As a new self-published author, you really need to embrace the world of social media if you want to become known as an author. Social media will honestly become your new best friend and most importantly will allow you to connect with readers.

The questions then to ask are what social media sites to choose and how long should you devote to them a day?

The answer to this really is what you are most comfortable with, but obviously the more sites you are on the more exposure there will be. With regard to time, you need to be an active member of the sites, but having said this, you do not want to spend all day on them as this is counterproductive. Best practice is putting aside a time slot in the morning and afternoon when you check your social media sites and add any updates or converse with followers.

So what social media sites do you use? The first thing to remember before you begin is to choose a name and author profile photograph. Make the name simple, so use your author name and NOT your book title, and choose a professional looking profile photograph. You don’t need a professional photo shoot, but you should appear professional looking, after all you are selling yourself as a professional author so you need to look the part.

Once you have your name and photograph ready, you then need to get your personal information ready - what do you want to tell potential readers? This usually is the name of your book, chosen genre, and future books in the pipeline. Other information can be added depending upon which site you use.

Twitter has to be one of the author’s most favourite sites because it is easy to use and is a wonderful way to engage with authors and readers alike; for minimal effort you can gain huge exposure for your work. You just need to connect yourself to like-minded writers and readers. Get involved in discussions and the hashtag will become incredibly important when trying to source new followers and trends. You will quickly gain a following and will then be able to share details of future events and publications.

Facebook is also another obvious choice in that you can set up an author fan page in which to promote your book. Once again you will be able to engage with your fans and upload any relevant photographs or videos. If you blog, Facebook is an excellent way for you to share posts.

Finally, Goodreads should not be overlooked as a self-published author. You can create a Goodreads author page and list all of your books, upload videos, photographs, add your author bio, list any events that may be happening, and link to your blog or alternatively create a new blog.

There really are lots of options open to the new author when it comes to social media; just give it a go and see what works best for you.