Social Media Guest Post by author of Dog-Ma the Zen of Slobber, Barbara Boswell Brunner

 

Guest Post - Social Media
by author of Dog-Ma, the zen of slobber, Barbara Boswell Brunner

As someone who was raised in the era before computers were in every home, I am constantly amazed at how we have integrated them so seamlessly into our lives. Good grief, a touchtone telephone was a huge technological advance when I was in elementary school. To think that now some kids get computers or cell phones as soon as they can walk and talk is crazy. To them, FaceTime and cell phones are the norm. I watched an eighteen month old use an iPad the other day to FaceTime with his dad. Times have changed.

So has the way books are marketed. The days of traditional publishing being the only game in town are long gone.  CreateSpace, Lulu and Smashwords are just a few of the options authors now have to get their work into the hands of the masses. With a little Internet savvy, a new author can find tutorials on just about anything necessary to get their book out of their head and onto paper. Formatting, cover design, even editorial services are all within reach just by tapping a few links. You can find forums to assist with choosing a font, a typesetting style or writing a query letter. There are even forums to critique your query letter before you submit it to an agent or publisher.

It's all available if you put in a little effort.

The thing that boggles my mind the most, however, is the effect of Social Media in marketing a new book. Ten years ago, heck even five years ago, if you were turned down by a publisher your project was doomed. Now it is a whole new ball game. New authors are finding their audience through Facebook and Twitter. Even established authors are discovering the necessity of social media and are establishing Author Fan Pages.

Blog hops can be a new authors best friend, reaching audiences that alone, a new author would never find. The results are astounding. Manuscripts that may have done nothing more than collect dust a few years ago are now becoming books that are finding their way into the hands of readers. Authors are finding other authors and setting up buffer networks to promote each others books. It is resulting in great sales of both e-books and physical books. The key is reciprocation. It works!

My advice to any budding author is to get active on one or two social media outlets and start making friends. Authors are such a supportive group. You will be pleasantly surprised at the friends you make and the resulting book sales will make you smile.

You can join my Twitter network by Following my feed and tweeting me @barbarabrunner. I will be more than happy to give your book a shout out.

About Barbara Boswell Brunner 
Barbara grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her parents, sister and always a dog, or two or three. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from a small women's college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Meeting her husband in Washington, DC, they continued together on a journey as self-proclaimed dog addicts. In the ensuing years, she founded three successful businesses in the Pacific Northwest and is a prolific fundraiser for breast cancer research. She and her husband are retired and now reside in Southwest Florida with two dogs and copious amounts of dog fur. She is currently working on indulging her well known flip flop addiction.  
 

Author on Facebook          Author's Website          Author on Twitter 

About the Book 

For dog lovers everywhere.......Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books.

When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves. 

Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!” 

Buy the book from ....
Author's Website
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
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