Author Updates That AREN’T Lame

 

 

Now that we’ve finished our Easiest Way to Get Votes series, I thought that we would look at an important subject that isn’t just applicable to Twitter. In order to be a successful author, people need to like and be interested in both your book and YOU. While most people aren’t going to turn down investment advice from Warren Buffett even if they really dislike him, you’re not a billionaire or famous, at least not yet. 😉 You have to get people to like and be interested in you in order for your book to be successful. Let’s look at how you can get people interested in personal updates with some key things to remember:

 

• Plain old whining is really, really annoying. No one really wants to hear how terrible your life is because the guy at McDonald’s only gave you two ketchup packets when you wanted three. No one cares, and there’s too much negativity on social media as it is. However, “creative whining” can work really well. Make it funny or sarcastic. People love that kind of stuff. 
• Don’t take yourself too seriously. You’re not the Pope. People aren’t lined up for hours to hear you speak. No one is going to kneel down and kiss your giant gold ring when you enter the room. Because you’re not a high profile figure (YET), you can be informal. Use goofy emojis if you want! (And even the Pope takes selfies! They’re allowed!)
• Speaking of selfies…Although I personally hate getting my picture taken, post pictures of yourself with major updates. If you’re in Rome, post a picture of yourself at the Coliseum when you tell people about your trip. It gives things a personal touch. Besides, posts or tweets with pictures pretty much always do better.
• If you’re linking to another site, actually describe the blog post or whatever it is! There’s probably something wrong if you honestly click on every single link that you see. People are really busy. Let them know that your content is worth their time. 
• Don’t brag on yourself. Be a thankful person. Rather than saying how great you are any time you accomplish something, thank your fans for their support every time anything big takes place. Don’t look desperate, and don’t let other people take credit for your hard work, but don’t brag on yourself. People don’t like it.

What do you guys do in order to spice up your author updates? I like self-deprecating humor personally or snarkasm (sarcasm and being snarky combined. It’s a thing…even though Apple seems to think that it’s not a word.) Let me know what you all do in the comments below! Also, include @SOOPLLC in your author updates on Twitter, and we’ll retweet them for you.

 

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