2-9-09
Many things I have learned since starting this process. More recently, I’m concentrating on the business of promotion and selling. I’m having to learn to promote without spending much money. This in itself is time consuming but rewarding. A real advantage is learning where to focus the marketing without spending excess dollars above and beyond what is necessary. The challenge is to always keep in mind where your customers go. In this case, books. You would think that book stores would be the place to go. I’m learning quickly that bookstores reach a limited audience and fail to concentrate on one particular audience.
Yes, definitely Amazon.com is the place for your book. That by itself will not make the book sale. People must click to the page your book is on. There are tricks to get them clicking that direction. There are numerous books on that subject so I won’t waste your time with a 100,000 word novel on it here today. Look for one or more to learn how to get your book to sell on amazon. The one recommended to me was Sell Your Book on Amazon by Brent Sampson.
I’m also working on promotion outside of Amazon. I’m working on promotion secrets that get the word out without spending money. An example would be to get a few radio stations to promote the book without paying the advertising dollars.Don’t laugh too hard. I’m on my way to being on the radio for a total expenditure of $15.00. No final decisions have been made but the process has started. If this works and I do get on the radio, I will post a page that tells how I did it.
I will end this with one piece of advice that keeps me going. Never stop believing in your Book or your God and never stop writing. Some authors take three written published books before their name gets out into the public. Simply put, Don’t give up before you get started.
1-26-09
There is really very few things that an author can do that can’t be countered in some way. But one thing can make countering a real problem. that one thing is the front cover of your book. So many publishers want to make it quickly and simply. When that is done they don’t let the front cover tell the story it needs to get the reader to the back cover of the book. The back cover sells the book to the reader. So what do I look for when I’m looking at the front cover?
1)Does it tell the reader looking at the cover enough to get them to turn to the back cover? It needs to tell the reader if it is fiction or non-fiction. It needs to tell the reader a slight highlight of the actual story inside. Most importantly,it needs to jump off the book shelf and scream “You want me.”
I stood at a book signing and watched people walk by because they thought my book was about some kind of physical training. That is the story the front cover tells. The back cover tells a completely different story. The cover says one thing while the book tells another. My goal is to draw the interest of a fiction reader and instead it is drawing the interest of a reader looking for tips on physical training. A lesson not soon forgotten.
2)Does the cover jump off the book shelf faster and better than its competition? When the reader is looking at the books on the shelf, he or she is seeing a broad spectrum of books. What makes yours jump off the shelf and draw the readers eye? Think about this next time you go to book store and see if you don’t react in a similar way. Most likely, You will pick up the book that stops your eye first even if you are in a section that you don’t read the Genre. What was it about that cover that caught your attention? Keep that n mind when you look at getting your cover done.
Holding up production to get the best cover may be the better option for you. Make the cover the best and get the attention from the start. It will pay off in the long run.
11-14-08
How many authors have struggled to find a publisher? Do you pay for publishing? Do you try to get into traditional publishing? How do you know who is the best publisher for you? This will try to answer that question with my limited experience.
In my search for publishers I am finding some very real and important differences. First is the methods you have contact with them. Second is what services will they offer after the book is published. Let’s talk about the first.
All publishers can be contacted by e-mail. Some can be contacted by phone easily. Some can be contacted by phone but it requires leaving a message and hoping they call you when you can take a call. Very few can be contacted by personal face to face appointment.
What would my advice be? The best is to be close enough that you can have the face to face appointment. If you must contact someone by phone, make sure that you are getting contact in a reasonable time frame for you. If two business days is fine then make that the standard. If you are not that patient, then look for the faster response. What is important to you and how quickly do you want to be contacted? Some patience will be required as you will not be the only author the person you are calling is working with.
There are so many other things that happen after the book is published. Can you do them all. If you can say yes to that, you may to save money if you are paying to be published. If not, There are different fees for different services. Look thoroughly at exactly what they are offering and how much they are charging. Traditional publishers will do a lot of promotion for youbut tend to pay a lower percentage per book commision. The self-publishers and co-publishers tend to pay more per book commission but most do less promotion for you.
Self-publishers do little to no promotion. Co-publishers will tend to work more with you on promotion. The closer the publisher is to your home the more they can assist you. Some times tips can be enough to get your mind moving. Other times you may need more help. This is when asking questions can help. Make sure your publisher is willing to help you with.
I have found that Publishers that aren’t willing to help don’t answer general questions.
11-2-08
You as an author will face many feelings and struggles that will make you want to stop writing. How do you overcome these struggles. This page will be a slowly building. It will include different struggles with possible solutions to overcome them. I’ll never say that I know all solutions but the tips I’ll post here are the ones I use, sometimes on a regular basis.
The first struggle is looking at the blank page or a low word count and the feeling of impossible task over takes you causing you to want to quit. This happens when you began to focus on the total project instead of the part of the project for that day.
For example; Your novel goal is 90,000 words. Your word count is 3,000. You quickly do the math and 87,000 words blows your mind out of your head. Instead focus on the task of a daily goal of 1,000 words or 500 words. Watch the word count go up daily and you see your confidence building every day.
You may be looking at the first page with no idea of where to start. the best way to stop this from happening is having a file that you are filling with stories ideas, star characters, and general plot flow. then your problem becomes which one of those ideas do you want to start? I have found that the idea file will grow faster than you can write all of them.
The last example in this area is, your half way through the work and struggling with how to continue the work. This will take thinking through the process of where you are at in your work and looking at which direction it is going. Picture the novel as a road going on before you. The chapters are mile markers and your plot is going down that road. Look at the intended destination and look at the intended path you wanted to take. From here it taking the time to think through the story and something will inevitably come to you. Remember, the story will take on a life of its own, especially in fiction work. Allow that story to take on that life and go with it.
