Top 7 Tips for Successfully Book Selling
The economy today is set up so that gatekeepers mean less and the average consumer can quickly become a producer. In no other industry is this the case than the publishing of books.
An old saying asserts that every human being has a book in them. Well, the internet and Web 2.0 as we know it have created a way for you to actually get that book out, and make some money off it in the process.
Writing quality books is a labor of love, but you can find success when you have the right tools and advice at your disposal.
The tips below will teach you all about how to win big with book selling strategies.
1. Make Sure You’re Selling on Amazon and All Major Platforms
You’re leaving money on the table if you’re not selling your books where all of the customers are. Today, Amazon is not only one of the largest companies in the world, but it is also the largest book retailer in the world.
If you’ve noticed that book stores in malls and cities are closed and left and right, the rise of Amazon played a huge role in that.
Thankfully, Amazon has leveled the playing field and allows authors to sign up for accounts to begin self-publishing today. Before you know it, you’re getting royalty checks every month and have a viable passive income stream.
Don’t just stop there. Publish wide to outlets like iTunes, Google Play, Nook Press, and others.
2. Write Each Day and Set Deadlines
If you’re going to become a successful author that sells plenty of books, you have to write every day. There are no two ways about it.
In the book, The War of Art, the author Steven Pressfield breaks down the difference between amateurs and professionals. Pressfield says that amateurs write or do their art when they feel like it or when inspiration hits.
Professionals write when they are supposed to, whether they feel like it or not.
Flip that switch and begin thinking and acting like a professional writer. Opening the vessel by writing every day will make it easier to stay inspired and turn out your best quality work.
Setting deadlines is also the mark of a professional. If there is no endgame in sight, people will write forever, without ever putting anything out.
Set up a content creation calendar and stick to it religiously.
3. Focus on Making the Covers Amazing
Whether or not you can or should judge a book by its cover, the fact remains that an amazing cover will always sell more books. People browsing bookshelves or websites likely won’t even give your book a second glance without a quality cover, even if the content on the inside is stellar.
Because of this, you shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to designing the cover. Hire a professional graphics designer that can handle this for you and give you a finished product that you will be proud of.
4. Blog and Promote Yourself on Social Media
Writing is the fun part, but you also have to think about yourself as a business. This means marketing yourself as much as you can.
Start by setting up a website that tells people about you, complete with a blog that you can publish to regularly.
The beauty of blog content is that every post serves as a sneak preview for your writing.
Hit people over the head with high-quality evergreen blog content and before you know it you will also see an uptick in your book sales.
Learn the ins-and-outs of social media marketing as well. Facebook ads are big business right now and can drum up lots of new revenue. You can even create movie-style trailers for your books and put them out on Instagram and YouTube.
Get creative about the way that you choose to market yourself and your books.
5. Come Out With Audiobook Versions
Let’s face it, not everyone has time to read. And even people that do have time may not necessarily feel compelled to give hours of their time to read the work of an unproven author.
Regardless, audiobooks are all the rage today and can help you get new customers who otherwise wouldn’t take the time to read the book. Audible is an Amazon-owned company that has access to the same customer base.
Put together an audiobook version and sell it on Audible and other outlets. Consider whether it makes more sense to narrate the book yourself or hire a voice actor.
6. Set Up an E-Mail List and Use it Regularly
You have to keep a dialogue going with the people that love your books. Direct them to your email list so that you can keep them abreast whenever you have new content out.
By staying on the mind of your customer, you can always get impressive sales at the time of a release.
7. Create Hardback Versions
There is a large audience for hardcover books even in the digital age.
Get some hardback versions printed and price them to turn a profit. You can make these hardback versions a regular option in addition to digital and paperback, or you can sell them as collector’s items for the diehard fans.
If you do the latter, sweeten the pot by autographing it or throwing in another piece of merchandise to make it even worth peoples’ time and money.
Book Selling Made Simple
Let the tips in this article help you in all your book selling endeavors. The sky is the limit as long as you’re willing to put in the work.
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