As indie authors, we all want to sell more books. And so, I want to share with you several ways that you can make the most of your book promotion efforts. As I’m sure you’ve learned a successful book marketing plan is made up of a range of actions that build on one another, and it’s wise to vary your efforts to get the most bang for your investment – whether its time or money, or a combination thereof. So with this in mind, here are some of the top ways that you can sell more books this year.
1. Be consistent: Whatever you do, do it consistently. So often indie authors try to do more than their time and bandwidth allow. Fix this by picking the things you know you can do consistently and forgetting the rest. Trust me, you will make greater strides if you remain consistent in your efforts.
2. Price your book to sell: How does your book stack up to its competitors? Your book should be priced competitively to sell well.
3. Do an eBook promotion: You really can’t do too many of these – and you don’t need to give away your books for free all the time. Even discounting your book by $1 can generate a big surge in sales.
4. Refresh, repackage, or reboot your older books: As your older books continue to age, consider refreshing your bookshelf by re-releasing older books, or even breaking older books into smaller ones and creating a new bundle.
5. Get creative: Now more than ever, we need to get creative with our book marketing efforts, whether we’re pitching to bloggers and media or working on our social media. Consider using any and all book tie ins, no matter how off the wall. One example that I’ve used before is how I used a presidential election to make a romance novel into a bestseller.
6. Do more videos: Let’s face it, video is big and only going to get bigger in the new year. If you don’t have a YouTube channel, you may want to grab one and repurpose any of your social media videos and put them on YouTube!
7. Develop Superfans: Make your fans feel special. Maybe you want to create a VIP reader group on Facebook where you give them early access to books, gift card promos, contests, and exclusive content.
8. Start an email list! It’s a great way to stay in front of fans and on their radar. Consider including a letter in the back of your book that invites your readers to join. Or, offer a free copy of your book for your email subscribers and run ads on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook!
9. Network with other authors: Join online groups, go to writer events, or join local author groups. Networking with other, similar authors is not just good business, but it can help you brainstorm new ideas, and most likely expand your knowledge!
10. Host an event at your library: While bookstore events can be great, libraries are often big, missed opportunities to connect with serious readers.
So take some time to review these ideas and factor them into your marketing plan. If you haven’t built one yet, it’s time to get started! With a roadmap in place, you’ll stay focused and on task with your book marketing efforts… and maybe just maybe you’ll have the next bestseller!
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Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU.
Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Social Media/Internet book marketing campaigns. She is the author of twelve books, including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon and Red Hot Internet Publicity, which has been called the "leading guide to everything Internet."
To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.com.