Category: Tutorials

How-to articles for writers.

How to Set Up a Facebook Author Page for Beginners

facebook logoA while back, I wrote an article here on IU which laid out the basics of Twitter. This post does the same for Facebook with an emphasis on what an author would need to setup an “author page” for their marketing and promotional efforts.

I’m going to assume you’re able to find your way to Facebook (www.facebook.com) and sign up for an account. As I did with Twitter, my contrarian nature means I didn’t do any of the things Facebook wanted me to when setting up the demonstration account I’ll be showing here. Really you should consider doing all of what they suggest. If you didn’t, you’ll get a page that is almost a blank slate with the top looking a lot like this. Continue reading “How to Set Up a Facebook Author Page for Beginners”

Smartphone Apps for Writers: Covers by Wattpad

wattpadOne of the neat things about posting your work at Wattpad is that you get to add your own cover art – which, if you’re like me, is a complete afterthought. But Wattpad has come to the rescue with an app that allows you to create a cover for your story while you’re on the go. (Wattpad also has an app that allows you to write a story on your phone or tablet. I can delve into that in a later post, if there’s any interest.)

I have an iPhone, so I found Wattpad Covers in the Apple App Store. There is also a version for Android. I had trouble getting into the app on my iPad, so I’m going to show you what it looks like on the iPhone – and I’ll tell you right now that it does a perfectly adequate job of whomping up a quick cover for your story. Continue reading “Smartphone Apps for Writers: Covers by Wattpad”

How to Link Book Editions on Amazon’s Author Central

Author Central LikefestIn case you’re not aware, Amazon’s Author Central is a FREE service. If you missed our very first tutorial on setting it up, see that HERE. If you haven’t already, read it. Do it. Then come right back here and I’ll show you how to merge your books. I heard that grumble. Yes, you need to merge your books. Here’s why. Continue reading “How to Link Book Editions on Amazon’s Author Central”

How to Boost a Post on Facebook

Facebook LogoFacebook offers several ways to advertise services and products. In 2013, guest Nickie Storey-Bailey told us how to use Facebook ads to garner more “likes” for our author pages. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to boost individual posts to get them in front of more people.

I don’t have an author page, but I do have a page for my small publishing company. Each time we publish a new book, I post about it on Facebook and wait for approximately three people to see the post, two of whom are the author and me. Thanks to Facebook’s always-changing algorithms, it’s nearly impossible to get eyes on our pages and page-posts these days without paying for it. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Post your status update first, and then click on the “Boost” button (red arrow below). Continue reading “How to Boost a Post on Facebook”