How to get more fans and better statistics on Facebook

How Dare You Look in the Proper Places and Take Initiative for your own Success!!!!  What in the WORLD?

As some of you know, I'm a small-time author.  And I don't have 10,000 page likes, yet, but what I do have is a steep and steady incline in "likes" and in discussions about the page.  I'd like to share a few of these tips with you now to try to give you a jump start.

First, don't be afraid to do like-for-like trading.  I personally would find it dishonorable UNLESS you start a conversation with that person (content on page, anything) and after you have established that contact, you should feel entirely free to like their page and ask them to like yours...

Next, join discussions.  I've found "Linked-In" to be a great place to get people to like your page in return for liking theirs.  There are many other options Google will be happy to list along these lines. 

And this is also where I see one of the biggest mistakes writers' make.

Although I have 100% faith that there is room for writers in our industry for every single one of us, there are still some percentage of writers that want other writers to fail.  They really do.  They want you to fail to simply fall away so that their line to the top can be a more direct one.  They truly do see you as competition.

And we wonder why reading is down.

Because of this, you must be hyper-vigilante about who you trust regarding tips toward success.  There are plenty of authors, agents, and publishers out there we who will keep you down and hold you down in any way that they can.  You've been trying to get an agent for ten years and nothing has worked out, so you decide to self-publish or use a vanity publisher, and writers or others start telling you that you're making a mistake and that you'll ruin yourself; it's crap.  If your writing is ready, and you are ready, go publish.  Find a vanity publisher or just self-publish 50 or 100 books and hit the streets (libraries, book stores, malls, door to door, friends and family, universities).  Stay tuned to this blog for more, especially on what to watch out for as I do tend to blend subjects quite often and jump around (remember, my blog is about writing, life, and the other thing) so I won't go too deeply into it tonight because I'm working on some other short-deadline projects.

But let me say this; that mistake I mentioned four paragraphs ago?  That mistake is this; a new writer will constantly be seeking out writers boards, writer's groups, teach me teach me, writer and editorial groups instead of realizing that the neglected group--the group that is thirsting for your content is READERS!!!!  Find readers groups, especially if you have a free book go give away.  Spend some time there.  Find out what readers are talking about and looking for.  Don't shove anything down their throat; wait until somebody mentions that they like/want something from the genre you wrote, and then post a link and synopsis of your book.  Always offer free autographs if they'll cover shipping and if you're going to sell a paperback or hard-cover, readers LOVE getting free stuff.  I've sent out pens, calendars, and their favorite of all, customized bookmarks (see my FB page/pics for examples http://www.facebook.com/author.kevin.a.kierstead  ).  Readers are who you want, not writers!!!!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Kev