Marketing Your Book

The assumption is made that when you choose to write about a certain subject, you do so at least in part because other people will have an interest in what you have to say. That's a good place to start. Begin with the sites where you are certain there is interest. That may seem obvious, but it is important for a couple of reasons. Initially, you will sell some books, so you're off to a nice start and with a good feeling. You will continue to target other areas, but it is important to know that those initial sales will generate other sales all by themselves, when people see the new book that is available. (It's much the same as seeing a new book in a bookstore.)

Each time you sell a book, you generate more chances that others will see the book or hear it being talked about. Word of mouth will be your powerful ally, even more so when your subject appeals to a large percentage of a small group of people. (Conversely, with national sales you would be trying to sell to a small percentage of a large group of people.)

There are many other very effective, inexpensive methods that we can share with you to increase your sales and your sales potential.

Yes. This can be a lot of work. If you don't know how to set up a website of your own, and don't want to pay someone, you can search for a site that will agree to host your books for a small percentage of the profit. Still, if you can manage it, having your very own website can be a great value. The possibilities are endless, and the profits are rewarding.

As part of our arrangement with you, you may decide to make your books available on our website. And, you may select our fulfillment service where we store a supply of your books, take online orders, prepare your labels (3 for each package), prepare an invoice, package your books in protective packaging, and ship them via the United States Postal Service. We can also fill orders that you receive personally that require shipping.

Yes. People love to have their books signed. YOU may think you're a "nobody," but to customers, you are an author. Don't be surprised when people ask you to sign it, and you hear them say "You never know!" It's their little lottery ticket taken on the chance that you may someday become famous. People WILL ask you to sign their books, and they do appreciate it. It also gives you interaction with people who are fans of what you are doing.

We can assist you in creating a list of appropriate venues. In addition, we will add the guidance and advice that have made our books successful. This will include details on book signings and other promotions. It all works. Talk to us about it, and we can relieve some of your concerns.

It depends on what types of stores you want to have selling your books. If you are interested in Borders, Barnes and Noble, and stores like that, profit for the author becomes a real problem. Besides, it often won't matter if YOU are interested in those large stores. The problem will be trying to get THEM to be interested in you. If your book is addressing a smaller market, it will be hard to attract any large stores. And, if they ARE interested, they will expect you to discount your books from 40% to 65% off of your retail price. There will be little profit for you, and someone else will be the primary beneficiary of all of your hard work.

That is one reason why we prefer to target smaller audiences. You can make money, make friends, and enjoy what you are doing. You can work deals with a variety of stores where you give up SOME of the profit, but most of it comes to you. We can show you what we have done, and how effective it was when we did it. You won't be doing this alone.

It will if you want it to be. All you have to do is pay their fees. Some authors proudly proclaim that their books are available at major online dealers, but the fact is, anyone can list their books with Amazon. All you have to do is pay to do it. It's not an accomplishment; it’s a business contract. You don't have to believe us. Go to this site and read the requirements for getting listed on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/subst/partners/direct/direct-agreement.html/002-9012031-6681635#rules.

Here's a quick look at the Amazon Advantage program. Let's say you produce your book, paying whatever costs it entails, and now you are ready to retail it for $15.00 per copy. Remember, being listed on Amazon means they are SELLING your book, not publishing or printing it. You pay all the costs to produce your book, and they let you sell it in their store. You fill out their form and pay $29.95 for a yearly membership. You then supply them with 2 to 5 copies of your book for them to hold as inventory. If they sell any books, they will sell them for your retail price of $15.00. Amazon will keep 55% of each sale ($8.25) for handling the sale. Since they are taking your books at a 55% discount, they owe you $6.75 for each book sold, and they say they will pay you monthly.

HOWEVER, if you aren't set up to receive EFTs (Electronic Fund Transfers), you will only receive payment when they owe you a minimum of $100.00, AND they will charge you $8 for writing you the check. So, you need to sell 15 copies of your $15.00 book through Amazon before they will issue you a check. You'll receive a check for $93.25 for 15 books sold, or $6.22 per copy. Subtract your cost per book (formatting, printing, binding) from $6.22, and you have your profit for each book sold. There's a real good chance that there's a minus sign in front of that number. If not, the first of the three digits is almost surely a zero. That's reality. There are much better ways for the smaller author to market books.