You might want to grab a copy of this book quickly if you are interested in selling more of your own books
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052U7F06/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0052U7F06&linkCode=as2&tag=wwwrobertjban-20
Showing posts with label promote your book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label promote your book. Show all posts
Tuesday
Thursday
GET RICH WITH AN E-BOOK
Is it just me, or is the internet overflowing with get rich quick schemes involving writing your own e-book? I seem to be getting about a dozen emails, blog postings and outright spams a day telling me how to make a million dollars with an e-book. Now, the fact that I am currently writing 2 of them may have caused this to happen, but...
Here's the thing that blows me away - obviously people are paying good money to get information on e-book marketing programs, webinars and so on. At the heart of this process is the fact that they actually need to sit down and write one. If they are serious about looking at an e-book to improve their profile or create actual wealth, then I would not so humbly suggest that they write a good book. Write a book that people will get value from and one that shows the writer in the best possible light. Showing themselves in the best possible light - because you only get one chance at this - means a well constructed, organized and edited book. It doesn't matter how long it is, if it has grammar, spelling and other mistakes, the buyer will not buy a second offering from them.
So here's the deal, if you are interested in entering into the e-book marketing push that is going on, begin by learning how to write a book. Of course, I have written a book that helps you do that: if you glance to the left hand side of the screen, you will see a picture of the One Hour Author: Non-Fiction Book Writing For Busy People - clicking on the image will take you to the Amazon site to buy it.
Before you begin marketing a book, you need to have one and this will be the fastest way to get there easily with the most professional results. By all means, if you are talking to others who are thinking about the e-book program to move themselves forward, send this to them and get them off on the right foot.
Here's the thing that blows me away - obviously people are paying good money to get information on e-book marketing programs, webinars and so on. At the heart of this process is the fact that they actually need to sit down and write one. If they are serious about looking at an e-book to improve their profile or create actual wealth, then I would not so humbly suggest that they write a good book. Write a book that people will get value from and one that shows the writer in the best possible light. Showing themselves in the best possible light - because you only get one chance at this - means a well constructed, organized and edited book. It doesn't matter how long it is, if it has grammar, spelling and other mistakes, the buyer will not buy a second offering from them.
So here's the deal, if you are interested in entering into the e-book marketing push that is going on, begin by learning how to write a book. Of course, I have written a book that helps you do that: if you glance to the left hand side of the screen, you will see a picture of the One Hour Author: Non-Fiction Book Writing For Busy People - clicking on the image will take you to the Amazon site to buy it.
Before you begin marketing a book, you need to have one and this will be the fastest way to get there easily with the most professional results. By all means, if you are talking to others who are thinking about the e-book program to move themselves forward, send this to them and get them off on the right foot.
Tuesday
MARKET YOUR BOOK
Every author eventually hits the point where they need to do some marketing. Yuck! I know, but it is a reality regardless of where and how your book is published. So many writers that I know, and have worked with, fall down when it comes to the actual selling process of their books. It is not good enough to just write and publish, because absolutely no one will know that your title even exists.
Sometimes people wait and hope that they will magically "go viral" like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Reality is that they didn't sell millions of books without a lot of hard work on their part.
Patience, persistence and constant promotion - the 3 P's.
Most of you will eventually, if not first, publish your books on Amazon. You might resist, especially if you are listening to legacy publishers but trust me, you will eventually find your book on Amazon. Publishing is easy for both Kindle and paper books, but then what?
Last weekend I ran across an e-book from Shelley Hitz called, "Marketing Your Book On Amazon," and you really do need to get it too. She includes 21 different real-life things that we need to do to make our efforts more visible. Yes, I am in the process of going through her "to-do" list for each of my titles and you should too. Find her book here, on Amazon and download it to your computer if you don't already have a Kindle.
I know that there are other platforms that require your attention like Smashwords, Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and others, but start with the biggest and go through the steps and then move on to the next. You need to do your part in the marketing process, regardless of whether you publish yourself or with a legacy publisher - marketing and sales are your responsibility. Shelley's book takes a lot of the mystery and hard work out of the deal so I very highly recommend that you start here.
And, just to let you know, Shelley did not ask me to post this blog on her behalf - I just think that my readers deserve to have good information when it is available.
I must admit that when I was reading some other blogs yesterday, I came across several authors who write only for the sake of writing and don't really seem to care if readers find them. What a disservice to both potential readers and themselves. If it's worth writing, then it is worth reading - find your readers.
Sometimes people wait and hope that they will magically "go viral" like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Reality is that they didn't sell millions of books without a lot of hard work on their part.
Patience, persistence and constant promotion - the 3 P's.
Most of you will eventually, if not first, publish your books on Amazon. You might resist, especially if you are listening to legacy publishers but trust me, you will eventually find your book on Amazon. Publishing is easy for both Kindle and paper books, but then what?
Last weekend I ran across an e-book from Shelley Hitz called, "Marketing Your Book On Amazon," and you really do need to get it too. She includes 21 different real-life things that we need to do to make our efforts more visible. Yes, I am in the process of going through her "to-do" list for each of my titles and you should too. Find her book here, on Amazon and download it to your computer if you don't already have a Kindle.
I know that there are other platforms that require your attention like Smashwords, Apple, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and others, but start with the biggest and go through the steps and then move on to the next. You need to do your part in the marketing process, regardless of whether you publish yourself or with a legacy publisher - marketing and sales are your responsibility. Shelley's book takes a lot of the mystery and hard work out of the deal so I very highly recommend that you start here.
And, just to let you know, Shelley did not ask me to post this blog on her behalf - I just think that my readers deserve to have good information when it is available.
I must admit that when I was reading some other blogs yesterday, I came across several authors who write only for the sake of writing and don't really seem to care if readers find them. What a disservice to both potential readers and themselves. If it's worth writing, then it is worth reading - find your readers.
Sunday
MORE ABOUT BOOK PRICING
I don't know if this is right or wrong - only time, or sales, will tell. I've been thinking about the pricing of my books for awhile and wondering if they should change to reflect changing times. Originally, pricing was based on production and distribution costs combined with the amount of effort, research, writing time and other stuff to determine how much I thought I should make per copy. All of that has changed.
I do agree with some friends in the industry that price should reflect the content and value to the reader to some extent, after all, how much is it worth to a reader to change their life? On the other hand, e-books are beginning to become commodities and after the initial costs of time for research and writing and the costs of design, editing and set up, there are no further costs for printing, distribution, returns, marketing, and so on. In other words, once the initial costs are covered, the author or publisher can sell unlimited copies without incurring further costs.
To some extent, the same is true for print-on-demand copies. The printer or supplier has a fixed cost for providing each additional printed book but the author has no extra costs over and above his original "inputs." It began to dawn on me that I don't care whether a reader wants a digital copy or a printed one. If I set my pricing so that my royalty works out to pretty much the same thing, regardless of format, then I could lower my prices and pass the benefit to the purchaser...so, I did. My net royalty on an e-book priced at $4.99 is almost the same for the printed version priced at $9.99. The extra cost to the buyer for the printed version goes to the printer who has to provide paper, ink, technology, labor and printing presses to produce it, but I end up with the same amount, which is perfectly alright with me.
Anyway - pretty unscientific and I'm sure there will be disagreement from traditional publishers but that's my logic on the reason for changing the prices of my books. It's nice to have the right to do so.
I do agree with some friends in the industry that price should reflect the content and value to the reader to some extent, after all, how much is it worth to a reader to change their life? On the other hand, e-books are beginning to become commodities and after the initial costs of time for research and writing and the costs of design, editing and set up, there are no further costs for printing, distribution, returns, marketing, and so on. In other words, once the initial costs are covered, the author or publisher can sell unlimited copies without incurring further costs.
To some extent, the same is true for print-on-demand copies. The printer or supplier has a fixed cost for providing each additional printed book but the author has no extra costs over and above his original "inputs." It began to dawn on me that I don't care whether a reader wants a digital copy or a printed one. If I set my pricing so that my royalty works out to pretty much the same thing, regardless of format, then I could lower my prices and pass the benefit to the purchaser...so, I did. My net royalty on an e-book priced at $4.99 is almost the same for the printed version priced at $9.99. The extra cost to the buyer for the printed version goes to the printer who has to provide paper, ink, technology, labor and printing presses to produce it, but I end up with the same amount, which is perfectly alright with me.
Anyway - pretty unscientific and I'm sure there will be disagreement from traditional publishers but that's my logic on the reason for changing the prices of my books. It's nice to have the right to do so.
Saturday
PUBLISHERS ARE SPEAKING
The publishers appear to be taking a stand in terms of e-books. If you take a quick glance at the top 100 books on the Amazon Kindle listings, you will see that the major publishing houses now dominate the list. What is amazing is that in most cases, the Kindle price is higher than the paperback price and in more than a few instances, higher than the hardcover price.
As a reader, and an owner of a Kindle, I have a hard time justifying the price asked for a digital copy of a new release that is in the 15 - 20 dollar range. Some are well over $20.00. I don't think Amazon minds the prices since they get paid a percentage of the list and the higher the better for them. What does this mean for the early stage author who is publishing independently and doesn't have the marketing support of the big guys? It means the same thing it has always meant, build your own list of followers, connect and communicate with them in a timely and authentic fashion. Build your list one reader at a time - the same way you sell your books.
To be an author, you also need to be a marketer. If you are looking for advice in that area, I strongly suggest that you subscribe to Seth Godin's blog - no question that he is the preeminent marketer in this digital age. I suspect, but don't actually know, that there may be more platforms on the horizon for indie authors, so that they can get noticed by readers who appreciate us. I kind of like John Locke's philosophy for selling his pot boiler novels for .99 as he says that he offers the readers good entertainment and that the "big guys" have to justify why the reader should spend 15 to 20 times more for similar entertainment.
I realize that "name recognition" sells and it always has, but good writing, combined with a marketing plan that suits your needs, persistence, and most important of all, more books, you can get there. Keep writing, keep talking, keep posting, keep the faith baby!
As a reader, and an owner of a Kindle, I have a hard time justifying the price asked for a digital copy of a new release that is in the 15 - 20 dollar range. Some are well over $20.00. I don't think Amazon minds the prices since they get paid a percentage of the list and the higher the better for them. What does this mean for the early stage author who is publishing independently and doesn't have the marketing support of the big guys? It means the same thing it has always meant, build your own list of followers, connect and communicate with them in a timely and authentic fashion. Build your list one reader at a time - the same way you sell your books.
To be an author, you also need to be a marketer. If you are looking for advice in that area, I strongly suggest that you subscribe to Seth Godin's blog - no question that he is the preeminent marketer in this digital age. I suspect, but don't actually know, that there may be more platforms on the horizon for indie authors, so that they can get noticed by readers who appreciate us. I kind of like John Locke's philosophy for selling his pot boiler novels for .99 as he says that he offers the readers good entertainment and that the "big guys" have to justify why the reader should spend 15 to 20 times more for similar entertainment.
I realize that "name recognition" sells and it always has, but good writing, combined with a marketing plan that suits your needs, persistence, and most important of all, more books, you can get there. Keep writing, keep talking, keep posting, keep the faith baby!
Sunday
GOOGLE BOOKS
I am trying to learn more about Google Books and whether or not it is a benefit for authors like you and I. I see that one of my first books is listed there, without a cover, and I am not sure whether I authorized this or not.
Thanks in advance and please consider forwarding this request to other writers that you know so that we can all learn.
- Have you used Google Books to promote, list and and market your books?
- What kind of experience have you had?
- If you decided against listing there, why?
- What kind of sales increase have you had - or do you know?
- Do you know any good, independent information sources about Google Books?
Thanks in advance and please consider forwarding this request to other writers that you know so that we can all learn.
MORE ABOUT SELF PUBLISHING, E-BOOKS & PRICING
Still wondering about whether this e-book craze will catch on?
Still think that e-books should be priced the same as hard copy books?
Still wondering how to make money as a writer.
Still hoping to land that publishing contract with a traditional?
You might not have the same results but if one person can do it, then why not you and me?
Good writing plus good promotion - that's what every author is responsible for, and what every author has in her control.
Take a look here.
Still think that e-books should be priced the same as hard copy books?
Still wondering how to make money as a writer.
Still hoping to land that publishing contract with a traditional?
You might not have the same results but if one person can do it, then why not you and me?
Good writing plus good promotion - that's what every author is responsible for, and what every author has in her control.
Take a look here.
Monday
CHANGING THE GAME - SETH GODIN DOES IT AGAIN
Changing the game: Do the Work is free for now
The next title from the Domino Project is by bestselling author Steven Pressfield. He’s the author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, the upcoming thriller The Profession, and most important, the classic The War of Art.
I don’t think a more important book on art and shipping and fear has ever been written. The War of Art changed me, probably forever, and I know it’s had that impact on hundreds of thousands of creators.
That Steve is entrusting his new manifesto Do the Work to us is thrilling. Do the Work is a logical outgrowth of the writing in The War of Art, but it’s quite clearly a manifesto, a short, powerful, memorable rant on what it means to do work that matters. This book is so important, I’d like everyone to read it again and again.
And now they can.
Today we’re announcing a significant breakthrough in book publishing, and it may be a first: the digital edition of a bestselling author’s next book is available for free, thanks to a generous sponsor. Because most of the costs of an ebook are fixed (extra copies cost far less than additional copies of a paper book) there’s a great opportunity for a sponsor to subsidize the distribution–readers get the ebook for free, the sponsor benefits by being connected with a great work and perhaps some gratitude from the reader for bringing them an idea that might bring positive change.
The folks at GE have stepped up and they’re our first ebook sponsors. Beginning today until shortly after the Kindle edition is available on April 20th, the sponsored edition is free.Click here, order it and it will be automatically delivered on pub date. You can read it on a Kindle, an iPad, an iPhone a PC and more. (If you already ordered your copy, your payment will be credited back to you).
We’re announcing this first to our readers on this blog, but feel free to spread the word. It’s only going to be free for a limited time, so don’t tarry.
My hope is that other sponsors will step up and allow us to do promotions for our other books as well. In the meantime, be prepared to be changed by Steve’s book, and thanks for reading and for spreading the word.
Article by seth godin
Seth Godin is the founder of The Domino Project and has written twelve books that have been translated into more than thirty languages. Every one has been a bestseller. He writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most of all, changing everything.
Friday
LITTLE KNOWN BOOK MARKETING TOOL
The age of all-pervasive marketing is upon us. Like me, I am sure that sometimes you think that all of this so-called "social networking" is just a thinly veiled disguise for someone reaching into our pocket to grab our wallets. No question, with the advent of the 24/7 digital universe, there are incredible opportunities out there for authors to bring their work to audiences that simply did not exist 5 years ago.
However, we sometimes forget the basics of good salesmanship when it comes to building the elements of a non-fiction book that will appeal to potential buyers. When we get past the appealing cover, the catchy title and the high-priced promotion campaign, what does our potential reader/buyer look for to influence their purchasing decision?
The Table of Contents is very high on the list of an author's selling opportunities. That may sound strange to some, only because it is often overlooked as a chance to persuade browsers (that's people browsers, not digital ones) about the benefits of reading the book. We have all seen Tables of Contents that simply repeat the chapter titles and page numbers in a long list, but have you noticed the ones that offer the reader more information? The idea is to note the chapter name and then add a sentence or two of description, or a few bullet points so that the reader can actually see what you offer? Keep it simple but make it appealing so that someone browsing it will want to know more.
In addition, most of the e-book platforms now allow a potential buyer to browse the Table of Contents and maybe a sample chapter. Make your Table of Contents do some selling work for you and increase your sales as a result.
However, we sometimes forget the basics of good salesmanship when it comes to building the elements of a non-fiction book that will appeal to potential buyers. When we get past the appealing cover, the catchy title and the high-priced promotion campaign, what does our potential reader/buyer look for to influence their purchasing decision?
The Table of Contents is very high on the list of an author's selling opportunities. That may sound strange to some, only because it is often overlooked as a chance to persuade browsers (that's people browsers, not digital ones) about the benefits of reading the book. We have all seen Tables of Contents that simply repeat the chapter titles and page numbers in a long list, but have you noticed the ones that offer the reader more information? The idea is to note the chapter name and then add a sentence or two of description, or a few bullet points so that the reader can actually see what you offer? Keep it simple but make it appealing so that someone browsing it will want to know more.
In addition, most of the e-book platforms now allow a potential buyer to browse the Table of Contents and maybe a sample chapter. Make your Table of Contents do some selling work for you and increase your sales as a result.
Saturday
MAKING MONEY WITH A BOOK
Will writing a book make me lots of money?
Writing a book is a little like going to Las Vegas - we hear about the big winners but there is no story about the average participant who breaks even, had fun and goes home tired and broke. In the book world, we know about J. K. Rowling, Stephen King, Wayne Dyer and the small percentage who have had "big wins," but what can the average author expect and what can they do to create some financial success? Unless the stars align and lady luck shines bright, it is unlikely that an author will get wealthy from their first book or two - that's reality.
The money is not in the book - it's in what the book brings.
When it comes to non-fiction books, an author needs to look a little further afield to find the money tree. Keynote speeches, workshops, audio books, DVD's, online courses/webinars, workbooks, coaching, follow up books, foreign language rights, film rights, card decks, consulting, T-shirts, tours, foreign workshop weekends, MP3's, affiliate groups and more. Yes, you might be that one in a million winner and I don't want to rain on your parade, but the practical side of authoring your first book or two means that you may not be able to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous just yet.
Knowing what some of the ancillary opportunities are and planning to get involved in them will help in creating the original book, because it should cause the writer to include for these possibilities when they are writing. There is no honor in poverty and you do not need to suffer financial hardship for your art, but you do need to have an eye on the horizon for creating financially viable products that will flow from your book. Regardless of your publishing platform, you are responsible for the marketing of your books and creating a livelihood - what could you do today to leverage your book as a starting point for more income?
Writing a book is a little like going to Las Vegas - we hear about the big winners but there is no story about the average participant who breaks even, had fun and goes home tired and broke. In the book world, we know about J. K. Rowling, Stephen King, Wayne Dyer and the small percentage who have had "big wins," but what can the average author expect and what can they do to create some financial success? Unless the stars align and lady luck shines bright, it is unlikely that an author will get wealthy from their first book or two - that's reality.
The money is not in the book - it's in what the book brings.
When it comes to non-fiction books, an author needs to look a little further afield to find the money tree. Keynote speeches, workshops, audio books, DVD's, online courses/webinars, workbooks, coaching, follow up books, foreign language rights, film rights, card decks, consulting, T-shirts, tours, foreign workshop weekends, MP3's, affiliate groups and more. Yes, you might be that one in a million winner and I don't want to rain on your parade, but the practical side of authoring your first book or two means that you may not be able to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous just yet.
Knowing what some of the ancillary opportunities are and planning to get involved in them will help in creating the original book, because it should cause the writer to include for these possibilities when they are writing. There is no honor in poverty and you do not need to suffer financial hardship for your art, but you do need to have an eye on the horizon for creating financially viable products that will flow from your book. Regardless of your publishing platform, you are responsible for the marketing of your books and creating a livelihood - what could you do today to leverage your book as a starting point for more income?
Monday
CREATING A BRAND
As authors, we often do not realize that we need to create a brand in today's world of business. We should not mistake our careers as being different from that of a business either. An author, regardless of their publishing process, is always responsible for promoting their own work and so the importance of creating a brand is absolute today.
I came across this excellent blog this morning that offers you 125 questions to ask yourself as you create your own brand and they apply to authors as we make our efforts available to the world. I urge you to take a look and decide on your methods of moving forward in promoting yourself and your work. Many of the questions are essential to making sure you are writing your book for your intended audience and will keep you on track as you work toward completion of a much better, more focused book.
Go here to read how you can create your own brand.
I came across this excellent blog this morning that offers you 125 questions to ask yourself as you create your own brand and they apply to authors as we make our efforts available to the world. I urge you to take a look and decide on your methods of moving forward in promoting yourself and your work. Many of the questions are essential to making sure you are writing your book for your intended audience and will keep you on track as you work toward completion of a much better, more focused book.
Go here to read how you can create your own brand.
Tuesday
AUTHORS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
What sort of social media tools should an author be using is a great question and is becomming an important question for everyone. BookTour is a website devoted to all things author-ly and rather than repeating what Kevin has said - it is much easier to simply give you the link. His site is worth getting involved in to keep your own fans informed.
Read his latest update here.
Read his latest update here.
Thursday
WRITER'S BLOGS
Create a blog to promote your book when you start writing it
Can I be any more clear than that? For the authors-to-be who cling to the notion that some publisher is going to take responsibility for marketing and promoting your book - get over it! It was never true and it never will be true. Even those of you with agents and agreements - check the fine print. You are totally responsible for your own marketing.
A simple and clean blog will provide a window to the world. You are not writing your book for 100% of the population. At best, you are targeting your book to 3 or 4% of the reading public and creating a targeted blog will help you do that. They really are simple to create. This one uses a Google sponsored template called Blogger and somewhere on the page is a link to create your own. Follow the basic set up and start entering the conversation. It's alright if you start by simply informing your spouse, children, family and friends. If you invite them to forward your musings to their friends and so on, you will begin to create some followers. That will eventually allow you to tell them about your upcoming book. One other thing to keep in mind, and this can be difficult for writers, keep it short. One of the world's leading marketers, Seth Godin, keeps his blog to about 200 words and he has 100's of thousands of followers.
Many of you have blogs already so don't forget to post something new about 3 times a week and invite people to follow and forward as I invite you to do the same with this blog.
Can I be any more clear than that? For the authors-to-be who cling to the notion that some publisher is going to take responsibility for marketing and promoting your book - get over it! It was never true and it never will be true. Even those of you with agents and agreements - check the fine print. You are totally responsible for your own marketing.
A simple and clean blog will provide a window to the world. You are not writing your book for 100% of the population. At best, you are targeting your book to 3 or 4% of the reading public and creating a targeted blog will help you do that. They really are simple to create. This one uses a Google sponsored template called Blogger and somewhere on the page is a link to create your own. Follow the basic set up and start entering the conversation. It's alright if you start by simply informing your spouse, children, family and friends. If you invite them to forward your musings to their friends and so on, you will begin to create some followers. That will eventually allow you to tell them about your upcoming book. One other thing to keep in mind, and this can be difficult for writers, keep it short. One of the world's leading marketers, Seth Godin, keeps his blog to about 200 words and he has 100's of thousands of followers.
Many of you have blogs already so don't forget to post something new about 3 times a week and invite people to follow and forward as I invite you to do the same with this blog.
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