Category: Book Promotion Strategy

Book Promotion Strategy

Self-Publishing puts authors in the driver’s seat

Property rights in book publishing is one important consideration in finding the path that best meets your goals.

In all forms of art—painting, woodwork, sculpture, writing—ownership exists. At many levels. A painter paints a picture. Owns the picture. Sells the picture. A sculptor molds a bust. Owns the bust. Sells the bust.

Ownership changes but the picture does not. The bust does not.

In the Traditional sense, authors sell their work to publishing houses for an advance on royalties. Those publishers then, owning the material, can do whatever they want with your writing—cut paragraphs, chapters, change the title even.

Imagine crafting a beautiful landscape only to have someone paint over it.

The good news is many custom self publishing options currently offer non-exclusive contracts now. The non-exclusive part keeps authors the driver’s seat and preserves the essence and origination of the writing. It’s your work, thoughts, ideas, and stories, after all.

Have fun and keep writing!

Book Promotion Strategy

Consider Your Sales Annotation Early In the Publishing Process

You’ve written a book that you’re ready to publish. Now you have to decide on quite a few key ingredients – including how you will publish the book (i.e. will you use a self-publishing company or try to publish on your own), what price you will set it for, etc. One thing that’s fairly simple to overlook when you’re starting the process is how you will market your book. Aside from some of the more obvious reasons why authors should start thinking about marketing early on in the process, you should also consider your marketing plan when putting together your sales annotation.

What is a sales annotation, you ask? That’s a great question! It’s the information about your book that is submitted to sites like Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, etc. Sometimes authors opt to have this match what’s shown on the back of their book. However, this isn’t necessary, and I actually recommend that your annotation be different because your online description not only describes your book, but it also can be neatly packaged with your book’s keywords because you can fit more information in an online description space than on your back cover.

In the example below, you’re able to see the online description for Sell Your Book on Amazon that can be found on Amazon.com:

As you can see from the above image, it is important to not only describe your book in a way that will entice your reader but also make sure that you are using your keywords frequently.

DISCUSSION: What tips can you share for writing a solid sales annotation?

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Promotion Strategy

Alternative Book Marketing Methods Series: Partnering with Local Bookstores to Offer Groupon/Local Offer

There are many ways authors can market their books. Some of these include planning virtual book tours, scheduling book signings, distributing a press release, etc. However, many authors do these things. How can you reach an untapped market? How can you stand out from the crowd?

That’s why we decided to offer you the Alternative Book Marketing Methods Series. The goal of this series is to reveal and discuss possible success rates of marketing ideas that are a bit “different”. While there may be some authors that are already implementing these methods as a part of their overall book promotion strategy, these are not widely used and often can make the author stand out in the crowd.

Today’s tactic involves partnering with local bookstores to offer a deal for buyers of your book. There are several local deal sites out there, but the most popular is Groupon. Have you ever heard of them? On their website, they describe themselves as: “…an easy way to get huge discounts while discovering fun activities in your city. Our daily deals consist of restaurants, spas, massages, theaters, hotels, and a whole lot more, in dozens of cities across the country.”

Here’s a sample Groupon:

Groupon Example

How’s this for an idea? You contact a local independent bookstore and ask them about listing your book on consignment. In exchange, you can partner with them (split the cost) of offering a Groupon. A few ideas for the offer can be:

  • Save 50% on your purchase when you buy _______ (insert the title of your book here). You can vary the percentage to you and the store owner/manager’s liking.
  • Get _____ (the name of a popular book) for $5 when you buy _____ (insert the title of your book here). You can vary the money savings to you and the store owner/manager’s liking.
  • Get a gift certificate for $10 off your next purchase of $15 or more when you buy _______ (insert the title of your book here). You can vary the gift certificate amount to you and the store owner/manager’s liking.

These suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg. Be creative, think up some more creative ideas, and (most importantly), share them with us here. Happy marketing!

Book Promotion Strategy, Uncategorized, Weekly Wednesday Podcast

Weekly Wednesday Podcast: Book Video Marketing Essentials/Contest Winner Announced

Today’s topic is: Book Video Marketing Essentials.
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about how to use book video marketing as part of your book promotion strategy. Today, I’m covering what you need in your video a bit more in-depth. You need all of the following:
  • Title
  • Author name
  • Image of book cover
  • Image of author
  • Price (not if it could put buyers off)
  • Availability (Amazon? B&N? Website?)
  • Call to action (put at the end so that it’s the last thing on their mind)
  • Additional creative images/video (trailer)
  • Synopsis (trailer – get your audience interested)
Also, the winner for our “Boost Our Blog Facebook Contest” was chosen. Here’s more about the winning author and her book:

The Veiled Mirror by Christine Frost

Book Title: The Veiled Mirror: The Story of Prince Vlad Dracula’s Lost Love

Author: Christine Frost

Publisher: CreateSpace

Date of Publication: October 22, 2010

 

BUY HERE

Book Promotion Strategy, Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week

Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week: A Process Mind by Richards P. Lyon, M.D.

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if they don’t know about it? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us let the community know about a great book. So, without further adieu, here’s this week’s book review:

A Process Mind book cover

A Process Mind

Richards P. Lyon, M.D.

Outskirts Press (2010)

ISBN 9781432760397

Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (2/11)

“Author Richards P. Lyon, M.D. has really had a wonderful life. And in his new memoir, A Process Mind, Dr. Lyon recalls his life in an unpretentious, humorous, storyteller’s style, beginning with the very first statement, “I am born,” of the first chapter, “In the Beginning.”

Throughout the book’s recounting of his life, Dr. Lyon weaves his assessment of the impact of his Process Mind on the events that make up the story. The author explains at the outset that “My Process Mind works like this: I must understand to remember. This takes more time than is required by the Quick Memory minds. However, it is the remembering that makes the difference, allowing me to tell this story today in the hope that I will be effective.”

Since his retirement, so called, in his eighties, Dr. Lyon has had a considerable amount of time to reflect on his process mindset and he has ultimately distilled it down to: Recognize and unearth the real problem; Fix it; Do it now; and, Be effective. While there is nothing new here, the clarity and conciseness with which it is presented and supported by real life examples, is a testament to clearly understanding what we are fully capable of accomplishing, even at ninety-three years old.

A diversity of successful careers and an exemplary record of reinventing himself result in making Dr. Lyon a humble, yet almost heroic symbol for the power of positive thinking and pursuing your passions. “A Process Mind” will leave many readers believing that more accomplishments await this octogenarian plus. One thing is for certain. Dr. Lyon’s Process Mind will keep on churning.”

DISCUSSION: Are you trying to obtain book reviews as part of your overall book promotion strategy?