Calling all authors…Do you Facebook?
I’m thinking of deleting my Facebook page.
The negatives:
1. I barely remember to look at it. Guess Facebook is not high on my list of priorities.
2. There are only a few people, fellow authors and one cover artist, who I keep in touch with via Facebook and I have their email addresses in any case.
3. Not a single fan has contacted me via my Facebook page.
4. I’m concerned about Facebook’s new public info sharing.
5. A mini anecdote: Some authors I chat with recommended that I friend a particular super helpful author so I could benefit from her knowledge and experience. I was told she’s just great with new authors. Besides, her name kept popping up on my Facebook recommendations. When I tried to friend her, she declined my request, but suggested I join her fan page. That pretty much made me feel like crap.
The positives:
1. Exposure?
2. Free publicity?
3. A little help? What are the positives for you? Why do you or do you not Facebook? I really want to know.
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May 14th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
I use Facebook, but not with ANY real personal info involved, because FB lets anyone on the Internet have your info…no kidding. They told us we could keep our info private, then changed their policies and started letting anybody have it. With mine, I have it all under my pen name and my business stuff only. But I fear for my grandkids who all have FB accounts. I put a chart on my FB page that tells you what they do with your info. For pseudonyms and professional info, go for it, but not with your real name and info.
May 14th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Also, FB has a lot of jerks on board. Like you, I got an invite to friend an author, then got the same crap. I have over 1400 friends, and only 96 “fans” and that doesn’t bother me a bit. But I have some of my own fans on there who do like to see the new books that I have come out. They follow me from blogs to FB and Twitter. I figure I will continue to stay with FB until they start charging…then I’m outta there. Besides…I like the games. LOL
May 15th, 2010 at 3:05 am
I haven’t drank the kool-aid yet! LOL Seriously, I don’t have a FB and have no desire to. I had/have Myspace and never go on it. I don’t twitter. I suppose I might be missing out on new readers, but honestly what will I miss - some more e-pirates? My friends bug the crap out of me to get a FB even for my personal use, but I haven’t. Just my .02
May 15th, 2010 at 8:31 am
I use my professional name. I don’t give out personal info. I guess, as Tina mentioned - the Facebook page is a crumb that can lead readers to me or to my website, but so far, there is no evidence of that. I can leave it up, doesn’t hurt I guess, but I would not use it for myself, personally.
May 15th, 2010 at 8:32 am
Oh Fran - yeah, about that author thingy…really annoying and I felt demeaned.
May 15th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Hmmmm. I have a professional facebook page under my pen name. I have a separate facebook page in my real name. Never the twain shall meet.
Not too long ago, if you had too many friends, facebook automatically shut you down to new friends and insisted that you open a “fan” page. That might have been what happened to you. In that case, the author could no longer friend you. You would have to join the fan page.
Personally, I use facebook as my “public” face to meet new potential readers, though I do NOT push my books on it. I also use it to disseminate information across the internet. Friends and family are networked on my personal page, though I must say I don’t share personal info on there-not even my picture.
Tracy Cooper-Posey has a series of very helpful blogs about ways to use social networks professionally. I recommend starting with the blog for Jan. 6, 2010. http://tracycooperposey.com/blog/
As the publishing arena changes, the authors will be placed on the hot seat more and more for marketing their own books. My two cents…
May 15th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
PS: I stream my blogs through the sites Tracy lists on her blog. And I do see readers popping up on my sitemeter from those sites.
May 15th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
I’m glad you blogged on face book and also appreciate the info Anny offered. I’m hooked up to facebook but its more general and more for friends and family.
I’ll friend ya, bud:)
May 15th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I cannot decide. Facebook does get my info out there, but I am still wondering if that site translates into any sales or followers or if it’s just a way to stay in touch with fellow authors.
May 16th, 2010 at 3:04 am
I won’t do Facebook. Their policies frighten the bejeezus out of me. Plus, with other info I’ve found out via some research, it comes down to this: ANYTHING YOU SAY, REVEAL, CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU.
Now, if all you want to do is a strict biz site and the info on there is already public like your blurbs, etc., no big deal.
Anything else you put on FB could get you into hot water in one way or another.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:22 am
Savanna, that’s true of anything you type on the web. Once you hit send, it’s public. There is no such thing as private-not even e-mail-if someone wants to go to the trouble of using it against you.
May 16th, 2010 at 8:44 am
I appreciate the advice! Savanna - yes, that’s the stuff I dislike about Facebook, but thus far, I only upload blurbs, blog posts, that sort of thing. I did go in yesterday and change some of my privacy settings - even though I’m using my author name. I’m not comfortable sharing every single thing with the entire Facebook public. As Tina said, Facebook is just another crumb that leads readers to me - I’m not entirely certain of the efficacy of this particular crumb, but I think I’ll leave well enough alone for the moment. One thing I won’t bother to do is send out friend requests unless someone asks me specifically about my Facebook page. Thanks, ladies!