Excerpts from "How to Sell Your Self-Published Book"
© 2009 Penelope Thompson - Howtosellmybooks.com
* SNIP * On what motivates people to buy books.
Nobody wants to read a book that is all about you and what YOU want and what YOU like. Except maybe your stalker! And hopefully you don’t have one of those.
Readers, like any customer, want to know, "what's in it for me!"
Remember this: a book buyer is only motivated to purchase a book if it will make him money, make his life easier, educate him on something he was curious about, or make his life more fun and enjoyable.
(excerpted from chapter 1 of the eBook)
* SNIP * On understanding how the distribution chain works….
When a customer walks into a book store and requests your title, the store transmits an order directly to a wholesaler like Baker & Taylor, then a purchase order is eventually issued to you from Baker & Taylor or the other middleman.
Once Baker & Taylor sees that there is a consistent demand for your book, the company will likely order a few copies to keep on hand. Online outlets like Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Overstock.com, Target.com, and other major online stores will also order from the distributor or wholesaler before any other source because it is more reliable.
You must gain an understanding of how the book distribution chain works if you want to sell thousands of copies of your own book—find this information in chapter 2 of
"How to Sell Your Self-Published Book"
* SNIP * On identifying your target reader….
The target audience or market is the group of people who are most likely to want and need your book. You have to narrow this group down as much as possible if you want to convert sales of your book. Find your niche.
For instance. Let's say that you are selling a book on the repair and maintenance of cars. Did you write the book to appeal to mechanics, wannabe mechanics, enthusiasts, or the average everyday Joe or Jane who wants to learn how to properly maintain and make simple repairs to a car?
In my opinion, the #1 mistake new authors make when trying to sell books is targeting the wrong audience. The #2 mistake is trying to target too broad of an audience.
Focus on the Customer's Motivations
You might figure, okay car enthusiasts definitely need my book about car maintenance, so I might as well advertise to mechanics too, since they are both into cars. But you'll be wasting your advertising dollars by advertising to mechanics because they have different motivations.
A mechanic is motivated by making money in his or her profession fixing cars, while a car enthusiast is more concerned about "pimping" his car and making it ride more smoothly.
The more you narrow down your target audience for your book the better. You will have a higher conversion rate and save money on advertising.
Don't know who your target reader is? Learn how to identify him or her in chapter 3 of "How to Sell Your Self-Published Book"
* SNIP * On writing book ads for your target reader….
Write Your Book Ads
Use this simple formula when you are writing ads for your book:
-Relate. Get on the potential reader's level. Show that you understand and can
relate to the reader's situation.
-Identify benefits. List the benefits of owning this book for the reader.
-Make your offer. Tell the reader what you are offering (i.e. a better life, increase
in income, better relationship, etc) and include a special deal.
-Be specific. Instead of "This book will help you make money" tell the reader
"This book will increase your income by $50,000 in two years."
There is a very practical example of how to write your book ad in chapter 3 of the eBook
Keep Reading More Excerpts --->
Coming up: Details on how to set up your book website