Are you using Facebook’s Author App? by Mae Clair

August 11, 2016August 10, 2016 / Mae Clair / 46 Comments

Hello, and happy Thursday! This is my first time posting on the Write Stuff blog, and I want to send a huge “thank you” to Marcia for making it possible. I’m fairly new to the site, but look forward to interacting with all of you and contributing content. Kudos to Marcia for creating such an exceptional writerly hang-out in the blogosphere!

The post I’m sharing today was modified from one I ran on my blog the end of May. Many authors found it helpful, most of whom had never heard of Facebook’s Author App, so I thought it would be good content to share here.

I’m not usually a fan of Facebook (although I’ve been making an effort to embrace it lately). I’m much more of a Twitter girl, but FB’s Author App is a handy plug-in for writers, and it’s easy to install on your author page.

Follow these simple steps:

Click the link (provided below)
Select your page
Go to the app (it will most likely appear under the “More” tab at this point)
Add your profile
Add books
You can even add information on upcoming book signings!

The screenshot above was captured from the app on my page.

Pretty nifty, huh? Each book gets its own little section, and the best part is all you have to do is add the AISN or ISBN and the app automatically grabs the related content. You can also arrange what order you want your books listed.

I did discover, however, that the app doesn’t like apostrophes or italics (basically anything that isn’t HTML compliant).

After my books uploaded, I went back and edited all of the apostrophes getting rid of the gobbly-gook. Now I’ve got a neatly streamlined page with books, purchase links, and star ratings.

Before Facebook rearranged their page layout (yet again), it was possible to put a tab for this at the top of the page so it was immediately visible. Now it appears in the right sidebar halfway down the page, as seen here.

If you have multiple apps connected to your FB page, you can rearrange them and put the READ MY BOOK (author app) at the top, but FB won’t allow you to bump it above their default blocks such as Search, Info, Page Tips, etc.

If you’d like to see how the whole thing works, visit my page and click on the Author App tab for the full effect of how your books appear. You also get an author profile. You can find my page at https://www.facebook.com/maeclairauthor/

If you haven’t visited my page before, I’d be (Snoopy dance) happy if you considered dropping it a “like.” 🙂 If you include the link to your page in the comments below, I will return the favor!

The whole thing is pretty cool, don’t you think? So where exactly can you get this awesome app? Just click this link, and you’ll be set to go: https://apps.facebook.com/authorapp/

~ooOOoo~

Mae Clair has been chasing myth, monsters and folklore through research and reading since she was a child. In 2013 and 2015, she journeyed to West Virginia to learn more about the legendary Mothman, a creature who factors into her latest release.

Mae pens tales of mystery and suspense with a touch of romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and numbers cats, history and exploring old graveyards among her passions. Look for Mae on her website at MaeClair.net

Connect with Mae at the following haunts:
Website
Blog
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+
Facebook Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
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#Book #Promotion #Kindlecountdown – Words We Carry

September 22, 2015September 24, 2015 / D.G.Kaye / 4 Comments

Starting Thursday September 24th until the 30th, my book Words We Carry will be on kindle countdown in the U.S. and the U.K.

For those lucky enough to be able to take advantage of this promo (countdowns are only available in the U.S. and U.K.), don’t forget to get your copy of W ords We Carry if you haven’t already read it.

Please consider leaving a review if you’ve read it. I know it’s been said many times but ~ Reviews are an author’s gold~

“I have been a great critic of myself for most of my life, and I was darned good at it, deflating my own ego without the help of anyone else.”

What do our shopping habits, high-heeled shoes, and big hair have to do with how we perceive ourselves? Do the slights we endured when we were young affect how we choose our relationships now?

D.G. takes us on a journey, unlocking the hurts of the past by identifying situations that hindered her own self-esteem. Her anecdotes and confessions demonstrate how the hurtful events in our lives linger and set the tone for how we value our own self-worth.

Words We Carry is a raw, personal accounting of how the author overcame the demons of low self-esteem with the determination to learn to love herself.

Get your copy HERE

http://www.dgkayewriter.com

http://www.about.me/dgkaye7

Why use #hashtags in your blog post titles?

April 27, 2015 / Deborah Jay / Debby Lush / 11 Comments

If you’ve seen any of my blog posts, you may have noticed that I use hashtags in the titles.

You may be wondering why, as it doesn’t always look that attractive.

But wait! Not so long ago Marcia was exhorting us to ‘share, share, share’ – and rightly so.

Having those neat little share buttons at the end of the post makes it so simple – but how effective are your shares?

If you’re sharing to Facebook, then its likely to be to your closer group of friends; to Google, your like-minded associates.

But to Twitter?

Have you looked at the tweets generated by the share buttons, before you click on ‘tweet’?

They include the title of your piece – but unless the sharer takes the time to add hashtags, they go out with, often, a title that strangers might not find interesting.

If, on the other hand, you put appropriate hashtags into your title, hey presto! There they are in the ready generated tweet, so anybody looking at the hashtagged subjects you’ve chosen will see the tweet, and hopefully come to take a look at your blog post.

And that, dear friends, is why there are Twitter hashtags in my blog post titles.

And if you’re not sure what hashtag to use, here is a post with an exhaustive list of tags just for authors:

http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/225-hashtags-for-writers.html?showComment=1430150581560#c8518488463420417282

Questions anyone?

Robins, Goldfinches, and Earl Grey Tea

February 16, 2015February 22, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 8 Comments

What a wonderful couple of days in my yard. Robins crowding my birdbaths, grooming themselves for the rest of their long journey north, and today, goldfinches at my feeders. They’ll hang out for several weeks, unlike the robins, and by the time they head north to nest, the males will be almost completely molted into their bright yellow and black plumage. They are happy, chirpy little guys, and so much fun to watch. I had to grab a cup of Adagio’s Earl Grey Bravo, my favorite Earl Grey tea, and sit on the porch for a while, just to enjoy their antics. Which made me remember that I had planned to post about the custom tea blends (with labels) you can put together on Adagio’s website.

Jenny Melzer introduced me to this website in an earlier post here, and I’ve been totally hooked. Not only do they have some delicious teas of their own, but you can blend custom mixes yourself, which is just so much fun! I’ve created blends for five of my characters, so far, and they have been a big hit at signings and Meet the Author events. You can buy your blends in various sized packaging, but for give-aways and the like, I recommend the sample tins. I order them 20 at a time, which drops the price from $4 a tin to $2. It might be even less for larger orders. Continue reading →

Have you found Book Goodies yet?

December 12, 2014 / Deborah Jay / Debby Lush / 2 Comments

Book Goodies for authors

Yes, it’s yet another avenue for getting your work out there – you know the advice, be everywhere!

And its fun to do too. It’s taken a while, but my author interview on the site just went live, and you can do one too, or even a podcast if you feel so inclined.

http://bookgoodies.com/interview-with-author-deborah-jay/

Here’s a little snippet:

What inspires you to write?
Inspiration is the wrong word for me – I have a wildly overactive imagination that simply demands an outlet.
If I’m not writing, I’m daydreaming, and I really love to share my stories with other people.

Tell us about your writing process.
My process is evolving all the time. I began as an out-and-out pantser, starting with an idea and running with it; by far the most fun as I get to watch the story unfold for the first time, just like a reader.
Unfortunately (for me) these days, as I’m writing series and handling multiple on-going plot strands, I have to do at least an outline before I set off, otherwise it would become so tangled and mired with tangential plots and dead end ideas that editing it into some form of readable book would be too time consuming.
At this time, I outline on post-it notes stuck on a big board, just putting down major plot points and character arcs, and once I have a firm starting point, I set off. The ending is a little more fluid in terms of detail, although I do know roughly where I’m going.
Character sketches are my latest distraction; I know a fair bit about my main characters before I start, but sometimes one of my minor characters suddenly decides to transmute into a major player, and then I have to sit down and detail their back story before I can continue – essential if they are to interact with plausible motivations.

What are you waiting for? Give it a go – you never know where your next reader might find you 😀

12 Days of Christmas Reader Appreciation Event

December 3, 2014 / Jenny / 1 Comment

The holidays are officially upon us, which means a lot of us taking time to reflect on the little joys that make our lives worth living. This year, my friend Starla Huchton came up with a really great way to give back to the people who make it possible for us to do what we do all year long. She organized a 12 day event over on Facebook, which kicks off on December 14 and carries on through Christmas. Twelve authors giving back, one each day, to the people who make it possible for all of us to keep doing what we do.

The event is open to the public, and all are invited to join in to take advantage of all this sweet, literary loot! I hope you’ll join us and invite your book-loving friends, as well.

Each day will offer a new surprise, and you can grab copies to gift to your friends as well!

All you need to do is log into your Facebook account, drop by the event page and click join us for twelve days of grateful giveaways!

The 12 Days of Christmas Reader Appreciation Event

Hope to see you there!

Bookmarks & Other Freebies

December 1, 2014 / Marcia Meara / 4 Comments

Front Side of my New Bookmark

Do you have “swag” for handouts at book signings, or for other promotional purposes? I’m very interested in this, especially after reading Jenny Melzer’s post mentioning her custom blend teas in beautiful, themed tins. The only thing I have so far are my brand new, gorgeous, double-sided bookmarks. How about you guys? Would love to know if you have keychains, magnets, postcards, or other promotional material. Feel free to share your photos, too. So interesting to see what others have done, and to find out if they feel these things are worth the investment.

Reverse Side of New Bookmark