By Edward Nawotka

Today’s feature story looks at Odyl’s Facebook apps that help authors and publishers reach their fans on Facebook in engaging ways. It has become common knowledge in the publishing community that establishing a strong social media network of “friends” is essential to having a successful book launch.

Your total number of “friends,” “likes,” and “followers” offer an indication of your overall visibility, your platform, in an increasingly crowded media marketplace.

But how much are those badges of social media affirmation really worth? A one to one correspondence between “friends/followers” and “book buyers” is unlikely, but at the very least you know they are “readers” in the loosest sense of the term, as they are at least seeing your social media missives. It is proof you have an audience.

That said, if you’re anything like me, you’ve likely friended and followed numerous people on a whim or based on single post, tweet or recommendation — and have little or no real relationship with them.

It is often said that, as an author, your biggest problem is anonymity. So, in your estimation, what is the real value of social media visibility?

If you’re feeling bold, and were to quantify it, what kind of number would you put on the value of each friend, follower and like?

Let us know what you think in the comments?