factor in time zones. If you have a following that spans the globe, you’re going to want to try and include all the places where you have an audience. Although I would caution against planning a long party. Twelve hours may let you hit many time zones, but I have found the longer the party lasts, the sparser the interaction of the guests. Instead, plan a six hour or less event, or alternately a couple of targeted four hour or less events (think a party tailored for North American and one for Asia or Europe).
- What? It’s your party and you need to have a plan. You need giveaways, games, and discussions. There are plenty of suggestions for these online, but I suggest attending launch events for yourself and seeing what works. Also, tailor things for your book. If you’ve written a gore-fest horror novel, a cutest kitten photo contest might clash with the type of audience you’re trying to attract, just like a “tell me your phobia” discussion may not make sense for a Romance novel release.
- But… One word of warning: Facebook only lets you post to an event through a profile. So if you’re like me and use an Author’s page for your penname and you keep your profile for personal use, you will be forced to come out of the shadows and reveal your secret identity.
With a little help from your friends
Even running a four hour event by yourself can be a
monumental task, so think about asking friends to help. One of the keys to a successful Facebook
party is to keep it moving and to keep your guests involved and active,
changing the host every hour or two is a great way to keep up the momentum. And
it can have great benefits with audience sharing—you will be introducing your
readers to them, while they introduce their readers to your work.
Again, this is where networking with other writers is
invaluable. For best effect, ask authors of the same or similar genre to run a “take-over”
during your event. If they agree, schedule a time slot lasting between thirty
minutes and an hour and help them (if needed) with setting up an event plan.
One incredibly smart idea I’ve seen was when an author had another writer host the party for them and only appeared herself as one of the guest hosts. This was such a great plan because the host was able to freely hype the merits of her friend’s book without it sounding like shameless self-promotion. Think about it, what means more: “I read this book that is being released, and it’s great;” or “This book I wrote is great?” Also, it’s a wonderful way for a first time author with a small following to get a bump from a more experienced writer with a wider following. This of course means finding someone who is either a huge supporter or a great friend, and probably both.
People love free stuff
Last weekend, I saw a line stretching half a city block with people waiting in the rain to get a free chocolate. To be clear, it was for a single chocolate. The lesson is: people love free stuff. So don’t forget to have prizes. Giveaways are crucial to getting your guests to show up and stick around. Remember: your friends will be there for you; the new people will be there for themselves.
Always connect
Don’t forget to connect. Make sure you or a guest host
remind attendees to go “like” your Facebook page. One nice thing is
to invite your guests to post links to their Author’s Pages and ask everyone in
attendance to like one another. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of
follow-for-follows but in this case it is highly effective. Not only is it a
direct way to build your social audience, but when I saw this done, this
discussion was the most active of any in the entire event. It drew many of the
lurkers out and got them involved.
Next time…
Like all things in this series, this is one thing I will do
differently the next time around. I am so sold on this promotional idea, I may
even consider having a party in the near future to help restore excitement
in Mr. 8.
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