1. Book selling tips can go a very long way in helping self-published authors to hone their skills. Tip number 1 is to get quality reviews for your acim. There are lots of ways to get online reviews such as general review sites, blogs, and the standard sites such as Allbooks Review, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. You can also get professional reviews with traditional industry sites such as Foreword Reviews.
Get busy submitting reviews and making requests for people to review your book. Then broadcast positive reviews through Twitter, Facebook and any other social networking sites that you belong to. Don’t be shy about asking, just do it. Allowing this to be a normal part of your book marketing will be a productive part of your successful writing career.
2. Brand yourself. Book sales increase in direct proportion to what people think of your image. Are you presenting an image as an expert? Promoting a book successfully is all about showing your professionalism and expertise in your subject matter. The more people think of you as an expert, the more they will connect with you. They will begin to develop trust. That opens doors for networking opportunities and sales. Wouldn’t you love to develop a strong following of loyal fans? It is indeed possible to do this through branding. Next thing you know, you will be booking more interviews, having a large fan base, being requested to write articles and other wonderful opportunities to market your “now” high demand published book. Your professional presentation will become your public signature.
Remember to always tell everyone that you are a published author. That alone will place you in “expert” status. Add your author status to the signature line on emails, use it as your signature when you comment on book reviews as in, I am Jane Doe the author of __________, or I am John Doe the author of the forthcoming book ________. Begin to think of the different places you can apply this rule – forums depending on their rules, freelance writing assignments, on your business cards, on your website and as a part of any other communications piece.
Sometime people think that it is easier to brand yourself when you write in “non-fiction” categories such as how to books, technical writing, or manuals. There are plenty of fiction experts who are just as skilled at branding themselves. Just look at J.K Rowlings and Stephanie Meyers. They have amassed an almost cult like following by branding themselves in their genre. They may have written a work of fiction, but they are skilled in book promotions. There is absolutely no reason that your published book cannot have the same potential.
3. If you really want to sell more books, then get to know Amazon. Join their Search Inside the Book Program. I always love reading those extra nuggets of information that often make the difference between purchasing a book or not purchasing a book. Get listed with Amazon’s book awards program. Lots of indie authors get into Amazons book competition. Post reviews on other Amazon book authors and remember to leave your Jane Doe signature. Did you know that Amazon does have a “real people” customer service phone-line. Don’t forget to have a killer book cover design because that will help you to sell books with Amazon or any other site.
4. Become friends with librarians, they love to promote local newly published authors. They simply buy books. The more they like your level of professionalism and book content, the more they will put your book in different branches. Librarians also allow you to promote your book by public book readings. Some will even pay a stipend for your visit. Some of the librarians we have worked with have been very generous.
5. Start selling books through e-book promotions. You can use e-books to test the market before investing in paperback or hardback editions. You can test a selling price point faster with an e-book. I have read stats that say the conversion rate from an e-book to physical book purchases is between 80-90%. It is great to know that the majority of people that purchase your e-book will purchase your book.
