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Facebook shopify?

Just read up on shopify on Facebook and wondering if that is a good idea? If it allows more opportunity to connect with the type of people who might approve of my stories? Think the Facebook crowd might be the ones who would really welcome stories written about them...? Perhaps they are the ones who don't see a lot of stories representing their lives..

And if so, would using ads boost this possibility? Just try perhaps putting out a few ads to see what response I get? In which case I will need to think of a clear marketing strategy...
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  • As I understand it, people use Shopify to sell their goods online. You're not a business, selling from an online store, so I don't see how you can use it for your stories. (Have you actually written any yet?)
    I also don't understand what you mean by:
    Think the Facebook crowd might be the ones who would really welcome stories written about them...? Perhaps they are the ones who don't see a lot of stories representing their lives..
    Who on earth are "the Facebook crowd"?
  • The people n Facebook are the same mix as everyone else.
  • Well, that's why I request advice from this forum because my perspective is not as good as yours and you all always give sound advice to some of my more crackpot ideas. Just testing the water with the ones with real expertise and knowledge on these subjects.

    So shopify isn't somewhere you sell your story ideas on? They're not able to be promoted to the Facebook community via shopify for sales?


  • So shopify isn't somewhere you sell your story ideas on?
    I'd say it's highly unlikely. Trying to sell your story ideas has nothing to do with setting up an online store/shop to sell goods.

    QUOTE
    Shopify is a complete ecommerce solution that allows you to set up an online store to sell your goods. It lets you organize your products, customize your storefront, accept credit card payments, track and respond to orders — all with a few clicks of the mouse.
    UNQUOTE
  • Was going in the wrong direction again. Absolutely right, Claudia. Thanks...
  • The people n Facebook are the same mix as everyone else.
    Lydia has planted quite a conundrum here. Taking her question one step further, and as a 'devil's advocate' perspective (in which I relish) are the people on Writer's Talkback the same mix as everyone else?

    I might think that we tend to look at things with a more rounded point of view, and perhaps be more analytical of certain topics.

    This is just a little gem to drop into the Easter basket.

    :-?
  • We are a mix, but we have something in common.

    Facebook people are just a mix.
  • In general of course. To advertise you are advertising to everyone so a mix - although the FB algorithms probably show advertising to the most interested. however it's expensive and you wouldn't get back enough money to warrant it.

    On my page most of my friends are writers and poets, so not a mix, really - however, many of them do buy my books. As I buy theirs - so again, not a good way of making money, lol.
  • Then it looks like the only way to try and gain followers is to target the right demographics and give them what they want, online, via posts etc, to try to convert that into sales...
  • edited April 2017
    As Jessie J sings 'It's not about the Money'
  • LizLiz
    edited April 2017
    Of course it flipping is unless you are being funded by a rich husband or wife or partner or just footling about for a hobby. If you have no income then every bit of hard work put into writing should have some monetary reward as well as the satisfaction of a job well done.
  • Well said, Liz...
  • Well, I apologise.

    I guess I fit in the rare minority of those who enjoy our craft for the sake of personal enjoyment, exploring creativity, achieving challenges and goals, and offering works to the public for its enjoyment -- not money.
  • It takes all kinds and people write for different reasons. It might be about the money for some, it isn't for others.
    I think if you take it seriously for creative and non-financial reasons then 'footling about' is a bit unkind.

  • I think if you take it seriously for creative and non-financial reasons then 'footling about' is a bit unkind.
    I'd actually go further and say it is extremely harsh and insulting. It seems that some would see those who 'footle' about are far less committed than those who write for money!!

  • I don't disagree, just that knowing Liz I doubt she meant it to be that harsh, so was moderating accordingly.
  • Yes, not meaning to be harsh, just irritated that what is my career should be designated as 'not about the money' sweepingly across the board.

    In fact, i think those that can write well shouldn't for no money, otherwise they are taking money out of the mouths of people who do do it for money. I'm not talking about blogs here.

    Similarly people who visit schools etc. on a regular basis without payment.
  • People are within their rights to do it for the love if they want to.
    Choosing writing as a career is not the best choice for most people if you want to make a living and never has been.
  • Just like every other job this is a career of sorts. So adding financial incentives and inducements only sweetens the prospect of all the hours writing at one's desk,,,
  • Of course they are, Heather. and it will always happen. But unlike any other profession, actual professional companies are willing to employ people who are not professionals. i think that is wrong.
  • Sorry about another of my hornet's nests, but, predictably, this has developed into an interesting thread. I totally agree with Liz that writing under a professional contract for nothing (or a pittance) is no less than exploitation and akin to working in a supermarket for £2.50 cash per hour - under the counter. In the wider workforce no employer would get away with that. We all know too, that many of us are prepared to submit at a lower rate than we would like, in the expectation of a firm contract or on-going arrangement. Very often the publisher runs with our submission, and we never hear from them again.

    On the other side, those who write and self publish do so in the hope of merely breaking even. A great many of us don't, but we didn't write for the money; we wrote for the challenge and achievement. It may be viewed as 'money down the drain', but it is much more pleasurable and rewarding seeing it swish away beneath a copy of our book or magazine articles, than from a stack of empty Marlboro packets or Beck's bottles.
  • Yes, self-publishing is totally different from what I'm talking about - i'm talking about the former, the professional contracts.
  • Noted this morning that, in February 2013, over 50 million facebook pages were created by businesses. That's quite a number.

    Wondering now, whether it would be a good idea to target facebook and concentrate on promoting my ideas etc on there? Would this be a good strategy?

    Will check out if more women use this media, as I have read that on Twitter and tumblr, males tend to dominate and, as I am going to be targeting the lesbian community, it might be best to target the media that women use most...
  • Lydia, you can promote ideas via your own website or blog, but not really through Facebook. FB is social interaction. Some of your 'friends' might be inclined to divert to your site/blog, but I think outright promotional posts are shunned by most FB users. You might see some familiar TBers on FB, most of whom are sharing blogs, general chit-chat and book releases. We await your book release in 2027 ;)
  • edited May 2017
    You can promote via Facebook by creating a business page. They can be viewed by anyone – you don't need to have a Facebook account to see them.

    I think most TBers have business pages.

    Any free platform is worth exploring.

    Authors especially use them to promote their books.
  • Yes, I have a FB business page which, in principle, is great. In reality, however, the FB gods drastically limit how many people can see posts. Quite infuriating!
  • I do have a business page for promoting my ideas. Perhaps I should take a look at some of the TBers social media sites. Are you using your authors names to be able to do this? It should give me quite a good insight into things then...
  • The thing is, Lydia, is to establish what you want to broadcast to your readership/potential readership. I won't seek out business pages when I want to buy books or learn about an author. Same for you, especially with your niche market. You need to operate in the creative/arty/female social sites and encourage (with teasers/offers/exclusive ideas, etc) to click to your website/blog which will fully detail and illustrate your body of work and proposed publications and scripts.

    But first take a step back. What ideas do you want to promote? There is no benefit to you by merely telling people 'I have such and such an idea for a book/script.' That might work if you already have a publication and you want to offer a snapshot of a following publication, but in the FIRST INSTANCE you must have a publication available. I have read of many Talkback members offering this VITAL information.

    Get the work done and then promote a completed product, not an idea.
  • More good advice. Thanks, PET. I'm flicking through an e-book on Facebook marketing and have quite a few other ones on promoting ebooks on social media sites.

    I confess, I'm not certain as to who my demographics would actually be. According to this book I need to work out a strategy for when I am ready to publish my e-book. The writer suggests lots of high quality content and keeping things fun, with humour and lots of images, as opposed to just text, cos they go down the best, and text should be simple and short. To try to engage any followers with questions, and indeed, special offers.

    Not sure when my writing will be ready, but could write a few short stories and see how these are perceived? Test the waters? Perhaps start a subscriber's list for this...?

    Do you think being 'holistic' and caring enough about my followers to want to offer them some other insights, other than writing, like downloading things about healthy relationships, fashion and suchlike to create a feeling of a bond between me and my readers. The idea to be slightly different to other writers. A friendly place where everyone is welcomed to join in. Could that work or would it deter readers?
  • Hi Lydia. I think we all strive for an edge by being 'different', whether that be by our own personality, or by our writing. Think about why you 'follow' or 'friend' someone: they have something that you are interested in.

    For you, I wouldn't think starting NEW work, in the form of short stories specifically for a subscriber's list would be advantageous. Remember, you showed me your book/script draft some months ago. To give you an instant jump, why not consider releasing that on your website/blog, one chapter per week, in much the same way as E.L. James did with 'Fifty Shades'?

    THEN you can link to that through your Facebook and other social media accounts. You seem certain the lesbian community would enjoy your work. Why not try to arrange a link FROM some of the communities better sites to YOUR site?
  • How would I sell that e-book if I give it away free on my website? If I had the good health to be able to concentrate properly, I could then write many more tales, to sell on Amazon, but alas, I am not that strong these days and everything I write takes energy out of me, so I cannot conceive of giving away free goodies...
  • As the others have said, create a facebook business page when you have something to sell. On my page I share events I am doing like book signings, reviews of my books, and news about new books coming out. Without my books I would have nothing to say. That all goes on my personal fb account.
  • Apparently our books in the Times Educational Supplement, at least online, have despatched OH to get it on way home.

  • Brilliant, Liz!
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