Too many authors focus solely on writing and neglect aspects like book design and promotion. They anticipate that their publisher will handle every aspect of book design and marketing, allowing them to just sit back and collect millions of dollars every year.
These same authors will also quickly become lost in the maze of print-on-demand publishers and the time and the financial black hole that is self-publishing if they opt to do so. Actually, the majority of authors would rather pass away than consider book promotion or spend money on book design.
Battling The Competition For Book Marketing
According to Bowker, which aggregates publishing statistics, about 172,000 books were released in 2005 with an ISBN. Your book can be distributed to bookstores and online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble with the use of an ISBN number, which will get you into Books in Print. Some sources claim that Print on Demand (POD) companies printed almost one-fourth of these volumes.
Since many small publishers have their books printed by Lightning Source, which also does printing for many of the larger POD companies, I’d estimate that figure to be substantially higher.
The Concept Of A “Best Seller” Has Evolved.
To appear on Lulu’s top 100 bestsellers list, a book simply needs to sell 300 copies. 300 books! Some individuals can achieve that by only selling books to their extended family. While major POD publishers like AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris, and others may print more books with ISBNs, their sales statistics aren’t much better.
One estimate places the average book’s sales at no more than 150 copies, while another estimates it to be less than fifty. Lulu Press is well-known since many authors wind up losing money on their publications. You may submit your book’s interior and exterior at Lulu (you do all the design work) and have a copy of it delivered to your door in a matter of days for the “cost of printing” (which is highly inflated, by the way).
We’re in the process of producing a detailed guide to self-publishing because the offerings and costs of POD firms differ greatly. A lot of the assertions are unsupported, and the material and data can be a confusing mess. The real story will come out.
Will You Be A Part Of The Majority Or One Of The Winners?
Will your book be a failure before it is released? You must devote time and resources to the creation and promotion of your book if you hope to sell more than 50 copies of it. These are the fundamental actions you need to think about:
1. Produce A Terrific Book With A Readership.
One of the biggest errors individuals make is assuming that just because their book is “excellent,” people will read it. If a book is either relevant to their lives (non-fiction) or is just really, really wonderful, people will read it (fiction). You’ll still need to promote your book. Two of the most common queries we receive are “How to sell a book” and “How to advertise a book,” and search engine analysis reveals that these are popular search terms. Your four-legged marketing stool is down to three legs if you didn’t write your book with an audience in mind.
2. Invest Money In Book Editing And Book Cover Design.
There are many outstanding book cover artists. Then, for editing, get in touch with Charity at Mighty Pen Editing. Don’t skimp on editing because mistakes WILL occur (trust me on this – there are probably a few in this article).
3. Pick A Reputable Publication.
If you just want to print a few books for your friends or make a cheap galley to send to editors, agents, or distributors, Lulu Press is fantastic. A “galley” of your book, which is just a printed copy of your book with a blank cover, will frequently be requested from you. Lulu Press is excellent for producing galleys at a reasonable price.
Which POD business you select will depend on your goals and objectives, as we’ll demonstrate in our forthcoming thorough guide to self-publishing. Companies like Cold Tree Press might be a fantastic option if you want to have your publisher properly edit your book and create the cover rather than outsourcing to an unidentified person. Other businesses provide a range of marketing bundles. Personally, I’d like to consult a reliable book marketing consultant or media specialist rather than have these publishers promote my book.
You get what you pay for, although there are a few tiny publishers (like Cold Tree Press or Arbor Books) that offer outstanding Self-Publishing Services packages for several hundred to several thousand dollars.
4. Approach Book Marketing With No Bars Barred.
Spend money on book marketing and publicity if your book is your livelihood or a key component of your company’s marketing strategy. Too many individuals, particularly those in business, publish books, post pages about them on their websites (and on Amazon), and then wait to see if any sales come in. Your book should be treated as though it were a 250-page business card.
Even though your strategy will differ if your book is a novel or your life story, you still need to invest some money in promotion.
5. Promote Your Book On The Internet.
Book tours and other antiquated methods of book promotion are no longer used. You can still do things, for sure, but if you’re serious about selling books, you’ll need to go online—and not covertly.
Use strategies like blogs and online infomercials. Learn more about the advanced book marketing services teleseminar series. Learn how to conduct a virtual book tour as well (a class Penny Sansevieri will be teaching through Write and Publish Your Book).
Therefore, produce a fantastic book, get a competent editor and book cover design, collaborate with a reputable publisher, market your book like crazy, and use the Internet to promote it through podcasts, blogging (an author blog), video casts, and virtual book tours.
