How to build a Facebook author page your fans will love
Book Award Pro
Facebook is one of the most active social media platforms, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of April 2022.
Creating a Facebook author page gives you access to start tapping into the vast potential this social media giant provides.
Learn how to use Facebook to reach your readers where they’re most active, and use our post ideas below to get started.
Create Your Facebook Author Page
Before using Facebook effectively for your book; you need to build and publish your author profile.
Start by logging into your personal Facebook account, and if you don’t have one, make one today.
Create Your Page
Now that you’re logged in, click here to go directly to creating your Facebook page. Fill in your pen name, use author as your category, and enter your author description.
Once you’re satisfied, select Create Page in the bottom left corner.
Enter Detailed Information
Now, you need to enter detailed information to make your page unique and instantly recognizable. While you can change this later, take the time now to fill it out thoughtfully.
Your profile image should be the headshot you use across all your social media accounts. Next, create a custom cover photo that includes the books you’ve written, are currently working on, or are trying to promote the most.
We recommend using Canva to create your cover photo because it’s user-friendly, free, provides templates, and tells you the right image sizes. Select Save to move to the next section.
Fill Out Your Profile
Create your username, and go through the settings to complete your author page.
Here are some of our Facebook author page tips to get you started:
- Standard Username: Make your username the same across all of your social media accounts, and if your pen name isn’t available, try adding “author” to the front or back.
- Hide Location: Unless you write from a public workspace, you’ll want to select “My Page doesn’t have a location” in the “Edit Page” info section.
- Fill Out Everything: Add your email, website, and include links to where readers can purchase your work.
It’ll take about 15 to 20 minutes to get your entire page fully set up, but it’s worth it since you’ll be able to start sharing immediately.
Invite Your Friends
Once your account setup is complete, invite your friends to follow your page.
Don’t be shy; invite everyone on your friend list to like your author page. You never know who loves books as much as you do, and you may find some surprising fans.
Create a Posting Calendar
The only way to benefit from an engaging audience is by posting regularly. If time were unlimited, we’d tell you to post every day, multiple times a day. However, we live in reality, and in reality, we can’t always post that often.
The most crucial part of deciding how often to post is to stay consistent. If you’re committing to posting once a week, create at least two months' worth of content before posting any of it. That’s 8 to 9 posts to ensure your page is continually updated.
Use Facebook’s built-in Planner to create and schedule your weekly posts. Remember to keep it positive when creating content and post about more than just your book.
Posting about anything other than your book may seem counterintuitive, but remember that Facebook is here to create a community of fans. If you only post when trying to sell or promote a new book, your audience will grow tired of that message.
Facebook Post Ideas
It’s challenging to develop relevant ideas for you and your book without making them sound like a sales pitch.
Here are some Facebook post ideas to get you started.
Share Your First Chapter
It doesn’t get easier than this! Take your first chapter and create a post with it. Use the chapter in the post text, then create a captivating image. Again, we recommend Canva to create your graphics for Facebook since they have plenty of pre-made templates.
At the end of your text, simply share a link to where readers can find the rest of your book. Since you’ve already put in the work of creating a compelling first chapter, book lovers are more likely to stop scrolling and read your post.
Share Your Award Journey
Applying for book awards gives you countless marketing moments to share. From finding opportunities that fit your book to determining the exemplary awards for your book, and all the way to inspiring award-winning success, there’s no shortage of content to share.
Book Award Pro’s technology makes it easy to find those awards and share your progress on Facebook. With the click of a button, share your award progress to fans about every step in your award-winning journey.
Use Inspiring Quotes
These can be things your characters say in your book or something inspirational from your favorite author.
If there’s a powerful scene that gives you the chills every time you read it, consider making that into a post. Ask people what they felt about the scene, and start a conversation with your audience.
We all have our favorite authors; check out their Goodreads pages and see if they have any quotes you want to share. Chances are they either have some from their books or themselves. Share the quote, and talk about how it inspires you.
Ask a Question
Don’t know what to make for dinner? Looking for a new book to read? Wondering if a new movie is worth seeing?
Ask your followers! Remember, your posts don’t always have to be about you or your book. You’re a real human, talking to other real humans. Make a connection, and ask what they’re eating for lunch today.
Go Live
Next time you read a book you couldn’t put down, go live on your Facebook author profile and tell your fans about it! Tell them the scenes you couldn’t stop laughing at or the chapters that taught you a new way of thinking. It’s a fun approach to talk about something that gets them involved in the conversation too.
You can also go live to:
- Do a book giveaway
- Read a chapter of your book
- Host a Q&A
- Share a book cover reveal
- Interview with another author
Share Other Peoples’ Posts
Follow other authors, influencers, and noteworthy people in your industry, and share the posts they make, adding your thoughts as well. Not only does this help you stay up to date with the latest news, but it also gives you something relevant to share that your followers may want to discuss.
Since you can’t schedule a shared post, this is a perfect opportunity to increase the number of posts you make each week without the work of creating something from scratch.
Become Active in Facebook Groups
There are over 10 million Facebook groups, with over 1.8 billion people joining the conversation each month. There’s a group of readers who love stories from authors like you; you just have to find them.
Start by going to Facebook’s group feed and searching for something relevant to your book. For example, if you’re a romance author, type “Romance Books” into the group search function and look through the available groups.
Read the description and rules of any group before you try joining or posting. Some groups have rules about promoting, like needing to get the admin's permission first, so make sure to follow each group's unique rules.
Paid Ads
Facebook paid ads can help grow your page quickly and sell more books, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy or inexpensive. Unless you have spare money to spend, you shouldn’t invest in paid ads.
Rather than confusing and expensive book marketing, consider the more modern way of “story marketing” instead. This approach uses your book's own story to create meaningful connections with readers and grow your audience. Book Award Pro is the leader in making story marketing helpful and approachable for authors.
Facebook User Demographics
70% of US adults use Facebook, and 49% of Americans say they open Facebook multiple times every day. Men use Facebook more than women, and it’s the most popular social media network for those between 35 and 44.
Facebook users love watching videos, reacting to easily-digestible content, and using the Messenger app to talk with friends. For your story marketing, make sure to create visual posts that are easy to understand and grab attention. People use Facebook for entertainment, so be entertaining!
Is Facebook Right for You?
If your readers fall into the demographics of a typical user, we would say Facebook is the perfect platform for your book. However, even if your readers don’t fall into the average ratings, you can still benefit from growing your audience on Facebook.
Facebook is suitable if you have the time, consistency, and persistence to keep your page up to date and engaging. If you think you’ll struggle with creating content consistently, consider signing up for Book Award Pro and using our Connect with Readers feature. It has pre-loaded messages that make it easy to share with your fans.
Once you put in the time and effort, you’ll begin to see the benefits a Facebook author profile can bring for you.
Start Growing Your Facebook Author Page
Create your account, fill out your profile, and start scheduling posts to see your Facebook author page grow. Start small by setting realistic goals, and remember to share your book award journey with your fans.
Once you start gaining traction, increase your posting frequency, and make sure your page is a fun place for readers to engage about your books.