Boost Your eBook Sales Success!
Essential Resources and Strategies to Online Book Marketing
Marquita Herald
Special Free Preview Edition
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 Marquita Herald
License Notes
This special preview is licensed for your personal enjoyment. Although this is a free
publication, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and it may not be sold or
used for commercial purposes.
What readers are saying …
"I love this book! It's the antidote to every vague, motivational-but-not-so practical book you've
read about becoming a published author.”
~Carol Lynn Rivera, The Websearch social Marketing Magazine
“Can’t I give it more than 5*? Love it! Most of the books I have read that are geared to
authorship self-help are repetitive, repetitive, repetitive (did I say repetitive?), and cheerleading.
Just tell me once, and I don't need a cheerleader. This book says it once, and then moves on to
another extremely useful topic.”
~Java Davis
“I have been an online marketer since the net began for the general public in 1989. I have used
just about every marketing program including some I have written and published on Amazon. I
usually do not purchase books on Internet marketing but I am glad I purchased this one since it
is geared to self publishing authors. You cannot go wrong with this book. I highly recommend
this book to all authors.”
~Leland Benton
“This book is a fantastic resource for new and aspiring authors. It's broken down into a couple
of really useful sections to help you navigate from "I wrote a book" through "now what?" to "I
made a sale!" Marquita has put together a thorough reference guide and written it in a friendly
way that is easily accessible and usable.”
~Foo Bar
“I've been in the marketing game for quite some time and read some of the worst, fluff filled
books ever. This one was anything but. This book was packed jammed from start to finish with
real information, real things that can actually make you money, help you with your marketing,
and at the end of the day make you very happy you picked up a copy. It's not a short read, which
is great, because there is so much information in here, any less the author would have been
leaving things out.”
~Elizabeth Rose
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why You Need a Book Marketing Plan
The Role of Marketing Partnerships and Key Influencers
Digital Book Marketing Strategies
Amazon: KDP Select
Social Media
Interviews & Book Reviews
Networking: Connect With Readers
To Blog or Not to Blog
Support Groups & Forums
Resources
Book Promotion Sites
“Free” Sale Promotion Sites
Using Twitter for Promotions
Alphabetical Listing of All Promotion Sites
Preview: Beyond Your Book
About the Author
Introduction
There has never been a more exciting time to be an author! Opportunities and resources are
virtually unlimited, and your ability to succeed is only limited by your willingness to embrace the
challenges, and take action to make your dreams come true.
You may or may not agree with this statement, but your gut reaction to it will be a clear
indicator of your current mindset; in other words, your overall view of life. So what does
mindset have to do with selling eBooks?
While the immediate goal of this book is to help you cut through information overload so
you can start getting your name and book in front of potential readers as soon as
possible; it’s also aimed at encouraging you to begin thinking of your writing as your
“author business.” And believe it or not, your mindset has the ability to either help or
hinder your success on both counts.
To better understand the connection, let’s look at how people with differing mindsets
might view the opening statement.
Those who reside comfortably within the context of traditional thinking will be more likely
to respond negatively because they resent having to “waste” time on any activity that
takes them away from writing. Many feel abandoned by the publishing industry, and
others simply don’t like how things just keep changing on them.
Then there are those who see the potential, but feel overwhelmed with so many options
and lack of clear direction; because what they really want is for someone to take them
by the hand and show them the way.
We also need to recognize the writer who is a dabbler … inspired to write a book for no
other reason than thinking it might be a quick an easy way to make a few extra bucks,
only to learn in short order there is nothing quick or easy about the process. Chances
are high this writer will eventually give up and walk away bitter about the experience -
unless they can discover a compelling reason to change their thinking and ultimate goal.
Finally, there is the author with the entrepreneurial mindset who would be inclined to
enthusiastically agree with the opening statement because - while they fully recognize
the enormous challenges - they thrive on controlling their own destiny.
Of course, there really is no right or wrong response, and attitudes are rarely so clear-
cut. The good news is that attitudes can be changed - and new mindsets formed - which
matters a great deal if you want to become known and sell more books, because the
journey to becoming a successful author is more challenging - and more rewarding -
than ever.
Could this book be for you?
If you are tired of spending countless hours searching for answers to the question of
how and where to market your book, and if you find you are attracted to the notion of
growing a successful and sustainable author business, or are at least open to
considering the opportunities … then this book is for you!
All writers think of what they do as an art. Smart writers understanding writing is also a
business. Really smart writers also see themselves as entrepreneurs.
~Barry Eisler, Author
The first challenge facing any new author is coming to terms with what is involved with
getting their book into the hands of readers. This is because, despite all that has been
said about the challenges associated with writing books and self-publishing, there
remains a great misconception that once a book is published an author’s work is done.
The reality is that writing your book is only the first step, and often turns out to be the
easiest part of the process. If you want your book to be successful, marketing your book
will be up to you.
How will you respond to the challenge?
As a former small business coach, over the years I’ve worked with hundreds of
entrepreneurs, and found time and again that there is nothing that will bring a smart,
talented individual to a screeching halt faster than falling into overwhelm.
It usually goes something like this. They know they want to make this thing they are
passionate about happen, they even know pretty much what they need to do to make it
happen, but they get stuck thinking about how much work there is to do. The next thing
they know those pesky little internal voices start planting seeds of self-doubt, causing
them to begin questioning everything they do, and every decision they make. As a result
they either end up getting busy doing a whole lot of things just for the sake of doing
something - only to end up going nowhere fast - or they procrastinate by jumping from
one “how to” book to another, while haunting online forums asking the same questions
over and over - hoping to find the magic formula.
Just to be very clear, this book isn’t it.
Deep breath now … say it with me: “There is no magic formula, there is no magic
formula.”
And make no mistake about it; traditionally published authors are facing many of the
same challenges as those who opt for self-publishing.
Boost Your eBook Sales Success contains a wealth of resources, tools and tactics to
help you effectively market your book, including over a hundred websites, blogs and
Facebook Pages ready to get your book in front of more readers. But it’s important to
understand that using tactics without a strategy is worse than doing nothing at all … and
the single most important first step to developing your strategy is to become very clear
about what you want to achieve as an author.
And it all begins with your book marketing plan …
Why You Need a Book Marketing Plan
“I’m about to self-published my first book and I could use some help. I read somewhere that a
writer should start getting word out about their book before it is published. As I understand it, I
should create a buzz, so more people would know about the book. Is this correct? I'm a little
confused. How do I go about doing that and what kind of things should I talk about? I don't know
what to say or who to say it to. Does anyone have suggestions or how to go about it?”
This was a real question posted in a forum. It took me less than 5 minutes to find an
example of someone struggling to figure out what to do now that they’ve written their
first book.
While my heart goes out to this author, I’m confident there will be no shortage of people
offering well-intentioned guidance. In fact the one thing these forum threads all have in
common is they tend to take on a life of their own, with one tidbit of advice posted after
another.
What’s wrong with taking advantage of free advice and the experience of others?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions or researching “how to” articles
online to fill in knowledge gaps. The problem is that when you are new at something you
don’t even know yet all that you don’t know - and a lot of time can be wasted while you
sort through information trying to determine what is relevant or not. Even when you find
what appears to be a valuable bit of advice - unless it’s a training situation where the
subject is fully covered from start to finish, you could easily end up missing critical steps
in the process without even realizing it.
Attempting to build your author business in this way is like trying to assemble a large
puzzle when you’re missing half of the pieces.
I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can
be judged...I had poems which were re-written so many times I suspect it was just a way of
avoiding sending them out.
~Erica Jong, Author
Regardless of your long-term goals, developing an effective book marketing plan
is the key to getting your book in the hands of enough readers to make a
difference to you - financially and emotionally.
Consider your marketing plan a step-by-step guide to provide focus and direction for the
actions you will take to achieve your goals. Having a plan will also go a long way toward
getting (and staying) organized, minimizing stress and maximizing sales.
Please don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to create the “perfect” plan,
because that is the surest way to turn a valuable exercise into a reason to procrastinate.
Consider this first version of your marketing plan a starting point - a work in progress.
The more books you write, and the more you learn along the way, the more confident
you will become about your decisions and the foundation you are building for your
author business.
There are many ways to approach developing a book marketing plan, and in the
remainder of this section I’ve outlined the basic steps to get you started in the right
direction. But first, your heartfelt answer to the following question will determine all of
your strategies and tactics from this point on …
What do you ultimately want to achieve as an author?
The first and most important step in your planning is to decide what it is that you
ultimately want to achieve with your writing. If your desire is to build a life around your
writing then that goal needs to become a factor in everything you do to develop your
brand identity and market your book(s). On the other hand, your plan will look very
different if your writing is a means to an end, for example a way to demonstrate your
expertise in a particular area or promote a business. Maybe you are focused on telling a
single compelling story, and may or may not ever write another book. Whatever your
ultimate goal is, it will serve as the foundation to create a successful book marketing
plan.
I hope you found this special preview of Boost Your eBook Sales Success informative
and compelling enough to give it a try.
Boost Your eBook Sales Success is the first in the
Author Business series of books - a “no fluff” guide to
begin marketing your book and growing your reputation
as an author.
You’ll find a wealth of tools and resources - including over
100 websites, blogs and Facebook pages ready to
promote your book(s) - Boost Your eBook Sales Success
has consistently earned a 5* rating on Amazon.
Readers continue to praise the value of the information
and how the book has helped them save time, cut
through information overload, and get their book(s) into
the hands of more readers.
Beyond Your Book: A Practical Guide to Growing Your
Audience Online is the 2nd and newest book in the
Author Business series and delves deeper into precise
strategies and tactics to grow your author business.
Both of these books are geared toward the independent
author who is either about to publish their first book, or
already has one or more published books, but who has yet
to establish a brand or a following.
The emphasis is on growing an audience online simply
because this is the fastest, most economical way to begin
building your author platform.
Read on for a preview of Beyond Your Book …
Preview: Beyond Your Book
It takes time, energy and no small amount of determination to write a book, which is why
it’s so easy for new authors to fall into the age-old trap of assuming that everyone will
(or should) appreciate the value of their writing, and be ready and eager to buy their
creation.
Except that readers don’t much care about the time or effort that goes into writing a
book - and more importantly - they may not even be interested in the subject. The reality
is there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all audience, which means as an author you
have two choices.
Sit back and hope that readers who will be interested in what you have to say will
somehow find their way to your book solely based on the title and genre … or,
You can get busy identifying the readers most likely to be interested in, and
benefit from your book; and then do the work to connect with them and start
building a loyal audience … a process known in the publishing trade as growing
your “author platform.”
Unfortunately, many writers sidestep the entire notion of building a platform, either
because they simply don’t understand the term, are intimidated by the thought of self
promotion, or because they can’t imagine how they could possibly fit even one more
activity into an already overflowing schedule. But the harsh truth is it’s going to be
nearly impossible to get your book into the hands of enough readers to make a
difference to you as an author (financially or emotionally) if you don’t do the work to
grow some kind of fan base that is going to be ready and willing to buy your books.
The Curse of “Best Practice”
Another challenge that new authors face is that much of the information and advice
available today on how to go about building an author platform is based on “best
practices” in traditional publishing. Best practice is a business term which basically
means optimal solution; in other words, “This process worked so well in the past, that if
everyone continues to follow the same process precisely, then, regardless of the
circumstances, they should experience the same results.”
For example, let’s take the question of when to start building your platform. Experts in
book marketing and publishing recommend that you start building your fan base
anywhere from 1 to 3 years prior to publishing your first book. I have no idea how
many authors actually followed that advice prior to the digital revolution, but I do know
that in today’s world of eBooks and self-publishing many - if not most - new authors
won’t begin thinking about how to get their book into the hands of readers until they are
ready to publish.
So the question is what can you do NOW if you’re an author with a book and no
following? Should you even try to play catch up, and if so where do you begin?
The good news it is never too late to begin building your fan base, however it will take
time, patience and persistence. For that reason I want to be clear that if you’re more
interested in the romantic notion of being an author than selling books, then
please do not waste your money buying this book.
While there are no magic formulas or short cuts, Beyond Your Book will help you learn
how to communicate the value of your book and who you are as an author, while
developing trusting relationships with those who will care about what you have to say.
The focus is on building an audience online simply because that is the fasted and most
efficient way to achieve results, regardless of how you publish your book.
They say your destiny is already written, but sometimes you just have to grab a pen
and become your own author.
~Author Unknown
If you liked Boost Your eBook Sales Success you are going to LOVE
Chapter Highlights
The Business of Being an Author * Fearless Branding * Crafting a Long-Term Author
Business Plan * Targeting Your Audience * Your Author Website * The Art of Non-
Sleazy Self-Promotion * 6 Steps to Develop Your Social Media Strategy * 101 Tactics to
Grow Your Fan Base * How to Manage it All and Still Have a Life * Defining Your
Success
Coming in Fall 2013
Book 3 of the Author Business Series!
The third and final book in the Author Business series will be geared toward the author
who is serious about building a business around their writing and will include a
comprehensive review of lesser known sales platforms such as Kobo and Lulu, and
explore advanced marketing and business strategies and techniques including selling
your book(s) from your author website/blog and developing promotional partnerships to
amplify your marketing efforts.
About the Author
Inspiring you to create your own life experience …
Marquita Herald is a personal growth specialist, small business marketing consultant
and the author of 5 books on living life by design and 2 books on the business of being
an author. She is also the creator of the award winning personal growth blog IGG - Tips,
Tools & Tantalizing Ideas, and the new Business of Being an Author blog.
Her professional background includes a successful 20 year career in sales and
marketing, followed by nearly a decade as a life and small business coach working with
new and emerging entrepreneurs.
Marquita makes her home in Maui, Hawaii and her mission is to inspire readers to
embrace that we are each as powerful as we allow ourselves to be … that we can
choose to create our own life experience.
To connect with Marquita online:
Blog: The Business of Being an Author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbusiness
The Business of Being an Author on Google+: http://gplus.to/authorbiz
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/martyinmaui/
Twitter: http:/twitter.com/MarquitaHerald