Moving the book via social network, friends and family...

Social networking via Facebook seems to be getting more traction than advertising. I am getting similar results from family. I am not so much surprised by the family thing, but the social network stuff surprised me a bit more so. Here are some examples:

Thanks Mom!!
I gave my Mom a copy of the book to keep. I gave everybody who came over for Thanksgiving a copy (well, one per household). I send her an email a few days later (I found something she left here) and in her reply she tells me she has sold the book already. Some friend of hers that teaches writing at the college she works for. Apparently, the guy even asked if I could come down and talk to his class about my experience. On the one hand, I don't know enough about publishing to really say much, on the other hand it would mean talking to a semi-captive audience about my book... which would create a little buzz and might even sell a copy or two. I told Mom I need to give her more books.

Thanks Sister-In-Law
My sister in law writes a blog that has a pretty steady following. She is also a manager at a rather large bookstore chain. She has given me some really great advice on how to get the book out there. She has a copy of the book (is buried in reading 3 other things at the moment, so has not read it yet) that she loaned to her children's section manager at work. Also knows other bookstore managers in area near me and said she could talk to them about a signing/reading and maybe carrying the book on consignment.

Previous Co-Worker on Facebook Network
First real online customer is a previous co-worker of mine in my facebook network. She bought three copies... one for her kid and the others as gifts to friends (I assume). Thanks!!!

Two Other Co-Workers... But Not In Network
I had two people contact me that saw my book on Facebook. One is in my manager's network (but not mine) and had noticed my manager had joined the fan group I created for my book. He immediately bought a copy. The other one was likewise in the network of someone in my network. He had read "Through the Looking Glass" and put it on his virtual bookshelf. After he did that, Facebook suggested he might enjoy reading my book. I do not know if that was from the ad I placed online (keyword matching, I think), or from the group... but it caught me by surprise when he brought it up as I had not really been talking about the book much at work.

I am still going to keep up the advertising just to see what it gets me, but I think I am going to put more energy now into the social network circles, blogs, etc. That, along with joining some forums, calling down bookstores and other manual stuff.

http://www.millicentmarbleroller.com