The Face of Facebook: Author Blog Challenge

It's Day Two of the Winter Author Blog Challenge. (I missed Day One due to a prescheduled guest post by Russell Blake, author of Blood of the Assassin.)

Each day for the next 15 days, Laura Orsini (aka, Marcie Brock -- Book Marketing Maven) will post writer-related prompts. 

Today's prompt...

Do you have a Facebook fan page for yourself/your book? How long ago did you start it? Did you do it yourself or have someone help you? Are you seeing lots of new people liking it? What kinds of things do you post? What have you found to be the most effective way to get fans/have people interact?

When Mom and I published our book, Depression Cookies, in late 2010, I knew nothing about an author platform. A book and no platform, what was an author to do?

I raced around the Internet, searching out my favorite authors. It quickly became apparent that social media was a huge component of book marketing, and Facebook was the place to be (or one of many places to be).

At the time, I wasn't sure there was another book in me, so I created a Depression Cookies page instead of a Tia Bach page. People interested in my book or blog who searched my name ended up sending friend requests to my personal Facebook page. 

I'll just accept a few requests for now and then create an author page, I said to myself. Two and a half years later, my personal page is equal parts family, friends, and author connections (some of which have also become great friends).

So my dilemma about Facebook... Do I now create a Tia Bach fan page and start directing people there? What do I do for those I already connect with through either Depression Cookies or my personal page? Do you add a new fan page for each book?

Fortunately, I didn't rush into creating a Twitter account. By the time I did, I realized my rookie mistake with Facebook and set up an author twitter page. In so many ways, I find Twitter the better author tool. But I think it's because I started it with a better knowledge of how I wanted to represent myself as an author. 

However, I think readers prefer Facebook interactions. 

Do you find Twitter or Facebook a better platform builder? Which one do you think reaches more readers?

Wait, my prompt turned into a Q&A session. ;-) 

I'm looking forward to reading what other challenges and successes others have found with Facebook.

(I will be checking out other ABC participants later today. I'm off to a Writer's Conference this morning.)