How to Write a KILLER Facebook Status for Book Sales

Reposted for those who missed it the first time.

I belong to several Author Groups on Facebook, and most are filled with status posts intended to drive sales, but in reality they are sales killers. There's generally a line or two about the author, a blurb or book description (which sometimes is a great big, super long, fifty paragraph, single spaced, no indention excerpt), the price of the book, the cover image, and a directive to click a link to make a purchase.

This is what a KILLER post typically looks like:

My name is Kimberly and this is my daybue novel that I just released and I am so excited! I hope to be a best selling author on New York Times, and I know I can get there. Download a copy of my books and you will not be sorry! It is a page turner!

Manny felt his chest pocket to make sure his credit cards was still there. "Oh good. They still there," he said out loud. "I thought she stole them while I was sleep." he said. Then he picked up his pants. He notice that his wallet was gone. Right away he started panicking but then he got mad. "She gonna face my raft!" he growled angrily.

Will Manny kill Sheila? Or do she get away? Order your copy of "She Stole My Wallet" today at www.mywebsite.com. It's only $2.99.

Two words - NO SALE!

If you can't write a few sentences of a status post well, it's hard to believe that quality writing will magically appear in your book.  Now everyone makes mistakes; a single typo will sting a little bit but won't kill you.  But more than one? Your chance of a sale is in critical condition. Add to that poor sentence structure, and it's been moved to the the intensive care unit.  Then tag on improper word usage/choice and that sales opportunity has completely flat lined - killed by your status post.

But It Was Just A Sample . . . 
Don't fool yourself into thinking "It was just a sample." Unfortunately, I hear authors say that all the time, thinking that this will excuse errors.  Well, they are right about one thing; it is a sample, but it does not excuse poor writing. Inversely, it magnifies it.  Just think about what a sample is - a small piece of the whole, offered to show its recipient what can be expected. If you are given a sample of a food dish you've never tried, you make an assessment right then and there if you like it, if you want more of it, and if you will at that point (or later down the road) buy it.  If that sample isn't pleasing to your taste buds, you don't turn around and say - "That piece wasn't that great but I'm going to buy the whole thing anyway and hope it tastes better in its entirety." On the contrary, it's a no sale, based on your assessment of the sample size.

Why would your writing sample be any different?

Don't Kill Yourself.
Please take the time to edit and proof your posts to ensure they are error free and well written before attempting to attract potential buyers.  An error-filled post is a poor reflection on you as an author, and in most cases gives a very accurate snapshot of what can be expected in your work. If your post is poorly written, the assumption WILL be made that your work is not worth the asking price . . . or even worse, it's not worth even being free.  You don't want that.  You worked hard to produce your work; don't lose sales by writing a killer Facebook status post.


Kimberly T. Matthews

"I knew exactly how many condoms were left in his gym bag, in a little black box, wrapped in gold foil. Seven. Each time I randomly checked for no other reason besides I knew they existed, there'd always been seven. So I was taken aback that morning when I went to do his laundry, peeked in the box and only found three..."
 Lisa from - "Lisa's Dress" 
Click here to download on Kindle!


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