12 May 2018

Marketing & Promotion: Facebook Author Page

Since Anita Chapman’s day course on Social Media For Writers, ruminations have been coalescing into the draft of some sort of plan. And then I was overtaken by events: namely an invitation to a joint promotion with a handful of other authors whose novels are set in the East Yorkshire area. Tailor-made, I thought, for Torc of Moonlight. The kicker was that I’d need a Facebook Author Page.

I’ve been on Facebook for years, but only with a personal profile on which I do not chat (usually) about breakfast cereal or the weather. How hard could it be to set up an Author Page? 

Author Page header: fb.me/LindaAcasterAuthor

Well, let me tell you, it’s not that easy. I found the instructions and set-up procedure highly counter-intuitive. But this is where Anita Chapman’s course notes came into their own. Who knew there was a tick box to ensure the page didn’t go live while half completed and looking like a shaggy five-legged camel? Why can’t I choose which buttons to have below the header? [Argh] What exactly do all those yes/no questions in Settings amount to? 

And why, oh why, isn't the header size requirements the same as for a profile page? However, the new requirement made me think about what I wanted in the smaller space. It doesn't show all my titles but too cluttered would look worse; I may even consider the design for a revamp of this website's header. Most important for the Facebook Author Page, would the header look decent on a tablet and a phone as well as a laptop? I use neither. Perhaps you can tell me:  http://fb.me/LindaAcasterAuthor

The page is still a work-in-progress, as these things usually are. Particularly, I want to decifer how to add my Newsletter sign-up and Goodreads links into the left menu. Goodreads says it can... and then it refuses to; you know how technology works. Or doesn’t. I can see an evening coming up spent on YouTube.

What am I going to use the Author Page for if I already use my personal profile as a quasi author page? Promotions and links to webposts to do with writing will definitely be moved across to it. Beyond that I’m not sure yet. I can see some duplication. There again, isn’t that technology all over.

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