BUSINESS: Six Ways to Use Social Media to Help Your Writing Career.

1. Build an Author Platform. It is increasingly important for authors to be their own marketing department, and social media plays a big role here. The more followers to your twitter account, the better. The more likes, the better. Publishers see it as an essential element in whether they take on an author. A web presence is vital, and social media platforms such as twitter and facebook are ready-made for this purpose, with an audience just waiting to click a button and add you to their timeline.

2. Promotion. When you have a book out, who are you going to tell? Yes, the local library and bookshop are all well and good, and your mum will shout it from the rooftops, but surely there is a more efficient way? Ah, yes, social media is perfect for letting the world know that your book is around and waiting for them to order. Try not to spam people with messages about your book's latest Amazon ranking, but rather a gentle stream of updates and list of author events will get the message across nicely.

3. Networking. It's the reason many social media sites were invented, but are you using them properly? Linked In is custom made for freelancers and employers, but it seems that striking a relationship with someone on the larger sites such as twitter can be just as rewarding. Stay online, get involved with the conversations, and above all, be nice. Everyone loves a nice guy.

4. Market Research. What's trending? Get hooked into the book community and see what people like in their books. Maybe it shouldn't be the deciding factor in what novel you write next, but you can certainly get a scope for what fans are hankering after. For instance, what's the best steampunk novel of the moment? Just ask the twitters. Who's the most popular YA author? Click around, find the one with the most followers. Fans vote with their clicks now more than ever, so dive in and see what they have to say.

5. Profit. Social media advertising can be big business, so if you find yourself with a mass of followers, then you may wish to promote services or send out sponsored updates. Admittedly this isn't the main way you should be using your author platform, but in today's climate, every little helps.

6. Feedback. Keeping in touch with your fans is invaluable, and hearing what they have to say about your latest book can be inspiring, heart-warming and fun. Get social with the people you are writing for, and you never know where it may lead you.

image: Sergio Roberto Bichara http://www.sxc.hu/profile/srbichara