The first time an author sees and holds their book, it’s a thrilling moment and incredible milestone in their journey as a writer. The book is the culmination of months, sometimes years, of their hard work, and they are excited that their knowledge, heart, and experience is ready to be shared with the world. Some authors want to remember this first moment, capturing their thoughts and emotions on video, and celebrate the occasion with their audience.

Authors have the unique opportunity to create a platform and generate buzz for their book by accessing an engaged and passionate demographic of readers through social channels like Facebook and Twitter. As social media continues to evolve and new platforms are introduced, it can be daunting to figure out which social channels you should adopt to develop your brand. We give an overview of the current social media landscape and recommend the following points be taken into consideration for authors entering the digital social space.

The other day an author called and asked a question we hear all the time. “I keep trying Twitter but it isn’t working for me. I think I’m going to close my account.”

When we took a closer look at the author's account, it was apparent that the author had signed up for Twitter about 6 months ago, had used it for a few weeks, but then tapered off from 5-6 posts a day to maybe once or twice a week. Then, once a month, there would be a flurry of activity over 24 hours and the account would largely go silent again.

These days, Twitter still represents one of the most powerful opportunities for building community and growing influence.

When put to good use, Twitter can enhance your status as an expert, give you access to influencers, foster connections for new business ventures, and constantly expose you to fresh ideas from people all over the world. (And expose them to your ideas as well!)

Are you using LinkedIn to the best of your—and its—ability? It’s chock full of features, many of which you’re probably not using. Here are three ways to get more visitors and make yourself look more legit as you build your reputation as an expert.

Everyone likes to have a face to go with the name, but as an author, you don’t have that many opportunities to get face to face with your readers. Luckily, the advent of new media lets you give readers a face to put with the name. Not only can you give them a face, but you can also give them a taste of a live and in-person experience, a teaser of what one could expect should they attend one of your events or book you for an interview.

New media has opened up several new avenues for authors, giving them the opportunity to connect with potential readers and positioning themselves as experts in a more personal and engaging manner. One of the most popular venues is Youtube. Not only can you post and share videos, but you can also create your own channel, allowing you to share a series of videos on a related topic in an entertaining and informational way.