Have you wasted valuable time and money on book promotion that doesn’t work? Have your press releases been ignored? Have you been too quiet about getting the word out how your book will help solve people’s problems?
Passion and creativity went into your book, now it’s time to put passion and creativity into promoting it! Since no one really cares as much about your book as you do, then take time to learn this new, effective way to sell books. Know that the world wide Web audience wants and needs your information”your expertise, how-to’s, your experience or entertainment.
If you are willing to take four-five actions each day to promote your products, you will have successful sales. Follow these steps to learn how to promote your book on line and make big sales:
Step One. Do what you do best–write! Create several short “how-to” articles, short stories, poetry or humor, anywhere from 75-800 words. Prepare several lengths of the same article. For one eMagazine I submitted a seventy-five-word article on how to write a short article. For a top business Web site, I expanded it to 800 words.
Step Two. Take responsibility for book promotion yourself. If your publisher’s sales were disappointing, or your own marketing was weak, you can still create ongoing, lifelong profits. Online promotion is great if you are totally bashful or reluctant to “sell.” You don’t have to talk to anyone in person. You promote straight from your home or office. Now, that’s convenience! Learn the basics from teleclasses and seminars, from the internet, and from professional networking organizations.
Step Three. Develop Internet savvy. When you don’t take this step, you will hang back, and stay stuck in fear. Action spurs you on. Take a free community college course, or visit your library for help. In just three hours, I learned about search engines, and other basics. If you are like me and are passionate to succeed, then hire a coach or virtual assistant from a local high school or tech school Jump in and get yourself an email address and try out surfing. You won’t need a Web site right away, but authors should eventually have one.
Step Four. Visit the top Web sites in your field. Without them, your book won’t get much exposure. Many authors report only a few sales from their own sites. High traffic web sites are always looking for new material (your articles) to entice their visitors to come back, again and again. Notice their signals: “New material added daily.” In turn, they will put your “signature” which includes the title of your book and the Web address where it can be purchased. It doesn’t have to be your Web site. With just one short article posted in an ezine, one bookcoaching client received eight emails asking for more information. These responses gives the author another chance at a sale, and to be known as the market expert. Many authors are professional coaches, consultants or therapists, so when the person contacts them, they can mention these other services.
Step Five. Run a search on the top search engines to find the top ten Web sites in your field. Go to www.google.com, or www.yahoo.com. Perhaps your subject is women’s self care. Think of the key words or meta tags these sites would use for people to easily find them. A few would be “women or women’s self care”, “healthy women”, “young women and self care”,” mature women’s self care”, “working women with children self care”. Use other words for self care, Think of the benefits your book gives these women. Include those in the key words–“regain childhood energy”, “reclaim youthful vitality.” Submit several key words. Then visit the Web sites to see their layout and whether or not they have a regular ezine that needs tips, excerpts, or stories. If their site puts up new articles up regularly, your information has a chance to bring you increased product sales..
Step Six. Write a note to the Web master or content person, submitting the titles of your articles or stories. You may want to send an article along as a sample of your writing. It may be a complimentary chapter from your book, or an excerpt that solves a problem for their visitors. Think benefits when you submit. What can your material do for their site–their visitors? Before you send anything out, after several peer edits, have it professionally edited.
Step Seven. Place your book and other products on as many publishing sites as possible. Now, authors can be in control of their promotion, with far less effort, and get the respect, support and sales they deserve. When you submit your book to them, whether by print or ebook, they will accept credit cards, fill customer orders, take their commission (far less than a traditional publisher) and send you the royalties every few months. Each publishing Online company has its own contract, so choose the non-exclusive one for your biggest benefit. Multiple sites equal multiple sales. You don’t even need your own web site to sell your books! Here are a few to get you started: http://www.mightywords.com, http://booklocker.com, http://www.amazon.com, and http://.www.infopost.com.
Step Eight. Organize your research. Start a file called “Web sites to Link With.” If you don’t keep track of your promotion contacts, you will not be able to follow up. Professional people always follow-up. They develop relationships with the people they want to do business with. Start a communication sheet for these people either on your computer or in a physical file. For instance, for publishing sites, list the contact person (Web master or content person), their email and web site URL. Include your note to them. Keep track of what you offer, what they like, what they take. Date your communications. Not everyone will respond, but with persistence, many will! At the end of your note, ask that they include a link back to either your site or other publishing sites where your books are offered.
If, like me, you are not a technical person, hire a person who can do the research for you. Remember, people who visit top sites are looking for information and entertainment. They will appreciate your articles, may even pass them on to friends and associates. Many will go to your site or other sites to check out your book–even buy it. Web sites want your information. It seems like a marriage made in cyber heaven.
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” and “Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says…and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 145 free articles. Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com.
