Nishima Bali

What are the top social media platforms available in India and the USA for book promotions?

One of the perks of living in a tech-savvy world is that we’ve got diverse options when it comes to promoting a book…be it Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon. I personally find Instagram much more reliant than the others because you know the people you follow! You know their taste when it comes to different genres! Therefore, it’s much easier to rely on their reviews.
I stumbled upon this amazing bookstagram community last year and that’s when I realized how much I was missing on…I came across various authors and books that I didn’t even know existed. So yeah, Instagram would definitely be my top recommendation when it comes to promoting and exposing a book.

At what stage of my book publishing journey should I consider social media promotions? Pre publishing or post and How?

I think it’s best if the author starts promoting a book as soon as the title or cover is out. And for that, the author needs to be there on some social media platform. It gives them an opportunity to build a fan base and interact with their readers, to tease the audience a little by sharing a few teasers.
Now when it comes to promoting the book, the author should share the ARCs with bloggers at least 3-4 months prior to the release date. It gives them time to read, think and re-evaluate their take on the book.

What are the 4 most effective ways to promote books on social media?

A) I believe that it is very important for an author to be there on some social media platform. It helps a lot when the authors are interactive with their readers.
B) If you are a new author and are coming out with your first book, it is really important that you send some review copies to a few bloggers. The readers might know you yet, but they do trust the people who are reviewing your book.
C) To up your game, you can host a few giveaways or contest that might attract the audience.
D) Interact with your followers! Try to organize a few live chat sessions. The audience love that! They love to see from where you got that particular idea for your book.

What are the common mistakes made by first-time authors while promoting the book on social media?

Okay, now this is something every author should keep in mind while promoting their books…
→ Don’t be the creeps in the DMs. If you want someone to review your book, introduce yourself and then interact with them. It’s that simple!
→ Paid reviews don’t mean that you can tell the blogger what they need to write in the review. You are paying them for the time they are taking out to review a book.
→ If someone has posted a negative review for you book, take that as a constructive criticism. Don’t go around and bash them on their profile.

What kind of post engagement is received on social media while promoting books? What is the percentage of clicks, likes, and comments?

I believe that’s totally up to the author. Your budget can go as high as you want…So just try to form a strategy according to the size of your budget.

How much money should I spend on social media promotions for my book and some things to keep in mind?

First of all, be regular with your posts. Try to see at what hashtags and time works out for you. Keep checking the insights of your posts, and you’ll know what your audience is interested in. Just be patient!

How to find the perfect hashtags and time to post my book promotions on social media?

I believe it all depend on the right audience. Look out for people who likes your genre and then approach them. Trust me when I say this, but no one can do more justice to your book than them.

What are the things an author should be cautious about before finalizing a social media handle (page) for promoting their book?

I believe it all depend on the right audience. Look out for people who likes your genre and then approach them. Trust me when I say this, but no one can do more justice to your book than them.

Should an author run paid ads on social media-based interests? Is it effective and what sales can I expect?

Yes, definitely! Paid advertisement is a great way for exposure and increase your engagement level.

Please give a bit of a background about your social media handle, its Vision & Mission, Top management, the Kind of books you promote, and your biggest strength as a book influencer, popular authors promoted so far, years of experience, any testimonials, etc.

Like a lot others, my page was also an outcome of the lockdown. I have always been a reader, but I never had people with whom I could talk books. This page gave me that opportunity…an opportunity to interact and connect with people from all over the world.
I change genres according to my mood…but I am a big fan of classics, mystery, thriller and contemporary. So, you’ll mostly see me talking about them on my page.
My biggest strength as a book influencer is definitely how people respond to my reviews. It warms my heart to see people trusting me with a book review. I’ve had people
who read and loved the books that I recommended. So yeah, it’s just the greatest feeling in the world.

At Sharing Stories, we have an ongoing campaign ‘Let’s Empower Our Kids’. Please suggest some books that you think every child should read before the age of 15 (mostly the character-defining age), teaching them life lessons. Things like empathy, sympathy, relationships, etc.

Not many people know this, but I am a teacher by profession and recommending books is a part of my job. So, the books I would suggest every child read are:
a. The Little Prince
b. The diary of a young girl
c. Doll’s house
d. Short stories by Ruskin Bond like A special tree
e. Wings of Fire

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