Simply load your new book onto Kindle or iTunes and you'll sell
millions of them. You won't have the cost and inconvenience of managing
physical book production and inventory. You're guaranteed to make a
quick fortune, right? WRONG. It's not that simple. Less than a third of
current book sales are eBooks, although that portion is growing slowly
each year. Simple arithmetic suggests you may be ignoring the majority
of the market by exclusively selling only an electronic version of your
work.
You make a foolish assumption if you believe that simply by choosing an eBook format over a printed format for your published work the decision will have much of an impact on book sales. The most important factor affecting book sales is marketing, which in simple terms means attracting a relevant audience to your book and persuading them to buy it. Regardless of the production and distribution methods, your book will not sell unless you successfully make people aware of and interested in it. Naturally, you want to place the highest quality work where the broadest possible audience can find it.
However, simply occupying space, whether it is shelf space in a warehouse or book store, or digital space on a web site, is not enough. Give some thought to what will make people find it, buy it, read it, and recommend it to their friends. Define the audience for your work. You may find there are multiple potential audiences. Prioritize them so you focus on the most natural buyers first. Make a plan of specific actions you will take to communicate with these audiences to make them aware of your book. Start with everyone on your email list and your social media contacts.
Keep your messages simple and to the point. What is the one compelling reason someone should read your book? Make sure each time you communicate with your audience that reason is front and center. Find out who is influential in the subject matter of your book and with the reader audience. Approach him or her to write a review of your book. Find businesses that work with customers where your book may be a useful promotional item and offer them a quantity of books at a special price.
Brainstorm these and other ideas, and never give up searching for new ways to promote your book. Your job does not end when you publish your book, in fact; it is only just the beginning.
You make a foolish assumption if you believe that simply by choosing an eBook format over a printed format for your published work the decision will have much of an impact on book sales. The most important factor affecting book sales is marketing, which in simple terms means attracting a relevant audience to your book and persuading them to buy it. Regardless of the production and distribution methods, your book will not sell unless you successfully make people aware of and interested in it. Naturally, you want to place the highest quality work where the broadest possible audience can find it.
However, simply occupying space, whether it is shelf space in a warehouse or book store, or digital space on a web site, is not enough. Give some thought to what will make people find it, buy it, read it, and recommend it to their friends. Define the audience for your work. You may find there are multiple potential audiences. Prioritize them so you focus on the most natural buyers first. Make a plan of specific actions you will take to communicate with these audiences to make them aware of your book. Start with everyone on your email list and your social media contacts.
Keep your messages simple and to the point. What is the one compelling reason someone should read your book? Make sure each time you communicate with your audience that reason is front and center. Find out who is influential in the subject matter of your book and with the reader audience. Approach him or her to write a review of your book. Find businesses that work with customers where your book may be a useful promotional item and offer them a quantity of books at a special price.
Brainstorm these and other ideas, and never give up searching for new ways to promote your book. Your job does not end when you publish your book, in fact; it is only just the beginning.
Patrick Smyth is an author, speaker, trainer, business coach, and
principal at Enchanted Forest Press, a boutique publisher of books. For
more information visit http://www.enchantedforestpress.com 615.261.8585
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