101 Surefire Ways to Market Your (Self-Published) Book

We recently posted a book review for The Daughter-in-Law Rules by Sally Shields.

On her website, this author lists 101 Surefire Ways to Market Your Book, Product or Service! which gives some really great ideas for promoting a self published book.  Check it out!

Don’t forget, every Saturday we post a weekly book review of a self-published book (submitted by the author). To submit your review, please send it to selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com with a .jpg image of your cover. Self Publishing Advice will post your review and cover image on our blog.

Good luck and have fun!
Kelly Schuknecht
selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com

Submitting the Ebook Edition of your Self-Published Book

Last week I talked about using an ebook edition of your self-published book to promote your hard copy book.

I mentioned Amazon’s Kindle Store as one place where you can submit your ebook edition. If you haven’t checked that out yet, here is where you can go to set up your account and submit your ebook file: dtp.amazon.com

Have you been looking into other places where you can submit your ebook edition? There are a variety of ebook retailers on the internet. You can contact them each individually and submit your ebook file. Each ebook retailer will offer different royalty splits.

You can do a search on Google to find more ebook sites. Here’s another one to get you started: www.fictionwise.com

Good luck and have fun!
Kelly Schuknecht
selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com

Traditional Publishing: Hard Facts

We are in ongoing exploration of the advantages leading self-publishing options offered for publishing authors. Collectively, what are the advantages of self-publishing in general over the long established alternative? Here are some hard facts on Traditional publishing.  
 
7 – Traditional publishers lose money on over 85% of the books they publish, so they only accept 2% of those that are submitted.

6 – They typically accept manuscripts only from established authors who have demonstrated a proven track record.

5 – Authors lose all control of their content during the editing process.

4 – Authors must still invest an enormous amount of time, energy, and money promoting a traditionally-published book.

3- Authors typically receive 5-10% royalty on the wholesale price of the book, and from that have to give 15-25% to their agent. Do the math.

2 – The majority of books published by old-fashioned publishers go out of print within 3 years. Many books that are stocked on book shelves remain stocked for as little as five weeks before being returned, unsold, to the publisher.

1- Old-fashioned publishers acquire all rights to your book and keep them, even when the book goes out of print or the publisher goes out of business!

– Karl

Self-Publishing Resources

Self-publishing continues to gain footing in the book industry, bringing authors to the captain’s chair in terms of creative control, book pricing, and marketing. As this wave continues to build in speed and size, publishing options will inevitably follow.

Finding quality, researched information on self publishing options is important for authors looking for an advantage on the back-end, when sales help get good work into the marketplace. Stacie Vander Pol’s recently published book, Top Self Publishing Firms Revealed, is a new and sound resource in that arena.

The book is the product of Vander Pol’s own search for information about how several leading self-publishers fare in terms of book sales performance – actually helping authors get books in off press and into reader’s hands. Information about upfront fees, book pricing, and distribution is profiled as well.

Vander Pol notes in one interview that the her favorite part of the book is the enormous listing of current top-selling titles published by the organizations profiled. Keep an eye out for this one. It includes some solid, independent advice based on quality research.

– Karl Schroeder

Using Ezines to Promote your Self Published Book

Ezines are a great place to get reviews of your book published. They need content and, as a self-published author, you need reviews – it’s a perfect match!

Here is an ezine that actively solicits and reviews POD books (and you can find many others but conducting a search on Google for “ezine.”
www.mysticlivingtoday.com

Take a look at their site and if you feel your book is a good match for the tone of the ezine, send them a review copy of your book along with a copy of your sales sheet and a cover letter asking for a review.

Send it to:
Planet Starz, Inc.
314 Mill Pond Rd
Bluffton, SC 29910

Don’t forget, Self Publishing Advice will post your review and cover image on our blog. Once you receive a review for your book, you can submit it to selfpublishingadvice@gmail.com with a .jpg image of your cover.

Good luck and have fun!
Kelly Schuknecht
selfpublishingadvice.wordpress.com