You’re not on Facebook, and you have your reasons. Maybe you’ve heard rumors that authors don’t need Facebook accounts. But in today’s highly competitive publishing industry, your success as a writer depends on your ability to reach your audience effectively through social media. Before you dismiss using Facebook, take a look at the facts that counter these eight common misconceptions. And don’t forget to check out our Facebook Virtual Assistant Program for help building and maintaining your Author Page!
Rumor: Facebook is for teens and college kids.
Fact: Facebook may have started as a college fad, but it’s evolved into an integral part of everyday life. Today, one in every thirteen people on earth is on Facebook, with five new Facebook profiles being created every second. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world! And the median age of Facebook users is on the rise: Since 2011, use by 35-54-year-olds has grown 41% and use by those who are 55+ has grown a staggering 80%.
Rumor: Facebook is frivolous—not for serious writers.
Fact: Facebook makes you “findable.” When readers, editors, or agents want to learn more about you and your writing, they’re going to do an Internet search. With a Facebook account, you can increase your “Googleability” and have more control over the information that searchers find.
Think serious writers don’t use Facebook? Here are just a few of the many who have author pages: Paulo Coelho, Neil Gaiman, Nora Roberts, and Stephen King. We can help you build and maintain a Facebook Author Page that will get you on the right path to joining this company of respected authors.
Rumor: Facebook will bombard me with mindless gossip.
Fact: Your Facebook newsfeed will definitely keep you updated on all your friends and family news. But if you don’t want to know what Uncle Henry is having for dinner or see your friends’ 500th photo of their new baby, you don’t have to! You can easily set limits on the notifications you receive in your newsfeed.
Rumor: If I’m on Facebook, I’ll have no privacy.
Fact: You control who sees your Facebook Profile posts. You can select the audience that is able to see your newsfeed updates and hide posts from whomever you don’t want to give information to. And you can unlike or delete content or followers at any time. Finally, don’t forget the first rule of social media: If you want to keep something absolutely private, don’t post it!
Rumor: With a Facebook account, I risk getting spammed and hacked.
Fact: It’s no secret that the Internet has its unsavory elements. To protect your account, Facebook provides round-the-clock security coverage and scans a trillion link clicks a day to guard against spam and malicious links. Additional safeguards include ID verification, security questions, social authentication, and even texts to your cellphone to confirm your identity before granting account access.
Rumor: I don’t need a Facebook Author Page if I have an author website.
Fact: Facebook is a vital part of any successful author platform. Having an author website is important, but having a Facebook Author Page as well shows you’re serious about marketing and cross-promoting your writing. Social networks offer an unprecedented opportunity to drive traffic to your website, where visitors and friends can quickly become dedicated fans.
Meanwhile, your Facebook Page can support your author website by allowing you to share updates in real time with links to recently published works, driving directions to readings, new book signing dates, and more.
Rumor: Facebook is a big time waster.
Fact: Okay, this may be partly true. The Internet is full of time-wasting distractions, and it’s easy to spend way too much time on Facebook. The solution is to set time limits—and stick to them. Keep your Facebook posts to a maximum of three succinct updates a day. And then get back to writing! Of course we can always build and maintain a Facebook Fan Page for you as part of our Facebook Virtual Assistant Program!
Rumor: You have to be tech-savvy to use Facebook.
Fact: If you have an email address and can follow easy step-by-step instructions, you can set up a Facebook Page. And if you’re still not comfortable dealing with the technology or are just too strapped for time, give the Writer’s Relief Social Media Team a call at (866) 405-3003. Our Facebook Virtual Assistant Program can build AND maintain your Facebook Author Page. We’re looking forward to helping you expand your reach!
Photo by Sean MacEntee
QUESTION: How have you used Facebook to promote your writing?
My Facebook ‘author’ page was hacked a few months ago and I unpublished it. Now, I’m hesitant to make it public again, because I’m afraid of it happening again. I’ve been using my personal profile page to promote my writing and making only the writing info public and my personal posts for friends only. Do you think this is as beneficial as having a separate ‘group’ page? I would appreciate any advice on this issue. Thank you.
Hi, Veronica.
It’s always a good idea to keep your author page separate from your personal profile for both security and privacy reasons. Facebook has limits on how many friends a personal profile can have, which might limit your audience as your following grows. And, of course, there’s always the possibility of your personal profile getting hacked too. That could put your personal information at risk. For any kind of social media profile, you can protect yourself by creating strong passwords (combinations of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, etc.) and, when available, taking advantage of the site’s built-in security measures.
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for replying to my questions. Your response is very helpful. I will bring my author page back up and see what happens. I appreciate your help with this issue.