Well, you’ve done everything possible to get ready for the big day – the official date YOU have set for the books release.
Let’s look over what was done:
- You have sent out all review copies, and have hopefully gotten several favorable reviews.
- You have sent out press releases to all the important places – Local newspapers, radio and television stations and all the libraries within 50 miles of where you live.
- You have sent out press releases to the newspapers and media stations where any part of your novel takes place (Yes, these are important)
- You have set up the release with your Independent Publisher and already see it on Amazon.com and any other online bookseller, so you know it is available.
- You have contacted the book distributer your publisher uses to make sure they KNOW about your new book.
- You’re website is up and running, and you have all the information on it so that anyone visiting the website will know what your book is about and where to buy it.
- You have set up associate links to the various online booksellers to (a) make it easy for anyone coming to your website to buy the book, and (b) put all reviews and quotes on the website and, (c) have full contact information
Now, all you have to do is watch the book sales fly…… WRONG!
Now you have to get everyone you know, everyone they know, everyone in your immediate family, and everyone in their immediate family and then everyone in your and all the other’s extended family to buy the book and to spread the word. Simple.
Of course, you can hope that everyone will buy the book. If that happens, and it happens quickly, say over a 1-3 day period, the book will march up the rankings on the websites; however, if you don’t get 500 or more copies sold quickly, the book won’t move up the charts too well, and the hoped for push from the online bookstores will not happen. What then?
It’s really quite simple. Word of mouth. You need to get all the people you know talking about the book to all the people they know. When that happens, interest is generated and “the Word” about you novel spreads.
All of this is good, in theory. This is a how a best seller used to happen; however, best sellers now are generated by Traditional Publishers investing huge sums of money into advertising and PR. So, it’s time to sit back and wait, right?
Sorry, writing a book is only a small percentage of selling a book. You need to book appearances at local libraries, where you talk about your book and have copies available to sell, right there and then. Churches, Synagogues, all places of worship are good venues for book sales – how do you do that? Well, many have book clubs. Get an invitation to talk about your book.
Senior centers are a wonderful resource. Check your local community senior centers and set up a talk. A word of advice: Bring snacks. That will bring the seniors in.
Book signings at bookstores are never what you expect. Usually, if you’re very lucky, you’ll have a half dozen people. Most authors who are promoting Non Traditionally published novels don’t draw in big crowds as would a James Patterson; however, even if only 2 books are sold, it’s two more people who become familiar with your writing and hopefully, become fans who will spread YOUR word.
All of that said, it talks effort and a non ceasing desire to tell everyone about your book.
A Major Advantage of Non Traditional Publishing
This particular advantage is the one I feel strongest about. Let’s face reality. Doing a POD means everything is on your shoulders. Costs, Advertising, Promotion, Sales…. EVERYTHING! But, when publishing via Traditional publishers, your book has an optimum shelf life of 2 -3 months.... Usually its 1 month before they send the stripped covers back to the publisher for credit while the rest of the book goes into the dumpster behind the stores. ( Unless, of course, the book is selling well) But, on average, when sales have petered out, the book is not usually stocked, and then it’s either online sales or special orders from the stores and eventually reaching the out of print level.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST, if not the biggest advantage of publishing Non Traditionally is that your book will never go out of print, so say, after a year of dismal sales, something happens – you win an award, you’re written up in a national newspaper or magazine or you sell dramatic rights and people start hearing about you and your novels – and the book starts to sell better than you ever expected. That’s the beauty of it! Another possibility is that two years down the line, you have another book that becomes a hit…. Your Non Traditionally published book will then start selling to those who bought your latest book, and that one is ALWAYS available, because YOU decide when it goes out of print, not the publisher.
With all of that said, let’s look at one more aspect – the why of the book
WHY did you write the book in the first place? Was it simply to get published? Was it to become a best seller and make a ton of money? Or, was it because you believe you are a damned good writer and you deserve to be in print regardless of what the people in Traditional publishing believe.
Any of the above reasons are valid, however, one thing I truly believe, is that a writer needs to write, and wants, more than anything else, to have people read his/her work and say, “Wow, great book!”
For me, hearing those words, or seeing them in print, is the ultimate royalty. Of course I’d like to make enough money to spend all my time writing, but that’s beside the point. “Great Book!” is what I long for.
Of course there is more blog to come, soon….
Please do visit my websites:
angelsinmourning.com &
davidwind.com
