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The Ups and Downs of facebook Promo

Kaylen

New Member
My biggest gripe is the amount of sites (when you click on them) are defunct, often years out of date.
What's your biggest moan?
 

Chasejxyz

Inkling
That Facebook exists and people still willingly and knowingly give it money + data despite everyone knowing that it promotes genocide and undermines the democratic process.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
I have said this before and I will likely say it again and again. Corporations are not your friends, and when you build in their sandbox they have right to upend said sandbox at any time, for whatever reason. That being said, advertising on these sites had become crucial in this day and age, so what are we to do?

Build our own websites. These are our true workhorses, built under our own (easily found) names, with our buy links, our artwork, and hopefully a post or two.

Good luck!
 

Ned Marcus

Maester
Corporations are not your friends, and when you build in their sandbox they have right to upend said sandbox at any time, for whatever reason. That being said, advertising on these sites had become crucial in this day and age, so what are we to do?

Build our own websites. These are our true workhorses, built under our own (easily found) names, with our buy links, our artwork, and hopefully a post or two.

I agree, but the problem is getting people to visit our websites. I don't have the time or interest to become a frequent blogger. And, to be honest, I'm not sure how much blogging helps anyway.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
I agree, but the problem is getting people to visit our websites. I don't have the time or interest to become a frequent blogger. And, to be honest, I'm not sure how much blogging helps anyway.
Blogging helps us quite a bit, as does micro-blogging (the crap you shovel into other people's sandboxes.) We have three blogs, one with Tumbr, one on our own site, and one on WordPress that is the oldest and Will. Not. Die. There may be cats involved.

People like to read about writers with interesting backgrounds. Mine is B.S. But it hasn't failed me yet. We post about 9 - 11AM on the occasional Monday (this seems to generate the most followers) and we mostly post flashes and short stories and the bits and pieces that won't fit into the regular books.
 

Ned Marcus

Maester
I looked at your website. Do you mostly publish short stories and book reviews? I saw the review of Nectar and Ambrosia. It was one of the books from the SPFBO that I enjoyed most—and it got knocked out in the first round.
 
Corporations are not your friends, and when you build in their sandbox they have right to upend said sandbox at any time, for whatever reason.
It's one of the reasons I publish wide instead of being Amazon exclusive (not that my sales numbers are noticable, but it's the thought that counts).

I'm not big on blogs. It might be because I've never bought a books because of a blog, or found an author because of one. I can see the value if it's related to your writing. But blogging about writing for instance will attract other writers, not readers. It can work if you enjoy it and have the time to dedicate to it. For me, I have enough trouble finding time to write books. There's not enough left to work on a blog as well.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
I looked at your website. Do you mostly publish short stories and book reviews? I saw the review of Nectar and Ambrosia. It was one of the books from the SPFBO that I enjoyed most—and it got knocked out in the first round.

Yes, it's mostly filler and backstory that we don't have room for in the numbered books.

Also, that's too bad about Nectar and Ambrosia. We love love love that book, and even got to sit beside the family at our last (physical) con. However, there will always be a new book and another chance, and we're cheering our hearts out for them.
 
Not sure blogging really helps, no offence intended, just seems like a waste of time that could be better spent on studying and writing/creating one's fantasy universe and characters. That said, I vlog instead and think it might be a quicker and more efficient route towards building up a platform.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
Not sure blogging really helps, no offence intended, just seems like a waste of time that could be better spent on studying and writing/creating one's fantasy universe and characters. That said, I vlog instead and think it might be a quicker and more efficient route towards building up a platform.
I know a few writers who are having good luck with vlogs and we've considered it, but our internet connection basically sucks (we live in the heart of the woods by a lake) and while I have a great voice, I have a face for radio... so we blog.

I'm our primary social media contact (there are three of us on Team Lowan) and I find that while blogging is nice for generating new followers, the real advantage to being active on social media is making contact with readers and other writers. Readers these days want access, they want to know you see them and they want to be able to express their opinions directly to you. Twitter is a bit like screaming into the vortex, but FB is useful - for those followers who actually get to see your posts. Like I've said, building in other people's sandboxes makes you subject to their rules. And yet, I spend every day scooping sand. The readers like it, and what is an entertainer good for if not being entertaining?
 
I know a few writers who are having good luck with vlogs and we've considered it, but our internet connection basically sucks (we live in the heart of the woods by a lake) and while I have a great voice, I have a face for radio... so we blog.

I'm our primary social media contact (there are three of us on Team Lowan) and I find that while blogging is nice for generating new followers, the real advantage to being active on social media is making contact with readers and other writers. Readers these days want access, they want to know you see them and they want to be able to express their opinions directly to you. Twitter is a bit like screaming into the vortex, but FB is useful - for those followers who actually get to see your posts. Like I've said, building in other people's sandboxes makes you subject to their rules. And yet, I spend every day scooping sand. The readers like it, and what is an entertainer good for if not being entertaining?

Shoot, I make a comment and immediately show myself to be ignorant here lol jk. Okay you got me, in my case I blog also on facebook, though not always frequently and it does sometimes feel satisfying. I vlog everyday, sometimes 2-3 times a day. I agree with you on the subject of twitter, and appreciate your correction towards me. I also have a terrible internet connection (live by a lake in the woods too!), so have to submit videos 3 days in advance of a due-date. So for ex; there are 1-2 videos that are published everyday, to do so we upload them a week in advance, and it'll turn out to arrive 2-3 days before the due date or so.
And on my blog/vlog, we're 2; my brother and I, so I do get what you mean there.

I've been thinking about this. What do you talk about? Do you have a link?

Oh do excuse me, for being late to reply, and we mostly review old Fantasy stories, across media; from comics, novels, video-games, cartoons, movies and such. We talk lore and characters, and examine every square-inch of the mythos created by the author.
You can find us at Canadian CultureCorner on youtube, I can't seem to post the link here.
 
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