Congratulations! You’ve published your book and are wondering when the magic will happen. The truth is, it won’t happen on its own. You have to make it happen. You must tell the world you have a book for sale, and you thought the hard work was over. The work has only begun.
The first item on the list is to identify your book’s category correctly. The different resellers have slightly different selections, and the choices can be confusing. I believe we sell more books on Barnes and Noble because they have a category selection for conspiracy thrillers. Some of the category names are confusing, and you should do your homework on what they mean.
Ad Copy
The right ad copy is essential. Can you get the potential reader to click on your book’s full description in fifteen words or less? Don’t worry about perfection. Try something and if it doesn’t work, change it. Ad copy is similar to fishing. What they’re biting on today might change tomorrow. Check out the ad copy for my books as an example. I’ve changed all of them more than once and will change them again.
The Author’s Page
Here is where you get to tell the reader a little about yourself. You’ll need to create one for every reseller. Traditionally, you would write this in third-person, but I’ve seen it in the first person, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. You need a good photo. I took mine using a cell phone, as you probably guessed. I thought an expensive camera would be a waste. Sometimes readers like to know about the author; it personalizes the book for them. You can talk about your family, your dog, what state or city you live in, and why you chose to be a writer. I wouldn’t get too personal for safety reasons. A few paragraphs should do.
Do You Need a Website?
I would argue yes, but don’t spend a fortune. I had a dozen publicans before I bothered because I was in a sprint to get nine manuscripts published in nine months. Needless to say, that took all my free time and then some.
What are your long-term goals? If you’re planning on a library of books, then promoting them on a website is worth the trouble, as I’ve done on my site. You can also list other author’s books on your site and produce revenue as a click-through purchase on Amazon, as an example.
If the website is a yes, you have two basic options:
- Design it yourself, or
- Pay someone to do it for you.
How technically savvy are you? I have a certificate in web design and programming, but I still used WordPress because it has so many slick functions and a massive library of plug-ins. I’m using the Classic Editor now for the blogs.
I’m told that Wix is easier for beginners to use but doesn’t have the functionality of WordPress. Do your own research and decide. But remember that you’re a writer, and you will need to decide if you want to spend the time developing a website or outsourcing the design and development while you start your next book project. I will typically provide a website for $300. Contact us if you need help.
How Proficient Are You In Social Media?
If you’re in a Facebook group, certainly tell them about the book. You can also purchase advertising on Facebook. You can post your book cover and announcement on Instagram or Twitter. Do everything you can within your circle of influence to tell everyone you know, but here’s the bad part. Expect responses like “Congratulations” and “We’re proud of you,” but don’t expect sales to follow the accolades. You’ll learn the hard truth between “friends” and “friendly acquaintances,” with the latter being the vast majority.
Personal Selling
Never be afraid to mention you are an author with a published book. I’ve sold quite a few books through word-of-mouth, and I carry business cards listing the sites where readers can purchase my books. I also have a discount code for one book on the card. Always follow up later for reviews if they purchase and ask for honest feedback. Your author bio should contain an email exclusively for your readers to contact you. Mine is ctbonnettauthor(at)gmail.com. I check it at least once a day and respond to comments as soon as possible.
Promotions
Sites like Amazon will allow you to run a limited-time free promotion. In my first book, Lottery, we gave away 175 free downloads over five days. You can call this priming the pump, especially if you are writing a series. Giving away the first in a series to attract readers for the following seven was a no-brainer for us. We ran the same promotion 90 days later. I will also run 99 cent promotions because some web services will list bargain books for their subscribers from the major sites.
Your Cover
People do judge a book by its cover; don’t go cheap here. Typically you’ll pay $250 to $400 for a professional cover. If it’s a series, you may be able to negotiate a lower rate per book from your book cover designer. If the cover looks like crap, the potential reader will pass you by. Seek out a professional book designer, not someone who does graphic arts and knows Photoshop. It will be the best investment you could make, other than good editing.