As the New York Times reported last week, Facebook will soon be revamping user Profiles and Pages. I think these changes will be a good thing for authors, because being an author on Facebook can be somewhat of a convoluted and confusing experience.

As authors, we all know (or should know) that Facebook is currently the premier social discovery and networking site on the planet, and is a valuable tool that belongs in every author’s marketing toolbox. Here at PublishandSell I set all my authors up with Facebook Profiles, Pages, and WeRead integration. A Facebook presence is a critical path of book marketing that is simply required in this day and age. It also demonstrates that you, the author, are committed to the success of your book.

Why? Simply put, if you’re not on Facebook the odds are stacked against you. It’s where millions of authors and readers hang out, and the technology that enables such realtime personal interaction is simply amazing. Forget about Shelfari or AuthorsDen, and just focus on Facebook.

As an author, how do you take advantage of Facebook?  First off, register and set up a Facebook “Profile” that showcases your personal interests and passions. You need that at a minimum, as it serves as a launching point for you to reach a greater audience and talk to them about your book.

Additionally, authors can also benefit from Facebook “Pages” that offer advantages such as “fan” registrations, event posting, message boards, mail-lists, and page/visit stats. Previously, however, Pages were not as dynamic as Profiles. But, with this latest news from Facebook that’s about to change, which means that when authors update their Pages–adding a new blog post or announcing an upcoming event, for example–their fanbase will be notified.

So yes, an author’s life on Facebook just got a wee bit simpler, but also more effective. At some point in the future I may forgo setting up Profiles for my authors and just implement Pages, but I’ve got to evaluate it more first.

If you’re already an author on Facebook, you should do the same. You can learn more about the Pages upgrade by downloading this PDF from Facebook.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget WeRead, the most popular reader-centric social discovery application on the planet. It integrates with Facebook and others (MySpace, Hi5, etc) and offers unique advantages for authors.

Have questions about the right path for you? Let’s talk–email me at hhutton@publishandsell.com or call me–919-247-1832.

Till next time, keep publishing!

Henry Hutton

PublishandSell.com

Tags: author, author services, book marketing, books, Facebook author, Facebook author pages, Facebook author profiles, Henry Hutton, Publishandsell.com, self-publishing