Advice for Authors
Several months ago I read an interesting post on Seth Godin’s blog titled Advice for Authors. Some of his 19 tips represent common sense for all authors; others are more alternative. In any event, it’s an interesting read and will definitely get you thinking about your career as an author.
My two cents:
#5 — Absolutely. Focusing on your target audience is the best way to sell your books and online book promotion is the best way to find that micro-niche.
# 7 — I’ve actually had good luck with major publishers (23 out of 24 books), but I do agree there are times when publishing independently is a good business decision.
#13 — Bookstore signings didn’t work for me, but they may work for others. Personally, I got much more mileage from a virtual book tour.
Do You Digg It?
A reader recently asked me about the little icons under the Share and Enjoy heading on each blog post. They come from a WordPress plug-in called Sociable, which makes it easy for you to link any of your favorite postings on The-Web Savvy Writer blog to your favorite social bookmarking site, such as del.icio.us or Digg.
I recommend that you use a similar tool to make it easy for readers to do the same on your blog. Social bookmarking has a viral affect and a popular post that many people bookmark can draw more traffic to your site. My blog analytics already indicate a number of new site visitors who found out about my blog through a social bookmarking site.
You Can Still Create a Great Author Bio, Even Without Credentials
Recently, reader Brian Tubbs left a comment asking how to create a captivating author bio with limited credentials. This is a common problem for many new authors. The answer is to get personal. That doesn’t mean that I recommend providing too much personal detail in your bio. Rather, you need to personalize it to connect with your audience. Tell them a story, intrigue them, or make them feel like a kindred spirit. By doing so, potential readers feel like they know you and are more likely to be interested in your book. Your bio can be one of your best sales tools, even if you’re a first-time author.
Author Glenda Watson Hyatt also left a comment about the challenges of creating a bio. Another tip is to get feedback from others on your bio. As authors, we all most likely feel we have a way with words. But writing about yourself can be daunting for many. Get feedback from both fellow authors and non-authors on your bio. Are you being too modest? Does your bio tell a captivating story? Does it present you as an expert? And most importantly — does it match the tone of your book and truly connect with your target audience? Sometimes an outsider can see you things you can’t when you’re writing about yourself.
Online Networking for Author-Entrepreneurs
I just came across this article and enjoyed it: Online Networking for Author-Entrepreneurs.
I definitely recommend developing at least two online networks of your own. One should focus on the author/publisher community and the other on the topic of your books. If you write about more than one topic or write both fiction and nonfiction, you could have more than one network.
In addition to generating book sales, these online networks can be a source of valuable advice and information that’s simply not available in your own limited geographic location.
Use Affiliates to Increase Your Sales
If you self-published your book or sell ebooks, special reports, or digital downloads from your site, you should take advantage of the free sales force that affiliate marketing provides. By offering your affiliates a commission on every sale they make, it’s a win-win situation. They make some extra money with minimal effort and you make a sale to a customer who may never have found you without the affiliate.
Most online shopping cart service, such as PayLoadz, ClickBank, and 1ShoppingCart.com, enable you to easily set up an affiliate program. PayLoadz is the service I’m currently using and it’s very easy to implement. After you set up your affiliate program, be sure to promote it and offer ready-made sales tools for your affiliates to use.
If you’re interested in becoming an affiliate for The Web-Savvy Writer special reports, visit The Web-Savvy Writer affiliate page for more details. Of course, you can also generate affiliate income from my traditional print books by participating in the ultimate web affiliate program, Amazon Associates.
Success Story — Mike Maranhas
Mike Maranhas, author of the novel Re’enev
- Featured in an article in his local newspaper, The Gloucester Daily Times Online
- Chosen as one of the Highlighted Titles for 2006 by Independent Publisher magazine
- Reviewed by a book reviewer Time magazine listed as one of the most prolific and influential book reviewers of 2006 (after being turned down for reviews elsewhere)
The lessons for other authors:
- Persevere. If one opportunity doesn’t work out, keep on trying. There are thousands of potential channels for promoting your book if you’re creative and persistent.
- Look into opportunities for awards and recognition for your book (but verify the legitimacy of any program before paying a fee to enter).
Have a success story of your own? Feel free to contact me about your own online book promotion success.
A Bit of Self-Promotion: New PowerPoint Book Released
Yes, this is a bit of self-promotion. My latest book, Special Edition Using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
The lesson for you? Promote your book everywhere you go, not just to your target readers. Don’t do a hard sell to an unsuspecting audience — just let people know about your book. You never know who might be interested. For example, an author I know mentioned her new book to acquaintances in her weekly yoga class and generated numerous sales (and no, the book wasn’t about anything even related to yoga).
Share Your Author Success Stories
To make this blog more interactive, I would like to start sharing reader success stories. Is online book promotion working for you? Did you generate good results from a particular online effort such as a new website, ezine, blog, or podcast? Do you have a killer video book trailer you’d like others to see?
In addition to sharing your experiences with fellow authors, this is a good opportunity to promote your own book as well!
Please feel free to contact me with your success stories and tips.
Tags: book publishingRelated Posts
Create an Author Bio That Captivates Your Audience
A bio is a critical part of any author website, and every site should have one. Whether you are trying to reach readers, the media, or potential clients, people want to know who you are. Here are several tips for creating a bio that generates results:
- Consider a traditional bio (focusing on your professional and publishing credentials) if you want to emphasize your credentials. Most nonfiction authors fall into this category.
- Consider a narrative bio if you want to tell a story through your bio. The narrative approach works particularly well for authors of fiction or creative nonfiction.
- Focus your bio on your audience and the action you want them to take. If your goal is to sell books on financial planning (as well as fill your seminar seats and get hired for speaking engagements), your bio needs to reflect your expert qualifications as a financial planner. If you’re trying to encourage potential readers to buy your mystery novel, create a bio that piques the interest of a mystery fan.
- Create both long and short versions of your bio to suit different needs.
Make a New Year’s Resolution to Promote Your Books Online
Another year is now here and if you’re like most people, you’re making some New Year’s resolutions. Becoming a more successful author should be one of them.
Here are some tips for making this year your year for online book promotion success:
- Set goals. And put them in writing. Your plan doesn’t need to be a formal one, but by committing goals to paper you have a better chance of achieving them. Consider setting both short-term goals and long-term goals so that you can have some quick successes along the way.
- Learn all you can about online book promotion. By learning about all the options available to you, you’ll be better prepared to choose the promotional opportunities that will work best for your book. Also look into ways to incorporate online promotion into your mainstream promotional plan for an even stronger impact.
- Focus on promotional efforts that suit your target audience. By targeting your most likely prospects, your chances of sales increase dramatically. Most of us have more marketing ideas than we could ever implement, so put your time and money into those that will give you the greatest return.
Best of luck to you in 2007!
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About the Author
I'm a freelance writer and author specializing in business technology.
