After months of hard work including several copy-edit iterations, I finally published my book on Amazon and Createspace. To celebrate my accomplishment, I invited family and friends to a release party where I sold a few books. I sent out press releases, tweeted, and wrote about it on Facebook. Having cultivated an audience prior to the release, I sold fifty-four books online that first month and received six reviews on Amazon. As an unknown indie author, I was happy with my first month’s sales. My question was how to keep the momentum going—how do I get someone to buy my book?
First, I decided, to sell books I had to get people’s attention. To do this, I had to go where they were and make it easy for them to find me. I created an Amazon Central Author’s page, one for each market (UK, Brazil, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, etc.). I created a similar author’s profile on Goodreads, Shelfari, Barnes and Noble and other online bookstores. I asked for interviewers on websites that promote books, such as Ask David and Rainys Book Realm. I don’t have statistics correlating to sales, but the exposure doesn’t hurt. Each month with the increase fans and followers, I sell more books.
Once I had their attention, I wanted them to like me and my book. To that end, I rewrote my bio in first person adding more information about who I am and what makes me unique. The rewrite sounds friendlier than the third-person script I originally had.
Being more open in your bio helps the reader connect. This connection is like opening a door, letting the reader into your world. Let them see your uniqueness. Pick a profile picture that shows a lot of your face; this helps people see you as a person. Similarly, to help them decide whether they want to read your work, give them samples of your writing. Turn on the Amazon’s “Look inside this book” and the Google preview on Goodreads, or give them a free download.
Create a compelling landing or sales page for your book. Tell the readers how they will benefit from reading it. Add testimonials and a CTA (call to action): Buy Now. See my sales page, for example.
To get free publicity and keep your name in the media, subscribe to HARO (Help a Reporter Out), Media Kitty, and Sourcebottle. This is a great way for you to build your credibility as a subject matter expert (SME). Another way to do this is to guest post on blogs in your niche.
Make it easy for your readers to contact you, provide your contact information everywhere. A few days ago, I was tweeting about an author and wanted to mention her (@author_name) in the tweet. I could not find her Twitter name. Consequently, her followers did not see the tweet. Don’t miss free publicity: always provide your contact information.
Once you have people’s attention, you need to keep them interested. I have a blog where I can interact with my readers. I also use Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. If you don’t have a blog, consider using Facebook or Goodreads as a place to build and engage your following. When using social media, don’t sell your book. Instead provide the reader with useful information, thought-provoking quotes, or updates on your book-in-process. Have fun and make the interaction with your readers fun so that they will return to your page. Joan Stewart always includes a hound joke, hound quote, or hound video in her Publicity Hound newsletter. Michael R. Hicks talks about his cats and his work in process on his Facebook page; this morning, as a result, he has 2,443 likes and 355 talking about this.
Don’t set your goals too low. Visualize yourself as a best-selling author. Create a plan (an author’s platform). Don’t forget the traditional marketing tools (book signings, lectures, radio and TV interviews, etc.). Contact book clubs and offer discounts for bulk sales and a possible interview with the author at their meeting (in person or via phone or Web conference).
Lastly, to sell more books, write more books.
To sell your books
- Get people’s attention: List your name and book in the major online book outlets.
- Be likeable: Write a compelling book blurb, an enticing sales page, and a credible, but friendly, bio.
- Become an SME: Get quoted by journalists, write content for other people’s blog.
- Be available: Provide your contact information everywhere. Include your email address, Pinterest, twitter, Facebook and other social media contact info.
- Build a community and keep communications going.
- Write more books.
Its been nine months since I published my book and I am still trying to figure out what makes one person choose my book over others in the same genre? Is it the cover, word of mouth, my writeup on the book jacket, the book trailer, my publicity, a tweet, or a post on my blog? Each person has a reason, or reasons, for making the purchase. To sell your book, you need to appeal to the reader in a variety of ways, hoping that at least one will lead to that sale.
Do you have a different strategy or tip to help others sell their books. Please comment.
