Where's the Money - Tips to Help Sell Your Book

8/12/2019 Where's the Money - Tips to Help Sell Your Book

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Wheres the Money?

Ideas on Book Promotion

Ruth Ann Nordin

*****

Wheres the Money? - Smashwards Edition

Pubished by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

!o"yri#ht $ %&'& by Ruth Ann Nordin

A ri#hts reser(ed) No "art o this book may be re"rodu+ed ortransmitted in any orm or by any means, ee+troni+ or

me+hani+a, in+udin# "hoto+o"yin#, re+ordin#, or by anyinormation stora#e and retrie(a system, without "ermission inwritin# rom the +o"yri#ht owner)

his is a work o noni+tion) he +ontents are based on theauthors e."erien+e) here are no "romises that what workedor me wi work or someone ese) he ho"e is that other

authors wi beneit rom the inormation "ro(ided)

Smashwords Edition, /i+ense Notes0


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his ebook is i+ensed or your "ersona en1oyment ony) his

ebook may not be re-sod or #i(en away to other "eo"e) I youwoud ike to share this book with another "erson, "ease"ur+hase an additiona +o"y or ea+h "erson you share it with) Iyoure readin# this book and did not "ur+hase it, or it was not"ur+hased or your use ony, then you shoud return toSmashwords)+om and "ur+hase your own +o"y) hank you orres"e+tin# the hard work o this author)

!o(er Photo $ !o"yri#ht Photo 2etty Ima#es) A ri#htsreser(ed 3 4sed with "ermission)

*****

Why Shoud 5ou /isten o Me?

Who am I to oer any ad(i+e on book "romotion? We, I etmy saes re+ord s"eak or me be+ause when it a +omes downto it, the "roo is in the numbers)

In %&'&, I re"orted about 6'7,8&& rom book saes as in+ome on

my ta.es) About 6'9,9&& +ame rom Ama:on ;4S


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anuary

Ama:on 4S >inde 6'9& at '7&& books sod)

Ama:on 4> >inde 6=& at ''& books sod)

Cebruary ;when I "ubished a new book in mid-Ceb)inde 6'7& at =789 books sod)

Ama:on 4> >inde 689 at =%& books sod ;&== +o"iesbein# one book that took o a o the sudden >inde '@% books sod)

*And as or "a"erba+ks, I sod about '&)

Now, Im a sim"e stay-at-home mom who is not e(en e.a+tysure how she #ot to this "oint) I ne(er e."e+ted it, to be honest,and I wasnt a bi# "romoter with my books as ar as #oin# outand tein# other "eo"e my books e.isted) Im an intro(ert whooathes the +han+e to tak about my books, e.+e"t to my readersor author riends as we dis+uss what were workin# on)

So Im ho"in# this ebook wi he" other intro(ert authors ikemyse who hate #oin# on so+ia networkin# sites and


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mentionin# their books more than on+e or twi+e) I ho"e

somethin# in here +an be useu to those who read it)

*****

Promotion Strate#y Ideas or Authors

IF(e been mentay #oin# throu#h and thinkin# o e(erythin#IF(e done sin+e I #ot serious about book "romotion ba+k inMar+h %&&7, wei#hin# thin#s that worked ;both in the short andon# run


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I(e #i(en u" on# a#o and o"ted or a s"a+e ater ea+h

"ara#ra"h) his is so that the manus+ri"t is +ean and easy toread) It aso #ets me into "remium distribution)

+) 2et a #ood +o(er)

I used to au#h at the idea that a +o(er wi make or break abook, but it is so true) My best sein# books are the ones withthe best +o(ers) 5ou +an buy royaty ree sto+k "hotos or as

+hea" as 6'& on "a+es ike shuttersto+k)+om ordreamstime)+om) I bou#ht a book +o(er sotware "ro#ram or6%&&, and that was the best in(estment I e(er made) I 1ust tethe "ro#ram the number o "a#es my book is, insert the "i+ture,insert the te.t, and "resto))) Ci(e minutes ater, I ha(e a ront,ba+k, and s"ine "a"erba+k +o(er ready to u"oad to!reateS"a+e) JereFs the sotware +o(er "ro#ram I bou#ht0

htt"0GGbook+o(er"ro)+omG) I u"oad the +o(er as a 1"#, not a "die) Now, I kee" it sim"e) I use one "i+ture or the ront +o(er)I do ha(e a +ou"e o riends who ha(e used their an+ier "i+ture"ro#rams ;not sure what those are


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the book summary and author bio? Where is the "ri+e o+ated?

What are the ont si:es? A o this wi he" you ha(e a"roessiona +o(er)

I do re+ommend #ettin# a K"ubishin# symboK that re"resentsyou, and "ut that "ubishin# symbo on the s"ine and on theba+k o your "a"erba+k) I you ony do ebooks, donFt worryabout it) I think these are 1ust un and attra+ti(e to ha(e on the+o(er)

d) 2et a +at+hy tite)

As or tites, browse some o the to" sein# tites in your #enre)I ike to take an ad1e+ti(e rom one tite that I ike and mat+h itwith a noun rom another tite that +au#ht my attention)Sometimes I e(en ask my readers or tite ideas)

Now youFre wonderin#, what does a o this ha(e to do withbook "romotion? In my o"inion, it is an im"ortant "art o book"romotion)

Now, heres what I did to #et my tar#et audien+e to ind me0

) 2et a Ca+ebook Author Pa#e and a irst drat bo#)

I wish I had done these sooner) It wi take time to buid u" andattra+t "eo"e, but #o ahead and set the sta#e) his is where you+an make announ+ements about your book and intera+t withyour readers) Intera+tion with your readers is the most im"ortantthin# I e(er did) Why? I #et eedba+k rom my readers, the"eo"e I write or) Its aso been a ni+e way to buidreationshi"s with them) When I #et stu+k, its he"u to boun+e

ideas around with "eo"e interested in my work be+ause ;to behonest< my amiy and most o my author riends "retty mu+hdont +are about my books)


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As or my irst drat bo# ;a WordPress one< where I write 9&&

words a day, I ha(e dis+o(ered this to be the sin#e #reatest wayto meet my tar#et audien+e) hey read my "osts and ea(e+omments) Ater awhie, I #et to know some o them weenou#h to send "ersona emais ba+k and orth where wedis+uss my books) I aso ha(e a Ca+ebook bad#e on theWordPress bo#, so now my readers +an riend me onCa+ebook) Its a #reat eein# when @&D o the "eo"e on yourriends ist are your ans) hen they 1oin your Ca+ebook AuthorPa#e and +an #et an inside ook into your work ;say +o(erideas< that no one ese wi #et)

My "oint to a o this is that a irst drat bo# has been the mostee+ti(e too when it +omes to intera+tin# with my audien+e)Whats best about it is that they ind my bo# and websitethrou#h my ree books, so I dont ha(e to #o ind themL they

ind me) Pere+t or the intro(ert) And what better way to #i(eyour readers what they want than to "ost a irst drat ook atyour work? I youre not +omortabe writin# a irst drat and"ostin# it immediatey, then I su##est takin# one o youraready +om"eted irst drats and "ostin# it u" a itte at a time)But i you dont want to do this at a, then its ine) Im 1ustsayin# this has been the bi##est way I(e ound my readers)

=) n Im"ro(in#

My work has been so mu+h better sin+e I took into a++ountwhat my tar#et audien+e o(es and doesnt o(e about my work)Aso, when theres +riti+ism, my readers usuay state it soni+ey that I reai:e they say it to he", instead o bein# mean ;asis the +ase o some re(iews I(e #otten


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!hoose a short story or no(ea to oer or ree in its entirety) I

am not a an o e.+er"ts be+ause I ike to see that you +an start astory and inish it whie reso(in# a the "ot "oints) But youdonFt ha(e to make e(ery sin#e book or no(ea ree) !hoosewhi+h one;s< youF make ree) Cree does work or you, and Isti beie(e in it) !hoose one o your best works be+ause reeattra+ts a ot o "eo"e) Put them u" on "a+es ike booko, yourirst drat bo#, your website, Smashwords ;and make sure youo"t to distribute your reebies throu#h the Smashwordsdistribution system or additiona e."osure


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Cor sure, Id use the distribution +hannes Smashwords has

+onne+tions with) E(en i you dont make as mu+h money, ea+h"a+e you +an se your book is one more +han+e or e."osure) Iu"oad dire+ty to Ama:on but use Smashwords or e(erythin#ese) Its startin# to #et to the "oint where I am makin# morethrou#h Smashwords than throu#h Ama:on, thou#h I #uess the4> store is now startin# to "i+k u")

7) Patien+e)

I +ant e."ain why a book +an sit and se one +o"y a month orha a year and suddeny take o to se &&& +o"ies in onemonth) Its the weirdest thin#, but I(e noti+ed that my books;at east< wi sit there or months and do nothin# but then they1ust take o) So I su##est bein# "atient) Some authors sebetter sooner than others) I started serious book "romotion in

eary %&& by istenin# to he !reati(e Penn;www)the+reati(e"enn)+om


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'&) >ee" Writin# and Pubishin# More Books

E(ery time I "ubish a new book, my saes on a my otherbooks #o u") I o(e ha(in# a new book out or this reason, butyou dont want to rush the ne.t book) 5ou want to make it as#ood and resh as "ossibe) Wi you ook ba+k on "re(iousworks and think, K2ee, I think I +oud ha(e done better?KMaybe) I know I do) But shoud you #o ba+k and rewrite them?IFm #oin# to say no) Instead, I su##est takin# +are o easy

thin#s, ike ty"os and mo(in# on) ust kee" #oin# be+ause nomatter how many times you rewrite a book, there wi aways besomeone who hates it and someone who o(es it) I ha(e enou#h' to 9 star re(iews to "ro(e it)

'') Ads

I didnt try an ad or two books unti this year) I tried one ormy "en name and one or my rea name) My "en name didntmake enou#h to "ay or the 69 ad) My rea name made"robaby an e.tra 6'9& o >inde at the Ama:on 4S store orthe month its been u") I "ut my book +o(er on !oee imeRoman+e ;sin+e I write roman+e


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Authors Note

I +o-administer the Se-Pubished Authors /oun#e athtt"0GGse"ubauthors)word"ress)+omG) his is a 1oint eortbetween myse and other authors who ha(e a desire to he"authors out) Re+enty, we estabished a orum to #o in+on1un+tion with the bo#) Cee ree to sto" by) I think the best

way we +an earn is by sharin# whats worked and what hasnt)I it werent or other authors sharin# their ti"s, I woudnt bewhere Im at today)

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Where's the Money - Tips to Help Sell Your Book