Would you buy a friend’s book upon publication? It’s likely you would if they asked you to.
Some authors might have an issue with asking friends to purchase their book(s). Yet, isn’t this what marketing is all about? We want people to buy our books and our marketing is one way to do this; selling to friends is another.
With the onslaught of social networks we can now build friendships with people around the globe. One of the best locations is on Facebook. What a great way to build a network of potential book buyers.
Yet, many people go about building their Facebook network in the wrong way. Rather than building based on quality they build based on quantity.
To effectively build and optimize your friends’ list here are three tips that are sure to help.
1. When you invite someone to be your friend give a point of reference. If they can’t immediately identify you they may not accept your invitation. If they do accept the invitation how valuable is the connection?
A point of reference could be referring to other networks you know them from. Do you read their blog or ezine? If so, tell them. Were you referred by somebody they know? If you were, let them know.
2. Don’t immediately try to sell something. Recently I had an invitation from a woman I don’t know who wrote in her invitation, “Kathleen I want to be your friend. By the way I do relationship coaching for people who need it. Visit my website at ……..” 
If you go into an immediate sales pitch this is a huge turn off. Build rapport first, sell later if appropriate.
3. Avoid saying, “We have X number of friends in common so we should be friends.” Who cares about how many friends you have in common? Point #1 explains why this is irrelevant to the invitation.
As you build your friends’ network with sincerity you build solid friendships. You are then in a better position to have many people who would love to buy your book.
Take your time laying a foundation for potential buyers by being authentic. Everyone wins in this situation.
