More Platforms than Grand Central

More Platforms than Grand Central

 

By Ian Mulville

Author:  Full Circle (Crime/Fiction, Launch date July 2013)

So what have I learned this week?  Social Media platforms can be grouped into roughly three groups depending upon whether you want to network, share or promote.  I want to do all three, so my team have helped me set up the following six platforms:

Network

Facebook and Twitter

Share

Instagram and Hootsuite

Promote

Blog and YouTube

They’re all ready to go, and will be linked to each other and to my website, www.ianmulville.com

For this blog, let’s look at one platform from each category.  I am one of the few who have stubbornly resisted using Facebook.  I love it, but know that if I had my own account, another hour of my already stretched day which would vanish into the ether.  But this is networking, and not just social networking, so we have set up a Fan Page, so that people can find out a little bit about me, be introduced to my new book Full Circle and, hopefully, some of them will like me.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be running a couple of competitions so that people can start to get a ‘feel’ for the book. I’ll release some of the content for review and feedback, and put a cover design concept out there, asking for comment and input.  The final stage will be requesting book reviews from like-minded authors, bloggers, professional reviewers and maybe even some literary agents, who knows?

Instagram is new to me, but we have some great images to work with and to share.  Again, I’ll start by introducing Ian Mulville the author, and then introduce the new book.  I have the manuscript cover, then the first and second concept cover designs, and I’ll be soliciting a response; feedback and suggestions on how we can maybe develop the cover.

Of course, you’ve now found the blog, and I will be using this as a forum for ‘my writing journey’ from the completion of the book, through the pre-launch activities, the launch, getting reviews, finding a literary agent and answering the question of “how do I get published?”.  The first chapter of the book will be made available for review and comment as an animated book.  This will be linked to the website.

I’ve invested in having some quality clips created for YouTube, which will be drip-fed to my potential target audience following the model of ‘About the Author’ and then ‘About Full Circle’.  Edited versions of the clips will be released on Twitter and the blog, with a link from the blog to the site and vice-versa.

The content has to be in a consistent and keyword-rich format for SEO purposes.  Rankings, likes feedback and comments are all important in the lead up to the launch and publishers will want to know that I’ve have connected to, and engaged with, my chosen audience; you!

So your comments are really valuable not only to me, but to anyone else who’s following my journey.  Have you found the blog interesting?  Any advice for other new authors who are planning to launch their new book?

Please watch out for the next instalment.  By then I’ll have put up the various platforms and linked them, and I’ll be able to share the experience and give you all the links so that you can see them for yourself.  Again, any comments, feedback, tips or advice you might have will be welcomed.

Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back soon.

Ian